The time has come for one of FIA Formula E's favourite races - Punta del Este, Uruguay. Often dubbed the St.Tropez of South America, and with one of the shortest holidays seasons in the world (count three weeks) it has a reputation for partying HARD. ![]() * Straight of the grueling 13 hour flight, a reward was needed. La Huella. Quite possibly the best restaurant on this side of the hemisphere, it's atmosphere and food was the perfect anecdote to slip into the busy week ahead. And a sneaky Caipirinha. * As usual, a Gala Dinner was planned then night before race day. This time it was to be held in a beautiful house in the country side transformed into a glittery affair. Long, communal tables, lanterns and champagne flowed well into the night.
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Vogue. The bible of fashion. The benchmark for style. To be invited to a party hosted by Vogue, you know you're in the circle of the elite. To be playing for a party hosted by Vogue - well, it's an honour. Vogue's bi-annual fashion week party held at the iconic Borchardt restaurant was the setting for yesterday's party. I played along with one half of the Felder + Felder twins - Dani. After a sound check and quick bite at the nearby Bocca di Bacco (George Clooney's favourite haunt we later find out), it was show time. Dressed in matching FELDER + FELDER prints, our heels were strapped on and ready to rock the DJ booth. One thing I have to credit to the Germans ... no two.
It was hard to concentrate on the mixing. Of course, it was highly probable half of them were gay. I have a tendency to rate gay men.The night went on to the early hours of the morning, champagne flowed and Prada heels were swung off. ![]() Sample track list : " No Eyes (MYNGA remix) " - Claptone " Tainted Love (DANK remix) - Soft Cell "Feel You" - Tapetenweschel "Time to get physical (Botan remix)" - Nice7 "Talkin bout" - Mees Dierdop With thanks to FELDER + FELDER for the dress. Headphones by Urbanears. All round fun by the team at Borchardt and Vogue Germany.
![]() after-party noun a party held after another event, especially a concert or another party. * * * Yup, it was that time again. The after party of the race! Held in the stunning Luna Sky Bar overlooking Kuala Lumpur, the rain made things a little slow at the start but soon everyone was in the pool and rocking. I didn't get to see much of Kuala Lumpur thanks to the fever but the view from up the top was certainly a tour guide in one. Champagne flowed, tequila was shot and a domino of exhausted yet excited Formula E workers fell into the pool. Unfortunately, the indecisive rain meant I couldn't DJ in the E-booth that was brought out. But nevertheless we carried on with the festivities. Sample track list: "Blame" - Calvin Harris "My head is a jungle (MK remix)" - Wanklemut "Everything (Mark Fanciulli remix)" - Rampa "Need you" - Duke Dumont "Heartbreaker (Diskjokke remix)" - Metronomy Special thanks to my girls at FELDER FELDER for glamming me up again for the event.Check their threads here : FELDER FELDER
![]() On the weekend I traveled to Frankfurt for Sven Vath's 50th birthday. I first met Sven properly about four years ago when he was playing at the Future Festival in Sydney, Australia. I had briefly met the Cocoon family during the Kave parties in Ibiza before that, but here I was Sven's back-up dancer. Literally. I had been in the crowd with one of my best friends, dancing like we were back in high school. Electronic music still didn't demand a large stage at Australian music festivals back then, so Sam and I had almost a whole dance floor to craze around on. We were both plucked up and put on stage where we continued to dance for the remainder of the set. As the world continued to prove smaller, when I moved to London the following year I was sharing the same apartment with Sarah Qaiser - head dancer at Cocoon, who is now sister and partner in crime. Later on, living in Ibiza Mondays were spent in Amnesia for Sven's Cocoon residency, then I would go on to work for Cocoon and thus a relationship with not just Sven but the whole Cocoon group would make them family. So there was no question that the trip to Mannehim would not happen. It was also an opportunity to write a feature for Pulse Radio, detailing the night. Check it out below >> http://pulseradio.net/articles/2014/10/time-warp-papa-sven-turns-50-in-review ![]() 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. Traktor allows me to prepare tracks minutes before my set, literally on the fly. I can play a more relevant set depending on my mood, the venue ... 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. ![]() Birthdays. Just another excuse for a part-ay. And what better place to celebrate than in Ibiza. Personally, the stand-out party for me this year is "Rumors" at Beach House, the new chiringuito that's given skanky Playa den Bossa a facelift. The guys from El Chiringuito are behind Beach House - so you can expect top notch quality and service. After being spoiled with a delicious lunch it was time to his the dance floor. "Rumors" is the brainchild of Israeli DJ and music producer, Guy Gerber. Guy has always been a personal favourite of mine. His style is unique, his sound is special and can teleport you to another dimension. I haven't had that experience with any other DJ. The dedication he puts into his work, living and breathing music every second is impressive. ![]() Rumors is perfect for a beach location. Dancing in the sand, under