Xtravaganza Brings ''Global Cosmopolitan Dance'' to the U.S.; Tour Opens On March 23 In Miami With Official U.S. Launch Party At New York's Limelight on March 30.

Entertainment Editors

NEW YORK--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--March 20, 2001

Xtravaganza -- the UK's hottest club organization and dance label -- is bringing its "global cosmopolitan dance" to America in a series of club dates this spring.

As part of the Winter Music Conference, there will be an Xtravaganza party on March 23 at Space in Miami preceding the official U.S. launch of Xtravaganza at Limelight in New York on March 30 (see itinerary following). Xtravaganza Recordings has sold more than four million records worldwide, including releases by Chicane, Agnelli & Nelson, and Public Domain. Now Xtravaganza, helmed by DJ Alex Gold, has set its sights on the U.S. dance scene. DJ Alex Gold, who is headlining the tour, and Robbie Nelson (who is 1/2 of the acclaimed British dance duo Agnelli & Nelson) will be spinning at the U.S. Xtravaganza dance events.

"The Xtravaganza brand is everything to me," said Alex Gold in an interview with David Ireland appearing the April issue of BPM. "It's music through vision. The definition of 'xtravaganza' is 'a fanciful musical entertainment' and that really was the whole idea behind the name... to get that extreme party feeling."

That "extreme party feeling" has become one of the hottest commodities on the European dance scene. Last year, the Xtravaganza organization launched its own club night in Ibiza, successfully going up against major clubs including Gatecrasher and Cream. On August 4, 2000, more than 7,000 international club-goers attended an Xtravaganza night at Privilege which featured a live Chicane show featuring Bryan Adams (who flew in to Ibiza to perform his part on the UK No. 1 smash hit single Chicane's "Don't Give Up").

"Xtravaganza's philosophy," Gold has said, "is to promote and produce cosmopolitan dance music -- including disco through to trance -- for people of all ages and lifestyles to enjoy, staying true to the Balearic vibe."

Here's how DJ magazine described last year's Xtravaganza night at Privilege in Ibiza:

"It's 8AM on a Saturday morning and the room is still steaming in full-on, hands-in-the-air, punching fist and flailing limb effect -- The hyper energetic youth of Europe just aren't prepared to let the party fade. Xtravaganza isn't a night about a singular nationality, it's about a cultural mix. It's the lighter, refreshing trance sound, not too cheezy, nor underground and never awkward or inaccessible....Xtravaganza have pulled off a major hit at a venue made for big ideas and monstrous crowds...."

DJ Alex Gold

Alex Gold made his United States DJ debut at last July at the Billboard Dance Summit. Billboard dance writer Michael Paoletta referred to Gold's set as "stellar" and said that DJ Alex Gold deserved a monthly residency at Twilo a la Sasha and Digweed. Since then, Gold has played dates in Miami, LA and has returned to NY.

Alex Gold began DJing in 1985 and first played on the infamous island of Ibiza in 1987. Ibiza, one of the Mediterranean Balearic Islands off the east coast of Spain, has become the global center stage for dance music as we know it today. In the late 1980's, Gold became one of the UK's first DJs to spin at the legendary Amnesia and KU (now Privilege) nightspots. More recently, Gold has become a regular feature at some of the world's finest clubs in the hippest cities including Gatecrasher (Sheffield), Pacha (Ibiza), Privilege (Ibiza), and Dorean Grey (Germany). Pacha (Buenos Aires), Zeuk (Singapore), among others. He has become well known for his epic 3 hour sets, a formidable form of dance encompassing disco, progressive, trance and more. Gold, who believes that the Xtravaganza vibe is truly a "global force," has brought that "Global Cosmopolitan Dance" vibe to a major event this past New Year's in Tokyo at Geo Polis Park to more than 6000 clubgoers. Gold has also DJ'd over the past year in Thailand, Israel, Uruguay, Malaysia, Dubai, South Africa, Australia and Canada.

