Tracklist:

1. Swanky Tunes, Matisse & Sadko – The Legend [Refune]
2. Ivan Gough & Feenixpawl feat. Georgi Kay – In My Mind (Axwell Remix) [Axtone]
3. Alesso – Raise Your Head [Refune]
4. Swedish House Mafia vs. Knife Party – Antidote (Tommy Trash Remix) [EMI]
5. Sebastian Ingrosso & Dirty South – Meich [Refune]
6. Coldplay vs. Swedish House Mafia – Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall [Parlophone]
7. Michael Calfan – Resurrection (Axwell’s Recut Club Version) [Axtone] w/ Axwell & Sebastian Ingrosso feat. Michael Feiner – Together (Acappella) [Axtone]
8. Cazzette – Killmode [White Label] w/ Fatboy Slim – Right Here, Right Now (Acappella) [Skint]
9. Otto Knows – Million Voices [Refune]
10. Sebastian Ingrosso, Steve Angello & Alesso – Why Am I Doing This? [White Label]
11. Dirty South & Thomas Gold feat. Kate Elsworth – Eyes Wide Open [Phazing]
12. Sebastian Ingrosso & Alesso – Calling (Instrumental Mix) [Refune]

Download

Via: iTunes (Sebastian Ingrosso’s Refune Radio)

Featuring the latest and greatest in current and unreleased EDM — not to mention expertly mixed by our very own Jared-F — each carefully crafted episode is designed to fill that gap created by other radio shows. If you’ve been looking for a show filled with not only the tracks you’re just getting to know and love but also those unreleased gems by your favorite DJs, Axis is the answer.

We’ve started our first episode off with our (and your) favorite tracks that have come out recently. Next month, we’ll be bringing you a whole slew of surprises.

Tracklist:
1. Arty & Mat Zo – Mozart (Original Mix)
2. Coldplay – The Scientist (Dimitri Vangelis & Wyman Remix)
3. Tim Mason – Anima (Original Mix) [ANTHEM STATUS]
4. Swedish House Mafia vs. Knife Party – Antidote (Original Mix)
5. Skrillex – Bangarang (Original Mix)
6. Nicky Romero – Toulouse (Original Mix)
7. Chuckie – Who is Ready to Jump? (Dada Life Remix)
8. Serge Devant ft. Coyle Girelli – On Your Own (David Tort Remix)
9. Avicii – Levels (Skrillex Remix)
10. Kaskade – Turn It Down (Le Castle Vania Remix)

If you haven’t seen Dada Life perform live, let me be the first to tell you, you’re missing out. Between the frenzied crowds, sausage fattened tunes, and unrivaled energy that the duo brings to the stage, their shows are always epic. The good news is, for those who haven’t yet experienced the Dada show, come this Saturday you will no longer have an excuse for retaining your Dada Life virginity.

That’s because the guys are inviting you to their show, from virtually anywhere on Earth—as long as you have a wi-fi connection.

Olle and Stefan have teamed up with G-Technology to offer fans a live webcast of their show at the Queen Club in Paris. All you have to do is “like” the G-Technology Facebook page, and starting at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST, you can watch the guys rip it up like never before. Dada Life will surely “Kick Out The Epic Motherfucker,” and we suggest that you be there to witness it; we certainly will be.

Via: Facebook (Dada Life)

Laidback Luke and Valentino were situated inside a giant glass cube in the center of the office. For many artists, this might have been an obstacle to connecting with the rows of fans seated outside – but not for Luke. He took fan questions during the interview portion of the night, and gamely danced and interacted with them throughout his set. During the interview, Laidback Luke was as humble and, well, laid-back as always, telling Valentino how he’s gotten used to the travel his job demands. “Wherever I lay my carry-on,” he said, “that’s my home.”

He also talked about the idea behind his legendary “Super You & Me” parties, in which both he and the crowd dress up like superheroes. He wants to banish the idea of being “too cool” to dance and “bring back the fun into house music.” “I believe the best times you have are [when you're] just having crazy super fun,” Luke told the audience.

