Meet the Resident DJ's

---

Paul first started to DJ in 1990 . He experienced the early dance culture and movement which has developed into the music scene of today. He had the pleasure in working and playing alongside some of the biggest names in the game, including Carl Cox, Timo Maas, Shades of Rhythm, K Klass, Hybrid , Nick Warren to name a few... For that Decade, He was resident at the two most prominent southwest clubs, The Warehouse and The Academy, which welcomed all the world renowned DJ’s of the time, along with travelling the length and breadth of the UK guesting at various nights.  He also promoted his own nights in the Plymouth area along with working with record labels including Urban Collective. A break from the music scene to concentrate on his new family and career, Paul moved away from the music thing for a while, then a few years ago, contact with a local influential figure, Loukas pour Hashemi, got Paul back into the music which led to the inception of melodic beats podcast. Paul wanted an outlet for the music he loved and the podcast seemed like the sensible and most viable option...  Following the birth of Melodic Beats Podcast, Paul enlisted the help of Tim French and Apostille who shared the passion for the music.  Shortly after realising the want and will to progress the Melodic Beats Music brand, Paul formed Melodic Beats Recordings to put out the music he was passionate about, mainly as a platform for Tim, Apostille and himself. This then quickly grew as an outlet for artists who just struggled to get their music heard, and now an outlet for established Artists…. The one piece missing was putting on events, which was something he knew so well, so this was addressed and Melodic beats events was born. Even with the world turning upside down in 2020,  our first event, hosting Anjunadeeps Jody Wisternoff was a sell out and now 2021 is well and truly getting planned out……

To date, Melodic Beats Music has grown to a level which has surpassed expectations and support from some influential figures in todays industry has been humbling. The love and passion for all new music of things deep, melodic and progressive has been fully re-ignited!!!! 

Tim spent the Nineties successfully playing to large audiences across the South West including renowned nights Scream & United held at Plymouth’s legendary Warehouse. He also played many popular clubs and nights such as Drop Zone & Boss Nova at the Sound Factory (Plymouth), The Monastery (Torquay), The Grove (Seaton) as well as various other venues throughout the Westcountry. Throughout this time, Tim also held residencies at Shine & Eyecon at the Dance Academy and The Candy Store in Plymouth. This saw him play alongside dance music greats such as Danny Howell’s, Quivver, Lee Burridge, Billy Nasty, Parks & Wilson, Nippa, Jose C, Breeze, Alan Luvdup, Tom Wainwright and Mark EG to name a few.

Whilst enjoying playing the new music, Tim also wrote reviews for several well-known scene publications such as Wax Mag, The Scene and the newly formed Dot Music website for this new fangled thing called the Internet. After the millennium and frenetic pace of the ’90s, Tim fell out of love with Dance music and the scene in general and moved to California. On his return in 2002, he started playing again and for a short time running a night at Bar Fuel. Settling down and having a family saw him drift away from Dance music again. Fast-forward to present day and Tim has rediscovered his love of dance music. Gripped by the vast amount of quality releases out there he made the jump from vinyl to digital mixing and is embracing his rekindled love of all things Prog and Melodic.

Sam took his first steps as a DJ at the age of 17, playing at after hours clubs and back rooms of various clubs in Plymouth.  He then moved to Cardiff where he became a regular on the South Wales scene with a residency for One Mission.  This saw him play alongside some of the biggest names in the industry and at renowned venues such as the Hippo Club and the Emporium.  Sam won Muzik magazine's prestigious "Bedroom Bedlam" DJ competition in 2000 leading to more high end gigs.  Career highlights include playing alongside Judge Jules in Cardiff to a packed audience of 1,800 for Slinky.  Heavily influenced by the progressive house DJ's of that era, Sam is renowned for his long sweeping mixes and has started to use a sampler as part of his regular set up for a hybrid DJ/live performances.

Alex Efe, was born in Montevideo, Uruguay and started his connection with music from an early age, with influences from such greats as Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre, Pink Floyd, Kraftwerk and Depeche Mode. 

His early DJ influences came from the likes of Sasha, Digweed, Nick Warren, and Hernan Cattaneo to name but a few…..

