Mr. V - The 5 Beats - Djoon Club - Paris FR - Sep 2007 - Part 1

Biography of Mr. V

Experiencing Mr. V’s (AKA Victor Font) DJ sets, original productions, or remixes is like taking a trip back in time to dance music’s golden age. Before superstar DJs took over the spotlight, dance music was a cultural phenomenon that did what no other form of music could do – bring people together. It didn’t matter what race or sexual orientation you came from because dance music was all about embracing our differences and creating a homogeneous vibe. The music was built heavily on traditional song structures and lots of heart and soul. DJs played whatever it took to get the party going and the music was never predictable. It is with this classic spirit and enthusiasm that New York City’s Mr. V targets today’s dance music world. Mr. V is a throwback in the purest sense.

Growing up in the 1980’s the open-minded Mr. V was heavily influenced by House, Hip-Hop, Latin, Garage and Disco classics, Rhythm & Blues and Jazz. Mr. V was enamored by the role a DJ commanded over a crowd and was taken by the talents of his friend Lord G., who had a weekly Thursday night party in New York City. Despite wanting to be a professional DJ, it wasn’t until he met the legendary Louie Vega that he found his calling. “Louie used to have his party called “Underground Network,” and that’s where I discovered house music. I always wanted to be a DJ, but Louie’s type of music – that whole soulful sound – is what I wanted to play,” says Mr. V.

Louie Vega saw the drive and potential in Mr. V and hired the young Nuyorican DJ / producer as his assistant at the world famous Masters At Work label. In this position Mr. V was given a rare glimpse into the global dance scene and before long was taking to the decks alongside his mentor. Currently, Mr. V is one of the fastest rising names on the circuit on his own as a headliner and as support for Louie Vega. Stylistically, Mr. V has a wildly eclectic sound that brings spontaneity back to the art of DJing. “Sometimes I just pull stuff [out of the DJ bag] out of the blue. I like to keep people guessing. I play things that I don’t think other people are playing – I’ll play a house-rock record or some classic stuff. It’s always different and depends on the vibe,” he says. Mr. V’s favorite labels include Ricanstuction, Vega Records, Real Tone Records, BBE, Dope Wax, Defected and Africanism.

In addition to his busy DJ schedule – Mr. V has displayed his turntable talents at many popular nightclubs across the globe – he is also making quite a name for himself as a producer. In 2001, along with partner Alix Alvarez, Mr. V launched his own label Sole Channel Music as a way to release music with complete control and artistic freedom. To date, he has released four singles on the label including his most famous track, “Something (Wit’ Jazz).” Mr. V has also released original productions and remixes for other labels including Vega Records (featuring the massive tracks “Jus’ Dance” and Louie Vega feat Mr. V “V Gets Crazy”), Ricanstruction Label, Underground Collective Recordings, King Street Sounds, Hustle Music, City Deep Music and Large Music. 2006 is set to be a big year for Mr. V as it will see the release of his much anticipated debut album, Welcome Home. Combining his multifaceted skills as a DJ / producer / remixer, and with an ear towards dance music’s roots, Mr. V is a name to watch out for!

http://www.myspace.com/djmrv

Alix Alvarez - The 5 Beats - Djoon Club - Paris FR - Sep 2007 - Part 1

Biography of Alix Alvarez

As a respected talent from NYC, Alix Alvarez is blazing a trail for young and exciting producers. He has begun to create his own niche in the music industry by establishing himself through music production. Today at the age of 25 he has worked with some of the industry’s top artists and produced stunning musical gems for some of the world’s best underground dance labels. From working in the studio with Osunlade on remix projects to collaborating on new material with Lem Springsteen (Mood II Swing), this self taught musician has already made his own imprint in the world of underground dance music.

Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, Alix grew up around a mixture of music. Hip-hop, R&B and salsa were a daily consumption of Alix’s musical diet. That appetite grew further when Alix was introduced to the turntables at the age of 12. He quickly abandoned sports and other activities so he could spend time blending and cutting up records, though he wouldn’t realize the full effect of DJing until being exposed to the club scene in his later teens. One party in particular was The Shelter at Club Vinyl where Timmy Regisford held court every Saturday night. This was Alix’s first taste of underground nightlife. The Shelter as well as other underground institutions played a vital role in shaping Alix‘s sound. Inspired by both the music and the DJ’s he began to promote himself by selling his mixed tapes on the streets. His determination to make a name for himself as a DJ was the first step in Alix‘s musical evolution. The next step would be to create the music he loved.

