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Part of a series on Zoroastrianism

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Primary topics

Zoroastrianism Ahura Mazda Zarathustra aša (asha) / arta

Angels and demons

Amesha Spentas · Yazatas Ahuras · Daevas Angra Mainyu

Scripture and worship

Avesta Gathas · Yasna Vendidad · Visperad Yashts · Khordeh Avesta Ab-Zohr The Ahuna Vairya Invocation Fire Temples

Accounts and legends

Dēnkard · Bundahišn Book of Arda Viraf Book of Jamasp Story of Sanjan

History and culture

Zurvanism Calendar · Festivals Marriage Eschatology

Adherents

Zoroastrians in Iran Parsis · Iranis • • • Persecution of Zoroastrians

See also

Index of Related Articles

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The Avesta is the primary collection of sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, composed in the Avestan language.

History[link]

Early transmission[link]

The texts of the Avesta — which are all in the Avestan language — were composed over the course of several hundred years. The most important portion, the Gathas, in older (before the works of Johanna Narten 'Gathic') Avestan, are the hymns thought to have been composed by Zoroaster himself. The liturgical texts of the Yasna, which includes the Gathas, is in Older Avestan, with short, later additions in Younger Avestan. The Yasnas' oldest portions may be older than the Gathas, later adapted to more closely follow the doctrine of Zoroaster. The various Yashts are in Younger Avestan and thought to date to the Achaemenid era (559–330 BC).^{[citation needed]} The Visprad and Vendidad, which are also in Younger Avestan, were probably composed even later but this is not certain. The Vendidad were written primarily for ritual purification. The Visparat, another group of writings in the 'Avesta', were believed to be made for the honor and prayer of the celestial lords. ^[1]

Young Avesta's area of composition comprised - at least - Sīstān/Arachosia, Herat, Merv and Bactria.^[2] It went through the following stages:^[3]

1. The original language of the composers of grammatically correct YAv. texts; perhaps in Merv or Herat;
2. Dialect influences as a result of the transfer of the Av. texts to Southeast Iran (Arachosia?);
3. Transfer of the Avesta to Persis in Southwest Iran, possibly earlier than 500 B.C.;
4. Transmission of the Avesta in a Southwest Iranian theological school, probably in Estakhr: Old Pers. and Mid. Pers. influences, the insistence on fantastic pronunciations by semi-learned schoolmasters (Av. aēθrapaiti-), the composition of ungrammatical late Av. texts, the adaptation of portions of texts taken from other regions where they were recited;
5. The end of the oral transmission: phonetic notation of the Avestan texts in the Sasanian archetype, probably in the fourth century A.D.;
6. Post-Sasanian deterioration of the written transmission due to incorrect pronunciation (Vulgate);
7. In the ninth and tenth centuries A.D. the manuscript copies of individual texts were made on which the extant manuscripts are based;
8. Earlier manuscripts were copied in manuscripts dating from A.D. 1288 till the nineteenth century by scribes who introduced errors and corruptions. These are the manuscripts extant today.

The various texts are thought to have been transmitted orally for centuries before they found written form in the 3rd century^[ambiguous]. According to legend preserved in the Book of Arda Viraf, a 3rd or 4th century work, a written version of the religious texts had existed in the palace library of the Achaemenid kings (559–330 BC), but which was then supposedly (Arda Viraf 1.4-7 and Denkard 3.420) lost in a fire caused by the troops of Alexander^[4]. However, neither assertion can be confirmed since the texts, if they existed, have been lost.

Nonetheless, Rasmus Christian Rask concluded that the texts must indeed be the remnants of a much larger literature, as Pliny the Elder had suggested in his Naturalis Historiae, where he describes one Hermippus of Smyrna having "interpreted two million verses of Zoroaster" in the 3rd century BC. Peter Clark in Zoroastrianism: An Introduction to an Ancient Faith (1998, Brighton) suggests the Gathas and older Yasna texts would not have retained their old-language qualities if they had only been orally transmitted.

