Man Power · Tony y Not

Who they are

• 

  Man Power

  Newcastle, United Kingdom · 6 bookings since Nov 2023

  “Initially it felt fairly easy to pin down the Man Power project when it started off in 2014 with a bunch of growling slo mo techno records on the likes of Correspondant, Hivern Discs and Infiné.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Initially it felt fairly easy to pin down the Man Power project when it started off in 2014 with a bunch of growling slo mo techno records on the likes of Correspondant, Hivern Discs and Infiné. However in the intervening decade we’ve seen Geoff Kirkwood continually confound expectations, whether it be via releasing Disco and Italo records (Stamp / SKINT / Eskimo), Detroit leaning Techno (Sound As, DFA, Ene Japan), straight-up House Music (Rekids, Make A Dance, ESP Institute) or, more often than not, weirdo mutations of all of those sounds and more on an impressively wide range of big and small labels. All of this before we even get into his Techno Alias MPX, his 2 Experimental Ambient albums as Bedwetter, and his creation of a full blown Orchestral Symphony with the Royal Northern Sinfonia. Since almost the very start of the project, Man Power has been found applying this mercurial method regularly as a DJ at clubs and festivals across the world ranging from the candy coloured excesses of Burning Man Festival, to the lights-off mystery of Panorama Bar, and all points in-between. Making appearances at everything from institutions like Glastonbury, Rex Club Paris, Love International, Nitsa Barcelona, Vent Tokyo, Amnesia Ibiza and Elsewhere Brooklyn, to nameless warehouses, pub-raves, pop-ups and guerrilla parties across the UK, Europe, Central & South East Asia, The USA and Latin America. In many ways it feels as though it’s taken the last 10 years just for Kirkwood to be able to get some way towards revealing the full scope of his musical breadth both as a producer and as a DJ, but despite the somewhat open-ended approach to genre it’s still possible to pick out common threads in his choices. Throughout the Man Power project there has always been an openly earnest and emotive undercurrent that is often tempered by a contrary tendency towards the arch or absurd, and while cinematic sonics and narrative indulgences are frequent motifs, they often rub shoulders with a raw, direct and unpretentious approach that arguably borders on the naïve. At the heart of it all, whether making music, playing music, releasing other people’s music via his Me Me Me label, or throwing parties around the world, the Man Power project is simply an example of someone authentically trying to explore the full extent of their creative self, and doing so in way that may not be for everyone, but which is deeply meaningful and compelling to those who feel things the same way that he does.
  SoundCloud ↗Bandcamp ↗Discography ↗
  Their RA profile lists Eskimo Recordings, BMG, PIAS, InFine Music and 6 more.

  often with Eli Escobar, Nastia Reigel, Loidis, none of them here that night

• 

  Tony y Not

  Berlin, Germany · 11 bookings since Nov 2023

  “Sprinkling her sets with everything from cheesy pop bangers to darkwave synth and acid house, Tony y Not’s razor-sharp yet free-spirited DJing empowers crowds to let loose and not take themselves too seriously.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Sprinkling her sets with everything from cheesy pop bangers to darkwave synth and acid house, Tony y Not’s razor-sharp yet free-spirited DJing empowers crowds to let loose and not take themselves too seriously. Combining discerning taste with a fun stage presence, the Zurich-born, New York based artist has graced the decks at world-leading clubs and events such as fabric, Watergate, teksupport, Stranger Than, Zamna, Public Records and Brooklyn Mirage, at festivals including Piknic Electronik Montreal, Fusion, Elements and Love Machine, and has released on some of the finest labels in electronic music (Kompakt, Nervous Records, Live At Robert Johnson, fabric records, Me Me Me and Ombra International). Her DJing style is open-minded and open-hearted, perhaps cycling through brooding cosmic disco, candied tech-trance, murky acid techno and ravey piano house, or blending bright techy acid with groovy vocal-led cuts and heart-opening indie. Drawing from the 1980s to the present day, she fluidly shifts between light and dark moods and delights in a sense of playfulness not always embraced by more serious-minded peers. The tracks she makes are similarly colourful and complex, often featuring a mid-tempo BPM, long builds and a celestial quality. They’re perfect at 2am in sweaty, laser-strewn nightclubs but work equally well at forest raves or under the open skies, dancing in the dust.   As she continues to release on ever-impressive labels, Tony y Not has been collecting the gigs to match and has found herself supporting some of her biggest heroes. Tiga, Solomun, Michael Bibi, Jennifer Cardini, DJ Tennis, Dixon, LP Giobbi, Chaos in the CBD, Ben UFO and DJ Seinfeld are just some of the artists she’s shared bills with, testament to the respect she’s won from fans and peers alike and her ability to rock any party she’s booked at. Beyond the music, Tony y Not is determined to be a force for good in the scene. Supporting other women and female-identifying talent in the industry is a cause she’s passionate about, as is the emotional and psychological well-being of artists. In 2022, she launched the Safe Spaces Series on Spotify, interviewing fellow DJs and producers about mental health in the music industry. As her DJing and productions continue to communicate what words cannot, moving bodies and capturing hearts around the globe, Tony y Not is staying true to her mission: to spread joy and uplift others, both on and off the dance floor.
  SoundCloud ↗
  Their RA profile lists Crosstown Rebels, Kompakt, Nervous Records, Live At Robert Johnson and 5 more.

  often with Jimi Jules, Acid Alien, Eve Lauren, none of them here that night