Alix began school at the Institute of Audio Research in Manhattan to study audio engineering where he graduated as one of the top students in his class. It wasn’t long before his hard work in school paid off. His interest in learning about the recoding studio eventually led him to an assistant engineer position at MAW studios owned by “Little” Louie Vega and Kenny “Dope” Gonzales (Masters at Work). It was his experience and training at MAW that helped him develop studio engineering skills as he was already beginning to produce and write his own deep house gems.

To date, Alix has produced and remixed records for some of the worlds most respected deep house labels. The underground smash “Rising into Joy”, which he produced and co-wrote with veteran singer Arnold Jarvis, was released on Blackvinyl Records in spring of 2002. It received critical acclaim for it’s sensual vocals and smooth glistening production. This is just one example of many records that has Alix’s deep, sultry, jazz influenced production style written all over it. Along side “Rising into Joy” his other original production work also includes the “Nu Breed E.P.” (Essence) and the “Reflections E.P.”(Dancetracks). Some of his remix work includes Tortured Soul “How’s your life?” (Central Park), House Headz “The Anthem” (Ricanstruction Label), Luna “Alone” (Distant), Alma Horton'Gimmie that Music' (83 West), Santos 'Love made for two' (Yoruba) and Mr.V 'Jus' Dance'(KenLou Records). He continues to add to that list as his production skills get tighter with each new release.

While Alix puts his main focus on production, his skills are just as sharp when it comes to DJing. He has rocked crowds all over NYC including underground hot spots like Bang the Party and Club Cielo as well as rocking in other cities around the globe such as Tokyo, Paris, London, Istanbul and Toronto. Alix and his partner Dj Mr.V, another up and coming talent, established a popular underground dance party in NYC named Sole Channel. The duo decided to put the party on hold in the summer of 2004 to concentrate on developing another project of their own, SOLE Channel Music. Armed with fresh sounds, new ideas and exciting new collaborations from artists' such as Franck Roger, Siji and Arnold Jarvis, SOLE Channel is set to lead the way in innovative and forward thinking music in the underground dance scene.

While continuously cultivating his sound, Alix has established himself as a force to be reckoned with now and in the near future. Maintaining longevity and credibility through his music are vital to his success. 'My main focus is to keep making music that stands the test of time'says Alix. With so much accomplished we still have so much more to look forward to. Just imagine the possibilities?!

http://www.myspace.com/alixalvarez

Franck Roger - The 5 Beats - Djoon Club - Paris FR - Sep 2007 - Part 1

Biography of Franck Roger

DJ since 11 years now and producer since 6 years Franck Roger has fully understood that making music and spread worldwide the House Music message is the most important thing in his life... Indeed, Franck has multiplied the releases on labels as prestigious and well respected on the international scene as Kenlou (Kenny Dope and Louie Vega /USA) Versatile (Dj Gilb'r / France), Crash (Dino & Terry / Canada), Flowers (Japan), Needs (Germany), Bbe (UK),Defected rds , Sole Channel ,King Street, Straight Up and BRS.... Without a doubt Franck is the Dj / producer the most 'in view' since the beginning of 2004. Influenced by artists such as Stevie Wonder, Vince Montana, Mongo Santamaria and Blaze… Franck has developed a quality house sound with many faces (deep , dubby, broken and soulful house productions..) By producing his first single, the Straight Up label (Playing For the City) opened the doors for their young protégé, to the Parisian deep house scene. Since then Franck has worked closely with quality musicians such as Olivier M'selem and the multi talented singer, Chris Wonder, with whom he produces the majority of his songs. With strong support from abroad (Little Louie Vega, Frankie Feliciano, Dj Spinna, Ron Trent , Osunlade, Francois K... ) Franck can prepare his future productions by exploring different horizons open to him and by collaborating with contemporary artists such as Alix Alvarez, Arnold Jarvis , Osunlade & Dj Spinna.

http://www.myspace.com/franckroger