In a special Miami edition of Essential Selection, Pete Tong showcased the best in dance music while catching up with Jamie XX, Sebastian Ingrosso, and Flashmob. Hand picking his Essential New Tune of the week, he turns to Armin van Burren’s sultry lead single, “This Is What It Feels Like,” coming off his upcoming artist album.
Would it be an Essential Selection without homage to Eric Prydz? Pete provides us with a world exclusive of the new Pryda single, “Powerdrive,” which made waves as an ID on Epic Radio 007 and in his popular Essential Mix last month. The track has been “driving the blogs crazy,” according to Tong – we concur.
The Pryda empire is paving a new standard across the electronic music scene at a bustling pace. The camp has revamped progressive house in a way that is respected by both underground and mainstream revelers, a rare feat in today’s finicky landscape. At the forefront is newcomer Jeremy Olander, the Swedish favorite who released his latest single, “Let Me Feel,” this past week to phenomenal reviews and sat down with our friends at Beatport News to discuss his journey.
Editors’ Selections is an opportunity for your favorite Dancing Astronaut contributors to talk about some of the music they’re listening to that we might not always get an opportunity to post about from week to week. Sometimes it’s out there, sometimes it’s obscure, but you’ll always get a peek into what we’re loving behind closed doors.
Want to see what the Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso were up to in 2007, before the hype of Swedish House Mafia began? Stockholm’s notorious F12 Terrassen outdoor club is where many of the famous Swedes’ careers took off. It’s small and intimate setting that allows for an up close and personal feel as captured by this video – just a little different from the shows they’re playing now. The pair play Prydz’ “RYMD,” a testament to the fourth, “lost member” of SHM — Prydz parted ways with the group around the same time. Wish SHM still had intimate gigs like this?
What would you do to open for the one and only Eric Prydz all summer long at Amnesia Ibiza? Few have achieved what Jeremy Olander has in a few short years. Early on, the 24-year old Swede was the first producer to be officially endorsed by Prydz, who signed him to coveted Pryda Friends label and asked him to accompany him on tour. Following that colossal exposure, Jeremy has seen his popularity skyrocket warranting a Gallery debut at the legendary Ministry of Sound – in other words, he’s made it. His sound is ever evolving into his own unique style, a captivating blend of bass mixed with emotional melodies. Jeremy incorporates new releases with Prydz favorites in this 2 hour set. Want more? Check out his two free downloads exclusively through Dancing Astronaut. Tracklist after the break.
Since making his highly anticipated return to the United States last summer, Eric Prydz is looking at a near-full “How To Take Over America” checklist. In less than a year, Pryda has reunited with the states while helming Identity Festival, sold out New York City’s famed Roseland Ballroom, launched a Las Vegas residency, delivered what could be the uncontested Essential Mix of the year, and has been announced as a main attraction of Ultra Music Festival. Tonight, his fate as an American dance music superstar will come full circle at the 55th annual Grammy Awards.
Prydz has earned a nomination for his remix of M83′s “Midnight City,” which will compete with Axwell, Photek, Skrillex & Nero, and Tommy Trash for the title of Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical. In a recent interview with Vibe, Eric opens up about his Grammy weekend; touching upon how he will prepare for the ceremony, his thoughts on the nomination, and the details behind his now prestigious remix.
An interesting thing happened in the electronic world on Friday night: A little British radio station called Radio 1 was hosting a little show called Essential Mix, and a little Swedish DJ was the guest. His two hour appearance resulted in the mix that launched a thousand tweets, and soon — on both sides of the pond — a #PrydaEssentialMix was trending, with tweets that seemed to literally gush adoration down thousands of news feeds. The love was for Eric Prydz’s Essential Mix, and I was among the guilty gushers.
Before I get into this, let me state that I wasn’t what you’d call a devout Eric Prydz fan. I tuned into the mix at the recommendation of a fellow Dancing Astronaut editor looking for nothing but new background music to make my Friday night dinner to. Fifteen minutes later I had abandoned my panini and was dancing alone in my kitchen.
Astronauts, it’s finally here. The Essential Mix that will launch you straight out of this universe into the heavens of the Prydasphere. We haven’t heard an Essential Mix from our #1 artist of 2012 since a live recording of his 2011 Creamfields set. On the first of February, 2013, however, Eric Prydz has returned to Pete Tong’s weekly airing with an extra special two-hour selection that set the dance music community into a frenzy (and even started a nationwide trend on Twitter).
With 14 unreleased Pryda records, exclusive material from understudy Jeremy Olander, and even darker Cirez D tracks, Prydz has made his case for Essential Mix of the year only one month into 2013. Since there are no words in the English language that can describe the magic which unfolds before us, we must describe it in Swedish – Pryda – to beautify. Enjoy.
For those of us who came up listening to the mellow electronica of Ben Gibbard and DNTEL’s side project The Postal Service – you’ll be happy to see that they are re-uniting for the first time since their hit album as well.
Editor’s Note: The last time that Daft Punk performed live was to close out Phoenix’s Madison Square Garden show in 2010 – could there still be a chance that the duo may make a surprise appearance at Coachella? Probably not, but I’m still holding out hope.
Our recently crowned #1 artist of 2012, Eric Prydz, has just announced his new dual residency at Surrender and XS in Steve Wynn’s Wynn and Encore Las Vegas hotels, respectively. He’s calling it “Black Dice,” and attributes choosing the name of the residency as both an homage to Las Vegas (and the “thrill of the gamble”) and trying something a bit different in the American club scene.
