08/19/2016
Stranjjur as a label, brand, event promoter, agency, and all other branches that exist, is hereby saying its official goodbye to the world, nearly 7 years to the day of beginning promotion for what would be the first event of many, when we welcomed two then unknown stranjjurs to play music in New York for the first time.
This is what Stranjjur was about, from its infancy in 2009 when we decided to risk our savings by booking deep house artists that had never stepped foot in NYC, or even crossed the Atlantic before. We were up against a scene devoted to minimal techno, who rarely came out before 1am, and faced with competing against promoters who considered Manhattan their turf. People said we were out of our minds, didn't believe in us, or NYC's historically open arms.
Those two men certainly remember as much as all of us who packed Bar 13 on Sept 18, 2009. Carlo Lio and TILL VON SEIN were the unknown dudes we flew here, who played for beers and whatever we could afford charging $5 at the door.
As the evening went on, the crowd got thick and word was coming from Sullivan Room that the Flawless folks weren't happy, we had cleared their club as word spread quickly about these new guys who were letting NYC know that they wanted their respect -- and here we are, 7 years later, there is no need to even discuss the trajectory of Till and Carlo's careers, but they've become regular fixtures in NYC and around the globe, so I personally thank them for trusting in Billy Disciple and I (Kev Obrien) and allowing Stranjjur to continue on gambling our paychecks to pay for rookies like MANIK to debut. as he played his first gig ever under the new pseudonym to celebrate his first release on O**m Recordings, at our second event.
From there we brought Spencer Parker here, back when he made disco house?! Then Pezzner, Alex Niggemann, Milton Jackson, Florian Kruse & Nils Nuernberg, Superlounge, El_Txef_A, Luna City Express, etc all played in front of YOU, the ones who kept us going and inspired what became a little record label that Andy AB Inelli and Chris Luzz helped make possible with me. We made big waves, even though we mostly released music from Stranjjurs you never heard of at the time, like David Marston, Gab Rhome, HearThuG, Lula Circus, Havens+Hart, Art in Motion, ANDREW SOUL and loads more.
We even got to DJ all over the world, from South Africa for The Warm Up Jozi, to Zurich's Club Bellevue, even Berlin's hottest spots and many more.
Who'd have guessed we would ever put out color vinyl releases like H.O.S.H. & HearThug - Technicolour, have radio hits like Fabo - Where I Stand, even an EP from one of our heroes, Sasse under his Freestyle Man moniker! ATAXIA had the honor of putting the last Stranjjur EP out, and we thank them for doing that, even if it was unknown to them that it would be the final chapter.
All good things come to an end.
In closing, remember that all strangers (Stranjjurs) we meet, have the potential of becoming lifelong friends, who's talents and dedication may be loaned to you by them for the rest of your life ---- simply because you opened your heart, ears and soul, and allowed them a chance, when no one else would.... to grow from an unknown stranjjur to beloved fave in the course of one song, or one DJ set.
With love and thanks for all your years of support, take care and keep your eyes on the promoters and labels that break ground and take chances, keep on looking for strange new friends.
Much Love,
Kev Obrien and I am sure Chris, Andy, Billy and everyone else who helped along the way also extend their gratitude.
The End.
![Hometown Heroes: Kev Obrien from Brooklyn [Musicis4Lovers.com] by Musicis4Lovers](https://img4.medioq.com/462/191/1295194574621911.jpg)
