MAJEFA Live on Afterhours.fm Feat. Sean Tyas, Signum, Manuel Le Saux, Akira Kayosa 05/08/11

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Last summer MAJEFA returned for one night only, taking over one of Manchester's newest underground venues, Sound Control. After the unprecedented success of the last event, we are back! On Friday 5th August 2011, MAJEFA will once again take over the attic of Sound Control to bring Manchester another night of quality trance music supplied by some of the scenes biggest players. This event will be broadcast across the world live on Afterhours.fm, one the worlds leading online trance radio stations,On top of this Manchester will see 2 debuts with artists flying in from Switzerland, Holland and Italy for this special event.

Originally from New York, but now residing in Switzerland this man needs little introduction, making his first return to Manchester in 5 years and his long awaited MAJEFA debut, we are pleased to announce that the headline act for this years MAJEFA Summer Trance Special is Sean Tyas! With records and remixes signed to Armada, Discover, Spinnin, Anjunabeats and Vandit coupled with headlining events such as Trance Energy, Dance Valley, Global Gathering, Judgement Sundays, Godskitchen, The Gallery and Digital Society. Sean Tyas is the perfect choice to headline the proceedings at what is set to be a night of full on trance!

The second headliner of the evening is a legend of the trance/dance scene, the Dutch force that is Signum will be making their debut appearance in Manchester. With a career spanning nearly 14 years and a list of productions any producer would give there right arm for! With classics like 'Coming on Strong' and 'What ya got 4 me' amongst there armoury coupled with more recent hits like 'First Strike' 'Harmonic' & 'Liberate' on Armada, Signum have the experience and tune selection to give this event that true trance sound that the MAJEFA faithful crave.

Flying in from Italy and making his long awaited MAJEFA and Manchester debut is Manuel Le Saux. With releases on Discover, A State Of Trance, Digital Society, Neuroscience and Enhanced, Manuel Le Saux is a firm favorite amongst dj's and fans of the more energetic sounding trance. Mixmag chose his compilation 'Underground Anthems 2' as their compilation of the month, stellar reviews like this has led to him headlining festivals and events in the UK and around the world, Brands include Gatecarsher, Digital Society, Tomorrowland, Euro Fest and Luminosity, Manuel Le Saux is truly an International trance act who will have Sound Control eating out of the palm of his hands!

To complete this stellar line up, there was only one man for the job, becoming a firm favorite amongst the MAJEFA regulars and making his third appearance, it is a privilege to welcome back one of the UK's fastest rising talents, Akira Kayosa. Having recently signed to Ferry Corsten's label Flashover Recordings along with countless other top labels like Mondo & Black Hole under his belt, Akira's steady rise shows no sign of holding up,being chosen as the supporting act to Paul Van Dyk's marathon 6 hour set for Gatecrasher, along with regular mainland European appearances at leading club brands it's easy to see why Akira Kayosa has been described as being at the forefront of the next generation of trance dj's and producers out there!

After such a quality performance at the last MAJEFA Summer Trance Special pre-party, MAJEFA has invited back Off The Rails residents Hiddenagenda for the warm up duties at the main event.

MAJEFA Summer Trance Special 'Live Broadcast'
Friday 5th August 2011
22:00 - 04:00
@ Sound Control
1 New Wakefield Street
Manchester
M1 5NP

Sean Tyas [Armada / Discover]
Signum [Armada]
Manuel Le Saux [Discover]
Akira Kayosa [Flashover]
Hiddenagenda [OTR residents]

Tickets//
Early, early birds: £9
Early birds: £11
Advance: £13.50

Available at:
What's On Guide, Tickets, Events, Gig Dates, Festivals, Hotels and Restaurants
TheTicketSellers | Selling Tickets for Clubs, Festivals and other Events

Last year MAJEFA experimented with its first ever official pre-party, conveniently placed next door to the main event. The pre-party was an event in itself and saw the dancefloor full before the main event had even started. So once again we will be taking over Revolution on Oxford Road from 19:00 - 22:00 with free entry and cheap drinks. Headling the event is Godskitchen resident Steve Arnold and Defcon artist Jamie Walker with Gareth Johns on the warm up duties.

Official Pre Party of MAJEFA Summer Trance Special
Revolution
90 - 94 Oxford Road
Manchester
M1 5WH

Steve Arnold [Godskitchen Resident]
Jamie Walker [Defcon]
Gareth Johns

Travel//

Fly:
Manchester Airport is a 20 minute car journey from the venue, there is also a direct train that runs from the airport to Manchester city centre. For any help or information email majefa@hotmail.co.uk

By train:
Soundcontrol is situated opposite the railway arches of Oxford Road Train Station. When exiting the train station, walk down the hill towards the steps adjacent to The Sailsbury / The Attic. Walk under the railway arch and you will find Soundcontrol directly in front of you. It is sandwiched in-between Revolution (Oxford Road) and Font Bar.

