Hi everyone! We're really excited about the upcoming holiday bash and we hope you'll be there to celebrate with us! MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
THROWED! NEW YEARS EVE 2008 Wednesday December 31st 18+ | 10:00pm - 3:00am
Wheelers Ice Cream Shoppe 334 Mass Ave Boston, MA (at the Huntington/Mass Ave Intersection)
Public Transportation: (Runs til 3am on NYE in Boston)
Green "E" Train to "Symphony" Orange Line to "Mass Ave" Any Green Line to "Hynes" Route 1 Bus Along Mass Ave Route 39 Bus Along Huntington
$15 with RSVP to: ericmarcelino@gmail.com / $20 without
PURCHASE Advance VIP Tickets for $15 (includes Free Giftbag from Wheelers) Get your VIP Tickets NOW by sending $15 per ticket via Paypal to the e-mail address: xcarddownx@aol.com
You're Name + Number of Guests will be held at the door on the night of the event! You will recieve a confirmation e-mail from us after you pay.
Hi everyone, Wheeler's is throwing this year's biggest NYE event in Boston! Hosting the event is THROWED! featuring DJs E-marce, + Roguewaves, Justincredible + Zac Broman. The party will be from December 31st, 10PM - 3AM, 18+ with RSVP. Be sure to stop by!
Hi everyone! First of all, we'd like to thank everyone who stopped by our booth during the Cultural Survival Bazaar and the Holiday Bazaar Bizarre last weekend! We had a blast and we're so glad we could share some of our favorite ice cream treats with everyone.
But the fun doesn't end! This weekend we're scheduled for another event in Washington DC! Compassion Over Killing, DC's largest nonprofit animal advocacy organization, is hosting their annual Holiday Party on December 13th, 2008 @ MamaSita Cultural Center. Doors open at 7PM.
"Join us in celebrating another year of compassionate action for animals while enjoying delicious vegan food and drink as well as a fabulous animal-friendly silent auction.
COK's annual holiday fundraising party offers a fun-filled way to look back at all we’ve accomplished for animals in 2008 while looking forward to even greater achievements in 2009.
This event is open to everyone, so please bring your friends and family. Suggested minimum donation is $50 (donate now online or at the door)."
WHAT: COK Annual Holiday Fundraising Party WHEN: Saturday, December 13 2008 @ 7PM WHERE: MamaSita Cultural Center at 6906 4th St., N.W., D.C. METRO: One block from the Takoma Metro station on the red line R.S.V.P.: info@cok.net or 301-891-2458
Wheeler Del Torro is expanding his vegan ice cream shop into a full-service cafe serving vegan sandwiches, salads, soups, baked goods and teas.
The 30-seat Wheeler’s Cafe & Ice Cream Bar, at 334 Massachusetts Ave. in Boston, will celebrate its grand-opening Dec. 15.
Those who eschew animal products can thank chef/author Anthony Bourdain, host of the Travel Channel’s “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations,” for the inspiration.
“Anthony talks a lot of (expletive) about vegans and all this (expletive) about how vegan food sucks,” Del Torro said. “This was sort of my giving him and other people who have that perception the finger. We’re not sitting around eating dirt and twigs.”
Del Torro, 31, says he’s not the stereotypical vegan. He has a little belly, wears custom-made suits and shoes, goes to clubs, gets drunk and does a lot of “naughty” things, including hosting “no clothes” dining-in-the-dark events.
He said he noticed a void in vegan dining options since moving to Boston.
With the success of “Skinny Bitch,” a book that advocates a strictly vegan diet, he says many people are starting to understand that “eating healthy is OK.”
“So many people are suffering from diabetes and high cholesterol because of crappy diets,” he said. “I want to give people a different option than getting fast food.”
Del Torro had been using the Massachusetts Avenue space as home for Wheeler’s Frozen Dessert Co., his vegan ice cream line launched 10 years ago. Its offerings include flavors modeled after such popular alcoholic drinks as Dom Perignon, Black Russian Chocolate Chip and the Snake Bite with Yukon Jack.
Thanks everyone! See you this weekend at the Boston Bazaar Bizarre & Cultural Survival!
Hi everyone! We are participating in two very exciting events this coming December! Even though the temperatures continue to dip, we'll be serving up delicious ice cream in flavors pumpkin, sweet potato, cookies & cream, apple pie & more at the Boston Bazaar Bizarre and the Cultural Survival Winter Bazaar.
The Boston Bazaar Bizarre occurs on Sunday December 7, 2008 from noon til 7PM. Hosted at the The Castle at Park Plaza (101 Arlington Street, Boston) with over 140 vendors and DJ Johnnie Spaceman, it should be a really great event!
"Bazaar Bizarre began in 2001 in the Boston-area as a hodge-podge of friends and acquaintances cobbling together their handcrafted DIY wares to sell and staging an offbeat entertainment extravaganza. In 2004 the Bazaar Bizarre spread to Los Angeles and Cleveland and in 2006 Make took us under their wing to include the Bazaar Bizarre as part of the Maker Faire in the San Francisco-area every spring. The Bazaars in Boston, Cleveland, Los Angeles and San Francisco happen every year during peak holiday shopping season in December."
The Bazaar Bizarre is a fantastic place to meet craftsters and shop for unique, sustainable, and fun gifts! Be sure to stop by and say hello!
On a similar note, we will also be scooping up our delicious vegan ice cream at the Boston Cultural Survival Bazaar. An annual event, the Cultural Survival Bazaar is held at the Hynes Convention Center (900 Boylston Street, Boston), on Saturday, December 6, 2008 & Sunday, December 7, 2008 from 11:00 AM-7:00 PM.
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At The Cultural Survival Bazaar, Every Gift Has a Story to Tell.
Come and shop our wide selection of hand-made arts & crafts from around the world. Items include tribal hand-knotted rugs, jewelry, clothing, textiles, decorative pieces, and more. Enjoy live music and our many presentations. Learn about Cultural Survival's non-profit work with indigenous peoples worldwide. Become a member and receive a free gift, a year subscription to Cultural Survival Quarterly, and a tax deduction.
At the Cultural Survival Bazaars you can shop for unique, hand-crafted gifts, dance to the rhythms of world music, and listen to traditional Native American stories. Cultural Survival will host 50 vendors selling items such as Afghan hand-knotted rugs, Zapotec pottery, San jewelry, African batik, Apache silver, Thai silk, reed baskets from Ghana, Nipmuc flutes, Maasai beadwork, silk weavings from Madagascar, and lace from Brazil. There will be Lakota drumming and music by Yarina, a Quichua group from Ecuador, and more. The proceeds support Cultural Survivals work with indigenous peoples worldwide."
Boston Cultural Survival Bazaar Hynes Convention Center @ 900 Boylston, Boston Saturday, December 6 & Sunday, December 7, 2008 11AM-7PM
& & &
Boston Bazaar Bizarre The Castle at Park Plaza (101 Arlington Street, Boston) Sunday December 7, 2008 12PM-7PM
Wheeler's Frozen Dessert Company would like say THANK YOU! to the great number of you who participated in our photoshoot for our upcoming book. The publishers are very pleased with the shots and we're sure these photos will look fantastic alongside our 100% vegan, delicious & inspiring recipes. (We'll let you know when to look for the book in stores so you can check out the finished product!)
Since the photoshoot is over, we're starting to redecorate the shop again! In the next few days, we'll be busy painting and scrubbing and revamping our image. But don't worry - we'll still be open everyday so you can pick up some great tasting ice cream. We apologize for the current mess, but we promise that when we're finished, the place is going to look AMAZING!
So stop by, grab some ice cream (or tea! or hot apple cider! or gourmet waffles!) and say hello! Thanks again everyone!
Hi everyone! We are very pleased to announce that we will be participating in the 2008 Boston Vegetarian Food Festival, held on Saturday, November 1.
After a wonderful reception at last year's fest, we can't wait to serve up some decadent flavors and make new friends! We will be scooping our ice cream from 10AM - 6PM at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center, located at 1350 Tremont Street, Boston Massachusetts.
"The Vegetarian Food Festival brings together an amazing array of vegetarian natural food providers, top national speakers and chefs, and educational exhibitors in a fun and welcoming environment. It is a chance to talk directly to food producers, learn the newest items in the marketplace, taste free food samples, shop at show special discounts, or simply learn what vegetarian foods are available and where you can find them!"
Check out their website for more information about the event! Hope to see you there!
2008 Boston Vegetarian Food Festival Saturday, November 1, 2008 10 AM – 6 PM Reggie Lewis Athletic Center 1350 Tremont Street, Boston Massachusetts Free admission • Free food sampling Free parking • Subway stop across the street
Hi everyone! We have some special news for people in Boston (or for those who can travel about our next awesome event!
Wheeler's Frozen Dessert Co. will be making an appearance at the 2008 Head of the Charles Regatta on October 18th and 19th from 8:00AM until 4:45PM. We will be serving up hot chocolate, organic hot apple cider, over 25 different teas, and of course, our specialty frozen desserts.
Every fall, rowers and spectators from around the globe gather in Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts for the Regatta. This year the Regatta will welcome over 8,000 rowers and up to 300,000 spectators. More information can be found on the official website. (Maps are available to download from their website as well.)
Be sure to stop by and grab a mug warm tea or a scoop of ice cream! See you there!
