Pirahnahead

Musician/DJ/Producer/Orchestral Arranger & Conductor

Preferred Music: Electronic/ Jazz/ Deep Soul combined with Soulful House

Musician, DJ, producer, orchestral arranger/conductor – each of these words describes Pirahnahead perfectly. His style is refreshing yet uplifting, taking you on a musical journey. From the age of two, it was evidently clear music would play a major role in his life.  His mother taught him how to play piano and shortly thereafter he began to learn guitar from copying Jimi Hendrix’s legendary riffs.  Listening to growing up to an eclectic range of music genres from Rock and roll, blues, jazz, classical, and R & B has continued to influence Pirahnahead’s musical style. 

During the 1970’s, as disco grew in popularity, Pirahna developed a love for the upbeat and soulful music. While still quite young, he met the legendary DJ Ken Collier who also became his mentor. Pirahnahead went on to play at several parties and clubs in and around Detroit and his weekends at Detroit’s club Heaven and trips to New York’s Paradise Garage and Club Shelter played a significant part in inspiring Pirahna to become the DJ he is today.

His skilled musicianship enabled him to play guitar and tour with groups like Enemy Squad, Dub Culture, Charm Farm, Painted Pictures, and other bands in the Detroit and Lansing area. While touring with various incarnations of the P-Funk All-Stars, he had the opportunity to work with well-established artists such as Morris Day and The Time, Bernie Worrell and the Woo-Warriors, HR of Bad Brains, Fishbone, Buddy Miles, and Amp Fiddler. He also performed Woodstock in 1998. Pirahnahead toured Europe, and Japan (with Moodymann) during the summer of 2005. He sang, played keys and guitar during this tour at mega festivals such as the Montreux Jazz Festival, and the North Sea Jazz Festival. These were performances of his original material to promote the release of his CD “SOLID: A Moment in the Mind of Pirahnahead” (Mahogani Music) which was released as a Japanese exclusive in 2005, and in Europe and the US in 2006.  During this same tour, Pirahna showcased his DJ skills worldwide at locations in Japan, London, Amsterdam, and several other cities.  Since then Pirahna, has been a mainstay in Europe and Japan.

Pirahnahead helped operate one of Lansing, Michigan’s first recording studios which used both digital and analog capabilities, Studio 707, where he produced local artists. He has studied at the Recording Institute of Detroit where he became a certified analog and digital audio engineer, and also Wayne State University as a music major. This has given him means to explore an exciting edge that he brings to his musical projects; classical orchestration. His love for string instruments and keen sense of string enhanced harmonies make him a sought after musical director, string arranger and producer. He has written and conducted string parts for projects for DJ Spinna, DJ Genesis, and recently on Shuya Okino’s ‘United Legends’ project where he fused orchestral arrangement and production on the song ‘If It Is Love’ featuring Clara Hill. These elements were also incorporated into his DJ set during a Detroit Institute of Arts 2003 Christmas Gala when, as a DJ, he was accompanied by a string section and live percussion for which he composed scores and conducted. 

Pirahna has written and produced songs for local artists such as Inohs Sivad, Mathias, Lathun, and the BLACKMAN (who gave him the name, ‘Pirahnahead’). He is currently working closely in a partnership with DJ Minx, CEO of Women on Wax Recordings. These two powerhouses have come together to form the group Animal Trax, a moniker under which they released the EP “Deep Structures”. Women on Wax Recordings also released Diviniti’s “Find a Way” and “Love Will Stay”, both co-written and produced by Pirahnahead. “Find a Way” was edited by Danny Krivit and released on King Street Sounds, and also became a staple for DJs such as Louie Vega, Theo Parrish, Joe Claussell, Joey Negro and DJ Spinna among others. Pirahna is also collaborating with Reggie Dokes, CEO of Psychostasia Recordings.  Under the name Napi Hedz, these two producers have released singles on Women On Wax Recordings and Sound Signature.  They have several additional releases lined up that showcase their talents and vision.  On the Moods and Grooves imprint, Pirahna released the EP “Emotional Expression” which included “Poem 4 A Lost One” featuring Diviniti, and also produced a duo of well-received remixes of John Consemulder’s “Rewind to Start” featuring Lex Empress. In 2006, Pirahna launched his own imprint, Whasdat Music.  The first release, "Sunshine", by Carolyn Victorian, was released summer ‘06.  With several upcoming productions and remixes on Women on Wax, Sound Signature, his own label, Whasdat Music, and a new internet radio show on Pushfm.com, the very best of Pirahna is just on the horizon.

