I'm A House Gangster presents The Gangstercast

Gangstercast 47 comes courtesy of Maurice Tamraz, a DJ and Producer from California. Maurice is a former member and co-founder of the duo J Paul Getto.

Maurice has worked one on one with an array of A-list artists, including Todd Terry, Felix Da Housecat, Virgin Killer, DJ Dan and collaboration projects with Nile Rodgers and Lee “Scratch” Perry.

Being the face of many genres; House, Techno, Drum & Bass, Grime, UK Garage, Bass and Electronic, he has many different sides to him as an artist. “House is my wife, DnB is my freaky mistress I call for a threesome.”

Fixed in the ‘zone’ for this Gangstercast, when asked how he chose the tracks for this mix Maurice told us “At the time I did this mix, this is what I was feeling at that moment. If I was asked to do another one, it would be totally different.”

When telling us how this specific mix represented him as an artist, he tells us; “This mix represents one side of me as an artist. If there was an all-round theme to my music, I would say that it is dark.”

He goes onto tell us; “When I did this mix I was in the middle of discovering something new. You will hear it a few times in the mix. But I try to keep it under control. If I was at a club, it would have gone in a different route. LOL”

Being asked to describe the House Gangster sound he says, “I think the sound varies from person to person. From all the different gangsters that have done mixes, there is the same idea, different way of projecting it.”

In defining what House Music meant to him, he states; “It always comes first, no matter what. I haven’t been doing this as long as some people. But I know, that I give it the attention that it deserves, which is 100%. No distractions, no side jobs, just 100% focus on music.”

Gangstercast 46 comes from the fabulous Honey Dijon. Based in NYC but Born and raised in Chicago; the home of house music, Honey is known for her unique take on the Chicago sound with inflections of the deep New York underground. Honey is one of the few DJ’s in recent years to defy pigeon-holing. She draws from a wide repertoire of musical styles from old school Chicago House, disco, tech house, tribal, funk, soul, and R& B. She has graced the tables from Ministry of Sound London to Ushuaia Ibiza, Panorama Bar Berlin, Stereo Montreal and everywhere in between. She has also shared the decks with none other Danny Tenaglia, Derrick Carter, Green Velvet, The Martinez Brothers, Satoshi Tomiie, and Quentin Harris.

Like many involved in the scene, her love affair with music began upon hearing her parent’s soul and r&b records at home. Soon she wanted to be the one dropping the needle on the record whenever they held parties in the family basement and the lure of club life soon followed. Before long she was obsessively collecting her own music from record stores, which is where Honey met and formed a long lasting friendship with Derrick Carter, who became a mentor. It was he who introduced her to the underground of Chicago where she was exposed to the sounds of jacking house and Detroit techno.

After relocating to New York City, Honey also met another music giant Danny Tenaglia, whose legendary sets at Twilo were also a major source of inspiration. “Danny heavily influenced my sound as a DJ’, says Honey. “The drama of his delivery and risk taking always informed me of how I wanted to present music. Of course, Derrick and Chicago house were also very influential in my development as an artist, so it’s this combination of Chicago and New York that has helped me develop my signature sound.”

Known for her passion and integrity in her sets, this week Honey takes us back to the old skool sound, with this hugely authentic mix, fusing the bump of Chicago with more classic New York sounds and other European influences, dexterously flowing between house and techno, with a warm, hypnotic feel. The art of mixing itself is very important to Honey, and when telling us of the tracks she chose in compiling this mix, she explained; “I did a bit of research and did a bit of crate digging to try and give a bit of swing and soul but in a modern way.”

When explaining to us how this particular mix represented her as an artist, she told us; “Well being from Chicago, I wanted to mix a bit of my roots with what's happening in dance music at the moment. Since there has been a resurgence of House in Europe, I felt it was the perfect time to pull out a few forgotten classics.”

Being a firm believer in the underground sound, and being a protector of the faith, When asked what the House Gangster movement means to her, she replies; “I just feel it's a gang of like-minded people representing the love of house and paying respects to where it came from and to also where it’s going.”

Honey describes the ‘House Gangster sound’ as “Boompty but with guts and soul! Also with a bit of a techy edge top to it”

Gangstercast 45 brings you a heady mix of underground dancefloor-driven funk and gangster-esque vocals coming from rising underground star Tizi.

