Bert on Beats, a.k.a. DJ Critical is the hottest new artist to release on Berlin based label Man Recordings. The Tallinn based DJ elegantly fuses Dubstep with Kuduro beats, establishing a trans-national, hyper-hybrid sound that directs towards the future. With “Suomo” and “Alemão” he released two EP releases on Man Recordings, which created worldwide a strong buzz.

 

For “Suomo” Bert On Beats collaborated with the Ghanan singer and MC Anbuley, for “Alemão” he worked with São Paulo based baile funk MC Gi – two tracks that illustrate the transglobe music approach from Bert On Beats. His tracks currently get support from world class DJs such as Sinden, Brodinski, Feadz, Foaomo or Douster amongst others.

 

 

 

 

The island boy – even in his young years, Bodea has seen a lot. Born and raised at the tropical shores of Zanzibar/Tanzania the singer and songwriter embraced the beauty of a simple and natural lifestyle in the very first place. Not only causing a deep and lasting desire for this human Utopia but also making him inherit the specific aura of that little charming island.

 

Leaving the mangos and coconuts behind he started his boyhood world tour at the age of five: first from Yemen to Islamabad/Pakistan where he started taking classical music lessons and therefore set the fundament for his present skills. Next stop: Beijing/China. In his early teenager years Bodea began to teach himself the guitar in the capital of the „Middle Kingdom“, wrote his first lyrics and started rapping. To finish High-School he made it to Germany, where he founded his first band and initiated performing his songs. From tanzanian easy living to german accuracy – he made his way!

 

After studying Jazz Performance and Composition at the Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, USA, he moved to Berlin, Germany. Bodea‘s debut album is in its last stages as he’s putting together a live band. With his style between Soul, Reggae, Tropical and Dancehall the charming island boy has a bright future to come.

 

 

 

Light years ahead of time and 3.800 miles from the birth-country of hip hop, Croup works in his lab in Cologne, Germany and turns sound into gold. Croup makes the most incredbile beats for both German and U.S. artists. His unique and distinct style already gave him global exposure, working with arists such as Curse, Patrice, Supastition, Emilio Rojas, Mr.Mecca and many more.

 

As a youngster Croup started with both keyboards and drum lessons and played in various bands. Inspired by such producers as The RZA, Madlib, DJ Hi-Tek and J Dilla, Croup taught himself how to flip a sample and to program the hardest drums ever heard on this planet. One would think that the sound and mixing of his beats are wielded in a high-end studio with the best gear around, but according to Croup, all you need is a little inspiration and some insomia to make the real ill music.

 

 

 

Daniel Haaksman is a Berlin based DJ, producer and music journalist. He runs the label Man Recordings since 2005 and has released the compilations “Rio Baile Funk Favela Booty Beats” which introduced the 21st century sound of Rio De Janeiro to a global audience.

 

On Man Recordings Daniel launched the international careers of artists like Edu K, Joao Brasil, Schlachthofbronx, MC Gringo or Deize Tigrona. In 2008 he released his first EP – “Who’s Afraid Of Rio?” and comissioned the compilation “Bossa Do Morro” – a remix project in which some of the most famours Bossa Nova tunes get remixed by Rio Baile Funk producers and DJs. In 2011 he released "Ramba Zamba", his highly acclaimed debut album.

 

 

 

Deize Tigrona is one of Rio de Janeiro’s top female Mcs, notorious for her ability to both sing the subtlest jazz tunes as well as the most lust dripping slack lyrics. As a resident of the infamous Rio community, Deize Tigronas MC skills were forged in the fires of hundreds of funk balls all across Rio over the years.

Already a collaboration-choice for producers like Diplo, Edu K or Buraka Som Sistema, Deize was a first pick for Berlin based producer Jesse Rose on his contribution for the Funk Mundial series on Man Recordings. When stopping by in Berlin on Deize’s European summer tour 2008 she wrote “Toca Pra Mim” (“Play It For Me”) exclusively for Highscore Publishing.

 

 

 

Edu K is undoubtedly one of Brazil’s most talented contemporary musicians. From the late Eighties onwards, Edu K has been the singer and front man of seminal Brazilian punk band De Falla.

In 2006 Edu K presented his musical effort, the highly acclaimed “Frenétiko” album on Man Recordings. It was the next level of Edu K’s musical vision in fusing a multitude of highly energetic musical styles into a big new sound. Edu K’s “Frenétiko” album is Brazil’s new millenium answer to the post local, post genre musical era we live in. It’s a high energy mash up of kick ass music that is fresh and unique.

Since the album release Edu K released various singles on Man Recordings containing contributions remixes by Solid Groove, Deize Tigrona, Sinden, Marina (formerly Bonde Do Role) and Crookers to name but a few.

