MX Review of 2011 - A year for Drum and Basslines, KrisisDnB and as a DJ all over Europe

Before I start on 2011, it has to be said that the last 2 years have been a massive turning point for me. Not only have I been to so many different countries both to visit and as a DJ, but I have also met a lot of good new friends along the way.

The start of 2011 saw me in the UK for a month to finish work at Amelco. I had a good time there and helped to implement a lot of projects including the Jboss ATS system. However IT has been boring me for a good few years now and I was itching to get away from it.

That opportunity came in February. After a few months planning from the UK, it was time to launch Drum and Basslines in Ukraine. With a huge amount of help from Fade and Mnial in Kyiv, we managed to pull off a successful first event. Not easy for any of us especially as I was living in the UK during all of the planning and promotion for the party. It was evident at the party that a new beginning had started. A lot of very happy people, good music, and people for a month after the party asking us when there would be another one! Making a handful of international DJs and MCs on the way the Ukranian capital saw something they had never seen before.

Then time to visit my friend Alex in Tbilisi, Georgia! I had an amazing week in Tbilisi and the surrounding areas, and felt the hospitality of the Georgian people. They really do have a lovely country with wonderful people.

As I have done for the last few years it was then up to Minsk in Belarus for 3 months. This time staying with Sergey and his brother Alexandr just outside of the centre I had to get back used to russian food, but also to show them some of what we eat in the UK. The 3 months always passes too fast with DJ bookings in Minsk, Gomel, Bobruisk, Novopolotsk, and Molodechno, and before I knew it was just 1 last party for my birthday in Minsk. The second Drum and Basslines party and was very happy to be able to bring Mutated Forms to play alongside me before I headed back to Kyiv.

Still plenty do do over the next month with another trip this time in the summer to Georgia to visit Alex and my new friends there including David Noise and everyone at the Hangar Bar in the centre who once again made me feel very welcome.

Another promise I made a few years ago was to visit Esa-Pekka up in Finland. We managed to do this in June and got the opportunity to headline 2 events in Helsinki!! To add to that one of Esa's friends gave me a personalised MX tattoo which I absolutely love. Hopefully I will return to Finland again during 2012.

With a quick trip to Tallinn in Estonia and Prague in the Czech Republic the summer months had been amazing.

Coming back to the UK for a few months wasnt easy, and I really didnt enjoy it, so fast-tracked the next Drum and Basslines party in Kyiv for November. The lineup turned out to be so easy to form. After meeting Raiden in Kyiv in June, and having Mutated Forms at my birthday in May, the only real question I had was which of the top class DJs and MCs from KrisisDnB could I invite. With Inertia, Ruskal, Breakneck and MC So-Low I couldnt have asked for any better! We all had an amazing few days before they returned to the UK.

Its now the 23rd December and Im back in the UK for a few days to see the family for christmas. Then its back to Kyiv for New Year and their christmas on the 7th January.

Drum and Basslines 4 is already being planned for the end of February or March 2012 in the Ukranian capital. A lineup is being formed in my head as we take Drum and Basslines into its 2nd year, and KrisisDnB into its 5th year! I dont think NeO or myself had ever realistically expected things to last as long as they have, but with steady progress, a lot of fun, and constant hard work its seen not only a radio station but now a successful international event brand formed.

Lastly but by no means least I want to thank all of my supporters and people who have seen me this year. Ive had an amazing time, and cant wait for more in 2012. As always get in touch if you would like to see me play at one of your parties. Unlike a lot of other Drum and Bass DJs I am NOT in this for the money, I do this to make YOU have a good time, and because I love the music no matter what style or genre.

I have some ideas to increase my versatility for 2012 to bring me more into the visual side of a party experience. Hopefully that will make its debut at the next Drum and Basslines party in Kyiv in March.

I hope you all have a great christmas and new year wherever you are around the world! Keep tuned to KrisisDnB, and let us know if you want to see Drum and Basslines in a city near you!


