Name: Icey
Title: DJ / Producer
Style: Breaks
Location: Orlando, US
Productions: n/a
Labels: n/a
Representation: Producer Artist Management
Contact: n/a
Email: n/a

Description
Paul Oakenfold. Fatboy Slim. Carl Cox. Some of the most revered DJs in the world have graced the decks of London-based Essential's globally lauded mix compilation series. Founded in 1985 by legendary ffrr A&R man/BBC Radio One DJ Pete Tong, the acclaimed series has established itself in America and has tapped the talents of DJ Icey as the series' first American DJ.

Based in Orlando, FL, Icey is regarded as the King of Funky Breaks, an energetic sonic pastiche that mixes a plethora of electronic sounds into a booty shakin' stew. With several top-selling releases and remixes to his credit (among them are his Generate and The Funky Breaks full-lengths on London) coupled with his major presence in the US club and rave scene (Icey plays around 140 dates a year) and a seemingly continuous stream of his own vinyl emanating from his underground Zone label, there was simply no better candidate than Icey to christen Essential's arrival in America.

"I was thrilled and I can't describe how excited I was when I was asked to be a part of the series," beams DJ Icey. "Essential is a huge name around the world, and Pete Tong is an ambassador of dance music. To be a part of the series is an honor for me."

Whether you're a die-hard club music fanatic or a newcomer to the dancefloor, there's something for everyone on Icey's Essential journey. Over the course of 16 tracks, Icey sets sail on his fastest trainspotter alert: Icey's sets were around 127bpm, now they're at about 134bpm), most captivating mix adventure to date.

"By living on the road like I have for the past few years," says Icey, "I'm constantly influenced by the jocks that I'm playing with and all of the other styles that I'm hearing. I love listening to house, techno, Garage...everything."

From the opening beats of the Freestylers mix of Crustation's "Purple," Icey acts like chef Emeril Lagasse and continually turns it up a notch. BAM! He tosses in the bizarrely wicked "Party Going On" from German Paul Rubin (not to be confused with the US one). BAM! Icey's beefy interpretations of Novy Vs. Eniac's "Pumpin'" and Kay Cee's "Escape" comes storming through the middle of his voyage and then it's off into DJ Godfather's "First Contact" with some of his classic, dirty Motor City mayhem.

"This is where my musical progression has led me. From playing at big parties, I tend to pick up the pace and play a little harder," describes Icey. "I'm happy with this CD because it really represents the set I'm playing right now. Sometimes people are limited by the tracks that the label can clear, but with the freedom I received from Essential, this CD is the best representation of the sets that I'm playing right now."

Stripped down, raw and heavy on the bottom-end, DJ Icey's Essential Mix furthers his holy status in the US club mosaic and gives Americans a taste of what Essential is all about."If there's one thing I've learned over the years from all of my travels is that people in America are up for good music," concludes this veteran road warrior, "no matter what genre it's from."

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