Mekka -- a Toronto based company specializing in electronic music -- has announced the dates and lineup information for its North American Electronic Music Tour. Among those on the techno caravan are Paul Oakenfold, the Crystal Method, BT and Roni Size.

"This is the year that electronic music breaks into the mainstream," boldly predicts Mekka co-founder Nicholas Reichenbach on the first electronic-music festival to pulsate its way across North America. "You started to see it with Moby selling more than 2 million records. We've been working for seven years for this moment."

The ten-date tour will be staged in open-air environments (everything from arena parking lots to parks) with capacities of 12,000 to 30,000. Each stop will contain four separate areas -- a main stage and three tents housing house/techno, hip-hop/drum-and-bass and trance/progressive -- along with a varying all-star lineup and local talent from each tour city.

Mekka tour dates and lineups:

8/4: Detroit -- Danny Tenaglia, Armand Van Helden, Roni Size, Andy C, Josh Wink, DJ Dan, DJ Craze, H-Foundation, Carl Craig, Jimmy Van M, Stacey Pullen, Doc Martin, Derrick Carter, Misstress Barbara, The New Deal, Junior Sanchez, Dynamite MC, MC GQ

8/5: Toronto -- Danny Tenaglia, Armand Van Helden, Roni Size, Andy C, Josh Wink, DJ Dan, DJ Craze, H-Foundation, Carl Craig, Jimmy Van M, Stacey Pullen, Misstress Barbara, The New Deal, Donald Glaude, Junior Sanchez, Dynamite MC, MC GQ

8/10: Tampa -- Paul Oakenfold, BT, Jimmy Van M, Junior Sanchez, Misstress Barbara, The New Deal, Bad Boy Bill, Christopher Lawrence, Dave Ralph, DJ Hype, Mr. C, H-Foundation, Roni Size, Dynamite MC, MC GQ, DJ Craze

8/11: Miami -- Paul Oakenfold, BT, Jimmy Van M, Junior Sanchez, Misstress Barbara, The New Deal, Bad Boy Bill, Christopher Lawrence, Dave Ralph, DJ Hype, Mr. C, H-Foundation, ...3, Roni Size, Dynamite MC, MC GQ, DJ Craze

8/15: Dallas -- Paul Oakenfold, BT, Jimmy Van M, Junior Sanchez, Misstress Barbara, The New Deal, Bad Boy Bill, Christopher Lawrence, Dave Ralph, DJ Hype, Mr. C, Roni Size, Dynamite MC, MC GQ, DJ Craze

8/18: New York -- BT, Armand Van Helden, Roni Size, Dynamite MC, DJ Dan, Jimmy Van M, Junior Sanchez, Misstress Barbara, The New Deal (live), Christopher Lawrence, Dave Ralph, DJ Craze, Dieselboy, Sandra Collins, Terry Mullan

8/24: St. Louis -- BT, The Crystal Method, Uberzone, Armand Van Helden, Junior Sanchez, The New Deal, Dave Ralph, Mr. C, Carl Craig, DJ Craze, Dieselboy, LTJ Bukem, MC Conrad, Mark Farina, Sandra Collins, Terry Mullan

8/25: Chicago -- Danny Tenaglia, BT, The Crystal Method, Uberzone, Derrick Carter, Bad Boy Bill, Junior Sanchez, The New Deal, Mr. C, Carl Craig, DJ Craze, H-Foundation, Dieselboy, LTJ Bukem, MC Conrad, Mark Farina, Sandra Collins

9/1: Los Angeles -- BT, DJ Dan, Bad Boy Bill, Mark Farina, Doc Martin, Derrick Carter, Deep Dish, Dave Ralph, H-Foundation, DJ Craze, Mix Master Mike, Grooverider, MC GQ, LTJ Bukem, MC Conrad, DJ Rap, Jimmy Van M, The New Deal, Saeed & Palash

9/2: San Francisco -- BT, DJ Dan, Bad Boy Bill, Mark Farina, Doc Martin, Derrick Carter, Max Graham, Deep Dish, Dave Ralph, H-Foundation, DJ Craze, Mix Master Mike, Grooverider, LTJ Bukem, MC Conrad, DJ Rap, Jimmy Van M, The New Deal, Saeed & Palash, MC GQ

JEAN GISMERVIK
(June 28, 2001)