PAUL MENDEZ: Biography 2012
Have you ever heard a beat so mesmerizing that you couldn't help but dance? That's the effect of a Paul Mendez mix; the vibe that has moved millions on the dance floor around the world: a feat that is only possible by a world class DJ and producer with more than 200 tracks to his credit. His name is on the top of the UK list in the international electronic dance music scene.
Ranked on the EDM authority site 'DJ List.com' as a top 50 DJ in the world for 5 consecutive years , the upcoming new track 'calling my name' from Paul Mendez is the latest credit in an incredible 20 year career as Master of the Dance Floor. But he doesn't take these classifications too much to heart.
"I'm not trying to be underground, credible or commercial; I'm creating music that I feel and love and hope everyone else feels it too. It's very easy to produce or DJ in 1 style, as it has a formula. I don't believe in holding back because you have been told to create a certain sound or you have to stick with a certain genre: I'm trying to be innovative and always forward-thinking in my productions and more importantly in my live DJ shows."
The hard work and knowledge of this self-made DJ/Producer of the international club scene has earned him the respected title of 'world class'' from many of his peers. Tracks created by Paul Mendez are featured on more than 200 compilation albums with combined sales of well over 5 million units.
The reason for his tremendous success is that Paul isn't just a DJ: he's a musician. And the crowd likes the fact that Paul doesn't bow to industry stereotyping; he pushes new sounds, breaks down music barriers, while skilfully merging genres, blending cultures and delivering dance pleasure without limitations. The precision of his skill extends to provide a totally stellar performance when he remixes with accapella vocals, instrumentals and sample hits to create live moments that are unforgettable. This is the reason why music fans in the hundreds of thousands for 'Trance,' 'Rock,' 'House' and ' Chill-out' worldwide have brought his records marketed from several different genres.
In more than 200 cities in 60 countries on 5 continents Paul Mendez has combined intuition, passion and flawless technique to bring rhythms that drive every dancer to move to the beats that he weaves to free their spirits. That has become the trademark of Paul Mendez and it has kept him on the 'A' list of every club and EDM music event for most of his 20 year career.
As Paul recently stated: "I am a clubber at heart and I know what I would like to hear at any given moment: I believe the music should flow regardless of the style or beats per minute. When I do the Mash-up style Sets I incorporate top 40 remixes, electro house & old school hip hop & r'n'b and the beats per minute range will vary from 80 – 130… but always in a smooth flowing structure. That not only keeps the floor rocking but the crowd will never notice the increase or decrease in the BPM. This is something that's lacking in today's DJs but something I pride myself on."
And it's clear that his pride in his craft is well appreciated: Paul Mendez was everywhere and in full effect the past few years playing for major UK super brands such as Hed Kandi , Ministry of sound and Kinky Malinky. From being the headline DJ for the sold-out MTV 3 month Africa tour, to being the official opening DJ for TIESTO on his Kaleidoscope world tour, as well as the support act for David Guetta , Deadmau5, Calvin Harris , Chuckie and Nicky Romero on their Middle East tours. Paul Mendez has mixed and mastered for the most well-attended events and popular entertainers in the world.
Another reason why Paul Mendez commands the respect of his peers and his fans is for his support of the DJ community. He is responsible for the UK debut for some of the world's biggest DJs including; Marco V, Ferry Corsten and Armin Van Burren, . Paul was also the first talent buyer to book the World Number 1 DJ Tiesto in Scotland and Spain. And he is the only DJ from Scotland to play for Tiesto at his own club night 'Wildlife' in Amsterdam.
Turning his attention to the United States, Paul's reputation on the international scene quickly garnered him invitations to some of the most coveted events. At VMF, West Florida's biggest EDM festival, Paul has been the headline DJ 2 years running. He also became a resident DJ for 'Afterhour Power' at the famous Avalon venue in Hollywood and 'RA' at the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas, His celebrity social roster has also been filled by dozens of performance requests; from being tapped as the official after party DJ for the MTV Europe Music awards to being the headline DJ for parties held by the 'A' list of the entertainment world including; Shakira, Paris Hilton, Pharrel Williams, Christian Audiger, Shaquille O'Neil, Alicia Keys, Johnny Knoxville, Xzibit, Snoop Dogg and Samuel L. Jackson, who approached Paul and commented: "That shit is crazy, I'm impressed."