Later redaction[link]

According to the Dēnkard, a semi-religious work written in the 9th century, the king Volgash (thought to be the Parthian king Vologases I, c. 51–78 AD) attempted to have the sacred texts collected and collated. The results of this undertaking (the so-called "Arsacid archetype"), if it occurred, have not survived.

All texts known today derive from a single master copy, now lost but known as the "Sassanian archetype", most likely a product of the 3rd or 4th century. According to tradition, in the 3rd century, the Sassanian emperor Ardashir I (r. 226-241 AD) commanded his high priest Tonsar (or Tansar) to compile the theological texts. According to the Dēnkard, the Tonsar effort resulted in the reproduction of twenty-one volumes, called nasks, subdivided into 348 chapters, with approximately 3.5 million words in total. One final redaction took place under Shapur II (r. 309-379).

The Avesta, as known today, represents only those parts of the text that are used liturgically, and therefore survived in the memory of the priests; and, as it now consists of all surviving liturgical texts in the Avestan language, it may or may not include material that never formed part of the 21 nasks at all. In that sense, the current Avesta is a "prayer book" rather than a "Bible". The remainder of the 21 nasks, including the Chihrdad, has been lost since then, especially after the fall of the Sassanid empire, after which Zoroastrianism was supplanted by Islam. However, some secondary literature in Pahlavi purports to contain paraphrases or lists of contents of the lost books.

The origin of the term 'Avesta' is uncertain. The book "A Manual of Khshnoom" reads in its introduction (p. 36) that the words "Avesta" comes from "a" "negation of" and "vid", "[to] know" and thus is a teaching about the Unknown, the secret ^[5], ^[6]. This is a Khshnoomian vision of the Avesta and of its etymology. A derivation from Middle Persian abestāg, meaning "praise", is a frequently noted possibility.

European scholarship[link]

The Avesta

The texts became available to European scholarship comparatively late. Abraham Anquetil-Duperron travelled to India in 1755, and discovered the texts in Parsi communities. He published a French translation in 1771, based on a Modern Persian language translation provided by a Parsi priest.

Several Avesta manuscripts were collected by Rasmus Rask on a visit to Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1820, and it was Rask's examination of the Avestan language that first established that the texts must indeed be the remnants of a much larger literature of sacred texts.

Rask's collection now lies in the Royal Danish Library, Copenhagen. Other manuscripts are preserved in the East India House, the British Museum in London, the Bodleian library at Oxford, and at various university libraries in Paris.

[edit] The Zend

The word Zend or Zand, literally meaning "interpretation", refers to late Middle Persian (see Pazend and Pahlavi) language paraphrases of and commentaries on the individual Avestan books: they could be compared with the Jewish Targums. These commentaries - which date from the 3rd to 10th centuries - were not intended for use as theological texts by themselves but for religious instruction of the (by then) non-Avestan-speaking public. In contrast, the texts of the Avesta proper remained sacrosanct and continued to be recited in Avestan, which was considered a sacred language.

Manuscripts of the Avesta exist in two forms. One is the Avesta-o-Zand (or Zand-i-Avesta), in which the individual books are written together with their Zand. The other is the Vendidad Sadeh, in which the Yasna, Visperad and Vendidad are set out in alternating chapters, in the order used in the Vendidad ceremony, with no commentary at all.

The use of the expression Zend-Avesta to refer to the Avesta in general is a misunderstanding of the phrase Zand-i-Avesta (which literally means "interpretation of the Avesta").

A related mistake is the use of Zend as the name of a language or script. In 1759, Anquetil-Duperron reported having been told that Zend was the name of the language of the more ancient writings. In his third discourse, published in 1798, Sir William Jones mentions a conversation with a Hindu priest who told him that the script was called Zend, and the language Avesta. This is considered a misunderstanding of the term pazend, which actually refers to the use of the Avestan alphabet in writing the Zand and other Middle Persian religious texts, as an expression meaning "in Zend".

