Benny Benassi
Background information
Birth name	Marco Benassi
Also known as	Benny B., Benny Bee
Born	(1967-07-13) July 13, 1967 (age 44)[1]
Origin	Reggio Emilia, Italy
Genres	House Techno Trance Electro Eurodance
Occupations	DJ, producer, remixer
Years active	Late 1980s–present
Labels	Energy Prod. - D:Vision, Airplay, Ministry of Sound, Ultra
Associated acts	Benassi Bros., Madonna, Chris Brown, Bat67, The Biz, FB, KMC, M&M, Two Men, Skrillex, Gary Go
Website	www.bennybenassi.com

Marco Benassi (born July 13, 1967),^[1] better known as Benny Benassi, is an Italian disc jockey (DJ) and record producer of tech house music. He is best known for his 2002 summer club hit "Satisfaction". On October 28, 2009, DJ Magazine announced the results of their annual Top 100 DJ Poll, with Ultra Records artist Benny Benassi placed #26, 13 spots higher than the previous year.^[2]

Career[link]

Benny Benassi at Electric Daisy Carnival 2009.

A native of Reggio Emilia, DJ/producer Benassi, started DJing alongside cousin Alle Benassi in the late 1980s in their hometown, before moving to Larry Pignagnoli's Off Limits production studio in the mid 1990s, creating music for various acts, including Whigfield, J.K. and Ally & Jo.

Benassi first hit the dance floors with projects of his own, in 2001, with the single "I Feel So Fine", released under the name KMC with vocals by Dhany. The track first climbed the charts in Benassi's native Italy, and soon became a #1 hit in the UK club charts.^[1]

Moving from house to electro, "Satisfaction" took Benassi's success worldwide a year later with high-profile DJs like Carl Cox, Darren Emerson, and Roger Sanchez offering praises. The track reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart after the Ministry of Sound record company replaced the original video (an almost still picture of the band, overlayed with graphics) with a video of models using power tools.

Released in 2003, the "campy" and "quirky" Hypnotica was Benassi's solo debut album. At the end of 2004, he won the European Border Breakers Award for Hypnotica, which racked up the most sales for an Italian album outside Italy.

Benassi often works with vocalists Paul French and Violeta, who are collectively known as The Biz. He produced a group with cousin Alle, called Benassi Bros., a project designed to shine the spotlight on the two Biz vocalists, Paul French and Violeta Claudia and other guest singers. A year after the release of Hypnotica, thr album Pumphonia marked their first full length release. And, in 2005, Benassi Bros. released their second album …Phobia.

Some of Benassi's singles have charted high in the United Kingdom and have been played worldwide in clubs. Remixes for OutKast, Goldfrapp, and Felix da Housecat followed. Benassi also remixes music of his contemporaries, such as Tomcraft and Fischerspooner.

In 2005, Benassi founded the record label Pump-Kin Music. The focus of the label is primarily new and unsigned producers. The stated aim of the venture is to give exposure to some of the lesser known DJ/production talent across the world.

In August 2007, Benassi released a remix of Public Enemy's "Bring the Noise". The video for the track was created by Eclectic Method and features a montage of live footage from Public Enemy. It premiered on imeem.com. In February 2008, "Bring the Noise" won a Grammy for best Remix (Dance).

His album Rock 'n' Rave was released on June 16, 2008. The first single from the album was "I Am Not Drunk."

Benassi also broadcasts the one-hour long The Benny Benassi Show on Sirius XM Radio's channel Area.^[3]

In 2009, he worked with Madonna on a remix for her single "Celebration" which was included on the official music video for the song.

In 2010, Benassi released "Electro Sixteen", a video for Benny Benassi vs. "Iggy Pop", “Electro Sixteen,” published by Ultra Records, which is an experimental music video featuring more than 15,000 photographs from his DJ set at New York’s Electric Zoo Festival.^[4]

On May 24, 2010, "Spaceship", which featured Kelis, apl.de.ap and Jean-Baptiste, was selected as the Song of the Day on About.com, with the site calling Benassi's production "tight and melodic, [while] Kelis turns in a fantastic performance." The single was released via digital download on August 21, and charted at #18 on the UK Dance singles chart on August 28."^[5]

On January 23, 2011, Benny Benassi released the music video for "Electroman", a single featuring T-Pain.

