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Purchase Tickets Here - www.missiontix.com/events/product/15020
Steez Promo Presents
Bass Nation DC featuring
Bassjump Tour w/
ANDY C
In the world of electronic music, there are few bigger names than that of Andy C.
Regarded as one of the greatest DJs ever to touch a turntable, the Ram Records founder has relentlessly dedicated almost two decades of his life to the music he loves, flying across the globe week in, week out, to demonstrate a mastery of craft that has earnt him a status as one of the most iconic and important figures in global dance music culture.
Much more than just a DJ, Andy C is a true figurehead for the drum & bass movement, within which he has been an instrumental player since its very beginnings; his DJ sets and own seminal productions helping to evolve the genre through the many stages of its evolution. Andy’s dedication to dance music is only matched by his list of achievements, and his is a journey that has taken him from sneaking into raves in barns as a 13 year old, to the glamorous terraces of Space in Ibiza and being invited to speak at Oxford University.
Growing up in Hornchurch, Essex, the young Andy got his first taste of the rave culture that was sweeping the UK in the late-1980s from his older sister, Sarah. At just 12 years of age, Andy would obsessively educate himself by listening to her rave tapes and local pirate radio, eagerly absorbing the sounds of the nascent rave scene and desperate to become involved in its rapidly emerging culture.
At 15, Andy first met Scott Bourne (Red One) through a school work-experience placement. The slightly older Scott ran a rave called Imagination in Bishopsgate, London, and it was here that Andy’s attention was first captured by the DJ controlling the crowd. After buying a cheap pair of decks, plenty of sleepless school nights spent practicing, and endlessly mailing out demo cassettes; luck struck and Andy was asked to play at Elevation on London’s Shaftsbury Avenue. Residencies at legendary raves such as Telepathy followed and, as Jungle emerged from Hardcore, Andy C became a name to watch.
With his career as a DJ taking flight, although still yet to finish school, Andy was also busy cutting his teeth as a producer, grappling with the rudimentary music-tech of the early-90s under the guidance of family friend Ant Miles, and creating his own tracks on reel-to-reel tape players and monophonic samplers. Having spent months working on the four-track ‘Sour Mash’ EP, the young DJ was determined the tracks should find a release. As such, just one week after finishing his GCSEs, Ram Records was launched, taking its name from Andy’s star sign (Aries) and with a logo hand-drawn by his sister on the kitchen table at home. Little did anyone involved realise then, but what would go on to become one of the biggest and most powerful brands in dance music had just been born.
Ram’s third release, the classic ‘Valley Of The Shadows’ (with Ant Miles under the Origin Unknown moniker) in 1993, assured Andy a place in the history of dance music at the age of just 16, but the teenager from Essex wasn’t about to rest on his laurels. As the 1990s went on, and Drum & Bass emerged from Jungle, Andy’s impeccable DJ sets consolidated his status as an essential at any big rave, while Ram continued to develop into one of the most forward thinking and consistent labels in dance music.
Two albums followed for Origin Unknown, ‘Speed Of Sound’ and ‘Sound In Motion’ in 1997 and 1998 respectively, before Andy and Ant linked up within another longstanding local friend, Shimon, to form the mighty Ram Trilogy. In 1999 the trio released ‘Molten Beats’, a landmark drum & bass album that signified just how far the genre come in the few short years since the emergence of Jungle in the early-90s.
Over the following decade both Andy and Ram refused to let up. DJing more than ever, in almost every corner of the planet, Andy was - and continues to be - repeatedly voted Number One at every D&B awards ceremony going, confirming his reputation for near super-human skills behind the turntables with every set, and demonstrating a technical and musical erudition that led to his fond labelling as a ‘robot’ by the fans that religiously attended the packed-out Ram events at The End nightclub in London’s West End.
In 2003 Andy released the first in his ‘Nightlife’ mix series, winning universal acclaim for its selection and construction and spawning four further instalments over the years that would follow. While Andy kept himself busy with a tireless DJ schedule during the first decade of the new Millennium, Ram was busy too – signing up the brightest sparks from D&B’s new wave of producers. Among these were two names that have since become some of the biggest producers working in electronic music today; Sub Focus and Chase & Status, who have both gone on the record to expressing their gratitude for Andy’s role in their unprecedented success as producers.
Despite this incredible career, the future is set for only bigger and better things for a man who has dedicated the vast majority of his life to the music he loves and believes in. After a year that saw him unleash the latest ‘Nightlife’, moving the Ram nights to London’s Fabric superclub, signing a whole raft of fresh talent to the label and even lecturing at Oxford University, as the new decade develops the man they call ‘The Executioner’ isn’t softening up… in fact, he’s sharpening his axe.
