It’s been a long time comin’, y’all. After two or three years (we lost count!) of working to book him, Lenzman will finally be making his NYC debut as part of his Looking at the Stars LP tour. Join us as we welcome the soulful DnB don!
Lenzman (Metalheadz | Netherlands)
http://www.lenzman.nl/
Still walking his own path as always and never dragged into following trends, Lenzman continues to highlight his strengths and interests: a strong ear for a sample and a musicality often unrivalled in Drum and Bass.
His continuing work with vocalists and fellow musicians shows his love of grooves, ideas and hooks, an approach that sees his music in huge demand from fans, peers and both major and underground labels alike.
This year will see the release of his hugely anticipated debut album ‘Looking At The Stars’ on Metalheadz, the pinnacle of Drum and Bass record labels. An ambitious project with music reaching to many of the genre’s different reference points. The tracks showcase his influences from Hip Hop, Soul and beyond, competently working with a range of different vocalists and styles, palettes and tempos.
Fresh from this long stint in the studio finishing the album, Lenzman now readies himself for his second home, taking to the road once again to showcase his inimitable trademark sound to festivals and clubs from Australia to Asia, Europe to North America and beyond.
An artist who is never afraid to wear his musical heart on this sleeve, Lenzman continues to push his own unique brand of Drum and Bass: Soulful, deep, melancholic yet fun, an essential ingredient for any good party!
Alongside Natural Selection residents:
Raw Q (Intrigue Music / Direct Drive / Driven AM / Natural Selection)
http://soundcloud.com/rawq
Raw Q aka DJ Beau is one of NYC’s original Drum ‘n Bass DJs for 12 years and counting. He began producing back in ‘96 with DJ Ani (formerly of Deee-Lite) for DJ Soulslinger’s Liquid Sky Music Label. In 2003 DJ Beau evolved into Raw Q. In the last few years Raw Q has released music on prestigious labels such as Zinc’s Bingo Recordings, Grid Recordings and will soon be releasing ‘Caspian Moon’ on Aaron Jay’s new label Influence Records. His tracks have earned support from DnB’s most respected DJs and artists including LTJ Bukem, Zinc, Roni Size, Flight, Randall, Fabio, Bryan Gee, Bailey, Krust, Marky, Marcus Intalex, L Double and many more. His track ‘Vital Soul’ took the DnB world by storm when it first appeared on dubplate and managed to reach 11th place in the BBC’s Global Dance Charts in 2004. Raw Q continues to DJ as a resident of Direct Drive and as a frequent guest DJ and supporter of Camouflage and other quality NYC DnB parties.
Adred (Natural Selection / 31 Records)
https://soundcloud.com/adambakeradred
Born Adam Baker, son of a musically talented father and artistic mother, he was destined to be a great musician. Growing up listening to David Bowie, Eric Clapton and Thomas Dolby shaped his love for music at a young age. At the age of 16 Adam first heard Drum and Bass at a rave and wanted to replicate the energy and excitement he witnessed first hand. It wasn’t until years later when he had the opportunity to express it first by DJ’ing. At the age of 20, he bought his first set of turntables and a mixer. Quickly learning and understanding the techniques of mixing music, a year later he was given the opportunity to play out. He knew all along that he wanted to create his own music and that being a DJ wouldn’t be enough to set himself apart from rest of the world. Little did he know, that a chance meeting in a neighborhood record store would launch his career as a producer. He didn’t stop at Drum and Bass but ventured into Hip Hop, R&B, Techno, House and everything in between. He doesn’t believe in pigeonholing himself in one genre and always produces music by feeling and bpm. Currently he is working on multiple releases with Robert Manos in many different genres. Keep an eye out for him and these songs.
Raf Salvador (Natural Selection / Fuzed Funk)
Music has been a major force in Rafael Salvador’s life from a very young age. A New Jersey native, his earliest musical memories include breakdancing in preschool and being exposed to jazz through his uncle’s tape collection. His roots as a DJ date back to Christmas 1994 when he was given a pair of turntables, a mixer and an eclectic selection of records. Going on to pursue DJ’ing as a hobby and collecting Hip Hop and House records throughout his high school years, the turning point in Salvador’s musical journey came in 2000 when he discovered Jungle Drum & Bass while attending college in Philadelphia. He later returned to the New York City area and interned at Hip Hop’s revered Fat Beats Records, where he contributed to album marketing campaigns and daily operations. This proved to be a valuable experience as he gained insight into the music business and met many of the artists that influenced him as a teen.
Having acquired a wealth of knowledge about music in both the creative and business aspects, Salvador is now playing a role in keeping New York City’s Jungle Drum & Bass scene vibrant and future-oriented. He co-launched the first Natural Selection party in June 2011 and quickly established it as one of the city’s premier Jungle Drum & Bass events. He has also stepped onto the DJ circuit recently, eager to share the music he’s collected over the past 20 years. An avid crate digger with an eclectic taste, his diverse sets are aimed to make you move.
Tanktop (Natural Selection / DnB Radio)
Alanna “Bulletproof-Tiger” Blair, a boisterous badass bassist from Memphis TN, found dnb through rock n roll.
Bill DeBlase, a happy humble human from a valley in western NY, has been involved in electronic music since the 1990s.
They joined forces in NYC 2010 over their love for drum & bass.
TANKTOP have shared the stage with The Insiders, Nu:Tone, S.P.Y, The Upbeats, Jumpin’ Jack Frost, Submorphics, Dave Shichman, Raw Q aka Beau, Micah Chockley, Art Blakey III, Mousky, DJTear, Fineprint, Strife, DJ Dust, and Point Break and many more.
Hosted by:
T.R.A.C. (Bassdrive, Liquid V, Digital Konfusion)
Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, T.R.A.C. Is demonstrative of the borough’s rich history of lyrical prowess. As a staple in both the drum & bass and underground hip-hop scenes of New York, he has been a consistent presence on the microphone since 1997. His repertoire features work with both legendary and pioneering artists including LTJ Bukem, Roni Size, Paul Sg, and Goldie. His lyrical vocabulary allows him to walk the line between genres, garnering him acclamation for his bluesy hiphop efforts to crowd-rocking drum and bass accompaniment.
T.R.A.C. Made his solo debut on BBE Records with the Network, fully produced by 4hero’s Marc Mac. OE4 magazine gave the project a 6-star rating. Other projects include Visioneers Hipology and This Is That on Omniverse Records. T.R.A.C. has also worked with international artists, teaming up with UK’s Lewis Parker on both Lewis Parker’s Home Grown Hip Hop to his recent 2013 critically acclaimed The Glass Ceiling. Most recently, he has dropped singles with Jazzsticks/Goodlooking artist Paul Sg. In September of 2013, they released Strive which reached top 3 on the Juno singles charts. This led to being featured and hosting on Liquid V’s Club Sessions compilation (Vol.5). T.R.A.C. teamed up with Paul Sg once again on Let Me Show, a soulful liquid song fueled by T.R.A.C.’s uplifting lyrics and La Meduza’s sultry voice. Both songs are currently respected and spun by locals and DJs abroad.
As momentum keeps building, be sure to check his music and catch him in action. Whether Hip Hop or Drum & Bass, T.R.A.C. has proven himself to be a true talent and like a fire, there seems to be more and more catching on to him. Indeed!
Vocals by:
Robert Manos (Metalheadz / Soul:r / Hospital)