MX (KrisisDnB, Drum and Basslines, UK)
www.drumandbasslines.com
www.krisisdnb.com

Back in Kyiv, Ukraine November 2011 until.... who knows

The trip has started once again! Was not nice being back in the UK since July. Really didnt enjoy work at Amelco, far too much politics, egos and lies happening for my liking. Is no need to go into details but I wasnt happy with twisting things to try and make sure externally things were being done right. With that in mind I started writing an objective report of things within the company, improvements that could be made that would make the working environment and culture much better. I sent that to my boss last week when I made it clear I didnt want to be in the office any more. If that meant I left or continued in a support role from here didnt make any difference to me, as the longer I stayed in the UK the worse my money and morale was getting!! Sounds crazy but it was true!

So once again the Drum and Basslines party in Kyiv was my gateway to get away from all the shit and enable me to build up my wounded morale and inside happiness.

So the party here in Kyiv on friday... well yet again it will be something that I wont forget for a long time. It was fantastic to be able to bring Ruskal, Breakneck, Inertia and So-Low over here and they have all gone back wanting to come again. Topping things off bringing Aleksandr from Mutated Forms here for the first time and Chris (Raiden) back and having someone as famous in the DnB scene as Raiden sms me saying it was one of his favourite parties this year gives me a lot of satisfaction. The Drum and Basslines parties have not been organised me alone however.. Fade and Mnial both put in a huge amount of effort to organise everything from booking Cinema Club, arranging a list of top quality Ukranian DJs, and doing virtually ALL of the local promo as well. I couldnt have asked for anything more from them as they really did work hard. Not to forget Alina who did a brilliant job of sorting out all the accomodation for us and looking after us while everyone was here.

After 5 days of entertaining everyone I wasnt as nervous seeing the uk djs go back as I was last time. Guess im really feeling at home here now. It hasnt taken long but already I am getting promoters calling me with bookings and also I got some work to do for a voiceover for a commercial so im laughing so far !!! Early days yet, I might get nothing for the next month so we will see....

More soon......

MX Drum and Bass / Breaks Tour 2011 - Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Finland, Estonia

It has already been another massive year for me, not only as a DJ, but having the opportunity to visit 3 countries I had never been to before.

Firstly I would like to say thanks to all the promoters who have booked me this year. And even more so to those that brought me back again and again ! I wish I could count the number of people who have been to see me at one (or more) of the parties I have performed at this year as it is in the thousands!

This year has been by far my most successful, and takes the number of INTERNATIONAL events I have performed at to 35 spread across 4 countries!!

And its not over yet... with a mini tour being worked on for October/November, and already bookings confirmed for 2012 I think I should get a frequent flyer card for various airlines and start collecting those air miles!

For this years tour my first stop was Kyiv, Ukraine for Drum and Basslines. The vibes were heavy, the support for the night immense, and the vodka.... well flowing ! Bringing Unknown Error with us was a bit of a leap of faith judging on his international reputation, and it worked out perfectly! I could not have asked for a better artist to perform alongside me and the other DJs and MCs from the UK. KrisisDnB well represented by Breakneck, Bartus, Projekt, Vinyl Richy Repul, Scaze and Max Fischer from Belarus, who all gave Ukraine something to be happy about. Supported by the one and only DJ Jike from Ukraine who is one of the biggest names in the country, Nickbee who is making his name better known with every new release he gets, Mnial and Fade who are both well known in Kyiv, and Playstid completing a huge lineup in just the first room! Bringing Reborn and Red Catz down from Minsk to headline the second room alongside Switch, Copaq and Detail it was a lineup of the very best.

4 days of constant party in the Ukranian capital will take a long time for the memories to go.

As those from the UK made their way home I was on my way for my first visit to Georgia to meet Alex Rayden. Even in a small country like Georgia I was always going to need more time than the few days I had. A country with so much history, countryside and landmarks to see. I decided while I was there that I needed to go back and see more!

