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July 6 - Ali B (uk)+ Nellboy (uk)@saphir
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» rotoloco replied on Thu Jun 22, 2006 @ 5:38pm |
 Coolness: 57625 | It’s July 30th 2005, the summer heat is reaching boiling point. It’s Global Gathering in Stratford
upon Avon, and 50,000 party people are packing out the festival, the biggest ever dance event of its type. Half way across the site there’s a tent reverberating with deep bass, filled with a young crowd. It’s Air’s arena, the London breakbeat night recently nominated as one of the best nights in the capital (Mixmag, 2004), and it’s currently rocking with 4000 people, all going ballistic to sets from Ali B, Freestylers, and the cream of the world’s breakbeat talent. But, this is all a long way from the beginning… Air, the night Ali B originally created in the basement of London’s infamous Blue Note club back in the 90s, is one of the most popular underground attractions that the capital has to offer. Having put the Rhythm Factory in London’s East End on the map, where it was by far the venue’s most popular night, Air has moved up a gear to it’s new home at Cargo, via some storming boat parties, the most recent of which saw Air take to the Thames on the biggest boat on the river. Alongside resident Ali B, anyone who’s anyone in breakbeat has played, from Plump DJs to Freq Nasty, DJ Icey, Stanton Warriors, Meat Katie, Tayo, Krafty Kuts and more - and usually all on the same night. 2004 saw the first Air arena at Global Gathering, a 4000 capacity tent that firmly put breaks on the festival map. In 2005, Air returned and set the event on fire once more, firmly establishing themselves as a festival fixture par excellence. Ali's a busy man. He's a Fabric resident and his compilation for the London club, featuring one of his own tracks, sold more than 10,000 copies and led to tours in Australia and Canada. But since he quit his weekly radio show of 5 years, The Capital Club Chart on Capital FM, he’s been able to dedicate even more time to his production and touring, it’s also meant his face has popped up several times on TV. As a successful remixer and producer he's collaborated with the likes of Jungle Brothers and Plump DJs, has remixed Jakatta, Afrika Bambaata and The Beginnerz and is responsible for a number of successful breaks bootlegs. He also runs his Air Recordings record label, releasing only the best breaks and beats the world has to offer. Ali B (real name Alistair Bennett) also knows how to throw a successful party. He’s been promoting clubs in London for more than decade. “My Air nights are the most successful parties I’ve put on. If you can put on a party at an out-of-town venue and get a crowd who will travel to your night you’ve got something special”. After throwing some small-scale parties on his home turf in Kingston when he was 18, Ali got involved in ground-breaking London club Blue Note. “I heard that Acid Jazz (the London soul, jazz and funk record label) were opening a club and that was my style of music back then, so I just took the train up to Old Street and knocked on the door and asked if I could have a job”. Ali was involved with Blue Note right from the start, helping to clear out the building. For the first three months he ran the café and then Acid Jazz gave him a job working in their warehouse. “Working at Acid Jazz was great. Because it was a small company you did everything. One minute I’d be sweeping the warehouse and stacking boxes, then in the afternoon I’d be doing a presentation to HMV on our new releases or track-listing compilations”. It was through Ali’s early days at Blue Note, and putting on his own nights there while working at Acid Jazz, that he learnt his trade. After two years with Acid Jazz he quit and went freelance, intending to make a living out of DJing. Making use of an empty office at Blue Note, Ali also made use of his time there. “Seeing Blue Note go from an empty shell to a successful club, I learnt a lot”. Ali started a Friday-night residency at Blue Note. “For the first two years from when the Blue Note opened I DJed every Friday. From a DJing perspective that was where I learnt everything”. Ali played alongside people like Talvin Singh, Gilles Peterson, the hugely successful Metalheadz, Ninja Tunes and Mo Wax. biography (continued)… “Having a private office was like having my own chill out room. One night we did a big charity event and I had people like Jarvis Cocker and Ian Brown sat around in my office with me! At 20 years old, that was a mad experience”. After the Blue Note closed Ali got involved with a small label, Coastal Breaks (started by Adam Freeland) and owned by PR