Alex promotes various nights in Uruguay under the banner of Clubbing MVD. He’s also had various releases of his own new music productions on such labels as Beat Block records, UY records, Droid 9 and electronic groove records. 

We are extremely excited to welcome him to Melodic Beats where he has provided us with over 70 minutes of the finest in South American Deep, Melodic and progressive loveliness…….

Kelly fell in love with the whole dance scene at a very early age, experiencing Gatecrasher was a monumental moment for her which gave her the drive to get behind the decks. Kellys first DJ slot was at the Iconic Passion at the emporium and she hasn't looked back, first forging her career on the trance sound but over the last few years Kellys sound has slowed down to the melodic progressive house music you hear today. You can hear Kelly at various nightclubs around the UK as her diary is ever expanding. 

Ian Dillon is a UK based Dj, producer and remixer who’s approach to Dj’ing has been forged & influenced by the global underground series and of particular note Sasha & John Digweed.

Ian’s style fuses both of these influences combining dark driving basslines with the ethereal melodies, soundscapes and atmospheric ambience.

As a DJ, Ian has played events alongside John Digweed, Guy J, Quivver, Dave Seaman, Darren Emerson and many more both In the UK & Abroad, Whilst his productions and remixes have gathered support from Hernan Cattaneo, Dave Seaman, Nick Warren, Jimmy Van M, Cid Inc, John OO Fleming Barry Jamieson, John Debo, Robert Owens, Silinder, Nick Varon, Pedro Aguiar, Marcelo Vasami, Dennis A, Mariano Mellino

Ian continues to deliver his forged sound to crowds far and wide whilst his productions continue to gain huge support ….

Jeff is everything a local legend is about. He has played at many of the largest organised events in the land from the beginning of the whole dance movement alongside the biggest names in the game. He has remained an absolute constant in the music scene remaining prominent and ahead of the game with his track selection, in whatever genre he turns to..Jeff adapts his mixing skills to many genres, of which his roots take him to Drum and Bass and breakbeat but his mix here for Melodic Beats shows his versatility and his passion for all music types... Jeff continues to be one of the most talked about DJ's in the southwest, playing at all the main festivals and clubs around.... He is a true gent and legend...

Beginning his career in 1990, DJ’ing at some of the early Plymouth raves, Phil soon became household name in the South West, holding residencies at the Plymouth Warehouse with Cultural Vibes and later Scream. Playing across the UK as well as spots in Europe throughout the 90s, he shared line ups with some of the best DJs in the World, including Sasha and John Digweed, to name just a couple. Also dipping into production, he had several releases on the local Urban Collective label, as well as remixing tracks for labels such as Whoop!, Limbo and DMC. Now back as a resident DJ at Cultural Vibes in their new Hanging Gardens venue, Phil is still delivering seamless, technical mixes of the very best in current melodic house and tech

Paul Hawcroft cut his musical teeth in the 90s at the Plymouth Warehouse, where on a weekly basis he was spoiled with quality progressive house, with Sasha, Dave Seaman, Nick Warren, John Digweed & many more playing regularly. A live Radio 1 broadcast from Scream in 1996 (with Pete Tong & Nick Warren) heightened an already passionate interest in DJing.
The next two decades were spent with numerous gigs in the UK & internationally, with appearances at Ministry Of Sound, Ibiza & many Southern gigs. An interest in production followed with Paul releasing his debut, dedicated to his son Seren. Seren's Dream touched down in 2016 on Discover, receiving great support, & the bug well & truly struck.
DJ support on his productions for Discover, Mondo, Future Soundz & Baroque led to Mark Knight, Danny Tenaglia, B-Traits, Aly & Fila, Cosmic Gate, Kyau & Albert, Jaytech, Tilt, Danny Rampling, Genix & many more of his musical heroes & influences playing his tracks. When feedback came from Paul Oakenfold for one of Paul's tunes saying he 'really liked and wanted to hear more', thanks to the help of Perfecto Black's Oliver Harper, Paul's debut 'Touch' came out in 2018. Paul has since made many originals for Perfecto Black.
 

Further signings & remixes for leading progressive labels FSOE Parallels, Black Hole Avanti, Bonzai Progressive, Lost Language, ASTIR & remixes for Solar Storm including a remix of Jan Johnston's timeless classic 'Flesh' which has received global acclaim.

