Carl Loben

Brighton, London

DJ Mag editor-in-chief. DJ & writer. Co-author of Renegade Snares, order link here: https://t.co/tX2mH2KnXq . He/him. Views here chiefly my own.

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Articles

Patrick Mason: wild at heart

3 weeks ago | djmag.com | Carl Loben

The colossal concrete husk of Berghain looms, a grey brutalist god against the bruised Berlin sky. A youthful Patrick Mason, draped in a crimson shroud of vintage Chanel, a hat casting his face in perpetual twilight, approaches the club’s entrance. He moves with a practiced glide, a nocturnal creature accustomed to shadows, yet this is a trip into the unknown.
How Joe Smooth's 'Promised Land' harnessed the unifying power of music on the dancefloor

1 month ago | djmag.com | Carl Loben

It’s little wonder that ‘Promised Land’, the evergreen dance cut from the late 1980s, has endured for so many years. It hit at exactly the time that house music was taking off internationally, and its heartfelt words of hope and peace have resonated with dancers and music fans everywhere ever since. Almost a gospel sermon, the words and music were written by Joe Smooth, a DJ in Chicago who grew up on the south-east side of the Windy City. “It was a middle- class area,” says Joe.
Ashley Beedle’s family launches fundraiser amid ongoing major health issues

Sep 3, 2024 | djmag.com | Carl Loben

Ashley Beedle’s family and friends have launched a crowdfunder to help pay for his medical care amid ongoing major health issues. The influential UK DJ and producer, known for his work as a member of X-Press 2, Ballistic Brothers, Black Science Orchestra and more, suffered a brain bleed and seizure in November 2023 following the rupture of a brain mass.
House music all life long: 25 Years Of Defected

Jul 3, 2024 | djmag.com | Carl Loben

Almost a quarter of a century ago, DJ Mag popped over to Defected HQ in Soho for an article that was ostensibly crowning the fresh new imprint Label Of The Year. Defected Records had shot out of its starting blocks with a peerless run of singles by the likes of Soulsearcher (‘I Can’t Get Enough’), Masters At Work (‘To Be In Love’), OnePhatDeeva (‘In & Out Of My Life’), Paul Johnson (‘Get Get Down’) and Bob Sinclar (‘I Feel For You’), all of which smashed into the UK Top 40.
Fatboy Slim plays surprise gig in campaign to help save Brighton’s Prince Albert pub

Oct 31, 2023 | djmag.com | Carl Loben

Fatboy Slim played a secret DJ set in The Prince Albert pub in Brighton last night (30th October) to aid its campaign against property developers threatening the future of the venue. The local DJ, real name Norman Cook, played a two-hour set downstairs in the Trafalgar Street pub three days after a petition was launched opposing a proposed development next door. The development would see the garage beside to the pub demolished and replaced with a four storey building filled with commercial units.
Paco Osuna: be here now

Jul 25, 2023 | djmag.com | Carl Loben

Spanish DJ/producer Paco Osuna has taken a while to rise to the absolute zenith, but now that he’s there — with his weekly residency at Hï Ibiza, the No.1 club in the world — he’s having the time of his life. DJ Mag Ibiza catches up with Paco to talk about his history, the state of techno, why he loves the Club Room at Hï Ibiza and moreDJ Mag Ibiza hooks up with Spanish superstar DJ Paco Osuna in an Ibiza photography studio at the tail-end of a big weekend.
How Shapeshifters' 'Lola's Theme' became an enduring house anthem

Apr 25, 2023 | djmag.com | Carl Loben