Elite Force Writes ...

Breakspoll Voting 2012

2012-01-10T08:58:00.000Z

A very happy New Year to each & every one of you. Mine was held at Ambar in Perth, Western Australia, amidst a sea of rabid, smiley faces. It was honestly one of the best, most enjoyable club shows I've done in the past 15 years, so KUDOS to all of you for being, um, bonza!

Meanwhile, it's back down to business this year, and the annual bun-fight that is the Breakspoll Awards is back to clog up yer feeds with desperate pleas for your votes. So I will keep mine simple - if you've dug what I've done this year, drop me a vote or two ... I'm easy enough to find in most of the categories and it just takes a minute or two of your time.

VOTE HERE

Be Strong

2011-11-10T10:42:00.000Z

Beats-based music is in a really strange place right now. There is a wealth of quality music being made out there that plays with the rather tired formula of the broken beat, but it’s loose, free from easy categorization & in many ways needs some digging to 'find'.

For me this is one of those tracks. It’s certainly bass-music, but it’s not really breaks (and given what is currently classed as ‘breaks’, it doesn’t belong there) … it’s jackin’ but tough, and hints at dubstep here & there. I don’t expect people to fully understand how or where to program it or play it and for that reason I fully expect it to fall through the cracks.

Also for that reason I’m dead proud of it as an addition to a body of work as Elite Force that dates back some 15 years now.

Be Strong (OUT NOW) by Elite Force

BUY NOW ON BEATPORT

Captain America comes to save the day ...

2011-09-26T16:28:00.000+01:00

Despite having come up with literally dozens of remakes, remixes and revamps this year it's hard to believe that this is actually my first brand new track that's been released in over a year!

It's had a fantastic response from everyone on SOUNDCLOUD and FACEBOOK as well as lighting up many a dancefloor over the past few months. It hit Beatport today, and I would love your support in snagging a copy : GET IT HERE

The EP also includes the ferocious revamping I did of Peo de Pitte's anthem 'Burning Up', taking the chart-topping remix from Torqux & Twist and rinsing it 140 style :)

Boats & Lizards

2011-07-19T15:46:00.000+01:00

The Boat Party this weekend just gone in London was incredible. The clouds parted as we set sail from Temple Pier, and a full house of revellers had it LARGE as we cruised down what was, at times, a choppy River Thames! Great fun, and look out for the possibility of more of these next year in differing locations.

Meanwhile I have a brand new remix out this week at Beatport. It's a proper techy-roller & is based on the original from The Lizard Kings (aka Electric Soulside).

Show your support & snag a copy ...

The Lizard Kings - Oviparous (Elite Force Mix) *OUT NOW*

Perth - the video files ....

2011-06-21T09:30:00.000+01:00

I think the easiest way would be to have 64-hour days and no need for sleep, but that's just a pipedream ... there's only so much you can fit in a day! Perhaps I will get a chance to blog about the second half of the Australia / New Zealand tour at some stage, but for the time being I was rather tickled by this nice video footage that came through from the lovely folk at Boomtick who promoted the show at Villa in Perth earlier this month.

18-hours in June [VIDEO]

2011-06-17T17:35:00.003+01:00

... in Shock ...

2011-06-16T15:06:00.000+01:00

The latest milestone in my career, 'Shockland' finally saw the light of day this week. A project that began as a collaborative series of pieces for the Motorstorm Apocalypse game for the PS3 with Klaus Badelt, finally blossomed into an album of extended versions.

These are designed as much for the head as the feet (so don't expect another 'Revamped'), but I really am dead proud of how the music's turned out and I hope you'll be able to support the project in whatever way you can / see fit to!

The Shockland Store is where you'll find the physical stuff.... T-Shirts and CDs mainly, and all in lovely limited edition runs.

The digital pre-releases are, as ever, available exclusively from Beatport until 27th June, when they will be unleashed throughout the intraweb.

To preview all of the tracks from Shockland, just CLICK HERE for the full Soundcloud set of tasters (each with Beatport link should you need a HQ version).

Enjoy & thanks in advance for the support!

Hammered in Hamilton, Twisted in Tauranga

2011-05-28T03:01:00.000+01:00

"We're changing clubs. This place is fuckin' dead. We're heading to a Jaeger bar - you can play there, but you've gotta go NOW!" Thus began one of the stranger episodes of my life as a DJ.

It's Friday night and the Noize Control circus has moved onto the port city of Tauranga on the East Coast of New Zealand. The weather's been spectacular with torrential downpours mingling with biblical outbursts of radiant sunshine, but now we're at the business end of the day and all is not well with the club I've been booked to play in. The owner has done a spectacular volte face and left us with a hillbilly-styled bar to play in on a postage-stamp sized PA, and has by all accounts done little or no promotion for the night, so local legend and all-round crazy 'Tommy' (I think!) has decided to take matters into his own hands.

"This ain't right bru!" he hollers in a thick local drawl, "you're Elite Force man, I luv your shit - I gotcha back man, I ain't hiving thisss, I GOTCHA BACK MAN!". With that, we speed off in convoy to a brand new Jaeger bar called Imbibe which is a few miles out of time & situated in a most unlikely shopping mall. Now we know where the people are. The place is rammed. It's launch night. The reaction couldn't be warmer but I'm reticent about kicking anyone off the decks ...

.... 5 minutes later I have a pint of jack & coke in hand and the local DJ has very graciously welcomed me with open arms ... and then, it's ON. It may be a bar and sound control have their eyes on the dB meter, but it's a grand couple of hours. Afterwards, I speak to a guy who is thrilled to bits to have seen me play, completely by chance.

"OMG, I have not come out in a year and the one night I come out I see my idol EF! This is better than my wedding day". His wife is standing next to him, eyes like daggers.

The night before had been Hamilton's turn, and boy did they deliver. I'd been slightly perplexed beforehand by how keen the locals were to tell me in no uncertain terms that Hamilton is "The STD capital of New Zealand" (with no little pride it has to be said), but what no one warned me was that they RAGE HARD TO BASS.

