This thread i think its important to music fans and i think it was about time before we had such a thing in our forum. Of course the biographies will be taken from other websites, but it will be cool cause the usera will find it esiers to read them here. Now ill post some rules for this thread :

- In front of the posts you need to write the name of the artist, singer (music only ) and then write the biography
- the biography must not be too long, but not either too short
- it should contain fatcs about life, interesting facts, albums, tracks, releases, rankings
- you need to posts also an image of the artists, but medium size
- the writing must be the same on the post and on all posts, the normal writing of ti ( like the one im writing now ), so if you paste from a webiste be sure to convert the font type and number
- there must be no other posts except biographies, or they will be deleted and considered spam ( the consequences of which you know well )
- do not use short words, abbreviations, only literar language

Ok that all i guess, i hope you posts as much biographies as you can

DJ TIESTO




Born in Holland, Tiësto became a DJ because he 'liked to share music with other people. When I was younger, I'd listen to a radio show called the Soul Show, and to Ben Liebrand's mix radio program, where he would remix and cut up different tracks, and I just thought - I want to do this!' The productions came later, in 1995. 'I really wanted to produce music that I could play in my sets, because it brings much more fulfilment to the process. I bought some samplers, some computer programs, and just started working on it.' He makes it sound easy – indeed; he makes it look easy as 10 years down the line his productions consistently bother the charts and frequently reach number one around Europe.

In 1997 Tiësto, along with Arny Bink, formed Black Hole Recordings, the label that launched the hugely acclaimed Magik, In Search Of Sunrise, and Nyana mix compilations. The label grew to such proportions that in 2001 Tiësto started a sub-label, Magik Muzik. 'It's the home of records of mine, or of people whose work I really believe in,' he enthuses. 'Everything on Magik Muzik is what you'll find in my sets, which makes it more of my own little project.' Some of the gems from Magik Muzik include 2001 anthem Flight 643 and his artist albums In My Memory, Just Be and Elements of Life.

Though known primarily for his pioneering contributions to the trance scene, Tiësto's style is now a mix of everything: 'trance, house, techno - it's the best of all that the dance world has to offer. In 1998, I was really a trance DJ, but now I've travelled round the world so much, different influences have seeped in and I play a bit of everything. I think the only way forward for DJs now is to play a diverse mix of sounds.' Indeed, his brand of trance was always pushing at the constraints of the genre anyway, featuring soaring vocals from the likes of Sarah McLachlan and Jes, spine-tingling breakdowns, and euphoric melodies at every end of the spectrum.

The many high profile gigs and shows have now taken Tiësto away from exclusively playing clubs, and propelled him to become a mainstream artist. 'Often at my shows now, half of the people are die-hard clubbers, but the other half are people who know me from the radio, or from more mainstream gigs,' he says. 'It's more like they're going to a concert, so now I get a great mix of both worlds.'

Describing the last few years as 'a journey of defining moments,' (as well as the usual club successes, his shelves are groaning under the weight of numerous awards – TMF-Awards, MTV, Dutch DJ - and gold discs...) his favourites include the second night of the Tiësto In Concert show in Holland in 2004. And, of course, he was chosen by the readers as the number one DJ in the world. 'The first time it happened it was so amazing, I was overjoyed. The second and the third time were also fantastic, but the first time you're on the cover of that magazine that is so respected by other DJs – it's like winning an Oscar!'

In May 2006 Tiësto decided to become the worldwide ambassador for Dance4Life, and to invest considerate amounts of his time and efforts to the one charity in which he could really find himself. Immediately the production of a Dance4Life anthem was discussed, which resulted in an a song with Faithless' Maxi Jazz.

Continuing to explore fresh avenues, knowing that the year 2008 is now in full swing, Tiësto is currently experimenting with new sounds in the studio, and writing more vocals himself. The most recent result of this new approach of course is his latest album 'Elements of Life', which sky rocketed to the highest positions in today's charts. The album features the vocals of BT, who's been working with Tiësto on previous occasions and hit the charts with 'Break my Fall'; and Julie Thompson. 'I'm not looking for any big collaboration right now, I'm more interested in a burgeoning talent – someone whose voice is good, and that really touches you. A voice should sound like an instrument to me. A good example is Christian Burns who is the singer on the hit single 'In the Dark'; also a track from 'Elements of Life'. I met him through MySpace; the actual proof that the internet is the medium of choice when it comes to musical developments and careers.'

