Disco Matt-ers - "Oliver & Orange"

"OLIVER & ORANGE”
DISCO MATT-ERS
WEDNESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER


This Saturday sees the massive re-launch of amazing afterhours club A.M., the Orange Group brand that has been reigning supreme for close on 10 years in the capital and amidst a whole host of “...careful tweaks...” is the introduction of a new promoter, taking the helm of this Vauxhall institution.

Without question, 2010 has been one amazing rollercoaster of a year for Oliver M, this enigmatic German probably best known for his D.J.’ing across Europe & the wider globe, but here in the capital, more for his club promoting, most notably his links with Spanish giant clubbing brand Matinee. It would be fair to say that some of its most successful parties in its four year history in London being while under Oliver’s steership, but as the New Year dawned, the change of Matinee London’s hands was undoubtedly top of gAylist headlines in the capital. However, despite this set back, Oliver not only threw himself into his D.J.’ing, but took stock on his promotional duties and amidst a fair amount of activity that included new ventures Matador & Impact, news came through that, not only would he be working closely with The Orange Group but would become the new promoter for afterhours club A.M.

So, given this momentous year for Oliver, as well as the exciting news that he would once again be in the thick of club promoting, we took the opportunity to devote our second “Disco Matt-ers” report to delving a little deeper into the twists & turns that have seen Oliver emerge as a key player in the Orange Group, also probing into plans for A.M. and what the future looks like in Oliver M land. In his inimitable fashion, he has responded with candidness & authority to our probing, answering his critics on this move he has made, his responses very much speaking for themselves.

Firstly, many congratulations on the appointment as promoter of A.M., tell us a little of exactly how this came about?

Hey Matt, thank you very much, I’m very excited to take over such an institution like A.M. and to be given the chance to be able to put my own stamp onto it. Well as everyone by now knows, I had a meeting with Craig & the rest of the Orange Group and we decided to work together on great new projects for the London scene. Craig told me that even though we were in competition for around 3 years, he did like what I did with Matinee and he asked me to take over A.M. to realise both his and my vision & ideas for this long running afterhours.

So, you will be working closely with Craig Elder & The Orange Group, how is this panning out and how do you see this new found working relationship developing?

I think we both went with caution into this new found business relationship but I have to say that I’m over the moon working with Craig and his family/team and I can for sure say that this is the current mood from both sides. We enjoy working and spending time together, that in my eyes is the most important aspect when working in a successful team.

We know you were involved with both club ventures Matador & Impact. Do you still have ties with the brands & if so, will we be seeing these emerge as new events within The Orange Group calendar?

Matador was invented by me and was promoted in co-promotion with a guy called Manuel Garcia and Barcode. However, there were some not so nice tactics being played out in front of me which made me leave the brand behind and to concentrate on the much bigger plans I have with A.M. I’m sure my crowd I brought into Matador will appreciate the much bigger scope I have at Fire and Area to offer them a top class D.J. line up & entertainment which I was not able to at Matador due to the budget given to me.

Impact was a club night promoted by me and my friend and fellow promoter Steve Elliott of Salvation fame, and this concept will come back soon bigger and better, so watch this space...

Some have questioned your connections with The Orange Group, given past history. What would you say to those critics that are confounded by this change of attitude & direction?

I’m not sure what all the fuss is about...is I’m sure 98% of the clubbing scene is not interested in politics and things behind the scenes but only in getting offered amazing night’s out for money which doesn’t break the bank. These sorts of questions have mostly been raised by insiders of the scene but, I say to those people that they have to try to move into the future instead of always living in the past. We did what we thought was the best thing and that’s it...

Moving onto your exciting new promotions challenge. A.M. is a strong and long established brand. What new elements will you be bringing to this successful Saturday morning outfit?

A.M. is one of London’s longest running after-hours and it’s been a scene institution for the last 9 years, but like anything which is runs for such a long time, it needs an slight nip and tuck here and there to make it current again. I thought that A.M. even though busy, is too straight these days and therefore I want to & will be introducing a strict majority gay Policy and any trouble makers or any who does not respect our gay clientele will be thrown out. I want to give A.M. back to the gay community with a stricter door. Also the feel of the party will be much lighter with more visual effects and surprises. The main floor music will be also giving a little make over and I will introduce more accessible sounds without being cheesy and still remain cool and forward thinking club.

Tell us what we can expect from the re-launch party in terms of D.J.’s & shows?

