FIRST ANNUAL ‘DIAMONDS 07 TOUR’ FEATURING JOHN DIGWEED AND MSTRKRFT SET FOR MARCH 2007

FR:   ALEXANDRA GREENBERG/SHAZILA MOHAMMED
       MSO

In a highly unusual–but absolutely welcome–pairing, dance music icon JOHN DIGWEED and electro  partiers MSTRKRFT have joined forces for the first annual DIAMONDS 07 TOUR being presented by URGE, MTV Networks' digital music service, and Puma.   Throughout the entire month of March 2007, these two dance floor forces plus special guests TBD on various dates throughout will set off on a 19-date major club tour, bringing to the masses their distinct DJ styles: JOHN, with his beautiful tech-inspired sets, and MSTRKRFT, with their fresh electro punk anthems.

Kicking off March 1 at the Roseland Theater in Portland, OR, the DIAMONDS 07 TOUR will pass through the very best clubs in every major market in the U.S.  Appearances are confirmed for Ruby Skye in San Francisco, Vanguard in Los Angeles, Blue in Atlanta and Pacha in New York, just to name a few.   There are also high profile dates set that run in conjunction with SXSW in Austin (March 16 at SPIN) and the Winter Music Conference in Miami (March 20 at Pawn Shop).

The JOHN DIGWEED and MSTRKRFT partnership–conceptualized by MSTRKRFT and the tour’s  co-presenter Last Gang Promotions–resulted in response to the need for something different on the club circuit, and there’s not a better time for them to introduce the DIAMONDS tour. Noting their distinct DJ techniques, DIGWEED made the obvious choice for the inaugural outing where their crowds can experience what the other has to offer. The DIAMONDS 07 tour will be the first outing where MSTRKRFT and uniquely different DJ artists can come together for what they hope will be many years to come.

“We're very excited about the first ever Diamonds Tour and are honored to have JOHN DIGWEED  headline.   We think it’s the type of lineup fans have been searching for,” says MSTRKRFT’s Jesse Keeler. “We are always in search of the best party possible and this is probably about as close as you can get.”  Adds tour co-producer, Michael Gorman of Last Gang Promotions, “These parties are destined to fulfill the fantasies of every dance music fan. The unique combination of JOHN DIGWEED and MSTRKRFT is something we had wanted to do for a long time and are thrilled to see it finally transpire”.

If  you're not an avid follower of dance music but are tuned into popular culture at all, you've likely experienced music touched by the hands of JOHN DIGWEED.   This global star’s list of achievements includes the first proper DJ mix compilation with 1996’s seminal Renaissance: The Mix Collection with Sasha; he’s also the first British DJ to hold a residency at Twilo (also with Sasha) for what was then the world's most well-known club and has remixed music by Danny Tenaglia, Underworld, Quincy Jones and New Order.   From the nights he has either created or been a part of (Bedrock, Northern Exposure, Renaissance) to his world-renowned mix CD's for Global Underground, Communicate, MMII, Fabric and Bedrock, he has consistently produced singular products that  stay  in  demand, himself included.    Recently,  DIGWEED reunited with DJ partner Sasha to headline GIANT Maximus, the major New Years Eve event in Los Angeles, which drew over 10,000 people.   His most current offering, Transitions Vol. 2 will be released February 6 on Thrive/Renaissance in the U.S.  It’s the second release in his series as a spin-off of his popular British Kiss100 ‘Transitions’ radio show that’s syndicated on over 18 stations in 14 countries (including XM Satellite, Indie 103.1 in Los Angeles and Energy 92.7 in San Francisco), and commands a global audience of over 2 million listeners per week.

MSTRKRFT (pronounced ‘Master craft’) is the project of Toronto musician Jesse F. Keeler (aka JFK) and studio wizard Al-P, two music-loving dudes who’ve been itching to make people dance as hard as they’ve made them rock. Prior to joining up under the MSTRKRFT moniker, the pair’s most celebrated collaboration was Death From Above 1979’s You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine, their 2004 red-hot masterpiece that fuses the energy of rock n’ roll with the oomph of disco. The Looks, their debut artist album as MSTRKRFT on Last Gang Records, followed July 2006.   They’ve also recently completed remixes for All Saints, Metric, Bloc Party, Wolfmother, The Brazilian Girls and more–and be on the lookout for the video for their new single “Street Justice” in February.   A collection of their best remixes will be released in summer 2007 on Last Gang Records, and they are currently in the studio working on the follow-up to The Looks.

In addition, URGE (available for free download at http://www.urge.com) will exclusively host streaming-only mix series from John Digweed and MSTRKRFT beginning February 27 and March 13 respectively.

Tour dates for the DIAMONDS 07 tour featuring JOHN DIGWEED & MSTRKRFT are:

Fri  3/2      San Francisco, CA      Ruby Skye
Sat 3/3      Los Angeles, CA         Vanguard
Sun 3/4     San Diego, CA            Belo
Wed 3/7     Phoenix, AZ               Axis/Radius
Thu 3/8      Las Vegas, NV            Jet
Fri  3/9       Minneapolis, MN         Myth
Sat 3/10     Denver, CO               Vinyl
Tue 3/13    St. Louis, MO               Dantes
Thu 3/15    Houston, TX               Warehouse Live
Fri  3/16     Austin, TX                  Spin
Sat 3/17     Dallas, TX                  Karma
Sun 3/18    New Orleans, LA          Ampersand
Tue 3/20    Miami, FL                   Pawn Shop (WMC)
Tue 3/27     Atlanta, GA                Blue
Wed 3/28    Nashville, TN               Club Play
Thu 3/29     Charlotte, NC             The Forum
Fri  3/30     Washington, DC          9:30 Club
Sat 3/31     New York, NY               Pacha

For more information on the DIAMONDS 07 TOUR featuring JOHN DIGWEED and MSTRKRFT, contact:
MSO    818-380-0400

Alexandra Greenberg x223, agreenberg@msopr.com                       

Shazila Mohammed   x238, shazila@msopr.com