Tizi started Djing back in 2009, in her hometown Montreal, Quebec, where sub-genres of house music were still undiscovered grounds to her. “I was more into old school Hip Hop and RnB. It all changed a year later when I attended my first Piknic Electronik here in Montreal, in 2010. Nôze performed a live set and I was absolutely blown away.”

From that point onwards her genre taste had changed and she started to hang out in clubs and bars that only played house music, whereby she attended a DJ SNEAK event for the first time. “I bought my ticket, and once again was blown away. DJ SNEAK lit Salon Daomé on fire. Went home the next day, looked up DJ SNEAK online and bought myself a “I’M A HOUSE GANGSTER” T-shirt and bandana.”

She has since been an avid supporter of IAHG online, right from when the series began back in January 2013, and has even sent in several mixes of her own in sheer dedication to appearing in the series herself.

When asked what the House Gangster movement means to her, she replies; “The house gangster movement is all about that family spirit. Sharing my passion with my homies behind the decks every night, connecting with the crowd, seeing familiar faces who come out just to hear that HG sound, repping/wearing my HG gear. We’re a big happy family!”

Her passion for being a true house music lover, who cares and respects the original sound of the underground, appears evidently within this carefully crafted mix; a mix that comes from the heart.

Representing the House Gangster Girls, with this exclusive mix, she told us how it represents her as an artist; “It represents the grooviness and the funkiness I put in every set. When buying tracks, I'm always looking for that special bassline, catchy vocals or unique sounds/percs.”

As of yet, we have not even had the pleasure of meeting Tizi and only know her from her ongoing online support, but we can already safely say she's one very driven girl! Tizi is definitely one name to look out for in the future, you heard her here first!

If there was a house DJ in America who could accurately claim to be the most important house DJ working today, it would be Doc Martin. But then, Doc would never accept such a title even if it happens to be true, because Doc is not only a legendary talent but a legendarily humble man. It is therefore with great pride and respect that we finally welcome Doc Martin to the Gangstercast for two solid hours of low rider funk.

Doc Martin’s live sets truly bring people together. The variation in his style of music is endless. What makes him so different from the rest? A unique ability to spin everything from deep house vocals that have much depth and meaning to us all in some way, to his funky tribal bass lines mixed with threads of acid, his passive collection of classics rare records that are only to be heard at his gigs. When asked about what House music means to him, Doc’s opinion is one to take note of, “It's something that I became obsessed with in 86,and still am to this day. What other music has truly brought people from all over the world together. It put me on a different path emotionally, logically,and spiritually. I'm forever indebted to it.”

His viewpoint on the House Gangster movement is similarly wise, “What's fascinating about the whole House Gangster thing is that it goes beyond just one style of music. I see people from all styles of music,and different backgrounds who are into this. A community of people who are music first. On the outside looking in you would think it's just about banging beats. I think it's more of an attitude of pushing underground sounds from the past,and future. Skills are required for that, but also understanding of the music you are playing. People tend to play it safe but that isn't playing is it.”

Doc Martin has developed the respect as a house DJ that so many of us admire. It is this respect that keeps him constantly touring around the globe. Doc’s association with DJ Sneak extends back for years and the duo continue to delight audiences with their 4 deck 2 mixer sets.

Speaking of his mix for the Gangstercast Doc comments, “This mix was recorded live at an underground in LA called Oxygen. The vibe was very good that night. I like a bit of everything.The sets that I enjoy are the ones, where I get to flow between styles. This [recording] was one of those nights. One thing that I try to do is get caught in the moment. No planning mixes ahead. Just jump in feet first and trust yourself with what you do. Know your music and create with it.”

As two wise Chemically enhanced men once said, ‘The brothers gonna work it out’. It’s an adage the Smokingroove brothers - Safe and Marko - have taken to heart and we’re glad to have worked out getting them on the Gangstercast for episode 43.

Starting off the main part of their career in their native home of London, they cut their teeth on the underground club scene in the 90s and their style of “deep, Chicago-flavored House music with a Jacking vibe” has seen them sign records to Roger Sanchez’s Stealth Records and DJ Sneak’s Magnetic Recordings, as well as penning a string of releases on their own Illuminati Recordings imprint.

