Over the past seven weeks, Avicii has gathered fan submissions for what is set to be the largest scale musical collaboration ever. In an attempt to involve as many of his fans as possible, the world-renowned producer allowed anyone to submit their own piece of production giving out a chord progression melody to start back in January. With over 13,000 submissions from 140 different countries, Avicii selected weekly semi-finalists and gave fans the power to choose which beats made the final cut.
Social media has greatly enhanced the connection between fans and artists by allowing them to connect on a level far greater than that of a spectator. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have given us an unprecedented look into the lives of our modern day rockstars by taking us behind the booth, into their homes and studios, and even sometimes into their pasts. Click below the break to check out some of your favorite artists in their younger years and find out which superstars got an early start by strumming guitars or tickling the ivories. We have shots from Steve Angello, Chuckie, Skrillex, Nervo, A-Trak, and more.
We seem to be infiltrated with Swedish music as of late – just as SHM’s reign is coming to an end, Prydz has moved to the US to fill the Swedish void. You’ve read it as many times as I’ve written it: another Swedish sensation graces the dance music world with yet another groundbreaking production. Not to mention, the countless number of influential producers from Avicii and Dada Life to Dahlback and Alesso, etc. In fact, Sweden is the third largest exporter of music in the world behind the US and UK. It’s perplexing how such a tiny country – a population total of only one million more than New York City – can churn out so many success stories. What is Sweden’s secret to musical success?
I’ve been living in Stockholm for seven months now, which has allowed me to begin to understand the culture surrounding music. Below are my observations which have been Swede-proofed for validity.
Avicii and Nicky Romero’s long-standing hit “I Could Be The One” gets the remix treatment from a trio of emerging talents known as Bent Collective. Italy’s Danny Verde, Beglium’s Steven Redant, and Israel’s Guy Scheiman make up the group, and together have remixed the heavily-rotated track into a techy, upbeat rework. Without altering the original vocal or structural elements of the track, the group presents a remix with infectious groove and bouncy chord progression. The Avicii camp has given this one their golden stamp of approval, so expect it to get plenty of play time from Mr. Bergling himself.
Best of the Rest is a daily feature from Dancing Astronaut that recaps the most important posts of the day as well as the stuff we didn’t get to. With the rapidity that dance music news and releases come out it’s difficult for us to hit everything — we hope BOTR serves as a catch-all. Make sure to check it out at the end of each day to ensure you don’t miss anything!
Avicii recently sat down with Rolling Stone to discuss plans for his upcoming album, divulging his vision for what is likely to raise the bar for the Swedish producer’s already stellar career. The album, which Avicii plans to be a collection of singles that work together to form a cohesive artistic vision, will feature credits from a variety of artists including Mike Einzinger of Incubus, Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda, the legendary Nile Rodgers (who also collaborated with Daft Punk) as well as Mac Davis, the man responsible for some of Elvis Presley’s greatest hits.
Avicii and Diplo: two dance music extraordinaires that took 2012 by storm — enough so to earn prestigious Grammy nominations. From the year’s biggest productions to sold-out performances around the world, each proved to be standout entertainers and representatives of the mainstream-crossover jig. Thomas Pentz and Tim Berg — as listed by The Recording Academy — have occupied Hollywood this past week to prepare for what they anticipate will be a historic evening . So how are the guys gearing up for the 55th Annual Grammy show? Click below the break to find out.
The Grammy Awards are set to take place tomorrow and dance music aficionados are left only pondering which heavyweights will bring home the gold. Skrillex was the big winner last year, taking home three wins of his five nominations. With three more nominations this season, will Skrillex be seeing triple again? Or will Deadmau5 take home a pair of trophies? How about Avicii? Swedish House Mafia? Or dare we ask, Al Walser?
Dance artists represent four categories this year; Best Dance Recording, Best Dance/Electronica Album, Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical, and Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical. Dancing Astronaut takes a look at the categories, nominees, and predicts which stars will walk away with Grammy awards.
While dance music continues to ascend into popular culture, there have been some very odd pairings that have taken the world by storm. On television alone we’ve seen gerbils dance to “In My Mind,” Avicii throw a Bud Lite Super Bowl party, and A-Trak eloquently serve up glasses of Grey Goose. Some of the most unexpected collaborations, however, have taken place within the music itself. Dancing Astronaut presents: 10 collaborations that shocked dance music.
Dancing Astronaut, in association with Vanguard nightclub in Los Angeles, is giving away two pairs of VIP Fast Pass tickets to see Avicii perform at the grand-reopening of the legendary nightclub. Sponsored by Insomniac, sbe Nightlife, At Night and Ash Alliance, the Vanguard re-opening is also an extension of Avicii’s long-standing House for Hunger tour – which has raised over $1 million since its inception. Recently hitting 3 million Facebook fans, the name Avicii has become synonymous with poignant progressive house, including an impressive catalog of tracks that have nearly single-handedly defined the “EDM explosion.”
Hop past the break to enter the contest via Punchtab – or buy tickets here if you aren’t the lucky type.
