One of the many new tracks Afrojack previewed for us in the studio last week, “Annie’s Theme” finally has a proper preview and release date. The track, which balances a hefty amount of bleepiness with melodic chord progressions, is a prime example of ‘Afrojack music’ — a sound that’s distinctly different than what anyone else puts out but remains distinctly Afrojack in its composition. The working titled has apparently stuck after being officially previewed on Annie Mac’s BBC Radio 1 show, making her one of the only people on the planet to get an Afrojack song named after her (to our knowledge). Here’s to hoping Afrojack does the same when it comes time to release the “Dancing Astronaut song” we’ve been obsessed with since EDC New York. In the meantime, “Annie’s Theme” will be released on Wall November 5th.
Pixar is known for its award-winning shorts and feature films, but we don’t think they’ve ever done one quite like Partysaurus Rex. This is a new level of “to infinity and beyond.”
I sat down at a table in the Dylan Hotel in Amsterdam and ordered a coffee. All around me, clusters of people were gathered at other tables and bars, talking business and listening to new music. The vibe was as exciting as it was professional — and despite my lack of sleep on the overnight flight, I was energized and ready to go. (A double shot of espresso in my hotel beforehand didn’t hurt either.)
Amsterdam Dance Event is a five-day music conference and festival that takes place in the Netherlands in October. The conference, ADE Pro, is a global gathering of ‘delegates’ — over 3,800 in total — and official events take place nightly along with countless other parties thrown by the agencies, record labels, or simply the artists themselves. It’s a showcase for dance music from all over the world, and it serves as a gigantic meetup for the people who care most passionately about the scene.
Nightlife in New York is about to get a whole lot more exciting, with a number of new or updated clubs being announced by some of the biggest players in the game. Finale NYC (pictured above) will be opening next week as a partnership between the EMM Group and owners of Pacha NYC, Space Ibiza confirms that it will be opening a location in New York, and Marquee NY is under major renovations — and is said to have a partnership in place with Tiesto (see update below). Oh, and we’ve got exclusive details on Nicolas Matar’s latest project — a new Cielo in Brooklyn.
Good news for those of you who won’t be able to make it to Brooklyn for the inaugural Sensation America. The entire event will stream live from the Barclays Center on Bud Light Platinum’s YouTube channel, starting at 10PM EST.
After a noticeable disappearance and a blog post about the issue, it seems that Kaskade has finally returned to the olden days of Kaskade Mashup Mondays — with two tracks this week no less. Last week he combined a Nicky Romero remix with “Angel On My Shoulder,” and this week he brings us into the early hours of the mornings with “4 AM Quasar” and “Invisible at 5AM.” Kaskade uses his favorite trick of combining big tracks with recognizable acapellas from his own collection, and the results are fresh and different. As usual, the tracks are available as free downloads from Kaskade’s SoundCloud (and below), so be sure to show him some love on Twitter with the hashtag #KMM if you’re a fan of the new additions to your iTunes library.
Are you ready to see the craziest production ever? Dirty Dutch Exodus at the Ziggo Dome, produced by ID&T, was by far the most ridiculous party during ADE. Here’s to hoping they bring this one to America too.
Update: Chuckie has posted an official after-movie for the event. (Full 23 minute video still available below.)
We’re live in the studio with Afrojack in Amsterdam right now!
Update: Afrojack had to go to Disneyland, but we are live with Andy Sherman of Shermanlogy!
Update 2: Seems the Internet can’t handle all of Shermanology’s new beats right now, but the Afrojack stream is available to watch on UStream, and below.
On the day before the release of Swedish House Mafia’s final Until Now album we thought it’d be cool to share their documentary, Take One. Many of you have probably seen it already, but if not, it’s a great look at Axwell, Steve, and Seb right as Swedish House Mafia was starting to take off. This is from a time long before things like “Greyhound,” “Masquerade Motel,” Madison Square Garden, and Milton Keynes Bowl were in the equation, and it’s pretty crazy to see how far they have come in just a few years. Whether you’re a fan or not, it’s impossible to overlook their incredible rise to superstardom. Take One is a solid throwback to remind everyone how they got here.
Readers in the United States can watch the high quality version of this on Hulu.
“We want to be different,” says Duncan Stutterheim, CEO of Sensation, as he sips a glass of jasmine tea in a cafe near Amsterdam’s Central Station. “Sensation is always looking for music from now and tomorrow.”
One of the most lucrative and recognizable brands to grace dance music, Sensation embodies a mentality that reaches far beyond the traditional festival or rave. More than large arrays of LEDs and lasers, ID&T, the event’s organizers, are in the business of creating an experience that is unlike anything else on the planet. A week ahead of Sensation’s first trip across the pond to the United States, I got to sit down with the company’s CEO Duncan Stutterheim to talk about how Sensation is different, things fans should expect, and what the long-term goals are for not only Sensation, but all of ID&Ts other events as they prepare to take the United States by storm.