The concept behind his latest artist album also formed the basis for his 'Elements of Life World Tour' which took the DJ all over the globe. At the same time, the tour was of a size not before known in the dance scene. Since the four elements earth, water, air and fire are the unmistakeable necessities to build and maintain life on Earth, they had to be presented in all their greatness, which resulted in a stunning production that featured state of the art special effects, moving water systems in sync with the music and high definition video screens. It required three semi trucks to transport the equipment. The mere knowledge that Tiësto, as one DJ with two turntables, is entertaining audiences up to 25,000 people or more has silenced even the worst critic. But that his performances can compete with even the largest stadium concerts of the known world artists is something that the industry never held possible.

The amounts of energy the DJ invested for the world tour have not kept him away from the one thing everybody was waiting for: the new 'In Search of Sunrise 7'. In between the mayhem of touring and insane flight schedules, Tiësto still found the time to deliver a double CD compilation for the highly successful series also known as 'ISOS'. The live mix, made without electronic or computerized gadgets, is titled 'Asia' and for a reason: 'Asia is that part of the world where the ambience and overwhelming beauty can be very overpowering in a positive way. At the same time, one experiences the incredible energy of the Asian people, which could almost be felt physically during my live sets throughout the Asian tour.' He grins: 'We recorded the whole ISOS 7 in Thailand, in a beautiful location with a view: the Asian coast line. The correct atmosphere to do the mix. Now I know ISOS 7 earned it to be titled 'Asia'.'
Knowing that Tiësto's opportunities go beyond his own music, and the world tour, one might ask what will come up next. His answer is clear: 'As I said, the internet is the medium of choice for modern day music. I now host my own radio show called 'Tiesto's Club Life', which is available as PodCast directly after it aired on radio.

One of the last things we haven't mentioned is Tiësto's work on the music of other artists. His most recent remixes, 'Piece of Me' by Britney Spears and 'The Right Life' by Seal, already featured in of his 'Club Life' radio shows, just like the one he did for Justin Timberlake which was one of particular interest, he says.

And then there was the Grammy nomination for his album 'Elements Of Life'. The news came as a beautiful surprise. Little did he know when a few weeks later on, he won the IDMA Award for both 'Best Global DJ' and 'Best Electronic Dance Album' at the annual Winter Music Conference in Miami.


Discography :

1. 2000, Magik Five - Heaven Beyond
2. 2000, Magik Six - Live In Amsterdam
3. 2001, Magik Seven - Live In Los Angeles
4. 2001, Revolution
5. 2002, In My Memory
6. 2002, In Search Of Sunrise, Volume 3
7. 2003, Nyana
8. 2004, Just Be
9. 2004, The Parade Of The Athletes
10. 2005, In Search Of Sunrise, Volume 4
11. 2005, The Remixes, Volume 1
12. 2006, In Search Of Sunrise, Volume 5 - Los Angeles
13. 2007, Elements Of Life
14. 2007, In Search Of Sunrise, Volume 6
15. 2008, In Search Of Sunrise, Volume 7

