La Roux, The Magician, and la discotheque

La Roux didn’t begin as Jackson’s solo project, but that’s what it has effectively become; the name originally stood for the collaboration between Jackson and producer Ben Langmaid. The pair made their breakthrough in 2009. They’d had plenty of buzz and exposure from alternative music critics, but whilst “In for the Kill” (the first single off of their self-titled debut record) was a modest success initially in its own right, it wasn’t until British dance musician Skream remixed it - under the title of the “Let’s Get Ravey Remix” - that the track really took off, thanks in no small part to the rise of the dubstep style that characterized that version. However, to the duo’s credit, they went on to prove their pop credentials with the UK number one “Bulletproof” as well as the likes of “Quicksand” and “I’m Not Your Toy”.

It took quite a while - five years, in fact - for Jackson to produce another record, and she could probably be fairly accused of failing to capitalise upon her initial success; “Trouble in Paradise”, released in July 2014, hasn’t met with the same level of sales as its predecessor. The title may well be prophetic, too, given that Langmaid departed - apparently acrimoniously - in the early stages of the album’s gestation; with her well-gelled red hair, Jackson was always the recognizable face of La Roux, but now, she’s the sole creative force behind the name, too.

Born in a southern Belgian town just outside of Brussels, Stephen Fasana grew up listening to his father's pop and disco orientated record collection. With the likes of Michael Jackson, Abba and Supertramp giving direction to his musical interest, it wasn’t until Fasana inherited his uncle’s Italo-disco records that the Belgian decided to pursue DJing. Whilst maintaining a day job, Fasana began honing his DJ and production skills by performing regularly on the local club circuit. By 2004, Fasana had made the acquaintance of Vito de Luca, a Belgian-Italian record store owner, and the two began working together under the moniker Aeroplane.

Before long Aeroplane were playing to audiences around the world, and made a real name for themselves for their brand of well-crafted nu-disco. Following a year of studio work the duo released the full-length “We Can’t Fly” in September 2010, featuring vocal contributions from Au Revoir Simone, Merry Clayton, and Sky Ferreira. Despite the album’s success, the duo’s musical interests began to veer away from one another, and the album ultimately marked the departure of Fasano. With little time lost, the DJ and producer Fasano became the Magician, and issued his debut solo EP “Twist” on Kisuné Records in 2011. The producer’s debut single arrived shortly after in October 2011 entitled “I Don’t Know What To Do” featuring Jeppe Laursen. Fasano subsequently released the singles “Memory”, “When The Night Is Over”, and “On My Brain”.

On top of his official releases, Fasano also creates monthly mix tapes named “Magic Tapes”, which showcase the DJ’s impressive remixing talents. Featuring a mix of classic disco and the hottest new releases, the Magician has remixed the likes of Lykke Li and Clean Bandit.

2014 marked the DJ’s breakthrough year with the release of the popular European single “Sunlight”. Released in July and featuring vocal contributions from Years and Years, the single peaked at No. Seven on both the Belgian and UK Singles charts. The Magician supported the release with an extensive touring schedule and subsequently performed at the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards in Glasgow, Scotland, and