Then my 2nd 3 month trip to Belarus... Time for the long train up from Kiev to the Belarusian capital Minsk. It didnt take long when I got there and met Sergey and Alexandr who I was staying with to work out my way around again, and for promoters to start calling me to perform at their events. I have no idea how many miles I travelled in total but it would be in 4 figures easily with sets in Minsk, Bobruisk, Gomel, Novopolotsk, and Molodechno. While I was there a plan was emerging in my head to bring Drum and Basslines to Minsk for my birthday and leaving party in May. I needed to do something different, but realised the difficulties and visa costs that would make things hard. Aleksandr from Mutated Forms was the answer I needed ! An established group of producers in the scene and based in Tallinn, Estonia meant the visa and flight costs were a lot easier than anyone from the UK. I had to bring my new friends I had made this year so Gelaz and Olly Hare who are well respected Breaks DJs in Minsk HAD to go on the lineup with my new radio partner Ricky Wild and one of our guests on the radio DJ Fader. Filling another top lineup in the second room was Red Catz who had just got back from a 2 month trip to Berlin, Reborn, Psher and Yellow_Int !

Meanwhile my housemates Sergey and Aleksandr had me making every english dish I knew while I was in Minsk so check out some of my recipies on www.cooknotes.ru !!! Back to pilmiene and bread until I come back next year hahaha.....

The next phase of my plan was to return to Georgia which I did in early June. Another good chance to see a bit more of the country and live life as a Georgian. I cant wait to go back again. Meanwhile in Kiev I met John from Queensland Australia who was over here on holiday. Some very heavy drinking nights (for me these days anyway hahaha....). Between us we both agreed that Kiev has so much potential as a city, but as a native english speaker its very hard to get around, not get ripped off, and to explore the city to the max. Weve decided to do a joint venture to build something that makes things easier for us and others coming here.

Next stop was up to Helsinki in Finland to see Dirty456. I wanted cold weather but was let down to find 30 degrees when I landed in Helsinki. First party to play at on the Saturday and a chance to meet Olli, Toni and Sami. Similar parties to those in Belarus where a variety of genres are played but everyone liked the different style of DnB which I play so I was happy. I had impressed enough to be asked to play at another party 4 days later which had the dancefloor rocking ! There was time for a day trip across the water to Tallinn in Estonia, and to top off a cool week Olli Ruikka designed and drew me my new MX tattoo!

My last week has been back in Kiev which has really been my base here since February. It is a cool city, and I think I have now worked out how to get around here and have seen everything I possibly could. Another cool party at Xlib Club to finish whats been an epic trip abroad.

Thanks to Fade, Mnial, and Alina for helping me out whenever I needed, and for showing me around. Now to start serious planning of the next Drum and Basslines event in Kiev for October time, and to finalise some more dates in my calendar for my 2012 tour. As always, if you want to book me for your party then get in touch. I dont use an agent as they are a waste of money and do very little anyway




MX (KrisisDnB, UK)
www.krisisdnb.com
www.djmx.krisisdnb.com
www.drumandbasslines.com
www.krisisdnb-djmx.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/deejay.mx
www.vkontakte.ru/krisisdnb_djmx

MX Birthday Bash 2011 - Alongside Mutated Forms - 20.05.2011

Yes thats right, its time for the next installment for event brand Drum and Basslines on its 2011 tour of Ukraine and now Belarus.

Russian promo text :

Вторая остановка Drum and Basslines - тура по Европе 2011.

После шикарной вечеринки в Киеве (Украина), с хедлайнером UNKNOWN ERROR, наша следующая остановка 20 мая 2011 - "Fabrique", лучший и крупнейший клуб Минска (Беларусь),.

Это событие особенное по нескольким причинам. Не только потому что у DJ MX День Рождения, но также благодаря специально приглашённому гостю - MUTATED FORMS, чем мы очень гордимся.

Drum and Basslines - известный бренд и промоутер вечеринок, с участием известных иностранных и локальных диджеев. Для большей информации посетите наш сайт www.drumandbasslines.com

English promo text :

Drum and Basslines tour 2011 makes its second stop in Europe. After a huge event in the Ukranian capital Kiev headlined by UNKNOWN ERROR, we bring the party to Minsk, Belarus to Fabrique, the biggest and best club in the city on 20th May 2011.

