Prolific remix outfit touching the work of everyone from Latour, Ja Rule and George Michael to Mary J. Blige and Robbie Williams.
Bobby Blanco and Miki Moto are the best known pseudonyms of Danny Harrison and Arthur Smith, two of the most exciting DJ/producers on the house music scene. The South London-based pair have enjoyed worldwide success on the back of several original productions and remixes showcased on labels including Cassagrande, Defected and Hed Kandi. Whether producing as Bobby Blanco and Miki Moto or under various other guises including M-Factor, Menta, EMO, DND, 187 Lockdown, Nush, Congress, DYNK, Bass City Rollaz or Discotex, they are firmly established as one of the world’s most consistent and innovative DJ/production units.
Danny, born in Lambeth in 1968, and Arthur, born in Croydon in 1974, met when Danny was working delivering imported 12” records to shops. Arthur had a studio above the now defunct Big Apple Records in Croydon, and the two hit it off immediately. A shared interest in music led to them resolving to work together and, in 1989, Danny started DJ-ing and then soon found work at Bluebird Records in Streatham.
Their big break came in 1990 when 40 Miles was released and since then the pair have completed 100 of studio remixes for artists as diverse as Missy Elliot, Ashanti, Charlotte Church and Kylie Minogue. Demonstrating their diversity in production and extensive understanding of different musical genres, no artist is off limits for the pair as working for Latour, Ja Rule, George Michael, Bananarama, Mary J. Blige, Jr Vasquez, Robbie Williams, Chanel, Diana Ross, Fatboy Slim, Rihanna, Nikita Warren, X-Press 2, Pet Shop Boys, Lionel Ritchie, Sneaker Pimps, Full Intention, Delacey, Yves La Rock and Byron Stingely has proved.
Their success in the studio is all too apparent. Daniel Beddingfield’s Gotta Get Through This – which Danny and Arthur produced – went all the way to #1 in the UK and received a Grammy nomination. Kung Fu was a Top 10 smash in the UK while Gunman went one step further still and was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award. In 2004 the pair received worldwide acclaim for the Defected-released 3AM which found itself in the record boxes of the biggest DJs in the world. It was remixed by Fuzzy Hair, Ian Carey and Eddie Amador and was recently re-released on Defected with another original production – Black Sugar – which again blew up worldwide.
Most recently, the pair remixed Bob Sinclar’s Rock This Party and Kathy Brown’s Get Another Love, both of which were released on Defected. Additionally, their magic touch was put to Danni Minogue and the Soul Seekers’ new single Perfection (Turn Me Upside Down) – released on Italy’s No Colours – and the massive new single I Can Feel The Love by Mister O featuring Scott Wozniak, Paul Desmond and DJ Meme, released on Fluential.
2011 saw the duo release further remixes among them Adele’s Set Fire To The Rain, Cee Lo Green’s Cry Baby, Jennifer Hudson’s Everybody Needs Love and Joe Jonas’ Just In Love. DJ wise the pair have taken their banging sets worldwide including stops in Russia, France, Germany, Greece, Canada and the US.
Stay tuned.
