ICONS : Armand Van Helden
Posted by InfamousLight | Filed under ICONS, Infamous Podcasts
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[Invasion on Area 33 : 26th Nov 2005]
Biography
For the man supposedly named after a French porn star, Armand Van Helden has had quiet a spectacular rise to the top of the producer/DJ ladder. From his early days as a lowly assistant at a recording studio to reportedly commanding up to $60,000 for a remix, the success of Armand Van Helden has come with a refreshing lack of interest in the celebrity packed glamour world.
As Armand’s father was in the US Armed Forces, the family moved regularly, spending time in Holland, Italy and Turkey. His first DJ set came at the age of 13, when he debuted at high school, employing the classic L-plated DJ trick of hooking together two tape decks in order to provide a basic method of looping grooves.
Still, Armand’s take on Hip Hop proved to be truly international – not only was he the best break dancer in his school in Italy, but he also entered the Italian DMC Mixing Championships.
Whilst at college in Boston, Armand began to DJ and soon had a residency at the Loft. With his Djing building quiet a buzz, the Loft became the club to go in Boston. Around this time, Armand was putting together his first demo tapes, and despite a lack of confidence, attracted the interest of Gladys Pizzarro at Nervous, who was interested in releasing it.
Over the next few years, Armand released a few singles, but it was 1994′s now legendary “Witch Doktor” which first attracted a larger audience to Armand’s work. With remix work pouring in , courtesy of artists such as Tori Amos’ “Professional Widow” that earned Armand mainstream recognition. Not only was it a club smash, but it also topped the charts, selling 350,000 copies.
Suddenly, Armand became the the man to be Remixed by. Whilst the likes CJ Bolland, Sneaker Pimps and Daft Punk were obvious choices to remix, artists such as The Rolling Stones and Janet Jackson were slightly more unpredictable. Armand would later turn down most remix work, publicly attacking the concept of chart orientated remixes.
Not that it mattered one bit to Armand, who released the mini-album “Old School Junkies” at around the same time. Mixing up old school hip-hop, funk and an element of house, the album was as far removed from his remix work as could be imagined.
Armand continued to work on various singles and mix albums until the release of his 1997 debut full length album, entitled “Enter the Meatmarket” a blend of rap, hip house and Latino house which featured the legendary Funkmaster Flex.
However it was his 1999 album “2Future4U” That propelled Armand from an established DJ and remixer to a chart-topping artist in his own right. The single “You Don’t Know Me” featured Duane Harden and entered the charts at # 1 selling 350,000 copies. Also taken from “2Future4U”, the single “Flowerz” was also a top 20 hit.
In 2000, Armand returned with his new album “Killing Puritans” which featured the #4 hit single “Koochy”. The track reworked Gary Numan’s “Cars” into an altogether darker prospect and set the tone for much of the remainder of the album.
Armand’s most famous DJ set in the UK came with his high profile head to head clashes with Fatboy Slim, in which the duo clashed in the rather unusual confines (and rather unusual costumes for a DJ) of a boxing ring!
Now Armand is back, presenting an eclectic mix of his individual style of house and his trademark perverse sense of humor on the new album “Gandhi Khan”. Throughout the Album Armand has used and sampled his own vocals to try something different, and different this album is. From the Asian inspired vocals on “Gandhi Khan” to the Spanish guitar on DooVoodoo right through the filthy drum powered “I Can Smell U” Armand has come up with something tasty every time.
With “Gandhi Khan”, Armand has come out smelling of “Flowerz” and the new single “Why Can’t You Free Some Time”, may yet surpass the success of “You Don’t Know Me”.
ICONS : Miss Kittin
Posted by InfamousLight | Filed under ICONS, Infamous Podcasts
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[I Love Techno : 11th Nov 2005]
Biography
Born in the French mountains, Grenoble, 1973, Kittin expressed an interest in the visual arts – she studied both contemporary and graphic arts. As time progressed, however, Kittin found herself emulating her parents’ musical tastes by developing an interest in musical genres ranging from classic, jazz, funk & disco to English Pop. Finding her niche in Electronic Music in 1991, Kittin raved all around the country before doing her first mix in April of 1993. Her first set came one year later in 1994, at which time she started her career with Tekmics Booking Agency, playing in the famous Dragon Ball wild parties of Southern France.
In pursuit of other opportunities, Kittin left France in 1996 and relocated to Geneva, Switzerland, where she would join the Mental Groove Record Posse one year later. Through years of an exciting and mobile career as a DJ, Miss Kittin is confident with her own personal sound. She states, “I get quickly bored when I listen to the same sound. DJs have to take risks, without only thinking about what people want to hear. Some people say I’m too technical. That’s true, but this technique also gives me the freedom to concentrate only on music.”