The confusion then became too universal in Western scholarship to be reversed, and Zend-Avesta, although a misnomer, is still occasionally used to denote the older texts.

Rask's seminal work, A Dissertation on the Authenticity of the Zend Language (Bombay, 1821), may have contributed to the confusion. N. L. Westergaard's Zendavesta, or the religious books of the Zoroastrians (Copenhagen, 1852–54) only propagated the error.

Structure and content[link]

In its present form, the Avesta is a compilation from various sources, and its different parts date from different periods and vary widely in character. Only texts in the Avestan language are considered part of the Avesta.

There are strong linguistic and cultural similarities between the texts of the Avesta and those of the Rigveda; the similarities are assumed to reflect the common beliefs of Proto-Indo-Iranian times, with the differences then assumed to reflect independent evolution that occurred after the pre-historical split of the two cultures.

According to Denkard, the 21 nasks (books) mirror the structure of the 21-word-long Ahuna Vairya prayer: each of the three lines of the prayer consists of seven words. Correspondingly, the nasks are divided into three groups, of seven volumes per group. Originally, each volume had a word of the prayer as its name, which so marked a volume’s position relative to the other volumes. Only about a quarter of the text from the nasks has survived until today.

The contents of the Avesta are divided topically (even though the organization of the nasks is not), but these are not fixed or canonical. Some scholars prefer to place the categories in two groups, the one liturgical, and the other general. The following categorization is as described by Jean Kellens (see bibliography, below).

[edit] The Yasna

Yasna 28.1 (Bodleian MS J2)

The Yasna (from yazišn "worship, oblations", cognate with Sanskrit yajña), is the primary liturgical collection, named after the ceremony at which it is recited. It consists of 72 sections called the Ha-iti or Ha. The 72 threads of lamb's wool in the Kushti, the sacred thread worn by Zoroastrians, represent these sections. The central portion of the Yasna is the Gathas, the oldest and most sacred portion of the Avesta, believed to have been composed by Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) himself. The Gathas are structurally interrupted by the Yasna Haptanghaiti ("seven-chapter Yasna"), which makes up chapters 35-42 of the Yasna and is almost as old as the Gathas, consists of prayers and hymns in honour of the Supreme Deity, Ahura Mazda, the Angels, Fire, Water, and Earth. The younger Yasna, though handed down in prose, may once have been metrical, as the Gathas still are.

[edit] The Visperad

The Visperad (from vîspe ratavo, "(prayer to) all patrons") is a collection of supplements to the Yasna.^{[citation needed]} The Visparad is subdivided into 23 or 24 kardo (sections) that are interleaved into the Yasna during a Visperad service (which is an extended Yasna service).

The Visperad collection has no unity of its own, and is never recited separately from the Yasna.

[edit] The Vendidad

The Vendidad (or Vidēvdāt, a corruption of Avestan Vî-Daêvô-Dāta, "Given Against the Demons") is an enumeration of various manifestations of evil spirits, and ways to confound them. The Vendidad includes all of the 19th nask, which is the only nask that has survived in its entirety. The text consists of 22 Fargards, fragments arranged as discussions between Ahura Mazda and Zoroaster. The first fargard is a dualistic creation myth, followed by the description of a destructive winter on the lines of the deluge mythology. The second fargard recounts the legend of Yima. The remaining fargards deal primarily with hygiene (care of the dead in particular) [fargard 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17, 19] as well as disease and spells to fight it [7, 10, 11, 13, 20, 21, 22]. Fargards 4 and 15 discuss the dignity of wealth and charity, of marriage and of physical effort, and the indignity of unacceptable social behaviour such as assault and breach of contract, and specify the penances required to atone for violations thereof. The Vendidad is an ecclesiastical code, not a liturgical manual, and there is a degree of moral relativism apparent in the codes of conduct. The Vendidad's different parts vary widely in character and in age. Some parts may be comparatively recent in origin although the greater part is very old.

