The Mood Designers (NaturalPHIL/M-Squared Drummer/DJ Collabo)

Orlando, Florida – January 22, 2016 – DJ M-Squared and NaturalPHIL, a DJ/Drummer collaboration, will make their debut performance at the 2016 NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show, the music industry’s largest trade-only event, which will be held in Anaheim, California from January 21 to 24. The performance unites two of the most intriguing acts on the music scene. Both have extensive, worldwide musical resumes.

“Imagine a place where pulsating bass, groove­ worthy treble and rhythmic drumbeats became

One,” said Modern Drummer Magazine “This is the trance inducing atmosphere created by Drummer/DJ duo, M-Squared/NaturalPHIL.”

Michael "M­-Squared" McPherson and highly acclaimed drummer Phil “NaturalPHIL” Johnson have performed all over the globe with such renowned acts such as 4x platinum recording artist Kelly Rowland, 2x platinum recording artist Don Omar, BET’s Master of the Mix, Samsung Brazilian Fest in S. Korea and more. Their unique collaboration signaled the arrival of a powerful new alliance. It was covered in Modern Drummer Magazine, which gave the duo high marks for their energetic skill and boldness of sound.

DJ M-Squared and NaturalPHIL are part of the Mood Designer team, a creative collaborative formed by DJ M-Squared. As Mood Designers, they exist to design the mood by bringing the forces of creative strengths and passions together in alliance as a team. The pair plans to release their first collaborative EP in early 2016.

For more information visit www.TheMoodDesigners.com.
https://www.facebook.com/themooddesigners

https://soundcloud.com/the-mood-designers-280578229

END - Alana Johnson

Based out of Orlando, FL, M-Squared thrives on creating an emotional, energizing experience for his audience. As the official tour DJ for songstress Kelly Rowland, M-Squared’s versatility and ability to blur genre lines have kept him in high demand since his first gig during college. Inspired by the great DJ Jazzy Jeff, M-Squared is also a producer and entrepreneur, with multiple projects underway. (Photo: BET) - BET

I’ve been playing the drums since I can remember. My mom was a drummer and my main inspiration. I got my first paid gig at the age of eleven for a local church and began studying other drummers such as Bernard Purdie, Dennis Chambers, Dave Weckl, and Brian Blade. I began entering competitions, creating drum cadences, etc., and before I knew it, it was one of the biggest parts of my life.

Currently my drum setup includes a 24″ kick, a 12″ rack tom, a 16″ floor tom, and a 7×13 snare. I endorse Pro-Mark and use their 721B Marco Minnemann sticks. My cymbals include a Zildjian crash and a 22″ Istanbul jazz ride.

I’m always looking for creative or new ventures in drumming. While it’s no new invention, collaborating with a DJ was something I’d wanted to do long before Michael McPherson [DJ M-Squared] and I actually got together. We toyed around with the idea for some time, but then I became the music director and drummer for the B.B. King All Star Band in Pointe Orlando and started working on production projects, while Michael became busy with the Red Bull Thre3Style competition, touring with Kelly Rowland, and shooting Smirnoff’s Master of the Mix reality series on BET.

A few months back Michael and I finally had time to jam out in one of the studio sessions I had planned. We mesh really well together and are musically in sync, so when we get together it just works. I love classical styles and blurring it with contemporary music, so I thought “The Equalizer” by Sam Spence would be a great cover to perform. I choose music that has feeling and that I can get excited about. I heard “The Equalizer” while watching a Reese’s commercial during Super Bowl season, and I really like the symphony string sound. Being a big football fan, I decided to cover it and post it online. Michael also liked the idea, and it was a go.

Thankfully, one of my friends and bandmates at B.B. King’s, Danny Flores, has an amazing studio in downtown Orlando, Maximum Entertainment Group, and welcomes us to record anytime. We created this particular video back in January and released a teaser to see what type of response we received. It was great to receive interest from Modern Drummer, being the largest drumming magazine in the world! I plan to come out with more videos and an EP by the winter of 2012.



