We've Moved!

Hey guys!  We have some great news.  We have officially purchased our own domain, so you can now find us at www.SoundSingularity.com.  This is a big step for us, and we would appreciate any input you guys may have.  See you on the other side!

Seekae performs '3' live at the Sydney Opera House

Here is a video of Australian trio performing their song '3' live from the Utzon Room at the Sydney Opera House.  The band performed just as the sun rose over the Eastern side of Sydney Harbor, creating a blissful setting for an equally blissful song.  This video will definitely brighten your Monday, trust me:

You can find Seekae's official website here and their Facebook page here.

Hot Since 82 Posts a Free Track

UK producer Hot Since 82 has posted a free download of his remix of Fired Up! by Funky Green Dogs that I highly recommend.  The moment right around 2:35 gave me some serious frisson. 

Electric Zoo 2012: Friday Review / Track IDs

Have to start these reviews somewhere so why not start with Friday? After (somewhat) recovering from a very, very busy 3 days of nonstop dancing, I am finally able to clear my head and recall what the hell happened during this marathon of a weekend. As most people did on Friday, our schedule brought us to the Fool's Gold tent for the majority of the day with stops off at Netsky, Reboot, and Luciano throughout.

Treasure Fingers

Treasure Fingers started out the day for us playing his usual mix of nu disco fire and chiller electronic tracks.  It was a perfect way to start the day as everyone's feet needed a little bit of a warm up for what was about to ensue. One of the best tracks that we did not suspect him to play was by Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, who we recently saw at LPR, called Tapes & Money.

Electric Zoo 2012: Saturday Review / Track IDs

I think I'm the only writer that failed to do a post about my top picks leading up to Electric Zoo, so I guess I'll try to make up for it a bit by telling you who my favorites were from the weekend.  If you read this post, you can probably guess who my number 1 is...

Electric Zoo 2012: Sunday Review / Track IDs

With another 3 days of Electric Zoo behind us, I would like to first thank Made Event and all of the artists for giving us an incredible experience.  The weekend went on without a hitch, and the masses were given some performances that they’ll remember forever.  Now, onto my review of day 3 in the Sunday School Grove (aka home) after the jump!

New Flying Lotus Music Featured in Short Film

A short film titled "Until The Quiet Comes" has been released that features three songs off of Flying Lotus' new album.  The impressive video was directed by Khalil Joseph and definitely inspires some thought (warning, a tad gory):

The track list is as follows:

1. See Thru To U (feat. Erykah Badu)
2.  Hunger (feat. Niki Randa)
3.  Getting There (feat. Niki Randa)

All three songs seem pretty great, with the third reminding me most of FlyLo's last album 'Cosmogramma.'   His new album, also titled 'Until The Quiet Comes' will be available on October 1st.  Less than a month away!

Eric Prydz Returning to the USA

Eric Prydz himself just posted this picture on twitter saying he will be performing at Surrender in Las Vegas for New Years Eve 2013.  This is all the information available at the time, but one would speculate that there may also be a 2nd US tour in the span of a few months.  Very exciting news for any dance music fan! (especially those of us that only caught his 3 songs at Beekman).

More details to follow as they become available.

German Band Toy does live cover of Boys Noize, Daft Punk, and More

This is a couple of months old, so forgive me if you have heard it, but I thought this was too impressive not to post.  In this video, a German Band named Toy does live covers of Daft Punk, Justice, Mr. Oizo and Boys Noize.  It is really amazing how these dudes were able to capture the spirit of these artists with all live instruments and no samples.  They even do a jaw-dropping mix of Let There be Light by Justice and Aerodynamic by Daft Punk.  Watch the video below:

The tracklist is as follows:

0:09 Daft Punk - Robot Rock
1:55 Justice - Let there be light / 3:04 Daft Punk - Aerodynamic
4:26 Mr. Oizo - Cut Dick
5:23 Justice - Helix
6:54 Boys Noize - & Down

Here is what Toy has written about themselves on their website: 

"TOY is a dance-generator! By processing huge energy input, different worlds of music are melted down. The product is a technoid noise-colossus that transforms tracks by heroes of the electronic scene such as Justice, Boys Noize and Daft Punk into a handcrafted “Gesamtkunstwerk”. In doing so, any jugglery is avoided – true to the motto: “No synths, no samples, no compromises.” Thus the eight-headed monster-collective creates a technically elaborate mélange of technoid banging, organic disco beats and rock’n'roll sweat. The performance will delight open-air ravers as well as instrument-freaks, because TOY master the acoustic sledgehammer just the same as the nuances which reveal the love for details and musicality. So after Electro occupied the dance floors in the last years, handicraft is now simply taking over electronic music. This is the DJ mixset 2.0!"

Go check out their website and like them on their Facebook!

John B Summer Studio Mix

If you don't know by now, I'm a huge fan of John B. Definitely rivals Netsky, Sub Focus, Andy C, Metrik, High Contrast, and Camo & Krooked as my favorite drum and bass DJ/producer. Was first introduced to his stuff thanks to Jack Beats and their remix of his song Up All Night.  I initially thought their song was an original (it's awesome regardless) but soon realized that it was pretty much a remix of John B's original. I have been following him closely ever since.