2008 Head of the Charles October 18th & 19th 8:00AM - 4:45PM
Hi everyone! Although the Berklee Jazz Fest was unfortunately canceled due to rain, we had a great time this weekend serving up some fantastic ice cream and frozen yogurt at the 2008 College Fest. Thank you for coming out and supporting our vegan ice cream! :)
Next, we have some REALLY exciting news!
Wheeler's Frozen Dessert Co. will be serving gourmet, herbal, green, black, and oolong teas at the shop starting October 15th! Teas available will include...
Listen up, East Coast! Wheeler's Frozen Dessert Co. will be making appearances at TWO events this weekend in Boston, MA!
First, we will be scooping up some great flavors at the 8th annual Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival — Boston's most popular and largest outdoor festival.
Taking place on Saturday, September 27, the free Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival will take place from 12PM to 6PM to on three stages over six blocks on Columbus Avenue, starting at Massachusetts Avenue.
Stop by, grab some ice cream, and listen to some great Berklee artists!
Or, if jazz isn't your cup of tea, head on over to the CollegeFest, held at Hynes Convention Center on Boylston St. We will be serving ice cream at the CollegeFest on Saturday, September 27 from 12PM-7PM as well as Sunday, September 28 from 12PM-6PM.
Admittance is $10, so be sure to bring some cash.
There are also plenty of free giveaways and performances throughout the Fest, so you definitely don't want to miss this event!
Hope you join us for an exciting weekend - See you soon!
Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival Saturday, September 27 12PM - 6PM Mass Ave & Columbus Ave
College Fest Saturday, September 27 12PM-7PM Sunday, September 28 12PM-6PM Hynes Convention Center 900 Boylston St
Wheeler's Frozen Dessert Co. will be making an appearance at the Great LA Ice Cream Party this Saturday, September 27th from 2:00PM-4:30PM at the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round, located at 4730 Crystal Springs Drive.
We will be giving out free non-dairy, organic, vegan ice cream during the whole event, but make sure you stop by early just in case we sell out, as we can only bring so much ice cream across the country! ;)
If you plan to attend (which you should!!!) be sure to RSVP to the email: laicecreamparty@gmail.com
The Great LA Ice Cream Party is a free event. Everyone who attends will be entered into a door prize opportunity drawing just by attending as well as a free ride on the merry-go-round.
The beneficiary of any donations collected this year is LA Commons, a non-profit working to build communities and cultural awareness of LA's neighborhoods."LA Commons builds community by validating the importance of local narratives, enhancing the sense of belonging felt by a broad range of stakeholders and encouraging stronger ties between the people and places of Los Angeles."
In order to raise funds to support the programs of LA Commons and the promotion of Los Angeles neighborhoods, donations at the event are encouraged with the following incentives:
For a $5 donation, you will receive... 1 additional ticket for the opportunity drawings
For a $10 donation, you will receive... 5 additional tickets for the opportunity drawings
For a $20 donation, you will receive... 20 additional tickets for the opportunity drawings
For a $35 donation, you will receive... 40 additional tickets for the opportunity drawing.
For a $50 donation, you will receive 100 additional tickets for the opportunity drawings.
So be sure to stop by, grab some ice cream, and donate some money to a great cause! See you there!
The Great LA Ice Cream Party Saturday, September 27, 2008 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round 4730 Crystal Springs Drive Los Angeles, CA 90027 (map) (between Los Feliz Blvd. & the LA Zoo)
Follow signs to the Merry-Go-Round. Free parking is available in adjacent lots. Please RSVP to email laicecreamparty@gmail.com.
Hey everyone, just wanted to let you know that we will be closed TODAY (Thursday) the 18th of September from 1PM to 7PM. We will then reopen until 9PM. Stop by and grab some ice cream!
Hey everyone! We're now selling homemade, vegan chocolate chip cookie dough at our shop in 1lb + 1/2lb quantities.
Available for take out, this cookie dough is perfect for whipping up a quick batch of vegan chocolate chip cookies without the hassle of making your own batter! Be sure to top by and pick up a pound or two ... and maybe try some of these brand new, delicious ice cream flavors while you're here!
Finally making her way to New York, Hannah is continuing her My Sweet Vegan cookbook tour at the Park Slope Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Brooklyn. Stop by to meet Hannah, take a peak at My Sweet Vegan, and buy a copy if you don’t already have one! Hannah will be available to sign copies, answer questions, and hand out dessert samples. The event details are as follows:
What: Meet & Greet with Hannah Kaminsky, author of My Sweet Vegan, and enjoy a dessert sampling
Hey everyone! We have some exciting news. We will be sampling our new lunch menu featuring gourmet salads and sandwiches this Friday and Saturday (August 1 & 2) from 1PM until 3PM. Please get here early! We are sure to run out of samples. Our menu includes:
SALADS
Fresh Snapped Green Beans with Shitake Mushrooms, Romaine and Miso Dressing
Toasted Cous-Cous Salad with Fresh Ginger, Grilled Peaches, Arugula and Basil Pesto
Romaine Hearts with Chunky Beets, Pecans and Maple Vinaigrette
Palm Salad: Hearts of Palm with Avocado, Olive, Romaine, Red Onion, and Light creamy soy dressing
Green Salad: Field Greens with Cucumber, Radish, Cherry Tomato, and Citrio Sherry Vinaigrette
Yuzu Salad: Fresh Greens with Snap Peas, Carrots, Jicama, Tofu and a Japanese Lime Dressing
Caprese: Fresh Vegan Mozzarella with Sliced Tomato, Basil, and Toasted Pine Nuts
Fresh Fruit Salad: A Selection of Seasonal and Ripened Fruit
SANDWICHES
Mediterranean: Carrot, Coriander, Vegan Cheddar, Fresh Greens, and Olive Tapenade on Fresh Baked Wheat Focaccia
Caprese: Sliced Tomato, curried Tofu, and Basil on Focaccia
Cucumber: Slices of Cucumber with Vegan Cream Cheese, Mint, and a Pinch of Paprika served on White Pullman
Thai Vegetable Wrap: Shredded Savoy Cabbage, Carrot, Thai Basil and Chilies with Vinegar and Oil
Falafel Mafia: Ground Chickpea Cake, Cucumber, Nasoya Tatsiki, chopped Romaine, and Tomato in a Spinach Wrap
Also, healthy vegan picnic lunches will be available for purchase on Monday August 4th 2008!
Hi everyone! This year we will be celebrating Independence Day by serving up delicious scoops of ice cream along the Charles River!
The Boston Pops Firework Spectacular held on the Esplanade in Boston, which includes the Edward A. Hatch Memorial Shell and Oval, is graciously hosting us for the huge 4th of July event. We will be set up on the Esplanade with our infamous ice creams and sorbets on July 4th, from 9:00AM until 10:30PM.
The celebration is free and open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis. Plus, the esplanade is a great place to watch the fireworks! So grab some friends, a few lawn chairs, and be sure to stop by! You definitely don't want to miss this event!
What: Wheeler's Frozen Dessert Co. @ The Boston Pops Firework Spectacular
Where: Boston; The Esplanade along the Charles River.
When: July 4th, 2008 from 9:00AM until 10:30PM.
For more information about the Boston Pops Firework Spectacular, visit their website.
Hey everyone, here are our store hours for this week.
Monday June 30th: 11AM-9PM Tuesday July 1st: 11AM-9PM Wednesday July 2nd: 11AM-9PM Thursday July 3rd: 11AM-9PM Friday July 4th: 11AM-9PM Saturday July 5th: 11AM-9PM Sunday July 6th: 11AM-9PM
Hi everyone! This weekend we have a ton of new, alcohol inspired sorbets! Check them out ...
Tequila Sunrise Mojito Blueberry Mojito Strawberry Mojito Red Bull + Cranberry Vodka Red Bull + Cran/blueberry Vodka Red Bull + Cran/strawberry Vodka Pomegranite Martini Strawberry Pomegranite Martini Blueberry Pomegranite Martini Chocolate Martini Cranberry Cosmo Strawberry Cranberry Cosmo
We also have customer favorites Black Raspberry and Black Raspberry Chip ice cream! Be sure to stop by and grab a scoop! Besides, you definitely don't want to miss these ...
Hi guys! We had a great weekend attending events at Bill's Bar and Harper's Ferry, but here is an update regarding hours at our store! ...
Monday June 23: 12PM-930PM Tuesday June 24: 12PM-930PM Wednesday June 25: 12PM-930PM Thursday June 26: 12PM-930PM Friday June 27: 12PM-930PM Saturday June 28: 12PM-930PM Sunday June 29: 12PM-930PM
Also, here's a sneak peek at some of our new, upcoming flavors:
Blueberry Sorbet Strawberry Sorbet Chocolate Martini Pomegranite Martini Cosmopolitan Platinum Patron Tequila Sunrise
And don't forget about our favorite flavors now available at the shop! Be sure to stop by and check these out!
Espresso Chip Mexican Chocolate Apple Pie Sorbet Chocolate Coconut Pink Grapefruit Peanut Butter Chip Almond Joy Chocolate Newman O's Espresso Newman O's Reese's Cup Mojito Sorbet Crunch Bar Vanilla Cucumber
We are launching a fleet of ice cream trucks to a hot spot near you!
