In our first installment of Before the Beats we showed off shots from artists including Brodinski,Dillon Francis, and Sebastian Ingrosso. For the second edition, we’ve collected even more photos which run the gamut from cute and cuddly to funny and predictive of their musical futures. New additions to the baby photo retrospective include Ferry Corsten,Hardwell,Laidback Luke, and Sander van Doorn, but we also have new pictures from artists previously featured in our first installment; repeat offenders include Steve Angello,Chuckie, and A-Trak. Click below the break to find out what your favorite artists looked like before they were big stars.
Best of Instagram is a feature from Dancing Astronaut that showcases our favorite pictures from our favorite DJs on Instagram each week. This week, we feature gems from Kaskade, Skrillex, Seth Troxler, and more.
Dance music veteran Laidback Luke officially released “Pogo” last month, giving fans an electro house beat with an infectious vocal hook from MC Majestic. A fitting name for the bouncy beat, “Pogo” is a combination of Laidback Luke’s dirty Dutch roots and Majestic’s grime-style vocals creating a hard-hitting production with mass appeal. Fellow Dutch house champion Chuckie gives the track an entirely new feel, allowing Majestic’s lyrics to take center stage. Incorporating a Latin-flavored drum line with cascading synths, Chuckie forms a remake ready for the main stage. The remix package also includes works from Congorock, Deorro and H.P Vince.
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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.
Last year Zeds Dead and Omar Linx gave away the stems of their “Cowboy” collaboration for a remix contest with Beatport. Butch Clancy, who recently gave away his A Beautiful Mind LP, wound up winning the grand prize with a glitchy remix. Now, several months later, Congorock has unleashed his grinding rendition on the world. The producer is best known for “Babylon,” but this remix proves that the world should be paying him more attention. Its swirling electro synths and sped up beats are perfect for the festival audience.
Clockwork is back at it again, this time revealing his remix of Congorock‘s “Bless Di Nation.” The bass-heavy producer has been playing out his rendition of the bubbling dancehall production in live sets and now he is ready for listeners to hear the mastered version.
Using Sean Paul’s original vocals, Clockwork turns “Bless Di Nation” from dancehall reggae into electro-house with ease. Keeping the Jamaican vibes intact, Clockwork turns up the BPM and muffles the bassline forming a big room production driven by the beat. The track is officially due out January 8, but listen for yourself before it’s released.
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!
DJs touring with pop stars has become an increasingly common trend. Lady Gaga recently brought Zedd along for the ride, Benny Benassi was support for Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet tour, and Congorock is currently traveling the globe with Rihanna. He cites his remix of her hit single “Diamonds” as the driving force behind the decision. Congorock turns the saccharine-sweet pop track into an electro bomb ready for any dance floor.
The track is available for purchase as part of the bonus track version of Rihanna’s Unapologetic album.
Creator of the infamous elephant bass, Rocco Rampino, known to most as electro-house producer Congorock, has carved a niche for himself with his unique blend of melody and impossibly gritty bass lines.
His latest effort, a rework of Clockwork‘s bouncy electro track “Titan,” has all of the elements we’ve come to expect from a classic Congorock production. Steel-drum driven percussive patterns are flanked on either side by the original’s chirpy synth stabs before culminating in the sort of bone-rattling drop that can only be delivered by Rocco’s signature bass sound.
The edit is available for download until this Sunday, so grab it before it’s gone.
Best of Instagram is a feature from Dancing Astronaut that showcases our favorite pictures from our favorite DJs on Instragram each week. This week, we’ve got gems from Deadmau5, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso and more.
Do you want to have your photos included in our Best of Instagram feature? All you have to do to be eligible is use the hashtag “#astrogram” in your photo entry on Instagram. Keep your photos DA or dance music-related, and we’ll choose one user-submitted photo to include each week. Click past the break to see this week’s #astrogram contest winner.