ARMIN VAN BUUREN



Armin van Buuren has been named number one in the prestigious DJ Top 100 poll twice in a row, in 2007 and 2008– voted for by over 350,000 people across the world, and an indication of his prolific output over the 10 years he’s been dj’ing and producing. Being the official World’s Most Popular DJ is just one of his many achievements, but the driving force behind his success is an overriding passion for dance music.
2008 began with the success that the number one DJ seems to attract; he was awarded with the prestigious Buma Cultuur Pop Award in January. This was followed by being voted as the Best Trance Artist in the Beatport Music Awards in March; judged on the musician’s artistic achievements, national and international success, it is evident that Armin van Buuren has become one of the decade’s most influential trance acts.
Even a basic list of recent successes reads like a lifetime of work: ‘Best Album’ for artist album ‘Shivers’ at both the Dutch Release Dance Awards and the prestigious Edison Awards; ‘Best Compilation’ for ‘A State Of Trance’, in 2006, claiming the ‘Best European DJ’ award in 2007 and ‘Best Mix Radio Show’ at the Miami Winter Music Conference in 2006 and 2007, for radio show ‘A State Of Trance’ – now broadcasting on a massive 40 FM stations as well as satellite and internet radio, with over 26 million listeners a week; a 5th year residency in Ibiza at Amnesia and over 50,000 downloads every week from podcasting high end chart-bothering positions all over the world for singles, albums and compilations , with single ‘Rush Hour’ used as the theme tune to the UEFA European Youth Championship; the #1 entry in the Dutch album charts with his artist album ‘Imagine’, the #1 entry of the DVD registration of ‘Armin Only ‘ Imagine’ – the landmarks just keep coming!

Sold-out shows for Armin Only in 2005 and 2006 created eager anticipation of the third edition, which kicked off in a sold-out Jaarbeurs in Utrecht in 2008; over 16,000 fans attended and were enthralled by the DJ’s nine hour set. The theme of the night was ‘Imagine’, described by Armin as “the celebration of our sensations both in life and in club land.” Fans all around the world needed not to despair, as ‘Armin Only’ tour dates were also been set for Romania, Poland, Belgium and Australia; the DJ will also be touring in England, Scotland, Ibiza, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and the USA, with expected dates in, for an example, the Czech Republic. On New Years Eve 2008-2009, Armin managed to draw 35,000 people to his Armin Only show in the Los Angeles Sports Arena, making him the first Dutch DJ ever to have drawn such a big crowd to an own event.

Born in Leiden, Holland (on December 25, 1976) to a musical family, Armin indulged his passion for music from a young age. He spent all the money he earned with his paper round on records. His mum won a computer when he was 10, gaining Armin’s interest. “So as a little nerdy kid I was writing my own basic programs, and learnt about the technology from there.” He progressed from making low-profile mix tapes for friends to higher profile mixes when he discovered experimenting with different sequences on his computer through his uncle. “I was so stunned by what I saw him doing on the computer, that I got addicted to creating music right there and then!”

“I loved dance music immediately – this great rebellious sound that was so different to the ‘beautiful’ songs of the years before”. Armin cites electronic pioneer Jean Michel Jarre as a major influence (famed for his awesome visuals as well as his groundbreaking synth sounds), as well as Dutch producer Ben Liebrand, who later mentored him in his mixing and producing. In the early days, Armin thought it was wise to have something extra in case the dj’ing didn’t work out. So he studied for a law degree. The final year of his course was inevitably stretched as he juggled his studies with his increasingly hectic schedule; his rise to fame included lots of productions and remixes, as well as playing out to packed clubs every weekend. It took him three years to graduate, but his determination made him succeed!

Armin’s own productions have all made a huge impact and quickly gain worldwide acclaim; his latest artist album titled ‘Imagine’ entered the Dutch Album Top 100 Chart at number one; this is the first time a dance producer has ever accomplished such a feat in the history of Dutch music. The first single to be taken from this album, ‘Going Wrong’ with DJ Shah featuring Chris Jones, entered the Dutch Singles Chart at number five. The ‘Armin Only DVD’ was also released and reached the acclaimed number one spot in its second week. His back catalogue includes Blue Fear, Communication, Sound of Goodbye, Shivers, Rush Hour, Burned With Desire, Exhale, Love You More, This World Is Watching Me, and Yet Another Day. While the remix offers flood in, Armin only takes on tracks that he really loves. He uses exactly the same criteria for his compilations, meaning that every release from Armin or his long-running Armind label is a bone fide stormer that’s earned its place. His output includes tracks for the cult TV series 24, and the likes of Motorcycle’s As The Rush Comes.
Armin is a dedicated trance lover, but isn’t imprisoned by a single genre, saying “What makes trance work so well is that it doesn’t stick to one style, and can incorporate electro, minimal, whatever it likes.” His desire to showcase more of the great music he hears, along with the number of people sending him tracks they wanted to release, led to the obvious step of starting his own label, Armada, in 2003.

