NIGHTS OF THE TEMPLAR

A teen on the Minneapolis rave scene of the late-90's, by 16 Ryan Smith was duly obsessed with house and techno music. Thus started his ongoing love affair with dancing and clubs. But it wasn't until moving to New York in 2006 that he took his love of the music in the direction of DJing and promoting. Noting that many of the city's gay dance clubs were playing surprisingly homogenous music, Ryan was inspired to push that envelope. Combining forces with DJ Ron Like Hell, Ryan started DJing at "Rocket," a party night they collaborated on at Hose in the East Village that became popular for its distinctive mix of classic and forward-thinking house and disco. Later he co-conceived and DJ'd the Soffitta70 parties at the Public Assembly Loft in Williamsburg, combining house and techno music with psychedelic art, and drawing a vibrant and eclectic young dance crowd. The sound Ryan and Ron created for these parties caught the attention of Catz 'n Dogz, and Electronic Music Bears, Honey Soundsystem, and most recently Beats in Space leading to the duo's tailoring exclusive podcasts for all of them.

Ryan's penchant for deep, sexy, soulful rhythms with a decidedly forward edge soon brought him DJ gigs in San Francisco (with Honey Soundsystem), DC at U Street Music Hall, in London (Dalston Superstore w/ Optimo, Vogue Fabrics with Severino, and Butt Magazine (Berlin and London with Dj Sprinkles and Boris), and in Berlin (Cocktail D'amore) as well as one of New York's most popular dance clubs and parties, from the legendary Saint At Large Black Party at Roseland Ballroom to Santos Party House and nights such as the legendary Bunker, the cutting-edge techno night in Brooklyn.

As a DJ, Ryan continues pushing the dance music envelope with deep sweat-inducing rhythms at his latest monthly ventures, "Wrecked," in a defunct bakery in New York with cohort Ron Like Hell. Wrecked has also teamed up with Bunker in order to present nights at Output playing along such talent as Prosumer, Murat Tepeli, Kim Ann Foxman, Boris, Honey Soundsystem and Bunker Resident Miker Servito. During the day, Ryan is an agent at The Windish Agency where he represents such distinguished talent as Roman Fluegel, Steffi, Bicep, Daniel Avery and Optimo. His mission day and night - make people move!