Fatboy Slim opens new Big Beach Cafe in hometown
Brighton hometown hero Norman Cook, or internationally touring DJ Fatboy Slim, has ventured outside the realm of electronic music and into the risky food business. Back in June, he opened up the Big Beach Cafe in his seaside hometown of Brighton, in hopes he's able to "cement [his] relationship with the community" and give something valuable back. The space of the cafe was formerly an all-vegan spot, so at the very least, some patrons may just be thankful to find non-vegan options after a day at the beach. Norman seems to know the market -- he went to school in Brighton, brings the Big Beach Boutique shows to the shores of Brighton every year, and rather than focusing on an upscale establishment, knows the cafe culture is what lies at Brighton's core.
Electric Zoo ’13 Artist Spotlight: Dixon
For those New Yorkers more inclined to visit Randall's Island for the Sunday School Groove side of things, the name Dixon is inevitably a name on everyone's tongue this Electric Zoo. Storied in his international DJ sets but a rarity with his US appearances, the Innervisions label head, producer, remixer, and highly reputable DJ (number three on last year's Resident Advisor poll) will make his mark right before hometown hero Danny Tenaglia on the first evening of the Zoo. In his DJ sets, his draw is in the perfect balance he strikes between driving leads and thoughtful melodies and rhythms -- curating a dance floor that has the potential to make its patrons both waggish and contemplative. If you scan the Internet for any hint of Dixon's biography, you'll be left with a simple phrase in the DJ's native tongue -- "Es muss nicht immer so weiter gehen," or rather, "It does not go on forever" -- a understated nod to the ethos of the DJ's earthly mindfulness, a mindfulness which he confronts behind the decks.
Good Morning Mix – Betoko & Sasha in the Mixmag DJ Lab
At the beginning of this year, Sasha teamed up with Diynamic/Get Physical/frequent Climbers collaborator Betoko for a two hour set in the Mixmag's offices DJ Lab. Mixmag does well recruiting top talents to their office decks, but this set , first Betoko, then Sasha, then back-to-back stands a bit taller than the rest.
Eric Prydz announces initial dates for EPIC 2.0 North American tour
As promised, the first dates for Eric Prydz's foray into North American EPIC tour territory have been announced. Prydz will first be landing for two nights at Hammerstein ballroom in New York, followed by dates in Los Angeles and Chicago in the following weeks. There are lots of opportunities for shows all over the country in between those dates, so if you're not seeing your city on the list quite yet, keep your eyes on DA for more from the Pryda PR machine.
Good Morning Mix – Three at Robot Heart, Burning Man 2012
For many making the journey out to Black Rock City this year, the days until the Playa is once again populated are numbered. The Robot Heart camp releases its storied mixes year round, but it seemed more than coincidence that Three's set from 2012 was uploaded to the Robot Heart's SoundCloud less than two weeks before the beginning of the 2013 Burn. Whether or not dreams of dancing in the desert are in your immediate future, whether or not you're up this early for work or from the night before, slap on Three's Robot Heart set for a mindful morning.
Bob Moses’s ‘Far From The Tree’ EP expands definition of deep dance music
For the thirteenth release on Brooklyn's own boutique Scissor and Thread, the label has released something truly special from Canadian duo Bob Moses. For those raised on classic rock and bred in an indie rock background, Bob Moses's EP Far From The Tree provides a union of several well-loved genres. As emotional as it is complex, the EP ranges from the psycheldic title track (full of reverbed vox straight out of Pink Floyd's textbook) to the dreamy "Winter's Song" and ominous "All I Want." "Interloper" is the most suitable for the dance floor, but still holds itself to an air of musicianship that few producers are able to harness. The fifth track, "Stealing Fire," reminiscent of something off The OC soundtrack of yesteryear, is a closing number demonstrative of the duo's expertly matched union between heart-tugging indie sensibilities and electronic music's bass-heavy fundamentals.
Solee – Sommerliebe (Eelke Kleijn Remix)
The remix package for Solee's impossible addictive "Sommerliebe" came out last week on his own Parquet Recordings, and among efforts from lesser known names like Roland M. Dill and Normandie, lies the work of the young and buzzworthy Eelke Kleijn. Where Solee's original is deep and weighed down with its techno-bordering-on-trance bassline, Kleijn's remix injects a substantial dose of both punchy drums and shrill samples reminiscent of Ten Walls' inescapable "Gotham" or Life and Death artists.
Stefano Ritteri & Robosonic – She Was On My Mind
Stefano Ritteri and Robosonic's collaboration "She Was On My Mind" is the latest offering from the popular and eclectic OFF Recordings label. While Stefano Ritteri is a name usually associated with Defected or Pet Recordings, he joins forces with the OFF regulars Robosonic, responsible for huge tunes like "The Edge" and "La Fique" with Adana Twins. Soul and R&B influences are as clear as day, and with a steady dose of dark and groovy tools the pairing births a solid example of dance floor soul.
Shigeto gifts full stream of second LP for Ghostly ‘No Better Time Than Now’
Zack Saginaw, or Shigeto as he's better known in circles of electronic music, is set to release his second true LP this week (August 20th) on the highly revered Ghostly International label out of Michigan and like many of his peers as of late, he's making the full album available for stream in the lead up to its release. No Better Time Than Now, like his other production since 2010, is a vast collection of complicated syncopated rhythms, melodies, and instrumentation -- drawing support from lovers of ambient, jazz, hip-hop, and electronic music. Shigeto creates listening music more than dancing music, but that is just all the more reason to throw on your best pair of headphones and give pause to his auditory art.
Editors’ Selections: Week of August 12th, 2013
Editors’ Selections is an opportunity for your favorite Dancing Astronaut contributors to talk about some of the music they’re listening to that we might not always get an opportunity to post about from week to week. Sometimes it’s out there, sometimes it’s obscure, but you’ll always get a peek into what we’re loving behind closed doors.