VIDEO (HAMILTON)

By midnight the Outback Inn was still filling up & I started with some ease-in tracks, but by the time 12.30 came around it was jammed in there, and by 1am had turned into a proper madhouse. Moshpit frenzies closed things out and the excellent Daniel Farley took a full floor to the close. Afterwards the night became lairy & whilst I bailed early I wasn't surprised to find that the promoters and their crew had a new badge of honour to wear the following day.

"Banned from all Ibis Hotels"

New Zealand's been cracking and all that remains is to say a massive thank you to everyone I met, and especially for the kings at Noize Control for putting so much work into the shows. Big ups Jaycen, Ben, Nergal & all crew :)

An Auckland Sauna

2011-05-22T05:20:00.000+01:00

An hour in now. Everyone is wringing wet, soaked to the skin. The Be Club in Auckland is jammed, the sound system throbbing, the beats bangin'. My knees are turning to jelly in the airless booth. Air-mad punters have turned the fans on themselves. It feels like I'm sweating out - might even hit the deck at this rate ... and with that I dial it back a notch or two and pace myself to see this epic 2 & a half hours through.

There's a real intensity in the air tonight - a fair few people have been waiting for years for me to make it back to Auckland after my one & only appearance some four years back - and it's an inspiration to feel that kind of energy. I'm booked as Elite Force but with Zodiac Cartel's name also on the bill, it's a tricky juggling act at times to keep everyone happy, but juggling's what I do and it seems to build pretty nicely to a dubstep conclusion, despite losing a few to heatstroke along the way.

All in all a massive buzz & now it's time to kick back for a few days ... well, when I say kick back, I mean work obsessively on the laptop - I'm midway through a Zodiac Cartel remix of Non-Believer & wanna get that in some shape to play at the next show in Hamilton on Thursday :)

Hanging Laundry out to Dry

2011-05-21T00:05:00.000+01:00

After what seemed like an eternity of traveling, re-grouping, sleeping, not sleeping, the Australian Tour finally got underway last night at Chinese Laundry, and my, what a way to start!

The Laundry's one of those rare beasts - a club that remains, after all these years, consistently 'on the money'. When I last played here two years ago it was around the time that I was dropping my very first series of dubstep Revamps and Re-edits and I remember getting the distinct impression that the floor didn't quite know what to make of them. Fast forward two years and Friday night is reserved for Bass Music in all it's fine manifestations, and there were no such issues with pretty much anything I played in what I'd describe as a kitchen sink set.

The energy levels built and grew throughout towards a dubstep conclusion & the welcome couldn't have been warmer from the packed room's Sydney massive. I salute you all ... I couldn't have asked for a better way of kicking off my trip down under.

R.O.B.O.T.

2011-04-29T17:59:00.001+01:00

It's Friday afternoon. I'm in a stunning warehouse space at Dock Des Suds in Marseille down in the south of France. All around me dozens of grizzled worker bees are putting the finishing touches to what is set to be a breathtaking production for a show I'm involved in tonight.

There's a robotic, Mad Maxian theme to the proceedings, with performance artists, twisted metal sculptures, TV installations, radical futuristic attire, and the centrepiece in an immaculate 30 foot high 3D video-mapped robot head. The booth is situated inside the demon's eyes, and all around the stage are the unmistakable shapes of Funktion One speakers. This is not a party to be trifled with and it's no exaggeration to say I haven't been this excited about a non-festival show in a loooooong time.

In a nutshell, this is Burning Man. In a warehouse.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tales of blind mixing & surgical elbow retraction ...

2011-04-22T11:19:00.000+01:00

The monitor sits forlornly. Drooping downwards, devoid of power. The booth is two feet deep ... barely enough to entertain my generous waist. Bending down requires surgical elbow-retraction, and yet still this funny little venue has decided that the place for said booth should be a good 8 feet up in the air. A battered DJM-600, once the go-to mixer of choice occupies the centre ground ... most of it's knobs are MIA, sheared off at the tip, years since the 'effects' functioned properly. The CDJ-800s are basic, unruly with trademark sticky cue buttons.

In short it's a job & a half to make any sense of the situation with the muffled soundfug that's circling around the booth, but I'm faced with a crowd of Motorstorm programmers who are here to unwind, let go, breathe a massive, collective & drunken sigh of relief as their PS3 game is finally on the shelves. I'd been 'warned' beforehand with a wry sense of resignation that 'they are geeks ... and they don't dance'. I love a challenge ...

... fast forward two hours and I switch it up with a dubstep drop. There's a sweaty, pogo'ing throng. There's whooping, hollering, frugging. A roomful of drunken, smiley faces and I'm transported back to the halcyon days of Fused & Bruised residencies at the Dogstar in Brixton where I cut my teeth behind the decks.

All is good with the world.

Adventures

2011-04-16T14:55:00.001+01:00

Post-gig / Pre-gig. Transiting across the outer limits of Vilnius where the harsh tower blocks quickly merge into rolling pine tree stands. A vast shanty town-like black market sits on the fringes, and then we cruise the smooth highways towards Klaipeda.

It's sometimes hard to appreciate the moment. I'm someone who needs time to stand back, assess, decide and then action ... and at the moment I'm lacking the luxury of time away; time away from the job, the machines; just living in the now. I need some perspective.

One issue that's troubling me is the Serato Vs CD 'debate' that I've been having with myself. Its often a nightmare & last night was no exception with the two decks wired in right to left. The first mix was a total shambles because your visual references of right & left are completely subverted & it took ages to find my groove after that. I'm seriously considering moving back to CDs!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Back 2 The Old Skool

2011-03-20T12:41:00.000Z

This Friday just gone I found myself at the Big Beat Reunion in London's lovely but shady Jammm in Brixton, one of my old stomping grounds. I'm always slight wrong-footed by South London ... even though I know it so well, it has an intensity about it that you seldom find North of the river with layer on layer of humanity battling for survival space. As an example, the cab ride back to the hotel afterwards was full of banter & was strangely worth the £22 I was knowingly being *fleeced* for a four mile ride.

