Before Pete Tong dropped Axwell’s anticipated new premiere and Daft Punk’s long awaited interview on BBC Radio 1′s dance music marathon last night, Annie Mac shared the new dub mix collaboration between talented Brits Alex Metric and Jacques Lu Cont “Safe With You.” Featuring the vocals of Malin from Niki & The Dove, the track boasts pure energy with a big room flare in a perfectly mastered 80s dance feel. Jacques Lu Cont spoke of the inspiration of the release with Annie:
“What I really love is working on music where the objective isn’t about how commercially successful it has to be. Within dance music it’s totally liberating and you do what makes you feel good. The other thing that’s good with DJing is no matter what you’ve made, you know within five seconds of putting that record on in the club whether it’s any good or not, and you don’t get that anywhere else. It’s so immediate and magical like that. I’m enjoying every second of it.”
Release date on Ministry of Sound is still to be determined.
We live in an age of icons – some physical, others conceptual. Before the dots and LED mouse-heads, the regal crest of a crowned-disco ball reigned king of European club land, its court aptly named Ministry of Sound. With their club now causing emotive stirs from some of the world’s most iconic artists and SFX jesting at interest in their globally renowned brand values, their impending plans for North American expansion have never been more relevant to the wider global industry. For Europe, it has been one of the most powerful brands of clubbing to date. For America, an upheaval in its clubbing paradigm may finally be around the corner. (more…)
In addition to Winter Music Conference, Ultra Music Festival, and all the Miami Music Week parties one could ask for, March brings on an onslaught of compilations geared towards the season’s festivities. Ministry of Sound is proud to present Miami Sessions 2013, a 28-track collection rounded out by two mixes — one dubbed “The Pool,” the other “The Club.” Serving dance options to keep feet moving at either setting, this year’s Miami Sessions comes packed with records from the likes of Deadmau5, Fedde Le Grand, Hardwell, and Alesso, while deeper grooves are offered by artists such as Jamie Jones, Maya Jane Coles, and Umek among others.
Still on a high from his “Life (Diamonds in the Dark)” release last week, John Dahlback surprises us with a free download of “Hunterfield.” The Mutants Records offering will commemorate his headlining spot at the Ministry of Sound in London this Saturday, where he will be playing along with Michael Woods, Swanky Tunes and Lunde Bros. The electro-heavy progression adds an energetic kick drum synonymous with the Swede’s revamped sound, building upon JD’s strong 2013 campaign.
The No Sugar Added beach festival at Nikki Beach during Miami Music Week has been THE South Beach day-event destination since its inception 3 years ago. Spanning 2 days and 6 stages, the festival will boast over 40 DJs with sets starting at noon and continuing throughout the day and night until 5am. Dancing Astronaut is pleased to announce our very own stage at the iconic event, alongside legendary brands like Ministry of Sound, Musical Freedom, Defected and Music On. We can’t divulge our plans for talent just yet, but we’ve already got some Dancing Astronaut favorites lined up – including a couple surprises.
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.
When word surfaced that Mat Zo and Porter Robinson were collaborating on a track together, there was no doubt the result was bound to be a bonafide big room anthem. Recently a clip of a complete rework arose from the Belgium-based Modek — it’s everything a proper remix ought to be. The hybrid of electro and tech house beatwork make up an uplifting, nu-disco turnaround — breathing even more life into an already glorious track. Slaps of high-hats meshed with a looped vocal segment transform the progressive gem into a groovy disco cut. Modek’s remix of “Easy” is set for a release on Anjunabeats/Ministry of Sound in the coming weeks, but for now, you can enjoy a lengthy preview after the break.
Former grime-MC-turned-rapper Wretch 32 first made waves with his tune “Tracktor” in early 2011. Since then Wretch – real name Jermaine Sinclair — has teamed with UK stunners such as Example and Etta Bond, all while he worked on his sophomore album Black and White. The album, which was released via Ministry of Sound, received praise around the UK and Wretch 32 has been on the rise since.
The UK hip-hopper has now returned with his latest track, “Pop” which is slated to appear on his next album due out sometime this year. The original track oozes with his original grime flavor, but Fake Blood has given us a dance-worthy remix. The London-based producer keeps the integrity of Wretch’s vocals, but adds extra kick drums to give “Pop” even more grimey oomph.
Click below the break to hear Wretch 32′s original “Pop” as well as the Fake Blood’s remix.
Since 1995 the iconic dance music brand, Ministry of Sound, has put together a compilation of the biggest club hits of the year dubbed The Annual. This year, Ministry of Sound has once again created a sonic time machine of the timeless tracks from 2012. All of the usual suspects are present — “Spectrum,” “Million Voices,” “Calling,” “MoZart” and more all make appearances on the extensive 26-track compilation.
As 2012 comes to a close, The Annual 2013 provides us with just the right amount of nostalgia for what may have been one the biggest years for dance music in recent memory. Have a listen to the preview after the break and share with us your favorite moments from 2012 that these tracks help define. For us, overplayed as it may be, even Tiesto’s remix of Gotye’s “Somebody I Used To Know” brings back memories of warmer weather on the beaches of Miami last March.
In a bit of a dream team scenario, Porter Robinson & Mat Zo have exposed the first preview of their new collaboration, entitled “Easy.” Pete Tong got the first play on this one last Friday on BBC Radio 1, but we also noticed Mat Zo played an extended version during his TATW 450set over the weekend in Bangalore. Zo has been playing some version of “Easy” in his sets for a while now, but it appears that Porter has reworked it a bit in preparation for the official release. Is this the tune of 2012? Maybe, maybe not. We can, however, confirm from the two minute clip here that “Easy” is a well-produced, feel good, and universally catchy track. We don’t have specific details on the release, but sounds like it will be out on Ministry of Sound around the first of year.
