GREYMATTER

Unique Uncut / Samurai FM / Basement Soul

Greymatter aka Graham Luckhurst is a highly diverse DJ, producer and radio host. He is best known as the front man/host of our radio show on Samurai FM and the touring Mr Bongo Soundsystem.

He is also the founder of the Unique Uncut collective/record label and the Basement Soul club session. His dancefloor focussed sound fuses all forms of soulful music from all era's; disco, boogie, broken, other electronic music, dance/deep jazz, deep funk, latin, hip hop, samba, african, world and more....freestyle soul music.

G has over 10 years DJing experience and has played at the highest level worldwide alongside the likes of Gilles Peterson, Orbital, Domu, DJ Yoda, Rainer Truby, Benji B, DJ Marky, DJ Patife, The Nextmen, Howie B, Omar, Fink, Andy C, 4Hero, Koop, Marcelo D2, Fingathing, Danny Breaks, Wajeed, Mark de Clive Lowe, Evil Nine and many more. Venues and festivals include WOMAD (UK), The Jazz Café (London, UK), The Big Chill Bar and Festival (UK), Cargo (London, UK), Loop (Tokyo), Sugarfactory (Amsterdam), MTV Awards (Portugal), carnival parties in Brazil and NYE parties in Beijing, China in 2007. He also appeared and was interviewed on Gilles Petersons BBC Radio 1 show last year in connection with Basement Soul and very recently was invited to record a show for Diesel U:Music.

His solo productions are ramping up gradually, releases featuring Lyric L and Emma Brammer are out now and follow the acclaimed Basement Soul: Sounds From The Floor Volume 01 compilation CD that was released in April last year, all on Unique Uncut. His debut album will be released in late 2008/early 2009.

G's website is at www.djgreymatter.co.uk

LADY JANE BONGO

Having worked at Universal Music, Zomba Records, run her own artist management agency 'Siren' and now Label Manager of Mr Bongo Records, Jane's influences and record collection span a wide range of genres. Her set's range from classic Brazilian, Latin and Afrobeat and hip hop and funk from around the globe.

Jane has played at various clubs in Brighton and London as well as worldwide gigs including MTV Awards in Portugal 2005, and in 2006 - Recife Carnival in Brazil, Womad, Braziliant, A Rum Do to name a few, as well as supporting Gilles Peterson and DJ Marky.

She has a residency at the Big Chill Bar in London's Brick Lane. She is one of only a few female DJs in the UK playing Brazilian and Latin party tunes, mixed with hip hop from all over the world

Jane's Myspace page is here

KEV LUCKHURST

2 x UK DMC Finalist / Unique Uncut / SamuraiFM

Kev is the man behind the Brazilian Beats 'n' Pieces album and Wildstyle Lesson cutup on Mr Bongo.

He is a turntablist with a difference in that he plays Hip Hop, Soul, Disco, Funk and Rare Groove alongside Latin, Boogaloo and Dancefloor Jazz in a very unique way. Guaranteed to rock a party for both music heads and mainstream audiences alike.

Kev has been Djing since the age of 13 and in clubs and venues since 16. He has supported a wealth of artists including De La Soul, Omar, Fun Lovin Criminals, Ugly Duckling, People Under The Stairs, Jehst, Mr Thing, Blak Twang, Andy C, Woody and DJ Yoda to name but a few. His first attempt at the DMC world DJ championships was in 2003 when he reached the UK final, and in 2005 he placed 3rd in the UK Final. The future could see him bettering it. He has also appeared on Radio 1and hosts the Mr Bongo Radio show on SamuraiFM with brother Greymatter.

Also a producer, Kev primarily makes soulful beat heavy hip hop. Be sure to check out his remixes and edits on the Brazilian Beats n Pieces album and solo productions coming later this year

Click here for a YouTube video snippet or here for Kev's Myspace page.

BEN MITCHELL

Sao Benitez / Mr Hermano / Mitchell & Dewbury

Bens DJ sets are renowned for their uplifting blend of Latin flavours, batucadas and funky soulful percussive vibes that reflect his own productions. He has played world wide, most recently at the Favela Chic - Paris, The Venice Film Festival, Movement -Toronto, One Happy Cloud - Athens and the Loop - Tokyo. At the end of last year Ben played at the MTV Awards in Lisbon as part of the Mr Bongo DJs. He has recorded various radio shows for Jazz FM, Bat FM, Milk Radio, Radio Shabuya, Tokyo and currently has a show on B-Live Radio

As a producer Ben has worked with artists such as Terry Callier, the Lo Fidelity All-Stars, Faze Action and Afrobeat legend Bukky Leo. His own projects include Sao Benitez whose remixes of Masters At Work, Paula Lima, Samantha Mumba and Jimmy Smith have all been club anthems in their own right and can be found on the Sao Benitez album ‘Elemental’ released on Mr Bongo. He has also produced an album with Brighton DJ legend Russ Dewbury called "Rapping with The Gods"

MR BONGO

Founder of the Mr Bongo empire, David "Mr Bongo" Buttle has an enormouse and diverse record collection spanning most genres and most countries.

He has has played all over the world including the Mambo Inn, Blue Note Japan, Yellow Japan, Favela Chic France, The Jazz Cafe and AKA London, Union Brighton, Drum Rhythm Amsterdam, Elysee Montmartre, MTV European Dance Music Awards Portugal, BBC Radio One, festivals and carnivals in Brazil and a fair few others over the years.

Musically Mr Bongo can play anything from hip hop to reggae to jazz, but he is most renowned for spinning an eclectic mix of Brazilian; funk carioca, bossa, batucadas and samba soul and funk old and new

BRAZILIAN BEATS BROOKLYN DJs

Greg Caz & Sean Marquand

Brazilian Beat Brooklyn is a club night first started by DJ Sean Marquand in June of 2001 at Black Betty in Williamsburg, New York, initially as a way to share the music he'd bought during a two-year period living in Salvador, Bahia.

As the months went on, the party began to take shape with the arrival on the scene of Claudio Meduza and, eventually, Greg Caz. The Sunday night weekly's focus gradually shifted from its psych/Tropicalia origins to a samba-rock groove.

At the same time, Caz's use of traditional samba dancefloor killers further upped the intensity and energy of the party, and the party's reputation began to spread. A series of promotional mix CDs, beginning with 2003's now-classic "Baile Funk Vol. 1," made their way around the world and brought further notoriety.

After four eventful years, Brazilian Beat Brooklyn now stands as the duo of Marquand and Caz, with Meduza making appearances on special occasions.

Along with Mr Bongo Greg and Sean are responsible for compiling the 'Brazilian Beats: Brooklyn' compilation on Mr Bongo Records and they will be touring the world over the next year with their boxes of Brazilian gems to promote the album.