To say the gig was an unusual one for me to take would be understatement. I've never before agreed to do an old skool / big beat set, and despite the huge time-drain of 3 full days of preparation, it was actually a great - re-education sifting through the piles of old vinyl. Each banger I unearthed was greeted like a long lost friend, even to the point of 'knowing smiles' accompanying the recall of each bit of vinyl's unique quirks. Trying to mix these rough & ready slices of history together was a whole new ballgame & my plan to journey from 107 - 137 bpm seemed like a good idea in principal, but in practice it was a wild beast of a ride, and one that was hard to tame for much of the time.

I didn't get a chance to record the set, but for the tracklist fiends and the mildly interested, this is what I played in my hour & a half. Perhaps I'll find time to do a similar mix for the archives at some point soon ... we will see!

Midfield General - Devil In Sports Casual
Ceasefire - Trickshot
Eddie Scratch & DC - Dusty's Sermon
Dave Clarke - No One's Driving (Chemical Brothers Mix)
Cut & Paste - Cut It Nice - Original Mix
Freestylers - Breaker Beats Part One
Head Lamp - Petrol Salt Lick
Wax Assassins - Feel The Funk Baby
The Chemical Brothers - The Loops of Fury
Roxy Breaks - Apache Rock
The Wiseguys - Start the Commotion (Put the Body in Motion)
CHARLATANS, The - Nine Acre Dust (Chemical Brothers remix)
Basco - Rock The Funky Beat
Sol Brothers - That Elvis Track
Fathead, 2 Fat Buddahs - Cut The Music - Original Mix
Fatboy Slim Vs Bassbin Twins - 2 Aaaw Shut Up
Bassbin Twins & Doom Selector - Between The Fro
Laidback - Cold Rock
Josh Wink - Higher State of Consciousness
Laidback - Cold Rock (Reprise)
Elite Force - EF001 Go Rockin' Beats
The Treble Spankers - Samira (The Eboman's Bakkuf Beats - Mix)
Lunatic Calm - Leave You Far Behind - Lunatics Rollercoaster Mix
Definition of Sound - Outsider (Lunatic Calm Mix)
Messiah - There Is No Law
Curve - Chinese Burn (Lunatic Calm Remix)
Fatboy Slim - Going Out of my Head
SCHUMACHER, Timmy - Bring Back Big Beat
Chemical Brothers - Psychedelic Reel (Elite Force Edit)

Breakspoll Blur

2011-03-07T18:12:00.000Z

It's been quite a weekend.

I was thrilled this year to find myself short-listed for no fewer than six awards at the annual Breakspoll bash, and unlike last year when I played the graveyard shift to an exhausted dancefloor, I was blessed with a peaktime slot at this year's party. I'd barely arrived at Cable (great club - go check it out) before being summonsed to the stage for the awards, & was fortunate enough to pick up the awards for BEST PRODUCER and BEST LABEL for U&A Recordings amongst some serious competition.

I wasn't sure how winning something would make me feel, given that awards ceremonies have never been too high up the chain in life's rich list of priorities for me, but now I know, and I can safely say "thrilled to bits" is the answer. If anything, moments like that give you a punctuation in life, a brief chance to reflect on a year gone by and your achievements, as well as being a small reward for a huge amount of hard work.

It's been a year when Breaks has bounced back. There have been far too many people bashing it as a genre and deriding it, but last year it was strong, and this year it will be stronger as more new talent is nurtured and they hone their skills, and as more of the old guard of refuseniks return to the fold. I'm by no means a 'purist' when it comes to Breaks, or to any music come to that - I'm just not a fan of people boxing off certain tribal sub-genres at the exclusion of open-mindedness and other quality sounds - but I'm thrilled to see many tempos and experiments happening in the world of bass-driven warehouse-music (as I'd prefer to describe my own output at the moment!).

Needless to say everyone who cared enough to vote for me deserves my heartfelt thanks, & I will of course endeavour to turn it up one louder in the coming months & hopefully find myself once again in the mix at the end of the year.

Keeping it Mont-Real

2011-02-20T17:43:00.000Z

It seems like only yesterday that I was knee deep in chicken guano with a scraper in hand, birds pecking my boots and the warm spring sunshine flickering through the trees. Well that's because it was only yesterday, and today I have awoken mid-morning in the beautiful French city of Montreal.

Last night I popped my Serato cherry, which for those less versed in the tedious technologies behind playing tunes is not a reference to some dodgy room-service-with-happy-ending but to the digital switchover from CDs to CDs + laptop, and I have to say it went pretty well. The marvellous Fingerz in the Noize crew were behind the party, and put on a wonderful display at the Corona Theatre. There were dozens & dozens of sponge Elite Force-stamped cubes flying through the air throughout, and whilst the laptop took a couple of minor nudges, they were a great addition to the night.

I love how simple physical 'events' such as throwable cubes breaks down barriers in clubs - people's guards come down, they lose their personal-space protection and just engage with one another (and in this case, the DJ!). So, a fine start to my Canadian trip. It's on to Toronto tonight. I can't wait!

Deathwish Discotech

2011-01-26T11:57:00.002Z

There's something in the air, something building from within the UK's fiercely multi-cultural music scene. There's always been a rich diversity and a loyal tribalism to our multiple strands of sonic subculture. Often they're seen pulling apart from one another, distancing themselves through their own idiosyncrasies, but right now it feels like they are coalescing ... or it certainly did on Friday night in London.

I was booked to play at Deathwish Disco at 93 Feet East, a night which the promoters told me on arrival had been spawned, in part, as a response to the dubstepbreaks collision of the Revamped album of last year. As a music producer there can be no finer compliment than that - to see an idea grow, evolve, have impact - and in many ways the night could be characterised as a celebration of one simple word. Bass.

Like any big city London can sometimes be a hard nut to crack with crowds a little 'cooler' and more reserved than those out in the provinces. Not Deathwish Disco though - predominantly young, massively enthusiastic, open-minded & eager to consume all angles of the 'Warehouse' style - this was a genuinely thrilling return to the capital for me, and one that I hope will become a fixture in the diary over the coming months.

