Art Department
Art Department, the infamous electronic music act, has seen almost unparalleled success within the world of dance music in recent years. Canadian Jonny White, acting Head of No.19 Music, is now the lone force behind the influential project that began as a collaborative effort with long time friend Kenny Glasgow in 2009. The prolific producer’s original style landed AD at the forefront of a major underground music movement, transcending genre barriers and breaking down walls as few other underground artists have. Their game-changing contribution to the electronic music landscape has been undeniable, garnering accolades such as ‘#1 Track of the Year’ at the Beatport Awards in 2011, the iTunes #2 ‘Best Electronic Album’ of 2011, hailed as the “hottest duo in dance music” from media outlets such as DJ Mag, awarded the 2010 ‘Track of the Year’ for their breakout hit ‘Without You’ by long-standing authorities like Resident Advisor (UK), Groove Mag (Germany), and #2 in Mixmag (US), and voted #6 Top DJ’s in the world in 2012. The duo have also graced the covers of DJMag Canada, Now Magazine, DJ Times, Raveline Magazine and have been widely featured in the press, including The Guardian, Rolling Stone, Vogue, I:D, Nylon and Vibe Magazine; who ranked them #2 DJ/Producers in the world in 2013 (second only to Daft Punk), firmly establishing them as a rarity in the world of electronic music.
Since the project’s inception, the band has been one of the most in-demand touring acts on the circuit, performing at nearly 150 events annually on a seemingly never-ending world tour. Since their installation as residents at DC10 in Ibiza (arguably the most revered club on earth), AD has taken their immersive and unique style of DJ’ing to esteemed nightclubs such as Fabric and Panorama Bar, have performed at trendsetting international festivals like Movement (Detroit), Ultra Music Festival (Miami/Brazil), EDC (Las Vegas), BPM Festival (Mexico), Exit Festival (Serbia), Parklife (UK/Oz), Creamfields (Buenos Aires), Global gathering (UK), Burning Man (Black Rock), Lollapalooza (Chicago), Coachella (California) and Tomorrowworld (Belgium) to name but a few. In 2012 They reached yet another milestone when the duo were welcome guests on the legendary BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix and at the BBC’s hallowed Maida Vail studios, joining a rich history alongside the likes of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.
Art Department’s debut release Vampire Nightclub / Without You arrived in 2010 sounding fully formed, a track so unique that it set the electronic music world ablaze placing the project firmly at the foundation of a new era in underground dance music. Since then the pair honed their original and remix production skills, most notably on White’s own No.19 Music, with their crown jewel being the impressive debut album The Drawing Board released on the prestigious Crosstown Rebels label.
Art Department’s sophomore album, Natural Selection expanded upon their previous body of work, building a deeper and more experimental sound while staying true their original music style that won the hearts of their dedicated fans. Now Art Department enters the next chapter making the change in direction abundantly clear with the creation of the latest Fabric Mix compilation, the 82nd in the legendary series. Focussed more narrowly on the dance floor and a heavier, dubby house and techno sound, Jonny released the new Art Department mix in June 2015 and returned to Room 1 of the revered club for a debut and special launch party along side former partner Kenny Glasgow, Scott Grooves and No.19 co-founder Nitin.
Jonny continues to successfully develop his beloved No.19 Music record label, which to date has released works from over 100 of the most influential electronic artists across the globe. As such, in its 6th year it has become one of the most sought after imprints in contemporary dance music. In recent months the label has seen a string of celebrated producers showcase their talent, with the likes of Guy Gerber, Mathew Jonson, Jamie Jones, Martinez Brothers, DJ Tennis, Radio Slave and Dennis Ferrer all providing remixes for AD’s Natural Selection LP.
Art Department, continuing to push his own creative boundaries and explore new ways in which he can help cultivate underground music culture, has found his latest efforts materialize in the form of two new vinyl-only imprints. The first, Social Experiment, is the name used for the brand of highly successful No.19 Music record label showcases that have been one of the most in-demand events at the aforementioned clubs and music festivals around the world.
The second imprint, named Sunday Money, will serve as yet another opportunity for Jonny to provide even more unknown and established artists with a platform to release a slightly different style of electronic music, more heavily focused on collectors of deeper, “post-minimal” house and techno.
This Autumn will also see Jonny begin work on an issue close to his heart – Music Against Animal Cruelty, a non-profit organization with one simple objective: to save African wildlife. Along with long-time friend and co-founder Wade Cawood, MAAC will act as a broker between musicians, industry insiders and music fans alike, helping to save animals facing the dangers of a diminishing population or extinction. As an additional contribution, the Social Experiment imprint will form a crucial part of fundraising efforts in its guise as a non-profit record label, with all proceeds being donated to MAAC.