Just yesterday, he posted his Summer 2012 Studio Mix up on Mixcloud and it is quite phenomenal. I have posted it for your listening pleasure below along with quite possibly the best DnB mix of a big room house song I've heard to date. Everyone has been loving Porter Robinson's Language but I think the original pales in comparison to this DnB remix. I honestly wish this remix was played all the time in place of the original. Make sure to check out John B's other mixes as well on his mixcloud channel. Tracklist after the jump as well.

John B Podcast 095: Summer 2012 Studio Mix by John B on Mixcloud

Cash's Electric Zoo Artist Spotlights

I have sad, sad news.  As the only Sound Singularity contributor not located in the Northeast, I am also the only contributor not attending Electric Zoo.  However, that doesn't mean that I can avoid getting caught up in all the excitement!  Over the past couple of weeks, Sound Singularity has been spotlighting E. Zoo artists that we think are worth checking out.  These are the links for Hank Alfresco's and Deegleberry's which you should check out if you haven't already.  And here are a few artists that I thought were worth writing about before the event:

EOTO

EOTO is a pretty popular act, but their fans tend to be a different audience than we usually get here at Sound Singularity.  EOTO is a dubstep duo formed in 2006 by Michael Travis and Jason Hann, well-known for their work in The String Cheese Incident.  In my opinion, when listening to recordings of EOTO, it can at times sound like pretty run-of-the-mill dubstep (not always, but sometimes).  However, having seen them a few times, I can safely say that it is their live performances where they really shine.  EOTO's uniqueness comes from the fact that their music is all live improvisation.  Michael Travis loops vocals, guitar, bass and keyboard through his laptop while Jason Hann loops vocals and drums through his.  Through their years performing with SCI, these guys have become experts at reading and feeding off of a crowds energy.  Their performances are always unique and impressive, and it will definitely be a one-of-a-kind set at Electric Zoo.  Here is a live video/interview from Electric Forest 2012:

 EOTO live at Electric Forest 2012

Eliot Lipp

Eliot Lipp is an artist based out of Brooklyn and currently signed to Pretty Lights Music.  His music definitely has it's own sound, and draws from quite a few different genres including hip-hop, electro, funk, and techno.  He brings an awesome live set, and often has a live drummer with him.  He'll definitely be a great early day performance.  Check out a couple of his tunes below:

Eliot Lipp - Yeah

Eliot Lipp - The Sunset

Paper Diamond

Paper Diamond is another artist from Pretty Lights Music that will be performing at Electric Zoo.  Paper Diamond, AKA Alex Botwin got his career started as the bassist for Pnuma Trio.  Like label mate Eliot Lipp, his music is inspired by a wide variety of genres, including hip-hop, electro and dubstep.  Here are a few songs of his:

Paper Diamond - All Green Lights

Kanye West - Power (Paper Diamond Remix)

Chris Liebing

I first had saw Chris Liebing perform at this past year's Beyond Wonderland in Southern California.  He was sandwiched between Green Velvet and Adam Beyer, so I figured I would stick around and watch a few minutes.  Needless to say, I was beyond impressed and he had me dancing his entire set with serious techno.  The guy is extremely talented, and I highly recommend stopping by his set.  Here is a mix he did a couple of months ago in LA:

Thanks for reading, and make sure you guys all have an awesome time this weekend!

Cash

Hot Creations Boat Cruise Review

All summer long, Verboten has been killing it with their techno/deep house/tech house parties all over the city and they are showing no signs of letting up. I initially was really looking forward to the Guy Gerber Supplement Facts boat cruise but ended up missing it due to some last minute vacation time. Thanks to Verboten, I was given a second chance at glory and immediately purchased Hot Creations tickets upon their release.

We started off the night exploring the massive boat, the Hornblower Infinity, which apparently can hold  700 - 1,000 people. As per usual, Verboten kept it at a reasonable capacity where there was plenty of room to dance and mingle with everyone. After exploring the boat's ins and outs while dancing to the music all around us, we ended up on the top deck with Infinity Ink who absolutely crushed it. We first recognized some Dirtybird tracks such as Justin Martin's Ruff Stuff:

Hit the jump to read the rest of our review below.

Booka Shade - Honeyslave EP

Way back at last year's Identity Festival, one of the most underrated acts there (and one of my personal favorites) had to have been Booka Shade.  They do not grace the US with their presence all that frequently as they are touring all over the globe so you have to take what you can get in the form of studio releases normally.

Last week, Booka Shade released their Honeyslave EP and in typical Booka Shade fashion it did not disappoint.  Although only 4 tracks long with 2 being club mixes of the original songs Honeyslave and Tomorrow Belongs to Us it certainly makes for a great listen. I especially enjoyed the club mix of Tomorrow Belongs to Us as the groove slowly builds throughout and brings in the semi-robotic vocals in a more atmospheric form later.  The original of that same song is just as good but obviously is more chill and I tend to prefer the more danceable versions of most songs.  Check out the EP in it's entirety below thanks to Dimmak Records via YouTube and make sure to purchase it via Beatport if you like what you hear.

