JOHN PLAYER SPECIAL John Player Special (a.k.a. João Gomes da Costa) was born in Lisbon in 1979, but spent his youth in Braga in the north of Portugal. In 1996, he returned to Lisbon to study photography and video but soon realised that his true passion was music and to make people dance. In the last 15 years, John Player Special has built a dj career that spans practically all major clubs and music venues in Portugal from the period, and has cemented his position as one of the most hard working and original dj's in the country. In a digital age, he remained faithful to the analog days and his vinyl record collection is an impressive homage to the best soul, funk, hiphop and jazz of the 20th century. His journey through the vaults of the most creative and respected labels of the past, is in part responsible for his sophisticated taste, that combined with his open mind and natural capacity of working a crowd, gives him the capacity to turn any event into a memorable dancing session, full of groovy surprises and contagious dance floor fever. John Player Special's dj sets are carefully structured performances that can adapt to very different situations and ambiances, but always provide unexpected musical choices that can grab the moment and make it unforgettable. He his both at ease in more chilled happenings creating elegant atmospheres suited to lounge venues and listening pleasure, as he is in a full swing party at 3 a.m. satisfying hardcore dancers' lust for the ultimate beat. While usually in his sets one can enjoy a predominance of contemporary urban music ranging from breakbeat, hiphop and soul, John Player Special crosses freely through genres and epochs adding rhythms from the early rock'n'roll period, latin and afrobeat tracks, jazz and blues classics, obscure soundtrack shakers, Brazilian gems or the latest liquid drum'n'bass beat, creating the right balance to please the attending crowd. Technically, John Player Special masters the mixes with ease, his scratch skills are excellent and used to great effect with loops and beats to emphasise the pulsating energy of a funky crowd. Although he also plays cds and digital music files, his technical virtuosity shines through much more clearly during his pure vinyl sets. Pensão Amor, Lux Frágil, Armazém do Chá, Café Suave, Maus Hábitos, Meo Outjazz Festival, Giv Lowe Art Gallery, Topo, among many others, are some of the venues where John Player Special has hold residencies or played regularly. 23h-05h. primeiro barco LX 05h20
