Biographies
Franky D
Saturdays at Alumbra
An Italian summer created Franky D, this was the first time he was to experience the power of music, he heard it, he saw it and most of all he felt it. This experience set him on a path to recreate that mood, not only for himself but the public at large.
Franky has definitely answered this calling with a career spanning nearly 20 years and a record bag constantly evolving to introduce the latest house sounds. With elements of electronica, latin, jazz, gospel, funk, soul and disco being the main ingredients of his sets.
Prior to djing being a "glamorous" occupation, franky was behind the decks capturing a loyal following from underage dance parties, to the club scene and numerous outdoor events. If house music was involved, Franky was there, holding various positions in record stores, Mushroom Distribution Services (MDS) DanceNet and Music Director at Kiss FM during their humble beginnings. You can still catch his guest spots on Kiss FM Club Lunch.
Naturally Franky’s enthusiasm geared him towards the studio. There began a self taught journey into production and engineering alongside partner kj. The duo have been commended worldwide by respected house producers for their debut releases under the "Soul Deep Collective" moniker.
With an obsession for technology, don’t be surprised to see Franky armed only with his trusty mac, a controller and the freshest house sounds from around the globe.
James Belias
Saturdays at Alumbra
I find it increasingly strange that every DJ writes their own biography in the second person, so this is my attempt to make these things more personal. I have been an Alumbra resident since 2004, where I used to play on Sundays. I play Saturdays now.
I play house music in its myriad of forms. You can expect lots of vocals, funky instrumentals and plenty of percussion with latino and afro flavours. You’ll hear some disco too, if the mood is right. I have been playing since the year 2000, when I was at university. Getting out of high school and into uni was a massive lifestyle change, along with discovering Kerri Chandler and Masters At Work at that time. The expansion of the Internet was a massive factor, as I was suddenly exposed to new styles of music that I just didn't hear on the radio.
My past residencies in Melbourne include Defected In The House @ Seven, Boutique, Q Bar, The Saint, Room680, Ocean Blue, Candy Bar and Marrakech. I’ve played elsewhere in the country, having rocked Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Newcastle.
My past residencies in Melbourne include Defected In The House @ Seven, Boutique, Q Bar, The Saint, Room680, Ocean Blue, Candy Bar and Marrakech. I’ve played elsewhere in the country, having rocked Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Newcastle.
I’ve done warm-ups for Miguel Migs, DJ Spen, Ben Watt and Sandy Rivera. I have also played on bills with Roger Sanchez, Derrick Carter, Dennis Ferrer, Jay J, Simon Dunmore, DJ Sneak, Jaques Lu Cont, Greenskeepers, DJ Gregory, Felix Da House Cat, Stacy Pullen, Hardsoul, Soul Central, ATFC and loads more.
In 2004 I apparently impressed judges DJ Tiesto and Pete Tong as a Victorian finalist in Heineken's global Found At Thirst DJ competition. A trip to Europe later in the year had me playing on the Greek Islands (Rhodes and Mykonos) as well as Athens and several clubs in Switzerland.
I traveled further in 2006, and I was able to expand my European gig repertoire to include further gigs in Greece (Rhodes, Zakinthos, Zaharo and Athens) as well as Basel (Switzerland) and Oslo (Norway). Catch me and some other great DJs at Alumbra each Saturday. I usually play from 1am ‘till close.
Check out www.myspace.com/jamesbelias
Simon Digby
Saturdays at Alumbra
It was Simon Digby’s reputation for diversity that secured him gigs at raves, clubs and warehouse parties playing alongside some of the world’s best dance music artists: from Armand van Helden to Jeff Mills, Richie Hawtin to Derrick Carter and countless others. Simon has toured nationally with the likes of Adam Beyer, Cari Lekebusch, Christian Smith, Patrick Lindsey, CJ Bolland, Recycled Loops (Umek and Valentino), Dave Clarke and Ade Fenton.
Mutual desire brought Simon together with fellow DJ/producer Will E Tell to form the Wetmusik label. Here they have combined their efforts and dedicated themselves full-time to studio work and music production. They have toured the whole Wet Musik experience – state-of-the-art staging, lighting and visuals – abroad in Hong Kong and Singapore to acclaimed reviews.
Simon’s production skills in the studio have increased his profile as one of Australia’s enhanced producers. Besides his own label Simon has also released on labels such as Bush, Strive and Frequent. He has released and remixed artist such as G-Flame, Ade Fenton, Valentino Kanzayni, Chris McCormack and Jamie Bissmire. Wetmusik is currently being distributed world wide via Prime and has a stable of artists locally and international.
Mutual desire brought Simon together with fellow DJ/producer Will E Tell to form the Wetmusik label. Here they have combined their efforts and dedicated themselves full-time to studio work and music production. They have toured the whole Wet Musik experience – state-of-the-art staging, lighting and visuals – abroad in Hong Kong and Singapore to acclaimed reviews.
Simon’s production skills in the studio have increased his profile as one of Australia’s enhanced producers. Besides his own label Simon has also released on labels such as Bush, Strive and Frequent. He has released and remixed artist such as G-Flame, Ade Fenton, Valentino Kanzayni, Chris McCormack and Jamie Bissmire. Wetmusik is currently being distributed world wide via Prime and has a stable of artists locally and international.
Afrodescia
Sundays at Alumbra. 6pm sharp.
Afrodescia is a four piece band consisting of some of Melbourne's funkiest Musicians...with Angela Librandi on vocals, Jason Heerah on vocals/percussion, Dave Matthews on drums and Duncan Kinnell on keys/bass.
Collectively they have worked on almost every televsion show in the country (Including Hey Hey Its Saturday, Rove, GMA) and have sung and played with artists such as Thelma Houston, Renee Gayer, Guy Sebastian, Vanessa Amorosi and Anthony Callea just to name a few.
What started as four people coming together to do a small Tuesday night gig a few years ago, to play all their favourite R and B. soul and reggae tunes, has turned into a huge Sunday affair some 3 and a half years later at Alumbra, with music lovers from all over Australia and overseas alike coming down to check out the band.
The four musicians that make up Afrodescia are great muso's in their own right, but when they come together and play it turns into something special that has to be experienced to be believed.
Baz Emera
Fridays at Alumbra
At the age of 22 his accomplishments resemble those of a veteran. Beginning his career at the age of 15 it has been a steady apprenticeship to the top. As you may recognize from his sets Baz is inspired by artists such as Andy Caldwell, Kaskade and Bob Sinlar, to name a few.
His soulful yet uplifting sound is what makes him unique and this has proven to reward him. Baz has supported both Australia’s and the worlds finest and toured nationally with Jason Herd (Subliminal Records) and many other artists.
Baz has toured Asia three times where he has become a crowd favorite spreading his energy and vibe through some of the landmark clubs in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Locally, Baz holds residencies at Melbourne’s most exclusive venues and is a man in demand..
His latest project has seen him team up with local funk guru Ben Johns to form the group Le Sillon. Le Sillon have done various remix work for record labels, Vynilpusher and Safari Music and are continuing working on their solo album.