Deegleberry's slightly more obvious Electric Zoo picks

Sunday School Grove + Hilltop Arena 2012 courtesy of EZoo on Instagram

None of the names below should be unfamiliar to many of you as they are by no means strangers to the festival setting.  I'm simply pointing out some of the great names that aren't always in the New York area.  Check after the jump for my no brainer picks for Electric Zoo 2012 featuring Netsky, Sasha, Better Lost Than Stupid and Boys Noize!

Hank Alfresco’s Ezoo picks that you might not know (but should)

Ah yes it's that time of year again.  It's hard to believe in just 3 short years Made Event has transformed a small dance festival just outside of Manhattan into one of the most anticipated musical events of the year.  After last year went off without a hitch (well... almost. I'm still upset about Plastikman), there's no reason to expect anything but the same this year.  From mass transit, to entrance lines, even to dust control, Made Event really seems to have it all together and have proven they're some of the best event   organizers out there.

Now, onto the music.  Rather than give you a bunch of pick’s and “must-sees” that you already know, I figured I’d share some of the lesser known talents that are sure to put on one hell of a show.  If you’re looking for a list filled with Guettas and Aokis, look away now.  However, if you want an experience filled with diverse track selections and the deeper, darker shades of dance music, then this is the list for you.

Apparat (Live)

As one of the few acts with live instruments, this will be a nice change of pace from the rest of the weekend.  Apparat is a very well respected musician, and embodies all that is right in the industry; he produces music with high artistic value that often doesn’t fall into place of any existing genre.  Rather than go for the money and fame by producing whatever’s popular, he is constantly exploring and experimenting.  With recent news that he is back in the studio with his good friends Modeselektor, I’m holding out hope that he plays my favorite track from them, Rusty Nails.  Or better yet, something new!

See some more of my picks after the jump!

Inxec & Droog - Rude EP

Just a few minutes ago LA based DJ trio and the head honchos of the Culprit label, Droog, were kind enough to give us a preview of their upcoming collaboration with Inxec.  With these two regularly teaming up to produce a deep, funky sound, including one of the top songs of 2012 (below), you're sure to hear this one sending dance floors into a frenzy in the near future.

I first discovered Droog when we wandered into the Heineken Dome at Coachella this year for a "quick beer".  2 hours later we emerged from the darkness with one hell of a buzz and a new found love for Droog.  Unfortunately, they typically only tour the west coast & Europe, but I continue to hold out hope that one day NYC will see one of the famous Droog roof-top or pool parties that Californians are so lucky to have on a regular basis.

The EP is to be released in early September, and will include another Inxec/Droog original, along with 3 remixes.



Droog's previous release with Inxec, a remix of Positive Thing by Gavin Herlihy

TEED Essential Mix 8/18

Well that didn't take long. Literally a couple weeks after he joined us in NYC at LPR, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs was invited to make his Essential Mix on BBC Radio One. As only Orlando can provide, this mix is full of an eclectic selection of tunes that I highly doubt anyone has really heard. Ranging from Scuba to the Tom Tom Club to Lauren Lane (Visionquest), this mix truly brings in the old and the new of electronic music. Whether you're stuck inside on account of rain or relaxing outside, this is the perfect mix to chill out to (it does pick up in the middle though). Give it a listen below and we posted a proposed set list below as well although it is unconfirmed.

The Adventures of Mr. Fox

Haven't written a post about any dubstep in awhile as most events that I have gone to lately have been deep/tech house oriented. Figured I'd buck the trend that has been going around here and post about one of my current favorite dubstep acts, Koan Sound. Koan Sound synths and bass are the definition of crunchy and are just too damn catchy and unique. If you missed them at Webster Hall a few months back then I truly feel sorry for you as they absolutely crushed it. The only way I think I could've liked it better would have been if it were at a venue like Le Poisson Rouge.

Anyway, Koan Sound have been working on a new EP and announced that it will be released on OWSLA on September 4th. They just let loose a teaser on YouTube of the tracks that are on the EP and although I am not the biggest fan of the first clip, all the other sound phenomenal. Take a listen below and be on the lookout for The Adventures of Mr. Fox in a few weeks. In addition, I threw in another of my favorites that is already released.

Koan Sound - The Adventures of Mr. Fox EP Teaser

Koan Sound - Max Out

John Digweed / Danny T / Pleasurekraft: Review

We split up this post based on which writer knew each artist the best, so enjoy.  Also, right up front we'd like to give serious props to Made Event for another incredibly smoothly run event.  There's no doubt you guys are one of the best in the business.

Pleasurekraft

Oh Pleasurekraft, I have been waiting to see you for years now and FINALLY was able to catch you guys (at least 1 of the 2). I was running on about 3 hours of drunken sleep when I got there but I made myself go and it was so worth it despite almost falling asleep on the boat over. Needless to say, once I stepped foot off that ferry that thumping bass immediately woke me up especially when I heard the unmistakable carny/circus-like sounds of Pleasurekraft starting up.