For those travelling to Manchester Piccadilly, you can hop on a quick 3 minute train from platform 14 to Oxford Road. They are fairly regular, and it drops you off at the above station.

By car:
For those of you with sat nav, the venues address is 1 New Wakefield Street, Manchester, M1 5NP. There is a secure, NCP multi storey car park, situated just up the road near the Sainsbury's opposite our old venue The Music Box.

Places to stay:
The Ibis on Princess Street is usually the cheapest, around £40 per night it is basic, but situated near to a wetherspoons and a 24 hour Mcdonalds. Just further up the road are The Britannia and The Ramada, the are between £45 / £60 per night. There is also the Holiday Inn Express which is situated next door to the pre-party for those that want to be able to step out / in of the hotel straight into the action!
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MAJEFA catches up with Godskitchen promoter and resident Steve Arnold, and this is what he had to say....

MAJEFA: How did your position at GK come about?

Basically I used to play at Polysexual regularly and used to take it upon myself to promote the event online, on forums etc and occasionally hand out flyers. It was never asked of me to do it but it was always how I liked to do things. I was all set to go to Ibiza for the summer when I got a phone call out of the blue from someone at Angel Music Group who said they'd had an opening in their company and that Mark H (Polysexual resident and promoter) had recommended me for the position so would I like to come for an interview. It was very much a surprise for me as i'd never even met anyone from Angel Music Group before but I guess it shows hard work does pay off in the end and was pretty much a dream come true. Putting Ibiza on the back burner wasn't a hard decision after that haha!

MAJEFA: As a promoter for GK, working with one of the biggest clubbing brands in the UK, you will encounter more than most promoters a shift in clubbing patterns. How do you see the trance scene at the moment, compared to a few years ago and is there any noticeable changes in what style dj's are playing, has the demographic of clubbers changed etc?

That's a good question. I think that we've hit a bit of a crossroads at the moment in that there's a wealth of new DJs coming through the ranks that your discerning Trance fan wants to see as well as the old favourites that still do the business. It's just a case of trying to find the right balance without alienating either your hardcore Trance fan and the 'newbies' (for want of a better word) who may not have heard of some of the new breed.

As for music styles, there's very much a grey area between certain aspects of House and certain aspects of Trance. People like Swedish House Mafia have been really pushing synths in their music whilst you have people like Jerome Isma-Ae who are very good at integrating sounds from both sides of the border if you like too. It's a good thing, it has got a few peoples backs up but I think they forget that back in the late 90's - the hey day - this is how things were so hopefully it may see a return for Dance music back to where it belongs

MAJEFA: Who’s your favourite 2 Djs / Producers at the moment?

My two favourite DJs are Paul van Dyk and John Digweed. I little different from each other I know but I have alot of respect and take alot of influence from what they both bring to the table in terms of both music and having a unique sound.

There's so many good producers out there at the moment it's scary, from the Proggy side of things i'd have to say Guy J and Cid Inc have really impressed me over the last 12 months.

Trance wise, where do you start, Jamie Walker, Juventa, Bissen, Ronny K, Bryan Kearney, Activa, Med & Neil Bamford. I honestly couldn't narrow it down to two. Always a good thing though.

MAJEFA: What style can we expect from you at the preparty?

I'll most likely play this by ear to be honest, if whoever is one before and after me like things a bit slower then there's no point me banging it out at 140+bpm as it will just ruin the flow. If however it's all kicking off from the get go then i'll dig out the more banging stuff

MAJEFA: Who are you most looking forward to seeing at MAJEFA in August?

Honestly, I like all of them. But if I had to narrow it down then Manuel Le Saux as he's been on my radar for a while but not managed to see him play and Jamie Walker to see if his sets are as good as his productions. I'll be making a night of it either way.

MAJEFA: Finally,where would you like to see yourself in say, 5 years?

Who knows, with the way the scene changes all the time you just never know where you'll be. I've made some in roads within my job, particularly over the last 12 months so just continue to try and be the best at whatever I turn my hand to. I have a long way to go but i'm sure it will be a fun ride!

To get your tickets for the main event with Sean Tyas, Signum, Manuel Le Saux, Akira Kayosa & Hiddenagenda head over to;
Searching the UK's biggest What's On Guide for: 11448658
 
Majefa catches up with pre party headliner Jamie Walker ahead of his debut Majefa appearance........

Majefa:First of all do you want to introduce yourself and tell us about what you do?

I’m a 20 year old trance producer/DJ from Scarborough , I love nothing more than to bang powerful trance out to a crowd of mad people. My aim in life is to try and climb the ladder and go as far as I can in the scene!


