Last night I was invited to a special presentation and dinner hosted by Traktor and Car Craig. Held in a secret location in Ibiza, the event was an intimate affair streamed live by BE-AT and featured Luciano, David Squillace and the host himself, Carl Craig, on the decks showcasing Traktor technology.

Before the sunset alfresco dinner set out magically on the lawn of the finca overlooking the rolling hills of San Antonio, Carl sat down and answered a few questions on his professional relationship with Traktor and how his DJing has been shaped by technology from his vinyl days.

The Traktor debate is still ever present and even more so relevant as some of the biggest DJ's either switch entirely or partly - depending on their gig specs - to the revolutionary technology.

I myself am still a CD die hard, but having fiddled with Traktor a few times I can definitely see the advantages from many points. Especially if one's organisation skills aren't the best.

The night was truly special. Apart from (bascially) private sessions from some of the most respected music makers and mingling with the influencers in the world of electronic music, the vibe was chilled yet fun.

Luciano also revealed all the tracks he had played that night were unreleased and new. It was his chance to road test them before a live audience, working them at different speeds and effects.

With bottles of smoky Mezcal Amores floating around - thanks to Maria and Anthony ( one half of Audiofly), who partly sponsored the event - shots could have instantly turned the gathering into a party.

Special thanks to Hagi Craig for the invitation.

The first time I heard Eminem was huddled around the television screen, tuned into MTV that (dared) to screen his first single, "My Name Is" . Huddled around so that our parents wouldn't hear the lyrics.


Now I stood, fifteen years later, at the historic Wembley Stadium, London in Eminem's changing room while he and Dr Dre listened to samples of upcoming, never released tracks.

Dr Dre then offered me a baked potato with bacon from the food cart. And no, not that kind.


Today Eminem made history - being the first rapper to ever hold a concert at Wembley Stadium. The show was nothing less than epic. A full piece band, vocalists and the man himself. No dazzling pyrotechnics, no flextastic dancers ... just the music, the moment, he owned it.

For an hour and a half, Slim Shady rapped and rhymed around the stage. You can see Eminem's transition and journey as a songwriter throughout the years. From the very violent and aggressive lyrics, weirdtastic beats and trippy sounds to a more hopeful, recovered message with melodies and familiar  mainstream song structure.

Eminem has pretty much lived his traumas out in his lyrics. A kind of therapy some may argue. Now he is five years sober and as energetic as a boxer. He had the crowd the whole damn time.

Some of my fav tracks admittedly, are from his earlier years.

My Name Is - classic
The Real Slim Shady - that beat
Without Me - the punchy comeback
Drug Ballad - personal fav
Lose Yourself - change of tune

Special thanks to Beats by Dre and Paulina for the chance to be a part of music history!

It's music festival time! Summer means lots of open-air activities and general frolicking in the sun aided by fruity ciders. Today my galpal Shannon managed to score us some backstage passes, so off to Finsbury Park we went.

The standout acts of the day were Pharrell and Kanye West, according to PR management. But according to moi and the level of crowd hand action, earlier acts Iggy Azalea and Tinie Tempah had the stage and lights. I was interested to see Iggy, a fellow Aussie, live and boy did she have the stage at her control. Oozing sex appeal but keeping the attention on her rapping, this girl's got IT.

Tinie Tempah had the crowd in the palm of his hand. Responding to his every command, the show was anything short of electric.

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is one of those hidden beauties in the heart of often trashy Soho in London. A beautiful escape from the bright lights and drunken zombies. For a few quid you can park yourself in
front of some inspiring music, till the late hours of the morning.

Jazz is poetry. It is one of the most hybrid genres of music, with influences from all corners of the globe.

One of my favourite Jazz composers is Ketil Bjornstad. Melancholic productions that bring up feelings of nostalgia, reflection and appreciation of the beauty of life.

I discovered him after watching a Polish film - Samotność w sieci, for which he composed the entire soundtrack.

Of course, jazz music has influenced house music. Melodies that intertwine with bass beats, high hats, subtle trumpets and highlights the beauty when two genres come together. Here are some tracks to think about:
"Atmosphere" - Kerri Chandler
" Jazz For You" - Chase Buch
"In The Music" - Deep Swing
"Jealous" - Martin Rothbarth

Tuesday May 28th marked the first London concert of Depeche Mode’s ‘The Detla Machine Tour’.

A sold out 02 Arena had people jumping and singing at every opportunity.
I managed to get some standing tickets from a friend who couldn’t attend (read: Ibiza openings priority).
Coincidentally a few other friends also had tickets for the same night so we had a nice team to rock the dance floor.

Here’s a little clip of the classic ‘Enjoy the Silence’. The crowd erupted at the opening riff, Dave Gahan hardly even had to sing ! I remember first hearing this track actually from a Sasha and John Digweed remix. There's something quite ethereal about this techno track.