Octave One - El Divino - Napoli IT - May 2008

Biography of Octave One

Octave One - - Lawrence Burden and Lenny Burden

Debuting with I Believe on the monumental (10 Records) compilation Techno 2: The Next Generation (alongside Carl Craig, Marc Kinchen, and Jay Denham) in 1990. Octave One is the brainchild of the phenomenal native sons of Detroit, MI (USA), the Burden Brothers. The core unit of the band, made up of Lenny and Lawrence Burden (with revolving members of Lynell, Lorne, and Lance Burden), have had the privilege of touring live and Djing throughout the world, including the countries of Germany, Spain, Greece, Belgium, Vienna, The Netherlands), the UK, Ireland, Scotland, Malaysia, Japan, the US, and Russia, among many other places. Throughout their careers they have worked with such artists as Derrick May, Underground Resistance, Eddie Fowlkes, Juan Atkins, Anthony Shake Shakir, Members of the House, Terrence Parker, and The Martian (Red Planet). They have remixed tracks for such artists as Massive Attack, Akabu (Joey Negro), DJ Rolando (Jaguar), Steve Bug, John Thomas, The Trampps, Rhythm is Rhythm, and Inner City. The brothers have released groundbreaking underground dance anthems on their own Detroit based record label, 430 West Records. These releases include Random Noise Generations 'Falling in Dub' (the other Burden brother moniker), DJ Rolandos Jaguar, Aux 88s My A.U.X. Mind (on the 430 West sister label Direct Beat), as well as their own Octave One records: Empower, Nicolette, The X-files, Meridian, and Siege. Since 1990, the Burden brothers have released over one hundred records. 2000 brought the biggest Octave One release to date, 'Blackwater'. The track has appeared on almost 30 compilation albums worldwide (with comp sales approaching one million collectively). It has been released domestically in 5 countries (US, UK, Spain, Germany, and Australia). Thier music has also been a favorite on the decks of some of the worlds best known DJs, Little Louie Vega, Danny Teneglia, Jeff Mills, Richie Hawtin, Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, Jonathan Peters, Laurent Garnier, among many, many others.

http://www.myspace.com/octaveone

Robert Hood - El Divino - Napoli IT - May 2008

Biography of Robert Hood

Robert Hood is without any question one of the most important founding fathers of minimalism within techno. In the early nineties he helped launch a couple of the most influential techno labels ever: Underground Resistance, Axis and M-Plant. He learned the ropes from nobody less than Mike Banks and Jeff Mills. It didn't take long for Hood to set out on his own course and he made independence his strength. With his own label M-Plant and sublabels Drama, Duet and Hardwax he left an ineradicable stamp on the evolution of the techno sound. After carrying out his operations mainly from the shadows for many years Robert Hood has been on a head-on assault in the last couple of months. The Detroit legend has intensified his schedule of appearances all over the world, especially in Europe.

Robert Hood makes minimal Detroit techno with an emphasis on soul and experimentation over flash and popularity. Having recorded for Metroplex, as well as the Austrian Cheap label and Jeff Mills' Axis label, Hood also owns and operates the M-Plant imprint, through which he's released the bulk of his solo material. Hood was a founding member, along with Jeff Mills and Mike Banks, of the Underground Resistance label, whose influential releases throughout the early and mid '90s helped change the face of modern Detroit techno and sparked a creative renaissance. Infusing elements of acid and industrial into a potent blend of Chicago house and Detroit techno, UR's aesthetic project and militant business philosophy were (and remain) singular commitments in underground techno. Hood left Detroit (and UR) with Jeff Mills in 1992, setting up shop in New York and recording a series of 12-inch EPs . Through the mid '90s, Hood has focused on his solo work, setting up M-Plant in 1994 and releasing singles such as 'Internal Empire,' 'Music Data,' and 'Moveable Parts.' Although his desire to remain underground has been replaced by an urge to reach a wider audience, Hood remains fiercely critical of artistic and economic movements destructive to inner-city communities and has combined his musical enterprises with outreach and social activist ends. His debut Peacefrog album 'Point Blank' took Hood's hypnotic minimalism to entirely new depths and territories, whilst his latest album 'Wire To Wire' takes his productions onto new levels of musicality and sophistication within the world of electronic music.

http://www.myspace.com/hoodro

Claudio Ponticelli - El Divino - Napoli IT - May 2008

Biography of Claudio Ponticelli

Location: Naples, Italy

How did your passion for music?
C: This great passion was born since tiny as having a brother and a sister bigger than me, already the early years of life at home is listening to music repetition. They were teenagers and the stereo playing forever. It is little that I developed a love for the pace and that is music.

The passion for music instead 'dance' instead born around 12-13 years. It is for them that the first time I saw the figure of dj behind two records. That, even if unconsciously because still ignorant on the subject, I was bewitched by that role: a single person who moves a dancefloor! Then about 9 years ago for Christmas, I did receive a pair of technics and that started it all. I recall very well that day, I went with my brother to avellino to buy records from a lover of classical music, had not a scratch!

What type of music you prefer playing?
C: Over the years my style has changed and matured, hand when it passed the time I was aware of new sounds and new artists. The meeting with the Techno music was decisive. More generally the more I listened I took, I found my reality! Even in the techno genre every passing day I discover new nuances and colors (you should know that I see the music color. Perhaps organize another interview just for this!), And when I sound like within range this kind depending on the situations that I have faced. A DJ is also why a person who knows how to interpret the time and choose the most appropriate music, of course ever stop to what he likes and prefers. In this I was very lucky since the birth of Minimalismi and meeting with Politelli 3 years ago (at dress2impress) I always had the freedom to play what I want.