If I do recall correctly, the first Pleasurekraft jam I recognized was one of their newer songs, Murdered Out featuring Belocca. This was only a brief sampling of their own collection to start, as the tech house vibes continued to groove further along into the night picking from songs other than their own to ease everyone in.

As the set continued though, everyone knew there surely had to be more of Pleasurekraft's catalog played, which then led to a barrage of Pleasurekraft. This streak contained songs such as Satyr Song, their remix of Zooloo by Miles Dyson (fairly certain I remember this), Tarantula, and of course Skeleton Key. Satyr Song is quite possibly one of the best songs to sing along to solely because of how many times cocaine is mentioned. Anytime you can get a crowd of people yelling "Rosé on my braaaaain, cocaine in my dick veinnn" you have a winner.

Pleasurekraft - Satyr Song (Original Mix) at Gov's Island

Another highlight from this streak of songs was the fact that the sample for Skeleton Key was revealed although I still have been unable to find it myself. Everyone thought the vibe was being switched to Trap randomly when in actuality you could hear the "I'm bigger than that" sample in all its true, higher pitched glory. This obviously was then picked up right into Skeleton Key for a full helping of their newest release with Green Velvet.



All in all, Pleasurekraft did the best of the night for me and I would love to see them again. Sadly, I could not muster enough energy for the up-close and personal after party at LPR as my body hated from the damage I had done to it in the days prior. Rumor has it that they could be returning to NYC with Green Velvet later in the Fall so keep your ears at the ready for that, I know I will. I just can't get enough of that ol' apple pie melody.

Ps. If anyone can ID the song that had a sample along the lines of "You always sayin' how tough work was today, well guess what? You ain't at work. DANCE", I will love you forever and ever.

-lamebrain

Crazy P(enis) @ Highline Ballroom 9/2

Crazy P is an electronic group from the UK that have been around for quite sometime (formed in 1995). They normally produce deep house, disco, and house style tracks which are as chill as ever. And no, the title of this post is not a joke (ok it kind of is). Their name was technically Crazy Penis but was officially shortened for obvious reasons in 2008.

I believe this show was just recently announced (or maybe I just overlooked it) but I personally cannot wait for this. Sure, it's after a 3 day binge of every sub-genre of electronic music (Sunday night of EZoo 9/2) so exhaustion could be a concern but I will be making every effort to attend this solely for Crazy P. Unlike many shows in the electronic scene, this will be live with their full band of 5 people and if you haven't heard their live album, When We Live, I highly recommend checking it out for a little sneak preview. If you cannot find that live recording/album (I believe it's a rarity) then feel free to preview some of my favorite tracks from them below or their newest studio album When We On.

Tickets are on sale now via Resident Advisor for the show at Highline Ballroom and are only $25 which is a steal. They have a very chill disco/house vibe to them so even if you are too tired after EZoo I recommend you check them out. They will be accompanied by dOP and Safeword at Highline Ballroom. Special thanks to Verboten for getting them to come to NYC and like I said before, look for my favorite tracks of theirs below.

Danny Tenaglia CONFIRMED for Sensation U.S.A.!!

Breaking news!  According to his official website, Danny Tenaglia is CONFIRMED to be playing the second night of Sensation America at the Barclay's Center on October 26th and 27th.  This is big news as the NYC legend will get the chance to play one of the most anticipated events of the year in America, and it brings us one step closer to the full lineup.  Just coming off a huge weekend with John Digweed and Pleasurekraft at Governor's Island, this brings a glimmer of hope for those of us praying that the Sensation U.S.A. lineup will not be big-room house heavy.

Click Here to see the confirmation on Danny T's website!

STS9 at Best Buy Theatre

Edit: So the tour has been officially announced, and fan club tickets for Best Buy Theater will be available through STS9's online store on Wednesday, August 15th at Noon EDT.

Last night, STS9 posted some new 2012 Fall tour dates on their Facebook bandpage.  It looks like someone may have jumped the gun on the announcement because very shortly afterwards the dates were taken down.  Lucky for us, someone grabbed a screenshot of the new dates and they include two nights in New York City at Best Buy Theater on 11/2 and 11/3!

STS9 is a favorite of mine and a few of the other writers at Sound Singularity so we are very excited about this news.  Judging by the fact that it is a two night run, the shows will likely be one of the "Great Cycle Spectacles" events that STS9 has been performing this year, involving a very impressive LED pyramid as part of their lighting.    Check out a video of STS9 performing 'Moonsocket' at this years Electric Forest.

We'll add ticketing information when it becomes available.  See you guys there!

Fake Blood at Hudson Terrace Review

This past Thursday night nyc was lucky enough to be graced by Fake Blood FOR FREE.  This being the 4th time I've seen British DJ Theo Keating, one might think his sets would start to get stale and boring to me.  This couldn't be further from the truth.  Every set from him has completely different, yet equally impressive.

