Today we announce the dates for the first European leg of Claude VonStroke’s 2011 “Large Bottom Tour”, bringing the focus back to fun parties and music that shakes the floorboards. Unlike previous years which have seen European visits every other weekend, 2011 has VonStroke locked in the studio working on some amazing new releases and collaborations. With a choice, but limited selection of high profile festival dates and low down dirty club nights scheduled across the UK, Europe and Ibiza, its even more essential that you don’t miss him!

The Dirtybird man talks West Coast rave history.

There are parties, and then there are parties. Moontribe was one of the latter, and it’s where Dirtybird’s Christian Martin cut his clubbing teeth, leading to a lifetime interest in soundsystem culture. Partying in the desert of California, he caught the dance music bug and has never looked back. Martin has grown to become a respected DJ and producer over the years, but it’s the party that drives him. And it’s the Dirtybird Soundsystem parties alongside brother Justin Martin, Worthy and Claude VonStroke in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park that are dearest to his heart. It is his own soundsystem that the crew uses after all. In this Exchange, RA’s Todd L. Burns quizzes Martin about how Moontribe changed his life.

download the mix here!

The Polish duo raids their record collections for a wide-ranging mix.

Poland has one of the fastest growing dance scenes in Europe, and there are arguably no artists aiding this ascent more than Catz N’ Dogz. Grzegorz Demianczuk and Wojciech Taranczuk (Greg and Voitek) are both from the town of Szczecin near to the German border, but actually met through the internet and a shared interest. 3 Channels was the pseudonym under which they first gained traction on the dance scene, releasing a string of minimally-inclined club tracks for Trapez, Trenton and Crosstown Rebels, before switching to the name Catz N’ Dogz full-time back in 2008. The new moniker brought with it new relationships—most notably with Claude VonStroke who has put out almost ten singles and two albums through Dirtybird and its sub-label Mothership. It was the latter label who released the duo’s Escape from Zoo album towards the end of last year, a record that saw Catz N’ Dogz let their hair down and explore all manner of house, techno and dubstep textures.

On their mix for us the duo reach right to the back of their record shelves in order to present the length of breadth of their house music interests.

What have you been up to recently?

The main thing is that we are in the middle of an album tour, playing DJ sets, playing live all over the world. We are kinda workaholics so we do everything at the same time. Right now we have couple of residences in Polish clubs and one at Berlin’s Farbferhnseher, where from time to time we invite friends to play.

We’re working on our label, Pets Recordings, (signing new artists, remixes and the new website is online now). We also want to do some videos. After the album we are already focusing on some new stuff that will come out and, of course, a lot of edits. Oh, and there will be album remixes coming out as well. (Carl Craig, Sect, Julio Bashmore.)

How and where was the mix recorded?

The mix was recorded in Ableton during our travels but we first ripped a lot of our old vinyl. Actually the biggest amount of time that we spend doing this mix was the track selection.

Can you tell us a bit more about the mix?

We wanted to do a mix that includes the whole spectrum of music that we play at parties. We play big room parties but small private venues in Berlin and in Poland as well. For us the biggest fun is to play various stuff.

How healthy would you say the electronic music scene is in Poland currently?

It’s a very difficult question… There are a lot of cool parties in various locations. If you want to party you should visit Warsaw, Poznan, Krakow and Wroclaw. Clubs have better soundsystems than a few years back and line-ups are cool. The best are festivals in the summertime: Audioriver, Opener, Boogie Brain, Tauron, Unsound and many more. We’re very happy that there are more and more new producers and the quality is OK. Some people still produce only for their friends and they don’t want to release it because they are too shy. This is one of the reasons why we started Pets.

Your recent album featured a dubstep track in “Only for The Moment”: is this a genre you will look to explore more thoroughly in the future?

We are working right now on a new project but we can’t say anything more because we don’t know exactly what it is until it’s finished. [laughs]

What are you up to next?

Increasing workoholizm.

download the mix here!

Claude VonStroke goes on a 2 week tour of Australia starting on Friday December 31st!! Here are the dates and locations below…click for more details!

