Long-haired, enigmatic, and outspoken, Tommie Sunshine has been a presence in dance music for over a decade, fostering young talent and establishing himself as a tastemaker in the industry. His Ultra Music performance on Day 2 of the first weekend – much like his Axis mix – was a showcase of countless unreleased tracks and debuts from TJR, Mt. Eden, Alvaro, Showtek, and of course, the man himself. Tommie keeps things bouncy and care-free in his hour set, delivering 14 tracks of blistering electro designed specifically for keeping energy levels high and crowds entranced. One such debut during the mix was Dave Silcox’s remix of “Cool Without You,” a rendition that leaves no room for subtlety, stripping the melody from the original and replacing it with breakneck drum fills, twisted vocals and a blaring siren-filled break.
Listen and download Tommie’s set and Dave Silcox’s remix after the break. (more…)
“Group Therapy captures the relationship between us, our music and you, our audience, and the magic that happens when those three things interact. It’s something you’ve all taken into your hearts and it lies at the centre of everything that we do – the community, the connection, the interaction. Our radio show is our weekly Group Therapy with all of you.”
Above & Beyond attract a cult-like following, one that I’m not sure I fully understood until last Saturday. I’m not a member of the “trance family,” it isn’t my favorite subgenre of electronic music, and I’ve only seen Above & Beyond twice before — neither time from start to finish — but I recognize their legacy. When I was offered a one way ticket to Trancelandia I eagerly accepted. Although the controversy currently surrounding dance music events didn’t effect my experience, it did give me the opportunity to critically examine why I was there.
With the popularity of “raves” growing, their value, safety, and purpose have come under scrutiny causing debate amongst dance music’s most vocal critics and supporters. A recent article published by The LA Times reduced festivals and similar events to nothing more than cash-fueled death traps. Anyone who has spent time squished between strangers just to hear a DJ play for three hours knows that’s simply not the case.
We’re back with a special Monday installment of Dancing Astronaut’s Axis! For our 39th episode we’ve got Chicago born (NYC livin’) Tommie Sunshine providing the soundtrack. The often outspoken DJ has been cutting up decks since 93’ and has worked alongside the Disco Fries as Fries & Shine, Bart B More & RipTidE as Horsepower, Australia’s Go Freek, Downlow’d, & NYC’s own – Live City.
This mix is made up entirely of unreleased work, a first for Axis, and features exclusive tracks from Afrojack, DubVision, The M Machine, Alvaro and many more that you won’t hear anywhere else. Listen to Tommie’s exceptional mix below and click after the break for the exclusive filled track-listing.
Massive tracks usually warrant massive remix packages, and that’s exactly what we have here with the “Cool Without You” remix bundle. The Fries & Shine boys have carefully hand picked seven different producers whose task was to transform the disco-laden gem into something of their own. It’s an eclectic collection of talent spanning from young trance star Audien to a pair of duos, The Partysquad and Tommy Lee & Aero. The remix pack is set to be released February 11th, but don’t you worry – we have the exclusive preview below.
Best of the Rest is a daily feature from Dancing Astronaut that recaps the most important posts of the day as well as the stuff we didn’t get to. With the rapidity that dance music news and releases come out it’s difficult for us to hit everything — we hope BOTR serves as a catch-all. Make sure to check it out at the end of each day to ensure you don’t miss anything!(more…)
After publicly stating his opinion on “EDM” in recent guest blogs, Tommie Sunshine started quite a stir in the dance music community, causing global fans to chime in on the sensitive debate of old vs. new culture. While the debate continues on, Tommie’s latest release, “Cool Without You,” with Disco Fries and Kid Sister, is sure to encourage everyone to forget their differences and dance. Heard first at Afrojack’s Jacked NYE in NYC, the funky basslines and catchy vocal combine a disco-like feel with the energy of big room house that will have you hooked instantly.
Following their debut collab ‘Don’t Look Back’, Fries and Shine return with a disco fueled banger entitled ‘Cool Without You’, which features Fool’s Gold artist Kid Sister on vocals. The follow up has funky basslines, catchy vocals and an energetic flow to get you hooked instantly. The tune is slated for release on January 21th, check out the preview taken live from JACKED NYE @ Pier 94 below.
Reflecting upon over two decades spent working in the cause of dance music, Tommie Sunshine took to Huffington Post this week to share a guest blog entitled ‘EDM is Growing Up.’ Much like one of his Twitter rants, Tommie’s message spreads love and optimism for dance music in the new year — only using a few more than 140 characters.
“That time is upon us… it’s going to be an amazing year for EDM and the emerging culture around it.”
Brooklyn resident and dance music mainstay, Tommie Sunshine is no stranger to creating unique and eclectic mixtapes. The enigmatic DJ has been producing tracks since 1993, making a name for himself by remixing popular punk, rock and alternative tracks from the likes of Fall Out Boy, Mindless Self Indulgence, Good Charlotte and more.
A strong supporter of New York City’s dance music scene, and owner of Brooklyn Fire records, Tommie has continued to champion experimentation in dance music. His latest mixtape, the appropriately titled, “Walking in a Raver Wonderland” mirrors his experimental approach to music. A party-oriented mix through and through, Tommie features a slew of remixes, edits, mash-ups, and unreleased originals – the perfect present for this holiday season.
As New York gets back into working order after the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy there are still thousands of people along NY and NJ’s coastlines, from Staten Island to Sea Isle City, who have been displaced from their homes – or left with no home to go back to at all.
This Monday at the Gramercy Theatre, “EDM For Sandy Relief,” plans to raise funds for those of us outside of Manhattan, who lost more than just power and convenient subway lines. Headlined by the Crystal Method, Tommie Sunshine, Drop the Lime and more, the event plans to donate all proceeds to the American Red Cross and will also be holding a canned and non-perishable Thanksgiving food drive as a well as a silent auction held by the shows sponsors. Come out and show your support.
