Smok a.k.a. Juha Moisala was born and raised in Oulu,
the most populous city in Northern Finland. He first became
interested in electronic dance music in the late ’90s while
visiting local events and from then on house music has played
a big part in his life, both as a DJ and as an artist.
During this time he has developed his own distinct style
which borrows influences from the Northern Finland electronic music scene.

He made his first public performance as a DJ at a local club
and since this first gig in 2002, he has played in numerous
clubs and parties. A few years into DJing, he became
interested in producing his own music. In his own productions
he has focused on deep house and the first release on Audiotonic Music
was supported by names such as Shur-I-Kan and Funk D’Void.

Despite his love for house music he has developed a more
versatile musical taste over the years and as a DJ you
might hear him play dance music from deep and soulful house to drum’n'bass.

Poussez is the electronic bastard child of Artizan Music’s Jafar & Maxime Cescau. Their modern DeepTech sound, has appeared on many reputable imprints including Toolroom, Neurotraxx Deluxe, 3AM, Huddtraxx, LoudEast, Blacksoul, Universal Vibes, Pins&Needles, Berwick Street and of course Artizan. They’ve remixed peeps like Rithma, Pete Dafeet, Erafaan Pearce, Terry Farley and Blacksoul, collaborated with Demarkus Lewis, been remixed by the esteemed Atjazz, Roberto Rodriquez, Claire Ripley, Moodymanc, Kris Wadsworth, Nacho Marco and still find time to run the Artizan Music label, Uptownboogiedown parties and laugh like the funtime crazy madmen they are. All in all, solid gold testament to their fond place in the hearts, minds and earlobes of DJs and clubbers alike.

Now causing even more of a ruckus with their unique take on the nu-disco sound, Poussez are also behind the Champion Standard imprint and are exclusively represented for the world by the fine folks at Caroline Dunkley Management..

For Bookings, Press and Artist Management, please contact Caroline Dunkley c.dunkley101@virgin.net

For further info:

www.poussez.co.uk

www.beatport.com/artist/poussez

Head of the Artizan Music label with production partners Jafar (Jafar & Touch) and Maxime Cescau, Andy Touchfingers has an extremely rich musical heritage. A veteran turntablist, keys player and tutor, he heads up both the Artizan Soul offshoot and directs the musical vision for Poetiquette, when he’s not mentoring the next musical generation along the true path. Andy began his DJ career in the Drum and Bass scene, running the Odysee imprint, that played host to Source Direct and D&B pioneer Rupert Parkes (Photek). In addition to his output for Artizan, his house material has appeared on respected imprints like Hustle Music, Universal Vibes and Tonecontrol, whilst his keys skills are becoming increasingly in demand by other producers in the industry. Andy keeps his sanity by living in leafy St.Albans and digesting fantasty books by the dozen. Its secretly felt he may be a jedi knight.

For Bookings, Press and Artist Management please contact paul@simpaticomusic.com

Further info:

www.myspace.com/andytouchfingers
www.myspace.com/artizanmusicbase

The zeroes continue to be a curious and morphing time for music and DJ culture. There is no denying computers have blown the gates wide open to new talent, and we are naturally all for that, but dear readers, if your humble author has but one minor gripe, she can’t help but notice that so many would-be stars seem more intent on cultivating their social networks, blogs and fashion aesthetics, than putting in the real graft. How about 10,000 hours of graft? That, it is said, is the time it takes to be a true master at anything. 10,000 hours.  Mastery does not need to shout, it speaks in and of itself. Thus, at a barely audible whisper, we quietly and humbly proclaim it to be with Artizan Music‘s co-director Jafar. A veteran DJs Dj, turntablist, producer and die-hard vinylist for 17 years, Jafar has never been one to rest on his laurels – As obsessed with his key-matching, cutting and blending, as he is in unearthing rare Deep House, Techno, Funk and Disco gems.

Behind over 100 releases and remixes on reputable imprints like Toolroom, HuddTraxx, Neurotraxx Deluxe, 3AM, LoudEast, Hustle Music, Hydraulix, Blacksoul and of course Artizan, Jafar is also known as one-half of the much-loved production duo Poussez, alongside partner in Label crime Maxime Cescau. The duo have collaborated with Demarkus Lewis, Funky Transport, Marcus Begg and Rich Medina, whilst counting Roberto Rodriquez, Nacho Marco, Andreas Saag, Kris Wadsworth, Claire Ripley, Moodymanc and Atjazz amongst the artists re-interprating them..

Originally a drummer before taking to Djing, Jafar, of both Polish and Scottish decent, firmly holds his beloved antique-dealing parents to blame for his over-consumption of Chilean red wine. Usually found pogo-ing behind the DJ booth and cutting it up like a badman, he used to live in Sweden on a road whose name translates to ‘Butter Street’, wears lots of stripey jumpers and has a severe Sushi addiction…send medication please.

For Bookings, Press and Artist Management please contact: c.dunkley101@virgin.net & paul@simpaticomusic.com

For further info:

www.poussez.co.uk

www.myspace.com/jafarshouse

Head of the Artizan Music label with production partners Jafar & Andy Touchfingers, Maxime Cescau has been DJ’ing and producing since the early 90s. Of French / German decent, he moved around a lot in his youth, cutting his Djing teeth on both the Chicago and San Francisco circuits before setting up home in London. His writer aliases include Tonrausch, Waxjackers, Ewok, Toastburglar and of course Poussez with Jafar. A dextrous and accomplished sound engineer, Maxime is allergic to peanuts, likes walking around in his underwear and has an unhealthy fear of horses. Feed him cold corona’s for maximum effect.