Our blue, flame-engulfed trucks will be carrying a variety of a Wheeler's alcohol themed frozen delicacies such as Mojito, Black Russian chocolate chip, Kamikaze, Long Island Iced Tea, Sparkling Sake, and twenty-five other drink themed and candy inspired ice creams. The trucks will also be selling candy, toys, mixtapes, graffiti prints, as well as hand painted t-shirts.
Wheeler's brightly colored trucks will be making appearances at the following events and venues:
Thursday June 19 Summer School @ Bill's Bar Hella Juice @ Milky Way
Friday June 20 Paper @ Harper's Ferry The Pill @ Great Scott
We're also getting 5 flavors of our specialty bon bons this week as well as brand new ice cream flavors including sweet potato, reeces cup, bourbon pecan, grapefruit campari, cactus pear sorbet, watermelon sorbet, and apple pie. Don't forget our cakes and cupcakes are now available too!
We are also excited to announce our flavor list as of Friday!:
Chocolate Sweet Maple Walnut Ginger + Ginseng Mint Chocolate Chip Gunpowder Green Tea Pink Grapefruit Grandma Barbara Lee's Apple Pie Champagne Coconut Good & Plenty Licorice Strawberry Vanilla Cucumber Mango Black Raspberry Raul Bandito's Renegade Desperado Mexican Chocolate Peppermint Patti Red Wine White Wine Butter Pecan Platinum Patron Mojito Dr. Bombay's Black Russian
To everyone sending us pre-paid orders of vegan ice cream to ship to Oprah, we would like to say thank you! We are honored that everyone thinks our ice cream is so tasty and are willing to pay out of their own pocket to ship to America's top talk show host. However, we have a bit of bad news. Recently we contacted Oprah's studios and apparently they do not accept unsolicited packages or samples. So unfortunately, we must ask everyone to please stop sending us pre-paid orders! We are unable to ship the ice cream to Oprah and we definitely do not want to take your money if we cannot fulfill your request. Thank you so much for thinking of us - we hope you understand!
Additionally, we would like to say THANK YOU! to everyone stopping by and picking up some ice cream + goodies at our shop. Business has been awesome and we appreciate your support!
Hi everyone, we had an awesome weekend selling ice cream at our new shop! Thanks so much for stopping by, grabbing a couple scoops and chatting with us! As we're brand new, our hours have been sort of wacky, so here is a tentative schedule for the next couple weeks.
It is our pleasure to announce that the GRAND OPENING of Wheeler's Frozen Desserts is tonight, May 16 2008!
Wheeler's Frozen Desserts is located at 334B Massachusetts Avenue, Boston. We will be open at 8PM sharp and will be serving up delicious scoops of our freshly made, dairy free ice cream until 11PM. Stop by, grab a a spoon, and hang out with us!
We will also be open on Saturday from 11AM until 11PM, and Sunday from 11AM until 9PM. So if you can't make it tonight, be sure to drop by this weekend and check out our new shop!
We are so excited for this! Hope to see you there!
Wheeler's Frozen Desserts 334B Massachusetts Avenue May 16th 8PM-11PM May 17th 11AM-11PM May 18th 11AM-9PM icecreamproject2007.com
Hey everyone! Christine Liu wrote an awesome article about us in the Beer Wares feature of the Beer Advocate Magazine. Here is the link the to the PDF, but this is the transcribed version in case you have trouble opening it. Thanks Christine!
Beer Wares by Christine Liu Wheeler's Black Label Vegan Ice Cream
"Consider this pie-in-the-sky idea: Imagine any beer of your choice - a chocolatey-rich Stout, a refreshing Mexico quaff, your own genius homebrew - transformed into ice cream. Wheeler del Torro, Boston-based founder and mastermind behind his eponymous line of custom vegan ice creams and sorbets, can make that cream dream come true. With immaculately accurate flavor profile intensity, he can work anything, beer or otherwise, into a customized dessert. His repertoire is unlimited, and his specialty is alcohol-based flavors. He's done a heady Sam Adams Utopias ice cream and has been known to create a killer sorbet using entire bottles of Dom Perignon Rose.
"'I can make any flavor ice cream that you can come up with,' del Torro says. 'I can make absolutely anything.' His spin is a vegan one, mastering recipes produced without animal products or bi-products - instead of cow milk or cream, the desserts contain soy, coconut, rice or almond milk. But before you start missing the dairy, just consider that a very empathetic carnivore (i.e., me) absolutely went nuts over Wheeler's product. It really is that good. Custom flavors require at least a purchase of three gallons' worth (one batch) and del Torro 'would prefer to work with vegan-approved alcohol.' So if your selection is safe from animal filtration methods such as isinglass or bone char, you're good to go. Try not to go too crazy in the meantime thinking about enjoying a beer float with a perfectly complementary beer ice cream imparting cold, melty, frosty goodness."
Hey everyone, the meet-up scheduled for tonight, April 27th in Boston has been cancelled. We're very sorry but we are currently in NYC and will not be able to make it back to Boston in time for the event. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Wheeler at 617-216-9087. Thanks!
Hey everyone! We're very pleased to announce that we will be exhibiting at the Go Green Expo on April 26 from 10AM-6PM and April 27 from 10AM-3PM, at the Hilton Hotel in NYC.
Wheeler's Frozen Desserts will be serving up a total of four tasty flavors over the two-day event (2 flavors for each day) so everyone in NYC should plan on stopping by to check out some of our newest desserts!
The Go Green Expo is "A truly unique event from the ground up ... will change not only the public's perception of environmentalism but also how events like this are produced and managed." Learn more about the Go Green Expo at their website!
See you there!
What: Wheeler's at the Go Green Expo 2008! Where: The Hilton NYC, 1335 Avenue of the Americas. When: April 26 (10AM-6PM) & April 27 (10AM-3PM). Tickets: $10/One day pass - $15/Two day pass. Children under 12 and senior citizens are free.
All Boston-area ice cream fans, this is for you guys! Wheeler's will be giving away free ice cream at this year's Boston Skillshare happening this weekend. Though the Skillshare will be going on all weekend, Wheeler will be bring his icy treats on Sunday, during the lunch hour.
This is an excellent event that we are lucky enough to have each year, and the organizing collective are fantastic. There will be more than 50 workshops teaching all kinds of skills that you can take home and use in your everyday life, and all for a donation of $3-10, on a sliding scale.
Everyone who is able to attend absolutely should, because it's a great experience. Plus, you know, free lunch and dessert!
Details: Sunday, April 6th, from 2:15-3:15 MIT's Stat Center: 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA
Hey everyone, Wheeler's Frozen Desserts was recently featured in Boston Common Magazine this month! Here is a scan of the article.
"A celebrity favorite, Wheeler's Black Label Vegan Ice Cream has been on the dessert menus at the Grammy and Oscar fetes for the past seven years. Models live on it during New York's fashion week, and it was a popular treat at this year's Sundance Film Fesitval afterparties, says Wheeler del Torro, the culinary wizard behind this suductive sweet. And now that a salon-style ice cream bar is opening near Symphony Hall in early April, Wheeler's ice cream aficionados will have their pick of more thn 500 flavors, including blueberry cheesecake swirl and chocolate pretzel crunch. This nondairy dessert contains about a third of the calories of full-fat ice cream and half the calories of nonfat frozen yogurt. The trick? "We use soy, coconut, almond, or rice milk, alone or in combination, as the base," says del Torro, who also sells his frozen desserts online."
Be sure to pick up a free copy and check it out. Thanks!
Hey everyone! We had a great time in Miami this weekend; the turnout was fantastc and the warmth was a welcome change! Thank you to everyone who came out and enjoyed some tasty Wheeler's. Here's a couple pictures... We're working on getting more up, so you can enjoy the merriment too!
Check back later for more pictures!
EDIT: Okay, here's the rest of the party pictures in handy flickrbadge format! Thanks Aquabooty, Miami, and all the beautiful party people who helped make this a fabulous time!
Wheeler's been getting all the details ready for his trip to Miami (check out this post for all the information), and boy, are you guys in Florida in for a treat! Of course, it would ruin the surprise to tell you all about the brand new flavors of both sorbets and ice creams that will be debuted in advance, but Wheeler wanted to drop these little hints:
and
Recent taste tests have confirmed: you really don't want to miss these!
Hello vegan ice cream lovers! Boston Magazine just published an article all about us and how we plan on getting the world to go vegan one person at a time with our frozen desserts. Take a look...
We're very excited about getting such great press, and especially in a magazine of this caliber. If you enjoy seeing vegan companies get this kind of attention, please, don't hesitate to read the entire article on their site and make comments there! We've been told by a few people that there's just no widespread interest in "specialty" products like ours, which is ridiculous, because everyone loves ice cream (Seriously, have you tried the Mexican Chocolate?). We want mainstream, non-vegan-centric publications to know that vegans read their magazines, and that there really is interest in vegan products and companies.
Also in that vein, as always, please pass this article along to any and all your friends that you know support animal rights, vegan business, independent business, the vegan lifestyle, etc. Let's get a buzz going, and soon there will be no doubt in any publisher's mind: yes, readers absolutely do want to know about vegan happenings and developments.
Thanks in advance to those who do comment and share!
We just wanna give a big THANK YOU to everyone who met up with us this weekend in Washington D.C.! We had a great time, and it was wonderful to meet all of you. Thanks to everyone who came, ate, and partied.
