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From: USA (DC | NY)

Style: Breakfast: Trance, Techno | Eco: Trance

Famous Tracks: Breakfast: Air Guitar, The Air Between, Dubfire – Roadkill (Breakfast Remix) | Eco: Borealis, Lost Angeles, And We Flew Away, Tonight is Forever, Drowning

Best Known For: Breakfast: Coming to a Glow party, sticking a CD in Ferry Corsten’s hands and getting a deal with Flashover. Eco: Having something like 12 Tunes of the Week on Armin van Buuren’s A State of Trance.

When Casey Keyworth handed Ferry Corsten a CD at a Glow party a few years ago, he never thought he’d end being known as ‘Ferry’s protege.’ He’s spun A State of Trance parties, shared the stage with the best in the world, and the best have played his tunes across the globe. As of late Breakfast has taken his productions to the next level, abandoning his tried and true trance sounds to experiment with everything from techno to dub step and even hip-hop. But don’t worry, the man is still as deeply routed in trance as anyone.

“I seriously don’t know how he does it… Everything this man is touching is turning into pure melodic gold.” – Armin van Buuren on Eco

Eco has had a crazy amount of music featured on Armin van Buuren’s radio show. The NY local has been tearing the underground scene of the city that never sleeps apart for a while now. A huge fan of Pink Floyd and psychadelic rock, Eco brings the spaced out, trippy elements of the 60′s and 70′s acid into the driving, melodic-themed trance of today. Signed to Armada Records, Eco is on the cusp of releasing an artist album which is guaranteed to receive support from everyone.

Bio

BREAKFAST

LIKE THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY, DJ BREAKFAST CAN’T BE IGNORED.
CASEY KEYWORTH IS TAKING TRANCE DEEP, AND INTO UNCHARTED WATERS.

In a world saturated with over-indulgent trance melodies, generic drum kits and recycled beats, Casey Keyworth, aka Breakfast, leads a pack of fresh and innovative DJ/producers who are unafraid to challenge the established rules of dance music. His unique sound of lush, melodic and deep trance has caught the attention of the world’s tastemaker DJs and fans alike – so much so that Ferry Corsten took notice and made him one of his staple Flashover artists. (Currently the number seven DJ in the world according to DJ Mag, Corsten cites Breakfast’s track “Remember” as his Tune of 2009).

In a short time, Breakfast has achieved what most aspiring producers consider “living the dream.” Hailing from Annapolis, Maryland, Casey Keyworth took to the electronic music scene early-on, frequenting nightclubs in nearby Washington D.C. It took several years of learning – with various tinkering on MTV Music Generator and Fruity Loops, among other virtual studios/Digital Audio Workstations – to get it right. But gradually, the aspiring producer developed a polished sound and was able to distribute his output through reliable channels.

LAST NIGHT A DJ SAVED HIS LIFE

In the early ‘90s, electronic music fans in the United States were hard-pressed to find their favorite music on retail store shelves. Rather, the then-underground sound was relegated to urban nightclubs and specialized record shops. When he was 10 years old, Casey recalls listening to a late night dance music show on 99.1 WHFS; the alternative rock station would broadcast life sets from nightlife venues. He was hooked. “Holy crap!” he exclaims. “I found something that was beyond everything.”

Daft Punk beamed down the radio waves one night and Casey thought it was “way ahead of its time” – he resolved to own his own copy the next day. He went to the local music shop and asked, “Dude, what is this song that goes, ‘Around the world, around…’” to which the store clerk replied, “Oh, that’s Daft Punk. You want ‘Homework.’” He picked up the album and couldn’t stop listening to it.

He then uncovered his favorite genre after listening to BT’s track “Dreaming.” To Casey, it sounded very euphoric. He was so blown away by the song and considered it a next step up from Daft Punk. While putting the two – Daft Punk and BT – on the table together is like comparing apples and oranges, Casey had nonetheless found his niche and started to learn music production.

The Breakfast moniker came about when Casey was 16 years old. He had a self-described “ghetto studio setup,” consisting of his computer and a synthesizer (Yamaha CS6X). He would get up in the morning and on the weekends – whenever he had time to make music – and, instead of eating breakfast, would go straight to the studio: music for nourishment.

Fast-forward to 2005 and a 17-year-old Casey is going out way past his bedtime to see Ferry Corsten perform in Washington, DC. Being underage, and with strict US laws requiring nightclubs to enforce 21-and-over entry, he attended with his mother. Amidst flashing lights and a booming sound system, by chance Casey was able to slip Ferry Corsten a CD sampling of his music. “I think Ferry was stunned because I gave him a CD of nine different songs,” he remembers. Shortly after, on his 18th birthday, Casey received a phone call – Ferry Corsten wanted Breakfast to release music on his label, Flashover Recordings.