Meanwhile, while a young and impressionable Gold secured himself a place on the A-list DJ circuit, he at the same time was developing a career in the record business as one of the most successful A&R men in the dance music business in the UK. In August 1995, the young entrepreneur started Xtravaganza Recordings, and, in addition to working as label director, he also filled the position of A&R man, creating a visionary dance label committed to releasing "good quality music that people can dance to." Gold began minting hits for Xtravaganza almost immediately and has gone on to mastermind more than 40 UK Top 40 hits with Xtravaganza and, most recently, a European Top 10 hit with Public Domain's "Operation Blade," which has sold over 1 million copies in Europe and Australia.

Robbie Nelson

Agnelli & (Robbie) Nelson etched a place in millions of clubbers' hearts with their first single "El Nino," dubbed the "Ibiza anthem of 1998." "Everyday," their second single, shot straight into the UK charts at No. 17.

Robbie Nelson won the Northern Ireland DMC mixing championships several times and at least one wall of his house is about to collapse under the weight of all of his Best DJ awards; among them: The Heineken Hot Press Award 1999, Best Dance Track ("El Nino"); The BBM Best DJ Award 1997; The BBM Best DJ Award 1998; The BBM Best DJ award 1999; The BBM Best Produced Dance Track; Smirnoff Dance awards 1999, Best Single ("Everyday"). Thousands from Ireland have danced to his trademark blend of pumping house and uplifting trance. Last year, Nelson was part of a global DJ tour with Gatecrasher while enjoying a run of 4 consecutive Top 40 hits in the UK with his partner Chris Agnelli. Agnelli & Nelson also went on to re-mix U2's "Beautiful Day."

Here's what Mixmag had to say about Agnelli & Nelson:

"From the hedonistic circus of Manumission, to Oakenfold's farewell set at Cream, every dance floor in Europe is crammed when Agnelli & Nelson's depth charge 'El Nino' (UK Top 20 & No 2 Dance Charts) & 'Everyday' (UK top 17 and No 2 Dance Charts) are dropped. 2 twelve-minute slabs of Balearic bliss. It defined the sound of Ibiza '98 and came home in various DJ boxes to finally rest in the upper reaches of the UK charts."

Xtravaganza Recordings

Alex Gold founded Xtravaganza Recordings in August 1995. The label's reputation exploded with its first release, Chicane's "Offshore," in December 1996. The record rocketed to No. 12 on the UK charts and was a Top 40 record in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland and Scandinavia.

Gold continued to build on the success of Xtravaganza in 1997 and 1998 with a string of UK Top 40 hits which included Agnelli & Nelson's "El Nino," Disco Citizen's "Footprint," Airscape's "Pacific Melody," Armian's "Blue Fear," Chicane's "Sunstroke" and "Strong In Love," and Black Connection's "Give Me Rhythm." (Both "Strong In Love" and "Give Me Rhythm" went to the No. 1 slot on the US Billboard dance chart despite the fact that the singles were only available as imports).

After striking a worldwide deal with Sony in 1999, but still remaining independent, Xtravaganza has achieved an astounding sixteen Top 40 singles including a No. 1 UK smash hit with "Don't Give Up" by Chicane (featuring Bryan Adams) and three Top 10's in the UK. Xtravaganza also achieved three silver singles in the UK with Public Domain's "Operation Blade" and Chicane's "Don't Give Up" and "Saltwater." "Don't Give Up" was the first stateside release under the recently-inked US distribution deal between Xtravaganza and Columbia Records. Chicane's critically acclaimed album Behind The Sun, which was released in the US on August 1, 2000, went gold in the UK and entered the UK charts at No. 10. The album includes the UK Top 10 single "Saltwater" (featuring vocals by Clannad's Maire Brennan), as well as "Don't Give Up", and has sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide.

Since then, Xtravaganza has gone on to sell more than four million records in its short existence. Just recently, Public Domain, a recent signing, went on to sell over a million copies of their first single "Operation Blade, " watching it become a Top 10 hit in the UK, Australia and Germany and went Gold in the Australia and Germany.

                      Xtravaganza USA Tour Dates

Friday 23rd March:      Xtravaganza WMC at Space, Miami
Friday 30th March:      Xtravaganza US launch at Limelight, New York
Saturday 31st March:    Avalon, Boston
Saturday 7th April:     The Government, Toronto
Friday 13th April:      Hard Rock, Las Vegas
Friday 20th April:      Nikita, San Francisco
Saturday 21st April:    Giant, Los Angeles
Saturday 5th May:       Buzz, Washington, DC