BTTD

Pianoman DJ SET @ Back To The Dock (14th Oct 2023) Liverpool

im 17 going into music production level 3 I am willing to make any genre of music so ye see ya there love all the way 🔥

Scouse House/Bounce Uk Happy Hardcore/Harder Styles Serial Reposter Up Those Toffees 💙

James Sammon, better known to dance music aficionados as Pianoman, has been a formidable force in electronic music production since his debut in 1991. With over three decades of experience crafting infectious beats and melodic compositions, Sammon has established himself as a respected veteran in the industry.
As a producer, songwriter, and sound designer, James was one of the original artists present at the birth of the British house music scene in the early nineties. His pioneering work helped shape the sound that would come to define an era and influence generations of electronic music producers.
Pianoman's production credentials speak to his exceptional talent and versatility, having released tracks through some of the music world's most prestigious labels. His work has found homes on Universal Music, Ministry Of Sound, Armada Music, and Trick Records, showcasing his ability to create music that resonates with both underground scenes and mainstream audiences alike.
Further cementing his status in the electronic music landscape, Sammon's productions have been featured on London / FFRR Records—a label with deep roots in dance music history—as well as AATW Records, Xploded Music, Polydor Records, and Discomagic UK.
What began thirty years ago continues to thrive today, with Pianoman's tracks—both classic releases and new productions—reaching a new generation of clubbers. This remarkable longevity speaks to the timeless quality of his sound and his ability to remain relevant in an ever-changing musical landscape.
Throughout his career, Pianoman has demonstrated a remarkable ability to evolve with the shifting currents of electronic music while maintaining his signature sound. His productions blend technical precision with creative innovation, earning him the respect of peers and listeners worldwide as he continues his influential journey through dance music history.

damienj, started his musical journey in the late 1980’s with the first “illegal raves” to hit the small town in the South Lakes town of Ulverston. 
Living in a Buddhist community since the age of 5yrs, he was used to the different styles and sounds of the multicultural environment and enjoyed the changing faces of all the different people he would meet over the years. 
The “Rave Scene” was an explosion of sounds, tastes and people: From the Whirl y gig in London the club that began in 1981 as a collaboration with the Association of Humanistic Psychology to encourage "anyone who enjoys dance as a means of self-expression”. to the brick factory in the South Lakes and then onto the Cave Raves in Coniston, Damien.j experienced it all. 
The “illegal Raves” slowing down damien.j took to the clubs visiting some of the most well known of the time around the North West of England and beyond. The club scene would form the backbone to damien.j and his musical taste and style. Enjoying nights in clubs such as The Carlton, Morcambe, Zone in Blackpool, Shelley’s in Stoke-on-Trent and the Eclipse in Coventry, damien.j partied until the sun came up and beyond. 

Now living in Perth, Australia damien.j has a family and plies his trade whilst watching the sun set on the gorgeous Indian Ocean, with his Roland SE-02 Studio Electronics, Korg Minilogue and Roland Airia TR-8, the old school sounds start to be created again!
If you'd like to support my work and help damienj reach musical heights with being able to increase studio equipment then please click on the "Support" button. Thank you for all your ongoing positivity and support out there and stay safe everyone and look after each other! 
Releases on:
@AlienatorRecords
- Frame Workxx Records
@undergroundz-records

I first started listening to Happy Hardcore in 1996 along with my Twin Brother at the age of 17, it became an obsession pretty quickly due to the euphoric feelings the amazing pianos and vocals would supply. Dougal quickly became my favourite DJ due to his amazing track selections, his sets were full of smile on your face bangers and was always the first tape played out of any new tape pack, indeed I wouldn't even buy a tape pack unless Dougal was on it 😂 I got my first set of decks in 1999 at the age of 20 - Gemini PT1000 MK2 Direct Drive & Numark DM1001X Mixer, I wouldn't say I was a natural by any stretch of the imagination, it was car crash central at first, but I managed to teach myself beat matching and phrasing to an adequate standard within 6 months. Unfortunately around the time I bought my decks Hardcore was on the decline and Trance was getting huge, so Hardcore Vinyl was getting harder to source, so I started playing Trance instead whilst still harbouring my love for Hardcore. 

I've always struggled with my confidence, so I didn't really push myself in any meaningful way to become a DJ, of course I had dreams and I was a decent standard, but I was painfully shy when meeting new people so the idea of talking to promoters put the fear of God in me. In 2001 I went to my First Retro event up in Yarm and this changed my DJing direction totally, I started buying as much Classic House as I could, the Pianos were infectious and the atmosphere at the events was amazing. I managed to purchase some Technics 1200 MK5's in 2004 and got some bookings for some Classic House night's. I was still buying Hardcore Tape/CD Packs as I still loved Hardcore, me and my Twin Brother were the only one's out of our friends still listening to it, Hardcore had evolved to UK Hardcore, and the tracks being produced were phenomenal it was a brilliant time for the Hardcore scene. I wasn't buying any of the new Hardcore releases on Vinyl, as I was getting booked for more House events, and there was an abundance of House records to be bought. It wasn't until 2010 that I actually went digital, so I was finally able to download huge amounts of Hardcore Tracks and mess about with them at home, but I wasn't pushing that sound it was just for my own pleasure at home. In the DJing stakes I'd started playing Tech House and got some good bookings for that, I still love Tech House, there is definitely a brilliant groove to it. 

2013 was an extremely difficult year for me personally. I stopped DJing altogether and just went on my decks sporadically at home. I sold my beloved Technics in 2015 due to personal circumstances, an absolutely horrible day in my life that was (still kept my Vinyl though). I bought a DJ Controller with some of the proceeds which I used very sparingly. In 2017 my life changed massively for the better personally after 4 1/2 years of being in the doldrums when I met my Partner, who is an absolute Star. Unfortunately my controller had to go into storage due to space issues and to be honest I still wasn't ready to jump back into the World of DJing. Fast forward to 2021 after 8 years of hardly doing any DJing my fingers had started to get the itch, I could feel the passion return and I was getting a lot of prompting from my 2 best mates, so room was made for the Controller by my good lady and she was brought out of storage and amazingly enough she still worked. I had no targets when I restarted DJing I just wanted to play the stuff I loved for me, which was naturally Hardcore. Covid had struck though and there was a huge online community growing, I saw an advertisement from Hardcore Vibes Radio for a Guest Slot, so I did a mix for them and then got taken on as a resident which has been absolutely amazing for me both personally and professionally. I've also started playing House again and am now very proud to be one of the residents at a brilliant local Burnley Night called Luv House, onwards and upwards 😊