Pure DJs - Billie Ray Martin
BILLIE RAY MARTIN
Billie Ray Martin is famed for her incredible, distinctive voice that has been known to make grown men weep. As DJ HELL recently said of her: "She's one of the living legends in modern music history and one of the best voices on planet Earth."
Dubbed the "Queen of electronic soul", Billie first came to prominence leading the deep house group Electribe 101 in the early 90s, her unique style leaving critics struggling to find words to match its beauty - "the voice of a fallen angel" (Q), "deliciously sensual" (MM) and quite simply "genius" (NME). Electribe 101, with their combination of lush electro and Billie's haunting voice, enjoyed a string of chart hits including the classic “Talking With Myself” and "Tell Me When The Fever Ended".
A world tour with Depeche Mode and the album "Electribal Memories" followed before Billie departed for a solo career, continuing her vision to explore fusions of experimental electronics with soul, breathing new life into Throbbing Gristle's thoroughly scary "Persuasion" and releasing the unique "Four Ambient Tales" EP, described by one critic as "Eno meets David Lynch meets Aretha".
She dabbled with more commercial sounds gaining a worldwide number 1 hit (U.S. top 30) with "Your Loving Arms", three further hit singles and the debut album “Deadline For My Memories” (Warners).
Since then Billie has worked with Al Green, Ann Peebles, Carla Thomas and members of Aretha's band on her album "18 Carat Garbage" (before adding her trademark electronics), written songs with Youth among many others, and taken her "Repulsion" show (a live score to the Roman Polanski movie) to great acclaim at both the plush Electric Cinema on Portobello Road and at London's Institute of Contemporary Art. Word reached Mr Polanski himself and he's endorsing Billie's plans for "Repulsion - the musical". In the meantime, the "Repulsion" show is set for further performances in the coming months.
Last year, Billie's electro-noir torch song "Je Regrette Everything" appeared on DJ HELL's "NY Muscle" album (Universal) and last month hit the Music Week top 10 12"s when released as a single. A collaboration with Scottish duo SLAM on the song "Bright Lights Fading" (with mixes by Death In Vegas and Alex Smoke) did exactly the same. It's Billie's tale of Holly Woodlawn in the movie "Women In Revolt".
And I haven't even mentioned her electro-punk-pop project Hot Skates 3000, whose thrilling robotic sounds and vertiginous vocals on "No Brakes On My Roller Skates" is just being prepared for single release.
Billie's recordings continue to be a fixture of many a DJ's set and her live performances continue to be a draw across Europe - the "Tina Turner on acid" choreography and soaring vocals of recent sell-out shows at Drama, Electrogogo, The Cock, the ICA, Electric Cinema, Jazz Cafe and Great Eastern Hotel, as well as live extravaganzas in Paris and Berlin with DJ Hell. What's more, she has just started to DJ and has launched a new clubnight entitled "Komputer Liebe" at the new members club 43 South Molton Street, where she DJs and will perform live PAs. After the fabulous response to her DJ sets at the club, she has started to take bookings. Billie delivers a distinctive and spot on set of electronic classics and cutting edge new electronic music, as well as new wave and punk classics thrown into the mix.
After the fabulous response billie ray martin received to her dj’ing set at her club KOMPUTERLIEBE, she has decided to dj outside of the club as well.
She delivers a distinctive and spot on set of electronic classics and cutting edge new electronic music as well as new wave and punk classics thrown into the mix.
From kraftwerk to bowie, suicide to daft punk, wire to sparks, plastic bertrand to dj hell, human league to new international electro….billie ray martin takes to the decks with a fresh and personal approach. Prepare for no beat-matching but fab fun!
In addition to this billie is available to perform live. on stage billie delivers a ferocious and mind-blowing performance, to electrifying effect. With larry lush on electronics and steve honest on pedal steel guitar, her perfect blend of electronic soulfulness is perfectly suited for clubs as well as extraordinary events.
| Pure DJ's, 2 Whiting Sreet, Sheffield S8 9QR, UK |
| t: +44 (0)114 255 5768 f: +44 (0)114 281 2788 |