• Friday, 31 Dec – Brisbane – Bar Soma
• Saturday, 01 Jan – Adelaide – Summadayze
• Saturday, 01 Jan – Melbourne – Summadayze
• Saturday, 01 Jan – Melbourne – Summa After Party
• Sunday, 02 Jan – Gold Coast – Summafieldayze
• Sunday, 02 Jan – Sydney – Nevermind
• Thursday, 06 Jan – Melbourne – Seven Nightclub
• Saturday, 08 Jan – Perth – Summadayze
• Saturday, 08 Jan – Perth – Summa After Party
• Sunday, 09 Jan – Newcastle – Customs House

The name “Claude VonStroke” was a random joke that caught on after a series of tracks grabbed the attention of underground dance music in 2005. His very first record, “Deep Throat,” was an unusually quirky affair that caught fire worldwide and he has been blessed with similar success stories ever since. Claude’s real name is Barclay Crenshaw, a guy raised in the suburbs Detroit who wanted to be a filmmaker but always had a knack for music. After several different film careers of varying success and with some help from his friends, VonStroke started the “dirtybird” label at the very late age of 32.

Since 2005, dirtybird has carved out a niche as a premiere American label and has released over 40 EPs. VonStroke has released two artist albums as well as a Fabric mix and over 25 remixes for a wide range of commercial and underground artists from Indy rock group “The Rapture” to Detroit techno legend Kevin Saunderson.

In an effort to give something back to the community VonStroke unveiled a new label “mothership” in 2007. A large percentage of the label’s proceeds go to a music school for children in Claude’s hometown of Detroit, Michigan. This label features more euro-flavored techno and house featuring groups like Catz ‘n Dogz, Maetrik and Voodeux.

Tour wise, Claude has headlined almost every major club, festival and basement after-party in the world. The outdoor dirtybird parties in San Francisco’s scenic Golden Gate Park have also become a legendary summer destination point for both locals and international travelers.

But like we said at the start, Claude VonStroke is only coming to see you if you want to enjoy yourself and get sweaty and nasty. If you want to wear a sweater and frown in the VIP section, he is not the right DJ for you.

Justin initially pricked the ears of the electronic music community in 2003 with his first record ‘The Sad Piano’ on Ben Watt’s Buzzin’ Fly label. Everyone in the electronic music food chain got involved, from the A list DJs like Derrick Carter and Pete Tong that were playing the track, to the international music press that were raving about it. It even translated to the German underground, with Poker Flat licensing it for Steve Bug’s ‘Bugnology’ compilation. Like someone that goes bowling for the first time and gets five strikes and a turkey, Justin couldn’t really have hoped for a better entrance.

Feeding off the energy of the San Francisco underground and mentored by fellow super producer Claude VonStroke, Justin was intrinsically involved with the development of dirtybird records, appearing on its first four releases. Justin was soon ready to take flight, releasing a string of solo EPs which flaunted a very unique sound and garnered still more respect among fellow DJS and heavyweight’s of the scene.

As well as his formidable arsenal of original productions, Justin is now equally known for his collaborations with his brother Christian as The Martin Brothers, producing such hip-hop influenced hits as ‘Duckface’, ‘Stoopit’, ‘Dum’. Justin has also made his mark remixing such bona fide classics as Radiohead’s ‘Nude’, Marshall Jefferson’s ‘Mushrooms’, and TG’s ‘Revox’, firmly establishing himself as the man to make big tracks even bigger.

Demand for Justin’s skills behind the decks has skyrocketed with his bookings schedule constantly crammed to capacity. With bookings confirmed everywhere from Piknic Electronik (Montreal), to Exit Festival (Belgrade) to Panorama Bar (Berlin), Justin’s diary is reading like the dreams of a professional raver. Stateside he continues to be a regular fixture at the dirtybird events in San Francisco and beyond. Further nods to his skills as a DJ and tastemaker are apparent in his growing discography of mix compilations, most notably his own ‘Chaos Restored’ mix series on the prestigious Buzzin’ Fly label, and most recently a mix for the ‘dirtybird 5 year comp’.

Music journalists typically describe Justin’s sound as ‘melodic and tough’ with his music encapsulating both melody and emotional depth yet always with enough undeniable ass shaking properties to translate to the floor.

“I’m always trying to find music for my DJ sets that rattles sound systems, but still has enough melody and interesting texture to expand your mind even if you’re sitting at home on a snowy or rainy day.”

In 2010, production wise Justin is continuously dropping new EPs on dirtybird, has a remix for Fools Gold, and a DJ mix Pete Tong’s highly respected “Essential Mix” series. He remains as enthusiastic as ever to be involved in the scene. When recently questioned by Resident Advisor on what he’d be doing if he wasn’t a DJ or dance music producer he just replied: “Wishing I was a DJ or music producer.”