Edit: Improved with pictures! Now you can see all the happy vegan faces!
What do all these people have in common? They're all helping a good cause ("Compassion Over Killing) and eating dessert at the same time! That's some multi-tasking I can really get behind!
Hi everyone! You're invited to Washington DC's Asylum Rock & Roll Lounge for a fun-filled Compassion Over Killing benefit bash this Saturday, March 22nd! We'll be serving free samples of premium vegan ice cream, plus ten percent of sales from Asylum's vegan menu will be donated to COK. Please R.S.V.P. so we can be sure to have enough ice cream on hand!
Here are the details:
WHERE: Asylum at 2471 18th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. METRO: Adams Morgan Metro station on the red line WHEN: March 22nd, 2008 TIME: 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. RSVP: info@cok.net or 301-891-2458
Hey everyone! We need to ask you for a favor! Wheeler's Frozen Desserts is looking for street models for their upcoming ad campaign. Don't worry, you don't need to have an agent - we're looking for REAL people with a sense of urban style - tattoos & piercings welcome! So if you're interested in modeling for us, please email us at icecreamproject2007@yahoo.com - Thanks!
The month of March is here and we're heading down to sunny South Beach to team up with Aquabooty, Miami's biggest and hottest deep dance party promoters!
"Aquabooty is known for its focus on high-quality dance music, laid-back attitude, special guest DJS, a slamming dance floor and an amazingly diverse, friendly and music-savvy crowd.
"It also creates high-quality events, not glorified meat markets; an Aquabooty party is more than just a booty call. In fact, Aquabooty is part of the movement that has made DJ appearances into concerts, a major revolution in music."
Wheeler's Frozen Desserts, the world's greatest ice cream company and Miami's hottest promoters bring you Aquabooty '08! Featuring over 30 Djs, infamous alcohol-infused Wheeler sorbets, and surprise guests from around the globe, this will be the best concert series to hit Miami this year.
So for those of you in the southern half of the country, (or those willing to travel) these events are for you! Here are the details:
Details: Join Deep in Miami for a very special night time event as Miami Gets Deep. DEEP Los Angeles is the premiere house night on the West coast and has been bringing soulful house music to Los Angeles for over 9 years.
Details: Once again Miami's hometown heroes deliver the goods on their home turf! After a few insane years busting at the seams downtown we are bringin' it back to the beach.. to the beautiful Opium Garden complex. 4 rooms of music. Exclusive all night set by Dj Harvey "the dark prince of disco" Berlin boys Ame, Dixon, Marcus Worgull & Heinrik Schwarz head up the Innervisions main room along with special guests & live Pa's MUSIC2's stellar roster rules all things deep and soulful in Prive. Rich Medina.
Ben Watt is a central figure on London's club scene, but also DJS regularly in Europe, Australia, and North America.
Ben Watt began recording in the early 1980s with a collection of folk-jazz solo recordings on London indie label Cherry Red. He then joined forces with vocalist Tracey Thorn in 1982 and concentrated for 18 years on writing and recording nine studio albums together as Everything but the Girl, racking up several UK Top 10 singles and albums and a global and U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-two ("Missing") in 1995. The band memorably shifted focus from their alt-pop in the mid 90's to achieve widespread recogniton for their hugely successful interpretations of electronica (Walking Wounded, "Protection" with Massive Attack, Temperamental).
In 1998 Ben Watt established the London deep house Sunday club and compilation series, "Lazy Dog" with Jay Hannan. Lazy Dog attracted a cult following all over the world. Its main regular twice-monthly venue was the tiny Notting Hill Arts Club in west London. From 2001 onwards it became so popular that clubbers had to queue for hours to get in. Pavement parties developed lasting several hours and and the queue became almost as famous as the club itself. Compilations: Lazy Dog Vol 1 (2000) is a collection of the key tracks from the club night , such as 'Cada Vez' by Negrocan, 'Beau Mot Plage' by Isolee and 'Tracey In My Room' where EBTG's 'Wrong' is fused with Soul Vision's 'Come Into My Room'. Lazy Dog Vol 2 followed in 2002. Each compilation sold over 50,000 copies, a huge number for essentially underground club compilations. Moving away from EBTG's mainstream eclecticism and into club-oriented dance music production, Ben also turned out an accompanying string of dancefloor remixes including 5-star re-rubs for Sade, Sunshine Anderson, Zero 7, Maxwell, Meshell Ndegeocello and Sandy Rivera. After five untouchable years, Lazy Dog, the club night started by DJs Ben Watt and Jay Hannan in west London in 1998 ended on May 16 2003 with a farewell closing party at their second home, The End, in central London. It was almost exactly five years to the day since Ben and Jay started their phenomenal success story at Notting Hill Arts Club on Easter weekend 1998, but acknowledging their joint desire to move forwards and onwards into new projects, they parted company and left Lazy Dog at the top, a small pinnacle in the capital's clubland history.
In April 2003 Watt launched his own independent record label and club night, "Buzzin' Fly", with a cluster of underground hits and a series of mix CDs (Buzzin’ Fly, volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4).The label is home to Justin Martin (breakthrough DJ nominee at House Music Awards 2004 and 2005), French-Portuguese trio Rodamaal, Lyon's Manoo & Francois A and Portugal’s Darkmountaingroup. Watt also records his own club oriented productions for the label including best-sellers 'Lone Cat' (2003), 'A Stronger Man' (2004), 'Pop A Cap in Yo Ass' (2005) and 'Just a Blip' (2007). The label won Best Breakthrough Label at the House Music Awards 2004 and was nominated at Best British Label in the DJ Magazine awards in 2007.
"I'm living in Munich, and I love soulful deep music of many genres and styles, soccer, supporting Bayern Munich, and my hometown team Hannover 96. I have a wonderful lovely family, two little kids Jesper and Lenny (Lennart). I founded and still run Compost Records (CEO / A&R) and some sub-labels.
I started collecting records since 1980. That time I was editor , founder and publisher of a magazine called Elaste, a big size 4c fanzine of new wave, punk, electronic music, art, fashion, literature and design. We won several awards with Elaste. Nowadays some editions fetch up to 200 Euros.
Throughout the 80ties I worked as a DJ, organized and presented parties, worked a long time as music journalist for nearly all famous German music mags, and complied several compilations. I organised and dejayed for about 13 years at the Into Somethin' club night (1991- 2003), together with my friends Theo Thoennessen and Florian Keller "Party-Keller".
Some of my other side activities are: music editor or supervising for films and movies, reading good books, and playing chess with Rainer Trueby. Also love playing Carcasonne."
Where do connections to Detroit, Chicago, New York, Berlin and Paris all emerge? No, it's not the Frankfurt airport because this city is even another part of it. Geographically it might not make any sense but music-wise we are definitely talking about karlsruhe here. In the little town in very western Germany all these cities influences join forces in the studio of Frank Wiedemann and Kristian Beyer, together forming the duo Âme. (Speak: AHM = French for soul).
Steffen "Dixon" Berkhahn is first and foremost a House DJ. He was a weekly resident at the some of the most important nightclubs in Berlin since the mid Nineties such as the legendary E-Werk and Tresor clubs. Then from 1996 onwards he ran "Audio Video Disco," one of Germanys most influencial house nights at the WMF club in Berlin together with his partner Mitja Prinz. In 1998 he hooked up with the Jazzanova boys and since then he has remixed tons of artists such as Femi Kuti, Jazzanova, Attica Blues, Brooks and I-Cube to name a few. In 2002 he started a production collaboration with Georg Levin called "Wahoo". Then in January 2005 he relaunched his weekly party 'Innercity' at the Weekend Club and now it's one of the most talked about parties in Berlin. Alongside this he also launched a brand new label called 'Innervisions' which has had global recognition thanks to releases by Ame, Tokyo Blackstar and Marcus Worgull last year. The rest is history!
Âme's sound is easily accessible without ever loosing deepness, complexity and a distinct twist. Their inspirations, how diverse they might be, are clevery quoted but never copied. What started out life as a B-Side on a Sampler for Soulbrother Dixon's Off Limits series has since become a runaway success. First remix requests from the Tr?by Trio, Simone Serritella, Jazzanova, Nigel Hayes, Random Factor, Wahoo and Roy Ayers enabled the duo to show their various disguises under the guise of Deep House. Âme continue to push the boundaries of new sounds, patterns and arrangements with new releases such as their huge club monster ?Rej? on Innervisions and remixes for Z Records, Ibadan and Buzzin' Fly.
Henrik Schwarz hails from Bodensee in the southern part of Germany. He is a veteran in the German deep house scene. Djing was his first love, having built a reputation at major events in the early nineties. Soon a desire to breach musical and technological boundaries pushed Henrik into production and soon his live laptop sessions were born. Today he takes his live sets and nine years of production experience to crowds worldwide. His 12's are gaining massive support from the likes of Joe Claussell, Carl Craig and Laurent Garnier and with 2 albums planned for this Autumn, 2006 looks set to Henrik's year!
Miguel Migs is a deep house DJ and producer from San Francisco, California.
Miguel Migs stands at the forefront of electronic music's soulful realm. Whether tackling his original productions or remixes, he achieves an organic-soulful sound by combining the best of both the electronic music world and live instrumentation.