This event is special for a number of reasons, not only is it MX birthday party, but also that we are very proud to be bringing MUTATED FORMS to headline it.

Drum and Basslines is an event brand and promo group that brings big name DJs as well as the best local artists possible. Check the www.drumandbasslines.com website for more details.

Facebook event link : http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=204262999595949

Vkontakte event link : http://vkontakte.ru/event26067090

The way things are...

Time to say my views on a few things I think. Personally I dont care whether you agree with my views or not. I am putting this up on my blog as a blog is intended to be a collection of posts about a person or a theme which is exactly what my page is.

Having travelled away from the UK over the last couple of years its made me realise how the DnB scene in the uk is so riddled with politics its unreal.

On one end theres the so called larger names that appear on the top of flyers up and down the country every week. Yes a lot of them have done a huge amount for the scene in the last 20 years, but surely there is an end to someones 'shelflife'. The DnB scene seems to extend that far more than any other genre of music ive ever listened to !!

Then there is the lower end of the scene.. the 'up and comings' as they like to be known as. A million and one DJs and MCs scrabbling around for any small event they can get their names on the flyer for. I would like to think that im selective in the events I play at these days as some just simply are not worth the hassle even turning up to. 2010 was probably the first year I broke out of the 'up and coming' section and started doing what I wanted to do instead of whatever came my way. Yes there will always be events that I play at that I did not for my own benefit, but to help promote the event or a friend running it and that will always be the case.

Now I am living in Minsk Belarus it gives me a good chance to watch what happens in the UK from a distance, and in same way as I watched for the early part of 2010 it still makes me laugh how DJs and MCs I had in my studio in Southampton are exactly the same as they were 2 or 3 years ago. No vision to progress !!! I see people saying 'ooo im on flyer with XXXX (insert any well known DJ name) on XXX event'. I just think 'WOW, well done on getting yourself in 3rd, 4th, or 8th place on a flyer !!!'. Now im not one to rate any dj on their position on a flyer, and iv never been one to try and get flyer 'position' over anyone else. Where I am different to a lot of others in the UK nowadays is that Im not happy to be an 'extra' on a lineup. Thats one of the very reasons why coming here is more than just a holiday, is partly a means of my ambition to progress as a quality DJ in my own right.

Yes it may be a bit easier to come here and to get headline sets every month than it is in England, but it has got my name known to an audience from a different country and raised my profile loads. Personally I see that as a big achievement and something I am proud to be able to say I have done. There is still a long way to reach all of my goals but at this time Im happy with how things are going.

More soon !!!

MX 2011 Tour of Ukraine, Georgia and Belarus

Its started again ! 2011 and another few months out of the UK. After being hugely disappointed in May 2010 after not being able to sort the work visa I needed to stay in Belarus, ive had a few months back in the UK to sort my head out. Firstly starting work at Amelco which was a big opportunity for me to help build their helpdesk and automation strategy, test and implement their latest releases of software and to migrate to an offshore solution was an ideal situation for me to return to.

October 2010 and I met Viktor Ramonas ramdomly in London. I recognised the russian accent to his English and we instantly became friends. Nearer the end of the year I decided that with my forthcoming event in Kyiv, Ukraine coming up in Feb 2011, it was the perfect opportunity for me to make a second attempt to move to Belarus. It was not an easy decision to make as I was enjoying my work in the UK and had made a new friend who I had barely got to know properly yet. I wanted to stay at Amelco if I possibly could, and came up with a solution that I hope will work out for everyone.

Damian (Owner of Amelco) has been superb and given me the opportunity to do what I wanted, and I have promised him that I will always be part of Amelco. A sudden brainwave happened that it would be the perfect time for Viktor to take over my shift work at Amelco. Damian had always spoke about getting me off from working nights and into more of a central role, and Viktor has IT skills from his time at the University of Siberia to convince me he had the ability to learn the ropes in the same way as I did in June 2010. The only problem was going to be his English, but a mere 2 weeks after me starting my travels I have seen emails from him to various people that may not be perfect english, but are good enough for him to make a positive contribution to a small company like Amelco. I really would like to thank Damian and Leon for putting their faith in me and bringing Viktor in to assist.

