SAHRA presents Armand Van Helden

Who they are

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  Armand Van Helden

  New York City · 3 bookings since Oct 2023

  “Until he began branching out in 1996 with a barrage of album productions and remix classics (several of which were heard by more people than the originals), Armand Van Helden was one of the best-kept secrets in house music, recording for such labels as Strictly Rhythm, Henry St., Logic and ZYX.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Until he began branching out in 1996 with a barrage of album productions and remix classics (several of which were heard by more people than the originals), Armand Van Helden was one of the best-kept secrets in house music, recording for such labels as Strictly Rhythm, Henry St., Logic and ZYX. Afterwards, he became one of the top names in dance music altogether. As one in the steady progression of top in-house producers for Strictly Rhythm during the early '90s, Van Helden joined such names as Todd Terry, Erick Morillo, Roger Sanchez, Masters at Work and George Morel to record scores of club hits. By the late '90s, a clutch of crucial remixes and several albums made Van Helden's name as one of the most popular producers around. Van Helden spent time in Holland, Turkey and Italy while growing up the son of an Air Force man, and listened to music from an early age. He bought a drum machine at the age of 13 and began DJing two years later, mostly hip-hop and freestyle. Based in Boston while attending college, Van Helden proceeded to moonlight as a DJ; though he settled into a legal-review job after graduation, he quit his job in 1991 to begin working on production for the remix service X-Mix Productions (founded by his future manager, Neil Pettricone). Van Helden also owned a residency at Boston's Loft, and soon made it into one of the most popular nightclubs in the city. After playing one of his production demos for the dance A&R guru Gladys Pizarro in 1992, Van Helden released his proper debut single, Deep Creed's "Stay on My Mind," for Nervous Records. Later that year, Van Helden released "Move It to the Left" by Sultans of Swing, his first single for the premiere American dance label Strictly Rhythm. Though a moderate club hit, the single was eclipsed by another Strictly Rhythm offering, 1994's "Witch Doktor." It became a dancefloor hit around the world and introduced him to a larger club audience. Although he had remixed Deee-Lite, Jimmy Somerville, New Order, Deep Forest and Faithless, a reworked version of Tori Amos' "Professional Widow" hit the clubs with the same impact as his "Witchdoktor" single. During 1996-97, Van Helden became the name for forward-thinking pop artists to recruit for remixing duty from the Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson and Puff Daddy to Sneaker Pimps, C.J. Bolland and Daft Punk. His own-name singles productions continued unabated, with hits like "Cha Cha" and "The Funk Phenomena," plus the release of his first album, Old School Junkies. Following a 1997 Greatest Hits retrospective, Van Helden returned to his old-school rap roots with the party breakbeat album, Sampleslayer...Enter the Meatmarket. The 2 Future 4 U EP followed in 1998, and in mid-2000 Van Helden returned with Killing Puritans.
  Discography ↗
  Their RA profile lists Defected Records, Housesession Records, Magnetic Recordings and Dim Mak.

  Recently at NOIR NY · often with die Beats, Bernau, Birgit und Bier, none of them here that night

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  Makadsi

  Beirut, Lebanon · 60 bookings since Aug 2023

  “Makadsi continues to impress.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Makadsi continues to impress. This Brooklyn-based DJ/Producer, hailing from Zahle Lebanon, owns the underground scene with his signature sound merging Arabic influences over cross-genre sets. He is a resident and co-founder of FUNCTION, a space where he has cultivated a dance floor that honors the natural, vibrant diversity of New York City. NY’s BASEMENT dubbed Makadsi as the “rave activator”. 2025 saw Makadsi deepen his footprint across Europe. He returned to Glastonbury for a second year, this time on the IICON stage, and debuted at Horst Arts & Music Festival in Belgium. Summer took him from Honey Dijon's Chinois in Ibiza to Geggen x Pornceptual for Berlin Pride, Body Movements in London, the main stage at Madrid's MADO Pride, and Adonis for London Pride. French-German network ARTE profiled him for their Tracks series, spotlighting how he threads Arabic divas through techno beats. Back stateside, he played in the iconic Texas room for the 4th Annual Wire Festival in Brooklyn, NY further cementing his role in the heart of the city's underground. 2024 was no less impressive, with Makadsi’s debuts in Ibiza at Palmarama, Glastonbury Festival's iconic NY Downlow stage, Berlin's Pornceptual, Honey Dijon’s House Nation in Brooklyn, and NITSA's 30th birthday in Barcelona. 2023 was nothing short of monumental for Makadsi, taking FUNCTION on the road alongside Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour. As the Creative Director and architect for the Renaissance album and Renaissance World Tour, he booked opening DJ acts featuring familiar darlings of the Queer Underground scene (Arca, Shygirl, and more). He ended the tour with his own opening set for Beyoncé's last show in Kansas City. Topping off the year, Makadsi opened for Madonna’s Celebration Tour in Brooklyn.
  SoundCloud ↗

  Recently at Paragon, BASEMENT, The Chocolate Factory · often with Sterling Juan Diaz, Dangerous Rose, FASHION, none of them here that night

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  DJibouti

  New York City · 11 bookings since Mar 2024

  “NYC based house producer and disc jokey.”

  their own biography

  Their RA profile lists ad Sol, God Gives Records and UNDERGROUND SOUND.

  Recently at Nublu 151, Elsewhere · often with Stixx, Stretch Your Legs, B&H, none of them here that night