These accomplishments are the results of many years of hard work earning his legs; working the local clubs in the UK Trance and House scene, gaining the respect of the DJ community working the legendary venues as the headline DJ at 'Gatecrasher', 'Cream' and 'Ministry of Sound,' and then establishing himself as a renowned resident DJ at 'The Arches' and 'RATT' two of Scotland's best venues and for 'Colours' the biggest event organiser in the country.
By 1996 Paul Mendez was now fully centred in the spotlight and as a result he was signed as an artist and DJ by European label giants 'ID&T' in Amsterdam and 'Bonzai Records' in Belgium. From this point on, the name Paul Mendez became synonymous with crowd-pleasing entertainment on a massive scale working with labels that include; BMG, Armada, Moonshine, Green Martian, Alphabet City, Sony, EMI/Positiva , Fibreline Audio, Black Hole, Captivating Sounds, Camouflage, In-Disc and Avex.
The international appeal of the Paul Mendez name in 1997 soon became a fever in Ibiza and Majorca that opened the doors of 'Privilige' the biggest club in the world. For the next 7 summer seasons, crowds thronged to every one of the top venues where Paul headlined: Cafe del Mar, BCM Planet Dance, Space, El Divino, Bora Bora, Eden, Es Paradis.
Electronic dance music fans were hungry for more and in 1999 Paul Mendez was live and on the air hosting a weekly Friday night radio show "RATT Mix" in the midnight hour on 'Beat 106' (now 'Capital FM'). Featuring live mixes and cutting edge music his program for the 5 years that the show aired attracted 50,000 listeners per week on average, prompting the DJ Magazine review of the show as "one of the best weekend shows on UK radio."
By the year 2001 the attention Paul Mendez had gained over the years reached critical mass when he joined forces with 'Svenson & Gielen' to write and produce 'Twisted,' the theme for Trance Energy. 'Twisted' became his first major selling single and earned him the coveted Gold Disc award. The avalanche of hit tracks continued with '2nd Skin' which was signed for commercial use by VodaPhone and MTV, followed by the crown jewel 'Magic Impuls' with Exposure which 'MixMag' the leading UK magazine named as the 'defining moment' for the Trance genre: to date 'Magic Impuls' is the lead track on more than 50 compilation albums.
The definitive sound that Paul Mendez brings to his live shows and productions has earned him a loyal following of fans around the world. Fearless in his pursuit of the quintessential groove, in 2004 he successfully proved that music has no borders as he became the first international DJ to play in the Islamic country of Qatar. Alongside his partner Jared McCulloch, 'Global DJs' was born. Within a few years this dynamic pair established the reputation of this small GCC country as a Middle Eastern entertainment capital for DJs and international stars witnessing sold-out events in Qatar and Dubai. Paul currently plays as a weekly resident DJ for the Intercontinental hotel group at their flagship outlet 'Lava Lounge' in Doha and continues to play international guest gigs throughout this year with overwhelming response in Dubai, Jordan , Bahrain, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Turkey and Romania. In 2012 Paul launched 'spinning star music' a new digital record label in partnership with Miami based Danny Korkus, the label has already proved to be a major success with A list artists Afrojack, Fedde Legrand, starkillers, George Acosta and many more signing their music to the label. Paul also began working full time with top European producers Silvio Ecomo, Safri Duo and Rene Amesz in the studio remixing grooves for major artists such as Chicane, Robin S, Chris Brown and Kelly Rowland which added to his impressive resume alongside Busta Rhymes, Notorious B.I.G, Jay Z and U2.
The talent that Paul Mendez possesses comes from his love of music and dance which motivated him to study at London's famous Pineapple Studios, buy his first set of Technics Decks and teach himself how to mix beats, write and compose music. Today he is arguably the biggest and most internationally successful DJ/Producer ever from Scotland.
As a music connoisseur he continues to hone his craft by listening to different styles, and pursues learning the techniques of writing and composing structures of great records and artists. It is the response of dancers around the world that gives him the motivation to create great music and continue with his passion for rocking the decks.
