As you May know, this legendary DJ, whose hustle never ends, is an URB OG, having served crucially as this mag's first managing editor.
His then-nascent radio show on KCRW in the early 90's gave DJs like Paul Van Dyke and Giles Peterson their first US airtime, years before they became global superstars. I've seen him hustle equally hard playing to near-empty rooms as well as full-on massives ('always remember his set at Organic '96) and he's the kinda cat that can do underwater drum and bass as easily as heart-tugging house, with a good dose of rave history and whatever else in between.
I remember hearing him play Donovan alongside The Orb while also my handling request for “Cosmic Slop” during his earliest days on KCRW. His sets back then turned me on to so much music I wouldna heard otherwise, and I can remember exactly where I was the first time I heard songs like “Bad Head Park” by Fortran 5 or “Canta Mia” by Tranquility Bass, long before I'd heard them elsewhere.
From our inbox to yours, here's the press release.
Aug 27, 2007
ULTRA RECORDS TAPS JASON BENTLEY FOR ‘ULTRA.BENTLEY,’
THE FIRST IN THE NEW ‘ULTRA.DJ’ SERIES
SET FOR DIGITAL RELEASE Aug 28
ULTRA RECORDS has announced the launch of their new ‘Ultra.DJ’ digital album series with the Aug 28 release of ULTRA.BENTLEY by heralded tastemaker DJ Jason Bentley. This marks the beginning of a series where the label invites groundbreaking DJs to compile their favorite songs from Ultra’s massive catalog, which encompasses over 2500 tracks.
For the inaugural offering, Bentley has chosen a fine selection of works by some of Ultra’s best artists: David Guetta, Armand Van Helden, Timo Maas, Junkie XL and many more. “It was a blast having a go at the Ultra catalog, picking some of my favorites for this special digital mix,” says Bentley. “Whether you’re out on the town, sipping cocktails poolside or hitting the gym, this mix showcases the energy and range of Ultra’s exceptional catalog.”
Jason Bentley was hand picked for the first edition by Ultra Records President Patrick Moxey. “For the 15 years that I’ve known Jason, he's the arbiter of cool on the west coast, consistently breaking new music and educating a generation of dance fans,” states Moxey. “In his Ultra.Bentley mix, Jason's put the perfect spin on Ultra's artists.”
The track listing for Ultra.Bentley is as follows:
01 Junkie XL – I've Got A Xerox to Copy
02 Timo Maas – Shifter
03 Armand Van Helden – I Want Your Soul (TV Rock Mix)
04 Axwell – I Found You (Remode)
05 David Guetta feat. JD Davis – The World Is Mine (Kenneth Thomas Mix)
06 Mason vs. Princess Superstar – Perfect (Exceeder) (MTV Vocal Remix)
07 M.A.N.D.Y. vs. Booka Shade – Body Language
08 Kaskade – Sometimes (Extended Mix)
09 Erick E – The Beat Is Rockin' (Sneakerz Mix)
10 Tim Deluxe feat. Simon Franks – Let The Beats Roll (Club Mix)
11 Eric Prydz vs. Floyd- Proper Education
About JASON BENTLEY:
With a passion for music and culture, Jason Bentley has served the greater Los Angeles community as a tastemaker radio and club DJ and established an influence worldwide through music supervision for film, advertising and video games. His programming on National Public Radio flagship KCRW (Metropolis, Weeknights) and commercial alternative giant KROQ (Afterhours, Saturday nights) has been a bellwether for an evolving club culture for nearly fifteen years. Breaking artists such as Portishead, Massive Attack, Jamiroquai, The Chemical Brothers, Underworld, Basement Jaxx and many others, Jason has been recognized by the LA Weekly and The New Times as the “Best DJ in Los Angeles.” As a music supervisor, Jason has worked on a variety of projects including all three Matrix films, as well as the Animatrix companion and Matrix video game titles. He was nominated for a Grammy for his work on the platinum-selling soundtrack to the first Matrix film. Other films to his credit include City of Industry (1995). The Chronicles of Riddick; Dark Fury (2004). Green Street Hooligans (2004). The Shooting Gallery (2005) and DOA (2007). In the advertising sector, Jason has consulted for the global ad campaigns of Motorola, Jaguar, Reuters, Mitsubishi, and Ford Motor Company, among many others. In the video game field, he has worked on Full Spectrum Warrior (2004), Destroy All Humans (2005) and The Matrix: Path of Neo (2005). Jason's background in the record business includes founding Quango Music Group for Chris Blackwell's Island Records and working as an A&R Executive at Madonna's Maverick imprint for four years. Jason currently sits on the Board of Governors of National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and was instrumental in the creation the “Best Dance/Electronic Album” Grammy category. He is based at Machinehead Studios in Venice, California.
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