To that end, his set definitely did not disappoint. Starting off with Congorock’s banging new single “Ivory” (and his signature robot dance moves, of course), Luke transitioned between songs at a quick clip, pulling in not only current favorites but picks from his extensive catalogue too. He wisely used Lil Jon’s vocals from the Sidney Samson track “Mutate” to jump over to his own classic “Turbulence.” He also gave a little air time to his new remix of Chris Lake’s “Sundown,” along with his own “Cinema” remix and “Natural Disaster,” his collaboration with Example. Sure, the crowd may have been separated from Luke by a glass partition, but they were fully engaged, jumping out of their seats to salute and dance with Luke. We’ve long thought that Luke is one of the nicest guys in the industry, and he didn’t prove us wrong last night, staying at the studios until he had met every last fan.

If this first mix (and its reception from the crowd) was any indication, Super You & Me Radio will have a long, successful life on Electric Area. Listen to the debut episode on Saturday at 7PM EST, with new mixes dropping every week.

Photos by Enes Kolenovic

Here’s a bold statement to get things going: R3hab’s set at Ruby Skye was the best crowd we have ever been a part of — festival or not.

There, we said it. Now let us give you 10 reasons why you should believe it.

Statement #1: The DJ’s energy directly correlates to crowd energy.

Being a full time DJ is like partying for a living. We understand that no DJ complains about his or her lifestyle, but going out 200+ times a year is tiring to say the least. Partying is great, but it’s also mentally, physically, and emotionally draining. It is easy for a DJ to go through the motions and do the ‘minimum acceptable standard’ to get through a live show, but R3hab refuses to do this. The guy is like the Energizer Bunny… on 10 Red Bulls and a few shots of tequila.

Question for R3hab #1: What do you think your vertical jump is? All we can say is – you may be able to out-jump Blake (see video below).

Whether he was pointing at the crowd, singing the lyrics, mixing with intensity, or just flat out partying, one thing is certain: R3hab is a boss.

Statement #2: Proper promotion goes a long way.

Quickly glance over R3hab’s Facebook and Twitter accounts from the hours before the event. He seemed genuinely excited to be coming back to San Francisco for the second time in roughly a two-month span. Yes, the free guest list helped, but people knew who he was, and — more importantly — they were dying to get in. It’s unfortunate that Ruby Skye isn’t a bigger venue, because the line was around the corner  and we know that not everyone got in.

Announcement #1: Next time R3hab comes to town – plan ahead. You now know it will be packed and a night you cannot miss. Get your shit together and make it happen.

Statement #3: Having a popular MC adds to the intensity.

At times having an MC on stage is often annoying, but when he or she can effectively read the crowd, it can definitely add to the atmosphere. MC Ambush fits that description like a glove and encouraged everyone to go above and beyond their normal partying capabilities.

The energy between both R3hab and MC Ambush was the highest when they dropped Fadil’s remix of Rihanna and Calvin Harris’ “We Found Love.” It was almost as if their craziness rubbed off on all of us.

Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris – We Found Love (R3hab Remix) 

Statement #4: Being a great producer and releasing tracks in bunches increases popularity among EDM attendees.

At first glance this may seem so obvious it isn’t worth mentioning. However, there are a few different ways to go about releasing tracks to attract attention.

Strategy #1: The Avicii Practice

This practice has been mastered and trademarked by Tim Berg. Initially, you tease a huge audience at a festival with a track you plan on releasing in the future. The crowd goes wild, and countless people who were there upload the video onto YouTube, where it quickly goes viral. A few months later youl release an “official preview,” followed by a “teaser video,” and then after the tune has been leaked and played a few million times, it’s finally released on Beatport or iTunes.

Why it works: The song’s life extends drastically with this practice. You can regenerate excitement by elongating the process. Think: “Levels.”

Strategy #2: The Swedish House Mafia “I Am Incredibly Iconic” Approach

This is coined by the Swedish House Mafia. You have created such an aura about you that there is no need to create a bunch of tracks per year – you just need to release a few that are damn good. The Swedish House Mafia released “Miami 2 Ibiza” and “One” last year, and this year they have released “Save The World” and will be releasing “Antidote” in the near future.

