In 2002 Marco Rodrigues (Markur), Miguel Evaristo (Rhodes) and Manuel Diogo (Onishin), aged 18 and best pals from school, decided to enter a photography contest, possibly shooting some of the worst pictures in history and creating a name that would represent their bond as friends, music lovers and movie addicts ; Da Photonz. From their love for sounds they started to play at a local bar called Gaveto, a little experimentation playground where they were assured all the sonic freedom they wanted, combining the whole musical spectrum into sets of contrasting effect, from sweet melodic mentalism to pure dirt beats and noise. The name now was Da Photonik Barrade, and was pretty much to set their approach to djing as a beat digging thing, not necessarily of the musical past ... not necessarily just searching for beats.

Onishin made a break from djing and the others started messing with noises and rhythms creating remixes and dj tools, changing the name to simply Photonz and djing in Lisbon venues such as the reknowned Incognito Bar, Majong and Left Bar. The first tracks started to have motivating feedback from Portuguese djs such as Pinkboy, Rai and the Sr Ming DJ collective. The track Our Fable managed to catch the attention of Neilon Pitamber of Dub Kult fame, and it was a thrill to see him describe it as "awesome moody shit", specially when they were already admirers of his work. It now appears on Dub Kult's newly created Living Records and will be released as a 12" on 9th October with the tracks Our Fable, Ronin, Ronin (Dub Kult mix) and Love Blade. Marco and Miguel will be kicking things off in fine style at the London label launch party at Fluid, 40 Charterhouse Street  (more info at Dub Kult's MySpace blog). Their first  release for Virus B-23 will be The Ill Kebab / Spine.

Download this Photonz promotional mix titled 'Sword Music 2' and get more of an idea about their angle of sounds.
 

01 Skream - Monsoon (Loefah rmx)
02 Pantytec - Moriomelo
03 Mike Shannon - Valence
04 Extrawelt - Drehfehler
05 Rigz Ratahluler - Reclaim
06 Julius Kammerl - Erlangen Sud
07 John Tejada - Mono On Mono (Plaid rmx)
08 Ellen Alien & Apparat - Way Out (Robag Wruhme Vati Maffonkk Remikks)
09 Ma8. rk Bublor - Games
10 Claro Intelecto - Thieves
11 Photonz - Ronin (Dubkult rmx)
12 Yappac - Xpharmonica (Alex Smoke rmx)
13 Photonz - White Chalk Black Board
14 Bell - Winning Signal
15 Hrdvsion - Me Me Me
16 Murcof - Mir

       

Virus B-23 Discography

The Ill Kebab (VB23MP029A)

Spine (VB23MP029B)

Kicked Out (appears on the Phlegmtaic Selections compilation) (VB23MP032G)

Links and info