My peoples,

I always think of writing reviews of last weekend parties, A-Trak style, but then I give up: I find it very hard to re-capture the atmosphere of a party if you weren’t there to experience it. Let alone the craziness. Even pictures hardly do the job. It’s like trying to tell a friend about that one time you were so fly and you did those stupid things and it was so funny. But if your friend wasn’t there with you on spot, he’ll probably think it was just stupid, and not funny at all.

Now this said, I still feel like telling you a few things about the past two weeks.

First, having spent the whole week knocking some beats at my man RITON’s beat lab, I’m happy to announce that our first EP is ready, and banging, and scheduled for a May release on Ed Banger. The tour is already planned as well, with stops in every major Europe, US, and Canada cities. It’s official: DJ MEHDI + RITON = CARTE BLANCHE, and our first EP is (tentatively) called BLACK BILLIONAIRES. We’re all about House Music on this one, strictly jacking to the sound of the underground. I’ll tell you more about it all very soon, and I might leak a track or two any day now.

Then I had the pleasure to play with Ed’s cousin (and personal fav) BOYS NOIZE at Decked-Out anniversary party, at Coronet in London. There’s not much to say about that, like I said before, I just hope you were there to see and feel it. Special shout-out to the lady MARTJE KREMMERS: you might not know her, but she runs the whole ‘behind-the-scenes’ show. Thank you Martje, we love you—

Last but not least, man, how about that New-York weekend!

It went from doing it, underground style, at Santo’s basement with my girl GINA TURNER to rocking it to tears at Terminal 5 and Webster Hall where the Ed Banger 7 (Justice, Breakbot, Busy P, So-Me, Sebastian, Uffie+Feadz and yours truly) celebrated the age of grace with birtday cake, balloons, presents and some of that headbanging music (I think I even heard Mariah Carey ‘My All’ at some point). I must also say that, having toured and played with A-TRAK about a million times now, he did deliver his BEST SET EVER as he secret guested the big show. People always ask me about that ‘family’ vibe they get from the crew, and how we keep a tight team and what have you. Man, I really don’t know, but if there was one night to feel it, then there it was.

Another special thanks list: Alain TRIZZY, for being our partner in crime. BREAKBOT, for feeling so naturally part of the crew. AMANDINE and SO-ME, for being my friends and my everyday confederates. And the big bro BUSY P, for, well, every freaking thing that happened to us during those 7 years of fun and hard work. Happy anniversary my man, it’s all yours to enjoy, it’s all love. In Pedro’s words: “We are Ed Banger Records, you are Ed Banger Records, and we’re seven years old today”. So THANK YOU ALL as well. And you’re welcome.

Mehdi.

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Thanks to RO and HIFI-CARTEL for the pictures.