Ashley Casselle

January 30th, 2009 — 08:57 pm

Since being dazzled as a child by the double drummers, ‘punk funk’ and African inspired rhythms of Adam and the Ants, then becoming hooked on a musical diet of the Smiths, Parliament, David Sylvian and Roxy Music feeding an inspiration to experiment at an early age with his first synthesizer and drum machine combo, through to this day with his latest and greatest headline dj slots in the world’s top clubs and current single/album releases with his electronic ‘device’ the Remote (‘I won’t use the word band anymore’ he says firmly), Ashley Casselle has always pushed his sound forward rapidly, innovating furiously and inspiring others whilst avoiding the genre restrictions and pidgeonholing that many electronic producers and djs get tagged with.

“I apply the same principles to mixing records in a club as I do to making them in the studio – there has to be the right balance of rhythm and melody, minor or major, edgy or dark. I’m driven by unearthing the rare and unusual yet giving it all an accessable edge.”

Recently Ashley has graced the decks in the world’s best discotheques large and small, from San Francisco’s Ruby Skye, NYC’s ‘Sullivan Room’ to Singapore’s Zouk, through a triumphant tour of Brazil’s finest clubs Serena and Warung, debuted at Japan’s elite nitespots such as Tokyo’s cavernous Womb and Osaka’s cosy yet sweaty S*aze, then onto recent energetic English dates at ultra cool Issst Shoreditch East London warehouse parties and Bristol’s definitive techno/house night Loco, all in the past 12 months. ‘When I’m playing these great clubs now I always connect with the spirit of where I’ve come from musically, I can never be accused of playing a generic set of similar sounding tracks, one after the other, like a few djs I hear. I like to constantly reference where I’ve come from as well as where I’m headed’ nods Ashley.

It was indeed in the early to mid nineties (as Daydreemer) that the young Ashley became absorbed by the emerging house and techno scenes, playing live sets with a couple of synths, a dancer and a singer at outdoor raves combining his love of indie vocals with lush electronics on his debut ‘Show Me’ ep, developing his own blend of Detroit techno and UK house, later notching up a succession of releases and remixes, his favourite from that time being a reworking of Tenth Chapter’s ‘Product’ for William Orbit’s Guerilla records. After teamimg up with DMC’s Rod Layman he perhaps most notably turned the acoustic pop of Chris Issac’s ‘Wicked Game’ into a balearic gem, with a Public Enemy beat and a nod to the original Ibiza spirit to boot.

Old Hastings friend and fellow homeboy John Digweed soon offered Ashley the chance to hone his evolving deck skills and gave him his first dj gig at Bedrock on Hastings pier, where Casselle blended dubby techno, trip hop, soundtracks, rare funk and strange Italian house records to experiment and entertain for the inquisitive regulars. A residency at house dj Stuart Patterson’s West London deep house club Rivera (‘A mini Ibiza in Kensal Rise!’ reminices Ashley) followed later, alongside future deckstars Jo Mills and Phil Mison. Thus his dj apprenticeship had begun and he became aquainted with the idea of building dj sets, which paved the way for his later near mythical 5hr+ dj stints which are always injected with the dubby, melodic, techy yet often spikey and unique house sound which still characterizes a Casselle set today.

It was when he signed his Ashtrax project (alongside co-producers Paul Greendale and James Christopher) to South London imprint Deviant Records in the late nineties that he found a natural output for his dance floor inspired yet headphone friendly tracks, with ‘Kafka’ and ‘Helsinki’ quickly becoming cult classics, remixed by fellow blossoming DJ types Danny Howells and Sander Klienenberg.
At this time Casselle began a residency at the London division of Bedrock at London’s Heaven nightclub which saw him delve into deep trippy house territories, whilst developing an angular new dub break beat sound to compliment his more 4 to the floor releases. Labelmate Paul van Dyk asked Ashley to do a warm up set for him at his Awaiting night in Berlin and in turn Ashtrax remixed PVD’s ‘For an Angel ‘, transforming the uber anthem of ’98 into an underground electro break beat classic.

A succession of dream mega club DJ sets followed, with residencies and primetime slots in the Courtyard at Cream, Space in Ibiza, Gatecrasher’s Summer Soundsystem and world tours, Scotland’s Colours, Renaissance at the Cross in London, then his status as an international dj grew, with dates including tours of China (he was the first international dj to play Nanjhing alonside Hacienda favourite Tom Wainright) , Australia and a 3 week stint aboard a greyhound tourbus taking him all over the USA (another first for a UK dj) for clubs such as LA’s Giant and Spundae then remixes for dance music’s greats including Timo Maas, Derick Carter, Alex Dolby and top labels such as Distinctive, Junior Boys Own, Mantra Vibes and Automatic and Hooj began to flow in.

His dj mix compilations Deviations and Response quickly achieved mix of the year status which paved the way for his Radio 1 Essential Mix in 2003, further blurring the boundaries between house, dub, electro, techno and breakbeats. His status as top jock and producer extraordinaire was set in stone by repeat positions in the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs hall of fame. Soon Casselle found himself djing in Japan before techno genius Richie Hawtin, New York with the legendary Junior Vasquez then onto the hallowed decks of the Big Apple’s Vinyl alongside favourite friend, marathon dj set man and fellow Hastonian Danny Howells. Ashley even found his picture hanging in the National Portrait Gallery after his inclusion in photographer Chris Lopez’ ‘DJs’ ‘coffee table’ encyclopedia of record spinners. ‘I looked fine but my eyes looked a little bloodshot’ commented Ashley.