The label is a joint venture between Armin, Maykel Piron (former head of A&R for Warner Music) and David Lewis, who previously managed Armin. "What we wanted was a company that could offer everything for an artist: representation, a booking agency, and a record company. Artists can choose full management, or to just release a record or play out at gigs. Armada lets the artists choose what they want without telling them what to do".

Armin is now a fully-fledged artist in his own right, having made his songwriting debut on his album, the award-winning Shivers; The events continue to get bigger and bigger, and Armin regularly headlines the likes of Sensation White, Global Gathering, Dance Valley, ZoukOut, Mysteryland, Coachella, Beats In Brazil, Trance Energy, Fort Dance, Summer Days – basically whether you’re in Australia, Russia, the Middle East, the US or Europe, you can catch Armin van Buuren at a club or festival near you!

"This is just what I really want," says Armin. "It’s not just love for music, it’s my passion. It goes beyond liking, and beyond a hobby, it’s about a way of living. Music is essential to my life”.



Discography

1. 2000, A State Of Trance
2. 2000, Live At Club O (Live)
3. 2001, Basic Instinct
4. 2001, In Motion
5. 2002, Transparance 004
6. 2003, 76
7. 2003, Universal Religion (Chapter One)
8. 2004, Big Room Trance
9. 2005, A State Of Trance 2005
10. 2005, Shivers
11. 2006, 10 Years (CD1)
12. 2006, Armin Only The Next Level
13. 2007, A State Of Trance 2007
14. 2008, Imagine
15. 2009. A State Of Trance 2008

02.02.2009 - A tyDi interview




Only 21 years of age, yet already a respected, established DJ and producer. With a title for number one DJ of Australia in his pocket, a range of solid productions behind him, a couple of new bangers ahead, a tour schedule that reads like an average novel and last but not least the right looks, Tyson Illingworth is on top of his game. With another fresh release coming up on Armada’s Soundpiercing imprint, it was right about time for a quick check-up on this young talent. After ‘Kopi Susu’, ‘Russia’, ‘Under The Stars’ and numerous other beat-beauties, he’s bringing us the lovely vocal trancer ‘Is It Cold’. And let us tell you, it’s not cold at all.

Armada: First of all, how are you doing? Busy touring, producing and receiving fan-mail?
tyDi: "Hi there! I am great, life is good and I am having so much fun. My tour schedule is very busy and the summer festivals have been amazing over here. I recently played at Sensation on NYE with 45,000 people. It was a surreal experience to share my new music with so many people. Besides touring every weekend I have been hard at work in the studio, I have some very special releases coming up that I am very excited about."

Armada: The ‘no. 1 Australian DJ’ title opened quite a few doors that might not have been opened without it. Or do you think you would’ve ‘made it’ anyway?
tyDi: "Well, I have been touring a lot in Australia and things have been going very well, I think that getting voted #1 comes from a lot of hard work, productions and performances on radio and in every city. I don’t think that you have to win the title of #1 to have ‘made it’… I was very thankful to receive the #1 title and I owe all the thanks to the people who come to my shows and support my music. It is really cool to know that I have lots of people who enjoy my work."

Armada: Do you feel a lot of pressure with the new polls coming up or do you feel things can only get better?
tyDi: "No I don’t feel any pressure really, there are a lot of talented artists that I love who deserve the title of #1 and I believe the most important thing in the music industry is to be happy with what you are doing and be happy for others as well. I am thankful for what I have achieved and my only pressure is from myself – I am always trying to get more creative and write music that challenges me."

Armada: What impact did the whole thing have on you personally? Do you feel you’ve grown as a person too?
tyDi: "To be honest it was just another exciting part of my career, there are so many things coming up that I look forward to and I feel that every day I am growing as a person and an artist."

Armada: You’re going to play at Holland’s biggest trance event: Trance Energy. Looking forward to it? What can we expect of your set?
tyDi: "Yes, I am certainly looking forward to this show, I think it’s going to be so much fun! I have not been to Holland yet and I believe that Trance Energy is pretty mind blowing. Like all my shows you can expect a nice collection of my favorite new tunes, a few classics and of course my own productions – I am sure you will be hearing lots of my latest unreleased music as well."

