mike swells

below the surface of the dance music industry, a saturation of otherwise unknown djs constantly vie for recognition. the competition is undeniable and often creates schisms among the very people who should be working together to keep the music moving forward. fully aware of this fact, mike swells first emerged on the boston scene as a face in the crowd, supporting house music parties throughout the city. after logging many late nights in clubs and lounges, swells eventually became a familiar fixture of the beantown crew. once he was sure that his commitment to his hometown's edm scene-and the djs behind it-could not be questioned, he started asking friends for deck time. it didn't take long for him to graduate from those early gigs to proper sets at venues throughout the city.

in 2004, mike became a resident at rise, boston's only after-hours club. the pairing was meant to be: mike's personal and musical energy perfectly complemented the positive vibe of this unique nightclub. he regularly spun five-hour sets to the musically discerning community of early-morning revelers, weaving soundscapes that stretched from the dubby depths of downtempo to the undulating intensity of everything else underground. mike's dream of holding court alongside of some of the world's most highly regarded artists-including josh wink, tom stephan, steve porter, and chus & ceballos-had become a reality at his own home club.

it was inevitable that mike's infectious grooves would radiate to cities beyond the confines of new england. he has rocked the decks at parties from miami's winter music conference to new york city, dc to cleveland to los angeles, sharing the booth with dj's like eric prydz, chris fortier, chris micali, and kenneth thomas. the summer of 2007 saw mike's first international gig, playing for clubbers on the caribbean island of st. maarten. dubbed the labor day music conference, this three day "party in paradise" afforded mike the opportunity to dj along side the crystal method, the duo whos 1997 platinum album "vegas" served as mike's gateway to dance music.

back home mike has continued to develop his nights at rise, playing regularly in both the lounge and the main room. he also maintains two other dj residencies. every friday he hosts a weekly party at om in cambridge, and once a month he plays at the red door in portsmouth, nh. all remaining waking hours are spent working in his studio - the womb from where he nurses original productions, remixes, and edits to dancefloor maturity. mike's first track, "tawdry," was released on slanted black records. his next project, a remix of eli wilkie's "d'vibin" on reversible records, is featured on steve porter's february 2008 iDJ magazine mix CD. mike swells has joined forces with rise, base bookings and 'party in paradise' to bring inspiring dance music to boston and beyond.