Elite Force for President

2011-01-16T11:55:00.000Z

01.03am. Saturday night. Sevilla.

My ride to the club arrives. I sling my bag in the back & leap in. We grin at each other & I attempt to engage in some basic language-transcending chat. 'Party. Good?" (thumb raised). The response is a nervous laugh & the sad shake of a head. 'No entiende'. Long ride to club.

The streets around Ypodromo have been hard-wired into excess. Bottles roll, hoodies lurk, voices are raised, gangs gather around car stereos, dancing in the streets. At the door a hundred people are scrumming to steamroller their way in - I'm pushed through the centre and then we're inside. The music's tough, angular, driving. Crowd are biding their time through the drop, and as I make my way to the front to reach the stage, the beats kick back in & the whole place erupts as one, leaping like lemmings, arms akimbo, touching the sky. I'm swept along & squeeze through the gate to an enclave behind the booth.

As I take over from Krafty Kuts, signs are raised aloft saying 'Elite Force for President'. With that, a dozen people jump on the front of the booth and for a minute it looks like the whole structure is going to crash & burn.

This night is hotfire.

Fishnets, Flamboyance & Flair

2011-01-02T07:34:00.000Z

It's hard to imagine a city more suited to seeing in the New Year than San Francsico, and that's where I found myself last night playing for the Opulent Temple crew at the spectacular Sea of Dreams party at the Concourse Exhibition Centre.

Playing over midnight comes with it's own little pressures - not least getting the timing right (last year in Perth I was about 3 minutes out, but no one seemed to care) - and this time round I had to time the triggering of my 'countdown' track bang on the T-minus 15 seconds point, and to my complete amazement, it worked out ... although afterwards I was told that the clock on the big screen was a clear minute early. No matter, it's only time.

Once again, San Fran was at it's most dressy, glitzy - it seems that the good people of the city have perfected their own kind of twisted burlesque-hobo-raver-chic, and it's a look that I love to bits. Fishnets, flamboyance and flair, the perfect tone to begin 2011 on.

Hope you all had a good one

Strongarm Sessions Xmas Special 2010

2010-12-17T10:04:00.000Z

It's been a cracking year at Force Fields & I'm currently celebrating my 6th Beatport #1 of the year with the Chasing Shadows Revamp as well as hitting the Top 10 in four different genres this year. I couldn't have done it without your help & support & the only way I know of saying thank you, is through more music!

So, as is now something of a tradition, the Strongarm Sessions mix series (now in it's 9th year) comes correct with a belting Xmas Special that begins & ends with a Wurlitzer but melts your frozen face off somewhere in the middle.

SOUNDCLOUD / TRACKLISTING
DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK

Happy Xmas to all of you,

Going Nowhere

2010-12-03T17:29:00.000Z

-4C / 2.40pm / Home

It's been a week that 's hardly started, and here I am in the final throes.

Music production's a strange old beast - with the best will in the world I need time-blocks to ENGAGE with the groove, but it's been so fractured with the cold-weather chaos I've barely hit first base. Each time I return to the screens, there's the same leaden, uninspiring sequences of zeroes & ones & before I hit my stride there's a new, inevitable array of jobs to do ... the chickens need the ice breaking on their water, the car needs digging out of the driveway's thick compacted snow, the sheep are grumpy & need more hay bringing down from the barn.

Unfortunately the arctic blast has also now claimed my DJ show for the weekend, where I was hoping to indulge in some post-Burning Man shenanigans at the London De:Compression party.

The show goes on, but sadly I won't be able to make the trip - the roads are still virtually impassable down here and with a severe weather warning in place for heavy rain / sleet / snow it means I have no choice other than to sit this one out & wish everyone well with what will surely be an amazing party - I hope to make it next year!

Meanwhile I'm excited about the release of the Final Revamps 2010 EP on Monday on U&A. I've been pretty prolific this year and this is the final piece in a jigsaw that began back in March with the release of the first single from the Revamped album. I hope you'll grab a copy on Monday when it hits Beatport :)

PREVIEW THE WHOLE EP HERE & have a great weekend.

Fractured days on the Arctic Farm

2010-12-02T15:36:00.000Z

I wish I could report a triumph of creativity over adversity in these savage conditions, but the truth is that the deep freeze brings life back to simpler times, to basics. In the UK we can routinely go through an entire winter without so much as a snowflake falling from the sky, which makes this current situation all the more exceptional.

Last night we had the largest single dump of snow I can remember in the UK (and certainly on our farm) ... when it finally wound down this lunchtime we'd had an additional 12 inches (30cm) on top of the 6 inches that was already cloaking the farm. My wife had an urgent court case in London, which meant we were all up before 6am, shovelling, digging, defrosting & layering up for a chaotic ride to the station. As the 4x4 spun & reeled, gracelessly on the driveway it was soon clear this was a complete non-starter for both us & our childcare (snowbound too).

I am bemused though by the *outcry* that goes up every time an event as rare as this unfolds, as if we should somehow be expected to be as prepared as our Canadian or Scandinavian cousins. We have 18 inches of snow on the ground in places & it means putting our lives, and in my place the sonics I so enjoy fashioning, on hold for a few days; but it's also a timely chance to enjoy some quality family time in an exceptionally 'changed' landscape free from the norms that govern the every day.

2010-12-01T11:22:00.000Z

Cold weather proving an almost total distraction here at the Luna Module.

Full bail out yesterday which included rescuing stranded drivers, eating pub fayre at lunchtime, sledging with the nipper in the afternoon. Out raking snow this morning from chicken's run today, smashing sheep's water & feeding with hay then removing 6 inches of snow from greenhouse roof.