Majefa: Up until last year you used to be a hardcore producer. In such a short space of time you have created some top quality trance productions such as ‘Mind Games’, ‘Elements’ and ‘The Next Chapter’ which have been released on UK label Defcon. What was the reason for the switch from hardcore to trance?

Yes I used to be into UK hardcore whilst as I was learning the art of production. I’ve always loved trance though and realised that was for the direction I wanted to head in, so I decided to ditch the hardcore. I made a track called 'Summit' which a good friend of mine called Ali p from duo'The Squatters' heard and he passed it on to James Alexander from Defcon record label . I got a reply straight away, asking to sign me to the label and the rest is history!


Majefa: You have recently done a collaboration with Bryan Kearney called ‘you’ll never die‘ and a follow up ‘19‘, how did the opportunity come about to work with one of the UK’s biggest trance artists out there at the minute?

I’m currently working on ’19’ the second track with Bryan now actually. I noticed Bryan was playing a lot of my tracks and we had the same taste in trance, so I sent him a message asking if I could do some remix work for his label 'Kearnage'. I then got a reply saying " forget the remix lets make a track together" , so as u can imagine I jumped at the chance. He’s an easy guy to work with and it has already helped my standard of production improve.


Majefa: As a producer what equipment do you use and there is any advice you can give to somebody that is thinking of getting into producing trance?

I’m using a Roland XP-30 , a Quadcore PC , Yamaha HS50-S , M-Audio interface and that’s it. I use all software! I’m a Cubase user as well. Best advice I could give for anyone getting into it is that like myself, you don’t need a huge studio and expensive equipment to make tracks. Work hard and be patient because your not going to be making hits over night. Listen carefully to the style of music you enjoy and try to learn from that. The most important thing though is to have your own style, otherwise if your tracks sound the same as someone else’s then you are only mimicking somebody and there is nothing original about that? Every one is unique and you should make what comes into your head, don’t worry about what every one else is doing.

Majefa: The sound you produce tends to fall under the umbrella of ‘power trance’ which is the theme for this years Majefa Summer Trance Special. What producers influence you and which DJ’s are you looking forward to seeing at the main event?

One of my main influences is Sean Tyas actually and I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him yet so I’m really looking forward to that . I also haven’t had the chance to thank Manuel le Saux yet for all the support I’ve had of him so will be great to see him too, I think the night’s going to be a really good one !

Majefa: Finally you will be playing at the Majefa pre party, what can the crowd expect from you?

I like to play only tracks with lots of power and feel in them. If a track has no life in it I don’t see the point in playing it . I like to be a part of the crowd as well and there is no better feeling then seeing them go off to something you have just banged out ! So they can expect a set full of big tracks and full on trance!
 
Majefa had a quick catch up with Italian trance producer Manuel Le Saux and here is what he had to say....

Majefa: First of all, tell us a little bit about yourself, what do you do outside of the trance scene?

Well.. when i'm not in the studio I like playing video games on my xbox 360 . I think everybody that know's me, know's that i'm a big fan of the Call Of Duty series.

Majefa: How did you get into producing and dj’ing and who were your early musical influences?

I started dj'ing in 1989 , I was really young and i was pretty lucky to start playing in clubs at a very early age.It wasn't until much later until I started producing , sometimes with good results and sometimes not. If u ask me what I like most, I would easily say "dj'ing".

Majefa: As a producer that has been signed to record labels such as A State Of Trance, Discover, Recoverworld and DS Recordings what advice would you give to anybody thinking of getting into producing trance and what equipment do you use to produce your tracks?

Advice?? There are so many great young talented producers out there, I feel sometimes it should be me asking them for advice! If i had to give any advice to somebody that was considering a career in the dance music industry it would be to keep strong and work hard, because it's not an eay. For my productions thee software that I use is Cubase.

Majefa: You have played all over the world from Australia to Mexico and all over Europe. What has been your favourite gig of all time?

Every single party I have played at has been my favourite one, but if I had to choose one, I would say "Eurofest" in Mexico, it was amazing!

Majefa: Which 3 tunes do you love to play out and do you have a favourite tune of all time?

at the moment my favourite 3 tunes are :

Space RockerZ - Jet Packin' (Phynn Remix)
Aly & Fila - Rosaires (Giuseppe Ottaviani Remix)
Simon Patterson - F16 (Nick Callaghan & Will Atkinson 2011 Remix)

my all time favourite is Rank 1 - Airwave

Majefa: Finally as this is your Manchester debut, what can the Majefa crowd expect to hear from you in August?

Trance .... what else!! im really looking forward to playing there.