Armada: You’ve got a big release coming up on Soundpiercing. Could you tell us a bit about ‘Is It Cold’?
tyDi: "Yes, this is a release that is special to me. It’s a big room trance production with a driving bassline and a hypnotic female vocal. The vocal line is simple, catchy and short, it repeats and moves throughout the track with a very powerful build up. The melody is uplifting and playful. I have been playing this track at all the big festivals and the response has been huge! I think that this track is a good example of the type of trance that I am playing out in the clubs and festivals at the moment."

Armada: It seems you’re producing in several different styles – ranging from uplifting house to minimalistic, deep prog and pure trancy stuff. Do you prefer to think outside any boxes?
tyDi: "As a producer I do not like to trap myself into a certain genre, I love so many different kinds of music and I think it shows in my own work. I like my music to be individual and have something new to offer. As a DJ my style is generally big room trance but sometimes in the smaller clubs I like to play a little deeper and more progressive house."

Armada: What will 2009 have in stores for you, you think?
tyDi: "I have a very busy schedule for 2009, lots of touring and studio sessions with different musicians. This year my artist album is coming out as well as a few new singles. We have been working on Film clips for the album and I have some great vocalists to work with over the next few months. Things are looking pretty good!"


tyDi's Discography
tyDi's Discography | Facebook
TyDi Discography at Discogs


More here:
tyDi
inthemix | Features | Tydi: Taking a closer look

This post will be written only for posting space issues.
The nest page will contain biographies of :
Metallica

METALLICA



Formation and early work


Metallica was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981 by drummer and former tennis protege Lars Ulrich, and guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, who met after each had separately placed classified advertisements in the American publication The Recycler. The band got their name when drummer Lars Ulrich was helping a friend to pick out a name for the magazine he was planning to use to promote Thrash metal and the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) bands. Ulrich's friend

"Sean Tyas has to be one of the hottest producers around at the moment“
- Armin van Buuren 2006



Sean Tyas, a New York native, now residing in Switzerland, brings to the dancefloor a mix of melodic harmony and driving groove that is sure to be just as effective on the legs as it is on the heart.

He got his start in 1999 with his first set of Tech-12s and started to learn how to mix music, but just for fun on the side and a good excuse to buy dance records. But for him, this was not enough. In the coming couple of years, he put together a studio and began producing records as well. By the age of twenty six, he has already remixed artists such as Christina Aguilera, Pink, Moby, Daniel Bedingfield, Christina Milian, and PPK. During this time he got his start into professional DJing with clubs in NYC such as Shelter and Exit.

Moving to Europe proved to be a great move for Sean, doing all production for DJ Beam in Germany and building his experience as a studio producer. Eventually Sean decided to step away, concentrated much more on his own productions and remixes. "Mirella" was the product of this exodus, as it was promptly signed to Afterglow Recordings, seeing John Askew and Dave Joy remixes. This led to a follow-up remix of Duderstadt - Muhanjala, which has seen almost every playlist of any trance DJ this year, including Armin van Buuren and Paul van Dyk.


Sean's remix of Beam - "On your Mind" proved to be another HUGE club smash. Caned CONSTANTLY by the likes of Paul van Dyk, John O'Callaghan, & Armin van Buuren, this remix essentially locked Sean in as one of 2006's more endeared talents in the genre.



The hype on his first Discover single "Lift", was even more amplified by Sean's winning of the Sander van Doorn - Punk'd Remix Competition, beating out over 250 other remixes. The following year and a half up until now, Sean has quickly been solidifying his place in the trance music genre with relentless remixes and productions.

On the DJ side of things, Sean has hit the ground at a running pace, and by now in 2008 he has already played in over 30 countries spread across 5 continents.
As 2009 comes around, Sean will now be getting back to the studio to focus on his original productions, and develop more as an production artist.



Discography/Samples

Biography - Simon Patterson

Simon Patterson the DJ.... is one of the hottest properties in dance music right now. His creative offerings as a producer have captured audiences, bringing them willing with him along his musical adventure. From techy moods to edgey riffs, spin tingling melodies to driving basslines, Simon’s studio offspring’s of the past 12 months have raised his profile to see him become a much in-demand dj, producer and remixer.