the stars to the breeze of the ocean ... what more could you want. Even better, Beach House charges no entry - so everyone is free to come and no table is needed to enjoy the space. With so many friends around, great music and vibe you really can't go wrong with having a great birthday. And that is was. ![]() One of the things I love about Ibiza is the the down right crazy places you will most definitely end up once stepping out of your home. Today after a fairly chilled day of leisurely sailing around Cala Comte, I end up at the house of Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte. A magnificent villa perched on the cliffs of northern Ibiza, separate small fincas sprawled across the grassy property. Tall palm trees swayed to the breeze. Activities, food stalls and sculptures scattered in between - all of the circus kind. I probably tried every single flavour of artisan ice-cream handed out by sequin clad women in top hats. Why such a lavish set you ask? Well, it was the scene for the famed Boiler Room Villa Takeovers. Walking into the villa grounds, people were spread everywhere. The party had just started so it was difficult to guess numbers. But by the time Paradise creator Jamie Jones stepped up to the decks, I'm guessing around 500 partyers were scattered around the Paradise Circus. First UP, Kate Simko performed with the London Electronic Orchestra. A live performance of "Benediction" with Ali Love on the mike finished her set and an energetic WAFF set the pace for the rest of the night. ![]() As the sun set on another glorious day, the circus went into night mode. Tripadelic lights, large-scale projections, performances and of course, the dancing. Martinez Brothers pumped up the atmosphere with their RnB laden beats. Then Jamie Jones took the reigns to finish his party right. This was definitely a party remember. Long after Boiler Room had taken down their production lights the party kept going. No one wanted to leave such a magical setting, but alas ... all good things must come to end. Great thanks to Guy, the ring leader, who's hospitality was of epic scale. ![]() When you think London, you think edgy punk fashion, Doc Martens and moody colours ... the spectrum of greyscale to be more precise . A pioneer of the London look is definitely the iconic brand AllSaints. Last night I had the pleasure of DJing for the private party celebrating the new Autumn Winter collection, hosting guests for an exclusive preview of what threads are hot for those cold days ahead. The VIP party was in the beautiful Notting Hill store. Set upon two levels, the wooden floorboards and steel frames give it that rough yet stylish atmosphere. Like any fashion event bubbly and kind-to-the-hip canapes floated around. Guests could also have some fun with the photo booth. Everyone loves a good photo session ... including me! I managed to sneak in a cheeky photo with my fav girl about London town, Shannon - aka. hostess with the mostess AllSaints music direction is more Indie Rock, so I got a chance to catch up on the latest in the indie world,play some old favourites and mix it up a bit with vocal deep house.
AllSaints tracklist : "Swinging Party" - The Kindness "Blue Monday" - New Order "Get Myself Into It" - The Rapture "Feel the Love" - Cut Copy "Blind" - Hercules & Love Affair "Pow Pow" - LCD Soundsystem ![]() Last night I spun for the London Lifestyle Award nominations at the new Cafe Kaizen in the heart of Mayfair, Hanover Square. The London Lifestyle Awards celebrate groups and individuals that shape and greatly contribute to make London one of the best cities in the world. From clubs, restaurants, hotels to health and fitness ... any area of London living that makes London's lifestyle enviable. Was great to see some old faces in the crowd, and very happy to hear a few places that have had me spin were up for titles. Coya, Maddox, Barts ... congrats and fingers crossed ! Cafe Kaizen is a market place set up, casual yet cool with a cherry blossom tree smack bang in the middle. Very zen. Serving dumplings and tea (tested, approved), vegan cakes and juices along with fancy booze, Cafe Kaizen is a great hangout without the fuss. I'll be playing there most Fridays this month so get yourself down for a juice and beats to kick start the weekend. The crowd was mixed, it's a Tuesday and the sun was still shining - so the tracks had to be a little varied. Nothing too bam bam thankyou ma'am. The track list went a little something like this:
"Everyday People" - Arrested Development "Dear Miami" - Roisin Murphy "Love Never Felt So Good" - Michael Jackson "Fade Out Lines (E.M.B Project)" - Nouvelle Vague "No Eyes" - Claptone feat. Jaw "Waves (Robin Schulz Remix)" - Mr. Probz ![]() Under a luxurious crimson awning, past a heavy velvet curtain step into the opulent and dazzletastic world of Rififi. A small exclusive bar that hints speakeasy and where rumours are started. I came here for the first time just before I left for New York City. Despite it's small mirrored walls, it's able to house the charming partyers of London. Last night it played host to a dear friends birthday where I jumped on the decks till the early hours of the morning. The low lighting, hidden corners and dirty drinks give it an edge that London has long missed. Track list: "It's You (Mousse T's Teef Vocal Mix)" - FCL "Your Space" - El Mundo "The Path" - Teenage Mutants & Purple Disco Machine "Gentle" - Lovebirds |
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