Working with Felix da Housecat vocalist and collaborator Tyrone ‘Visionary’ Palmer then produced the driving dark house sound of Casselle and Christopher’s ‘Midnight Sun’, a tribute to the long dj sets and twisted grooves of NYC, released on Futrureshock’s Fuju imprint which led Ashley to begin the search for a regular singer on his records. A chance meeting after one of his dj gigs found a punky looking youth with heavy makup, peroxided hair with an intense stare chatting up his girlfriend, Ashley later asking the bizarrely named Ben Lost to come to the studio to sing on what became ‘Digital Reason’, all frosty electronics and dubbed out vocals- a change from previous Ashtrax fare. From then onwards an alliance was forged. Lost had a voice that sounded like it had fallen off the back of an 80′s John Peel Radio 1 session, with echoes of Buzzcock’s singer Pete Shelley meeting John Lydon and Elvis Costello in a soundclash down a back alley with a sad yet defiant broken robot. After meeting talented producer and dj Asad Rizvi as he and Ashley manned the decks at a Top 100 DJs afterparty, the seeds of the new device (see above) were sown and the Remote was born.
Last year ‘Too Low to Miss’, the debut album by the Remote was released on leading dance label Global Underground, another step away from the previous Ashtrax sound that found reviewers praising the band that ‘sound like Depeche Mode after two weeks in Ibiza’ and gaining critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic from dance music circles and indie fans alike. The long player was procalimed ‘album of the issue’ in DJ Mag and recently with the dark disco and new wave pop of double a side single ‘Please Change Your Mind/She’s Going Out Tonight’ IDJ proclaimed that the Remote ‘draw comparisons to the Smiths on their finest form’, S-Xpress mainman/dj Mark Moore enthusing that they’re ‘Like the Cure goes disco’. Currently in the studio with with messers Rizvi and Lost working on the second album, Ashley is also finding time to enjoy a collaboration or two and is ‘very excited’ about his new track with friend and London neighbour James Holden and doing a ‘couple of remixes, good dancefloor action’ he says.

A new moniker Asad and Casselle sees the Remote men return to their techno/house roots with a couple of new pure club tracks, ‘Bazooka’ already being hailed as modern anthem for the darkest dance floors and is Ashley’s favorite own house production for ages. ‘It certainly rocks’ he says. Currently the pair are holed up in the studio remixing all girl electro group Client and not getting enough sleep.
By: Morris Adams

EC Twins

September 30th, 2008 — 10:43 pm

About EC Twins:
www.eyecandytwins.com

From the most underground nightclubs in the world, to the most exclusive events on the planet, the EC Twins have become two of electronic Music’s most important pioneers.

Playing a major part as producers, Remixers, and DJ’s and even promoters of electronic music, the EC Twins are considered to be 2 of the most influential figures in a new generation of artists, even though on a private level they have played a major part in the genres development for quite some time.

Named after a successful club they once created in the U.K (eye candy) that kick started their career, the EC Twins have performed at capacity events in all four corners of the globe, from northern Europe to south east Asia.

Their unique sound and energetic performances have gained a passionate fan base in every continent and uncontrollable critical acclaim is following.

As two of electronic music’s most diverse artists the EC Twins are famed for an energetic music policy that seemingly thrills fans of every sub genre in electronic music.

Stoic soulful house heads, Germany’s techno fraternity, electro clash rock concerts, the disco infused global pride weekends and even the celebrity laced events of the fashion and movie industries have all been entertained by the EC twins performances and have made the twins themselves cult icons of the electronic music scene and two of the globes busiest DJ’s.

From behind the scenes, the EC Twins have a long list of production and remix work using many pseudonyms, as well as producing and promoting huge events on a global scale from behind the scenes.

Considered by many to be 2 of the main reasons why house and electronic music has seen a huge rise in popularity in the United States, the EC Twins calendar is full with back to back bookings across the globe, studio work, event organization and media coverage.

Though their friends and fans love the twins where they are now – privately cherished by a passionate cult following and closely guarded by exclusive and intimate bookings – it seems inevitable that, since the EC Twins name is now synonymous with the rise in popularity of electronic music across the globe, we are witnessing the EC Twins taking their destined places amongst electronic Music’s Aristocracy…

SUREMY

September 30th, 2008 — 10:35 pm

About SUREMY:
www.SUREMY.com

www.SUREMY.com

The Production/DJ duo SUREMY ignited when Suren, co-founder of Traffic Events, and Remy, founder of Boiler House Records, met in the scenes of LA’s hottest electronic music parties. Suren, having such close exposure to the best in the business, recognized an ally and asset in Remy, a classically trained musician and producer whose musical tastes, though varied, ran the same gamut as Suren’s. Experimentation lead to an interesting entanglement of styles that ultimately became the signature sound of SUREMY. Mixing electro with pop, rock, world influences and a splash of the 80s has given SUREMY entre into multiple musical worlds. Both of them also happen to be techno-gurus that are always pushing the boundaries of music by experimenting with the latest technology and gear to apply to their productions and live gigs. Their work has been played by many of the big names as well as featured on XM, Sirius, Proton radio, and DI.fm. SUREMY is currently working on their new album.