Signed exclusively to the hugely respected Spinnin’ Records, Simon’s music has earned him massive support from industry leaders such as Paul van Dyk, Tiesto, Armin van Burren, Ferry Corsten, Judge Jules and Above & Beyond. With tracks such as F:16 (Nov 2006), Panic Attack / Strip Search (Apr 2007), Bulldozer / We’ll See (Sept 2007), attaining almost cult statues, coupled with widespread acclaim from the dance media.

However, it’s when he’s behind the decks that the sound of Simon comes alive. With a style described as cutting edge, dark, driving, pulsating, Simon’s technical ability is a finely tuned art that fuses trance with elements of techno and electronica. If you’re stood on a dance floor when Patterson’s behind the CDJ’s you know who’s in control, and the only thing you’re likely to do is to dance and dance hard.

Moving from Belfast to London some 10 years ago his career has been punctuated with a wealth of experience in dance music. From working alongside Dave Lambert at top Universal dance label AM:PM, which led to him being approached by head A&R man Nick Halkes to work with him on his new Ministry Of Sound label – Incentive Records, he then went on to being the driving force in the engine rooms of two of the biggest shows on Radio 1, he utilised his finely tuned ear working as the tastemaker behind Seb Fontaine and Judge Jules’ peak-time Saturday nighters.

Labelled by Mixmag in 2004 as ‘One to Watch for the future’, Simon has since drawn on this knowledge, and with an unparallel passion for music, he has now thrust himself firmly at the forefront of the trance elite, and is firmly forging his own career as a prolific artist within his field.

In the past five years Simon has really clocked up the air miles, rocking some of the biggest parties on offer. His highlights are vast, and too lengthy to list, but here are a few. In Rotterdam, crowds of up to 500,000 witnessed the might of Simon Patterson, revellers that flock to the sun drenched dance Mecca that is Ibiza have experience his sound year in, year out, a huge tour of the far-east and an indoor festival in Russia where he gave 20,000 Muscovites a musical masterclass. Behind the CDJ’s Simon has graced the world stage at many prolific festivals such as Dance Valley, Sunrise, Gatecrasher Summer Sound System, HI-FI, Sunrise, Planet Love, Monday Bar Cruise, Full on Ferry, Mexico Stadium, all the while delivering his sound to new audiences with frequent appearances throughout Asia, Australasia, Europe, North and South America. Whilst his club repertoire stands equally tall ranging from the likes of Godskitchen, Gatecrasher, Inside Out, Turnmills, Slinky, Judgement Sunday, Passion, Escape, Koolwaters and Wildchild, where he has left the foundations of each of these clubs shaken to their very core.

Aside from his solo projects Simon was also one half of the massive Dogzilla with Richard Kayvan, which with just one tune shook up the trance scene in the 00’s. Picked by former world 1 DJ Paul van Dyk as his track of year, ‘Without You’ sent shockwaves throughout clubland finding phenomenal support along the way. With their genre-defying productions, Dogzilla tracks became part of every top DJ's set list and still remains in doing so, from the early days of their eponymously titled debut, which featured in the cult Brit flick 'The Football Factory', right up to the massive 'Your Eyes’ and ‘Frozen’, Dogzilla’s music achieved an impressive foray on the modern day club scene. However, 2008 saw Patterson depart from Dogzilla and go at it solo style. Although Dogzilla had been his passion for several years, he felt it was time to branch out and expand his own djing and production work.

Regarded by M8 Magazine as ‘one of the highlights of 2007’, there is no doubt that Simon Patterson has ‘big hitter’ in his blood. With his foot firmly to the pedal as a producer, boasting a diary that reeks of big things, coupled with a desire that is second to none, world…..you better look out!

