Refix are Joe Lewis and Ben Beesley – an electro mash-up outfit based in South London, specialising in producing dance fusion sounds and performing exciting and unpredictable DJ sets.
Their new two-man, two-laptop, four-deck live sets are unmissable – full of live remixes, A LOT of energy, and pretty much a seemless mash up of every musical genre, all held together with an impeccable sense of judgement and timing. Their gigs have landed them residencies at Ministry of Sound, Union Fabric, Herbal, Movement Bar Rumba as well as, most recently, a set for Mixmag magazine.
Between the two of them Joe and Ben have worked across a massive musical spectrum, from writing and producing electronica and hip hop releases, engineering on old school garage and pop tracks, composing music for TV, film and advertising, to DJing at some of the biggest and best venues around the world.
Refix met and started working together after Ben moved in next door to Joe in South London. Initial musical tastes differed – Joe, a classically trained guitarist and founder of the successful Dojo Studios, had a history of writing and playing electronica, deep house and breaks, whereas Ben was DJing and producing drum n bass on a global scale. But the clash of backgrounds only assisted in producing a fresh sound.
The one thing you can expect from a Refix track or DJ set? Of course, it’s the unexpected. The sound feels effortless, like two people really enjoying the energy created from messing with sounds on the hop to come up with an unusually smooth and pleasing whole.
Dojo’s latest collaboration melds hip-hop with old-school blues and smokey-bar jazz in a down-beat transmission called Columbo. Joe Lewis brings together the voice of Taji and the mojo of live musicians to create an organic Sunday-morning-hangover-coffee-and-cigarettes sound in the process.
Pioneering acid hip hop – a knob-twiddling fantasy linked with huge breaks and tough vocals. Check the vault for their latest collaboration with the sublime Martian Tongue.
Sizzlax is what happens when you fuse rich textures with tough broken breaks. Look out for the forthcoming EP entitled the ‘Wonder Years’ . If you’re already hungry to find out more check the vaults and download the free cuts ‘Intern’ and ‘Backward Son’.
Buy Sizzlax – The New Route from itunes
Also, if you want here some of Siz’s latest stuff you can stream some music below:
Dojo’s man with a plan, Joe is the label’s Uberproducer. With his trusty set-up in South East London, our Mr Lewis has toiled away for the past few years trying to create new sounds all over the leftfield electronica, dance and urban music spectrum. He’s worked closely with Dojo’s other main players, most notably going one on one with Trencha B on the psuedo blues rip-up, ‘War Ain’t My Thing’.
He says of his recent efforts, “There’s a lot of bluesy stuff coming out of my equipment at the moment. ‘War’ was basically a jamming session and the marriage of blues and Hip Hop just sounded right. Trencha did that verse first time – it was so full on we thought, go for it.” The man is a classicly trained muso to boot, having spent years mastering the old geetar in his native Wales.
Strongly influenced by the urban music scene, Joe’s music often comes with a hint of the Middle East, having spent years living in Bahrain. He’s currently working on a downtempo EP, to include the much vaunted, ‘New Route’, due for a summer release. Get on with it, we say – we want that track on vinyl.
Joe Lewis – Boom Boom Boom feat H. Lindvall by dojostudios
Daniel Danielson is a DJ/producer with a particular passion for melodies laced with toxic basslines. Currently working on an EP of downright retro nastiness, breakbeat style, Danielson has also recently collaborated with Dojo’s Joe Lewis, producing some menacing beats for Dojo’s future brit hop compilation album. So why the name 12th Dan? He explained, “For want of a better name. Now go away, I need my fix of cyanide.” Whatever you say, mate.
Anyway, Daniel Danielson has a strong South Wales following, thanks to roaming the local drum ‘n’ bass and breakbeat circuits, and is now looking to freak out the rest of us in his own unique filthy style.
Dojo Studios is an audio production house and record label set up by Joe Lewis in September 2001.
Initially working within the UK dance and urban scenes, Dojo Studios soon expanded into writing music and mixing for advertising, promos and film.
Recent clients have included BBC, Time Magazine, CBC, Al Jazeera English, Roger Sanchez, VCCP, Th1ng and Tourist With a Typewriter and Schweppes.
Check out the links for the latest info on upcoming label releases, including Sizzlax’s forthcoming album ‘The Wonder Years’.
You can also view the Dojo’s latest collaborations with tourist with a typewriter by visiting the Film & TV section. Enjoy!
As a gift to you all here is a FREE Sizzlax download
The Goodnight South London EP – Sizzlax