artist:
The Activator
title:
Softcurls EP
cat.no:
Gigolo195
formats:
12"   MP3 Download (€2.17)     WAV Download (€2.99)    
buy the 12":
€5.24

short info:
SHARIF ZAWIDEH aka THE ACTIVATOR is a a true linchpin of the Detroit underground. Before producing music, SHARIF's participation in Detroit's early rave scene during the early 1990s led him to organize loft parties & DJing. In his ever low key mode, SHARIF has quietly kept the Detroit night scene alive in a time when just about all others had given up or moved out. Now he enters the Gigolo catalogue at number 195 with a kicking four track EP and sound ranging from minimal grooves to Detroit techno. FABRICE LIG :" Really good e.p, really like B1 ; another thing is, but my favourite is B3 : Doctor Gato, really like that techno electro body hybrid, really nice track ! " ...more info

long info:
SHARIF ZAWIDEH aka THE ACTIVATOR is a a true linchpin of the Detroit underground. Before producing music, SHARIF's participation in Detroit's early rave scene during the early 1990s led him to organize loft parties & DJing. In his ever low key mode, SHARIF has quietly kept the Detroit night scene alive in a time when just about all others had given up or moved out. Now he enters the Gigolo catalogue at number 195 with a kicking four track EP and sound ranging from minimal grooves to Detroit techno. SHARIF programmed the Underground Stage of the Detroit Electronic Music Festival (Fuse-In Festival / Movement Festival) in 2003, 2004 and in 2005 curated the new Todays Music Stage showcasing artists ranging from WOLF EYES, the legendary ESG (Soul Jazz) and LIQUID LIQUID to THOMAS FEHLMANN (Plug Research, THE ORB) and LEGOWELT (Bunker Records). SHARIF is also an operative for Detroit's most elusive organization: UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE. In addition to all this, from April 2004 to June 2005, SHARIF through his SOFT CURLS crew directed the program of the most critically acclaimed new venue in Detroit. Over this last year alone SOFT CURLS have curated a surprising abundance of legendary nights in various dark corners of Detroit, ranging from ALEXANDER ROBOTNICK's first appearance ever in the Motor City with surprise warm up DJ set by CARL CRAIG, a PRINCE afterparty with Moodyman playing all PRINCE records, JUAN ATKINS with Perspects of Le Car as the warm up DJ, Detroit's notorious annual Cannonball event with ELECTRIC SKIN (BMG of ECTOMORPH and Sal Principato of LIQUID LIQUID)... the list goes on and on. But he doesn't just arrange the best music 'situations', he is invited to play at them as well, in Germany, the Netherlands, Thailand, Poland, Japan, Belgium, Brazil, France, Australia and other countries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Americas. Sometimes mixed with his own productions, sometimes with vinyl. And with his Softcurls Activator EP THE ACTIVATOR proves that he is not only a quality DJ and party organizer, but as a producer he is also up there with the best of them. All Kinds Of Motherfuckers on the A-side is a monster jacking number. Clocking in at a colossal 11 minutes 54 seconds, this massive track is mixed by JACEK SIENKIEWICZ whose own work has come out on NovaMute, WMF Records and Cocoon. The B-side features 3 shorter but equally interesting tracks Another Thing Is (America Is the Bomb), Escape From Detroit and Doctor Gato (Plus 4 Reasons). Under his MAERSK alias he has released on the Intuit-Solar label and as QUADRANT his tracks have featured on RICHIE HAWTIN’s Decks, EFX & 909 mix on M_nus. Now with his THE ACTIVATOR moniker SHARIF ZAWIDEH releases his first record on forerunners in all things electronic, International Deejay Gigolo Records. With Softcurls SHARIF has always supported the Gigolos recently booking the likes of TRAXX and TERENCE FIXMER to play at parties in Detroit. Now HELL repays the respect by immortalising THE ACTIVATOR on 12” vinyl. This is powerful music which will work well in the club and is an important addition to the ever expanding Gigolo catalogue.