For more on Phil Johnson, go to naturalphil.com or facebook.com/naturalphilpage. For more on DJ M-Squared, go to iammichaelmcpherson.com. And for more on Maximum Entertainment Group, go to maximumentgroup.com.



Watch the video for Phil Johnson and DJ M-Squared’s collaboration on “The Equalizer” here. - Modern Drummer Magazine

NaturalPHIL had an early start, known as the local “Child prodigy” as often written in the Virginia Pilot and other Virginia publications. NatuaralPhil landed his first professional gig when he was only 11 years old. This Virginia native has performed nearly all corners of the world from South Africa, Switzerland, Spain, Paris, Grand Turk and South Korea. Known for his ability to perform multiple genres, he has scored major endorsement deals in his industry. His multi genre experience spans from touring with double platinum reggaeton artist Don Omar, recording with Grammy Award winning R&B artist Kevin Cossom, and the B.B. King All Star resident band in Orlando, Fl and more. He is commonly referred to as being “a natural”. NaturalPHIL puts it simply: “Birds fly, cows moo, dogs bark, I play drums.” - MTV

Michael "M-Squared" McPherson is a DJ, Producer, and Mood Designer, internationally renowned as one of the world's finest DJ's, sought after by A-List Celebrities, Fashion Designers and Corporate Brands. He is known for his eclectic sound, style and unique ability to blur genre and generational lines.

M-Squared is the Winner of the 2010 USA Red Bull Thre3style National Championship and is also a Finalist on the hit TV series Master of The Mix Season 2. M-Squared headlines premiere venues across the globe such as The Elysee Montmartre in Paris, France, LIV Nightclub & Bamboo in Miami Beach, Le Poisson Rouge in New York City, Heat Super Club in Montpellier, France, LAX Nightclub in the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, and has showcased at the SXSW Festival to an audience of over 20,000 music lovers! M-Squared performs at various sporting events from NBA All-Star Weekend & NFL Superbowl festivities to the Daytona 500. M-Squared has worked with celebrities such as Kelly Rowland, Jack Osbourne, Idris Elba, Alexa Chung, Dwight Howard, ?uestlove, Ashanti, Nene Leakes and many more. With a diverse clientele roster that includes brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Red Bull, Diageo, and Maxim Magazine, M-Squared continues to Design the Mood. Whether it's traveling to Dubai to perform with Grammy Award winner, Kelly Rowland as her Tour DJ, or spinning at private events for Tommy Hilfiger himself. M-Squared's passionate performances, extraordinary attention to detail and commitment to quality keep him in high demand.

M-Squared's interest in music started at an early age. He joined the school band as a drummer and created mixes using a dual cassette deck as his turntables, until finally earning his first pair of Technics going into college. While rocking parties through his college years at Florida Atlantic University, M-Squared completed an extensive internship with Universal Music Group and graduated with a degree in International Business. In addition, he has also worked with brands such as Banana Republic and Armani, which helped sharpen his eye for fashion and learn the importance of the music & fashion industries working together. Ready for the world, M-Squared decided to pursue his passion as a creative artist and began DJ'ing and making a name for himself on the celebrity DJ scene and honing his skills as a music producer.

M-Squared made his national television debut to millions of viewers on Master of the Mix, a reality television series and DJ competition now airing on VH1. Season 2 of the show aired half hour episodes on Saturday nights on the BET Networks. M-Squared's skilled performances consistently earned him high regards from the shows esteemed judges, and became a fan favorite throughout the season placing as a Finalist in the top tier. The 2011 season of the show has ten episodes and eleven DJ's. The show is hosted by Just Blaze and judged by Kid Capri, Vikter Duplaix, and Amber Rose. Recently, M-Squared was featured as the guest DJ on The Daily Buzz TV Morning Show, a syndicated morning news program that airs in over 175 TV markets across the United States. Always staying busy touring, performing at private events, working in the studio; M-Squared is also currently working on major TV projects and is finishing his debut EP.

"As a creative artist, my goal is to always make music that I love that will connect with people on an emotional level. It's all about creating your reality while inspiring others. Design the Mood." -M-Squared - MTV.com