Anton Banks - The Vault Radio Show - Oct 2007

Biography of Anton Banks

By day, Anton works as an Engineer in the aerospace industry for a company that produces jet aircraft engines. He graduated from Central Connecticut State University in May, 2000 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology and is currently pursuing a Masters in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Hartford. In his free time, Anton is a DJ and aspiring techno music producer.

In 1993 Anton Banks was a student at the University of Rochester and was into hip-hop and euro-dance pop music. He especially liked the beats and rhythms found in this music but became increasingly disinterested in the lyrics. Looking for something different, Anton borrowed a compilation CD from a friend. That CD was the seminal 'Moove Your Body' release on Tribal America Artists. Soon he was obsessed with all forms of underground dance music and broke all ties to the pop music scene. Anton found himself buying all the rave and house music he could find at a store called 'The Record Archive'. Also at about the same time Anton started going to a club in Rochester called 'Heaven' which was a stripped down version of New York City's infamous super club , the Limelight, as it was also built out of an old church. He only knew that he liked the music but it would be almost a year and a half later before Anton realized that he had been listening to early techno in it's heyday in the form of tracks like The Goodmen's 'Give it up', Jaydee's 'Plastic Dreams' and an assortment of music from early Detroit and Plus 8. The turning point came in 1994 when Anton first heard 'Psychotrance', a mixed CD by Mr. C on Moonshine Music. This CD and his experiences at 'Heaven' gave him a desire to learn to spin records.

In 1995 Anton transferred to Central Connecticut State University and joined the school's radio station, 107.7FM WFCS, as the student engineer shortly after that. As the engineer he had 24 hour access to turntables and an audience and used this opportunity to learn to mix records by taking advantage of dead air (which was and still is often at WFCS) to practice mixing. Through WFCS Anton met other people such as DJ Rockphonics- founder of Equinox and O.L.- the third hillbilly on 'Hillbilly House', who showed him the ropes and got me bookings. In 1996 Anton got his first booking at the now legendary Equinox weekly (Webster Theater in Hartford, CT from 1996 to 97). This turned into his first residency which gave him the opportunity to open for many touring DJs from New York City, Boston, and beyond.

Anton's first radio show, 'Spatial Distortion', was first heard on WFCS on January 18, 1995 and was on the air until May of 2000. In July, '99 Anton started a second show, 'Vault Radio', that now airs on 88.1FM WESU (Wesleyan University), as an offshoot of 'Spatial Distortion'. Anton is now one of a small number of people promoting non-commercial electronic music in Connecticut on a station that covers most of the state.

It has now been over 10 years since Anton began DJing and he has become one of the most versatile acts around. He has built up a musical repertoire of several thousand records that span from minimal house to techno to industrial and most styles in between.

Neil Landstrumm - The Vault Radio Show - Oct 2007

Biography of Neil Landstrumm

Landstrumm's body of work spans from 1994-1998. He has recorded for some of the most influential labels in techno including Tresor, peacefrog, Scandinavia, Mosquito and Sonic Groove building up an extensive discography. His own imprint, Scandinavia, now enjoys worldwide recognition for being one of the few labels still innovating in the field of techno and design. During 1994 in Edinburgh, Scotland both friendships and working relationships were formed between a group of artists provided the infrastructure of what was to unfold.

The up front and heavy Sativa club provided the focus of creative attention between Neil, Tobias Schmidt, Shandy and Dave Tarrida providing them with the opportunity to develop their unique Live performance and Dj-ing skills. During this forming period the distinctive 'Landstrumm Peacefrog sound' was created which debuted on four Eps and one LP in 1995. Strong ceonnections and EP releases were also made on Christian Vogel's Mosquito label in Brighton and Adam-X's Sonic Grooove label in NYC .

In 1996 the assocation began between Scandinavia and Tresor with the first LP release marking a strict departure from the more Chicago based Peacefrog style. 'Understanding Disinformation' tested the new Bass Techno sound citing both influences from classic Detroit techno and the more abstract Sheffield Bleep techno. Metallic soundscapes, sub-bass and stark beats set the bleep-tone of the three Lps to follow.

'Bedrooms & Cities', a narrative of the worldwide DJ excursions, displayed a more atonal song structured style again building on the UK bleep movement from the early 1990's. Bass lines, low and punding combined with swinging raw DMX rhythms, researched sounds, electro thips and zaps gave Landstrumm his best selling work to date pushing the distinctive Scandinavia logo into new domains.

Landstrumm after being granted a USO1 artist visa relocated the label and studio to Brooklyn, NY in August 1997 in order to experience the inner city urban culture.

http://www.myspace.com/neillandstrumm