Why it works: When you release something, people know it is going to be an anthem. Only the biggest and brightest stars can pull this off.

Strategy #3: The R3hab “Mass Quantity” Theory

R3hab is a great producer. Great producers become great by pumping out tune after tune at an impressive clip. R3hab releases his stuff almost weekly: he creates a track, makes it a banger, and moves on. People are surrounded by R3hab tunes and can’t get enough. It’s like an “overdose,” but in the best way possible.

Why it works: If your name is all over the place and is generating waves every single day, you are more inclined to be considered awesome. The rate at which R3hab pumps out tracks is truly astonishing.

R3hab is the poster boy for releasing a million good to great tracks. Being plastered on every blog/news outlet definitely has its perks. Word of mouth goes a long way in attracting all different types of attendees.

Statement #5: The bigger the drop, the better the crowd reaction.

Can you name a DJ out there whose drops are bigger than R3hab’s? We’ll give you a moment. Did you come up with anything? Probably not. If you don’t agree, listen to this:

David Guetta ft. Usher – Without You (R3hab’s ‘XS’ Remix)

…or this. R3hab & Swanky Tunes – Sending My Love (Original Mix)

Extra Credit: Pitbull ft. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer – Give Me Everything (R3hab Remix)

“Give Me Everything” reached number one on the Billboard charts, and R3hab’s remix destroys the original in the best way possible. How many times has a remix of a chart-topping song been indisputably better? Answer: not very often.

Statement #6: Proper use of lights and fog machines increases energy exponentially.

Every club has these, but it’s the timing that is key. For example when R3hab dropped “Prutataaa,” every time the classic “woo” sound came about, the fog machines erupted. We want to describe what we felt, but we believe that the cast of How I Met Your Mother does a better job.

When R3hab dropped Avicii’s “Levels” the yellow stadium lights went off to cast a bright glow over the entire club. This is the only time where you will be able to see everyone in the club and see the appreciation of the moment on their faces. (Editor’s Note: Guys, this is also the time where you quickly use your peripheral vision to find where the hottest women in the club are located and then inch your way towards them. This brings us to our next point…)

Statement #7: Hot women make life and music better.

It may be that R3hab’s music turns women on, or it may be because women find R3hab incredibly attractive. Whatever the reason, Ruby Skye was the best looking we had ever seen it. When glancing around the packed dance floor we noticed an extremely high number of “holy shit, she is hot” type of women. Every guy (and girl) know that women are the most valuable “commodity” when going out, but this was unbelievable.

Question for R3hab #3: Was the afterparty fun?

Statement #8: There is no sound system that is prepared for R3hab.

R3hab’s remixes are made for the clubs. They make people bounce…

Calvin Harris – Bounce (R3hab Remix)

That being said, we believe that R3hab lives and dies by this quote:

“Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.”

Excessive drops. Excessive intensity. Excessive sound. Excessive shot pounding. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of this? Ruby Skye’s sound system is known as one of the best in the nation. However, they are going to need to upgrade that next time R3hab is in town, because he nearly blew the walls off that poor club.

Statement #9: “No time to relax” is definitely a good thing.

“Chilling out” is for people who don’t know how to rage. However, have no fear, if you fall under this category – we are going to take some of our earnings and purchase the you a gift certificate to a farm that will help you grow some balls (taken partially from Johnny Drama in Entourage). R3hab doesn’t give you time to relax or leave the dance floor, grab a drink, or get away from the crowd. Reason being: there is never a time you want to leave – it’s just banger after banger. R3hab is non-stop.

Luciana – I’m Still Hot (R3hab Remix)

Statement #10: R3hab is ‘legendary’

Neil Patrick Harris explains this one the best:

Don’t miss R3hab if you have the opportunity to go see him.

Editor’s Note: After attending R3hab I had an appointment with my audiologist. She said I was experiencing some minor signs of short term hearing loss. During her explanation of what needed to happen, she touched on the possibility of going to ‘R3hab’ in order to correct the problem. Needless to say, when the time comes, I will oblige.

PS: R3hab was kind enough to post his directly to his SoundCloud, and you can listen to it embedded after the break.