The Vendidad, unlike the Yasna and the Visparad, is a book of moral laws rather than the record of a liturgical ceremony. However, there is a ceremony called the Vendidad, in which the Yasna is recited with all the chapters of both the Visparad and the Vendidad inserted at appropriate points. This ceremony is only performed at night.

[edit] The Yashts

Faravahar, believed to be a depiction of a Fravashi, as mentioned in the Yasna, Yashts and Vendidad

The Yashts (from yešti, "worship by praise") are a collection of 21 hymns, each dedicated to a particular divinity or divine concept. Three hymns of the Yasna liturgy that "worship by praise" are—in tradition—also nominally called yashts, but are not counted among the Yasht collection since the three are a part of the primary liturgy. The Yashts vary greatly in style, quality and extent. In their present form, they are all in prose but analysis suggests that they may at one time have been in verse.

[edit] The Siroza

The Siroza ("thirty days") is an enumeration and invocation of the 30 divinities presiding over the days of the month. (cf. Zoroastrian calendar). The Siroza exists in two forms, the shorter ("little Siroza") is a brief enumeration of the divinities with their epithets in the genitive. The longer ("great Siroza") has complete sentences and sections, with the yazatas being addressed in the accusative.

The Siroza is never recited as a whole, but is a source for individual sentences devoted to particular divinities, to be inserted at appropriate points in the liturgy depending on the day and the month.

[edit] The Khordeh Avesta

The Khordeh Avesta ("little Avesta") is both a selection of verses from the other collections, as well as three sub-collections that do not appear elsewhere. Taken together, the Khordeh Avesta is considered the prayer book for general lay use. In a wider sense, the term Khordeh Avesta includes all material other than the Yasna, the Visparad and the Vendidad, as it is only the ceremonies contained in these three books that are reserved for the priests.

The Khordeh Avesta is divided into 4 sections:

1. Five introductory chapters, accompanied by excerpts from different parts of the Yasna.
2. Five Niyayishns "praises," addressed to the sun, Mithra, the moon, the waters, and the fire. In the main, the material overlaps with that of the Yashts. The Niyayishn to fire derives from Yasna 62.
3. Five Gahs "moments of the day," addressed to the five divisions of the day.
4. Four Afrinagans "blessings," each recited on a particular occasion: the first in honor of the dead, the second on the five epagomenal days that end the year, the third is recited at the six seasonal feasts, and the fourth at the beginning and end of summer.

Fragments[link]

All material in the Avesta that is not already present in one of the other categories falls into a "fragments" category, which - as the name suggests - includes incomplete texts. There are altogether more than 20 fragment collections, many of which have no name (and are then named after their owner/collator) or only a Middle Persian name. The more important of the fragment collections are the Nirangistan fragments (18 of which constitute the Ehrbadistan); the Pursishniha "questions," also known as "Fragments Tahmuras"; the Aogemadaeca "we accept," a treatise on death; and the Hadokht Nask "volume of the scriptures" with two fragments of eschatological significance.

Other Zoroastrian religious texts[link]

Only texts preserved in the Avestan language count as scripture and are part of the Avesta. Several other secondary works are nonetheless crucial to Zoroastrian theology and scholarship.

The most notable among the Middle Persian texts are the Dēnkard ("Acts of Religion"), dating from the 9th century; the Bundahishn ("Primordial Creation"), finished in the 11th or 12th century, but containing older material; the Mainog-i-Khirad ("Spirit of Wisdom"), a religious conference on questions of faith; and the Arda Viraf Namak ("Book of Arda Viraf"), which is especially important for its views on death, salvation and life in the hereafter. Of the post-14th century works (all in New Persian), only the Sad-dar ("Hundred Doors, or Chapters"), and Rivayats (traditional treatises) are of doctrinal importance. Other texts such as Zartushtnamah ("Book of Zoroaster") are only notable for their preservation of legend and folklore.

