“Where My Head’s At” is a feature from Dancing Astronaut that gives readers a quick glimpse into an editor’s personal music tastes and how they developed. Subject matter will be all over the map, but we want to let you get a feel for individual editors, and where their heads are at.
This dance music empire is built on pre-packaged euphoria. Every break, build, and drop is carefully calculated to appeal to your ears and legs. There’s nothing wrong with that. If you’re looking for someone to sneer at the break up of Swedish House Mafia or to downplay Avicii’s brand of buoyant pop, there’s no shortage of music critics reveling in newfound electronic hipsterdom. But dance music was made to be enjoyed. It was made to be enjoyed with the friends, family, and fellow festival-goers that infuse dance events with a collective energy that transcends the individual men and women behind the mixer. Last year, I found that while I still enjoyed these experiences, the polished chord progressions and radio-ready hooks were beginning to ring hollow in my ears.
Fresh off their US tour with Rusko, Toronto duo DVBBS have returned with a dynamic vocal-driven single featuring the airy vocals of Simon Wilcox. “We Are Electric” wastes no time in building from a dreamy glitch intro into a full-on electro synth drop by the first minute, raging out for a while before retreating to more sultry verses from Wilcox over cheery chords and stuttered dubstep drums. Despite a drop that errs on the side of abrupt, the track has anthem potential, particularly if its catchy vocals are given the remix treatment. DVBBS was generous enough to give this one away for free, so head to their Facebook page to obtain a copy today.
Robbie Rivera is rolling out the red carpet in Miami this March. His perennial Winter Music Conference event Juicy Beach just announced its anticipated Phase 2 lineup, adding the likes of Mord Fustang, Alex Gaudino, MYNC, and Sandro Silva to the list of artists performing at Nikki Beach Club this year. The bill already features marquee acts such as Bob Sinclar, Cosmic Gate, Moguai, and Stefano Noferini, and the Phase 3 lineup is still yet to be announced. Check out the full artist list and ticketing details here.
What do you get when you combine Southern hip hop, drum & bass and experimental trap? Apparently one of most highly acclaimed sets at Holy Ship! Fresh off their breakout performance aboard the EDM cruise ship, Charlotte-based duo Clicks & Whistles have seemingly been on constant tour, bringing their hybrid bass music to eager audiences across the continent. Their live set from Brooklyn is hard-hitting and diverse, incorporating numerous originals alongside obscure hip-hop remixes and familiar cuts from the like of Diplo and Baauer (whom they closed for on the Ship). Check out the eclectic mix and track-list after the break.
If you haven’t heard Kavinsky’sdark downtempo masterpiece “Protovision” yet, you’re missing out on one of the more innovative sounds to hit the electro scene in recent memory. Producers simply can’t keep their hands off it. Boys Noize’s unrelenting remix made early waves, but he now has some stiff competition from the likes of Turzi Crack, Blood Orange and Mumbai Science.
Crack’s gritty rework somehow pushes the tempo down even further into the plodding depths, complete with rhythmic vocal allusions to the original mixer courtesy of D-Gage. Blood Orange plunges the track into unforeseen deep and funky territory, while Mumbai Science deliver their patented blend of dissonant electro and techno alongside oddly squealing guitar solos. Check out all three divergent reinterpretations after the break.
Dutch minimal techno icon Koen Groeneveld is back with a twisted reinterpretation of the latest single from Italian techno producer Angy Kore. His take on “Out of My Way” results in a varied sonic landscape of rising synth stabs that eventually yields to an uncompromising throwback techno lead over wicked white noise sweeps. This one has underground warehouse party written all over it, so head to Beatport check out this release.
Most DJs view Spotify as a great resource for discovering new music, but when it comes to playing the tracks they find live… well, they’re on their own. Pulselocker begs to differ.
Described on its official blog as “a little bit of Netflix, and a little Dropbox, sprinkled with a generous dose of Spotify,” the innovative new music streaming service allows subscribing DJs to road test tracks from its catalogue in live sets before committing to buy them. Depending on their subscription level, DJs gets a fixed number (100 for beta users) of track slots in their “locker,” which they can only play offline using partner software like Traktor and Serato. Hit a home run? Purchase it to free up the slot. Dance floor dud? Delete it and download another in its place.
Intrigued? Get your hands on the beta here, and check out the video on its locker feature after the break.
Clearly writing songs about robots wasn’t enough for John Gooch, known to the masses as Feed Me. The multi-talented mau5trap artist today unveiled the latest video tracking the construction of his mysterious Project Feed Me robot. Modeled after the green monster mascot he designed, the project is the latest example of Gooch bringing his twisted artistry to life. Already capable of toothy grins and menacing squints, it’s a wonder anyone felt comfortable giving this thing opposable thumbs. Catch his previous two videos to see its progress after the break.
Aspiring producers need all the help they can get, so it pays to listen when a talent like Nicky Romero is talking. The Dutch sensation will be sharing tips and answers via his YouTube channel and Google+ page, so tune in at 1PM EST with your burning questions ready. His class and Q&A session will be accompanied by a live set from Vince Moogin, whose single “Love Me Right” is forthcoming on Romero’s Protocol Recordings imprint.
Update: We’ve embedded the livestream video after the break.
The year is nearly 1990. Underground trance rules the beaches of Goa and the basements of Belgium. Synthesizers have the power to spawn new genres. Paul Oakenfold brings acid house to an ebullient Ibiza and launches Perfecto Records to cater to a burgeoning new scene.
Wish you had a time machine? “The Nettle” is the next best thing. Irish producer Bryan Kearney turns back the clock with a powerful production that weaves a hypnotic web of Goa synths into a potent acid trance lead. The track’s harshly uncompromising energy makes the rest of the Beatport Trance chart sound like Kidz Bop in comparison. Only fitting that this track be released on Oakenfold’s own Armada imprint Perfecto Fluoro this week.