Happy, unproductive days :)

'Hard Flaw' - Acperience (2010) Revamp FREE DOWNLOAD

2010-11-10T05:47:00.000Z

Hard Flaw - Acperience (2010) Revamp *FREE DOWNLOAD*

This track is one of the reasons I make the music I do. I can remember exactly where I was on the dancefloor back in 1992 when I first heard this acid anthem. I'd been into acid house for 3 years or so, particularly the pHuture-style raw filth that to me was the PUNK of it's day. Acid House liberated people and politicized them in a way that's hard to understand nowadays ... going out dancing at the weekend was more often than not a political act, a statement of intent. This actually came out after the Criminal Justice Act became law in the UK (if I remember rightly) so it didn't necessarily soundtrack the rucks & riots & outrage that came with liking & consuming this music, but for me it was a symbol of that joyous moment of total abandonment where you forget everything and simply allow yourself to DROWN in the music. This is acid house at it's finest - an organic symphony of machines.

This version is dead simple. It's about letting the track breathe and evolve how it was always intended too. It's not about meddling, it's about gently giving it a slightly different context - a lot of work went into getting the production elements to sit comfortably and in bringing out certain elements of the original and using the stereo field to decent effect to do this. It's not rocket science, it's just an excuse to dig out this gem and play it in a current context.

You can download the full 320 right here, where it forms part of a special webpage I set up to showcase my experiences at the amazing SHAMBHALA FESTIVAL in Canada this summer.

http://www.eliteforcemusic.com/hardflaw.htm

If you dig it, show your support by dropping a comment on the track & joining the 12,000 strong family on Facebook > http://www.facebook.com/djeliteforce

sHack

Bitrok - Push The Envelope (Elite Force Mix) OUT NOW

2010-10-18T12:04:00.000+01:00

First new thing from me for a couple of months is out now on Beatport & it's a bigroom breakbeat BOOMER.

BITROK - Push The Envelope (Elite Force Remix)

Check the rest of the EP too - the Original Mix is a fat & fresh Electro Houser whilst The Loops of Fury provide a stellar techno-electro remix of 'Closest Stranger'.

Motorstorm Apocalypse - Soundtracking The End of the World

2010-10-12T09:22:00.000+01:00

The embargo has been lifted & I can announce that the Games Soundtrack I've been working on for the past few weeks is none other than the third installment of MOTORSTORM. Code-named 'APOCALYPSE' this is a proper, next-level game for the new decade ... with a futuristic city crumbling around you, an assortment of mutant vehicles battle for supremacy & survival in a series of riotous road-scraps.

An original score was written by KLAUS BADELT (Pirates of the Caribbean / Gladiator) & recorded with a 75-piece orchestra at Abbey Road & I've been throwing those (frankly amazing!) sounds into the electronic blender to create something akin to the 'Sound of the World Ending'.

Motorstorm Apocalypse is due out early 2011.

Elite Force Top 10 (Beatport) [Sept 2010]

2010-10-02T10:22:00.001+01:00

Elite Force Beatport Top 10 (Sept 2010) > Burnt Out & Blown Away >
http://bit.ly/aLj6Du

2010-09-28T08:58:00.001+01:00

Loops of Fury's Remix pack is *OUT NOW* on U&A, exclusively at Beatport.

Devastating floor-burners from Zodiac Cartel, Bambounou, Vandal & Maelstrom >

http://ping.fm/hiQ8s

2010-09-21T10:46:00.001+01:00

Zodiac Cartel Remixes Loops of Fury > Preview here > http://bit.ly/d9GRId (OUT Monday 27th Sept on Beatport)

Live b2b Set with Meat Katie for Download

2010-08-13T09:10:00.000+01:00

Finally got around to setting this one free as we approach Burning Man 2010. This is a 2-hr plus set from mine & Meat Katie's Saturday night B2B set at Opulent Temple, warts & all.

DOWNLOAD LINK

As ever, your comments are much loved, and much appreciated. Leave them HERE.
See you on the Playa!
s

Killing Kendal Calling

2010-08-01T21:26:00.001+01:00

Had a tremendous time on Friday night at the Kendal Calling festival & just wanted to say a big HEY to everyone who rammed the Glow tent. The whole festival was awesome - properly well thought out, intimate, well programmed, beautiful location ... hope they'll ask me back sooner rather than later :)

Check the VIDEO (and amuse yourself at my falling over a monitor in front of 3,000 people!)

Bring on the Wickerman.

2010-07-22T21:46:00.000+01:00

4am start tomorrow for the 9-hour drive to Wickerman in Scotland with the family & dogs in tow. Ouch. Gonna be a great weekend though - Zodiac Cartel, Calvertron, Vandal, Loops of Fury, Mike Hulme, Rektchordz & Resistance all kickin' it in the U&A big top over two tech-funk-fuelled nights :))

Will report back on Monday ... if I make it!!

Thames? Smashed.

2010-07-19T14:25:00.000+01:00

Well that was fun! On Saturday night, we took to the Thames for the Sold Out Boat Party and it couldn't have been a more glorious evening to chug up the river. Despite the odd minor issue with limiters that cut the power once or twice, the boat was filled to the rafters and it really was a killer killer vibe all night.

So a big thank you to Ben & the Supatronix crew & their awesome soundman (full PA loaded on board, wired up & ready to go in under 25 minutes), The Loops of Fury for smashing it (as they do), VJ Air for turning day to night with some immense visuals, and of course to everyone that turned out & supported the event and the after-party.

Next year anyone??

After-Party This Saturday (London)

2010-07-16T15:32:00.000+01:00

Well with the Boat Party long since sold out, just wanted to give you a quick heads up on the After-Party featuring myself and the Supatronix crew right up until 6am.

There are still a handful of tickets left, but this looks likely to be a sellout too ... you can grab yours from the link below:

http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_london&query=detail&event=398089

The fun kicks off at RoadTrip/Workshop, 243 Old St, from 11.30pm (the upstairs bar is open from earlier).

Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow!

Midnight Juggernauts - Tombstone (Elite Force Vs Dilemn Revamp)

2010-06-29T09:58:00.000+01:00

Several months back now, I ran a little competition on my Facebook Page to ask for suggestions on new tracks to Revamp, with the winner grabbing one of the top-end 'Revamped' packages from the Elite Force site.