 

 

 

Joshua Harvey aka Herve is a producer, song writer and DJ. He has released various 12“s on the label Dubsided, collaborates with Trevor Loveys under the moniker Speakerjunk, releases mellow music as Young Lovers and remixed The Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Roisin Murphy and Bloc Party to much acclaim.

For Tamborzuda he teamed up with Sinden and fused speed garage beats – London’s late 90s dominating floor shaking groove – with the alchemy and rave melodies of Rio Baile Funk, spiced with the rhyme skills of Rio MC Thiaguinho.

 

 

 

If one wonders what the distinct Homework sound is then much is to be found in their past aesthetic representation. When these two youngsters started messing around with turntables, back in 2007, they used to perform in immaculate white shirts and raven black ties. And even though longtime Dutch partners in musical crime Tom Waist and Zip Stolk have left this iconography behind, they still emanate an sense of clear-headed playfulness.

Behind this swagger lies a wide-raging love for contemporary dance music that always comes in handy in the ever changing spheres of house music. Especially now that the genre is turning to ever stranger and/or vintage sources of inspiration with the likes of Round Table Knights, Jesse Rose, Renaissance Man, Claude VonStroke and Mowgli, whom the duo draw much of their inspiration from.

Published by Edition Exploited/Highscore Publishing.

 

 

 

 

Isa GT from Colombia has been living in London for the last few years djing, singing, producing music, putting on parties and writing her own lyrics.

Isa GT defines her style as a Mash up of lots of different rhythms. She has been influenced by genres as different from each other like Techno, House, Minimal, Baile Funk, Hip Hop, Tango, Salsa, Punk, Rock and many more. Being a member of London based Girlcore, Isa know how to throw a party.

In 2010 she released the “Pa Chikirri EP” on Man Recordings with two new songs and remixes by Crookers, Daniel Haaksman and Joao Brasil.

 

 

 

It’s quiet likely that João Brasil, who made headlines in 2010 with his every-day-a-mashup-project “365” will be soon considered one of the big new talents of 2011. His summer anthem “L.O.V.E. Banana” features the glamourous front woman Lovefoxxx of CSS, who are about to release their third album on Sub Pop soon.

 

“L.O.V.E. Banana” by João Brasil is hot, it’s full of fun – and it’s from Brasil! And we are convinced it’s gonna be one of the major tunes of summer 2011. The EP comes with a funky Euro dance remix by Daniel Haaksman, an irresistible disco remix by Polish noveau Piano god Max Skiba, a dirty boogie version by Telonious of Gomma records fame and a Rio baile funk remix by DJ Edgar.

 

 

 

On her first collaboration with Stereotyp and Edu K, Joyce turned heads the world over. With her seductive, yet airy voice, Joyce Muniz rode the ruff beats of Viennas riddim-meister like a vocal pro, excellently contrasting the Brazilian MC heavyweight Edu K. The recent vocal contributions to the KU BO project added the picture of Joyce Muniz as an outstanding MC and singer.

 

Born in 1983 in Sao Paulo, Joyce Muniz landed in Vienna in the mid Nineties. Having roots in rock and hip hop Joyce soon connected with the vibrant Viennese electronic music scene. This Vienna based Brazilian lady is one to watch.

 

 

 

Graeme Sinden is a unique DJ and producer who has revitalised the club scene, staying one step ahead as musical boundaries become ever blurred. Sinden began making music around the time he forged a friendship with Dave “Switch” Taylor and was taken under his wing to learn the production game. Together they began to create progressive hip-hop, dancehall beats and other unclassifiable rhythms.

 

His production technique has further evolved in his collaboration with Joshua Harvey, aka The Count (aka Herve), on their project The Count & Sinden. Their single “Beeper” was a crossover club smash which built on the success of early release Tamborzuda.

 

 

 

The eclectic legacy of Jamaican music has continued to create a wide variety of new musical impulses over the last five decades. Whether Ska, Reggae, Dub or Dancehall – the small Caribbean island has continually produced entirely new genres of music that reflect the struggles, successes and great ingenuity of its people. Inspired by new production technologies and cultural shifts, Jamaican music never ceases to bear new fruits.

 

With their self entitled debut album, The Unlimiters have taken up this tradition with the aim of forging new paths. The eight-piece set from Berlin is largely inspired by early Ska, a style of music created at the beginning of the 1960s when Calypso merged with Jazz and Rhythm n Blues to form a unique and home-grown Jamaican sound that is still exemplified by unforgettable artists such as The Skatalites and Prince Buster.

 

The Unlimiters… eight people, eight-and-a-half instruments – teamed up in Berlin’s underground to unleash their smart and bouncing beats and harmonies to the dancefloor – probably right in your neighborhood, so watch out!