The DJs Of 2010: Renaissance Man & Mowgli

Part one of our look at 2010's hottest talent

Times have changed since the word DJ would primarily muster images of Pat Sharpe’s bushy bonnet labouring over Smash Hits vinyl. Now it’s the precursor of an electronic illuminati, a beat-matching youth, that are set to leave a path of basslines and reverbs quivering through 2010.

This week we will be looking at the ten best that will be pounding your tymphanic membranes this year, first up: Renaissance Man and Mowgli.

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Renaissance Man

As far as journey’s go, few travel from middle class banality to turntable stardom quite like the dynamic Finnish duo of Jaxxon and Downtown (Renaissance Man). Both working as skivvies in a Helsinki architecture office, they seized the opportunity of having first view on early plans for a new city nightclub and immediately booked their first, and now cult, European club night NOW!. In the face of financial strife and inexperience, they cemented their night as the city’s house music hangout a la mode. Naming themselves after the creative types that began to invade their social circles, Renaissance Man began to create their own productions, honing their skills alongside NOW! guest DJ’s like Brodinski, Riva Starr and Duke Dumont. A style was born, of kickdrums and D.I.M style build ups for the night scenes of Helsinki, only to quickly travel further afoot with Pete Tong, Tiga and Annie Mac championing the Renaissance sound.

Their second and most complete release thus far, ‘Spraycan EP’ (listen below), dropped in April on Switch’s dubsided label, causing a worldwide awakening to this new house pairing. Two singles, a relocation to Berlin and a signature scramble from Kitsune later, we’re looking at two European house pacesetters. Viva la Renaissance!

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Mowgli

Sometimes you ask a musician how they would describe their music, and they fire back with genre adages and babbling musical colloquy. Mowgli’s reply was “Sexy, sexy, sexy!”. You can see how this will go. It isn’t to say Mowgli is a maniacal disc jockey that mumbles irrelevant utterances when faced with genuine questions, it’s more that he takes it all with a pinch of salt. Good music talks for itself. Mowgli’s screams in your face like a pilled up clubber initiating conversation by the speakers.

The Cincinnati based DJ has spent 2009 building the foundations: starting his own label (Deadfish) and initiating a staggering world tour that took him to Australia, South Africa and Brazil to name just a few. The release of his frantically paced ‘London To Paris EP’ (listen below) had Crookers declaring “Nu Scoala!”, with Mowgli showcasing his own techniques for peaks and risers in what could possibly be described as ‘bastard house’. And when I say bastard, I really just mean aggressive, but in a bandwagon genre christening manner. And to come from this sexy, sexy, sexy DJ? “Club singles coming on my label DeadFish regularly throughout 2010, plus a new single called “Can’t Stop Singing”. It’s going to be a little different from what I have done so far, it’s a bit more pop. I wanted to see if I could do a proper song… I think I can”.

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