PowerUp London Finalists Announced
The Cast of fresh talent to play alongside Zed Bias this Thursday
Regular readers will have noticed weekly updates on the Intel PowerUp DJ competition in association with DJ Mag and bass music legend Benji B.
Well, the entries have all now been judged and we are glad to announce the regional finalists who will battle it out for a coveted spot in the final - and the chance to play alongside Benji B, in London.
The London regional heat takes place at East Village on Thursday 11th October and is headlined by UK garage protagonist Zed Bias. So lets introduce you to the DJs who will be battling for a place in the final!
Age: 31
How long have you been DJing? The first time I touched decks was in May 2011, and I started my radio show in February this year.
Describe your sound? I play deep, groovy and soulful drum and bass mostly from progressive and underground labels. I throw in the odd classic, too.
How did you go about the PowerUp mix? I wanted to showcase how I can create harmonies and smooth transitions using the different styles of drum and bass I like to play. These tracks are also among my favourites at the moment.
How do you plan to impress at the regional heats? Concentrating on the crowd and keeping the energy levels high.
Age: 28
How long have you been DJing? About 10 years, on and off
Describe your sound? I’ve been listening to all kinds of music my entire life, through growing up in different cultures and countries, except for anything overly commercial or cheesy. In terms of DJing, my style is a real mix of underground sounds – mainly hip-hop, soul, house, and stuff emerging out of the UK bass scene
How did you go about the PowerUp mix? It was hard to impress with the 20-minute time limit especially with so much competition; I really wanted to showcase some creativity with all the styles I play. I settled on a 130bpm (ish) tempo and there were two tunes that had to make it in, which became the lynchpins for the whole mix (a Floating Points dub and Helix’s “Drum Track”). I made sure I included some vocals in there for some nice long mixes. I was pretty happy with the finished product.
How do you plan to impress at the regional heats? Playing nothing but bangers – old and new!
Age: 20
How long have you been DJing? 6-8 Months
Describe your sound? I have an eclectic taste in music and I love discovering new artists and genres. It is much harder these days to categorise music as many genres cross over but I have always loved Hip Hop and grew up listening to old skool hip hop and R&B. I have started to integrate House into my sets although I am still quite new to it and have always loved UK Garage along with funky house, grime, afro beats & bashment.
How did you go about the PowerUp mix? I played around with a few different mixes but decided to keep it uptempo, I then recorded a few different sets and played them to friends (without letting them know what it was for) and gauged their reaction, luckily my favourite PowerUp mix was also theirs!
How do you plan to impress at the regional heats? I am going to enjoy the experience and the opportunity and keep the music uptempo and the crowd dancing!
Age: 26
How long have you been DJing? 7 Years
Describe your sound? A technical concoction of UK Garage and other connected genres
How did you go about the PowerUp mix? Selected some current tracks that I have real belief in and mixed them with a little imagination and originality
How do you plan to impress at the regional heats? Take some risks and of course, keep things technical
Age: 23
How long have you been DJing? 3 Years
Describe your sound? Motown and hip-hop inspired, genre-transcending sets with integrity, various styles that express emotions and also interaction with the audience.
How did you go about the PowerUp mix? It is a risky one as I had never ever done a mix that compiles ‘beats’ and sampling, at the same time it is something I always wanted to make so I decided to do it and submit it for fun without expectations.
How do you plan to impress at the regional heats? I am not going to go there and impress people intentionally, I’m just going to deliver what is suitable for everyone present at that time and hopefully they will appreciate it.
Age: 27
How long have you been DJing? Since the age of 14 starting off with UK garage / grime
Describe your sound? A powerful blend of deep/tech/minimal house "undergrowth bass", "wirly sounds", "rain dance percussion" (you really have to be there and be in the mix with me to understand, those who know me know what I mean!)
How did you go about the PowerUp mix? I almost left it too late the mix I sent is also part of an upcoming mix cd release intittled "lone walk to ibiza" hence the 20 min mix tittle "lone 20min"
How do you plan to impress at the regional heats? One word - journey - and that's even saying too much! Join me in song and dance!