For many years, Miguel's productions have been included on countless compilations and his records have slid into the crates of top DJs across the globe. His music has also landed on numerous TV Shows, including Six Feet Under, Sex in the City, and MTV's Road Rules and Real World.
Contrary to many of his club-centric DJ/producer peers, Miguel is not always concerned with the potential dance floor appeal of his soulful tracks. "It's music you can enjoy and listen to at home, in the club, or anywhere. Not necessarily just to rock the dance floor." explains the Northern California native, who grew up with a true love of reggae, soul, classic rock, jazz, hip-hop and just about everything else.
Never one to sit still, Migs started his own label Salted Music in 2004. Having been associated with an extensive number of labels throughout his career, he came to realize a desire to have his own base, a vehicle for building his own catalogue of quality material. Salted Music is a foundation for Migs to choose and release music that inspires him, as well as release his own productions and compilations.
A musician at heart, Miguel's professional career started at age 18 as songwriter and lead guitarist for Santa Cruz local dub band Zion Sounds, whose Jamaican and African rhythms earned them gigs with globally known reggae outfits Culture and Burning Spear among others. After the disbanding of Zion Sounds in the mid 1990's, rather than form a new band, Miguel put his focus and creative energy into experimenting with the production of electronic music.
As a producer, Miguel realizes a strong connection between his electronic music productions and live musical background. He writes his own lyrics and plays his own instruments, be it guitar, bass, percussion or keyboard.
As a DJ, Miguel maintains the same approach to his sets as to his productions, combining a variety of influences and styles fused together. The result is funky, deep, soulful, bumping house music. "I like to mix it up and keep it moving smoothly, taking the dance floor through a very spontaneous mix into the realms of quality, deep house music depending on the mood in the room", says Migs. "But, whether it's vocal, tracky, dubby, moody, percussive or broken beat, the sound always remains soulful and funky.
Miguel can be found regularly traveling the globe as one of the industries top-leading DJs, as well as at home in the studio writing and creating music, which is his main love and passion. "It's all about the balance between the touring and traveling, studio work and everything else in life", says Migs, "music has no boundaries and I get inspired by everything around me! I'm definitely looking forward to putting another live act together in the near future." Migs certainly draws no limits to his artistry.
Harvey's DJ talents are in demand throughout England, Europe and the world. He has a solid following in places as far-flung as Singapore and Japan where there is a record store named after his lo-fi Black Cock record label.
Harvey’s musical career officially began at the tender age of thirteen when he was enlisted as a drummer for a punk band whose other members’ average age was 24. The band was a favourite with Radio 1’s John Peel, being featured on his infamous “Sessions” show.
Harvey’s progression into DJing came about after a trip to New York where he was inspired by the emerging hip-hop movement. He felt that “cutting up” breaks was an extension of drumming and so purchased his first pair of Technics, brought them home and practised. A graffiti “bomber” and part of the gang who named themselves TDK (Tone Deaf Crew) they were later to gain notoriety as TONKA Hi Fi. It was as the DJ for the crew that he forged his reputation as an eclectic programmer of music, throwing outlandish, sometimes weekend-long, parties in their native Cambridge as well as Brighton, London and on the festival circuit. Having already been in love with hip hop, electro and disco the sound he had emulated after his trip to New York he inevitably alighted on house and garage too, and began playing more parties in London, clubs such as Solaris and Freedom were all after the Harvey sound.
Harvey further cemented his reputation with his own night “Moist” at the Gardening Club. It was here he brought over some of the greatest New York DJs including Larry Levan, Francois Kevorkian and Kenny Carpenter all of whom were still relatively unknown and unheard of in this country. Playing his fabled six-hour mix of disco, house, garage and dancefloor friendly rock records, a sound he has carried through to his later residencies, notably the celebrated New Hard Left at the Blue Note.
He was the first British DJ invited to play at the Ministry Of Sound and later became resident on both Friday and Saturday. This resulted in his first compilation mix album to date “Late Night Sessions”.
Harvey is today one of the most respected DJs in the world who’s appeal across the genres of the music and clubbing community.
Harvey's recent move to Los Angeles hasn't dampened his enthusiasm for music, and he is currently playing DJ gigs around the planet, as well being very active in the studio. He also recently mixed another compilation CD called “Sarcastic Disco”.
A regular at the WMC, Fred Everything is native to Canada and spends much of his time traveling to London, Montreal, Ibiza, Sao Paulo, and Moscow to perform.
Born In Hull and raised in Quebec City, Fred Everything moved to Montreal in 1996. He was then working at Montreals institution Inbeat Records and secured himself residencies in the citys top clubs. Signed his first record to DIY Discs in 1996 and started traveling internationally. Was the first Montreal DJ to make it big outside Canada. In fact, on his first trip to the UK in 1997, Freds set at the Sub Club was cited best set of In the City Music conference by DJ Magazine. Has toured the globe performing at such legendary and exotic venues as Fabric in London, Stereo in Montreal, El Divino in Ibiza, Lov.e in Sao Paulo, Propaganda in Moscow and a new residency at Club Next Door in Hawaii. He's a regular at the Miami Winter Music Conference performing alongside Mark Farina, King Britt and Francois Kevorkian and has recently played on the OM records float @ the San Francsico Love Parade.
Back in the rave days, Fred was known for playing sets that would go from house, to techno and even drum and bass hence his Everything pseudonym. Originally he was called DJ Everything which eventually changed to Fred Everything. 20:20 Vision Head honcho Ralph Lawson considers him to be one the best house DJs on the planet. Has released original material and remixes on top labels such as: 20:20 Vision, Om Records (remixes of Kaskade, and Afro-Mystik), Turbo, Grand Royal (remix of Bran Van 3000 with Curtis Mayfield), Bombay (remix of Derrick Carter), Defected (remix of IZ and Diz), Compost, Feerange, not to mention cheeky re-edits of Missy Elliot and Erykah Badhu.
His 2 artist albums: Under The Sun (2000) and Light Of Day (2004), both on 20:20 Vision, have been acclaimed by the press, the latest being quoted as The Best Album of The Year by iDJ Magazine. Released 3 mix cds: Disconnection (InMix 1997), DJSET-01 on (Intonation 2001), and House of Om (Om Records, Nov 22nd) followed by an EP Soulmates (Om Records TBA) Released a collection of his best remixes titled From The Deep (Bombay 2002). Throws a monthly Lazy Days (his own label) party at Salon Daome in Montreal. It looks and feels like an apartment, its actually a studio during the day. Very much a New York party kinda vibe. Video for "Revolution" (from Under the Sun) aired on MTV worldwide and was licensed for a number of their reality shows like Making the Video and Newly Weds. Collaborated with: AtJazz, Mark Bell, Miguel Graca, Toka Project, Joseph Malik, Karl The Voice, Heather, Roy Davis Jr, Andy Caldwell, Jt Donaldson, Lance DeSardi, The New Mastersounds, and Tortured Soul. Tracks have appeared on over 100 compilations worldwide by people like Danny Tennaglia, Steve Lawler, Danny Howells, Terry Lee Brown Jr, and Hipp-e and Halo.
True to name, Alex was raised in Tokyo before moving to New York to pursue his passion. He currently travels internationally as a world-reknown and "World Famous" DJ.
Paris born, Tokyo raised international eclectic DJ, producer and international co-ordinator. Based in New York from 2004. Alex has been playing regularly all around the world in Tokyo, New York and Europe. Alex still travels back to Tokyo every 2 months to continue his 9 year residency at the Sunday afternoon party 'Gallery' with DJ Nori, Kenji Hasegawa and Fukuba. He also continues to host his weekly radio show 'Tokyo Club Mix Showcase' every Wednesday on Shibuya FM, now running for 10 years. In April 2006 he joined up with Manu (Supreme records) to begin 'Cosmic Boogie' their monthly party at APT in NYC, inviting guests such as DJ Milo, DJ Red Alert and Todd Terje. In Fall 2006 Alex began a weekly residency on Fridays at the NYC Lower East Side's 205 Club and produced a deep house compilation 'Suboceania' for Italian tastemakers Slam Jam. Additionally, last fall saw the Japanese release of Laurent Garnier's book 'Electrochoc', which Alex translated from French to Japanese. Alex has 2 resident parties in Japan: his now legendary 9 hours DJ set at 'Deep Impact' at DJ Bar Dai in Morioka from 2006 and 'Timewarp' at Space Lab Yellow in Tokyo from January 2007. He has been producing music under the name Tokyo Black Star with partner Isao Kumano, releasing original material on Sonar Kollektiv/Innervisions (Tokyo Black Star 'Pysche dance EP' Innervisions 01 and 'Beyond the future EP Innervisions 04) and on DJ Deep's deeply rooted house music records label (Tokyo Black Star 'Rainbow/Fantastique voyage'), and has done remixes for labels such as Flower Records, Yellow Productions, Frikyiwa, Bassmental and Disorient. His third Tokyo Black Star release on Innervisions 'Still Sequence EP' has been released in July 2007 as well as the first release 'Reincarnation' on the new joint label Reincarnation by Slam Jam and Neroli. Besides the club scene, Alex has been recently doing also some music co-ordination and production work in fashion for brands like Y-3 and Louis Vuitton and he has invited to play at the official party of ART BASEL in Basel in June 2007.