Jawjee started DJing at the ripe old age of 15 on a pair of SoundLab belt drive turntables, mixing vinyl and within months he was playing trance and listening to music on labels such as Platipus. Jawjee gained his first residency in a bar in Gloucester when I was 16 and over the next 15 years held residencies at numerous bars and clubs around the Gloucester and Cheltenham areas.
 

Around 2010 Jawjee started to dabble with productions and this fitted perfectly with his ability to play the piano to a decent level, so he worked hard at learning "ableton live" inside and out and then started a synth obsession which is where most of my spare cash went.
Jawjee had his first track signed in 2017 on Pro B Tech Records and since then have had over 20 releases, been remixed by the likes of Phil Hartnoll (Orbital), Boy Bianchi, Jaap Ligthart, Hernan Cattaneo and more, many of them my idols.
 

Jawjee formed part of the duo that started the Witcombe cider festival which is now a 15,000 capacity medium sized festival, which in turn led to the inception of the Prog Lab, to enable him to steer his love towards the underground dance scene.  That along with other smaller events in the Bristol area, has seen the Prog Lab grow into the huge success it is today, attracting some of the biggest names in the progressive world.

Jawjee, through his successes with his events, has guested and played amongst some of the great names in the industry, which does not seem to be slowing.
 

Luke Brancaccio is a DJ and producer of global experience and escalating renown. His musical evolution has lead him from frontman of the British band “Suicide Sports Club” and the chart-topping production partnership of Brancaccio & Aisher to headlining international events and gracing the cover of DJ Magazine. A perennial of Bedrock, with whom he has released more tracks than any other artist, he has recently also signed with Circus and Selador, and his consequent exhilarating collaboration with Simon Berry has swept the charts over the past year. Their cutting-edge releases “Oblivion”, “Wake Up”, “Close Your Eyes” and “I Hear This” have won widespread critical acclaim for their “masterfully mesmeric attitude” and a score of remixes from the likes of John Digweed & Nick Muir, Yotto, H.O.S.H. and Kaiser Disco, advancing him to the vanguard of his craft. 

He continues his collaboration with bedrock records with recent releases with Cypherpunx, sore lullaby and tears 

& lies and a selection of tracks on the recent Quattro release on bedrock records also receiving critical acclaim.

Luke has very recently signed to Crosstown Rebels label which he has been trying to get involved with for a long time. 

Gus F is a musician, DJ and producer with a broad range of musical tastes reflected in the wide variety of events he plays at, from his residency at club night Dig Deep on the beautiful island of Jersey to extended 8 hour sets at beach bars, outdoor parties and underground lock-ins. A regular late night contributor to The Beat Laundry live streams and Sunday Sessions with numerous extended sets during lockdown, Gus dreamed up and developed the Secret Sunset concept; live streams from different beautiful locations showcasing the island of Jersey at sunset, sharing deep melodic vibes and natural beauty with those in isolation around the world. Winner of the Sasha / Last Night On Earth x TRAKTOR mix competition in November 2019.

Born in the North East and brought up in the South West, Matt Black has been DJing and making music for around 25 years. He moved to London in 1991 where he discovered his love for dance music and raving and even though his original love was hardcore and drum and bass it was upon hearing a John Digweed mix tape back in 1994 that he realised his musical calling in life.

Matt began by playing in pubs and bars around South London before getting his first club gig in 1995. Since then he has played for a number of London's biggest underground promoters as well as Empathy in Bristol, Riff Raff in Middlesbrough and The Gallery in London where he warmed up for none other than Dave Seaman, he has also performed in countries such as Poland and Mexico.

Last year Matts track 1994 was signed to the legendary Perfecto Black and was even played by the one and only Paul Oakenfold on his Planet Perfecto radio show numerous times, Matt has also had releases signed to labels such as Bonzai Progressive, Pro B Tech music and others and his releases have been supported by DJ’s such as Hernan Cattaneo and Nick Warren as well as on major radio stations. With more releases planned for this year Matt is certainly an artist on the rise.

With more than 10 years of experience, Diego has earned respect within the genre Progressive House on the national and international scene. His main influences are those who have supported him in his productions, being in 2012 his first participation in Hernan Cattaneo's program, Resident.

