Blond:ish/ Culoe De Song/ Nikola Baytala at Output and UNCODE presents Joop Junior/ Fadeface/ Mightbeskinny/ Justin Schumacher in The Panther Room

Originally hatched in Montreal, but currently based in London, DJ's Anstascia and Vivie-Ann have established their love child globally by proving that they don't fit the quintessential stereotype. Fueled by their sharp taste-maker instincts and technical flair, Blond:ish has not only charmed the industry masses but set themselves to release on some of the most notable labels around. ??

In the last few years, Blond:ish has carved out a unique production recipe which focuses on the art of creating music that is organic and multi-dimensional.  Provocative basslines contrasted with smooth textures and sticky vocals that blend into a genre of house that rebels against being pigeonholed to any specific category.

Recent releases include their dark and mesmerizing 'Strange Attractions EP' on Get Physical and their psychedelic influenced 'Lovers In Limbo' EP on Kompakt inspired by Blond:ish's curiosity of the late 60's musical movement, Lonely Day's (with hunter/game, climbers, re.you remixes) on NM2 (Noir Music 2) being chosen as Pete Tong's essential new tune on BBC Radio 1, as well as forthcoming releases & remixes for Get Physical, Hot Waves & Southern Fried this summer/fall. 

Blond:ish's innovative and quirky reputation wasn't grown on a tree but materialized in the dark trenches of Cherry nightclub in Montreal. Anyone that has attended their parties can attest that there is something very special about this underground midweek mangle. It's the winning formula of diverse freaks, organized chaos and Blond:ish's genre defying sets that has them still holding their monthly residency since 2008.

This duo rides off each other's hefty musical knowledge and flawless technique with their diverse personas only adding to the intrigue. Anstascia's unruly demeanor and creative spark spirals against Vivie-Ann's scientific and geek-chic flair in a whirlwind of inspiration and contrast. The result is a force to be reckoned with, a vibe that transcends in the studio, behind the booth and more than anything, to the dancefloor.


Culoe's music has been described as "epic African house with a strange touch," while he sums it up as "a dramatic vibration of 'the drum'." Culoe's chords sky-write while his rhythms writhe, and more than any other SA house artist he's managed to 'successfully segue international and local sounds – mixing the best beats from both worlds.

He then joined Soulistic Music, a label founded by Black Coffee and it's been a great adventure for Culoe De Song as a member of this family. Culoe also achieved a great involvement with the Red Bull Music Academy after being selected to be one of the worldwide participants to attend the Academy in Barcelona, Spain in 2008. During that time Culoe De Song performed in places such as Club Macarena and Fellini in Barcelona.

In 2009, Culoe De Song signed under Germany's Innervisions, a family of acts such as Dixon, Ame, Henrik Schwarz releasing tracks such as "The Bright Forest", "Super Afro", and "African Subway". Also, he is now working on a number of projects as part of his emerging international introduction, including the Reggie Dokes "Let Me Go" EP released on Boddhi Satva's Offering Recordings, Belgium.

Culoe De Song is working towards making a number of world appearances and portraying the best image of what lies in the inside his heart.


DJ Nikola Baytala has become a crucial component of the minimal-techno collective known as Kontrol. But don't typecast him as a one-dimensional droid with a M-nus Records logo tattoo. He's been exploring the upper echelons of the techno/house continuum since the early '90s (including the last 10 years at The Top, a weekly event hosted by S.W.A.T., aka Special Weapons and Tactics), gaining a reputation as a DJ's DJ, with acclaim coming from house-music legends like Derrick Carter and Doc Martin. Moreover, Baytala's list of musical influences and loves is vast, eclectic, and impeccable. The following roll call just scratches the surface: dub/reggae (Lee "Scratch" Perry), jazz (Pharoah Sanders), world (Ravi Shankar, Mulatu Astatke), funk (Cymande), soul (Bill Withers), hiphop (Gang Starr), Krautrock (Can), electro (Egyptian Lover, Kraftwerk), disco (DJ Harvey), Latin (Tito Puente), soundtrack/new age (Vangelis), rock (Steely Dan), post-punk (ESG, Liquid Liquid), and post-rock (Outhud). As for his bread and butter, Baytala similarly displays excellent judgment, with a heavy preference for quality-pushers like Jeff Mills, Gas, Monolake, Robert Hood, Theo Parrish, and Mr. Fingers. When you see a DJ possess such wide-ranging, outstanding taste, it instills confidence that he/she will rarely, if ever, veer into wackness. Baytala clearly has put many hours of study into his craft, and it's paid off with smooth mixes and world-class track selection. Besides his formidable technical skills and profound knowledge, Baytala reportedly exudes a lot of personality and passion behind the decks, which must have served him well while opening for acts like Jane's Addiction. Everything I've heard by Baytala suggests that his sets avoid the supposed pitfalls of minimal dance music. They're kinetic, dynamic, and, of course, cheese-free. I can't believe I've only just recently found out about this mensch.