Nicky Romero’s edit of “Point Blank” was deservingly previewed last night as Pete Tong’s Essential Selection. Straying away from his usual grinding bass lines and heavy electro chords, Romero has taken a more gentle approach on this edit using blissful piano notes and euphoric melodies that give off nostalgic vibes. Still riding the wave of the massive “Sparks” release alongside Fedde Le Grand, and recently previewing his highly anticipated track “Iron” with Calvin Harris, Nicky Romero continuously proves why he is amongst dance music’s elite. There is no release date yet but we will keep you updated.
When making a list of dance musicians who have had a ridiculous year, it’s impossible to leave out Nicky Romero. A DJ and producer of just three years, he has already cemented his position on major festival lineups and in most of our iTunes libraries. He got his big break with “Flash” just over a year ago, and ever since then, he’s been cranking out quality production after quality production, rapidly taking the scene by storm. Well, he played the Electric Zoo main stage this year, delivering a set in the early afternoon that had the crowd fully attentive and fully bonkers the entire time.
We know we’re slightly delayed, but episode two of UMF TV takes you behind the scenes of what Ultra is calling the next generation of dance music producers. Hardwell, Porter Robinson, Nicky Romero, and Zedd are all under 25 years of age and have rocked stages all around the world for the past year. Porter recalls his first gig when he had never seen a DJ until the night before. Both he and Zedd, spun with a mouse, Traktor and no controller their first nights. Zedd claims “with electronic dance music, you can touch everyone…if you do it right.” It’s truly amazing to watch these young DJs take on the world when they barely know the world they’re in.
After releasing “Sparks” a few weeks ago, Fedde Le Grand and Nicky Romero are back with the vocal edit of their electro-tinged collaboration. “Turn Off Your Mind” adds Matthew Koma’s lyrics which drastically changes the feel of the track. With “Spectrum,” “Years,” and now “Sparks” under his belt, Koma could easily be up for dance vocalist of the year. The lyrics add an emotional touch to the already powerful electro synths and catchy melody. You might remember that we first got a sneak peak of the vocal edit in our own Axis podcast mixed by Nicky himself — and now you can grab it on Beatport tag free.
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We are doing our best to get you excited for Electric Zoo and Nicky Romero has decided to give us an hour of pleasurable listening to get us even more fired up. The mix features a great intro, with a few undercover tracks before getting into the usual fare consisting of tracks like “Nictim,” and “The Veldt.” Romero also included his latest collaboration with David Guetta, “Oval,” which provides a gritty bass line that is the perfect followup to “Metropolis.” In case you were wondering there are only 9 days to Electric Zoo 2012 – not that we’re counting. Check out the rest of TimeOutNewYork’s Ezoo Preview Mixes on their SoundCloud and the full track listing past the break.
Like many other DJs who name their radio show after their label, Nicky Romero has previewed his next big hit in the first episode of Protocol Radio. “Iron” is a collaboration with Calvin Harris who lends his unique vocal style to Nicky monstrous production style. We can almost guarantee that this track is going to be huge with its slow, soulful lyrics and wobbling electro bassline. We can’t help but be excited for September 10th, when this track drops.
Back in May, Jay-Z announced his “Budweiser Made In America Festival” for Philadelphia with a lineup that included Skrillex, Afrojack, and Calvin Harris along with Pearl Jam and the rap-legend himself. The joining of forces of icons across all genres made a statement for dance music, and that has statement has grown stronger after the lineup’s second phase was revealed today.
Nicky Romero and Zedd have been cranking out hits on their own respectively — “Sparks” and “Spectrum” most recently — but now they team up for “Human,” which is out now on Interscope Records. If you’re a listener of our Axis podcast, the track will sound familiar, as it was featured in Nicky’s guest mix for us earlier in the summer. The track users powerful underlying chords and a strong female vocal, which is contrasted by harder electro sounds that feel like a balance between Nicky’s and Zedd’s individual styles. It’s definitely a different kind of track than past offerings from these young producers, but we’re loving the change of pace.
Nicky Romero is the latest DJ to jump on the podcast / radio show bandwagon with his upcoming Protocol Radio. The show, which will start on October 1st, will be a “diary of my life as a producer and DJ who is constantly on the road,” incorporating studio mixes, livesets, and of course, tons of new material.
Much like Tiesto’s Club Life, the show will be a weekly occurrence, though it’s only slated to clock in at one hour per week. Protocol Radio is the latest addition to The Radio Department’s roster, which currently boasts shows like Armin Van Buuren’s A State of Trance, and Sander Van Doorn’s Identity. We’ll keep you updated as we hear more, but in the meantime, follow @ProtocolRec on Twitter for updates.
Day by day we’ve been hearing of the big names that have remixed Zedd and Matthew Koma’s “Spectrum.” First, it was Armin van Buuren to debut his take on his A State Of Trance radio show. Then it was Arty and Deniz Koyu who would join the mix. Now we have a previews of A-Trak and Gregori Klosman’s remixes to add to the list of contributors. Zedd’s Spectrum EP doesn’t end at the big name remixes; it also includes a brand new collaboration with Nicky Romero dubbed “Human” — which you’ve heard already if you downloaded our Axis podcast mixed by Nicky himself. Jump below the break to preview the EP ahead of its July 31st release date.