He has participated in various parties, events and radios such as Clubbing Mvd, The Soundgarden, Bahrein (Bs As), OVO (Punta del Este), Proton Radio, Nube Music Radio, Frisky Radio, among others.

Sharing booth with artists like Hernan Cattaneo, Nick Warren, Mariano Mellino, Marcelo Vasami, Emi Galvan, Sebastian Busto, Juan Deminicis, Andrea Cassino, Frangellico. Dousk and the list goes on.

Currently with Alex Efe (Alejandro Figueroa), they are running Clubbing Mvd & Progressive House Uruguay, to promote emerging national DJs/Producers and the region, also promoting gender in their country.

 Always looking to the future, never slow to push the boundaries, Mick Wilson radiates dancefloor finesse behind the decks and in the studio. An integral part of the dance music scene since it was in its infancy, he began his career as part of the DJ and Production duo Parks and Wilson in the Acid house/Rave days of the late ‘80s working through the shifts in the scene and the development of emerging genres throughout the ‘90s into the ‘00s and beyond… His knowledge of electronic music is unfounded.

DJing around the world for close to three decades, gracing many of the world’s famous club nights and parties has seen Mick share the decks with some of the scene’s most revered names as well as up and coming future stars.

On a production level, his releases have graced many a dancefloor. Signed to a host of dance music defining labels as well as hitting up remix duties for some of the world’s most in demand artists the discography and achievements is a lengthy read.

The wide-spanning influences which shape his productions are testament to his deep roots as an artist. A direction to explore underground electronic house music taking in varying influences from various genres. The dance floor-ready releases look back to the classic sound of house music, whilst moving ahead with the forward thinking sounds of now.

In addition to a lifetime served behind the decks and in the studio, Mick Wilson is one of the longest serving members of the DJ Mag Team. He has been DJ Mag’s Tech Editor for over ten years bringing to the job an extensive knowledge of music production and performance technology. In this fast paced and ever changing landscape Mick Wilson is regarded as one of the scene’s foremost voices on DJ, production and music technology, working closely with many of the industry’s top names in the research, design and application of new technologies that DJs and producers get to use on a daily basis. His Tech Section in the magazine is in no doubt one of the most informative DJ/Production reads available to anyone interested in the technological side of electronic and dance music culture.

His passion for the scene has not waned and his forward thinking, free flowing attitude to all things electronic music related is an insight into a no holds barred journey, a love affair that started as a hobby and quickly developed to becoming a way of life.

Whether behind the decks in the studio or commentating on the next evolution of dance music technology rest assured it will embody a simple ethos - simply no boundaries, open minded, engaging musical ideology.

Paulo Rivera born in April 1987, Lima Peru, had a quite remarkable musical inclination on the part of brothers, from very small frequenting music stores where little by little you feel a great interest in bands like New Order, Depeche Mode, Simply Red, despite with few sources that was taking place. In the period from 1995 to 1998 were around their favorite musical genres to the Hip Hop, Grunge and New Wave. It was in mid-1999 which has a strong affinity and respect for electronic music, from his knowledge alone often hear the sets they produced the great djs at the time such as Paul Oakendfold, Hernan Cattaneo, Way Out West, Underworld, Satoshi Tomiie, Mara. It's mid 2001, where he has been mixing school and music theory from the date the predominant style is Progressive House in a style that accompanied him from the beginning and now still stands, then went exploring into other styles like progressive goa, progressive psy and later the deep house.

Biographies are not a thing that I like to read, especially DJ ones. Most of them come with the “I have loved music since I was a baby…”, “House Music was love at first sight (or hearing)... So don’t worry, because I’m not going to make it sound like I’m being booked by the Top 10 best Night-clubs ever every night. I’m not going to say how I only play because of my deep love for music. That’s not what you are going to read here.

What you are going to read here is simply how I am the DJ that you have been looking to play at your parties, your Cocktail Bar, your Beach Club, your VIP Lounge, your radio station.

By the end of this biography, you are going to be sure that my experience of more than two decades as a DJ has made me the best option for all of your exclusive events.