See also[link]

• The Gathas, the most sacred of the texts of the Zoroastrian faith.

Notes[link]

Bibliography[link]

Texts and translations[link]

• There is a three-volume text of the Avesta, in its original script, edited by Karl Friedrich Geldner.
• Reichelt, Avesta Reader, contains extracts, some in the original script and some in Bartholomaean transcription.
• A full translation by James Darmesteter and L. H. Mills forms part of the Sacred Books of the East series, but is now regarded as obsolete.

Secondary works[link]

• Gershevitch, Ilya (1955). "Approaches to Zoroaster's Gathas". Iran (London: British Institute of Persian Studies) 33. 
• Gnoli, Gherardo (2000). Zoroaster in History. New York: Oxbow. 
• Kellens, Jean (1983). "Avesta". Encyclopædia Iranica. 3. New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul. pp. 35–44. 
• Modi, J. J., The Religious Ceremonies and Customs of the Parsees
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "The Avesta". Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company. 
• Boyce, Mary (1990). Textual Sources for the Study of Zoroastrianism. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-06930-3 

Further reading[link]

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Avesta

• avesta.org: Translations of the Avesta texts
• Avestan Digital Archive
• All chapters of Avesta & Khordeh Avesta Prayers
• The Avesta (Catholic Encyclopedia)
• The Avesta at LIVIUS
• Online Original Avesta Oriental Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences
•  "Abesta". Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.  a short description

Monkey Punch (モンキー・パンチ, Monkī Panchi^?) is the pen name of Japanese manga artist Kazuhiko Katō (加藤一彦, Katō Kazuhiko^?, born May 26, 1937), creator of the successful manga series and media franchise Lupin III. In April 2005 he became the professor of Manga Animation at Otemae University, in their Faculty of Media and Arts,^[1][2] and was a visiting professor at Tokyo University of Technology in May 2010.^[3] He was born in Hamanaka, Hokkaidō and currently resides in Sakura, Chiba.

Katō began drawing at a very young age, but didn't draw manga until junior high school, when his manga strips were used in the school newspaper.^[4]

Katō first started to work as a professional manga artist, under the pen name Kazuhiko Katō (加東一彦, Katō Kazuhiko^?, pronounced the same as his real name, but written with different characters), for a publisher that specialized in rental books and magazines. In 1965, he made his debut with "Playboy School" (プレーボーイ入門, Purēbōi Nyūmon), writing under the name of Eiji Gamuta (がむた永二, Gamuta Eiji^?). The editor of the magazine that "discovered him" then suggested the pen name Monkey Punch.^[4] Katō claims that he didn't like the name, but agreed because it was his boss's idea and his next series was only suppose to be a 3 month project.^[4] When the series, Lupin III, became popular, he was stuck with the name.

Lupin III made its debut on August 10, 1967 in the first issue of the magazine Weekly Manga Action (WEEKLY漫画アクション). It went on to become an extremely popular and successful media franchise, spawning numerous manga, four animated television series, five animated feature films, a live-action film, three OVAs, yearly television specials since 1989, music CDs, video games, and a musical. Monkey Punch himself even directed the 1996 film, Dead or Alive.^[4]

Monkey Punch has acknowledged the influence of Mad magazine artists Mort Drucker and Sergio Aragonés on his work.