For further info:

www.maximecescau.com

www.poussez.co.uk

http://www.facebook.com/maximecescau

Formerly ‘Rare Unit’, the 8 piece live outfit Poetiquette have been synonymous with Artizan’s bosses Jafar and Andy ‘Touch’fingers, since Rare Unit’s first three releases on the Kwaito Recordings imprint back in 2003. Since then, the group has developed considerably into a collective of seasoned musicians now boasting drummer Toby Goodman (Kid Creole & The Coconuts/ Beverley Knight / Anna Krantz) and bassist Pete Billington (Alison Moyet/ Jamie Cullum).  Poetiquette calls upon a rich musical heritage and diversity, something that contributes greatly to both their live sets and studio works. Poetiquette are:

HANNAH KHEMOH – Lead Vocalist, Lyricist
ANDY TOUCHFINGERS – Keys, Production, Lyricist, Backing Vocals, Tour DJ
JAFAR – Turntablism / Dex n Effex, Production, Tour DJ
DEBORAH CLARKE – Vocalist
KAI ADDAMS-LAMBERT – Vocalist
EMMA BROWN – Vocalist
ADAM BUCKELL – Guitar
TOBY GOODMAN – Drums, Percussion
PETE BILLINGTON – Double & Electric Bass

With session work from:
MARCUS BEGG – Vocalist
EUAN TEES – Trumpet & Flugal Horn
ANTONI ‘ZUIT’ GRALAK – Trumpet
PRZEMEK BOROWIECKI – Percussion
ADAM STODOLSKI – Double Bass

Following the ‘Lyrically Speaking’ long player in 2008, Poetiquette will be dropping a second album on Artizan Soul, later in 2009. Lead singer Hannah Khemoh also features on Poussez’s Passin Thru’ on Tonecontrol music, in between her solo and session work for the Reel People.

Further info:

www.myspace.com/poetiquettelive
www.myspace.com/artizanmusicbase

Jafar and Andy ‘Touch’fingers met over a mutual love of fantasy novels, electronic beats and endless rounds of blackjack one rainy Saturday afternoon. The original men behind the Kwaito Recordings imprint, started Artizan Music in 2005, soon welcoming production partner Maxime Cescau into the fold the following year. Alongside their various solo doodlings and additional collaborative projects, Jafar & Touch’s releases can be found on labels like Hustle Music, Universal Vibes and ToneControl, when they’re not busy remixing Artizan’s own output from Demarkus Lewis, Pete Dafeet or Terry Farley. Andy is a demon keys player and steadfast vinylist, he enjoys a good book and does an uncanny impression of Gollum after a few polish vodkas. Jafar is equally fond of the black stuff, goes running in stupidly tight man leggings and once sang in the sistene chapel.

For further info:

www.myspace.com/jafarshouse
www.myspace.com/andytouchfingers

Alongside the likes of Adam Bayer, Cari Lekebusch, Lindströmm, Samuel L. Session and Style of Eye, Göteborgs infamous Andreas Saag, AKA Swell Session ranks as one of the most prolific producers to come out of Scandanavia this last decade. His remixes on artists as varied as Ennio Morricone, Jimpster, London Elektricity and Susumu Yokota, found instant favour with Gilles Peterson, Carl Cox and Laurent Garnier. Andreas was soon signed to key imprints such as Compost, Exceptional, Undercover, INFRAcom, Flower, Slip N Slide, G.A.M.M and of course Freerange. Jimpster’s ever-popular label released both Swell Session’s pivotal ‘Art of No-State’ Album and a string of singles, including remixes from Charles Webster and Jamie himself. A true pro.

CLICK HERE FOR ANDREAS SAAG ‘WORLD OF DEEPNESS’ BLOG

EZLV, aka French-Canadian DJ/producer duo Ezekiel and Louis Vee met, whilst furiously working the DJ circuit in the blossoming 1990′s rave scene, back in their native Montreal. Almost two decades later and they are producing sweet, sumptious deep and tech-house, inspired by the likes of Anja Schneider, Matthew Dear and Ricardo Villalobos.  With a few choice EP’s already out via Eclectic, Trendy Mullet, Assymetric, BM Slim and Electronic Petz they contacted us with a gorgeous three-tracker. We simply couldn’t refuse.

If you are fans of Motor City Drum Ensemble and Kris Wadsworth, we are sure EZLV will be right up your street! Look out for more EPs forthcoming on Artizan from these crazy french swingers. Warning though, don’t feed them bloody mary’s after 10am.

CLICK HERE FOR EZLV ONLINE

Demarkus Lewis is a driving force behind todays deep house sound and a key player in the evolution of its future. From his beginnings as a dj in 1990 to the commencement of his production career in 2000, he had already established himself as a favourite in his home town of Dallas, Texas. Couple that with over sixty quality releases over the last seven years and it becomes clear why he is so in demand globally today. His trademark chord structures, pads and tracky grooves ranging from deep and soulful to techy and electronic, have found their way on to labels such as Moods and Grooves, BlueM, Roam, Alluv, Nightshift, Vista, Brique Rouge, Grab, Nordic Trax, Lowdown, Freaked, Guesthouse, Shack, Flat n Round and of course Artizan. Demarkus recently collaborated with Jafar and Maxime on the ‘Passin thru’ project for the Tonecontrol label. He is currently residing in London and is prone to beatboxing on his answer machine. Officially the tallest man in deep house.

Further info:

www.myspace.com/demarkus