How’s that for a Halloween treat?

Update: Thomas Gold has posted his set to SoundCloud too. Find it below!

Via: House4DJ

Via: House4DJ

John Dahlback is the definition of professional – Vessel at its peak was at approximately one fourth capacity. That makes it seem like a ghost town in a tiny club, however, have no fear John Dahlback threw it down with one of the cleanest sets we’ve heard in sometime. Dancing Astronaut tried to make up for the lack of energy by adding a little extra of our own.

Jared F & Nima G

The night started out with our very own Nima G and Jared F taking the reigns and opening the party up – here are a few tracks you need to know:

1. Alex Sayz ft. Nadia Ali – Free To Go (Alex Lamb Remix)

This tune is sneaky, the tech vibes put you in a good mood, but Nadia Ali’s voice just pours out of the speakers. Great choice from Jared and Nima, because it truly wakes the crowd right up.

2. Starkillers & Dmitry KO – Do You Love (Original Mix)

“Do You Love” hits hard, when you play this during an opening set it really grasps your attention and reassures you that this night is going to be effing grand.

3. TV Rock ft. Rudy – Diamonds In The Sky (Original Mix)

You forgot about this tune didn’t you? It came out earlier in the year, but with all the big releases that were succeeding TV Rock’s production it may have been lost in the depth of your iTunes. Sneaky good progressive hit that deserved more airplay than it got.

John Dahlback

Upon John Dahlback’s arrival we would love to say that the crowd was pushing and shoving to get to the front, but there was enough room to house everyone comfortably. Most of the city of San Francisco should be ashamed for missing a quality liveset from a great performer for free (Dim Mak Records opened up a free guestlist till 12 AM). That being said, John Dahlback brought the energy himself by using his impeccable mixing and song selecting skills. Even Jared F stood aback and said (you can quote him on this) “damn this guy is good.” Enough said, here are the top 5 tracks you need to know in order from how ‘big’ it was during the set.

1. Sneaky Sound System – Big (John Dahlback Remix)

We loved this song when it was first available for a free download, however, our judgement got a little clouded with the release of Oliver’s remix as to which tune was actually better. Well, we are glad John put that question to rest — the vocals really carry through in a club setting and Dahlback’s playful twist just makes this flat out fun.

2. John Dahlback – Overdose (Original Mix)

Is it the lyrics that really make this track stand out? Or is it the unbelievably deep bassline combined with the funky drop? Either way, this was the last track of his own that John played and we were waiting patiently (impatiently?) for this to drop so we could chant “overda-overda-overdosa.”

3. John Dahlback ft. Erik Hassle – One Last Ride (Tommy Trash Remix)

Dancing Astronaut only gets man crushes for a select few DJs, and Tommy Trash definitely fits that bill. To top it all, off this remix goes hard. When a DJ who originally produced a song decides to drop your remix over his own original, you know you’re doing something right.

4. Gregori Klosman & Tristan Garner – Bounce (Original Mix)

This was one of the first tunes played by John, and this really does make you bounce. Our heads were bobbing uncontrollably just like their heads in the teaser video Klosman and Garner released. When this was played, we knew Dahlback meant business.

5. Bootleg Bonus: Tommy Trash vs. Tommy Trash – The End Future Folk (John Dalhback Mash Up)

Sorry folks — we don’t have a copy of this booty to give to you, but we can assure you that this is a massive mix. Maybe John created this on the spot? Maybe he made it before his arrival to San Francisco? All we know is that it was brand new and it sounded brilliant.

Needless to say, it was a great night out at Vessel Ultralounge. It was our first time seeing John since his set during Miami Music Week at Sydney Blu’s party. The man has been on fire with his track releases, but he is even more of a stud behind the decks.

NOTE: San Francisco party folk: next time get your asses out on a Wednesday night, having ‘work’ is not an excuse to miss a DJ of this caliber. Just go hungover and tired, because it was damn well worth it.