List of works[link]

• 1962
  • Number 5 + α
  • Gun Hustler
  • Rebellious Child
  • List the Criminal
  • Open Homicide
  • Clandestine Work
  • The Man Who Does Not Have a Shadow
  • The Person Whom it Utilizes
  • Vengeance (Fukushu Kazuhiko Katō)
  • Ghost Story Guy (Kazuhiko Katō)
• 1965
  • Playboy School (Pureboi Nyūmon Eiji Gamuta)
  • Needless Axle of Wilderness
  • Pink Guard Man ... Blues of the Assassin (Pinku Gado Man ... Hissatsu no Burusu)
  • Outsider (Autosaida Monkey Punch)
• 1967
  • The Ginza Whirlwind Child (Ginza Senpuji)
  • Lupin III (ルパン三世 Rupan Sansei)
• 1968
  • Western Samurai (Uesutan Samurai)
• 1969
  • Pandora
• 1970
  • Spy Nobility (Supai Shinzoku)
  • Document Mania (Dokyumento Kyo)
  • Lupin III Other Stories (ルパン三世外伝 Rupan Sansei Gaiden)
  • Tac Tics
• 1971
  • Multi (Maruchi)
  • Mysterious Jaguarman (Kaijin Jagaman)
  • New Adventures of Lupin III (ルパン三世・新冒険 Rupan Sansei Shin Bōken)
• 1972
  • The Siamese Cat (シャム猫 Shamu Neko)
  • Makao
  • Monsieur Koga
  • Key
• 1973
  • Sufficiently Motivated (Yaruki Jubun)
  • Decoy House Slug (Kikuya Namekuji)
  • Venus of Diamond (Daia no Binasu)
• 1974
  • I am Casanova (Ore ha Kazanoba)
  • Color Girl (Kara Garu)
  • Isshuku Ippan (一宿一飯)
  • Lupin the Kid (ルパン小僧 Rupan Kozō)
• 1976
  • Little Dracula (Dorakyura-kun)
  • Up-Up Balloon (UP-UP Barun)
• 1977
  • New Lupin III (新ルパン三世 Shin Rupan Sansei)
  • The Reverse Aesop's Fables (逆イソップ物語 Gyaku Isoppu Monogatari)
  • Transparent Gentleman (Tomei Shinshi)
• 1978
  • Time Agent (Jikan Ejento)
  • Kaiketsu Zero
• 1980
  • Cinderella Boy (シンデレラボーイ Shinderera Boi)
  • Boy
• 1981
  • Hauler Holmes (ホームズ Hōmuzu)
• 1982
  • Space Adventure Team Mechabunger (Uchū Bōken-tai Mekabanja)
  • Another work from Cinderella Boy & description above (シンデレラボーイ Shinderera Boi)
• 1983
  • Roller Boy (Rora Boi)
  • Lucky Monkey (Raki Monki)
• 1984
  • Sexy Lupin III (SEXYルパン・3 SEXY Rupan・3)
  • The English Conversation Maneuvers of Lupin III (ルパン三世の英会話作戦 Rupan Sansei no Ei-Kaiwa Sakusen)
• 1986
  • Pinky Punky (ピンキィ パンキィ Pinkī Pankī)
  • Dirty Joke (ダアティ ジョオク Dāteī Jōku)
  • Robot Baseball Team Galacters (ろぼっと球団ガラクターズ/おまかせスクラッパーズ Robotto Kyudan Garakutāzu)
• 1991
  • Scramble Saver Kids
• 1997
  • One Thousand and One Nights' Story (Senya Ichiya Monogatari)
  • Mankatsu (漫画活動大写真)
  • Musashi -Way of the Gun- (MUSASHI -GUN道- Musashi -Gandō-)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website (Japanese)
• Lupin III Network (Japanese)
• Cinderella Boy Official website (Japanese)
• Mankatsu Official website (Japanese)
• Musashi Official website (Japanese)
• Monkey Punch at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• Monkey Punch at the Internet Movie Database
• Monkey Punch convention appearances on AnimeCons.com