I will use most of the A.M. residents as they are a vital part of the success story of the brand, but I will rotate them from week to week and take a bigger more diverse D.J. team on to play, plus I will introduce some new unknown DJs to the scene. For the opening, the newcomer featured at A.M. is Joel Antunes who is playing the “Fresh” room, with a hot new underground sound. Other D.J.’s on rotation for the new look A.M. include Alan K, Andrei Stan, Gonzalo Rivas, Guy Williams, D'Johnny, Alessandro Londra, Fat Tony, Severino, Pier Morocco, Saki, Micky Galliano, Tasty Tim and Jonny M, plus international guest D.J.’s and exciting new D.J. talents...I will invite for the re-launch night D.J. Andrei Stan from Brussels, who plays at the massive La Demence party and the Box club, plus we have a P.A. in the amazing Lisa Millet of “Now You’re Gone”, “Bad Habit” and “Sleep Talk” fame, and the sexy Dylan Naylor, a violinist who plays an electric violin over house tracks and who wowed the crowds at the Salvation event at Space Ibiza where he played live during my D.J. set, the crowds went mad!!!

There have been lots of changes to Fire, how will these benefit the new look A.M.?
It will not just help A.M. but all of the club nights I think. Fire was Vauxhalls first mega club and its still is the biggest but the venue’s mainfloor needed a dramatic overhaul because the need of today's clubbers are much higher than years ago.

Turning to Oliver M as a D.J. What does the future look like for potential gigs in the capital or will you continue to concentrate on international prospects?

I will still play all my international gigs at clubs like, Space Ibiza,La Demence, Sexy, GreenKomm, Gay Village, Into the Tank and of course Salvation, because most of them are on a Saturday. For 2011 there are much more and much bigger gigs in the pipeline than this year & I expect it will be my biggest year as a D.J. yet.

We suspect you were thrilled to be part of the Beyond D.J. line on August Bank Holiday. Will you be playing there again and what about other Orange group events?

Yes, August Bank Holiday was my first ever Beyond ...I loved every minute of it and it was the biggest Beyond party yet. I played alongside my D.J. friends Rony and Andrei Stan and it rocked. For sure they will be more gigs coming up for the Orange Group like the B2B at the Colosseum this Saturday and “Massacre” in Vauxhall at Halloween. Plus you will catch me playing guest sets at A.M.

Finally, following your superb track release “Strings Of Motion”, have you been back into the recording studio and if so, what can we expect in terms of future releases?

Ohh thanks, Btw I just found out that “Strings of Motion” is now one of the biggest tracks in South America, being playing in most radio stations and in both gay &straight clubs...I just finished with my production partner and close friend Jean Philips a new track which is called “Paramount” and which is a progressive but uplifting instrumental tune in the “Downpipe” style. We are just waiting to get a vocal to be added by one of the major European house track singers. Plus there’s a new track is in the planning which I can’t tell you about yet as it’s a big surprise...


So, without question the future for Oliver both as a D.J. and as an Orange promoter is looking very bright indeed and we certainly wish him every success disco spinning career, in his new found working relationship with The Orange Group and for A.M. under his direction. Whilst Oliver has given us a good insight into plans for the changes to A.M., for our own look at the re-launch on Saturday, why not check out our Weekend Focus report at direct link http://discomattweekend.blogspot.com/2010/09/weekend-focus-am-massive-re-launch and for an insight to Oliver M’s latest D.J. sounds & studio works, check out his website http://djoliverm.com/ and/or his podcast page http://djoliverm.podomatic.com/. Plus, make sure that A.M. this Saturday (2nd Oct) is a date in your diary and join in the fantastic festivities at Fire, we will certainly be there to report on it all. And, if that wasn't enough, watch this space our forthcoming "Disco Matt-ers" when we probe The Orange Group's owner Craig Elder on changes to his empire as well as other develpments in his world. (DISCO MATT)

The Week - Event Preview

“SOURCED IN SAO PAULO, LANDING IN LONDON”
THE WEEK – SATURDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER
EVENT PREVIEW


There is little doubt that when it comes to carnival & to samba, the country that immediately springs to mind is Brazil and nowhere on this planet do a race party in ostentatious style more than the Brazilians, we should now, we bump into plenty of them trading extravagant dancing moves with us on Beyond’s dancefloor in any given week and such is the vitality & sense of community within this multicultural country that you get the sense that they very much know how to live life to the full. So, in the same way that all this goes for Brazil & Brazilians, like carnival & samba, when you mention the word week in clubbing circles, it means simply one thing, the massive institution & enterprise that is “The Week”, Brazil’s biggest nightclub by a long stretch. Such is the extent of this amazing brand and so proud of The Week are both the people behind the club and the people in front of its doors, craving for them to open at each & every event, that the strap line “Made In Brazil” is blazoned across all advertisements, billboards & posters connected with the brand that speaks volumes about the clubs origins.