Via: Livesets.in

01 Tiësto – Las Vegas
02 Dune vs. Imogen Heap – Whatcha Say Valentina (Ken Loi Bootup)
03 Tiësto & Hardwell – Zero 76
04 Tim Mason – Anima
05 Kaskade feat. Rebecca & Fiona – Turn It Down
06 Dirty South & Those Usual Suspects Feat. Erik Hecht – Walking Alone
07 Sebastian Ingrosso & Alesso – Calling
08 Emeli Sande – Heaven (Ryeland Re-Edit)
09 William Naraine – If I Could Fall (Jean Elan Remix)
10 Alex Kunnari – Lost (Tom Fall Remix)
11 Cassius – I Love U So (Erick Strong Bootleg)
12 Tiësto – Lethal Industry (Taped Remix)
13 Calvin Harris Feat. Kelis – Bounce (R3hab Remix)
14 Nicki Minaj & Drake – Moment for Life (ID Remix)
15 Tinnie Tempah – Pass Out (Afrojack & METI Remix)
16 Denis Koyu-Tung
17 Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Otherside (Third Party Remix)
18 Delerium – Silence (W&W vs. Jonas Stenberg Remix)
19 Eryc Prydz vs. Oasis – Wonderwall 2 Night (Ken Loi Mashup)
20 Tiësto Feat. Tegan & Sara – Feel It In My Bones
21 Dinka Feat. Hadley & Danny Inzerillo – Reach For Me (Dimitri Vangelis & Wyman Remix)
22 Tiësto Feat. Sneaky Sound System – I Will Be Here
23 Tiësto Feat. Kay – Work Hard, Play Hard (Autoerotique Remix)
24 Ferry Corsten – Punk (Sidney Samson Remix)
25 Crookers Present Dr. Gonzo – Gonzo Anthem
26 Kanye West – Lost In The World (Tiësto Remix)
27 Dimitri Vegas, Like Mike, Yves V & Angger Dimas – Madagascar
28. ID
29 Marcel Woods – Advanced (Tiësto Remix)
30 Tiësto – Traffic
31 Tiësto – Adagio For Strings
32 Tiësto & Diplo – C’Mon
33 Sandro Silva & Quintino vs. Example – Epic The Way You Kiss Me (Hardwell Mashup)
34 Tommy Trash – Future Folk
35 Tiësto Feat. C.C. Sheffield – Escape Me (2011 Mix)
36 Laura LaRue – Un, Deux, Trois (Laidback Luke Remix)
37 Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (ID Remix)
38 Steve Angello & Laidback Luke – Show Me Love (Evol Waves Remix)
39 Nadia Ali, Starkillers & Alex Kenji – Pressure (Alesso Remix)
40 Avicii – Levels
41 John Dahlback Feat. Erik Hassle – One Last Ride (Felix Cartal Remix)
42 R3hab & Swanky Tunes Feat. Max C – Sending My Love
43 Benny Benassi – House Music (Autoerotique’s Explode The Club Remix)
44 Tiësto – Maximal Crazy

Of course I’m talking about the one, the only, Eivissa, or as you may know it, Ibiza  (though it’s often pronounced with a lisp as in “Ibitha”). This season the halfway point between Barcelona and Algeria has been home to David Guetta’s prudish but legendary F*** Me, I’m Famous party, Eric Morillo’s Subliminal, the Come Together party at Space, Judgement Sundays at Eden, and Amnesia’s famous Cream.  Our personal favorite, however, has to be Swedish House Mafia’s reigning event at Pacha, Masquerade Motel.

In this short Ibizan tale — typical of many — I’ll bring you through a 16 hour day in the world capital of dance music. From the morning trip to the fruit market, to the afternoon beach party, into the unforgettable main event of the evening — the Masquerade Motel, get ready to take a ride as you get a small taste of what this little island has to offer.

Embellish yourself…

What’s all the hype about? What’s the scene really like? What does one do in an average Ibizan day? Stuff your backpack with a week’s worth of clothes — including at least one “dress to impress” outfit — and hop on a budget airline. Don’t buy travel insurance and say no to extra baggage. Just get there. Be ready to fist pump till your arm falls off.  You are going to Ibiza!

Skip straight to the main event if you’re impatient, otherwise keep reading for the full experience.

Prelude: educate yourself on the Masquerade Motel experience, then press play and leave the world behind.