DJ Rich Medina is often found spinning at clubs and venues in primarily NYC, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.
Choice defines the man. Rich Medina has made a life based on one choice that has transformed the listening experience of millions. DJ Rich Medina lives, breathes, and revels in sharing the type of music that make a listener remember his soul. It is this awareness of soul that brings listeners back time and again to hear Rich spin: heads nod, bodies sway, emotions expand and coalesce. DJ Rich Medina uses the decks to guide his people away from the ordinary and into the realm of their imaginations. His intelligent blends bridge unexpected song selections that build a collective consciousness of intoxication. Without even realizing it, DJ Rich Medina lures you in and makes you forget who you were before the music began – Medina spins you into the now, into the moment, into the vital essence of who you are. Medina credits his family’s Baptist faith as the groundwork and source of his musical inclination and intuition. Music was always a form of celebration and rejoicing. The first time Medina heard Diana Ross’s 1976 hit “Love Hangover” in the family living room, he knew he wanted to be a DJ. When he’s writing music, whether in collaboration with other musicians or a personal project, Medina always aims to inject a universal notion of the need for change. Rich Medina holds DJ residencies at prominent venues throughout the country. Most notably he is a defining DJ at his “Little Ricky’s Rib Shack” parties at APT in New York City. Every Wednesday night Rich draws a crowd that waits patiently in line to experience the Medina funk flow, and for the last decade Medina has been a fixture on the Philly nightlife scene. Saturday nights on a bi-weekly basis, DJ Rich Medina is host of Jump N Funk at the prestigious Martinez Gallery. It is through such residencies that DJ Rich Medina is able to cultivate his audience and hone his craft. Always evolving as an artist, DJ Rich Medina transitions into the role of pre-eminent spoken word artist at clubs the world over. Rich writes words that convey messages of change and agency, self-determination and hope, and he is also the embodiment of those very same qualities and emotions. DJ Rich Medina, renaissance man, articulate performer and a down and dirty DJ who can go head to head with the best, is an artist who will transform the average experience of any club or venue and give his audience a night of music and words to remember.
A native to Brooklyn, NYC, Djinji Brown currently tours the U.S. and Europe as a world-reknowned DJ.
Magazines are like military operations sometimes, and we, the editorial team, are the frontline troops - canon fodder; sent in to bite bullets and speak to musicians who turn out to be only half (if you are lucky) as interesting or as talented as their bios made them out to be. Yeah, that’s right... All you ‘music people’ out there: just because someone sits in front of you with a dictaphone does not mean you are interesting. If that industry money ever starts pouring in (don’t hold your breath…), give your publicist a raise. And save the airs and graces for the Grammies, player. But hold up. Before you label me the journalist’s equivalent to the Mad Rapper, every now and again you also come across people whose passion speaks for itself; people whose interviews make all the deluded and/or self-important ‘artists’ you had to endure in-between seem worth it, and if Djinji Brown is not one of these real people, then he comes pretty damn close. Djinji who? Don’t worry – this is the last time you will ever ask that question. It is not every day that you hear about someone who was there; someone who was living in the Bronx the night Kool Herc looped that JB track and gave birth to hip-hop. Someone who, as a teenager, set up the mic for CL Smooth moments before he dropped verse over Pete Rock’s genius; four minutes and forty six seconds in time that were captured and are relived every time you hear “They Reminisce Over You” blaring at you through your favourite club’s speakers. Yeah, that’s right. Djinji Brown. Son of a jazz legend and an anthropologist; Brother to a jazz star/ethnomusicologist, (and father to a little girl who he is waiting to pick up from school). If you cannot already tell, Djinji’s musical roots run deep. He attributes his interest in music to his father: avant-garde saxophonist, Marion Brown. When your father plays jazz at the level that Marion did, taking his sons flying around the world with him, it is unsurprising that some of the talent would rub off. But where Djinji’s brother took jazz and ran with it, Djinji branched out, a fact he attributes to living with his mother. It was an interesting time to be in the Bronx. Not unlike Brixton, the Boogie-Down was a boiling pot of ethnicities living both together and apart, struggling to make ends meet. But adversity breeds creativity, and hip-hop was born right there in the streets of one of New York’s most deprived areas. Djinji remembers seeing posters everywhere advertising raves where fledgling B-boys and girls explored, created and pushed the art’s foundations – DJs, break-dancers, graffiti artists and, eventually, MCs. He wanted the chance to, but never got to go; after all he was still a kid and his mother “… was not about to send her little boy to no party.” He made do with her salsa music and absorbed enough of it to travel to Brazil as soon as he was old enough to explore all the influences he had absorbed through his mother’s stereo. It may have been the music or maybe it was her anthropology, but Djinji’s mother’s achievement is to have instilled in her son an open-mindedness and appreciation of culture and difference that would stay with him and colour every subsequent aspect of his life and work. Maybe it was inevitable that he would become the front man for Absolution, a hardcore rock band. But when the group eventually split, hip-hop was ready for Djinji and this time, he was ready too. He got his first break apprenticing to Eric Sadler, a producer whose work with Public Enemy led to studio time with hip-hop artists including Pete Rock and CL Smooth and A Tribe called Quest, as well as work in other genres, for artists like Barrington Levy and Cassandra Wilson. Djinji’s first major solo project involved exclusive production duties on the debut album from freestyle legend, Supernatural. Unfortunately, the record fell victim record label problems and never saw the light of day. Nevertheless, Djinji’s work did not dry up and he steadily built up a substantial body of production work with artists in hip-hop and poetry. But hip-hop is but a small part of Djinji’s story. Asked in a recent interview what music he listens to, Andre 3000 of Outkast responded with something like “… not a lot of hip hop at the moment”. Some of the most creative artists in the genre – including Outkast, The Roots, and Common (“… it’s kinda fresh that you listen to more than hip hop…”) - have expressed alarm at how unadventurous hip-hop is quickly becoming. Some have blamed this on a movement towards capitalism and have responded with an unrelenting barrage of verses demanding responsibility from their fellow artists. Other artists have absorbed influences from outside hip-hop and injected these influences into their music, effectively pushing the art in all kinds of innovative and new directions. Djinji subscribes more to the latter than the former, admitting that although he is signed to Seven Heads Entertainment– whose ‘No Heads Up in South Africa’ is an impressive slice of hip-hop activism – and he has views on the politics of Bush’s America, his own music is not overtly political. Instead, Brown takes an almost anthropological approach towards music – or as he puts it, an ethnomusicologist’s approach: studying different kinds of music and collating the apparent links and influences they share and draw from each other. This culminated in his first release for Seven Heads, 2002’s Sirround Sound, in many ways a tribute to the diverse kinds of music Djinji grew up listening to in the Bronx. Covering hip-hop, house, and drawing from African, Latin, and Caribbean music, the Sirround Sound was a diverse and interesting one. Djinji continues this exploratory journey on his latest release, Uncle Junior’s Friday Fish Fry. A mix of the many styles that he continues to absorb, Uncle Junior’s… is an expression of one of Djinji’s core musical beliefs – that a good DJ is one whose ears take in from more than one genre. The emphasis here is on the music and as such, Djinji – who is not primarily a DJ, but is appreciative of the chance to share his favourite songs with – has included almost full-length versions of an impressive array of songs. Starting with the theme from blaxploitation classic, Black Belt Jones, the Fish Fry hits on afrobeat (Makoomba by NuSpirit Helsinki and Africa Battle by Manu Dibango), house (Osunlade’s remix of DJ Jazzy Jeff’s Rock wit’ U), latin (Noche Cubana), hip hop (the ethereal Vinia Mojica/Geology collaboration, Sands of Time), and neo soul (Peven Everett’s Testin’ Me), besides touching on West London with Afronaught’s Transcend Me. This last song is Brown’s favourite and he admits that it does something to him every time he plays puts the record on as part of his set. He has also included a remix of his own song, Blue Hunny, and keeping it in the family, Marion Brown ends the record with Don't Take Your Love From Me.??Brown is apprehensive of the reception the record will receive from other DJs, who may complain that, as a mix, Uncle Junior’s Friday Fish Fry is not strong enough on technical skill and that if Djinji wanted to place emphasis on the songs he should have released acompilation instead. But in Amplified’s opinion, he need not be: this is not a showcase of technical skill but is rather a love letter to good music. By keeping the music flowing, Djinji is able to make his point of showing how different musics can draw from each other and mix well together – a lesson many DJs should take heed to.
Based in Philly, DJ JT is part of the Forbidden Art Movement (FAM), an eclectic, internationally renowned Audio and Visual Production Company specializing in everything from Hip Hop & R&B, Soul & Reggae.
From Forbidden Art Movement:
J.T. is a Philadelphia based DJ that has been spinning and collecting records since the age of nine. He has amassed over 50,000 songs covering a multitude of genres. He started spinning in the footsteps and shadows of legendary DJ’s Cash Money, Jazzy Jeff, and Big Rich Medina. J.T.’s versatility allowed him to help fabricate the emerging underground house scene in Philadelphia with DJ’s King Britt, Josh Wink, Tee Alford, Philip Dickerson, and Lance King setting the pace.
As an engineer or tech J.T. has worked with a horde of artist including; Beyonce’, Justin Timberlake, Prince, Billy Joel, Elton John, Musiq Soulchild, Jill Scott, Jay-z , Nas, The Roots, The Rolling Stones, Stomp the musical.