Fake Blood came out with an eclectic mix of music, ranging from his classic electro sound, to fun disco tunes, and even got into some tech house at points.  Interestingly enough, he skipped most of his biggest hits and went with a setlist in which I could only recognize a handful of songs.  Whatever he was playing, he kept the packed out rooftop bar moving the entire night.

At the end of the night a friend and myself had the opportunity to shoot the shit with the man himself for a few quick minutes and thank him for the show he just put on.  Gotta love a venue thats so small and personal that you can show your appreciation to the DJ.

Here's a few of my favorites from him:

The club erupted when he played this one


Some of that deep, gritty synth that Fake Blood is known for


Be sure to check out Viceroy  at Hudson Terrace for some more free Thursday night fun next week.

New Climbers, Simian Mobile Disco, and The Presets!

A bunch of great new music has gotten posted over the last 12 hours.

First off, the Mexican duo Climbers has posted a preview of their new track 'Equal Responsibility'  which will be out via Get Physical Music on August 20th.  As expected, it's an awesome tune:

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Next up, we have some big news from Simian Mobile Disco.  They just announced that they will be releasing a new EP titled A Form of Change on October 2nd.  The EP is a collection of 4 songs that were created at the same time as their most recent release Unpatterns.  In the same update, SMD also released the title track of the EP.  The song starts off with over two minutes of ambient textures before delving into an awesomely dark deep house beat.

The EP's tracklist is as follows:
A Form of Change
Unfixed
Breaking Time
Everyday

Simian Mobile Disco will be debuting their new live show in North America at FYF Fest in Los Angeles, and will be at Webster Hall in NYC on December 6th. 

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Finally, The Presets have released a new song titles 'Ghosts' off of their upcoming album Pacifica.  It is definitely a departure from The Presets sounds we are used to.  At times, the song sounds more fit for marching to than dancing to.  I was a bit turned off at first, but after a few more listens the song has really started to grow on me.  Give it a listen (or two):

The Presets will be at Terminal 5 in NYC on October 19th.

Scuba @ Deep Space Cielo: Review / Track IDs

NOTE: this is a great guest post from a good friend of ours. Thanks for writing this Dan!

The Man himself, Scuba

This past Monday marked my first (but hopefully not my last) Deep Space experience at Cielo NYC. Deep Space resident François K is responsible for one of the longest-running DJ residencies in NY and the entire US for that matter. However, this week's edition saw François turn the decks over to the already accomplished but still rising UK producer/DJ, Paul Rose (aka Scuba).  Scuba took control for an all night set loaded with music ranging from deep UK dub to atmospheric techno then back to reality with some undeniably danceable jacking-house tracks.  The 6-hour time slot gave Scuba the absolute freedom to fully utilize Cielo’s superb acoustics and Funktion-One sound system. To quote Funktion-one founder, Tony Andrews, “playing on a function-one sound system is like driving a formula one race car. Not everyone can handle it”.  Fortunately, Scuba came through on the night as the musical counterpart to Michael Schumacher (which is no surprise considering his nights spent playing long sets at Berghain and Panorama bar in Berlin, his current hometown).  I got to Cielo just before 11pm and witnessed the Deep Space guest slowly but surely bring the place to life. Shortly after my arrival, Scuba got some feet moving with HNQO’s “Point of View”.The night soon gave way to the deeper dub sounds of Shackelton and then into the quirkier underground grooves of Clockwork. Come about 1am and the now-packed dance floor was taken to its intended destination, deep space, compliments of the dark techy sound of Scuba’s SCB alias. Here's a taste:



The madness continued deep into the early morning, featuring bombs such as Alex Smoke’s Dub of Funk D’void:
For more tracks and footage view the full post below!

New Mystery Skulls - 'Fake'

Mystery Skulls just released another new demo via their Tumblr titled 'Fake'.   The more I hear from these guys the more they give me an awesome Chromeo feeling.  The guitar also sounds like something that would have fit in nicely with Hot Chip's most recent release.  Check it out on their Tumblr.  They posted the song on their Facebook with the caption "i like to write songs about people i dislike. i present 'fake' ! hahah enjoy.  its really really rough but what the fuck ever."  Regardless of appearing to be an angry late night song posting, it is still pretty great!

Edit: Someone was kind enough to upload this to YouTube:

TEED Live at LPR

Last Wednesday, a few of us here at Sound Singularity had the luxury of seeing Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs live at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC. For those of you unfamiliar with Orlando Higginbottom, he is an all across the board electronic producer from England.  He loops his own vocals over a variety of beats, ranging from slow nu-disco to up temp electro.  He released his highly praised debut album "Trouble" in June of this year and has been touring globally sharing his dancey goodness with the world.

