Soul City Industries/Groove Kitchen

With just about any four-to-the-floor dance music now being labeled "house," an upcoming visit to Yellow by Chicago DJ Roy Davis Jr - presented by promoters Soul City Industries and Groove Kitchen - will provide a reminder of what authentic house music is all about.

Growing up on Chicago' South Side, Davis was turned on at an early age to the sounds of house pioneers like Lil' Louis. Launching his own DJ/production career as part of the Chicago production unit Phuture, Davis began to make a name for himself with singles such as "20 Below."

In 1996, Davis scored his biggest coup with the track "Gabriel," which became a dance floor anthem and top ten hit on many European charts. The track also took the producer back to his roots, emphasizing his unique blend of soul music and electronica, a style he terms "soul electrica."

Tom Paris: UK tech-house Courtesy of ING

More recently, Davis' full-length album, Traxx from the Nile (Bombay Records), stood out for its integrity and earthiness at a time when the North American dance scene was in the grips of the waning ecstasy-fueled British trance movement. The album reflected Davis' spirituality and devotion to both God and music and includes not only his production but vocal work as well.

In testament to Davis' current popularity, the producer has recently worked with top contemporary R&B talents Mary J. Blige, Eric Benet & Faith Evans, and D'Angelo...

Tokyo clubbers with their long-term memory intact will remember Key Energy, one of the leading techno events of the early-mid '90s at the now-defunct Gold. Key Energy never actually died, but instead went underground. It has recently emerged again as the force behind a new event and associated record label, ING, which will be hosting UK tech-house DJ Tom Parris in its latest installment at Ism.

With a 12-year career, Parris is one of Europe's most respected DJs, noted for his seamless mixing technique and record releases for labels in England, Germany and France. Currently a resident DJ in Paris for the Magic Garden organization, Parris has played some of Europe's leading clubs, including Tresor in Berlin and The End in London.

At Ism, Parris will be joined by Tokyo DJs Jaybee (one of the busiest tech-house/breaks DJs on the expat scene) and Rev.

Roy Davis Jr: Yellow, 7/7, 9pm, JY3500 w/1d. Tel: 3479-0690.

ING: Ism, 7/6, 11pm, JY2500 w/1d. Tel: 3780-6320.