Anyway the event in Kyiv was amazing. A busy club with plenty of happy faces was enough for me to say that my first event organised in the Ukranian capital was a success. Bringing Mr Gash (aka Unknown Error) couldnt have worked out any better. One of the most down to earth guys I have ever met. With a huge crew of KrisisDnB DJs from the station coming as well it was a perfect weekend full of laughs and plenty of vodka !

Monday 14th was a hard day to see Richy, Repul, Bartus, Projekt and Breakneck go for their flight back to the UK. Did I want to go with them?? Hmm maybe... but maybe not !!! I think on the balance of things they were the ones who were jealous of me staying here.

15th Feb and time to go to Georgia to finally meet with my good friend Alex Rayden. We have known each other for 3 or 4 years now and became good friends during the Russia / Georgia conflict a few years ago. I was so worried for his and his families safety. I decided then that one day I would visit and see Georgia first hand. What an amazing place with so much history ! I thought Russian was a hard language to learn (and it is!!!), but even reading the Georgian alphabet is so much harder. Fortunately a lot of signs in shops and streets are written in English which shows how international a country Georgia is. President Saakashvili has clearly spent a lot of time and money helping to make Georgia a place for not only tourists, but international businesses to find an attractive proposition. The only issue with Georgia is its disputes over South Ossetia and Abkazia. Hopefully those issues are sorted soon and Georgians can enjoy a peaceful life in their wonderful country.

6 days in the Georgian capital Tbilisi was so good. I had guided tour of the whole city by the staff in the hotel I was staying at, showing me the many castles, churches and monuments the city has, as well as the TV Transmitter and theme park that make the city stand out so much. And then meeting Alex was a mission accomplished for me after worrying about whether I would ever see him during the conflicts a few years ago. What can I say about Georgian food... WOW !!! ITS NICE !!! Dont ask me the names of anything as they al sound very similar, but what a variety of different styles of homegrown food they have!

Then it was the trip back to Kiev to then get my visa for Belarus. It was good to meet up with Alex Mnial before catching the train up to Minsk. Him and Fade have helped me and the Ukraine party at Cinema Club so much in the last few months and mean we will definately do another event at the end of the summer season.

I arrived in Minsk to meet Sergey. I had never met him before but we had spoke on Skype many times about the KrisisDnB Radio player. He had kindly offered to let me stay at his place near Minsk Arena with his brother Alex. I needed all the sleep I could get before my first headline event for this year in Bobruisk at Magnet Club where I played last year. Another wickid night with loads of girls all wanting their picture with me. Thanks to Oleg and Kieran (thats close to his name) for looking after me while I was there and for showing me around Bobruisk as well.

I have just got a text from Streamline asking me to run a few English classes for them today but I dont want to let them down and rush into things. They know my skills from a year ago, but a lot of that has been forgotten in the last few months so maybe start slowly and see how things progress. I cant wait to get back into the flow of things here but this year I want to do things differently and not be focussed just on getting the work visa like I did last year. I want to enjoy my time here and if I end up staying then all good, but if I have to leave I dont want the bad feelings I had in May 2010 when it was clear I couldnt stay.

So Andrew has now left to go to Germany for 6 weeks its all up to me to work things out here. I have always got Alex to help me and it will be good to meet Zeb again as well as everyone I met in Minsk last year. My next headline event is on 12.02 in a town called Novopolotsk which is somewhere I should have played last year if I was still here, so finaly I will get there !!!

More to come soon !!!

Pics from Georgia : http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/album.php?id=100001001114472&aid=37393

Pics from Drum and Basslines Kiev : http://www.basslineskiev.com/event.html

Pics from 25.02 in Bobruisk, Belarus : http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=100001001114472&aid=38448