By all accounts it’s hard to tell him to wipe that smile off his face.

Perhaps it’s because of Eric’s clear Cuban roots or his years in the
game, but without a doubt 2009 was an incredible year and only
more amazing things are expected of his truly unarguable talent.
10 years since his first release on the respected Immigrant
Records back in 2000 and Eric is still holding strong to his quest
for the future of dance. Since then he’s gone onto write 3 full
length albums, a slew of 40 more Eps, and countless remixes. Even
through the years of Prolific production, Eric has developed one of
the most intricate and floor impressive live acts in electronic
music. Fusing his skillfull DJing and Live PA performance in a way
that walks a fine line between intelligent and conceptual music,
and floor filling futuristic body rocking.

Whether working on his “other worldly” compositions as Maetrik,
his alien sounding electro as Mariel Ito, or his innovative dark
house music as Maceo Plex, Eric is always putting his blood sweat
and tears into everything he does. Putting aside trends and
crushing genre boundaries, no one can argue that Eric has always
stayed true to what comes from his heart or his sometimes choatic
mind.

Watch out for more killer music on his USA homebase Claude
Vonstroke’s Mothership imprint. Or extraordinary Europe brands
Dumb Unit, Audiomatique, and Treibstoff. For now Eric’s Maceo
Plex house album is still in the works, but be looking for it on one
of the most innovative and brightest labels out of the
UK…Crosstown Rebels!! It will surprise those out there that didn’t
know such soul could come out of the one most call MAETRIK.

Their full Polish names are Grzegorz and Wojchiech but you can call them Greg and Voitek or Catz n’ Dogz. Back in 2003 they started it all off by organizing a club night in their home town of Szczecin, Poland. This night soon became a residency and their reputation grew quickly. A radio show soon followed on Szczecin’s ABC Radio allowing them to explore their creativity and gain a legion of fans. Soon after that, they began to produce records together as 3 Channels. And now they come to us with their next level evolution, their amazing first full length album called Stars of Zoo as Catz n’ Dogz.

The instant Claude VonStroke heard the new sound he snatched it up for his mothership label. Greg and Voitek had already generated two smash hit appearances on Claude’s dirtybird label, remixing the infamous “Who’s Afraid of Detroit?” on limited one‐sided vinyl which has been seen selling for up to 100 euros a copy on the web! They also destroyed dance‐floors with last years hit “Chicken Affair EP,” crossing over to DJs as diverse as Radioslave, Jesse Rose, and Sebo K.

And now for the reason we care about all this, the music. The full length “Stars of Zoo” is a hybrid masterpiece; a beautiful cross between the best elements of deep house, minimal techno, and cinematically arranged live instrumentation. This is an album of songs – not tracks! Each song shines on its own, yet makes perfect sense when played in the larger context of the album. Early reactions from dancefloors all over the world have been universally positive ‐ a testament to the power of this music.

To assist in making his musical dreams come true, Ross takes part in the underground boy band S.E.C.T. formed with Santos and Charlie and Eli of Soul Clap, releases to come this Spring. The rap sheet of Mr. Ross includes a dirtybird residency in NYC and live preformances at Fabric and Watergate. Tanner’s music has been supported by tastemakers in the scene like Adam Beyer, Richie Hawtin, Karizma, Diplo, Appleblim and Ewan Pearson.

In the coming months expect remixes for Kina Music, Trapez and Dirtybird, as well as collaborations with Justin martin, Monty Luke and J. Phlip.

As a producer Mr. Braemer understands how to feel the pulse of his listeners. His first solo single India Flowers,(on the Dekadent label) went straight to the top and E.P.’s like Ghost Hand, GoLoco ; and Dirty Talk have gained worldwide recognition. The breakthrough came for Sascha with Dirtybird, the label of Claude VonStroke. With, Go Loco and Some Sweat, he not only convinced his fans in Europe but also gained new followers in the U.S. and Canada.

When asked for the secret of his success, Sascha answers, “Well, I like to make music I can relate to. There are no rules I care about and I don’t like to conform myself to any one style.
If everybody is going in one direction because it’s trendy, I feel even more strongly to express myself differently through my music.”

As a DJ, Sascha transforms from being a modest producer into an extravagant show act, loaded with emotions and energy. He loves to give his fans and listeners something in return and his sets twist the club audience into a mass of wild party people. Doing what he’s does best, Mr. Braemer uses a mix of vinyl and CD’s while working his sets. Something that is not often seen anymore.