CHRISTIAN SMITH

Swedish citizen, Christian Smith spent the late 80's years in Germany soaking up the early house and techno sound of Sven Vath.

Now based in Sao Paulo, he has been championing his funky mix of house and soulful techno for more than a decade, playing across Asia, North & South America, and Europe, plus regular slots at festivals like UK's Creamfields, Holland's Dancevalley, Spain's Monegros and Belgium's I Love Techno. His music released on a variety of top labels like Renaissance; Adam Beyer's Drumcode, Josh Wink's Ovum, 100% Pure, John Digweed's Bedrock, and his very own Tronic, only proves his flexibility in the studio. Similarly on the decks, Christian's set is a cauldron of chunky grooves with loads of energy.

Christian Smith has been at the top of his game as a DJ and producer for over a decade, but despite enjoying a global reputation as one of the most evergreen performers in his field, times have never been quite as good as they are right now. Born in Sweden, Christian spent much of his youth and early adult life in Germany and America. This exposure to different cultures gave Christian a broader outlook than most 30-somethings, even for a well-travelled DJ more familiar with Star Alliance lounges than home comforts. This open-minded outlook comes through loud and clear in the music he makes and plays. While his roots lie in techno, Christian has never been a purist; favouring instead to flavour the tough, rhythmical music he loves with heavy doses of funk or intersperse the raw energy of his sets with inspired moments of pure euphoria.

2009 has been quite a ride so far, and the signs are all there that this year will be Christian Smith's busiest to date. Having recently relocated to Sao Paulo, Brazil from Spain, it would have been easy to lose touch with the scene's beating pulse in Europe. Not so for the man whose recent production schedule reads like a discography wish list. Christian Smith & John Selway's "Total Departure" on Adam Beyer's Drumcode label was one of the tunes if 2008. This was followed by three singles for John Digweed's Bedrock label which were all a massive success in the clubs and retail stores, as were his releases on Dubfire's Sci+Tec label, Renaissance, and Steve Lawler's Viva imprint. The Smith & Selway remix of the Kevin Saunderson classic "Rock To The Beat" was another massive success in Ibiza, and there were other superb remixes for Valentino Kanzyani's Jesus Loves You, Nic Fanciulli's Saved and Dieb Audio.

The second half of 2009 will be dominated by the first in a trilogy of mix compilations for legendary clubbing brand, Renaissance. The release of Christian Smith - Platform in September will put Christian on a footing with other Renaissance acts Sander Kleinenberg, Hernan Cattaneo, James Zabiela and Steve Lawler and provide the continuity for a mammoth 30+ date world tour that will stop off at parties across Europe, Asia, Australia, North and South America over the coming months. As a DJ, Christian plays everything between house and techno. Never one for a purist approach, he simply believes that people go out to party. The secret is in the energy that he creates, as witnessed in 2008 at Wire Festival, Tokyo; Brazil's Skol Beats Festival; Awakenings Festival, Amsterdam (featuring a Smith & Selway live show), Space, Ibiza (with Carl Cox), Ministry Of Sound, London (with Pete Tong); and Fabric's new uber-cool, Matter alongside John Digweed and James Zabiela.

Honoured as Carl Cox's "Hero of 2008" and with the success of his productions breeding a renewed energy for studio time, the natural next step was for Christian to re-launch his Tronic label. Kicking off in January with a re-release of the Smith & Selway's classic "Move!" including chart topping remix from Steve Angello, the label has progressed at a pace to place Christian back at the centre of underground music. Featuring tracks from Umek, Mark Broom, Stryke, Fergie and Psycatron, Tronic has resurfaced with a bang and looks set to track Christian's personal upward trajectory. Look out for future singles from cut