And while those origins are very much in Sao Paulo, not just Brazil’s but the southern hemisphere’s biggest city, it was only natural that the Week would spread its wings across the country to Rio De Janiero in the east and to Florianopolis in the south, although it is back in its original home that the club has its hugest impact, regularly attracting well over 2000 people into its multi levelled host venue, that boasts two huge (and we mean massive) dancefloors, both illuminated with huge wall lighting blocks that stretch around & by banks of lasers that sweeping across the floors & walls of the club that rival anything you have seen anywhere. But as if that wasn’t enough, it also has an incredible outside area that includes a swimming pool & garden as well as extensive bar facilities, for clubbers to chill & grab a refreshing break from the action & heat inside and, naturally the crowd is full of handsome & scantily dressed go-go dancing boys, encroaching on the masses of muscular men & glamorous girls that The Week is renowned for attracting, many of the reviews of the club speaking for themselves in its praise, phrases such as “...a paradise for muscled guys...”, “...the best gay club in Sao Paulo...”, “a buff & gleaming crowd, some with shirts, many without...” common place.

It therefore came as no surprise that the biggest gay dance club in South America would soon be making tracks across the Atlantic ocean, having already gone the other way to Australia and following a hugely successful involvement in The Circuit Festival over in Barcelona in August, makes a return to Europe for a mini tour, the first of two stops being London and a project that is of the making by Lovechild & As One (amongst a host of other brands) promoter Alex Erfan, a man with the reputation for pushing the boundaries and attracting not just international D.J.’s but international brands to the capital, a perfect example being the massive undertaking that was the London Global Dance Festival in May. Mind you, bringing The Week over from Brazil is a much less daunting prospect than the former and with a pretty much readymade market here in London, a considerable population of gay & gay curious Brazilians very much part of the clubbing scene across the capital. Plus, given the fact that the party will be on a Saturday, it certainly stands a far better chance of succeeding than did the last undertaking from this part of the world, Rio, which was held at Heaven on a Sunday, only having limited appeal & draw, pretty much falling at the first hurdle.

So, with the scene pretty much set for the arrival of this Brazilian splendour, what can you expect from The Week in London? Well, all the razzmatazz of the carnival for a start, as everything that is characteristic of the sparkling dancing festivities that is so Brazilian, will be brought to bear on Fire, host venue for The Week on Saturday 18th September, Alex Erfan drawing in all of his contacts of Brazilian disposition, to join forces with the inbound team from Sao Palo to bring what the guys from The Week’s crew describe as “...the arrival of Brazil’s biggest club in the UK for the first time will include all the thrill, energy & passion that only The Week can deliver, will prove to be a night that London will remember and will blow the mind...” (we translated it from “raw” Portuguese!), with the London team chipping in to say “...added to this we will have the most amazing production and costumes to get everyone in that carnival mood and with the most super hot Brazilian dancer & performers to spice up the night, you will think you have been transported to Rio...” (no translation required!). And on speaking with Mr Erfan, boy have the team got loads of surprises up their sleeves in terms of those dancers, those effects & those costumes, much of which we have been told to keep under wraps, although we can tell you that not only are they drafting in the skill & knowledge of the Australian responsible for staging the magnificent Mardi Gras festival in Sydney, but extra special lighting & will be imported for Fire’s main room & installations provide by Obsquare, the organisation responsible for The Gallery & now The Supper Club in London. And with all three rooms, that is the mirrorarch, the main room & the lounge springing into action, expect no holds barred in terms of decor, display & dance.

