After singing off the same hymn sheet for quite a while now it was only going to be a matter of time before 2 of Leicester's leading house nights linked up to do a joint party.
If that wasn't exciting enough we have also invited down man of the moment James Johnston to play a dj set too. James is no stranger to Sophbeck as he has played here before. A night which proved to be one of the best in our basement last year. He is also a key dj and recording artist for city fly records. Releasing the killer 'Move Forward' for cfr001 and also doing a remix for that amazing CSA EP by Creative Swing Alliance. James has also been working on a collab with Secretsundaze's Ethyl which will feature on a future release on ArtfulDivision's very own vinyl only record label.
He is quite a dj too... currently playing @ the best venues & nights around the UK and Europe. As ever the reliable Artful & City Fly residents will be on hand aswell. This will be surely be one epic night of house music and not to be missed!!
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James Johnston (No Matter What/4 Lux/City Fly)
James Johnston has a real passion for deep house and the classic house sound and is now one of the most exciting producers at the forefront of the current underground house scene. As well as releasing music on many respected labels he also co-runs No Matter What with fellow house head Alex Agore; a label which has quickly become buy on sight with the last two releases both hitting the NO.1 spot in the Juno house chart.
James also DJs around the world and his sets are an education in how house should sound and be played, showcasing his ability in joining the dots between the classic sounds that are synonymous with Detroit Techno, Chicago House and New Jersey Garage, fusing a cross-pollination of sounds complete with an ear open to the future...
Flashback to the late 80s/early 90s and this is where James’ love affair with house began - peaking in 93/94 where every Saturday night involved a mandatory session at Glasgow’s iconic house & techno pantheon Sub Club. However, it wasn’t long before James was distracted by the emergence of other exciting and innovative genres... The next 15 years were spent experimenting in a myriad of styles – concocting an alchemy of sounds resulting in a hazy blur of techno, drum n bass, experimental electronics, improv, avant karaoke, noise and electro-rock! Fast-forward to 2009 and after exhausting countless genres his musical voyage has transported him back to the house temple, rekindling his love for the timeless genre and laying the foundations for his revival in deep house...
His debut track ‘She’s Gone’ – featuring a sample from the classic Bill Withers track ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ – was an instant hit on Soundcloud and received such a high volume of positive feedback it reached No.1 in Soundcloud’s ‘Most Popular Deep House Tracks Of All Time’ chart – not bad for his first deep house track... This didn’t go unnoticed and influential Detroit house label Kolour Recordings snapped up the track immediately and gave him licence to produce tracks for their off-shoot ‘Undertones’. The result was the ‘Honesty EP’, and James hasn’t looked back since...
His next two releases – the ‘Missed The Party EP’ and ‘Feeling Good In The Dark EP’ – were released by Gerd’s ubiquitous Dutch label 4Lux, with the latter EP selling out within 2 weeks – who said vinyl was dead? The track ‘Slow Dance & Romance’ also appeared on Hed Kandi’s ‘Beach Sessions’ CD – showing James’ commercial appeal yet simultaneously catering to ‘the heads’.
With a triptych of EP’s now released to great acclaim, James was asked to supply tracks and remixes to respected labels including Berlin’s ‘Dikso’ imprint and City Fly’s debut ‘Visions EP’. His track ‘Move Forward’ from the latter was included on Harley & Muscle’s ‘Addicted To House 10’ compilation mix – emphasising James’ versatile appeal. Within a few months James’ next release was on the horizon – a split EP with Deep Space Orchestra which was released by Boogie Originals and again showcased James’ varying flavour in the house/disco palette...
Last autumn witnessed the release of two further EPs – the ‘A New Day Begins’ EP on Fine Art Recordings which in the words of Dutch behemoth Clone was “A masterclass in deep yet uplifting house music†and an EP on Under The Shade which featured three heavy-hitting slower house jams complete with a killer remix from Andy Ash. James also contributed a remix to fellow kindred spirits City Fly for their second release – the ‘CSA EP’ by MCDE’s partners in crime Creative Swing Alliance.
With releases of this calibre it is no surprise that James receives consistent support from some of the finest purveyors in the house spectrum including Alex Agore, Anton Zap, Bryan Agent Pepper, Cottam, Delano Smith, Deymare, Ethyl, Fabio Monesi, Glenn Underground, Jeremy Undergroundparis (MLIU), Jimpster, Kastil, Milton Jackson, Moodymanc, Orlando B, Pablo Valentino, Rick Wade, Roberto Rodriguez, Samaan, Scope, Shane Linehan, Shur-I-Kan, The Revenge, Tomska, Washerman and a whole host of others...
Not content with releasing tracks on other people’s labels, James has co-founded the ‘No Matter What’ label with fellow house producer du jour Alex Agore. The label’s debut release was an instant hit, with James’ track for the release ‘I Know It’s Not Time’ gate-crashing the top 10 of the most charted tracks by other DJ’s on Resident Advisor for May 2011. Their second release on the label, Alex Agore's Stay Together EP sold out within a week and was quickly repressed and their last two releases both went straight to NO.1 in the Juno House Chart. Already a ‘buy on sight’ label...
Though 2011 was a busy and productive year 2012 is also proving to be a nexus of activity…As well as already remixing the mighty Robert Owens, Deymare and more James has further EPs and tracks coming out on labels such as Wilson, No Matter What, Brothers' Vibe's Mixx label, Artful Division (a split EP with Ethyl), Black Keys, and Throwing Shapes– not to mention a plethora of remixes. James will also be jet-setting around the globe with an increasingly busy DJ schedule.
Speaking of DJing James’ sets are an education in how house should sound and be played, showcasing his ability in joining the dots between the classic sounds that are synonymous with Detroit Techno, Chicago House and New Jersey Garage – fusing a cross-pollination of sounds complete with an ear open to the future. Add a splash of disco, unveiling of promos and a stash of secret weapons and you’ve got the perfect nocturnal jam whether you’re the discernible purist or hardcore dancer...
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Check out afew mixes from james here>>>
Live @ Below, Birmingham -
http://soundcloud.com/james-johnston/dj-set-below-at-the-rainbow
City Fly Radio Mix -
http://soundcloud.com/city-fly/james-johnston-city-fly-radio
Ministry of Sound Mix -
http://soundcloud.com/james-johnston/ministry-of-sound-radio-mix
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Support comes from Artful & City Fly residents.
Jon Brooks & Cecil
Dennison
Jonna & Arthur Jnr
Hohle
Fans of underground house music should not miss this. Capacity is limited so please arrive early!!!
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12am-7am
Sophbeck Sessions, 8-10 King St, Leicester.
Free b4 1am / £5 after
info/g list - [email protected]