Based in Los Angeles, California, Marques Wyatt is an internationally known DJ and producer.
International DJ and producer Marques Wyatt is an influential messenger of the deepest, most soulful kind of house music. Beneath his relaxed, spiritual and unknowingly suave persona, therein lies a man partially responsible for giving birth to the West Coast house scene by bringing the fresh sounds of New York (a la Frankie Knuckles, Tony Humphries and Larry Levan) to Los Angeles beginning in the mid 80s. Carefully pointing out that he has "always had a deep passion for music," you know that his adoration of house has been a gateway into the lives of thousands and thousands of people. Over the years promoting and playing an enormous amount of parties including BBC, Brass, MAC's Garage, Does Your Mama Know? and currently LA's biggest house club DEEP, Marques has changed the face of Southern California nightclubbing and the presentation of its music, sound and scene.
Today, he spends much of his time taking the sounds that emanate from his soul around the world, or laying them down in the studio in remixes and original compositions. Yet, he always returns to the club scene in his hometown of Los Angeles. He grew up in a loving, musical family that exposed him to everything from unique Afro rhythm sounds, jazz and soul to psychedelic rock. As a DJ he draws on a little bit of all these influences in silky smooth sets that never fail to be a buoyant celebration of life.
"I look at my job as a modern day traveling minstrel, to bring new music to as many places as I can, and expose obscure records that, otherwise, might go hidden." While Mark Farina may be able to sum up his job description in a sentence, there is much more to be written.
Mark developed his musical tastes in Chicago - listening to house music on the radio, living in one of the country's most primordial breeding grounds for house. Around '88, while record shopping at Imports, Etc., he met Derrick Carter and a friendship began. Farina's "Mushroom Jazz" sound subsequently became popular through a long-running San Francisco club called Jazid Up, then through various Mushroom Jazz clubs thrown domestically and abroad.
"I started playing when I lived with my parents and didn't have any bills to pay so I could just buy records. My intentions were never to just make money, it's nice, but it's kind of turned into a job by accident - it was a hobby that turned into a job."
Living together and working on tracks together along with Chris Nazuka, they utilized the tight connections between the Detroit and Chicago scenes. Fondly, Mark remembers hanging out listening to Detroit Techno classics - Model 500, Derrick May - eating bologna sandwiches on white bread and drinking Kool-Aid out of a paper cup, prepared by none other than Chef Saunderson himself. In '89, they signed on Kevin Saunderson'sKMS Records under the Symbols in Instruments moniker and produced a landmark track called "Mood". "Mood" sold 35,000+ copies in the US and the UK. This record was the first ambient house track ever made and, accordingly, it has taken its position as a classic. The same year, The Face magazine published their year end Top 50 with "Mood" ranking above pop anthems by Dee-Lite and The Pet Shop Boys.
"I used to do mixes with Derrick on the radio at Northwestern, we'd make it at the house and listen to it on the lake where they filmed 'Risky Business'. We would drive around and listen 89.3 WNUR; they had a policy, guest DJs didn't have to be students." Eventually, the University changed their policy and only students were allowed to DJ.
Mark Farina's other DJ style is a downtempo sound he created, called "Mushroom Jazz." The Mushroom Jazz sound evolved when Mark found himself being assigned to the "B" room at a club in Chicago instead of the main room. "As opposed to competing with the house music being played in the other room I decided to play more mellow stuff that you couldn't really play in the house room." Around the same time, music like De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Soul2Soul, and labels like Acid Jazz and Talking Loud were just starting to release their music, and Mark found more and more inspiration for this new sound he was DJing. "After a while playing in this other room I began to make a tape series and I called it Mushroom Jazz. The Acid Jazz term seemed a little too abrasive and I wanted something a little more organic for the sound I was trying to develop." The tapes were an instant hit and became known as the official "after party" tape.
Eventually Mark moved from Chicago to San Francisco and along with then partner and manager, Patty Ryan-Smith, created a club devoted solely to the Mushroom Jazz sound, called Jazid Up. "There was a bigger Acid Jazz scene in San Francisco than in Chicago so the club was able to really take off, even though it was on a Monday night." Every Monday night the crowd slowly germinated - from 100 for the first few months to 600-700 two years later. Simultaneously, the Mushroom Jazz tape series evolved - from the first Chicago run of 50 copies each on to the next stage, where 500 copies of several volumes were easily distributed. As time passed, Farina and Patty put their energies into another project, the first Mushroom Jazz interactive CD-ROM. After a three year run, where the club had established a fanatical, cult-like following for Farina and the Mushroom Jazz sound, the club closed its doors and transformed into a CD series and accompanying tours.
Since 1989, Mark Farina has been traveling the globe performing at literally hundreds of shows a year, sometimes DJing both of his preferred styles in two different rooms at the same party. At other events, he's been known to play extended sets that lasted over eight hours. In his House sets, Mark is known for his uniquely effortless journeys on the jazzy side of Chicago House, mixed up San Fran style. And, flawless, as always.
This wandering record minstrel has played to incredible crowds all over the globe. Consistently drawing new fans to his style of chunky-funky rhythms and deep underground house, Mark plays upwards of 300 shows to over 300,000 club goers per year. Voted in the top 20 DJ's in the world by and BPM Magazine, his taste making skills continue to turn the heads of seasoned veterans as well as youngsters just getting into the music.
On CD, Mark has recorded both of his dominant musical personalities. His first mix, 'Mushroom Jazz' on Om Records, is defined by a hip-hop sub-groove with jazzy, dubby elements in the downtempo range. It was followed by 'Seasons', a critically acclaimed House mix. An Imperial Dub mixed CD, a guest slot in the pedigreed 'United DJs of America' series, 'Mushroom Jazz 2' (Om Records) and 'San Francisco Sessions, Vol. I' (Om Records) and Mushroom Jazz 3 (Om Records) to round out the Farina catalog. His past release "Connect" walks the line of San Francisco deeper house and the bumpin' funky house sound of Chicago. In November of 2002, Mark Farina released his much beloved fourth volume of Mushroom Jazz.
The past year Mark has been releasing his own productions again, doing remixes for such labels as Silver Network and Classic and releasing tracks on Om and Music For Freaks. He is currently working on his first full length album of original work, set to be released by Om in October of 2003.
Raised in Greenwich Village, NYC, Danny was born into a musical family, with jazz music the labour of love. Whilst working in his parents night-spot, 'The Ninth Circle', Danny was introduced to influential figures on the scene (Hendrix, Lennon & Ono, Janis Joplin). With such a wealth of talent surrounding him, it was no surprise that Danny spent most of the 1970's spinning the hot records of the time in the family owned club.
A network of DJs and producers grew as the underground culture embraced the musical scene. David Mancuso (The Loft), Nicky Siano (The Gallery), Walter Gibbons (Galaxy 21) joined ground breaking DJs Larry Levan and Francois K in the new revolution.
Danny Krivit would spend his time at the Paradise Garage, avidly roller-skating round the dancefloor as Levan span the latest platters. Krivit's DJ career meanwhile grew steadily to encompass influential clubs such as The Roxy, Danceateria, The Limelite, Save The Robots and many many more.
Naturally, the joy of spinning records in night-spots gave Danny a craving to enter the recording studio, spending the liberating 80's era working on tracks featuring James Brown, Gloria Gaynor and Visage and a whole host of others. Danny has since gone on to edit, produce and mix a plethora of material that puts his status as studio technician firmly at the top of the pile.
In 1996, Danny teamed up with long time associates and Body & Soul founders, Francois K and Joe Claussell. Danny has since spun every Sunday at this revered NYC party and has helped his reputation grow in overseas territories such as Japan and England, representing Body & Soul on 2 special occasions.
DJ, Producer, Parisian re-mixer, Resident DJ at the Queen club (Paris), FG Dj radio and ex-resident of LEnfer, he played his first turntables when he was 13, influenced by the great DJs of the world. With his 15 years of experience mixing, he found his technique and style to reach top international DJ-level.
15 years of experience mixing, beginning with 7 years of Hip-Hop. With the influence of the House music & Rave party phenomenon and the new talent revealed by the electronic wave which swept through Paris, he gradually developed a club House & techno sound. This opened up a new horizon and he was soon in his element. He played in a number of raves parties, making a name for himself and gaining public recognition. From 1997, at the end of his sound ingeneer studies, onwards he worked in clubs, developing his style more progressively, House music being his choice of records and life. This was a revelation to him. This movement coming onto the scene as a melting pot of all cultures and musics. He handles this style magnificently, combining his teenage groove with funk, disco, jazz and even techno sound. At the time he mixed five days a week, on the turntables of the capitals biggest clubs. Thanks to the numerous club residences he can carry out his long eclectic sets.
In 1999, he began to travel abroad as a guest in foreign clubs. His present, very club-style Pumping Soulful House, influenced by the French and New-york scene, can be qualified as unique. In his element from Deep House to Techno, he handles his records like a raw product. His aim, whilst concentrating on the frequencies and the organic side of his mix, is above all to be at one with his public and to give them a Show.