The fact is I loved pop music years before I even heard of house. I was a child of the Madchester era and still listen to some of it. I like Depeche Mode, New Order, Bananarama and Simply Red and I’m not afraid to confess I own complete catalogues of the Pet Shop Boys and Erasure on vinyl and my favourite album as a kid was for many years Erasure: The Innocents - I wore the cassette out, which made my Dad invest in a CD player for me at Christmas time the same year.

The first 7-inch I bought was 'Never Gonna Give You Up' by Rick Astley, the first album 'Actually' by the Pet Shop Boys and the first 12" was 'Domino Dancing' by the Pet Shop Boys. Maybe this is not everyone's cup of tea, but it's who I am.

So how did I get here? Well, 25 years ago a friend put into my hands on a Sasha BBC Radio One Essential Mix-tape, and that’s when it all started to change.

I didn't want to be a DJ to avoid dancing in public, to attract girls and get free drinks, I just liked playing good tunes to friends. In the years since I've DJ'd out and about occasionally and had the best night ever each and every time, but I'm honest enough to know I'm not really a high talented DJ and I really have been lucky to see a few at work and I’m glad for that.

During these 25 years, both DJ's and labels have come and gone, and my success has been especially due to the faith and support of the people who are important to me.

In recent years, I have taken my music to many places and Eastern Europe, especially Montenegro and Croatia, where in 2019 I was booked to perform for 12 nights consecutively at the the Croatian Open ATP Tennis Tournament in Umag within various Beach clubs and VIP cocktail lounges.

As someone who has regularly up-dated his skills at London Sound Academy and has been playing progressively for the last 25 years throughout Europe, and also as someone who learnt with vinyl and now uses CDJ's, I can claim to know what I am doing, in theory at least.

Although I have developed a style that suits perfectly for the venues that I like to play (Beach Clubs, Cocktail Bars, VIP Lounges, Exclusive Restaurants), what I value the most is that I am always focused on enhancing the overall experience rather than imposing my own style as an artist, and I think that differentiates me from other DJ's.

My weekly “Thru The Looking Glass” Podcast show seemed like the natural progression of what I have been doing, and thanks to the help of radio stations like Data Transmission Radio and Influx Radio, it is have developed brilliantly with a great following who really appreciate the deep melodic dreamy house music that I showcase each week , and I’m very proud of it's success.

So if you want to know more about my music, you can check it out within my Soundcloud, Mixcloud, iTunes and YouTube Channels. Also, If you think you could use my services to help you enlighten your club party, venue, event or Radio Station; please just make contact, as I would be glad to help in any way that I can.

Simply; for me, it’s all about mood and a deep, hypnotic groove… playing those tracks that get you tapping your feet and nodding your head without you realising it, regardless of genre, tempo, style, or release date.

DJ Joma.

Nigel Dawson is a DJ best known for his residence at Renaissance throughout the 90’s and 00’s and is known for his definitive sets varying from deep house through to full on progressive he built a solid reputation throughout the peak years of clubbing, working with the likes of Whoop! Records, Ministry of Sound and, of course, Renaissance. 

In 1992 Renaissance was in its infancy. The Residents were the almighty Sasha and Digweed, Nigel was in esteemed company to say the least, making it one of the hardest stages on which to make an impression. But impress Nigel did and forged his own residence which survived up to Renaissance closing in 2007.

Nigel’s talent and penchant for hard work established him as a regular on the UK club circuit throughout the 90’s and 00’s playing at such club greats as The Tunnel, The Pod, Lush, Slinky and Ministry of sound to name but a few. He held residences at The Cross in London, Media in Nottingham and of course the legendary Renaissance. Guesting at various clubs throughout the UK and Worldwide, he established an impeccable global reputation with dates in such places as Australia, South Africa, USA, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Ibiza, Canada, Russia, China, Amsterdam Luxemburg, Switzerland, Spain, Greece, Belgium, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Finland and beyond.

In 1996 Nigel started his producing career and the pseudonym Dominion with his first track, The Gate, being signed to the legendary progressive house label, Whoop! Records. This was an instant success with progressive house fans and was included on the Renaissance Mix compilation Vol 4, from Dave Seaman and lan Ossia. 

Throughout the 90’s and 00’s Nigel continued to release on Whoop! Records, along with various remix work and mix compilation CD’s one of which, Renaissance Presents, with Iain Ossia which sold a staggering forty-thousand copies worldwide gaining him massive critical acclaim and is cited to this day by many as an album of influence.

