Tall Paul & Benny Benassi's Gallery Birthday Bash (March 18)

Tall Paul

international news _ Jonty Skrufff _ 20th March 2005

Tall Paul & Benny Benassi's Gallery Birthday Bash (March 18)

London's long running weekly house club the Gallery kick off celebrations to mark their 10 year anniversary this weekend, when Tall Paul and new resident Benny Benassi go head to head on the decks.

The duo have also mixed an accompanying double compilation CD (The Gallery Live Sessions) designed to highlight the club's commitment to pushing 'new musical boundaries' (as the press release puts it), though unsurprisingly doesn't include any breaks.

"I'm not a massive fan of breaks, I have to say," Tall Paul told Skrufff last October, "I do like electro though, both the old style and electroclash, it's got that funky element that I like."

While Paul's gone for tracks by the likes of Steve Lawler (Illectronic Music), Max Graham and Eric Prydz, Benny Benassi's selected cuts from producers including Swayzak, Etienne de Crecy and hotly tipped German producer DJ Koze as well as fellow Italian Alex Neri's piano anthem Aurora. Before Satisfaction became a worldwide hit, Benny spent almost 15 years spinning in clubs around his home town of Reggio Emilia, though told Skrufff that following his hit, his nationality has become a source of some confusion.

"London is full of Italians, but often Italian people don't associate my name as Italian," Benny told Skrufff last year, "They think I'm Italo-American."

The Gallery Live Sessions comes out on Duty Free Recordings on April 2. (Jonty Skrufff/Skrufff.com)