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Fantastic Four

Here's our four favourite dance artists for the fortnight - Basement Jaxx, Danny Bonnici, Agoria and Spektrum we salute you!

The security at London club SeOne had their hands full during a recent Basement Jaxx gig - not least because the Jaxx' Felix Buxton told 'em to "piss off" before encouraging everyone to join him on stage for the chorus of 'Where's Your Head At'.

It was one of the most explosive moments DJmag has ever witnessed in a club - and proof that the Brixton boys are still rocking it.

Ibiza Rocks

Ibiza Rocks
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Ibiza Rocks

The Jaxx' special London performance was at the European launch of digital download site emusic.com, which bills itself as the independent alternative to iTunes.

Despite the size of SeOne's main room, the boys pulled out all the stops and balanced precariously on a tiny stage with three vocalists, a live drummer, a percussionist and a kilt-wearing brass section.

The Jaxx may have headlined Glastonbury, Creamfields and Homelands in the past, but clearly there is still no better place to hear them then in a dark dingy club.

Their new album 'Crazy Itch Radio' (out now on XL Recordings) is not as dancefloor as we'd hoped, but by god, can they rock a crowd.

Danny Bonnici


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He's Australian, part of Nubreed and never leaves the studio...

Four big releases in one month would kill the most committed of producers, but for Aussie Danny Bonnici it's a piece of piss.

For 15 years he's released quality dance music, both as part of Nubreed and with other producers (remember his and Chable's 2004 epic 'Ride'?).

Between now and the end of October he's got two top singles coming out, as well as two sweet mix compilations.

"I sometimes leave the studio to ride my bike and to eat and drink," joked Danny about his hardcore work ethic.

"I just love producing, even more than DJing. I have been doing it for so long now it should be my middle name."

Bonnici's upcoming EP 'Schwental!' (out now on EQ Grey), produced with Tom Mangan, is a killer dirty electro house tune.

Even better is 'Vermouth', a rolling breaks tune he made with Andy Page out now, also on EQ Grey.

Not to mention his two mix compilations ('Hiddenform 01' on Hiddenform and 'Electric_02' on EQ) that are both entertainingly eclectic listens.

"I try to please the crowds and not get too self-involved.

"After all, it is all just dance music," he said.

Talented and humble, Bonnici is one top bloke.

Spektrum


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Their last album rocked, and this one's even better...

Spektrum's 'Kinda New' was one of the biggest club records of 2004, and it was a track that summed up the debut album of the London-based four-piece band - electrifying, eclectic and like something straight out of Broadmoor mental hospital.

Now the punk dance crew are back with a new album (out 6th November on Nonstop Recordings) that sees dance and rock nail each other over a smattering of dirty electro synths, rock guitars and funk vocals.

'Fun at the Gymkhana Club' features wobbly dancefloor moments like 'Don't Be Shy', psychedelic acid trips in the vein of 'Moody Feels Good' and post-punk delights ('The Mirror Man').

Like a sponge, Spektrum have absorbed all the nastiest and weirdest moments of the last 30 years of dance music and spewed it all back out without really caring where they were aiming.

"We just make music," said Spektrum's Lola Olafasoye.

"It kind of depends on what mood we are in, and there are a whole range of emotions expressed in our tracks."

The good news is you too could make music like Spektrum.

Simply take a hefty helping of Soulwax, a spoonful of Erol Alkan, a sprinkling of Princess Superstar and a pinch of Justice.

Then shove it all into a meat grinder and get Jo Brand to sit on the lever. Splat!

Agoria


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French techno/electro geezer matures like a bottle of Bordeaux...

"In my view and from all the feedback I've got, it seems this album is much better than my first one," Monsieur Sebastien Davaud, aka Agoria, told DJmag.com.

"It represents much more my tastes, my life, the personal difficulties I've had in the last few years.

"I spent so much time on each track in my little home studio without the help of an engineer in a big studio, and I'm proud of the result."

Unbelievably, despite a crazy DJ schedule, Agoria produced his new album 'The Green Armchair' (out now on Pias) completely by himself, evidence of the fact he's one damn talented dude.

Featuring 11 tracks of blissful electronic music, Agoria has gone beyond the expected and created a timeless menagerie of fruity electro breaks, silky downtempo beats and, thankfully, some trademark Agoria dancefloor destroyers.

"It's not a minimal album with three bleeps and one blip," joked Agoria.

"I love stuff like Plastikman, but at the moment minimal records are so boring, there's no soul in any of them.

"I tried to make a record where no two tracks are the same.

"It's much more exciting to listen to an album that surprises you, non?"

Oui Monsieur, nous vous aimons, Agoria.