Manuel Le Saux has very kindly put together an exclusive mix for Majefa, which you can download following the link below.

http://www.elexismusic.com/dropbox/files/mlshdmix.mp3
 
Majefa caught up with UK trance producer Akira Kayosa and here is what he had to say...

Majefa: First of all do you want to introduce yourself and tell us a bit about what you do?

My name is Russell Ogden, or professionally known as Akira Kayosa, I produce all forms of Trance music from the slow Progressive stuff up to the full fan fair banging side of things (which I’m better known for...) I also perform globally with my dj sets as well as broadcasting my radio show ‘’Synthetica’’ Bi Weekly on Afterhours.FM (that’s me in a nutshell).

Majefa: You are now established as one of the UK’s top young trance producers. How did it all come about and what got you into producing / dj’ing in the first place?

I’ve been into the music since around 1997, I moved on from listening to rock music etc like AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Guns & Roses, Nirvana, great bands like that, I then progressed on and replaced Lead guitars with Lead synth’s, I had a good mate that had a small setup at home when we was at school, which really got me into the djing side of things in around 1998/9, so I myself got a small belt-drive setup to start with hehe (those were the days).. When I left school in the UK I moved down to New Zealand, where I met a guy called Leighton Smith, He worked in and around Australasia playing all the big touring UK brands, like MOS, Slinky, Gatecrasher as well as doing the weekly circuit in Auckland, he took me under his wing, even gave me my first set at 17 years old. I kind of decided then and there this is what I want to do. I moved back to the UK a couple of years later to pursue things here, the rest is history as they say...
Majefa: As a UK based artist who has been signed to some of the biggest labels in the business such as Flashover, Blackhole, Bonzai, Alter Ego and Spinnin what advice would you give to anybody thinking of getting into producing. What equipment do you use to make your tracks?

Some little pieces of advice I can share...which might be of use, you decide, It’s like anything these days and especially in music production, its ever evolving, you Never! Stop learning.

It’s good to set realistic goals, small steps along the way in an overall bigger picture. If you don’t have these where are you heading?

It’s good to have a sound, but don’t rinse it, if your format is good and works, why make every track the same? This will last for a period if ignored but in the end it will die, as will your bored listenership, keep things fresh, the trance spectrum itself is huge these days, from 128bpm up to 140bpm, so mix things up.

Determination and grit are key, getting to a pro standard won’t happen overnight, you need to have patience and persist in what you’re doing, ultimately you will get out what you put in. Always believe.

At the moment I produce my records on Cubase & Reason with selected hardware (Virus TI, JP8080, Micro Korg, Bass Station) amongst other Vsti and programs.



Majefa: You have played in Europe and for some of the big brands in the UK including Gatecrasher, Passion, Digital Society and in August it will be your third time playing for Majefa. Is there any gigs that stand out for you and any random incidents happened when you have been dj’ing?

Hehe, well as you well know Antonio there has been some funny incidents even over the space of the last year! Which I probably can’t go into for this interview, however, there never seems to be a dull moment or shortage of things going on in club land does there? If my night doesn’t involve a car crash getting to the gig or something silly along those lines then things aren’t normal!


Majefa: For someone that has risen through the ranks within the trance scene over the last couple of years, is there any artists that you can see emerging as potential ‘future heroes’?

Erm there is a good heap of great new producers coming through as ever which is always good and keeps things healthy, Guys like Jordan Suckley, Hugh Tolland, Garry Heaney, Michael Dow, Ben Gold, to name a small few. On the Dj’ing side of things in the UK, I think the guys at the moment building on-top of the profiles they already have are identifying themselves as the next generation guys, and ultimately the future heroes!


Majefa: What do you have in the pipe line, anything interesting happening in the world of Akira Kayosa?

Indeed always busy here, something which just seems to keep on growing and growing, there isn’t enough hours in my day! Currently been working hard in the studio, new releases just out on Mondo Records & on Activa’s excellent Borderline imprint, some new international debuts coming up soon which we will be announcing, so it’s exciting times indeed. I’ve signed a new track to the legendary Dutch label Black Hole recordings with Bevan Miller & Carly Kling, as well as forthcoming projects on Perceptive recordings with Hugh Tolland & the fabulous Stine Grove. On top of all that I hope to start work on my Debut album during the winter fall, so that’s what’s on the radar at the moment [Symbol]


Majefa: Finally what can the Majefa crowd expect from you in August, anybody on the line up that you’ll be sticking around to see dj?

Well, having played at Majefa for the last couple of years, I love the event and the crowd, I will put some thought into what I will be playing and hopefully have people come away from the night with a performance to remember that I can assure you!

To give you an idea of what to expect from Akira, he has kindly put together the sets he has previously performed at Majefa. You can get them here;

http://www.akirakayosa.com/news/akira-kayosa-majefa/
 

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