Leave The World Behind feat. Debroah Cox (Daddy’s Groove Magic Island Rework) – Steve Angello, Axwell, Sebastian Ingrosso, Laidback Luke

Landing in Ibiza from Copenhagen, we stripped our winter jackets and our northern European attitudes and slipped into something a bit more comfortable: the standard Ibizan uniform of flip flops, board shorts, and tank tops.  It was time to check in. We certainly left the world behind.

The weather forecast called for 26-28° (that’s Celsius) all week, with not a cloud in sight. It never gets colder than a perfect 19° (a cool 67 Fahrenheit) in the evenings. If you’re not Celsius savvy, it means it’s going to be warm all the time. In Ibiza, humidity is only a reminder that you’re in the Mediterranean summer.

The warm ocean water serves as a salty basin to cure your weary body from repeated nights of watching the sun rise after hours of the pulsating music. Trips to the beach are well deserved, and stretching out, taking a swim, and hardcore relaxing are all part of the Ibiza lifestyle.

One of the most overlooked aspects in Ibizan life is the abundance of great food in the restaurants and markets that abound where ever you go in Old Town. You cannot leave without eating Paella, a typical Spanish dish of rice and fish. You might even have a little fun with the prawns that are often served with their heads still on.

IBIZAN TIP: The fruit market in Old Town Ibiza has an awesome deli. It’s right by the entrance to the castle. Get a sandwich with fresh olives from the red-haired woman.

Take a look around the castle. It’s always good to learn a bit about of where you are staying before making your way to the parties. The old city walls have been occupied since 654 BC.

Once our bags were stocked up with fresh fruit to last us the day, we hopped a bus to Playa d’en Bossa. It’s a touristy location with a high concentration of clubs, the perfect place to spend the afternoon. A strip of beach runs around the cove with bars and restaurants running parallel to the water right on the sand. This is where we stumbled upon Bora-Bora.

Bora-Bora is a free and open club on the beach that welcomes day time partiers, half partiers from the night before, or those just half starting up their days with a cold drink and a fat bassline.

Don’t let the steep prices of the beach chairs in front of the club scare you as there’s a large section of free beach just over to the right. The music is just as loud and the crowd is half as posh, but as you might expect that amounts to twice as much fun.

When the sun is low enough, it’s time to bring the pre-party back to the apartment. Every store on the strip sells alcohol and most have packaged deals. Our favorite was a handle of vodka, cups, and four Red Bulls for €18. This was not a bad deal after arriving from Sweden where the cheapest Vodka sells for about  €28, of coursed priced in SEK, and only government regulated stores sell alcohol above 3.5%.

IBIZAN TIP: Use Airbnb.com to book a great place for you and your friends in Ibiza. We found huge apartments with several beds. Get enough people and it’s cheaper per person than staying in a hotel.

Tomorrow we will enjoy our big hangover with a side of paella for dinner at Mama Pomelo in Old Town. Tonight, I will take a couple quick “jamon y queso” empanadas and head upstairs to the beach front apartment for nine of us.

IBIZAN TIP: Go directly across the street from Bora-Bora. Internet service in Ibiza is bad but at “Vinos Y Tapas” you can get away with sitting down and bumming WiFi without ordering. The internet password is “borabora2011″ or “VinosyTapas2011″ — but don’t tell anyone we told you.

While everybody showered and gets ready for the night, we used the speakers supplied in our room to set the vibe. Ibiza Sonica, the island’s radio station, plays music that is perfect to get you ready for your big night out.

Tonight is the main event: Swedish House Mafia’s Masquerade Motel with ‘special guests’ at Pacha. Unfortunately, at the last minute, SHM canceled their appearance, and rumors that were floating around the island all day were confirmed to be true at the door.

Fortunately, the ‘special guests’ were not disappointing. Mondays at Pacha are the biggest nights on the Island and we were privileged (no pun intended) to catch Alesso and Benny Benassi in place of SHM — not exactly a hardship.