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

Laidback Luke
Laidback Luke
Background information
Birth name	Lucas Cornelis van Scheppingen
Also known as	Laidback Luke, Nouveau Yorican
Born	(1976-10-22) 22 October 1976 (age 35) Manila, Philippines
Genres	Electro house, House, Dance
Occupations	DJ, Producer
Instruments	Software (Ableton, Fl Studio)
Labels	Mixmash Records
Associated acts	Sander Van Doorn, Steve Aoki, Lil John, Tocadisco, Nicky Romero, David Guetta, DJ Daaar, Sidney Samson, Robyn, Avicii, Johnathan Mendelson, Kaskade, Sirah, Example, Benny Benassi, Congorock, The Bloody Beetroots
Website	laidbackluke.com

Laidback Luke (born Lucas Cornelis van Scheppingen, 22 October 1976 in Manila, Philippines) is a Dutch DJ, producer. He was voted #46 on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJ list in 2008, before jumping to #27 in 2009 and jumping up 10 places in 2010.^[1][2]

Laidback Luke grew up in The Netherlands and made his name as a graffiti artist before turning to making music. He has worked with artists such as David Guetta, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, Axwell, Example and Junior Sanchez and played throughout Europe and North America as well as shows in Japan and Ibiza. He has released two studio albums: Psyched Up (1998) and Electronic Satisfaction (2002) as well as a successful mix album, Windmill Skill (2003). In 2003, van Scheppingen did a remix of the Daft Punk song "Crescendolls" for the duo's remix album Daft Club. Luke has also released his own mix album, titled Ibiza Closing Party, as a free covermount CD in the October 2008 issue of Mixmag. He has currently released his new album on the 4th of July 2011, called Cream Ibiza Super You & Me.

He announced on the maiden voyage of Holy Ship that he was engaged to Gina Turner^[3]

Discography[link]

• Cream Ibiza - Super You And Me (2011)