DOWNLINK
Downlink has been punishing dancefloors all over the planet with his heavy brand of bass. With roots in Jungle & DnB, he is no stranger to the vile side of subsonic dance music and has set out to explore a frantic, adrenaline fuelled style, influenced by everything from heavy metal to astrophysics. He is a Rottun Recordings regular, but has also released on some of the biggest labels in the game like Mau5trap and OWSLA. While consistently coming up with sick material time after time, he has gained DJ support from all of the biggest names in the scene. His successes on the Beatport charts have been extraordinary. He managed to hold down 4 of the top 10 spots in dubstep at one time and has had multiple tracks hit #1 in both dubstep and drum n bass. Recently Downlink's skills have landed him a prominent role in the production of legendary nu-metal band Korn's tenth studio album. His keen ear for sound even led him to being given the honour of mixing the album. He then went on to support the band on tour in America and Europe, playing to massive arenas, time and time again leaving crowds stunned with his energetic performance. Downlink is not one to be pigeon-holed and is constantly on a quest to evolve and refine his sound. With this in mind, one thing will always remain constant - a pure unadulterated heavy listening experience…
MC ARMANNI REIGN
In the beginning... Armanni Reign grew up rapping everywhere from elementary lunch room tables to high school hallways to college house parties as a hobby before realizing the worth of his gift. Back then you would prove your worth by progressing from cyphas to battles, which is what he did to make a name for himself. He started in small competitions and eventually worked his way on to radio spots. After spending three continuous months as Philly 103.9FM's 'Cypha' champion, MC Armanni decided he needed a change. Not seeing any longevity in the Battle Circuit had motivated Armanni to switch things up.
His introduction to drum and bass was an experience shared by many first timers- Sutpens' Jungle, February 2000. His first mixtape was "DJ SS live at Sutpen's Jungle" on which the vocal skills of MC Skibadee and MC Foxy gave Armanni insight to the lyrical potential of Drum and Bass. Citing MC Skibadee as one of his main influences at the time, Armanni developed a distinctly powerful and diverse style of lyrical delivery. It garnered respect amongst his peers as well as many of the top Drum and Bass MCs and DJs in the World. Staying true to his hip hop roots, Armanni delivers bounce, flavor and lyrical wizardry.
2003 was a fantastic year for MC Armanni Reign because not only was he nominated Best Breakthrough MC at the Knowledge Drum and Bass Awards, he also became the official Metalheadz Americas MC. He is undoubtedly one of the most well known lyricists in Drum and Bass amongst the respectable forces of Skibadee, GQ and Dynamite. With releases currently on Gasm, Freak, Intasound, Westbay Music Group and TekDbz, MC Armanni has set his sights on the grand realm.
As a part of the powerful collective known as Mental Sharp along with Sharpness MC, the duo has released five Hip Hop mixtapes: On n Poppin', Above the Beats Below the Bass Negative 1, 2 & 3 and Epiphany. They have rocked mics on stages and in the booth since 2003 dropping anthems like 'P.H.I.L.L.Y. VIP' (GASM) and 'Hit Em' Hard' (TekDbz). Whether it is just small clips for dancefloor bangers like 'Ruff Rugged N Raw' (Mason) and 'Violent Sound' (Hive) or full on verses for smashers like 'Take That' (Ewun) and 'Fahrenheit 215' (Photek) Armanni's presence is felt in every syllable.
His future sounds off in many different genres which he will give a taste of with his upcoming EP- 'Off the Grid' to be released late December of 2010 on Westbay. This will give listeners a sense of his new vibe while he works on his full length album (untitled). While the five track EP focuses mostly on Hip Hop and his take on Dubstep his full length will also showcase Electro, Breaks and other musical influences. Already testing the Dubstep waters with tunes like 'The Chase' (Down Jones), 'Activate' (CHI), 'Get Up' (CHI) and 'Follow Me Now' (Noah D), one can only guess what styles Armanni will use when stepping outside of the box. 'White X-mas' (Origin) and 'Dark Room' (BeasTmode) might be an indication "Of Things to Come"
Armanni performs with many of the top Drum and Bass as well as Dubstep artists at almost all the top shows. Residencies have included Bassrush (LA), Platinum (Philly), DJ Series (Philly), Metalheadz, Heavy Duty and Ultraworld at Sonar (Baltimore). He has amazed crowds at the World of Drum and Bass, Electric Daisy Carnival, Nocturnal, Together as One, Starscape, Buzz, Ultra and many other massives sprawling from New York to Japan and from London to Australia. Armanni has toured with the likes of Goldie, DJ Craze, Kenny Ken, DJ SS, Dieselboy, Andy C and is frequently requested to MC exclusively for many other top djs in the industry.
MC, Rapper, Producer, Artist, and Father... the self-proclaimed "Ghost MC" is not to be slept on.
Plus Performances By:
Knoxbox
Contemplation
Facebook Event Page: www.facebook.com/events/422803724438881/
Tickets: $15.00 - limited advance
Purchase Tickets Here - www.missiontix.com/events/product/15020
Age: 18+
September 6, 2012
Doors Open @ 9PM
U Street Music Hall
1115A U Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
www.steezpromo.com
www.ustreetmusichall.com
www.facebook.com/events/422803724438881/
