As OWSLA boss Skrillex preps to perform as Jack U with Diplo for this summer’s Mad Decent Block Party, his label continues prepping for summer releases. The hip-hop rooted, dub based David Heartbreak is next in the lineup, poised for a mid-month release of “Raindrops,” a collaboration with The Netherlands’ The Party Squad and EDM’s go-to vocalist Skylar Grey. Though Heartbreak uses a hip-hop bassline and hard hi-hats, Grey’s vocals seem to stop the track short of trap, and the synth string melody keeps the tune more chill than trill. With the official release date set at May 15th, “Raindrops” will be released with Heartbreak’s The Foundation EP.
Jon Gooch has returned, and he’s done so in excellent fashion. His latest production may be under the guise of Feed Me, but it’s brimming with conspicuous Spor influence. While Dirty South unveiled his big room remix of ”Messiah“ last week, Feed Me’s dubstep and breaks rendition has just been aired, and it’s phenomenal. Alvin Risk may have gotten the first stab at a dubstep remix, but Feed Me’s production is arguably stronger, making wonderful use of the vocals and layering diverse drum patterns. Dubstep at times, breakbeat at others, Feed Me’s brilliant take on the empowering single will be released May 7th on OWSLA.
Brother’s Wouter & Sjoerd Janssen are piled in the back of a car enroute to Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport. Today, the duo has unveiled their latest single “Get Loose,” a significant milestone in the footsteps of a duo whose street-credibility has been overtaken only by their festival-proofed sound of late. As a mainstay of the European hard dance circuit reborn as one of the globe’s more consistent peak time connoisseurs, their butterfly like movement from the days of “Analogue Players in a Digital World” to the gold-record racking “Cannonball” for Spinnin Records has never felt anything short of a genuine leap from two passionate club protagonists. They’ve sealed two albums, traded hard dance festivals to WMC, taken WMC by storm, even remixed Carly Ray Jespen. But as Dancing Astronaut learned in an exclusive interview, this is not a test: Showtek is here to elevate the peak time skyline like never before.
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The latest project from OWSLA arbiter Alvin Risk is a boisterous dubstep collaboration alongside New York duo Designer Drugs. “Empty Hearted” begins with a quick four-on-the-floor beat bolstered by transposed lyrics and clicking 8-bit synths. The drop that ensues is a bit rambunctious, but balanced out nicely by an overriding big room melody. Along the same lines as his previous release ”Skyclad,“ Alvin Risk has lent his own voice to the production, warping and tuning it into a robotic and melancholic vocal track.
Purchase: Beatport, iTunes
For those in the know, the Red Bull Guest House (aka the Dream South Beach Hotel on every other week of the year) was a WMC hot spot this year for catching marquee talents in an intimate setting populated by sunbathing models and A-list onlookers. With eye-opening lineups featuring the likes and labels of Skrillex, A-Trak, and Boys Noize, the poolside performance spot mostly catered to more new-school genres like electro, dubstep and trap over the course of the past week.
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After releasing their first EP back in October, OWSLA’s Monsta reemerged this week with an unexpected free download. Moombahton-based but running all over the aural landscape, “Tudo Se Foi/Gone” combines synth scratches of turntablism with the huge bass the UK trio have built their sound on, throwing in some reggae rap and high-pitched vocals to round things out. A heavy track held together by a stabbing beat, “Tudo Se Foi/Gone” proves that production-wise, the Monsta boys have been busy.
This year’s lineup for Ultra Music Festival is arguably its most impressive selection in its 15 year history. With genres as diverse as psytrance to hip-hop represented, it is potentially the most eclectic lineup the festival has ever hosted. While mega acts such as Swedish House Mafia, Deadmau5, and Tiësto will be a staple in most people’s weekends, we’d like to take the time to highlight the best acts and stages from prominent genres outside of mainstream EDM. Click past the break to see which dubstep, deep house, downtempo and techno acts you can’t miss at Ultra Weekend 1.
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It’s been a while since we last heard some original material from Alvin Risk – his Infinity EP was nearly a year ago — but the wait is finally over, as the plaid-sporting Skrillex-understudy has released “Skyclad” today on OWSLA. Beginning with an enticing, orientally-flavored string intro, “Skyclad” picks up with sedative broken beat and a yearning vocal track (which we’ve confirmed as Alvin Risk’s own). Risk’s lyrics aptly precede the drop, as he sings: “I wanna show you how, to lose yourself.” With its roaring undertones and spitting laser-like synths, the ensuing drop is not for the faint of heart.
“Skyclad” is classic Alvin Risk through and through, and a worthy return to original material for the OWSLA protégé. Adoring fans will find much cause to celebrate in Risk’s latest output.
Purchase: Beatport
Kill Paris has made remarkable progress in the last year. It was just ten months ago that he delivered promising tracks like “Do You Need Someone” and “I Do Love You” to a growing fan base. It was four months ago that he revamped his production with “Baby Come Back” and “Tender Love.” He then made an appearance alongside Dillon Francis on a remix of Monsta, before accompanying Skrillex’s burgeoning imprint on the OWSLA Tour. Today marks his biggest accomplishment yet, as Corey Baker makes his official OWSLA debut with To a New Earth, a nine-track EP consisting of three originals and six remixes from the likes of Griz, K Theory, Candyland, Robert Delong, and Gramatik.
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Aside from providing remix duties for Monsta and the Prodigy, Alvin Risk has been a bit quiet on the release front. With today’s preview of “Skyclad,” it appears Alvin Risk is gearing up for his first original production since his Infinity EP. Beginning with a series of chiming synths, “Skyclad” picks up with a deep beat and a yearning vocal track (presumably from Risk himself as no vocalist is cited). The preview ends all too abruptly before the would-be screeching, spastic dubstep drop takes over. “Skyclad” will be released on March 5th via OWSLA.
