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The Rapture is currently comprised of: Gabriel Andruzzi, Luke Jenner, Vito Roccoforte.

The Rapture was formed in early 1998 by drummer Vito Roccoforte and guitarist/vocalist Luke Jenner. The whimsical indie group had extensive touring behind them by the time they recorded 1999's Mirror for Gravity. More touring ensued -- with the likes of Sunny Day Real Estate and Nuzzle -- and the band eventually relocated to New York City. They lost their original bassist and found a new one in Matt Safer, who had recently moved from Washington, D.C. After some more touring, the band recorded the six-song Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks EP and had it released by Sub Pop in 2001. Thanks to their sloppy brand of scratchy post-post-punk, the Rapture was hailed as a forerunner of the post-punk revival that was taking place in the early 2000s. Their profile increased significantly with 2002's "House of Jealous Lovers" 12"; that same year, they added multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Andruzzi to the fold. The full-length Echoes followed for Gary Gersh's Strummer label in late 2003. The follow-up, Pieces of the People We Love, was released three years later by Mercury. Tapes, a wide-ranging mix album, came out through !K7 in 2008. -by by Andy Kellman, All music Guide

Justin Van Der Volgen has a history spanning the last 13 years in the dance/disco community. Being one of the founding members and the producer of the bands !!! and Outhud as well as remixing for labels such as Warp, EMI and Output. In 2003 Justin produced the !!! record "Me and Guiliani down by the schoolyard" which brought the emerging early 2000's sound of NY dance music to the rest of the world. In 2005 Justin remixed a track from his band Outhud called "Put it away, Put it away, Put it away Dad" which became a huge record in the club circuit. It was in 2001 when Justin moved to NY that he started dj'ing more and playing some of the best parties and after hours spots in the city. Early 2008 saw Justin leaving !!!, (Outhud disbanded in 2005) to focus on producing, remixing and dj'ing. Some of his most recent remixes for Maserati and !!! has garnered much support from the classiest of current disco dj's. In 2008 Justin released an edit record on the label Golf Channel under the "Try to find me" moniker. Currently at work with Lee Douglas on a project called TBD, they've just release their first 12" What is This?. The remainder of 2009 will see the release of the next TBD 12", various TBD remixes and the Try to find me Vol 2. mix cd. Solo material for Golf Channel is to follow shortly.

Throne of Blood's latest signings are veterans of New York's dance music scene. Max Pask and Andrew "the Wiz" Potter have been behind the decks for some of New York's most epic nights, from Illegal Volume at the long-defunct Volume warehouse in Williamsburg to Manhattan's 205 Club, APT, and dates across the US and Europe, these two can rock a party. Building off of a long-time friendship and dj partnership, Populette marks a new direction for Pask and Potter, fusing their individual sensibilities into something at once deep and banging. Having remixed the likes of Soulwax, TIefschwarz, The Rapture, Cut Copy, Who Made Who, 33Hz, and Findlay Brown, Pask is the seasoned studio pro with a penchant for storming percussion and analog freakouts. A veteran house DJ, Potter brings his own flavor into the mix, rooting Populette in the old school without ever forgetting what's next. Look for their debut single "Mommy"/"Daddy" with remixes by TBD (Lee Douglas from Rong Music and Justin V formerly of !!!/OutHud) and Eamon Harkin & Steve Raney (Mister Saturday Night/Sunday Best/Wurst Edits) dropping in January 2010 on Throne of Blood.

While you can pick up a minimal techno 12' inch with your coffee to go in Berlin, and dine to a soundtrack of click house in Montreal, the US electronic music scene is far less overt. There may be a demand for the more mainstream, big-room jocks and bad Ibiza comps, but the strength of the remaining scenes are reliant on a series of dedicated individuals. They are the ones booking the acts, breaking the new records and keeping the enthusiasm up. It can be a thankless task, but one that can also reap the dividends of memorable performances and the satisfaction of discovering and debuting new talent.

James F!@$%^ Friedman is undoubtedly one of these individuals. He's been a tireless supporter for all that is fresh, forward thinking, and inspired in electronic music — a fact that's not exactly surprising, given his history and wide-ranging enthusiasm for all types of sounds. After playing in a few bands and getting interested in the mid-nineties Mo' Wax sound, his proper introduction to dance music came through the DC rave circuit with then-legendary parties — Buzz, Fever, and Bassrush, among others. His first experiences Djing found him mixing breakbeats and jungle, but his palate then expanded as he sought to educate himself further, buying records ranging from raw Detroit techno, various permutations of house, and all sorts of hip hop, funk, soul and reggae.

In New York, James has hosted a series of influential parties that have increasingly grown to be known as stateside domiciles for the world's left-of-center DJ talent. His long-running Refuse! Party at APT (with partner Ben "Dirty Dirty" Dietz) has brought over the likes of DJ Kaos, Juan Maclean, Dexter from The Avalanches, Matt Safer of The Rapture, Jackson, and Ewan Pearson, as well as Tiefschwarz, ATOC, Joakim from Tigersushi, Manchester legend Greg Wilson, Luke Vibert and Kompakt label boss Michael Mayer.