History of Renaissance

This article is from Renaissance home webpage and i found it interesting. I felt that sharing it with you, might be a good idea. Enjoy it

WEB: Renaissance



RENAISSANCE: BRAND AND BEGINNINGS

OVER the last 12 years, Renaissance has established an enviable international reputation for great club nights, star DJs and fantastic music. This is a British club brand that has successfully expanded into international tours, one-off spectaculars, live events, and a series of high-quality mix CDs that have sold millions. For hundreds of thousands of clubbers all over the world, Renaissance nights are synonymous with glamour and excitement - for transforming ordinary clubs into palaces of pleasure. A Renaissance night is not just about dancing, but about an all-encompassing nightclub experience. And it's been that way since the very beginning.

When the club first opened with a sold-out night in 1992 in the small Northern town of Mansfield, 3,000 eager clubbers who'd traveled from all over the country were locked outside, clamouring to get in. Inside the venue was decked out like a 16th Century Italian palace, with vast, distressed Renaissance paintings projected onto the walls - and the world's hottest DJ, Sasha, on the decks.

At the time, this was revolutionary. The British club scene was still reeling from the sci-fi imagery and dressed down fashions of the 'rave' scene when Renaissance exploded onto the scene. Its luxurious décor, glamorous crowd and high-quality music transformed the British club scene; its ambitious marketing campaigns were quickly aped - and the so-called 'superclub' was born. The club even launched the career of Sasha's DJ partner John Digweed - now one of the biggest names in dance music.

Renaissance was the first British club to really utilise the power of design and marketing. That dynamic and stylish use of design continues to define the brand today. This is a club that thought big from the beginning. For the 1992 launch, the club's grand Renaissance imagery and distinctive logo was spread across glossy full-page ads in all the leading youth/style magazines. This established a template for publicising and defining a club night that hundreds of British clubs soon began to copy.

In 1994, Renaissance was behind another first: the world's first DJ mix CD. Helmed by Sasha and John Digweed, the 'Mix Collection' took the brand around the world and catapulted both DJs into international touring careers they continue to enjoy today. Renaissance enjoys a unique connection with the more discerning clubber. Its hedonistic, high-spending audience love designer fashions and thrive on the luxury of the décor, the euphoric atmospheres, and the exclusive feel of the club. Renaissance has exported these unique brand values all over the world and successfully met the expectations of a generation of demanding clubbers who expect that extra magic touch. It proudly remains one of the most potent and recognisable names in world clubbing.

RENAISSANCE SPECTACULARS

SINCE those ambitious beginnings in Mansfield, Renaissance has consistently elevated its standards for event management and production. In 1994, the club began an impressive series of large-scale one-off events. The concept was to select locations as grand and ornate as the club itself and some of the UK's most beautiful castles and stately homes hosted club extravaganzas for one unforgettable night. Nottingham's magnificent Colwick Hall, a Grade 2 listed building, was home for the first event - a famous New Year's Eve party in 1993/4. The cathedral interior of Birmingham's historic Que Club was transformed into a heavenly disco boudoir for the second birthday, with clouds hanging above the dance-floor. Other venues have included Yorkshire's palatial Allerton Castle.

On May 1st 2004, Renaissance staged its biggest, most ambitious show to date: an 8,000-capacity spectacular at 17th Century Staffordshire manor house Shugborough Hall, called Wild In The Country. The Scissor Sisters made their UK festival debut, Infusion, Neneh Cherry, Dave Seaman, Infusion and Derrick Carter all appeared. And the two DJs historically associated with the club, John Digweed and Sasha, made their first joint Renaissance appearance for a decade. Wild In The Country was rewarded with acres of glowing press coverage and a live broadcast on the BBC, on Radio 1's world-famous Essential Mix

RENAISSANCE IBIZA

AS the jetsetters and celebrities - from Jade Jagger to P Diddy - all know, Ibiza is the world centre for dance music and youth culture, attracting international tribes of revelers and holidaymakers year after year. The White Island is the real test for any club brand's relevance - and Renaissance has conquered some of its finest clubs and largest crowds in a nine year history of glorious Balearic parties.

The club landed in Ibiza in 1995 with a splash. The first night was a collaboration with the world-famous Manumission at the world's biggest club, the 8,000 capacity Ku (now Privilege). For four years Renaissance then hosted a residency at Pacha, the island's most exclusive, stylish club. Then, just as Ibiza was becoming stale, Renaissance raised the stakes again with a series of daring live events.

Renaissance Live launched in Summer 2000 at Privilege with major live acts performing every single week. This had never been done before in Ibiza. Each week, Privilege was transformed into part club/part live concert, and live acts performing included Leftfield, Kylie Minogue, Moloko, Moby and All Saints. Renaissance Live was covered on Radio 1, BBC television, Channel 4, Sky and MTV.

For the 2002 Ibiza season Renaissance moved to Amnesia and staged eleven stunning parties with some of the world's most celebrated DJs. John Digweed, Deep Dish and Danny Tenaglia were just some of the names involved. In 2003 Renaissance returned to the chic setting of Pacha - its spiritual home on the White Island. There were two one-off parties that year. The Pacha residency continued throughout Summer 2004, with four special parties starring Sasha.

RENAISSANCE INTERNATIONAL

BY early 1995, the brand's fame, fuelled by the success of Sasha and John Digweed's 'Mix Collection', reached all over the globe. With demand growing internationally, the club embarked on an extensive worldwide tour that continues today. All the key elements of the brand - the luxurious décor, state of the art production and unique musical style - are exported and foreign clubs transformed into Renaissance for one night. And over two million clubbers worldwide have now enjoyed Renaissance nights. Clubs in Buenos Aires, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Moscow, Budapest, Cairo, Dubai, Athens, Berlin, Lisbon, Rome, Helsinki, Zurich and Madrid have all hosted Renaissance nights. Demand is such that Renaissance still holds residencies worldwide - and each year participates in landmark ceremonies as diverse as Sydney's Mardi Gras and Hong Kong's Chinese New Year. Just two examples of how flexible an export the Renaissance club concept is today. In addition to this impressive global itinerary, for the last ten years Renaissance have enjoyed a monthly residency at one of London's best loved clubs - The Cross. As London's notoriously fickle club-land shudders through one fashion after another, Renaissance continues to renew its audience, bringing cutting edge DJs, stylish designs and delirious crowds to this intensely atmospheric club in three arches.

THE RENAISSANCE SOUND

NOT only was Renaissance the first superclub, it was the first to develop its own delineated sound. Sasha and John Digweed developed a seamless mixing style at the club's first Mansfield home - and that 'progressive house' style, beloved by cooler clubbers all over the world, is intimately associated with the brand. The Renaissance sound was first captured on Sasha and John Digweed's 1994 mix album, 'The Mix Collection'. In 1999, Mixmag voted it the Number One Mix CD of all time: "For many it was the first mix collection they bought and for us it remains the best," they declared. This lavishly packaged triple-pack CD was the first club compilation to reach Gold sales and created the entire dance compilation market. This year, to mark the tenth anniversary of this seminal album, a re-mastered, re-packaged 'Mix Collection' is being released. Since 1994, Renaissance has sold over one million albums in the UK, USA, Japan, Australia, and numerous other territories. In 2004 the club plans six compilations starring leading DJs from the UK, Argentina, Holland, Australia and Spain. The brand is renowned for its uncompromising musical standards - which is why both established global superstars and emerging international talent clamour to appear on the label. All over the world, a loyal, yet discerning fan-base trust Renaissance to deliver beautifully presented, high quality mix CDs.