We arrived, shuffled through the tightly packed crowd, and got to the front of the DJ booth. Across the haze-filled dance floor discs hung from the ceiling with projections from SHM’s videos being shown. Clocks morphed into eye balls, and keys hung randomly between the numerous disco balls and lighting apparatuses.

IBIZAN TIP: After 2:30, Pacha opens up the inside balcony. If you can make your way to the top of the stair case by then, you’ll have a great view of the DJ and lighting booth.

Alesso was just about to take to the decks when I wriggled my way to the back of the DJ booth. The only people in the booth were a man in a suit handing out shots, Benny Benassi, a couple close friends of Alesso, and me, the resident Dancing Astronaut.

As we’ve come to expect from Alesso’s sets, many of the highlights were tracks he himself has crafted. The Swedish blood runs strong with this one, and the influence he draws from his mentors (Sebastian Ingrosso, Axwell, and Steve Angello) is easy to recognize in his productions.

A set wouldn’t have been complete without Alesso’s collaborative work with Ingrosso, “Calling,” which he dropped early on in his two hour set.

Alesso & Sebastian Ingrosso – Calling

Alesso grouped his set into sections of about 30-45 minutes. Each section brought the audience up and then down. The darker deeper sections was filled with tracks like Nari & Milani’s “Kendo,” and then into vocals with melodic tracks like Avicii’s “Fade Into Darkness.”

Tommy Trash made his cameo in Alesso’s set with, “The End,” and Third Party’s Remix of, “I Believe In” went over huge. One of the most notable tracks was Third Party’s “Duel.”

Tommy Trash - The End (Original Mix)

Junior Sanchez feat. Karmen – I Believe In (Third Party Remix)

Third Party - Duel (Original Mix)

Of course a Swedish set wouldn’t be complete without that Swedish sound as heard in his remix of, Good Love.

DEVolution feat. Amy Pearson - Good Love (Alesso Remix)

The crowd favorite for his set, was Calvin Harris’, Feel So Close.

Calvin Harris – Feel So Close (Extended Mix)

During Alesso’s set, Benassi stood back stage eyeing the youngster like his sensei.  He hung back modestly. Just before he was ready to show Pacha how sensei waxes on, the backstage filler vanished.

Mixing into Alesso’s set, Benassi hit the crowd with a bang. Let me tell you something about a bang. A bang at a festival might sound like one thing at 12 midnight, but a bang in Ibiza is something quite different. At 4am when the headliner stands before you, all the momentum of the day culminates. When this bang hit, the confetti came streaming down, fireworks shot off, and the ground wobbled with the dubby base of Benassi’s unreleased hit, “Limit To Your Love.” Dubstep at Pacha. On a Masquerade Motel Monday. Yes, it actually happened.

James Blake-Limit To Your Love (Benny Benassi Remix) [Live rip]

From the vocal intro, to the drop, this tune stuck with us and then he walloped us with the next one: R3hab’s “The Bottle Song.”

R3hab – The Bottle Song (Original Mix)

Around 5am, the suited man offered up shots of bottled alcohol for everybody on stage. It would be a shame to turn down a gulp of mysterious dark liquid with Benassi and Alesso. So naturally, I partook.

Deeper into the night, the masquerade clocks hanging from the ceiling seemed to warp time. Soon it was 6:30 am and the black sky was turning into turquoise. By 8:00, we were back from the club, and by 9:30 the tinnitus and the lapping of the waves at the beach had taken over everything you could hear.

IBIZAN TIP: Bring a blindfold with you. It is inevitable you will be sleeping while the sun is out, and it can always be used for… other activities too. *wink*

Even with the magic of the evening, it was disappointing not to see Swedish House Mafia at their own party, but it was the best night we had in Ibiza hands down. Alesso and Benassi carried the weight well and put on a great show. The lighting inside was unmatched, and the sound was impeccable. From high hats to bass, every sound was crystal. The pair showed mastery over the CDJs, and gave the crowd a treat they would long remember.

Dancing Astronaut is looking forward to what Swedish House Mafia will have in store for next year. First Dark Forest, then Masquerade Motel. What’s next?

View all the photos on Dancing Astronaut’s Flickr

Comment or contact: Skyler@DancingAstronaut.com