Their love of House music has prevailed and they reflect, “[House music] is the spirit of clubs, the people we meet and the life we have. For a musical genre, it’s pretty special in that way.“

They’ve hosted radio shows for over 10 years and it’s perhaps on the DJ front that the brothers have made their biggest impact. With both Safe and Marko now based in Dubai, they hold down the most coveted residency in the Middle East at the much-copied but never bettered Nasimi Beach, and have played huge events such as Creamfields Abu Dhabi, Pete Tong’s Wonderland, El Divino Ibiza and Savannah Ibiza as well as countless legendary UK clubs. More recently they have become brand ambassadors for Adidas Originals, New Era & Pioneer DJ and they have mixed the first in a series of Pacha Dubai CDs.

Episode 43 of the Gangstercast allows Smokingroove to flex their DJ muscles, as they explain, “Over the last 16 years, we’ve built our own mental-inventory of great records and music we honestly love and feel. The mix captures our love of the sound. This mix was recorded live so everything in there is pretty indicative of what we play. You’re getting the Smokingroove sound in this mix. This isn’t a practiced, studio set. Real deal, one-shot take.”

They add that the House Gangster movement is, “like a global clique of people who all vibe off the same music and mentality. House is a broad genre so this feels like membership to an exclusive global family within that. Real underground House music with a street-edge to it. A little something for everyone but keeping the beats correct and a definitive underground vibe.”

Ibiza house music legend Clara Da Costa is the very welcome guest for episode 42 of the Gangstercast. Clara has one of the more interesting stories in House music having run away from home to pursue her dream of living in Ibiza, she secured her first residency for Es Paradis at the age of just 15! By 17 Clara was creative director of the venue resulting in the likes of Clockwork Orange and Up Yer Ronson making the club their home.

Since then Clara has gone on to work for large Spanish labels such as Blanco y Negro and Vale Music (Universal) as well as remaining in the club/promoter scene. DJing has always remained her first love and Clara continues residencies at Es Viva and Sands in Playa Den Bossa, as well as hosting the ‘Jacks House’ radio show on Ibiza Sonica.

This Gangstercast is in fact a live recording from the opening of Sands in Playa Den Bossa, and Clara explains how the mix represents her style, “It is full of tracks that I love from many producers across the globe. It represents what I like to put out there on the dance floor. The most important element of DJing for me, is seeing the crowd dance without having to go down a commercial route but playing accessible quality tracks. I recorded this mix live and most of the tracks had been carefully selected from promos sent to me from the many labels and artists that I have discovered or already support. Ultimately I chose all the tracks but the dance floor communicates to me what I think it needs in each moment.”

Clara’s back story leaves no doubt about her commitment to House music or that she is a genuine House Gangster and she states that, “[To me House music means everything. A style of music that has brought people across the globe together from all walks of life and continues to do so. When I listen to House Music, nothing else matters, just the beat. It is my life. For me, the [House Gangster] movement expresses music and the attitude towards it with authenticity and integrity. A movement keeping true to it's roots.”

Italian duo Flashmob are the latest high-profile act to join us on the Gangstercast as they deliver episode 41. Cracking the music industry is about as difficult an undertaking as you’re likely to embark on in a lifetime. Talent, passion, perseverance and an unerring work-ethic; to achieve even moderate success in the industry you need all of these qualities and more in abundance. So when Danny and Alessandro – now known under the ferociously successful Flashmob moniker – stepped away from their highly fruitful previous project to essentially start again from scratch, they were more than aware of the long, hard road ahead of them.

Flashmob began to take shape around 5 years ago and has become one of the most acclaimed, instantly recognisable production groups in house music. Riding a tidal wave of success generated by the ravenous response to singles ‘Brick House’, ‘Ninety Five’ and – most significantly – ‘Need In Me’ (which has now passed 3 million views on YouTube), Flashmob have carved an indelible niche for themselves, crafting sublimely unpretentious house music, the widespread appeal of which has been near unprecedented. Not many people’s records get spun by both Kerri Chandler at Pandemonium and Pete Tong at Pacha in the same season; the fact that Flashmob can count themselves as producers in this group goes some way to showing the global underground appeal of the records they make.

Danny and Alessandro gave us the lowdown on their sound and this mix, “Ours [sound] is RAW. We chose the tracks naturally. It's what we do :-)))) Nice and simple, dirty gangsta house shit!” and add about the the House Gangster movement, “It means real .. no bullshit!”

