FLASH feat. BEN UFO & BEN TACTIC

Every Friday FLASH will be exploring the vast world of underground dance music spanning the late 80’s to the present. Produced and curated by two of Seattle’s most respected electronic music collectives (Decibel and Shameless) FLASH will host internationally known DJs and producers, whose work has been shaping underground dance music over the past 20 years. FLASH residents Recess and Nordic Soul will be setting the tone each week with expert selections spanning their vast music collections and over 30+ years of combined experience as professional DJs in the Northwest.

April 19th, FLASH is proud to present, the Seattle debut of…

BEN UFO
Hessle Audio / Rinse.fm, London
Resident Advisor
Facebook
Soundcloud
Hessle Audio

with special guest

BEN TACTIC
Bubblin’ / Red Bull Music Academy, Portland
Facebook
Soundcloud
with FLASH residents NORDIC SOUL (Decibel) & RECESS (Shameless)
Advance tickets are $10
Doors at 9pm / 21+
@ Q Nighclub : 1426 Broadway, Seattle
ABOUT BEN UFO
As one of the co-founders of Hessle Audio, Ben UFO has been responsible, alongside Pearson Sound and Pangaea, for some of the most varied and ground breaking releases of recent years. Having become immersed in the still emerging dubstep scenes in London and Leeds in 2005, his musical taste was shaped primarily by the DMZ and Sub Dub nights taking place in those cities. However, as tastes have shifted and scenes have fragmented, Ben UFO’s approach to the music and to Hessle Audio itself has developed.

As BPMs have dropped and influences have broadened, so too has the vision of Ben UFO’s DJing. He remains one of the few DJs in the UK to have made an impact without a production career to fall back on, and as such his reputation is solely the result of his skill as a selector and as a mixer. As a result he remains in a position to fully explore sounds both old and new, across the worlds of house and garage, dubstep and grime, and further into the past. This level of commitment to the dance music of the last two decades has led to a collection of records which reflects the position London has long held as a city responsible for the constant development of forward thinking music.

This is not to say that his focus is primarily on the sounds of the old school, as Ben UFO is looked to as one of the leading figures supporting up and coming producers. He was the first DJ to play material by producers such as Blawan and Joy Orbison, both now scene figureheads, and his biweekly slot on London’s leading ex-pirate radio station, RinseFM, is considered to be one of the only places to hear the most exclusive new music by both new and established producers.

In addition to well received podcasts in magazines and websites as varied as Resident Advisor, XLR8R, Red Bull Music Academy and Fact Magazine, 2011 was the year that Ben UFO entered the world of commercially released mix CDs. His contribution to the respected RinseFM series was widely praised for its coherence despite the breadth of styles showcased, and he was placed #35 in a Resident Advisor readers’ poll to find the years best DJ. It’s a result which reflects Ben UFO’s ability to successfully present unfamiliar, experimental dance music to a diverse variety of audiences worldwide.

Ben UFO plays from 9PM – 11PM on RinseFM (www.rinse.fm / 106.8FM in London) every Thursday night.
ABOUT BEN TACTIC
Ben Tactic is a veteran dj & producer from Portland, Oregon via Kansas City. Both as a solo artist and half of the dj & production team ‘Tactic’, Ben has established himself as a versatile and forward thinking figure in the US dance music scene. Known for his great ear and ability to seamlessly move through genres and tempos, Ben’s dancefloor sensibility has taken him all over the United States. He has performed at some of the best parties and clubs in the US along with prime time appearances at festivals like SXSW
(Austin TX) and Decibel Festival (Seattle).

Ben Tactic’s production has garnered international attention with plays on London’s prestigious BBC Radio1 and KISS FM, Seattle’s KEXP and NYC’s East Village Radio. His production has made its way into the dj sets of Diplo, Sinden, Toddla T, Brodinski, Starkey, Jackmaster, Dave Nada, Cosmo Baker, J Boogie and many more. To date he has had remixes and original tracks released on labels such as Mad Decent, Dress 2 Sweat (now Numbers), Top Billin, Palms Out Sounds, Seclusiasis, Get Flavor, Rot10 Musik, and his own label Think 2wice.

In 2010 Ben, along with co-founder Lincolnup, established Bubblin; a groundbreaking event that features sounds from the house, garage, techno, UK funky and tropical bass continuum. Bubblin has become internationally recognized as one of North America’s definitive advocates for progressive club sounds. Over the years he has performed alongside genre defining artists such as Kode 9, Mt. Kimbie, Lazer Sword, Prefuse 73, Martyn, Pearson Sound aka Ramadanman, Cari Lekebusch, Africa Hitech, Jimmy Edgar, Kyle Hall, Lunice and many more.
ABOUT FLASH
Every Friday FLASH will be exploring the vast world of underground dance music spanning the late 80’s to the present. Produced and curated by two of Seattle’s most respected electronic music collectives (Decibel and Shameless) FLASH will host internationally known DJs and producers, whose work has been shaping underground dance music over the past 20 years. FLASH residents Recess and Nordic Soul will be setting the tone each week with expert selections spanning their vast music collections and over 30+ years of combined experience as professional DJs in the Northwest.