Simon Patterson - Offical Website

John O’Callaghan Biography

Voted #60 in the 2008 DJ Mag Top 100 Poll

Overview: It’s taken John O’Callaghan just 5 short years to outrun his ‘next big thing’ tag and move over to the A-list fast-track. A masterful spinner, his unique blend of trance, coupled with an exacting, pin-point precise mixing style has seen him power up the DJ rankings. In the summer of 2008 the gifted 27 year old spun his first Radio 1 Essential Mix and, in the course of the year, was one of only 4 trance DJs to do so. In the 2007 Top 100 chart, John was marked out as the man to watch by no less than 5 DJs. 12 months later he duly delivered on their predictions, entering at No.60 on the 2008 countdown. Last year he picked up the ‘Best Producer’ and ‘Best DJ’ trophies at the Irish Dance Music Awards; decisively conquered the notoriously-competitive dance-testing ground of Ibiza and became the first Irishman to play Trance Energy. In 2009 he stands at the threshold of dance superstardom.

Production: Since making his first moves into music production just 5 years ago, John’s notched-up over 20 releases on some of the most respected labels in the industry, prompting Paul Van Dyk to mark him “one of the most exciting producers in the world today”. Club killers like ‘The Chamber’, ‘Exactly’ & ‘Space & Time’ have all become mainstays of DJs sets on many revered trance imprints. In 2007 he released both his first compilation ‘Live As Vol.2’ and his debut artist album ‘Something to Live For’ through Discover Records. Later the same year, in collaboration with vocalist Audrey Gallagher, John produced ‘Big Sky’… By virtue of a 4-month-long club & radio hammering from the big 5, it was voted the No.1 trance tune of 2007 on Armin’s A State of Trance. ‘Big Sky’ has rapidly gained modern trance classic status, virtually taking on a life of its own. John also produces through a number of pseudonyms, including Joint Operations Centre and J.O.C. Under the latter he indulges his love of techno-fringed productions, releasing ‘Rotterdam’ on Sander van Doorn’s own ‘Doorn Records’. In 2008 John was called upon by Godskitchen to mix their Australian 10th Anniversary Compilation, closely followed by ‘Trance World Vol. 4’ which was released through industry giants Armada. John occasionally also collaborates with other select artists, most recently and significantly with trance-legend Giuseppe Ottaviani on the hugely-received VANDIT release ‘Our Dimension’. The spring of 2009 will see the release of John’s highly anticipated 2nd artist album on Armada Records.

DJ: John caught his first DJing break playing on national Irish radio station 2FM’s ‘Sessions Tour’, which was broadcast on New Years Eve, 2003. He has gone on to throw trance-fire onto the floors of some of the world’s highest-profile clubs and festivals. Counted amongst them are Ireland’s Planet Love, Global Gathering, Trance Energy, WMC Miami, South America Music Conference and Creamfields, amongst others. 2008 went down as John’s all-important DJ breakthrough year... One that saw him play 6 nights on the White Isle, including Judgement Sunday & Armada at Amnesia, before going on in October to conquer Australia as part of Godskitchen’s infamous yearly nationwide tour. Latterly, O’Callaghan has expanded his fan-bases in Poland, The States, Argentina, Mexico, Canada, Slovakia and The Czech Republic – territories which he credits as being the deciding factor in entering the 2008 DJ Top 100 chart. In Utrecht in March of 2009 John will play the main-stage at Trance Energy – now widely regarded as the pinnacle apex of the trance calendar, a colossal accomplishment for the Irish virtuoso.

The Subculture Radio Show: For the last two years John has presented his take on the trance scene, via his Subculture show on widely popular station, DI.FM. Subculture presents a crystal-clear monthly snapshot of John’s in and out of club sound, exploring the outer reaches of electronic music. The show goes out at 5pm UK time on the 2nd Monday of the month, noon US EST and 6pm CET.

Remixes: Although his studio career carries more of an original production bias, John has lent his musical skill to many exceptional remixes. In 2005 his debut came in the form of the hugely-received rewiring of fellow countrymen Agnelli & Nelson’s ‘Shiver’. From there he went on to rework Dogzilla’s ‘Without You’, Ronski Speed's 'The Space We Are' & Filo & Peri's 'Anthem', amongst others. So taken was Armin by John’s 2008 remix of ‘If You Should Go’ that he took the rare step of asking O’Callaghan to rework a second track from his ‘Imagine’ album. John’s remix of The Doppler Effect’s ‘Beauty Hides in the Deep’ last year became a cult hit within the trance fraternity and is regularly sited as his greatest remix to date. He is widely regarded as one of the most in-demand producers & remixers in electronic dance music today.