TBF is up for Gangstercast 40 and is introduced by DJ Sneak: "There’s this kid called TBF from Romania, he’s 19 years old, and he’s coming up with some of the toughest house sh!t that I’ve heard from Europe, Eastern bloc Europe, you know what I’m saying, these people just now got decks and parties and sh!t you know. So this guy is 19, he’s making some really really good stuff. Jackin’, energetic, it’s not techno, it’s not electro, its straight house" (DJ Sneak interview for Getthecurse.com 2008)

Growing up with Cassius, Armand van Helden, Daft Punk, Basement Jaxx and Roger Sanchez, it's no wonder that TBF remained loyal to house music, after experimenting with other genres. It's not hard to define his style - jazz influences, soul, funk and disco are always present. This style has found its way onto esteemed underground labels including Robsoul, Minority, Oomph and Jump picking up plays from House legends such as DJ Sneak, Derrick Carter, Mark Farina and Phil Weeks.

The Romanian DJ and producer talks about the House Gangster ethos, “House music puts together world music with electronic music in a way that offers absolute freedom. That's what house music is to me: a bridge, a sonic one! Being a gangster is all about attitude. You can have any sound you want, but only one attitude!”

Discussing his mix, he adds, “I tried to find tracks I never really got the chance to play or they remained “hidden” for a long time, may they be new or old. I think that a DJ set should always be like a story, things have to happen in order to be interesting. And i like to make things interesting. Nothing extra to mention about this mix, as I believe that’s one of house music’s side effects: you don't feel special, you feel humble, always feelings like "that special" set is still waiting to be discovered.”

Eric Galaviz and Brian Varga, better known as the DJ / Producer duo Hipp-E and Halo, joined forces 15 years ago after realizing they shared many common musical interests. The H Foundation was born. Here and now in 2014 they have just released their album ‘Passage’, a collection of their finest moments from 1999-2004, through DJ Sneak’s imprint Magnetic Recordings. And to mark the release they’ve put together a brand new mix for the Gangstercast.

The guys explain, “This mix is a small taste of some of the tracks and artists that we are into and what you would hear in our DJ sets from begging to end. We carefully choose the tracks in this mix so that people could get a feel and taste of what you would hear if you came to the club to see us play.”

H Foundations’ dedication to House music has always been evident and of their relationship with the music they simply state, “House music has a felling that touches your soul that moves you.” About the House Gangster music they add they view it as, “Dirty House Music infused with a taste of Chicago. DJ Sneak is a brother to us, he has been in the game for a long time and has inspired so many artist there's not a lot of Old School House heads doing what he's doing and we have so much respect for him.

“Nothing else to add other than download it and jam to it in your ride :)”

H Foundation’s ‘Passage [1999-2004]’ is out now at Beatport: http://www.beatport.com/release/passage-1999-2004/1325091

Chilean DJ and producer, Andre Butano, is a rising star both in his homeland and on the international house music scene. Originally working as a chef in some of Santiago’s finest restaurants his love of music gradually took him into new career. It was a good move, as his productions - released on labels including Kling Klong, 8bit, Anhura, Melisma, Brise, Amam, Robsoul and Natural Rhythm - have picked up plays from Ricardo Villalobos, Luciano, Terry Lee Brown Jr., Brett Johnson, C-rock and Tobi Neumann.

As resident at several parties in Chile, including Club La Feria, Andre’s experience on the decks shines through in his Gangstercast, which he describes, “I choose my music for people to have fun, my identity is the basslines: fat, always with groove, percussion, synths, vocals and energetic rhythms.” The tracks in the mix cover, “old sounds with more modern things, things from friends and artists I like. I try to give a Chilean flavor.”

Andre explains that the mix was recorded, “100% live, with 3 CDJs from Club la Feria of which I am the resident” and adds, “I’m very proud of being invited to participate in this podcast of the master DJ Sneak. It is really a honor. Chile has lots of love to all those House Ganster addicts and now I already consider myself to be a South American HOUSE GANGSTER. I am try to educate a new generations in my country with House style. In Chile we are still playing with vinyl, old school house and very underground music. I am very proud to be the first Chilean artist to represent this movement, love it!!!