Although his lasted only a little over an hour, TEED managed to seamlessly mix in originals such as "Garden" and "Promises" with some raw Jungle tracks which sent the crowd into a frenzy.  The highlight surely had to be the conclusion of the show which saw arguably his two most popular tracks "Tapes and Money" into "Household Goods".  The energy from the crowd during these final two tracks left everyone dying for more, but alas there was no encore on this night.  All in all, this is easily one of the three best live performances I've seen all year.  If you missed him on his last visit to the USA, don't sleep on him the next time around.  He is only getting started and with this diverse of sound he won't be disappearing anytime soon.  Check out the videos below for a taste of the magic that is TEED!

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Garden

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - American Dream pt. 2

Totally Enrormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Tapes and Money

Hard Summer: Night 1 Review

This past weekend I was lucky enough to get to attend the first night of Hard Summer in Los Angeles.  As a Southern California Native, I have had the chance to attend quite a few Hard events, and I think this one was the most well-run one I have been to (particularly for how large it was).

We arrived shortly after 9, which is quite a bit later than we had planned but it always seems to take longer to get to these events than expected (especially when traveling from Hollywood to downtown L.A.).  The line to the entrance and the security line only took about 15 minutes total, which I was impressed with considering we arrived at the busiest time.  Security was pretty strict and actually made everyone take off their shoes, which I have only ever seen happen a couple of other times. However, I do understand Hard being a bit uptight, as they don't want to have the same poor relationship with The City of Los Angeles as Insomniac does.

The venue was The Los Angeles Historic State Park.  Hard Summer has been held here ever since they got shut down at the Forum in 2009.  People have a lot of mixed opinions on this venue, but I really like it.  It is centrally located to downtown L.A. (if you are facing the Hard (main) Stage, you get a gorgeous view of the downtown L.A. skyline).  There tends to be a lot of space, which can often be a problem at events like this.  And, it is located right by the metro.  Hard really took advantage of the proximity by making admission to Hard also include free rides on the Metro, and extending the Metro's hours until 2:45 am. 

Breakbot

We immediately headed straight for the Discoteque stage where we saw the last few minutes of Oliver.  I didn't see enough to comment on it too much, but he seemed to really have the crowd moving.  After Oliver came Breakbot, whose groovy bass lines were a perfect way to kick off the festival.  He played a lot of the favorites, but I think the highlight for me was an edit of 'Everybody Dance Now' (which, until that night I never thought could have been played a set without sounding cheesy) mixed into 'New Lands' by Justice.  Check out a video of it below.

Hit the jump to see more of my review on Hard Summer w/ Miike Snow, Bloc Party, and Boys Noize!

Jamie XX at MoMA & LPR

Over the past few months I’ve been getting more and more into The XX band-member Jamie Smith’s solo project, Jamie XX.  I love the chilled out, often chopped-up garage sound Jamie brings, and his attention to detail is up there with the best of them.  Check out some of my favorites from him below.

Lucky for us, Jamie XX will be playing 2 shows this Saturday, one at MoMA, one at Le Poisson Rouge (ticket links can be found on the right).  I will most likely be attending the MoMA show because I’ve heard it’s a great venue for a daytime show, but both are sure to be a good time.

One of my most played tracks recently:

As if you haven’t heard enough remixes of Adele, here’s one more (there's also a version featuring Childish Gambino, if thats what you're into):

Another one of my favorites, a cover of Florence + the Machine that features the rest of The XX:

And be sure to keep an eye out for the new The XX album, Coexist, coming out Sept. 11.

Teen Collection Hot Jam 96 [Visionquest]

This EP was released on the earth-shaking Visionquest Label (Seth Troxler, Lee Curtiss, Ryan Crosson, Shaun Reeves) a week or two ago.  I think it's a phenomenal EP because it consists of three drastically different songs all equally infectious for their own reasons.


Kicking off the EP is Lauren Lane's "Lazer Eyes" featuring Jaw.  The only thing I really have to say about this one is if it doesn't make you want to dance, you're probably a total douchebag that hates fun. Sooooooo funky, incredibly catchy.  From the lyrics and vocals, to the funky bassline, to the heavily reverbed-out snare, this is a big track that defines the recent quasi-renaissance of 80's dance music.



[dl]


Next comes "Alice" by Qbeck with Julia Govor on the vocals.  The bass hook on this track is the first thing that stands out for me...I can't get enough of it.  Add in Julia's smooth, soothing vocals and you have a fantastic track.


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The EP wraps up with "All Over All Kinds" by Clarian.  This is the slowest of the bunch (115 bpm), and the thing that stands out most for me is that atmospheric high synth line that's slightly held back for most of the journey.  Then, with maybe 2 minutes to spare, the bass and low synth lines begin a crescendo, ultimately peaking in the full return of the high synth line.  Well done.  



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Hope you enjoy this EP as much as I do.  And if you like what you hear, you can show support and purchase here.  Cheers!

w

New Music: Midtown Summer Sessions

Here's another mix I recorded the other day.  One or two tracks are older, most are newer, but they're all of the highest quality.  Mostly deep/tech house with a bit of techno peppered in there.  Feel free to comment / message me and let me know your thoughts...I'm a big fan of feedback.  And follow me on Soundcloud!  Cheers.