Here's a biography of a band that played a very important part of my life and I know that they're not everybody's cup of tea but I will never stop listening to The Smiths. This info comes from a website called askmeaskmeaskme.com:

History of the Smiths
Formed in the spring of 1982 in Manchester, England when guitarist Johnny Marr (John Maher, October 31, 1963) author of reviews for Record Mirror and former guitarist in unsuccessful bands was looking for a lyricist and suggested the idea of forming a band to Morrissey (Stephen Patrick Morrissey, May 22, 1959). By September, the duo had settled on the name "The Smiths" as a reaction against all bands who chose complicated names to emphasise their music, and recruited Marr's schoolmate Andy Rourke as their bass player and Mike Joyce as their drummer. The Smiths made their live debut late in 1982 and their live appearances were sporadic. At this time they had already rejected a record deal with the Mancunian Factory Records. At the seventh Smiths gig ever in the University of London Union, a group of Rough Trade Records watch the band and invited them to sign a one-off single, "Hand In Glove". "Hand in Glove" became an underground sensation in the UK, topping the independent charts, which critics referred to as the finest love song in recent years. When they released the second single "This Charming Man," in October 1983, the Smiths had already been the subjects of controversy and scandal over their songs "Reel Around The Fountain," and "Handsome Devil" as possible vehicles for the diffusion of child abuse. In February of 1984 the Smiths released their eponymous debut "The Smiths" the album became a best seller acclaimed by critics and reached number 2. A couple of months later, the band invited a veteran sixties popstar, Sandie Shaw, to sing some of the smiths songs "Hand In Glove" which reached number 27, "Jeane" and "I Don't Owe You Anything". The second single "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" reached number 10. At the end of the year, "William It Was Really Nothing" became a Top 20 hit and the compilation "Hatful of Hollow", a collection of B-sides, BBC sessions and non-LP singles went to number 7. Meat is Murder, the band's second proper studio album, entered the British charts at number one in February of 1985. By the time the non-LP "Shakespeare's Sister" reached number 26 in March 1985. "The Boy With the Thorn In His Side" reached number 23 was followed in June of 1986 by their third album, "The Queen Is Dead". Considered by the critic as one of masterpieces of the decade peaked at number two on the UK charts, "The Queen Is Dead" also expanded their cult in the US, cracking the Top 100. Shortly before the album was completed, the band's line-up goes through a rather unstable stage, Andy Rourke quits for drug addiction and Craig Gannon, an ex Aztec Camera joins the band and became the rhythm guitarist. After a short time, Rourke returns and Gannon was fired. In latte's 1986 the singles Panic and Ask are released. Johnny Marr begins his extra Smiths collaborations, taking part in Billy Braggs' album "Talking With The Taxman About Poetry". The Smiths may have been at the height of their popularity in early 1987, with the singles "Shoplifters of the World" and "Sheila Take A Bow" reaching number 12 and 10 respectively and the singles and B-sides compilation The World Won't Listen for the English market and "Louder Than Bombs" for the American one. Marr was growing increasingly disenchanted with the band and the music industry, over the course of the year, Morrissey and Marr became increasingly irritated with each other. The new album "Strangeways Here We Come" is the band's last. In August, Johnny Marr confesses to have abandoned the band, the official split is however in September, Morrissey disbanded the group shortly afterward and began an inconstant solo career. Marr played as a sideman with a variety of artists, including The The and Electronic with New Order frontman Bernard Summer. Andy Rourke retired from recording has played with Sinead O'Connor and Joyce became a member of the reunited Buzzcocks in 1991. The live album "Rank" recorded on the Queen is Dead tour, was released in the fall of 1988. It debuted at number two in the UK top. A much criticised, two-part Best of compilation was released in 1 992; the praised Singles compilation was released in 1995. Despite this short history, "The Smiths" were and will be one of the best bands ever.