Singles

Remixes, Bootlegs, Edits and Unofficial Reworks

• 1996: Green Velvet - The Stalker (LBL Remix)
• 1998: Lambda - Hold on tight (LBL Remix)
• 2002: Damon Wild & Tim Taylor - Bang The Acid
• 2002: Green Velvet - Land Of The Lost
• 2003: Daft Punk - Crescendolls (LBL Remix)
• 2004: Steve Angello - Voices (LBL Remix)
• 2004: Jaimie Fanatic - B Boy Stance
• 2005: MYPD - You're Not Alone (LBL Remix)
• 2006: DJ Daaar - Now It's 2006 I'll Stop Smoking Weed (YEAH RIGHT!)(LBL Bootleg)
• 2006: Hardrox - Feel The Hard Rock (LBL Remix)
• 2006: Another Chance - The Sound Of Eden (LBL Remix)
• 2007: TV Rock vs Dukes Of Windsor - The Others (LBL Remix)
• 2007: DJ DLG & Laidback Luke - Ambition (LBL Remix)
• 2007: David Guetta feat. Cozi - Baby When The Light (LBL Remix)
• 2007 Denis Naidanow - Ascension ( LBL Remix )
• 2008: Natalie Williams - U Don't Know (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Roger Sanchez - Again (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Paul Johnson - Get Get Down (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Juice String - Sex Weed (LBL Remix)
• 2008: David Guetta feat. Tara McDonald - Delirious (LBL Remix)
• 2008: TV Rock feat. Rudy - Been A Long Time (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Steve Angello - Gypsy (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Underworld - Ring Road (LBL Remix)
• 2008: The Black Ghosts - Repetition Kills You (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Martin Solveig - I Want You (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Roger Sanchez feat. Terri B - Bang That Box (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Hervé (DJ) - Cheap Thrills (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Madonna vs Dirty South - 4 Minutes To Let It Go (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Joachim Garraud - Are U Ready (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Bob Sinclar - Gymtonic (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Chromeo - Fancy Footwork (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Beyoncé - Me, Myself & I (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Coldplay - Viva La Vida (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Tocadisco - Streetgirls (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Surkin - White Knight Two (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400 (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Daft Punk - Teachers (LBL Rework)
• 2008: Dada Life - Rubber Band Boogie (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters Theme (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Notorious B.I.G. feat. Puff Daddy & Mase - Mo Money Mo Problems (LBL Bootleg)
• 2009: David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland - When Love Takes Over (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Nas - Made You Look (LBL Bootleg)
• 2009: Tiesto - I Will Be Here (LBL Remix)
• 2009: MSTRKRFT feat. John Legend - Heartbreaker (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Junior Sanchez feat. Good Charlotte - Elevator (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Avicii - Ryu (LBL Edit)
• 2009: The Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feelin' (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Dizzee Rascal feat. Chrome - Holiday (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Martin Solvieg feat. Dragonette - Boys & Girls (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Sandro Silva - Prom Night (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Depeche Mode - Fragile Tension (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Robbie Rivera - Rock The Disco (LBL Edit)
• 2009: Calvin Harris - You Used To Hold Me (LBL Remix)
• 2009: System F - Out of The Blue 2010 (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2009: Korgis - Need Your Lovin' (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Wynter Gordon - Dirty Talk (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Jay-Z feat. Swizz Beatz - On To The Next One (Laidback Luke Bootleg)
• 2010: Moby - Wait For Me (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Christina Aguilera - Not Myself Tonight (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Carte Blanche Feat. Kid Sister - Do! Do! Do! (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Bad Boy Bill feat. Eric Jag - Got That Feeling (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Lil' Jon feat. Kee - Give It All You Got (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Steve Angello vs. Dr. Dre - Knas Episode (Laidback Luke & Junior Sanchez Mashup)
• 2010: Afrojack Vs. Radioclit Vs. Armand van Helden - I Want Your Divine Control (Laidback Luke Mash Up)
• 2010: iSquare - Hey Sexy Lady (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: SHM vs. Bingo Players - Save Everything Tonight (Laidback Luke Mashup)
• 2011: Benny Benassi feat. Gary Go - Cinema (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: Alice Deejay - Better Off Alone (Laidback Luke Bootleg)
• 2011: Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) (Laidback Luke Bootleg)
• 2011: Jump Jump Dance Dance - 2.0 (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: Laura LaRue - Un, Deux, Trois (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: Skream feat. Sam Frank - Where You Should Be (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: Anjulie - Brand New Bitch (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: GTA feat. Zashanell - U & I (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: Chris Brown feat. Benny Benassi - Beautiful People (Laidback Luke Edit)
• 2011: Patric La Funk - Time And Time Again (Laidback Luke Edit)
• 2011: Kanye West feat. Rihanna - All Of The Lights (Mata vs Laidback Luke Edit)
• 2011: Pitbull feat. Marc Anthony - Rain Over Me (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj - Turn Me On (David Guetta & Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Aaron Smith ft. Luvli - Dancin' (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Madonna feat. M.I.A. & Nicki Minaj "Give Me All Your Luvin" (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Felix Cartal ft Polina "Dont Turn On The Lights" (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Tiesto ft Dino - Beautiful World (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Congorock & DJ Daaar - Ivory (Laidback Luke Edit)
• 2012: Sub Focus feat. Alice Gold - Out The Blue (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Steve Aoki feat. Lil Jon & Chiddy Bang - Emergency (Laidback Luke Remix)[Unreleased]
• 2012: Sato Goldschlag feat. Wynter Gordon - Hey Mr. Mister (Laidback Luke Remix)[Unreleased]
• 2012: Skrillex & Damian Marley - Make It Bun Dem (Laidback Luke Remix)[Unreleased]

Notes[link]

1. ^ DJ Mag Top 100 2009 http://www.djmag.com/top100
2. ^ DJ Mag Top 100 2009 http://www.djmag.com/top100
3. ^ http://digi10ve.com/2012/01/06/laidback-luke-gets-engaged-to-gina-turner/

External links[link]

• Official website
• Laidback Luke discography at Discogs
• Laidback Luke on Myspace
• Interview on Clubplanet