Epitonic Newsletter: Vol. 4, No. 10 'Month of the Music Conference Part III, Winter Music Conference'
03/15/02
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The Winter Music Conference in Miami Beach, Florida, is perhaps the most glamorous of annual music conferences and the dance music industry's premier yearly event. At the end of March every year since 1986, thousands of DJs, record company execs, promoters, agents, scenesters, hustlers, and wannabes have been converging on South Beach for a weekend of sunshine and schmoozing. Nearly every available venue (clubs, restaurants, art galleries, clothing stores, and so on) in town will be devoted to WMC activities and everyone who's anyone in the world of electronic music will be there next weekend. Will you? The score of artists listed below is only a sampling of the hundreds who will be there. The pre-registration period is over, but the WMC does offer walk-up registration. You can find out about the various events, panels, and parties at the WMC website.
David Duriez
"Gimme A Fresh One" by David Duriez
If you thought French house was limited to kitschy disco-licking artists like Daft Punk, Alex Gopher, and Stardust, then you are much mistaken. David Duriez is one of a new breed of French producers making sophisticated and mature house music. Welcome to the deep side.

FreQ Nasty
"Under Glass" by FreQ Nasty
FreQ Nasty is at the forefront of the nu-school breaks and electro movement heralded by the likes of Andrew Goldstone and Adam Freeland. Expect tough electro breaks, rough techno synths, and dark brooding jungle basslines.

Terry Lee Brown Jr.
"Take Your Time (vs. Timewriter)" by Terry Lee Brown Jr.
Norman Feller has reserved his Terry Lee Brown Jr. pseudonym for the Plastic City label since '95. His soothing tech-house sounds prompted house music maestro Marshall Jefferson to declare him a god.

Tim Baker
"Scorpio" by Tim Baker
Chicago tech-meister Tim Baker is both a world class DJ and an accomplished producer. His tough, compressed techno can be found on an array of established labels, including his own Real Estate and Elephanthaus imprints.

Rick Preston
"Acid Cha!" by Rick Preston
Rick Preston is a profoundly gifted house producer who has graced the covers of Glasgow Underground, Solid Grooves, and Viva Recordings releases. Funky, unpredictable house music is his specialty; Mark Farina, Jeno, and Kevin McKay are known advocates of his sound.

Stacy Kidd
"Get With It" by Stacy Kidd
Stacy Kidd has recorded for more underground labels than Bjork has had superstar boyfriends. You can hear his deep disco-driven house is played in clubs across the globe, especially in his hometown of Chicago.

H-Foundation
"Spaced Jam" by H-Foundation
H-Foundation are without doubt one of the hottest production duos on the West Coast house circuit. Through this release, and others like it on Camouflage and Moody, they have built a solid reputation for dance floor friendly, tribal house. "Hear Dis Sound" is a landmark release for this pair of young and promising producers.

DJ Icey
"Thousand Miles" by DJ Icey
Florida's answer to the Chemical Brothers -- DJ Icey -- drops banging breakbeat of immense proportions. Jump into his pool of frothing acid breaks and futuristic synth washes.

Miguel Migs
"Sunny Cove (Poolside Mix)" by Miguel Migs
House master DJ/producer Miguel Migs comes clean with the debut record on Zebra...a slamming fog city house track.

Nick Santillan
"How Can I?" by Nick Santillan
Slick and soulful house music is the specialty of Chicago DJ and producer Nick Santillan. In addition to his own releases, Santillan has engineered for the likes of Boo Williams, Glenn Underground, and Chez Damier.

The Rurals
"Sweet Butterfly" by The Rurals
The Rurals conjure images of soft flowing rivers, lush green fields, and lazy hazy summer days with their mesmerizing deep house productions. Re-Fried, D.I.Y., Naked Music, and Turbo Recordings have all requested their work -- stream Headsongs and you will find out why.

Gabriel Rene
"Absynthesis" by Gabriel Rene
Gabriel Rene makes wonderful music that fuses old school jazz and blues with new school house and hip hop. Listening to his music is like soaking in a tub of bubbly Calgon with plenty of chilled champange on hand.

DJ Dara
"Possession" by DJ Dara
Irish-born drum and bass guru DJ Dara was instrumental in setting up and maintaining the scene in the U.S. He has played every major club, he is co-owner of the New York-based record emporium-cum-label Breakbeat Science, and he has since turned his hand to production, with successful releases on Sm:)e and Moonshine.

Dieselboy
"Invid (Future Cut Second Coming Remix)" by Dieselboy
Dieselboy produces and spins hard-hitting two-step drum and bass a la Future Cut, Technical Itch, and Decoder. He is the future for U.S. drum and bass.

DJ Tee Bee
"Fingerprints" by DJ Tee Bee
DJ Tee Bee's compositions are at once dance floor-friendly, beautifully lush, and intricately cerebral. His style of music directly reflects the attitude he expresses when he says, "I see everyone stepping to the right and I make myself jump to the left." Look at a scan of Tee Bee's brain and you'll see a blueprint for the future of drum and bass.

Quadra
"Half Known" by Quadra
Quadra, Vancouver's latest drum and bass duo, produces slick, sophisticated tech-step that is deep and driving in equal measures.

BT
"Dreaming (Tiesto Mix)" by BT
Brian Transeau -- America's answer to Sasha -- may be best known for peak-hour progressive trance, but he now shows an affinity for more interesting forms of electronic music.

Roy Davis Jr.
"Sonny" by Roy Davis Jr.
With so many anthems to his name -- "Gabriel," "Rise From Your Grave," and "Inside Out" (as Phuture), to name but a few -- it should come as no surprise that Roy Davis Jr. is widely regarded as the godfather of soulful house music.