You can join Pirahnahead in pushfms chatroom as well as listen to him live every Sunday from 12midnight till 2am on www.pushfm.com, London’s leading house radio station on the Internet…

More information and  video’s of Pirahnahead can be located at www.pirahnahead.com

 ww.youtube.com &  MySpace:   http://www.myspace.com/pirahnahead 

Pirahnahead's Discography

Writing/Production:

 Diviniti - Find A Way (original and  intense dub’)                                                       Women On Wax 2004

Pirahnahead pres. Soulchestra - Emotional Expression EP                                      Moods & Grooves 2004

Pirahnahead - Dreams (12”)                                                                                        Mahogani Music 2004

Diviniti - Love Will Stay (original and everafter mix)                                                   Women On Wax 2005

Diviniti - Live for the Night (Original)                                                                          Women On Wax 2005

Pirahnahead & Diviniti – Love                                                                                      Mahogani Music 2005

Pirahnahead - SOLID: (A Moment) in the Mind of Pirahnahead (CD)                          Mahogani Music 2006

Carolyn Victorian – Sunshine (original mix)                                                                   Whasdat music 2006

Shuya Okino - ‘If It Is Love’ (with Clara Hill)                                                Especial/Geneon Records 2006

Diviniti – Can’t Explain                                                                                                Women On Wax 2007

Pirahnahead feat. Yaminah Brock- I Do Love You                                                                 Third Ear 2008

Remixes:

John Consemulder ft. Lex Empress - Rewind to Start (Remix)                                Moods & Grooves 2004

John Consemulder ft. Lex Empress - Rewind to Start (Alt. Remix)                          Moods & Grooves 2004

DJ Minx - Fuzzy Navel (Headjob Remix)                                                                     Women On Wax 2005

June Lopez - Dream On (Napihedz Jazz Journey Remix)                                             Rhythmic Deep 2005

DJ Kawasaki ft. Lady Alma - The Love of Music (Headjob Remix)                             Especial Records 2006

Isoul8 ft. Valerie Etienne - Give it Up (Headjob Remix)                                      Neroli/Sonar Kollectiv 2006

Viermalair – My Philosophy (Pirahnahead’s Philosphy Remix)                                     Women On Wax 2007

Shuya Okino’s United Legends- Pirahnahead Works                                                               Especial 2007

Co-production/Collaboration:

(with DJ Minx) -Animal Trax - Deep Structures EP                                                     Women On Wax 2003

(with Painted Pictures) Tuxedo Sessions CD                                                     Truth Manifest/P-Vine 2005

(with Theo Parrish and Craig Huckaby) InCahoots- Untitled                                     Sound Signature 2004

(with Reggie Dokes) NapiHedz - Blessed Bliss EP      Psychostasia Recordings 2005/Women On Wax 2006

(with Reggie Dokes) NapiHedz – I See Heaven/The Bah                                           Sound Signature 2006

Guest Appearances:

D-Bros. – In Full Effect (Guitar)                                                                                      KMS Records 1988

Enemy Squad – United State of Mind (Guitar)                                                      TufAmerica Records 1998

Doc Rouncee & The Blackman – The Coleman Young Theory                              Sicken Duck Records 2001

Mathias –Truth and Theology                                                                                      SodaPOP Music 2002

Inohs Sivad – IS                                                                                                    Thoughts & Images 2002

Lathun – Fortunate                                                                                                                 Motown 2002

The Rotating Assembly- Natural Aspirations (Keys)                                       Sound Signature /P-Vine2004

DJ Genesis - Willing (Guitar & Keys on Minx’s Queen Beats)                                   West End Records 2005

Reggie Dokes – The Vault vol.1                                                                    Psychostasia Recordings 2005

*(NapiHedz-You Should Know / My Peeps on 6 (Guitar)

Isoul8- Balance                                                                                                              Sonar Kollectiv 2006

*(Guitar on –Just the Way I like It feat. Diamondancer)

The Blackman – Collector’s Edition (Writing, Instrumentation, Co-production)        Blackshu Records 2006

DJ Spinna ft. Lizz Fields - Could It Be Too Soon?                       Wonderwax Records/Columbia Music 2006

*(String arrangement/orchestration - appears on DJ Spinna’s “Intergalactic soul” CD) 

Compilation Appreances:

Booking

For Bookings and for more info, please email info@flydj.co.uk or call +44 (0) 7960 935 886

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