LES APÉROS INDUSTRIELS

  Christophe De Groote   Born in 1972 in Brussels (Belgium), "DJ Deg" was influenced at an early age by the music played by his parents. His mother was teaching modern jazz dancing while his father was a computer science teacher. Deg discovered electronic sound synthesis along with the rise of the first personal computers such as the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum and others. During that time he was without a doubt the biggest fan of artists like Martin Galway and Rob Hubbard.   Deg really began to deejay at the beginning of the late 80's "AB Sound" and "Acid House" explosion. He was offered to play his first gigs at some school parties after which he and his friends organized Brussels' first underground parties.  He was a true pioneer and one of the first DJ's playing the then new genre: Techno. From here, everything started! In 1990 he already had built himself a solid reputation and was given residencies in pioneering Belgian techno clubs like Mauna Kea, Network and Borsalino. Deg also played in the newest clubs such as Boccaccio, Globe, Barocci, La Rocca, etc. As one of the co-founders of "BWP Experiments" together with D-Jack, Mike DMA and Sebastian S, he was an active member of the collective whose goal was to promote "techno" and educate the new generation of clubbers and ravers in order to acquire a bigger audience. Many well-known Belgian artists and DJ's were influenced by them.  In 1992, Deg became main resident for pioneering organization "The Rave Explosion" which arranged the first appearances in Belgium of new artists such as Jeff Mills, Laurent Garnier, Carl Craig, Richie Hawtin, Leo Anibaldi, Dan Curtin, Vapourspace, Dave Clarke, DJ Hell, Blake Baxter, Daniel Bell, The Advent, Tom Middleton, Luke Slater, Underground Resistance and many others... Many times he played at the legendary PK Studio parties with the Brussels underground during the revival of Acid music and Industrial UK sounds like Rephlex, Warp, Evolution, etc... Later on he became resident at Brussels' Network club. Deg is also known for his international career (he played the first editions of "Mayday") and played all over Europe as well and overseas.   In 1997, he joined the resident DJ team at Brussels Fuse club for the absolute delight of the crowd. As a producer, he released several records and remixes on labels around the globe. He's behind many club anthems which were acclaimed worldwide. They're still classics today! He also compiled the 2 eclectic "techno" compilations for "The Rave Explosion". DJ Deg still plays the Fuse club in Brussels every Saturday! You can also catch him at his studio or in the middle of his amazingly complete and dense record collection. His career as a DJ and musician now spans more than 20 years. He is still unanimously reverred and respected. Most insiders consider him as the best Belgian electronic music DJ.

Gerome Sportelli is an electronics music producer active since the beginning of the 90's. (Techno House minimal Deep House Acid)   During the beginning of his career, his techno productions were signed under the name of various alter egos: Intex System (Reload Records), Nepz or The Sense (a project he managed with Sammy Goossens). Under the The Sense alias, Gerome and Sammy released on very prestigious labels such as Teknotika (Detroit), Bipolar records (Detroit) or even Dark Print, James Pennington’s (aka Suburban Knight) label (also known from Underground Resistance). The sense techno was charted by lot of big names like Umek on his Time Warp Compilation Vol. 4 in 2003. After that Gerome worked on Suburban Knight Live act and album called "Digital Warriors" to perform with James and Sammy across Europe.   In 2004 after working with Sierra Sam on their label “Serie Records”, Gerome launched his own label, KRAX Records, and developed the mythic Chicago house sound which he loves to mix with electro and techno influences. It gives a certain freshness to Krax without denying the old school grove from the legendary TB-303. Acid Krax Vol. 2 became a huge success, especially with his own track “Growth”, charted by The Hacker, Miss Kittin, James Zabiela and Plastique de Rêve, just to name a few.   The times flies and Gerome got involved into more minimal and techno sounds. A good example of this evolution would be his EP, “Exchange 303 to 808”, released on Toys For Boys Records. This track has been played and charted by Paco Osuna, Bloody Mary, Tim Xavier... In 2012, Gerome is still releasing new tracks on current labels such as Rekode Musik, Fassade Records... Always open-minded and curious about new sounds and technologies.

A pioneer of electronic body music, Front 242 is undoubtedly the leading electronic music group in our country. Emerging from the industrial movement akin to the new wave of the 80s, the group has released around ten albums throughout its career, including the famous "Front by Front" in 1988. Their influence is considerable today, and Front 242 has been cited by Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, The Prodigy, and New Order, to name just a few.

Born in 1974, Ralph began to take an interest in music at the age of 13 with the sounds of Prince and Motown funk.

After a stint in the new wave scene with Nitzerebb, Front 242, Fad Gadget... he discovered the sounds of New Beat and Acid House of that era in 1987.

Groups such as Phuture (acid tracks), Kaay Alexi Shelby, and Jack Frost heavily influenced him. In 1992, he began DJing seriously, developing a style more oriented towards Detroit dark techno and Brooklyn acid. It was through his bookings throughout Belgium that he was able to refine his craft.

He is also co-organizer of the parties (Always Underground, Sound Memory) and co-founder and producer under the Atlante label.