Born on the East Coast and raised in Los Angeles, Mike
Giannini has been carefully developing his soulful, tribal tech
house signature since he was a teenager, eventually
becoming entrenched in the Los Angeles underground.
Los Angeles' electronic music culture was especially good to
Mike, but in the early 90's he parted from LA to California's
Central Coast to escape the smog. His days were spent
working out of a dusty mom-and-pop record store called
Boo Boo Records, ordering every 12" that he could get his
hands on. "I don't think I ever walked home with a
paycheck," Mike chuckles. "If it was good, it was comin'
home with me..." Quickly, Mike began playing a pivotal role
in shaping the sounds and culture of the Central Coast. He
began promoting top tracks on local radio stations and
playing underground parties. Boo Boo's became the
one-stop-shop for DJ's. "To tell the truth," Mike says, "It
started with me needing some new needles. Next thing I
know, I'm unpacking Technics and boxes of DJ bags,
clothing, mixers...you name it..."
You would expect that Mike's sound was influenced by
pioneering DJs that he was exposed to throughout the late
80's and early 90's, but that wasn't the case. His true sound
was being tuned not from DJs, nor from his buying
experience at Boo Boo's, but from his coworkers. "There
were long-timers at Boo Boo's who exposed me to music
sounds and samples that I had never heard before: Latin
acoustics, Salsa, Funk, Spoken Word, Soul, Gospel,
Jazz...Without a doubt they changed the way I look at
music..."
Invitations to spin at a variety of prestigious SF nightspots
have been pouring in since his move to San Francisco in
1998, including world-renowned venues Ruby Skye, Ten15,
and Mezzanine. But Mike has always stayed true to his
roots—maintaining his distinctive tribal tech recipe by
blending funky, tribal, progressive and tech house styles.
SF-based Thump Radio recruited Mike as a resident in 2003,
utilizing his talent to produce mixes for Radio shows in San
Francisco and Los Angeles, as well as XM Radio Channel 80
"The Move". Also in 2003, Mixed Elements, one of San
Francisco's premier promotion companies, announced Mike's
residency with that organization. In order to bring
world-class dance music to the thriving nightlife community
in Russia, entertainment group Ray Reason Music began
bringing US-based DJ talent to Moscow early in 2004. Ray
Reason sought out Mike Giannini for bookings at top Moscow
venues in Spring 2004 and Winter 2005. Fall 2004 and 2005
saw Mike's participation in the San Francisco Love Parade,
the first ever of its kind in the United States.
Working out of his South of Market-based studio in San
Francisco, Mike has produced three new tracks, each a
collaboration with other SF-based producers. "Far West",
produced with Kramer, is a floor-pounding tribal number
with soaring electro synths. "Round That Track", a
collaboration with BaLi and John Doe, is a chunky, bouncy
rework of Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl". Mike's third
production, which is an upbeat, progressive house tune
called "The Rhythm" he produced with DRC and features
DRC's vocals, is being released on Knob Records. His latest
project with John Doe is a deep, pumping choon entitled
"New Life".
Mike packs each DJ set with a good dose of emotion,
consistently delivering solid programming and smooth
mixing. His sound is chunky, funky and soulful, with a
percussive, tech-oriented edge; always uplifting and
energetic, with solid kicks and over-sized bass lines.
When asked if he gets nervous before each set, he said,
"Sure I get anxious," he pauses, "but, I just look down at
my crate, pull my first record, and just start playing..."
Productions
Far West - Mike Giannini & Kramer
Round That Track - Work Force (aka Mike Giannini, BaLi &
John Doe)
The Rhythm - Mike Giannini & DRC [Knob Records]
New Life - Mike Giannini & John Doe
Affiliations/Residencies
Mixed Elements - Thump Radio - Supperclub - Le Duplex -
Percussion SF
In 2006, Knob Records features Mike Giannini & DRC,
“The Rhythm”.
For additional information, check out the official website:
www.mikegiannini.com
www.myspace.com/djmikegiannini
www.bluemoonproductions.org
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Press Kit: MikeGianniniPressKit.pdf
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MIKE GIANNINI