Growing up in southwest Philadelphia, house DJ/producer King Britt was raised in a household filled with music, from James Brown to Duke Ellington. He began buying records at the age of seven, and gradually amassed a collection of over 10,000 singles. Britt saw the beginnings of the local rap scene evolve with Schooly D., Three Times Dope, Steady B., DJ Cash Money, and DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. His tastes also expanded to include Depeche Mode, Roxy Music, Kraftwerk, Front 242, and the Smiths. While attending Temple University, he began producing his own tracks and also met Ishmael Butler (aka Butterfly), who introduced Britt to his jazz-rap group Digable Planets. Acquiring the nickname Silkworm, he toured with the group for more than two years. Through a mutual friend, he also met Josh Wink, and the duo soon began tooling around in their respective bedroom/MIDI recording studios. The result was a worldwide dance hit, 1993's "Tribal Confusion" by E-Culture. Britt and Wink formed their own label, Ovum Recordings, and worked on production as well as remixing, for artists including Tori Amos, Donna Lewis, Solsonics, and Mary Wilson.
King Britt first hatched the idea for a solo album while touring with Digable Planets. A soundtrack fan without the money to make a feature film, he decided to record the music for a fake movie, enlisting hometown talent -- dubbed the Sylk 130 collective -- including legendary bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma, drummer Darryl Burgee, keyboardist James Poyser, vocalist Alison Crockette, poet Ursula Rucker, rapper Tony "Capital A" Green, and guitarist Monnette Sudler. When the Funk Hits the Fan was released on Ovum/Sony in 1998 and was followed by The Remixes one year later. The new millennium, however, featured another musical jaunt for King Britt's Sylk 130. Re-Members Only, issued in March 2001, showcased classic funk/soul grooves as well as collaborations with ABC's Martin Frye, De La Soul, and Alison Moyet of Yaz. Britt's first solo production album, Adventures in Lo-fi, followed in 2003 on BBE, and he put together a mix album for Chicago's Park Hyatt hotel in 2004. He remained busy as ever beyond these releases, developing artists on his label and handling dozens of remix jobs.
In 1990, my brother gave me my first Turntables :) With lots of practice & tolerance from my parents, came my first DJ gigs. Me & a crew of friends made lots of noise. We organized warehouse/ garage parties every month. I played Hip Hop with a mix of my Dad's old Soul, Funk records plus the House Music my sister picked up from Downtown Records in the city. Tito Roc came out from Uptown every month & rocked new & old House music and Hip Hop. Bucky & Jeff spun the best Dancehall and Reggae at the time. Russ Starke would occasionally jam along on guitar or with his band called Silas Lang. This was the crew- It all started very locally.
Soon to follow, a club called Caffeine opened up which brought together 1,000's of kids from all over the Island. DJ's Tom La Roc, Nick Pepe, DNA, Jim Felli, Micro, Onionz, Derek Sessions, Omar, Samir and many more were representing to the fullest out there! I'm proud to say that I came out of that same movement of music lovers who were always trying to make something happen in the burbs.
In '93 I moved to the Lower East Side. I heard about this party called Giant Step that incorporated DJ's spinning Hip Hop, Funk & Jazz with live Musicians. Since I was too young to get in, I went to one of the daytime outdoor festivals & handed my mix tape to this a guy named Marc Labelle. Thanks to him, Jonathan Rudnick & Maurice Bernstein, Giant Step turned into a regular gig that gave me a real chance to test and explore new & old music to an amazing group of party people. Respect to DJ's Smash, Jazzy Nice, Swingsett, Chillfreeze, Urban Tap, Nappy G & all the Groove Collective musicians for making it all happen.
In the Fall of 1998, Mariano found a very unique space, separate from all NYC inhabitants. The space was simply a concrete deck on the edge of a Pier, behind an indoor Ice Skating rink. We convinced the Chelsae Piers to let us throw parties on the Deck. We decided to finally have a space & a party that we called our own. We asked old school Giant Step alumni, Nappy G to join us on percussion & we started NYC's first outdoor party on the Hudson! The sound was everything we loved from Hip Hop to Funk, House to Latin, Big Beat to Reggae. Basically, we wanted to be free of the boundaries that confined most dj events to one style of music. From the party came our first compilation in 1999 on our newly created record label called Rhythm Love Records.
Other music collaborations with Carol C, Zeb, Andrea Montiero, Jay Rodriguez & Ticklah can be heard through the Discography page & the soon to come, 1st solo album, "Endangered Species" September 13th, 2005!
Chris "Big Cee" Legaspi has been a staple in the Los Angeles house music community for the last 10 years. He was mostly remembered for being "the guy in the robe", but for the last 7 years most know "Cee" for his amazing sets at clubs such as "Does your mama know?", "Gravy", countless after-hour parties and the the one he holds closest to his heart, "DEEP-L.A. where house lives...". "Man, working with Marques for all these years has been a great learning process for me." Cee explains, "Old dirty (Wyatt) has taught me that this is more than a party, also that when your involved with something like "Deep", the microscope is always gonna be on you." Marques told "Cee" when he's out on the town he is not only representing him- self, he is representing his family and he caries the "Deep" flag where ever he goes. "Yeah, really." says Cee while he tweaks the levels on the mixer,"That talk with Marques changed my life. If you knew me in the "Robe days", you'll know what I'm talkng about." Working at "Deep" Cee has had opprotunities to open for some of house musics biggest dj's in the game, dj's like Timmy Regisford, Louie Vega, Dj Yellow, Ben Watt, the legendary Lil Louis, Mark Farina and an endless list of whos who in house music. "Those guys are all great dj's, but the best thing about all those guys is that I had an opprotunity to become close friends with all of them." says Cee. Cee has had the pleasure of spreading his musical message across the Atlantic Ocean, spinning in Rome. "That was a geat trip, great food, nicest people you will ever meet(except the cab driver who tried to charge us 400 euro for a cab ride"). "Cee" is no stranger to hosting his own events, besides "DEEP" Cee has brought such djs as Roy Davis jr, Terrance Wagner, Eddie Amadore and countless others to his events "Put cho' hands up", "the bbq's" and his sunday afterhours. Cee speaks of moving forward and trying not to hang on to the "old days", " I believe we have to move forward and start building off of the foundation that guys like Marques, Louie and Doc Martin have layed for us." Cee explains "don't get me wrong, those days were great, the music was great and there will never be days like that again, but we got to create our own memories, so the new family members can look back 10 years from now and say remember this and that". On March 24, 2005 Cee became a father to Cayla Rayanne Legaspi, which he calls "His greatest accomplishment yet." Cee says, " Man, Im someones dad, thats wild." She helps Cee realize that in a second your life can change and its up to you to Step upto the plate and Do what you have to do. "I love being a father!" Cee says, "Cayla is my everything, i breathe because of her, I wake up every morning because of her. She's my will to WIN!" Cee continues to play and has been spending more time in the studio working on remixxes for Whoop-t-Whoop recordings . Also, his new residency at "Gravy-L.A." is really coming together, he explains, "Joe and Joey are great guys, the peeps that come to Gravy are pretty much there for Gravy." he says "they are sold on the idea and the vibe. what a great party." Cee is avalible for world wide bookings @ c81991@yahoo.com whoop-t-whoop Recordings press release dept.
Wheeler's Frozen Desserts 334B Massachusetts Avenue Boston Massachusetts 02115 P 617-247-0047 / theveganscoop.com
SHOP HOURS
Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri., Sat. 1PM-9PM
Thursday & Sunday APPOINTMENT ONLY
THE VEGAN SCOOP IS HERE ...
CHECK OUT OUR BRAND NEW BOOK, THE VEGAN SCOOP TO BE RELEASED JUNE 2009!
"The Vegan Scoop brings the pleasures of the ice cream parlor into the home with 150 recipes for delicious frozen treats that are so rich and creamy, they’re better than the “real” thing. Developed by vegan hipster Wheeler del Toro of Wheeler’s Frozen Desserts, these “faux” creams feature soy and nut milk blends and 100 percent vegan-certified ingredients, making them suitable for both vegans and those with lactose intolerance and other dairy aversions.
With a few simple churns of the ice cream maker, you can bring Wheeler’s delicious and innovative desserts into your own home. Chapters are devoted to innovative flavor “inspirations,” and cover everything from Caribbean & Island Flavors to Healthy Flavors to Aphrodisiac Flavors. Two final chapters will cover toppings, mix-ins, and ice cream vessels and desserts.
Wheeler del Torro, (Boston) is the founder and owner of Wheeler’s Frozen Desserts www.icecreamproject.com, a microcreamery based in Boston that produces vegan ice cream using soy, coconut, rice, and almond milks. His ice cream has been featured in Boston Magazine and on the popular website Daily Candy. He opened his first store this year in Boston, and plans on opening a sister shop to the Boston location in L.A. soon."
Support the Blind Judo Foundation!
The Ice Cream Project has been steadily working on a documentary about the Blind Judo Foundation and their Olympic accomplishments. The fascinating documentary will be released in the near future! For now, here is some further information about the Blind Judo Foundation and their mission.
The Blind Judo Foundation continues to introduce and create champions of blind and visually impaired individuals through the sport of Judo. As a nonprofit organization we constantly seek funding and sponsors to support those brave individuals willing to step on the Judo mat. Unfortunately Paralympians do not get the same financial support or media coverage as Olympians yet they meet the same requirements, standards and compete at the same venues.