There were literally hundreds of suggestions that were thrown up, some of which I may well come back to at a later date, but the winning entry came from Ivano Knight who suggested Midnight Juggernauts' 'Tombstone' and now's the time to grab the FREE 320 DOWNLOAD of the Revamping.

Enjoy the summer pressie :)

Law of Life Remixes go LIVE

2010-06-21T14:03:00.000+01:00

We've put together a series of BANGING reworks of 'The Law of Life' taken from the Revamped album, split over two releases, the first of which is dropping as a pre-release exclusively on BEATPORT today (Mon 21st June), just prior to my Glastonbury show on Thursday.

PRE-RELEASE BEATPORT LINK

This first package features cracking re-works from Zodiac Cartel (fresh from remixing Moby, Lee Coombs & Emanuel Kosh) and electro-techno wunderkid, Mike Hulme who smashes it with his dark & deadly, snaking technoid re-take. We also include a HUGE new 'bonus' track in 'Fear The Pain', which slams home hard with a tech-funk-grinder which is already enjoying early support from James Zabiela, Stanton Warriors, Slam, Krafty Kuts, Crystal Method, DJ Dan, Annie Nightingale and Meat Katie amongst others.

NEW MUSIC : Fear The Pain (coming soon ...)

2010-05-25T08:54:00.000+01:00

Some new music for you ...

Elite Force - Fear The Pain (Beatport Pre-Release June 2010, U&A)
SOUNDCLOUD PREVIEW

New 40-min DJ Mix (May 2010)

2010-05-12T14:29:00.000+01:00

First new DJ mix from me in a while ... loads of exclusives in here, this was done specially for the Socialeyes crew who are presenting a MASSIVE London show with myself, Justin Robertson & Bar 9 amongst others, on Saturday 29th May. I'd strongly urge ALL of you to some along ... it's going to be an amazing night :)

For full details of the party check the LINK TO THE MIX

Playing for free on 2nd July

2010-05-07T08:15:00.000+01:00

On Friday 2nd July I am looking to play for FREE at a party of your own making. I'm asking for suggestions & looking for a great, imaginative location (could be a forest, a cave, a wood, a warehouse, a beach, a house!). You will be expected to provide sound, lights & DJ gear as well as covering travel & accommodation & I will play for free. Hit me up with your suggestions on the following FACEBOOK THREAD and I will be contacting you for more information if your idea gets shortlisted!

There are no geographical limits to where this party might take place, although with anything too long haul the logistics will become a lot more complex (and expensive!).

Elite Force Vs The Gossip

2010-04-08T09:14:00.000+01:00

Look out for a FREE 320 coming your way in the next few hours featuring the much requested Elite Force Vs The Gossip mashup 'Control The Engine' ... first place it will be dropping is the Tech-Funk Manifesto so keep your eyes peeled!

Miami Cancellations

2010-03-24T10:55:00.000Z

Since getting back from Toulouse on Sunday I've been running a fever of 102+ and have been diagnosed with viral tonsilitis, which the doctor told me to 'take very seriously' & advised at least 7 days rest & recuperation.

The upshot is that with GREAT regret I've had to withdraw from all WMC shows this week in Miami. Completely gutted and my apologies go out to everyone who was planning to come out to see me. :(

Elite Force DJ Shows (includes WMC)

2010-03-17T15:13:00.000Z

If you're in the South of France or out in Miami at WMC and fancy taking in some Elite Force action, then I will be playing at the following parties ...

20 Mar Bounce 5th Anniversary, Toulouse, FRANCE
24 Mar Project Mayhem, Bar 721, MIAMI, USA
25 Mar Call & Response, Purdey Lounge, MIAMI, USA
26 Mar Future Sound of Breaks @ Mekka, MIAMI, USA
27 Mar Ultra Music Festival, MIAMI, USA

Revamped hits the heights!

2010-03-15T09:17:00.001Z

Last week was a terrific week for me as an artist. The Revamped album was released and hit heights I genuinely hadn't expected & to see every track from the album inside the Top 50 at Beatport at one stage was an immense thrill, and as far as I know, unprecedented on the site as a whole! Equally exciting was to see the album tracks dominate the breaks chart for the whole week, claiming every place from #1 - #12 (an honour it still holds as I write!). I can't thank you all enough for your support for this project ... it's a fantastic feeling to see something you've worked on for a number of months come to fruition.

For those of you who haven't yet snagged a copy, then here's the QUICK LINK to Beatport ... let's keep it riding high!!

Revamped is OUT NOW :))

2010-03-08T17:08:00.000Z

Revamped is OUT :))

Whoa. What a trip it's been getting all of this together. Sometimes people don't realise that this is basically a two-man operation (without Tom I'd never have managed half of this!) ... but it's done and I really am dead proud of the whole project and completely blown away by the amount of quality feedback from everyone.

The album's available as individual & bundled downloads at Beatport, and we just opened the Revamped store which I would LOVE you to check out as it's where all the *real* fun stuff lives :)

Thanks so much to everyone for supporting this project throughout!

Party Phenomenon

2010-03-03T09:20:00.000Z

This Monday (1st March) the first of the Revamped tracks, 'Party Phenomenon' was released digitally on Beatport and the response has been fantastic ... so much so that within 48-hours of going on sale, it has already hit the #1 spot on the site, which means it has sold more in 2 days than any other breaks track has in the past week!

So many, many thanks to everyone for supporting it and look out the the MAJOR DROP on Monday 8th, when all 14 of the Revamped tracks will be released on digital, along with the CD and the full DJ Mix.

Karma Roma

2010-02-27T12:06:00.000Z

Hope everyone's having a fine weekend. I've just about recovered from Fabric on Thursday night ... a big thank you goes out to everyone who stuck around to the close - was dead chuffed to see so many people doing just that :)

Today I'm off to Roma to play at Qube - can't wait to play in Italy again as it's been years & years since I played the legendary Agatha club & it's gonna be fascinating to see what the good people are into. Will report back on Monday, when 'Party Phenomenon' is also released on Beatport ... this is the first track from the Revamped project to get a full digital release. Exciting times!