Benassi is featured on the track "Beautiful People", off Chris Brown's latest album, F.A.M.E..^{[clarification needed][citation needed]}

On June 7, Benny Benassi released a new album titled Electroman, which includes several singles, such as "Cinema", "Electroman", "Spaceship" and "Control".^[6]

In 2012, working for the second time with Madonna he produced 3 tracks for her studio album MDNA: "Girl Gone Wild", "I'm Addicted" and "Best Friend".

Discography[link]

• Hypnotica (2003)
• Pumphonia (2004)
• ...Phobia (2005)
• Rock 'n' Rave (2008)
• Electroman (2011)

Awards and nominations[link]

• 2011 - Benny Benassi was rated #27 on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJS.
• Benny Benassi recently was rated #7 on DJ Poll Top 100 on www.thedjlist.com.
• 2008 - Benny Benassi won the Best Remixed Recording at the 50th Grammy Awards for his remix of Public Enemy's Bring the Noise.
• 2006 - Benny Benassi "Hit my Heart" opened The 2006 Victoria Secret Fashion Show.
• 2004 - Three nominations at Dancestar, Miami and won the best video award.
• 2004 - DJ MAG's Top 100 DJs: Benny became number eighteen, the highest new entry.
• 2004 - European Border Breakers Award for Hypnotica, the Italian album that sold most in Europe outside Italy.
• 2003 - Number one in the Top 100 dance tracks on the Ministry of Sound Internet radio.
• 2003 - DJ MAG tune of the year in UK.
• 2003 - Revelation of the year – Italian Dance Music Awards.
• 2003 - Dance revelation of the year – Danish Music Award.
• 2003 - Nominated for international revelation of the year – NRJ Awards, France.

See also[link]

• 'Benassi pumping'

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Benny Benassi

• Official website
• Artist Site at Ultra Records
• Fan site

Marshall Jefferson (born September 19, 1959, Chicago, Illinois) is an American musician, working in house music,^[1] in particular, the subgenres of Chicago house and deep house.^[2]

Biography[link]

Jefferson was originally a record producer in the Universal Recording Studios in Chicago, where he met the owner of Trax Records, Larry Sherman. Jefferson's 1986 single for Trax, "Move Your Body (The House-Music Anthem)," the first house song to use piano,^[3] was a popular and influential song in the genre. During the late-1980s heyday of house music he recorded solo and collaborative material under various names such as Virgo, Jungle Wonz, Truth and On The House. Jefferson's deep house productions include songs by CeCe Rogers and Sterling Void, and Ten City's first two albums.^[2] In March 1987, the British music magazine NME reported that Jefferson and Frankie Knuckles were in the UK for the first house-music tour.^[4]

"Move Your Body" appeared in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, playing on house-music radio station SF-UR. This song also appeared in Michael Winterbottom's film 24 Hour Party People and in the 1991 documentary film Paris is Burning. Music enthusiast Web site digitaldreamdoor.com ranked it as the greatest house-music song of all time.

Jefferson took a break from music in 1990, then returned to DJing in 1993. He moved to London, England, where he had a five-year residency with the Tribal Gathering and Big Love events.^[5]

Jefferson now lives in New Jersey and records for the New Jersey-based USB Records, which he co-owns with CeCe Rogers.^{[citation needed]}

Jefferson's career was managed for many years by the UK based company Inner Rhythm Artists. In 2005, MN2S Management took over exclusive management of Jefferson.^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

External links[link]

• Marshall Jefferson at Discogs
• Video: Paul Morley interview with Marshall Jefferson, The Observer, 2010

This article on an American electronic musician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This article on a house musician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e