In 2006, Breakfast’s inaugural release was “The Air Between”; he hasn’t looked back since. Ferry began booking him as his supporting warm-up DJ. “I get to go on his tours – US tours, usually,” Casey says. Their relationship flourished as Ferry began to see a lot of potential in the young up-and-comer. “Being so young and so talented can only lead to a bright future,” Ferry says, “so I felt like the guy needed a push in the right direction.” He made Breakfast his exclusive, upfront artist. The exposure has provided Breakfast with a specific kind of music industry access that eludes most other DJs and producers – who you know really does count.

As he powerfully learned the ropes, soon enough he was ready to steer them. Flashover afforded Breakfast the chance to establish his own sound; the time came for him to explore other music styles. Casey started his own Flashover sub-label – and Moodymoon was born. “I wanted to release some music that wasn’t exactly Breakfast, but still had that good sound to it,” he explains. While he still releases big trance tracks for Flashover, Moodymoon is all about the deeper side of progressive house and trance.

The world’s top DJs regard Moodymoon as a first-rate label with a reliably good sound. From Sander van Doorn, to Above and Beyond, to M.I.K.E., to The Thrillseekers and Armin van Buuren, et al., each of Breakfast’s releases continues to receive tremendous support. Now in its fourth release, Moodymoon is building momentum and keeps churning out top-quality music by Breakfast; the label also gives him a chance to introduce other outstanding artists whom he has met while touring.

CRAFTED PRECISION

“I create energy with tension,” Breakfast responds when I ask him about his production style. For the now-21-year-old musician, it’s all about building layers on top of layers to build the pressure. “A lot of people will say my music sounds older because I don’t do the kick drum rolls,” he explains. “I just drop the beats back in.” In order to strike the delicate balance that distinguishes the Breakfast sound, he ensures that no musical element overpowers the other. The result is perfectly laid-out songs with dancefloor panache, combined with cinematic overtones and moments of romantic, introspective bliss.

Breakfast & Schossow’s “They Came For Us” (remixed by Breakfast) is a prime example of Casey’s ability to convey subtle elegance and driving dancefloor energy. Galloping bass is enveloped by deep, plodding bass with building percussion lines that pad the way for some warm, squelching acid riffs. The escalating tension is broken by an inspired melody that doesn’t overpower the composition – rather, it accents it, creating a sublime experience of emotion and uplift.

“I’m really trying to bring out very warm visuals,” Casey describes, then offers perceptible reference points, such as a sunset or the changing leaves in autumn. Breakfast Pres. Loomer “Take Me Back” shows off Casey’s keen ability to craft a growling dancefloor stormer, with its futuristic, take-no-prisoners keyboard arrangement, shiver-inducing refrain and techno-samba drum beats. It’s this kind of versatility – without straying too far from the trance genre – that is making Casey a key global player in the dance music market.

Gaining recognition from his peers such as Tiesto, Armin van Buuren and BT (who commissioned Breakfast to remix one of his tracks, “The Unbreakable”) has been a real eye-opener. He can now look at these luminaries and ask, “How does this sound? Is this good?” and be confident that he is receiving valid feedback. And now, the most important form of approval is coming from a growing base of dance music fans that frequent his gigs around the world. “Interacting with the crowd is probably my favorite thing and finding that comfort zone for them is perfect,” he states. Breakfast plays with an in-the-moment approach, finding that niche rhythm that the crowd likes and working it for them.

With many more DJ gigs slated for the next year (in far off places such as Asia, Australia and Russia), we can expect great things from this upstart DJ, label head and producer.

For more information about Breakfast and past, present and future Moodymoon releases, please visit: www.flashoverrecordings.com.

ECO

“I seriously don’t know how he does it… Everything this man is touching is turning into pure melodic gold.” – Quote ‘Armin van Buuren, ASOT441′

Originally hailed by Martin Roth as “New York’s uncut diamond” and a new addition to “the elite league of the upcoming young rebelling producers,” the young American producer Eco, is no stranger to the electronic dance music scene. With his hit tracks “Light At The End”, “Tonight Is Forever”, “Borealis”, “And We Flew Away”, and “Lost Angeles” all reaching Tune Of The Week status on Armin Van Buuren’s A State Of Trance radio show, his name has slowly but surely been making waves all over the electronic music globe, receiving consistent support from names as Armin Van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, Markus Schulz, and many more. Taking inspiration from bands like Sigur Ros, Pink Floyd, and Arcade Fire, Eco produces a hybrid version of progressive trance that closes the gap between the indie rock movement of today and the electronic music of tomorrow. As much as it is electronic dance music, it is also music that closes your eyes and paints colorful abstract images in your mind: pure inspiration. His signature sound has spread to music lovers of all genres and backgrounds, with complex melodies that reach their core.

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