Breakspoll @ Fabric tonight

2010-02-25T16:39:00.000Z

Hopefully will run into a lot of familiar faces at Fabric tonight for the Breakspoll party. If you are coming down then PLEASE try to pace yourselves (yeah right!) as I'm not on until 5am, closing out Room One, and I'd be gutted if my Room One debut was to a handful of weary bar-staff and a couple of corpses :)

(Only kidding - do what u gotta do)

See you down the front anyhow, and once again I was thrilled to get nominated for Best Producer and Best Single this year so many many thanks to everyone who voted for me (and Mark).

Manchester - a big thank you!

2010-02-22T15:10:00.000Z

Just wanted to quickly thank everyone for coming out to play on Saturday night at the U&A night in Manchester. The Lowdown & Dirty crew did a great job in promoting the night & dressing the venue, VJ Air supplied some great visuals (although they couldn't be showcased in all their glory because the venue is still under construction it's that new!) and everyone who played did a superb job ... many thanks on that score to Resistance, Steve Thorpe and Meat Katie for smashing it.

Last but not least, you, the crowd, were AWESOME. Look out for more U&A nights in the very near future....

Beatport Chart (February 2010 Breakspoll Chart)

2010-02-22T14:19:00.000Z

Brand new chart just gone up at Beatport with a bunch of bombs for February :)

CHECK THE TOP 10 HERE

Guestlist : Manchester 20/Feb

2010-02-19T12:18:00.000Z

Looking forward to another BIG one this weekend with a massive Revamped launch / U&A label night going off at Sound Control in Manchester (1 New Wakefield Street). My guest for the evening is Meat Katie and I'll be doing a 2-hour set with my A/V wizz VJ Air. There will also be a copy of the Tech:Funk Vol#1 compilation given out to the first 50 people through the door on the night ... so get there early!!

The first person to email me right now at eliteforceuk (at) btinternet (dot) com now will get a guestlist place with a +1. Make sure you include your full name in the BODY of the message and make sure the SUBJECT of the message is 'GUESTLIST : MANCHESTER'

Revamped Vinyl#2 : Test Pressings Sell Out / Vinyl Released Monday

2010-02-19T11:49:00.000Z

The test Pressings actually sold out in 15 minutes yesterday before I'd even had a chance to post up in the News section on here!

The track 'M.A.D.' has been an absolute mainstay of my DJ sets over the past year or so, and on Monday, for the first time it's being released to genpop along with the hitherto unheard re-working of The Propellerheads' 'Take California' and a ferocious dubstepbreaks re-fix of Datsik & Excision's massive 'Calypso'. You can check these now in the player up top ^^^^

All time 10-in-10-minutes mix for 'The Remix' on XFM

2010-02-15T09:25:00.000Z

Something very different for you here and a project I had a lot of fun (and head-scratching) in putting together for The Remix, Eddy Temple-Morris's excellent long-running show 'The Remix' on XFM.

The brief was simple - to create a 10-minute mix featuring a minimum of 10 of your ALL-TIME favourite songs (from any genre). Once I started to get my head around it I was gutted by how many tracks I wanted to include but failed to find the time or space ... as it was I managed to fit 30 of my all-time favourite tracks in there.

Check the full post & download links here >

http://techfunkmanifesto.blogspot.com/2010/02/elite-force-mix-remix-xfm-feb-2010.html

Breakspoll Guestlist Places!

2010-02-09T09:54:00.000Z

I wanted to offer up an opportunity for a VIP GUESTLIST for one person (with a +1, so two passes) to go to this year's BREAKSPOLL awards on 25th February at Fabric in London. I'm closing out the party in room one and the line-up is a veritable who's who from the world of breaks & beats .. check their website for full details HERE and while you're there I'd REALLY appreciate the odd vote here & there > http://breakspoll.com/vote.asp

To enter, simply follow me on Twitter at this link http://www.twitter.com/eliteforce and tweet the following:

2 VIP passes for @ Breakspoll at Fabric on 25/2. Follow @eliteforce & Retweet this to enter. Winner selected on 11/2 :) RT!

Datsik - Retreat (Elite Force Remix) OUT NOW

2010-02-04T08:38:00.000Z

I've had so many mails about this one over the past few months I've lost track of them, but am glad to announce that the remix of Datsik's dubstep destroyer 'Retreat' is *Out Now* on Rottun Recordings.

GRAB IT HERE >
http://www.beatport.com/artists/elite+force

Firefly in Nottingham this weekend ...

2010-01-22T05:00:00.000Z

Firefly in Nottingham this Saturday is about to sell out so if you're planning on coming down PLEASE make sure you get an advance ticket. It's me, Dusty Kid and The Hacker at the Marcus Garvey Centre.

I also have just ONE guest-list spot (with a +1) for the first person to message me on eliteforceuk (at) gmail (dot) com. Be sure to include your full name in the Body of the email message and if you're the to get back to me I'll respond with an email to let you know!

Breakspoll 2010

2010-01-21T17:07:00.000Z

For the past couple of years I've not had much in the way of 'breaks' out there, but with an album coming out next month and with my sets and some releases this year gravitating back towards breakbeat again, I thought I'd reach out & ask you to vote in this year's Breakspoll awards in several categories. It takes all of two minutes and even if you don't fancy throwing a vote or two my way, the more people that do vote, the more balanced the results are ... so here's where you vote, followed by a couple of 'hints' :)

http://www.breakspoll.com/vote.asp

Best Track : Elite Force & Meat Katie - Dark & Deep / Believe

Best Label : U&A Recordings

Best Remix : Rektchordz - Feed Your Head (Elite Force Mix)

Best Producer & DJ : Do I really need to spell it out :)

Rareities, Remix Parts :: Re:Visit No Turning Back

2010-01-12T15:38:00.000Z

RE:VISIT WEBSTORE > NO TURNING BACK
http://www.eliteforcemusic.com/storentb.htm

So excited about this new development for Elite Force, U&A and Zodiac Cartel. We've been putting together the first of a series of 'themed' online stores over the Xmas period which are set to serve up a whole load of exclusive content for you & hopefully create a new 'bar' when it comes to hooking you up with a wicked combination of exclusives, rareities, remix parts & much more (including gig tickets as of next month).