Tracklist (which is also in the itunes ID3 tag under "lyrics"):

1. Odd Parents - Fame feat. Mp (Catz n Dogz & Martin Dawson Sweet Saturday Mix)
2. Adana Twins  - Strange
3. Still Going - Work that Shit Party (Instrumental Mix)
4. Thugfucker - Disco Gnome (Tale of Us Remix)
5. Fuckpony - Bongo Porn (Tale of Us Edit)
6. Oliver Lieb - Extrasolar
7. Julio Bashmore - Au Seve (Original Mix)
8. Marc Romboy & Stephen Bodzin - Atlas (Gui Boratto Remix)
9. Dosem - Replicants (Edu Imbernon & Coyu Remix)
10. Smart & Dreher - Moustage (Mollono Bass Remix)
11. Sasha & Krister Linder - Cut Me Down (Kastis Torrau Donatello feat. Arnas D Remix

Pryda @ Beekman (Pacha NYC) Review/Rant

Before I go on any rant about how the event was organized and whatnot, I will say (and later review) that I went to Pacha afterwards to catch Prydz and had a great time because you simply cannot go wrong with Prydz. However, the Pacha venue proved to be disappointing for many, as usual.  Luckily, it seems that they have issued full refunds through their ticket provider, clubtickets.com, for this event or free tickets for Thomas Gold at Pacha on August 11th.  All you have to do is email helpdesk@clubtickets.com.  I only recently did this and have not heard back yet (UPDATE: You can get tickets or a full refund, either one works and clubtickets is VERY quick and professional about it all) and I would recommend including your confirmation number and event name in your email to expedite the process.  Anyway, on to the rant/review.

To start, I got to Beekman at around 11:30PM and was greeted by a massive line to get inside.  I imagine this was largely due to Identity ending but I still had never seen the line there stretch so far back.  For Maya Jane Coles and Maceo Plex at Beekman, the line was practically nonexistent and there was a very solid crowd there.  Granted, the Maya Jane Coles crowd was not oversold like this was.

Eventually, everyone made it into the venue despite the crowd and got to enjoy the legend that is Prydz.  Only problem was that this fun lasted for about 30 minutes tops.  The question everyone is wondering is how on earth does something like this happen?  Well, in all honestly, I am about as baffled as everyone else out there.  If they had bothered to look into ANY of the past events at Beekman (Maya Jane Coles/Maceo Plex, Art Department, Knife Party) they would have known that the sound had to be reduced at all of these events and some even shut down for a little while.  This was with the venue being much less packed too.  Oh, and I almost didn't touch on the bathroom situation which was the worst I've seen anywhere but whatever, all I know is that entire boardwalk was covered in piss (including the mall).

After being completely shut down, they decided to try and salvage what was left of the night by moving the party to Pacha, where Madeon was already playing.  I'm fairly certain every single person at Beekman groaned in unison upon hearing this announcement as everyone thought it would be much more packed than Beekman was.  Some went, some did not, my friends and I went to the nearest Duane Reade to regain our buzz (great decision might I add) and then proceeded to Sullivan Room for Justin Martin.  Some of us actually went in but the majority of us ended up sucking it up and moving on to Pacha rather than coughing up more cash.

Something a little dark and different. Myronik - You Me You

This track is one of those that is extremely difficult to classify, in a really good way.  It takes you on a journey through your mind, lulling you into a trance and then snapping you out of it multiple times in just 5 and a half minutes.  Take some time today to put on your headphones, close your eyes, and get lost in this song.  You won't regret it.



Myronik is a producer from Dublin, Ireland.  He only has 4 tracks on his Soundcloud page, and I recommend giving each of them a listen.  It was hard to pick just one to spotlight.

Climbers - 2 Come Back EP [Culprit]

It's finally here! I've been patiently waiting for this release since I first heard Droog drop the original mix at Coachella in April.  I happily give you "2 Come Back" by Climbers, released July 30th on Culprit, Droog's LA-based (absolutely stellar) label.

Climbers outdid themselves with this one.  Literally every element of this track is too catchy.  The Mexican duo of Jay Blakk and Kiko Dea do everything in their power to rope you in: from the bassline hook, to the atmospheric accents, to the infectious vocals, I'm pretty sure its impossible to stand still when this track is played.  Add in remixes from Venezuelan tech house gurus Fur Coat (Crosstown Rebels) and indie dance / disco legend Miguel Campbell (Hot Creations) and you have yourself a sterling EP.  Grab the EP here!

2 Come Back - Original Mix

2 Come Back - Fur Coat Remix

2 Come Back - Miguel Campbell's Club Mix

Cheers!

-wins1o

Guy J, Justin Martin @ Sullivan Room: Review

Photo Credit: Nicole Palazzo

A couple of us ended up at the Sullivan Room both nights this weekend after Pacha royally fucked up the Prydz show on Saturday night.  Criminal Sound brought in Guy J (Bedrock Records) on Friday, and Zombie Disco Squad and Justin Martin (Dirtybird) were recruited by Verboten for the party Saturday.  

