DA’s Best of Instagram: Week of April 7th, 2013

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.

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Baauer’s Harlem Shake craze sweeps Webster Hall

Dropping four Harlem Shakes on a mobbed Webster Hall, Baauer was crowned king of the moment in the city that never sleeps on a meme.

Rewind three weeks. The Brooklyn native was toiling in relative trap obscurity, completely unaware that a YouTube user named Filthy Frank was poised to make him the site’s latest poster child for viral video stardom. Don’t get me wrong, Baauer has been one of his subgenre’s brightest talents for some time and his success is well-deserved. But until four men donned strange latex suits and even stranger dance moves to a clip from his year-old single, trap had not quite arrived on the mainstream radar. One thing led to another… tens of thousands of times. Nearly two hundred million views and thousands of truly bizarre 31-second snippets later, Baauer seemed at home with his newfound fame last Friday.

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Just Blaze & Baauer – Higher

Apparently it’s possible for a trap production to be longer than three and a half minutes and still thwart my generational ADD. If a hip hop legend and trap vanguard collaborated, what would be the result? It would probably be combination of old school samples and new school trill. Dare I say, trap hop? Living up to my expectations, Just Blaze channels The Blueprint in his production treasure chest and renews Jay-Z’s vocals from ”U Don’t Know.” Mr. Carter also pays tribute to his longtime friend by providing a freshly recorded opening introduction. Baauer‘s contribution becomes clear as the bassline comes in, sprinkling reverb drums, nifty FX edits, and general badassery throughout. After previewing unintimidating house music from his forthcoming EP, “Higher” feels more indicative of Blaze’s style. Either way, we love his all-embracing approach to today’s dance music.

Legendary hip-hop producer, Just Blaze, with forthcoming Fool’s Gold EP

As one of the most revered hip-hop producers of our day, Just Blaze has produced for Jay-Z, Eminem, Kanye West, Cam’ron, and many more. You may also recognize him from his signature opening tag, “Just Blaaaze.” After a decade of giving rappers a rhythm to versify, the maestro that helped make Joe Budden relevant has joined the EDM ranks; where producers put their name in front of tracks – not just in the credits. A long time fan of house music, Just Blaze has been a staple at Fool’s Gold events for months and now has his own dance-focused EP on the way. Sampling his piano riff from “Exhibit C” with Jay Electronica, “Exhibit J” previews the easy-going house vibes we can expect. Catch the hip-hop icon live as he tours with Baauer across North America the next two months.