Both Pete Bandit and Jason Shae have been playing music for over a decade. They got infected with the ‘virus’ after hearing their first tracks over at a friends house and they’ve been ‘sick’ ever since. The first years it was techno, techno and techno. Looking up to guys like Plastikman, James Ruskin and Speedy J, it was understandable that they also made the transition to minimal, or microhouse like it was called back in the days, in 2003. It was simply a reaction ignited by pioneer Richie Hawtin, who paved the way for whoever was willing to listen
In the summer of 2004 Pete Bandit and Jason Shae got together with William Kouam Djoko and Newton Da Costa and started the –by now- famous Jason & The Argonauts live act. They had known each other for quite some time already: they went to the same parties and on occasion they even played together. At first the Jason & The Argonauts was nothing more then an extended DJ set with some live element, William for example was only MCing in the very beginning.
After two years of blood, sweat and tears it finally started paying off; they became the leading liveact in the Dutch minimal house scene. Next to playing at several leading festivals, the four also acquired a residency at the Magnetronik-nights held at Club Poema.
In the mean time, while J&A tearing roofs off all over Holland, Pete Bandit & Jason Shae kept on exploring their own personal tastes of music and playing records was the best way to do so. They found each other in a mix of French funk, Chicago house and stripped down Berlin house. Since the duo is playing with Serato, it’s easy to interweave their own productions into their DJsets, making them more much more personal and effective.
The duo’s fame as DJs is growing larger gig by gig. Stealing the heart of every party freak, bass addict and music lover with a great, steady, rocking groove that takes us back to the Chicago, Miami and New York sounds from back in the days. Their careers are blooming, but their potentials haven’t fully been used yet; without doubt we will hear a lot more from these two in the following years!
