We still can’t quite put our finger on it, but there’s just something about David Guetta that is unparalleled by any other EDM artist on the planet. While he often gets some flack for creating more pop-style tracks and venturing away from pure “house music,” it’s impossible to deny that he is one of the most influential members of the dance music community.
“Do you realize what’s going on in the world — and in America especially?” he asked the crowd about halfway through his set. “Our music is taking over and it’s crazy!” he proclaimed as he prepared to drop his FMIF remix of “Memories.” “I never thought that one day this would happen, but it’s unbelievable.” He went on to deliver a classic Guetta set that combined brand new tracks with established favorites, and the end result was arguably one of the most fun sets of the entire weekend.
David Guetta and Nicky Romero’s “Wild One Two” incorporated a poppy vocal from Sia that had all the makings of an instant crowd pleaser, but now we’ve got the first crop of remixes that take the melodic house track and bring it to whole new dimensions. We saw NO_ID back at Cosmic Opera, and their remix preserves the catchy vocal but changes up the drop and incorporates sounds that remind us of Alesso. Jaywalker brings in big room, progressive chords to create a high energy rendition that is impossibly catchy. Last but certainly not least, Disfunktion leaves only the original’s vocals intact, replacing the melodies and builds with a big build that drops into a playful electro breakdown. All three will be available on Beatport starting April 3rd, courtesy of Big Beat Records.
David Guetta and Nicky Romero have seen recent success with their collaboration on “Wild One Two,” which has been topping BeatPort charts since its release. They team up again to give us “Metropolis,” but this time Nicky’s presence is much more noticeable. The preview starts off dark with heavy synths and a gritty melody before dropping into a breakdown that is eerily similar to Michael Calfan’s “Resurrection.” Give the track a listen and let us know what you think.
We’ve already seen remixes by AvB, R3hab and Nicky Romero of “Without You” over the last few months, but we’re back to bring you one more offering. American producer/ DJ from NY Jus Jack has teamed up with Italian producer OZA to bring you a remix that has seen support from Axwell, Thomas Gold and even David Guetta at F*** Me I’m Famous. This was the mix we couldn’t identify at Hammerstein and adds a different progressive drop that works well with Usher’s mesmerizing lyrics. The track will be released when OZA and Jus Jack’s Facebook hits 2500 likes.
In addition to Skrillex’s three big wins, The Grammy Awards paid tribute to dance music with back-to-back performances from David Guetta and Deadmau5. Guetta was joined by Chris Brown and Lil Wayne on “I Can Only Imagine,” a Nothing But The Beat track, as he spun from a LED-enveloped DJ booth that resembled something from Star Trek. As the song came to an end, the cameras spun around to the other end of the tent set up outside the Staples Center to a second stage. Two white curtains fell to the floor Swedish House Mafia style, to reveal the Foo Fighters and Deadmau5 with his LED cube. After a live performance of “Rope,” the section closed with a very dubby version of the timeless track “Raise Your Weapon.”
Neither of the performances were particularly notable from a musical standpoint, but the visual flair was impressive. It all seemed to work together, though the ostentatious Beats product placement was a bit obnoxious. Yes, it’s great that America finally got a dose of dubstep, but last night was more about the exposure. Not only did America get a taste of dance music, the entire world did.
David Guetta and Nicky Romero impressed us with their first collaboration, “Wild Ones,” but it seems as if there’s still more musical goodness to come out of the joint studio session. Nicky himself sent over this video of David Guetta dropping a new, unidentified track at the Winter White Tour in Albany. David played this during his encore at the show, where he reveals that it’s a world exclusive and was completed just a few days earlier.
The first segment of the track bears some resemblance to that Swedish House Mafia ID trackfrom MSG, but it quickly evolves into a mash of progressive synths that are so characteristic of Guetta productions. Of course, Nicky adds dark undertones to the airy strings, providing for a nice wide range of sounds. No word on a title or release date just yet, but it’ll probably be released on Nicky’s own label. More info as we get it.
David Guetta will be headlining a special show at New York’s Roseland Ballroom this February. Set to take place during Fashion Week, the show promises “grandiose decor” and entertainers, which will apparently turn Roseland Ballroom into an “interactive playground.” Both Kaskade and Swedish House Mafia showed us that a few good lasers and some CO2 is enough to make Roseland Ballroom rave-worthy, but maybe Cathy and David know something we don’t. Tickets are on sale now for the February 9th show, which will run from 9PM – 4AM.
“Winter will never be the same.” That’s the tagline of the coming Winter White Tour, featuring performances by David Guetta, Dada Life, R3hab, Hardwell, Alesso, Chris Lake, Bingo Players, and Dillon Francis. Longtime partners NV Concepts and Mass EDMC are making the rounds along their traditional circuit that brought Avicii to the Northeast last fall – see our review here for a refresher.
To kick things off, we’re raffling away pairs of tickets to the inaugural show at The Armory in Albany. Enter the contest and view more info after the break.
The Winter White Tour will be making its way to the Northeast in just a few weeks, and if you’re lucky enough to live in one of the included cities, you should check your calendars to see if you can make it. Kicking off in Albany with David Guetta, Dada Life, and R3hab, the tour will make stops in Syracuse and at the University of New Hampshire. It’ll include artists like Hardwell, Dillon Francis, and Bingo Players as well as it continues to make its way through the New England area. Tickets are still available, so check out the links below to get ‘em while they’re still up. We may have some giveaways for you in the near future, so stay tuned for more. Full list of tour dates after the break.
David Guetta is now part of Hollywood — literally. On Saturday night, the Frenchman had his hands imprinted at the Grauman’s Chinese Theater, joining some of the most influential names in entertainment history. We’ll remember 2011 as the year that Guetta became the (un)disputed king of EDM. Even if you don’t like his music, it’s hard to argue with the man’s resume. His songs dominate the radio on both sides of the Atlantic, he’s won two Grammys (and is nominated for two more next year), and he’s finally ousted Armin van Buuren as the #1 DJ in the world — according to DJ Mag, at least.
At the ceremony, Guetta came across as humble and honest. He expressed gratitude for the honor, as well as slight bemusement that DJ culture has propelled him to such astounding levels of fame and fortune. After hearing the paparazzi scream his name, it’s clear that Guetta is now an A-list celebrity worldwide — on par with the likes of Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and Jay-Z.
Dancing Astronaut would like to congratulate David on his achievement, and we wish him nothing but the beat best in the future. Sure, his music isn’t the most played on our iPods, but that doesn’t detract from his accomplishments. He’s managed to fuse pop and house, creating urban music for the radio. Without David Guetta, dance music would not be what it is today. His music is a gateway drug — providing casual listeners with an accessible pathway into the wonderful world of EDM. Click past the break for more photos. (more…)