Retiring from DJing in 2008 saw Nigel move to Australia to settle down and concentrate on his family but the lure of thumping beats and throbbing bass lines was all too much and 2020 sees Nigel making a triumphant return to the scene. Gaining control of his back catalogue with a series of remix releases planned, including the likes of GMJ, Matter, Kiz Pattinson, Trip Switch, DJ Rudy, Menkee, Jaap Ligthart, Nila and Melodic Beats’ own Tim French, coupled with several high profile radio and podcast mixes under his belt, the future is certainly looking good for this progressive house legend.

Australian, Matt Rowan, has been at the vanguard of the progressive, deep and tech house movement since the late 1990s. A classically trained musician with DJ credentials of the highest order, his residency at Sydney's leading progressive night, SweetChilli was the catalyst for a career that has grown rapidly in the twin spheres of production and club performance. Playing alongside such homeland legends as Chris Fortier, Anthony Pappa and Steve Porter plus a host of international stars, Rowan carved out a niche sound that would see regular DJ appearances at home and across the globe to rapturous acclaim.

A DJ career established; production work that began in 2006 achieved immediate success. Collaborative work with industry heavyweight, Jaytech, saw the track "Tomorrow" licensed to Dave Seaman's "Renaissance Masters Series Part 7", while a twin-track EP was signed to Nick Warren's Hope. Further success followed and Rowan's production portfolio engages a host of industry leading labels and artists. Baroque, Curvve, Outside The Box and Armada sit loftily alongside industry stalwarts such as, Danny Bonnici, Kriece, Derek Howell and Dousk, as production work alternated with multiple DJ compilations for leading imprints.

2008's "I Play This" saw a debut album received to critical acclaim while Matt Rowan's work for Proton has been in bountiful supply since a first appearance in 2006. A surfeit of original productions and remixes has graced the imprint, culminating in 2012's stunning, "Basics" album. Fifteen tracks of blistering quality showcased Rowan's unique production talents in the tech and progressive house arenas, supported by the likes of Ad Brown, Zack Roth and Mango

Enjoying a resurgence in the latter half of the decade, Rowan continues to deliver quality originals and remix work for world's best labels and producers. Recent credits include remixes for Jan Johnston, Matan Caspi and Audioglider as well as original music on Pangea, Particles, PHW and Balkan Connection. 

Whether it be creating tunes that the world’s Djing elite spin, or playing music to a packed dance floor, Australia’s Matt Rowan follows in the footsteps, and continues the trend, of top flight artists hailing from the land down under. 

Juan Pablo Lannutti Aka J Lannutti was born on October 24th, 1993 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Passionate about the sensations he got transmitted by music during his childhood, he had his first interactions with the guitar, listening to artists like Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, just to name a few.

But his love for electronic music was born later, when he attended for the first time to a party in Buenos Aires. From that moment on he began to investigate and learn more about each genre, finally finding his place in the Progressive House. He was strongly influenced at the time by artists such as Hernan Cattaneo, Nick Warren, Khen, Guy Mantzur, Edu Imbernon, D-Nox, Jimmy Van M, among others.

He began to mix music shortly afterwards with his cdj and, in the beginning, playing music for his friends growing rapidly, getting to introduce music at big parties like Freak Me Out, PPR Buenos Aires, Deep Motion, and attending to places like Club Bahrein, Un Jefe, Yuppies, La Piramide, etc.
At these big parties he had the opportunity to share booth with great National and International artists, such as Jimmy Van M, Graziano Raffa, Marc Poppcke, Lonya, Mariano Mellino, Marcelo Vasami, Facundo Mohrr, Sound Process, Soundexile, Kevin Toro, Juan Zolbaran, Nicolas Ruiz, and many others.

Immediately after his beginnings as DJ, he became interested in composition, and studied his first course at Cold Bs Studio, where he was able to create his first songs.
As did not settle for that he decided to continue studying with the great Argentinian artist Juan Deminicis, so that he could make a break in his productions, getting a better professional sound.
After this point his career turned up starting to edit on big labels such as Balkan Connection South America, Soundteller Records, Superordinate Music, Massive Harmony Records, Stripped Digital, Astrowave, and more!