The Madeon who rocked the UMF Korea stage today — and we mean rocked it — was a very different Madeon from the one we saw at Webster Hall late last year. At his American debut in November, The French prodigy largely stuck to his comfort zone, playing electro-tinged nu-disco tracks and house classics. But his first-ever Ultra set offered not only a more diverse track selection, but a true sense of narrative and absolutely flawless mixing. It’s clear that Madeon is a student of the EDM world… and let’s just say he did his homework. Simply put, he NAILED it with this set.
After navigating our way into Bayfront Park and over to Ultra’s Main Stage – there are eight stages, so getting around is a workout – we were a little weary by the time Tommy Trash was set to begin spinning. But then we heard the familiar synths of TT’s “Ladi Dadi” remix and all of our stress was gone. The Aussie is notoriously energetic in his live performances, and was at his best this afternoon. Click past the break for a review of his set, and the massive Main Stage.
Nicky Romero and MYNC took a welcome respite from their busy Miami Music Week schedules to hang out atop the Perry Hotel and talk about their joint compilation album. The boys seemed grateful to get a break from incessant touring and traveling — “This week is good because I get to be in the same place for longer than a day,” Romero laughed. Instead of flying from city to city and gig to gig, they actually get a chance to reflect on the album they’ve crafted. Their individual discs each offer a unique sense of narrative, and the lengthier mixes allowed both DJs to explore the details of tracks rather than simply segueing from drop to build-up and back again. “It’s about having energy at the right time,” said Cr2′s head honcho MYNC. “You can be a bit more varied about the way you build your set.”
UMF is happening in just over a week and, as we ready ourselves for some real March madness, we’re taking a lookback at some of our favorite festival tracks. Tiesto and Diplo’s high-octane collaboration seemed to pop up in sets throughout Miami Music Week, no doubt owing to its two big-name producers. Tiesto himself dropped “C’Mon” in his Ultra 2010 and 2011 sets, and it will surely make an appearance this year too. Perhaps he’ll even switch it up with the Busta Rhymes-assisted single version? Either way, there’s no question that the electro-house track is a surefire festival killer.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The first go-around of Cosmic Opera last month left us wanting more, so we’ve been anxious to see what would happen when the “extrasensory dance event” returned to NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom. And, thanks to a new YouTube trailer from the Cosmic Opera team, we have some new info about “Act II: Imbroglio.” Taking place on April 5 and 6, both shows will feature Fedde Le Grand and Zedd, along Funkagenda and dBerrie on the first night, and Felix Cartal and Matt Goldman on the second. Tickets will be available tomorrow at 10 AM on Ticketmaster… and, in case you’re wondering, an “imbroglio” is a “a misunderstanding, disagreement, etc., of a complicated or bitter nature; an intricate and perplexing state of affairs.” What does this mean for the show? We truly have no idea.
Laidback Luke’s remix of “Dirty Talk” by Wynter Gordon is one of his more iconic tracks, so we were expecting nothing but greatness from their collaboration “Speak Up.” Did the pair deliver? Well… yes and no. The beat has three distinct parts – a drum-heavy introduction, a softer bridge, and an all-out Dutch assault that sounds a whole lot like “Do The Robot.” Gordon’s vocals are seductive as ever, but seem mismatched with the aggressive third part of the beat. All told, Luke’s “Speak Up” sounds more like a remix than an original, which leaves us very interested to hear what the forthcoming remix package – which features Chris Lake, Mark Knight, Oliver Twizt, Moska and Das Kapital – has to offer.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Miami gets filled to capacity on Friday, as masses of dance fans descend on the city for the start of Ultra Music Festival. And, while we’re certainly making an appearance at the festival – have you seen Friday’s line-up? – there are plenty of other events also worth checking out. Click past the break for the full run-down, and get ready for one jam-packed Friday.
Seb is back… and he means business! Swedish House Mafia’s Sebastian Ingrosso hit number one on iTunes in countless countries with the first episode of his Refune Radio podcast, and he’s gone even bigger on the mix’s second iteration. Ingrosso drops current bombs like “Troll,” plays his and Axwell’s “Quasar” bootleg, and gets a visit from labelmate Alesso. And Ingrosso makes an off-handed mention of what will surely be a huge collaboration: he tells listeners that he recently hit the studio with Tommy Trash! Download and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here, and have a listen below. Tracklist after the break.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
When we ranked the 50 biggest tracks of 2011, “Calling” came in at a very respectable 11th place. The Ingrosso-Alesso track, with its stadium-sized synths and euphoric drop, triggers so many 2011 memories for the Astronauts – from Electric Zoo to SHM at MSG to countless club nights in between. Now, the vocal version of “Calling” is finally out on Ingrosso’s Refune Records, and we have no doubt it will end up on our 2012 list as well. We weren’t initially convinced that the track needed a vocal – and we still may not be – but it sounds damn good either way. Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic belts out soaring, sing-a-long lyrics that are just simple enough to stay stuck in our heads for days. Have a listen below and let us know what you think!
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Amba Shepherd’s silky, sultry vocals and Porter Robinson’s moody progressive house beat combined to make “Vandalism” one of our favorite tracks of 2011 (particularly at the gym). Admittedly, it’s fallen out of rotation recently to make way for newer songs, but Lazy Rich’s just-premiered remix is going to change that – and fast. It starts with deep piano notes and grows into a growling Lazy Rich beat that not only fills our speakers, but compliments Amba’s vocals perfectly. No word on a release date for the remix just yet, but trust us, we’re looking into it.