Company Slice. Ali was taken on as A&R, and then began a stint working in PR (handling press for the likes of Norman Jay, Gilles Peterson, Sasha & Digweed and Roger Sanchez), all the time continuing to run his Air parties that he’d started at Blue Note and DJing. “During my time at Slice I was running a weekly Sunday at Medicine bar. I was also doing Air at Mass, and the back room at Seb Fontaine’s Type and Malibu Stacy. I was doing Fabric as well. It was a busy time”. While Ali was at Slice he was approached by Europe’s biggest radio station, Capital Radio, to present a dance show. Coming from a specialist scene he was surprised to be approached by Capital, but Ali got a prime Friday night slot. From its launch to its final programme in December 2004 (exactly 5 years), Ali’s audience grew to more than 500,000. The break from radio has meant Ali can now undertake foreign tours, and also spend more time gigging in the UK, something he relishes. As a DJ mainly known for playing underground music, was Ali under pressure to play records he doesn’t like? “Musically, I’ve always tried to play the key records from whatever genre that I think is relevant. I’ll play drum ‘n’ bass, garage, hip hop, breaks, whatever, my tastes are broad. The beauty of my show on Capital was that I brought tracks to a wider audience. I never preached to the converted. I also enjoyed being able to interview some of the scene’s main players from Moby to Paul Oakenfold, Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, Jeff Mills and Derrick Carter. Whist at Capital, Ali had the worldwide exclusive on Spiller’s ‘Groovejet’, and championed the record, getting it onto the stations daytime playlist eight weeks before release. It went on to become a worldwide smash. “After the success of that record, Capital was happy to leave me alone and let me decide what to play”. But his time on the airwaves hasn’t stopped at London’s biggest station, he’s recently covered for shows on BBC 6, and appeared on Kiss FM and others. His recent mix album for Distinctive’s ‘Y4K’ series won him further plaudits. Compilation Of The Month in IDJ was just one of the highlights for an album that’s already won him new fans. Ali’s latest production, the mighty ‘Beats On A String’ with Jungle Brothers, has fired up the record boxes of Krafty Kuts, Norman Jay, and many more and was A-listed at BBC 6. The track is further evidence that Ali is a musical force to be reckoned with, and winning him new fans at every listen. Ali B’s next project is ‘Air Breaks’ a compilation featuring new and exclusive unreleased tracks from the many breakbeat stars that have played at his Air night over the last nine years including Plump DJs, Freestylers, Stanton Warriors, Krafty Kuts, DJ Icey and many more. The album is set to be supported by an extensive world tour including Air ‘arena’ dates at some of the major festivals including Global Gathering and Hi Fi in the UK along with the Future and Two Tribes festivals in Australia. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» rotoloco replied on Thu Jun 22, 2006 @ 5:40pm |
| Coolness: 57625 | Nellboy's also a special deal.
He'll be doing a live set with Abbleton. Going from heavy to heaviest with lots of love for the bass. Check some of his music at [ www.seedyr.com ] Ireland represent! |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Bunnytronix replied on Thu Jun 22, 2006 @ 6:19pm |
 Coolness: 152505 | Fuck yeah Nelly,
He plays some wicked live shit with a melodica, electric guitare and mic. the boys got talent. See Rheese, international talents debut at my house parties dude. You need to come more often. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» FrAnCko replied on Thu Jun 29, 2006 @ 8:22pm |
 Coolness: 60365 | i'll be there !!! |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» MelooDie replied on Fri Jun 30, 2006 @ 9:31am |
 Coolness: 248420 | I'Ll be there too !!!!! OMG |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» PitaGore replied on Fri Jun 30, 2006 @ 10:46am |
 Coolness: 471800 | -Fuck yeah Nelly,
He plays some wicked live shit with a melodica, electric guitare and mic. the boys got talent. See Rheese, international talents debut at my house parties dude. You need to come more often.- Simon i'm a witness , it IS true ALI motherfuckin B !  |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» rotoloco replied on Thu Jul 6, 2006 @ 3:16pm |
| Coolness: 57625 | Tonight's the night
Dust of your dancing shoes |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» PitaGore replied on Thu Jul 6, 2006 @ 4:30pm |
| Coolness: 471800 | fawkk ! |
July 6 - Ali B (uk)+ Nellboy (uk)@saphir
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