And in terms of dance, there will be no excuse not to as the music is going to be absolutely top draw with London’s finest joining in-bound The Week resident Leandro Becker who will be jetting across to Europe for the mini tour & naturally will take centre stage at the London event. In choosing Leandro from the team of 11 resident D.J.’s back in Brazil, not only will he bring his amazing Brazilian charm, handsome looks &, we are reliably informed, incredible physique (turn u the heat in the main room boys, we want to see him take his top off), no surprise really as Mr Becker is yet another model turned D.J., joining the ranks of Marco Da Silva, Phil Romano & fellow Brazilian Leandro Kloppel, although, it seems this Leandro is revered back in Sao Paulo for his amazing ability to switch between musical genres to produced some of the most energetic & uplifting performances, drawing in elements of progressive, tribal, tech & electro house, much of it drenched with vocals that makes his performances quite breathtaking. It there is no surprise that he was a sure-fire hit at The Week’s party in Barcelona last month, the feedback received from his set there nothing short of feverish and we know he is tremendously exciting about coming to London & playing here for the first time.

Mind you Mr Leandro will be sandwiched in the main room by two talents that will be the perfect match for his skills behind the decks and in selecting these two mixing maestros, Alex Erfan will certainly be pandering to the London crowd, choosing probably the two most popular D.J.’s in both Steve Pitron & Gonzalo Rivas. Now, what we have said about these two individuals through a number of our music post focuses very much speaks for their brilliance & quality but you can pretty much guarantee Beyond-esque performances from both Steve & Gonzalo, mixing in all the uplifting & octane fuelled that make their sets simply spectacular. Mr Pitron is definitely the perfect fit for The Week style of music, his amazing ability to raise any atmosphere through his sumptuous selections of sounds, ranging from disco tipped dance to full on energetic house will no doubt go down a treat with the Brazilian contingent that we are sure the lovely Celso, Steve’s partner, will draw into Fire for this special party. But then the latin intentions of Gonzalo Rivas will surely also come into play and given recent performances at the big parties across the capital & beyond, Gonzalo will ensure the main room at Fire will be well & truly pumping with uplifting & tech infused beats for which he is more than capable of producing to exceptional effect.

But it won’t stop there as the mirrorarch will be given away to international megastar D.J. Paul Heron who has played in every single continent of the world, but unlike any of the other London stars, has played a number of times at The Week in Sao Paulo, so is very experienced in delivering to Brazilian tastes in more ways than one and he somehow seems to really come into his own in the mirrorarch, As One just a couple of weeks ago proving that, when he built up the room to magnanimous proportions. Joining him will be Sweden’s finest & London based Per Q.X. who has really hit the high notes recently with his single “Blow My Trumpet” and we know that his set will include a live performance of the track which we know you will recognise in an instant (check out http://soundcloud.com/perqx/per-qx-blow-my-trumpet), this record the perfect accompaniment for this Brazilian feast of a gathering, a will Per’s smashing sounds.

But the lounge will also be getting its say & will be go into latin overdrive as the man know best for his latino music intentions, Brent Nicholls, will be performing an exclusive “nu funk” set that will definitely have shades of his recent compilation entitled “No Americano” which has samba styled beats & uplifting tunes written all over it, as we are sure will his set on the night, so will definitely be a highlight of this The Week event. Now, we know his mix is still available to download for free, so go grab a slice of Brent’s Brazilian slanted beats at http://speedyshare.com/files/23798605/1008_NoAmericano_128.mp3) and prepare to be dazzled. As if all that wasn’t enough, to complete the D.J. line up & balance the Brazilian element brought to play by Leandro Becker, Alex Erfan will be introducing two London based D.J’s, one to the main room & one to the lounge and as soon as these details are finalised we will share them with out, but suffice to say, think samba, think energy & think vitality, as will the music be across all three rooms.

Now, we will bring you all the important detail closer to the event in a special extra bites post, but suffice to say, tickets for this amazing The Week event at Fire on Saturday 18th September have just been released for sale, so like the team always suggest back in Sao Paulo, its recommended that you get in early, advance tickets now available at the usual Soho outlets, Prowler, Clone Zone & DV8, as well as online at http://clubtickets.com/, all priced at just £10, so go grab yours now, so as not to miss out on this brilliant Brazilian carnival of a party.

Finally to get you in the uplifting carnival mood, why not check out this amazing record we found, which is being played out on the website for The Week in Brazil, http://theweek.com.br & is also available in a slightly more upbeat form via http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=JyfoKPzLJc0, this truly uplifting tune entitled “Happiness” by Alexis Jordan, having been given the remix treatment by Dave Aude and, we hope (having laid down the gauntlet) may get further mixing by either Mr Heron or Mr Pitron, possibly in time for the party next Saturday’s party, which looks like being a real gem. So it may be sourced in Sao Paulo, but it will definitely be landing in London, meaning The Week will be the place to be and as a result, like us, you should, Go There! Be There! (DISCO MATT)