Mike Simonetti + Justin Strauss

Who they are

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  Mike Simonetti

  New Jersey · 22 bookings since Mar 2024

  “Jersey born, bred and based, Mike Simonetti is a man of many caps.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Jersey born, bred and based, Mike Simonetti is a man of many caps. As an artist he’s in demand both as a solo act and as one half of acclaimed techno duo Pale Blue. In the business, he’s a multiple influential label founder with 25 years of breaking bands and accelerating culture to his name. In life, he is a serial crate digger and music lover. With a steady flow of releases and remixes on his own 2MR, Manpower’s Me Me Me, Public Release, Crosstown Rebels, Correspondant peppering the sets of premiership selectors such as Dixon, Ame, Mike Servino and Maceo Plex, the 2010s have seen Mike steadily rise to prominence as one of this decade’s most consistent, exciting and innovative producers both solo and with Elizabeth Wight as Pale Blue. This is no coincidence: Simonetti’s status is the result of decades of diligent work across multiple musical movements from punk to acid house as both a DJ and label owner. In the early 90s he founded cult imprint Troubleman Unlimited, a label responsible for breaking the likes of Chromatics and Glass Candy and releasing music by Prurient, Vatican Shadow, Zola Jesus, The Walkmen, Speedking (James Murphy’s first band), Unwound, and many many more acts long before their mainstream exposure. This tastemaker trend continues throughout every label Mike has founded since retiring Troubleman and exploring more dancefloor focussed sounds: between 2007-15 he ran Italians Do It Better with Glass Candy’s Johnny Jewell, during which time it became a by-word for innovative electronic fusion. Now 2MR (2 Mikes Records co-founded with Mike Sniper and Adam Gerrard) carries the mantel for joyous unpredictability and forefront electronic fusion, encouraging the boldest and most vibrant experiments from exciting new innovators such as Savile, Bottin, John Barera and many more. Galvanizing Mike’s ahead-of-the-curve signature and reflecting his ever-broadening musical brushstrokes in the studio and reputation as an international DJ, 2MR is yet another chapter for the man of many caps: an artist, a DJ, a label owner, a crate digger, a music lover…
  SoundCloud ↗Discography ↗
  Their RA profile lists Crosstown Rebels, Italians Do It Better, Perseo, Correspondant and 5 more.

  Recently at Pianos, Gabriela, House of Yes · often with Hot Chip, Timo Lee, Panthera Krause, none of them here that night

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  Justin Strauss

  New York City · 125 bookings since Aug 2023

  “Bio Few DJs could adequately represent the last three decades of New York nightclub history - no less do so with such iconic credentials as Justin Strauss.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Bio Few DJs could adequately represent the last three decades of New York nightclub history - no less do so with such iconic credentials as Justin Strauss. Since he was 17, when his first band was signed to Island Records, Justin has had a career that reads like a Who’s-Who of the music scene, spinning at nearly every dance club that you’d ever want to go to. Starting as DJ at New York’s legendary Mudd Club, he spun his way through The Ritz, Limelight, Area, Tunnel, M.K., Life, Centro Fly and more, pioneering his own distinctive sound, and becoming one of the most sought-after remixers and producers not just in New York, but in the world. He has worked with the gamut of artists - Depeche Mode, Sergio Mendez, Tina Turner, Jimmy Cliff, B-52s, Luther Vandross, Malcolm McClaren, Skinny Puppy, Goldfrapp, to name a few (see full list) – and on over 200 records! Much of the new dance crowd that goes to hear Justin DJ today, whether at subMercer, The Standard, Highbar, Soho House, or Love, doesn’t necessarily know his history; they simply love his spinning because he always keeps them dancing and surprised, seamlessly mixing between choice classics, delectable rarities and innovative beats. For Justin, no genre or style is off-limits – he can and will mix anything, so long as he can keep the crowd enthralled. His self-proclaimed mission is “connecting the dots” between what might otherwise seem disparate musical periods and styles, while introducing exciting new sounds. He does so with infectious passion, subverting preconceptions about what’s old and new, and inspiring young DJs with his masterful skill and ever-youthful spirit. But Justin Strauss doesn’t stop there. As half of the production duo, Whatever/Whatever, he continues to produce and mix records, working on remixes for the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Beyonce, La Roux and more. In fact, he doesn’t stop at all. Like the amazing city he’s dedicatedly kept dancing since 1980, Justin just keeps going. Coming Soon. a/jus/ted . New project with Eddie Mars. 2013
  SoundCloud ↗Discography ↗
  Synth-pop on 46, Pop Rock on 21, House on 34 and Disco on 13. styles on their catalogued releases

  Released on DFA (1) and Demon Records (1); their RA profile also lists Southern Fried Records, Under the Shade, Dither Down, Plant Music and 3 more. labels on their catalogued releases and on their RA profile

  Recently at Eavesdrop, Outer Heaven, public records · often with Seth Magoon, Mike Guimond, Amelia Holt, none of them here that night