It’s inevitable that countdowns will always spark controversy, that’s just the nature of the beast. Some tracks will be snubbed, some overlooked, and some ranked higher than you may have expected. We’ve already gone over our ranking criteria at length but despite our own self-imposed guidelines, 2012 proved to be more difficult to rank than years past. With the EDM explosion officially in full swing throughout the year, the sheer number of releases was mind numbing, and — consequently — nearly impossible to rank. There has been no greater challenge for the editors at Dancing Astronaut than creating the list of the Biggest Tracks of 2012.
So here we are, standing on the brink, about to list the Top 10 Tracks of 2012. We’ve already covered 50-41, 40-31, 30-21, and 20-11. So without further ado, here are Dancing Astronaut’s picks, 10-1.
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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 decided to include a bonus edition featuring twelve Christmas snaps from Carl Cox, Diplo, Tiesto, and more.
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One of our favorite Dutchmen, Dannic, is at it again. This time preparing to unleash his latest house production “Clobber.” Set for a 2013 release date, Dannic will make his debut on one of the world’s most renowned house labels, Toolroom Records. Known for his countless remixes and collaborations with fellow DA fave Hardwell– Dannic has quickly rose in the ranks of dance music– marking the drum-driven house producer is ready for the big stage.
“Clobber” is a big-room production with kicking synths and jabbing drum beats giving listeners another rhythmic house output from the rising star. Click below the break to listen to the official teaser and head over to Beatport to purchase a copy January 21.
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Today’s Good Morning Mix is brought to you by one of our favorite electro house Frenchmen, Gregori Klosman. Looking over the tracklist, you may recognize a large number of these tunes from our top tracks of November, but in that case this most recent episode of his Klosmania podcast will only serve as a pleasant reminder of the last month in big room — and largely harder-hitting — releases. Klosman features his own new collaboration as Reepublic, Hardwell’s megahit “Apollo,” Firebeatz, Tom Swoon, the Lunde Bros, and Archie just to give you an idea. Stream, download, and check out the tracklist below.
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Pasquale Rotella and Insomniac have just announced via Twitter the full lineup for this year’s White Wonderland event in Anaheim on New Year’s Eve. We were already pretty sure about some of the headliners, but the event’s website now confirms the full lineup will include the following: Above & Beyond, Avicii, Bingo Players, Dannic, Darin Epsilon, Dash Berlin, Ferry Corsten, Hardwell, Madeon, Sebastian Ingrosso, and Tritonal. Purchase your tickets here.
It has been a while since Hardwell has released an original production, but he is finally back with the much anticipated follow-up to “Spaceman.” Named during a show in Houston after the space program, “Apollo” is more of an emotional than your average dance track. Hardwell claims he was going for something “fans could actually feel,” closer in theme to “Three Triangles,”– something listeners could connect to. On “Apollo,” delicate vocals lead way for a grinding, punchy bassline that balance out the track nicely.
Hardwell has a lot more originals coming, and is still working on his collaborations with Porter Robinson and Tiesto. A remix package for “Apollo” is also in the works, and Hardwell is enlisting his fans to select the talent for the remix duties. Before his show at Pacha NYC this past Saturday, Robbert hinted to us that he would personally like to see Dillon Francis work his magic on the track.
Sound off in the comments and let us know who you would like to see remix “Apollo” — Hardwell just might take your suggestion!
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Purchase: Beatport
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 Hardwell, Diplo, Nervo, 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.
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This week, Hardwell stopped by the BBC Radio 1 Studios to get behind the decks of Pete Tong‘s Radio 1 broadcast. Recently voted the 6th Best DJ in the World by the infamous DJ Mag poll, this Holland-based producer has been putting out electro/big room hybrids since he first got his start in 2007. In the last 2 years, with tracks like “Spaceman” and collaborations with Tiesto and Nicky Romero, Hardwell has seen a meteoric rise to superstardom, one that was fueled by his bootleg-heavy sets and the type of indescribable style that he himself proclaims as “Hardwell music.”
On his Essential Mix, Hardwell showcases his prowess for dismantling and reassembling familiar tracks with surprisingly unique results. Countless bootlegs and mash-ups, like his combination of REM’s “Losing My Religion” with “Three Triangles,” make up the foundation of the mix. Featuring cuts from his own Revealed Recordings artists and his upcoming track “Apollo,” Hardwell’s Essential Mix is big room at its best. If there was any doubt that his placement at #6 was ill-deserved, this Essential Mix should squelch the non-believers.
Tracklist after the break.
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Insomniac‘s White Wonderland New Year’s Eve celebration will return for its second year at the Anaheim Convention Center on December 31st. The EDC promoter has cut the event down from two to only one night this year, but the theme and location will remain the same. No word of a line-up yet.
Last year brought big names like Paul van Dyk, Kaskade (although weather prevented him from actually performing), Dada Life, Steve Angello, Benny Benassi, AN21 & Max Vangeli, and Thomas Gold. Tickets are now on sale for both general admission — $89 — and VIP — $175. Click past the break to get your tickets now. White attire is mandatory and the event is 21+.
Update: our observant readers pointed out Pasquale Rotella confirmed Dash Berlin, Above & Beyond, Hardwell, and Bingo Players on the line-up yesterday in a tweet:
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Hardwell and Dannic team up for another remix, this time “Elements” by Franky Rizardo and Roul & Doors. A quick followup to their rework of “Say Nothing,” this new remix fuses tribal vibes and Latin flavor to create a house tune ready for the dance floors. The “Elements” remix gives listeners rippling percussions and styled synths converting the quiet banger into a bursting production begging for some volume. The remix is out today alongside the original via Hardwell‘s own Revealed Records.
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Purchase: Beatport