The first of these brand new online 'stores' is based around the 'No Turning Back' album, and we have a whole load of bonus features built into different packages such as:

- Limited Signed copies of out-of-print vinyl
- Limited Signed copies of out-of-print CDs
- Remix parts for no fewer than 7 original album tracks
- High Quality artwork pdfs
- DRM-free CD quality downloads

Love to know your thoughts ... and if you're after a copy of Bundle 6, you'd best hurry as there are only two left :)

Washington DC Show (8 Jan) CANCELLED

2010-01-08T05:45:00.001Z

Many many apologies to everyone involved in putting this event on this weekend, but since returning from Australia early this week I've been laid low with an extremely nasty bout of flu and have been strongly advised by the doctor to rest up & recouperate, so I am afraid I won't be able to play this weekend.

The promoters have been very understanding and I have promised to re-schedule with them as soon as possible this year.

s

Beatport Blog > Eclectic Selector Dec '09 Edition

2010-01-05T09:32:00.001Z

New Eclectic Selector Column is up now on Beatport's 'Beatportal' site, including a whole bunch of recommendations > READ IT HERE

A poetic essay for my Perth-People (NYE 2010)

2010-01-01T13:20:00.000Z

I took a walk up from the hotel at 11pm. I figured it might be the only chance I'd get to see the city on this, the second time through Perth in under a week. The streets were quiet in the CBD, and the only 'accosting' I had were from a couple of young ladies asking if I had any jump leads (either that was a euphemism for something quite different or it was a request borne out of over-revelled confusion). Either way, I didn't & couldn't help. I was focused on getting to Ambar in one piece.

The club was packed. A warm throng of frugging shapes melted across the dancefoor, whilst a seamless mix of molten beats showered all & sundry with the gift of the groove.

I rolled with the striking of 12 with a bespoke blend of Big Ben, Hell's Bells and Abba's 'Happy New Year' mashed together into a foolish techy intro and moved straight into the re-fix of Pendulum's Voodoo People mix from a few years back. Touch paper lit, chaos ensued.

Two hours passed with a blink ... much of the first hour focused more on new tracks & edits (one I did on the flight out from Melbourne), whilst the second featured a large chunk of ReVamped goodies that will soon be out in the public domain. I finished up hard, with a number of the dubstep refixes that have been integral to the latter part of 2009, and then it was done, dusted, finished for another year.

As the booming echoes of another soundsystem danced around my head in the harsh light of the lobby-morning, a fierce and ragged girl appeared out of nowhere. "These", she said "are Method Man's socks!" She looked me straight in the eye, and in a moment of strange tenderness asked, "do you want them?".

I didn't.

COMPETITION : Win Guest Passes to Australian Shows

2009-12-23T10:09:00.000Z

I've got a pair of tickets for one lucky winner to each of the three main shows I'm doing in Australia over the next few days.

26 Dec - Breakfest, PERTH
27 Dec - Blah Blah Blah, BRISBANE
01 Jan - Trust Us, MELBOURNE

Simply answer this question correctly and email me at THIS EMAIL ADDRESS with your FULL NAME and the CITY of your choice.

What is the name of Elite Force's forthcoming album, due to drop on 22nd February 2010?

Good luck ... winners will be notified on Xmas Day!
s

Exclusive 1-hour Triple J Mix (Dec 2009)

2009-12-22T14:32:00.000Z

To mark the Xmas shows in Australia, I was invited to do an exclusive one-hour mix for Triple J, and here it is for your listening pleasure.

DOWNLOAD MIX (RAPIDSHARE)
DOWNLOAD MIX (SOUNDCLOUD)

01 Intro - Lovefest [CDR]
02 Cirez D - On/Off [Mouseville]
03 The Loops of Fury - SOAP (original) [U&A Recordings]
04 The Loops of Fury - SOAP (Peo de Pitte Mix) [U&A Recordings]
05 Elite Force - The Law of Life [U&A Recordings]
06 TC - Where's My Money (Caspa Vs Elite Force Re-Fix) [CDR]
07 Benga - 26 Basslines (Elite Force Re-Fix) [CDR]
08 Max Morrell - Back Yard Riddim [Cheaper Thrills]
09 Zodiac Cartel - Stay On Top [U&A Recordings]
10 Tim Healey & Felguk - Rio [Giant Pussy Records]
11 Dashka - Klez (Matteo DiMarr Mix) [MAR186]
12 Monolythe - Siberia (JELO Mix) [Big Alliance]
13 Deadmau5 - Ghosts 'n' Stuff (Elite Force Re-Fix) [CDR]
14 Boris Dlugosch - Bangkok [Phantasy Sound]
15 Elite Force, Daniel Papini, Harnessnoise - Harness The Nonsense [U&A Recordings]
16 Elite Force, Calvertron - Reclaim Control [U&A Recordings]

Caspa Re-Fix OUT NOW

2009-12-14T11:53:00.000Z

The new refix is available now ... Just click the link on this page for the download.

"Elite Force and Caspa TOGETHER! Couldn't wish for a better Christmas prez. 5/5" [Annie Nightingale (Radio One)]
"Great Stuff. Better than the original." [Plump DJs]
"This is one rip-roaring MONSTER" [Crystal Method]
"A surefire winner! 5/5" [Eddy Temple-Morris]
"Bo!!!! Proper shizzle right here! Thanks :) Full support in iDJ - just you watch!" [Dave Jenkins, Editor iDJ]
"BIG BIG BIG Tune Alert ! this is possibly the largest breaks tune I've heard this year! 10/10" [Maelstrom]

More freebies to come next month when the big DROP will be Benga - 26 Basslines (Elite Force Re-Fix).

s
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