Guy J

I've never seen Guy J before and was not sure what to expect.  The Israeli producer and DJ has been on the scene for quite a while now and has no shortage of amazing singles and full-lengths released on John Digweed's Bedrock Records.  His tracks can be quite ambient at points, drawing influences of techno and electronica.  Definitely a deeper, darker sound, but always melodic and soulful at the same time.  The Sullivan Room's Core Audio sound system brought out the best in these tracks too.  Sidenote: he uses Ableton to mix!  So do I!  Maybe we can be best friends?

One of my favorites:

Guy J's take on "Pushin Too Hard" by Saints and Sinners:

One of the newer releases off of Bedrock:

New Deadmau5

Joel Zimmerman aka Deadmau5 is never afraid to shed a little controversy.  Sadly, I feel I've lost some of the magic with his music because of his recent public statements.  But with these last couple releases, the man is showing me signs that he is re-discovery the sounds that launched him into the global sensation he has become.  His new song "there might be coffee" sounds just like the Deadmau5 of Random Album Title.  It is beautiful, harmonic and peaceful but sure enough to set a dance floor on fire.  Take a listen below and hope that the old mau5 has returned for good. P.S. get the free download while it lasts!!!!!
 

The XX's 'Angels' gets an upbeat makeover from Theatre of Delays

German producer Theatre of Delays has taken The XX's 'Angels' and given it a fun disco feel:


Check out The XX's original version here:

Theatre of Delays has a ton of great songs (and free downloads) on his Soundcloud page, here are a few of my favorites:

Prince - When Doves Cry (Theatre of Delays Remix)


The Rapture - In the Grace of Your Love (Theatre of Delays Remix)


Theatre of Delays - Journey to the Sun


This guy is super talented, and I hope we see a lot more from him in the future. Let us know what you guys think!

New Crystal Castles

Crystal Castles released a new song via their Soundcloud page called 'Plague' earlier this morning.  The duo have been spending time in Warsaw working on their third album, to be released sometime this summer.  However, there is no official word if this song is going to be on that album.  The song jumps back and forth between an ethereal feel with Alice's haunting vocals we know from songs like 'Celestica' and a much more aggressive section somewhat more in line with a song like 'Alice Practice.'  

Give it a listen:


Crystal Castles don't have any upcoming dates in NY, but if you want to make the trek down to Philly, they will be playing at The Electric Factory on October 2nd.  You can find tickets here. 

New Boys Noize!

Alex Ridha, AKA Boys Noize has released the first track from his new album via Rolling Stone's website.  Ridha says that this track has combined the "raw and rough" sounds of his earliest music with the beats and styles of 80's hip hop, particularly The Beastie Boys.

Listen to the song on Rolling Stone's website.

His third album, Out of the Dark, will be released on October 22nd.  Ridha says the name of the album is taken from the fact that he usually produces music at night.  Boys Noize has been a favorite of mine since the release of Oi Oi Oi and judging by this most recent release, I don't think this album will disappoint.

Free DL of Green Velvet's remix of The Presets

The Presets have pushed up the release of their new album, 'Pacifica' to September 7th.  If that news isn't exciting enough, they have decided to celebrate the good news by giving us a free download!  The free download is the legendary Green Velvet's killer remix of 'Pacifica's' first single, Youth in Trouble.  It's a great remix, grab it here!

Stream the track:


And in case you haven't heard the original or see the video, here it is:

See The Presets live at Terminal 5 on October 19th.  Have a great weekend!

Flosstradamus + Trap

Over the past couple weeks or so I have been seeing more and more trap music popping up out of the blue. And no, I do not mean Southern Rap trap music, I mean electronic trap music.  Extract the quick high hats and heavy hip hop bass, throw it in with an electronic song, and cut it into half time.  Obviously, there is more to it than this but these are the basics of it.  For me, the electronic trap movement is largely due to the gentlemen on the forefront of this, known as Flosstradamus. In my humble opinion, they are becoming the most well known in the "genre" (has it gotten that big to be a whole genre?) but for good reason, these guys have talent.

I initially caught them at Lollapalooza in 2010 and thoroughly enjoyed their set at Perry's stage. One thing that really caught my attention was the way that hip hop seemed to really influence them with samples and vocal edits throughout their songs. My personal favorite was of such popular songs at the time as One by Swedish House Mafia with Act a Fool (one of my favorite edits that I still have been unable to find). This hip hop influence has stuck with them and it shows in all of their trap songs, which is largely all that they produce now.

Below, is a small sampling of some Flosstradamus with a mix and one of my favorites of theirs from the trap "genre". Prepare to be addicted to the heavy hip hop bass and the insanely quick high hat riffs. In addition, I have posted my newest favorite trap song that I just discovered today via the Flosstradamus mix below. Definitely be on the lookout for trap as this is all blowing up real fast and is perfect for any bar or house party.



Flosstradamus - Total Recall

Major Lazer - Original Don (Flosstradamus Remix)

Bingo Players - Rattle (Luminox Remix)