ABOUT DECIBEL : Founded in 2003, Decibel has become a unique platform for exposing attendees to leading-edge multimedia art from around the globe. With a focus on live performance, interactive multimedia art, state-of-the-art sound and technology based education; Decibel has solidified itself as one of the premier electronic music festivals and promotional organizations in the world. In fall 2012, Decibel celebrated its largest edition to date, pulling in over 26,000 attendees. Decibel will be celebrating its 10th anniversary, September 25th – 29th.

Since 2003, Decibel has hosted a diverse selection of over 850 performers from over 30 countries, including Orbital, Richie Hawtin, Moby, Diplo, Justice, James Blake, Deadmau5, Boys Noize, Amon Tobin ISAM LIVE, Autechre, Ladytron, Carl Craig, Flying Lotus, DJ Shadow, Trentemoller, Modeselektor, Green Velvet, Gui Boratto, Simian Mobile Disco, Fennesz, DJ Krush, Four Tet, Derrick May, Bonobo, Claude VonStroke, Apparat, Pantha Du Prince, Speedy J, Gold Panda, Moderat, Scuba, John Talabot, Nina Kraviz and more.

ABOUT SHAMELESS : Based in Seattle, Shameless Productions is both an event production company with a focus on emerging electronic music and a collective of performers, producers, artists, party-makers, dancers, organizers, and other skilled creatives. In 2003 Shameless started off as a weekly underground dance night in the basement of the Alibi Room and has since become one of the cities most respected underground dance music collectives by throwing numerous legendary club nights and afterparties. From day one, each Shameless party was a special one regardless of the wide ranges of genres and bookings represented. With an eye towards the cutting edge, but deep respect for electronic music’s rich history, Shameless has kept its finger on the pulse of Seattle’s underground for the past decade and yet keeps looking forward. The future looks bright as Shameless plans to launch a record label soon. In the meantime, Shameless continues to consistently produce exciting events collectively and rock parties across the region as individual artists.

A sampling of past bookings: Modeselektor (Seattle debut), Claude Von Stroke, Boyz Noize, Damian Lazarus, Egyptian Lover, John Tejada, MSTRKRFT, Smash TV, Cashmere, Dan Bell, Damian Lazarus, Drop the Lime, James Holden, DJ Assault, Justin Martin, Para One, Mike Huckaby, Jimmy Edgar, DJ Three, Deepchild, Tittsworth, J.Phlip, Eprom, Kid 606, The Flashbulb, Brodinski, Speedy J, Knife Hand Chop, Max Cooper, Dave Pezzner, JD Samson, DJ Godfather, Udachi, Christian Martin, King Britt, Derek Plaslaiko and more.
:: FLASH RESIDENT DJS NORDIC SOUL AND RECESS ::

ABOUT NORDIC SOUL : Nordic Soul has long been enamored with artistic expression, the creation of music, and the technology that fuses it all together, much to the benefit and evolution of the world of electronic music and the underground culture that surrounds it. His healthy obsession began at the age of 11 with the gift of his first guitar, got a kick in the ass with the purchase of a keyboard and drum machine during his teenage years, and continues to the present as the founder, curator and director of the Decibel Festival. Known to his friends as Sean Horton, this DJ, producer, performer and programmer brought a distinct and dirty Detroit flavor with him to Seattle in the mid-90’s and the musical zeitgeist of the city has been forever transformed by his presence.

Since Nordic Soul’s inception in 2002, he has shared the stage with a diverse cross section of international talent, including Moby, Green Velvet, Trentemoller, Simian Mobile Disco, Boys Noize, Modeselektor, Apparat, Bassnectar, Radio Slave, Four Tet, Derrick May, Moderat, Gui Boratto, Monolake, Kevin Saunderson, Thomas Fehlmann, Mount Kimbie, Matthew Dear, Appleblim, John Tejada, Cobblestone Jazz, Nosaj Thing, Luomo, Gesaffelstein and Tipper.

Nordic Soul has released music on a wide variety of labels including K Records, Buttermilk Records, Peloton and Basic_Sounds.
ABOUT RECESS: Recess has been in a long term love affair with Seattle’s underground music scene for the past couple of decades. In the late 80′s he found his second home at the long defunct Club Underground in Seattle’s University District (along with DJ Dominator aka Donald Glaude, DJ Dan and many others). During the 90s he bounced between raves, rock shows and jazz clubs appreciating the passion and community behind the scenes. Using these early experiences as a platform, he started collecting records and honing his skills at various clubs around the Northwest; quickly establishing himself as a formidable performer.

In 2006 Recess was nominated as one of Seattle Weekly’s best local DJs. His DJ sets often reflect Shameless’ aesthetic by focusing on forward thinking music while cherishing the gems of the past. He’ll span the various sub genres of house/disco music, and may weave through techno, bass and funky depending upon the party. He’s also been known to throw down a rump shaking ghettotech/booty house set at times. As an example of his range, over the years he has rocked parties with Green Velvet, Egyptian Lover, Modeselektor, Claude Von Stroke, DJ Assault, Boys Noize, MSTRKRFT, Damian Lazarus, Smash TV, Drop the Lime, John Tejada and countless others across numerous electronic music genres. His range, passion and deep understanding of the dancefloor has made him a longtime favorite underground club DJ in Seattle and the greater Northwest. Whether it’s an afterhours loft space, major club, mountaintop, or random BASSment; Recess has consistently brought the sounds and energy to fit any dance party.

Q