The wait is finally over. Porter Robinson, the 19-year old producer from North Carolina, has finally released his long awaited SPITFIRE EP. I recently caught part of his phenomenal set at Electric Zoo, and Porter is pretty much unmatched in terms of the energy and creativity he brings to the decks. He is certainly one of the most talented new producers out there.
This 6-track EP is one of the best I’ve heard, winding through the EDM genre circuit of Electro House, Dubstep, Moombahton and even Trance. The remixes from Knife Party, Downlink, SkisM, Kill The Noise and Mikkas are all incredible.
The second track Unison and its Knife Party remix are by far my favorites. SPITFIRE has certainly set a new bar for producers everywhere. Wow, it’s just incredible.
OK. I’m back. All that writing about E Zoo put me out of commission for a few days, but I’m ready to start bringing you new chunes! Found this gem surfing Soundcloud yesterday. Teen Wolf and Shelco Garcia’s newest moombahton banger Party Hoppin has so many good things working for it. The build has elements of trance, which are completely unexpected, but work wonderfully. The chopped/screwed vocals give it a very moombahton griminess and the grinding drop is straight electro. Really dope track, I expect to be playing this one out in all my moombahton sets. Free DL above!
I’m definitely a little late on this one, but I want to share it nonetheless. Say My Nameis a track produced by Porter Robinson. Hailing from North Carolina, Porter joins the ranks of the absurdly young electronic music producers (Madeon, Avicii, etc…) that have jettisoned to the top of the Beatport rankings seemingly out of nowhere. However, Porter has put in the work. He has been producing since he was only 12 years old. His music has an instantly recognizable sound, combing massive electro hooks paired with dubstep wobbles and shimmering trance breakdowns. Say My Name is the quintessential Porter track and is sure to get you thrashing to his unique electro-house sound. Lots more to come from this artist in the future.
Benny Benassi is name that has been inextricably linked to electronic dance music since the mid ’90s. He is best known for his summer anthem Satisfaction, which he released in 2002. However the Benassi name reaches as far back as the late ’80s when Benny and his cousin Alle, the Benassi Bros., began DJing and producing in their hometown, Reggio Emilia, Italy. While the electro trance duo enjoyed a fair amount of success through 2005, Benny Benassi began making a name for himself on the side, producing a capacious amount of original tracks and remixes.
In 2008 he released his remix of Public Enemy’s Bring The Noise, which won the Grammy for best Dance Remix that year. Following that, Benny’s production picked up even more steam as he released notable remixes for the likes of Kid Cudi, Jimi Hendrix, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wale, Kelis, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Kanye West, Tiesto, Madonna, Example and many more. This year has seen Benassi switch gears from endless remixing to original production again. His new album named “Electroman” is set to be released on June 6th and is comprised of his new singles which have absolutely been annihilating the EDM scene, such as Electroman, Spaceship, House Music, Beautiful People and of course, Cinema.
I saw Benny spin for three and a half hours last night and although I couldn’t form the thoughts at the time [because my soul was being shattered into oblivion by the endless barrage of electro might he was unleashing], I feel that he is a DJ who has shown his ability to move with the natural flow of EDM. I feel that some artists today stick to their genres a little too strictly for a type of music in which genres no longer are typified by genres. However Benny has simply embraced dance music’s progression and “fads”, which makes him so much fun to see. In one set he dropped tracks by Felix Cartal, Skrillex, Dirty South, Depeche Mode, Moguai and more. I will say though that when it comes to just laying down the heavy electro, Benny is the best. I don’t think I stopped jumping form the moment I entered the club until I jumped into my bed to go to sleep. Benny has made sure that his name will never sound dated, by keeping his sound fresh and flexible to meet the new sounds being introduced to the EDM scene and as long as he sticks to that approach, we’ll be bangin to Benny for years to come.
I caught this track couple days ago and didn’t think too much of it upon first listen. However, after revisiting it I don’t know what I was thinking! This is such an epic song. Everything you want in a mega trance anthem is offered. Nadia Ali provides warm and buzzing vocals and Alesso’s remix provides the epic facelift this track really deserves. Alesso’s been creeping his way into the top ranks bit by bit, most notably with his remix of Dúne’s Heiress of Valentina, which was featured on Tiesto’s latest ‘Club Life: Las Vegas’ album. He’s definitely someone to keep an eye out for. Have a great day!
Today’s track entitled Apollo Road comes off the new album by ATB, ‘Distant Earth’. André Tanneberger has been in the EDM scene since 1993 as part of the dance music group Sequential One. His music has transformed throughout the years into its current form, which is largely focused on vocals and often piano. Apollo Road shares a lot of its sound with the trance anthems of the 1990s, which to some may be too “old school” (don’t even get me started), but the fact remains that this is a beautiful track and worth more than one listen.
Last night I went to the best concert of my life. G2KDJ: Tiesto - coming at ya later this week…
For now, here’s the epic dubstep drop by Chase and Status that Tiesto has been unleashing on unsuspecting trance crowds at his concert, Flashing Lights.
Last night I had the absolute pleasure of seeing Gabriel & Dresden in their first performance since reuniting on NYE 2010 after a two year separation. The duo is known for their astounding agglomeration of trance hits and remixes, but I will admit that I was concerned about their live set being too “chill” for a club. Yet from the moment we crossed the threshold into Fur Nightclub, it was nothing but high-energy big room hits.
The best word to summarize the entire night was ‘solid’. At no moment was I less than enthralled by the set. Compositionally Gabriel & Dresden are not limited by the confines of the traditional trance genre. Their music incorporates elements of house, rock, and minimalist trance. They’re keeping their tour schedule pretty slim for the time being, but if you’re making the trip to Ultra at the end of March, their next show is at Anjunabeats presented by Above & Beyond as a part of Miami Music Week.
Now for some info on the artists themselves. The two San Francisco-based DJs came together from very different ends of the EDM producing spectrum. Dave Dresden crafted his trade for 15 years as a club DJ and renowned US dance music journalist, while Josh Gabriel approached music through academia while studying music composition at the California Institute for the Arts. The two teamed up as Gabriel & Dresden in 2001 and put out their first single “Lament” the following year.
In 2003 they ranked at #43 in DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs poll. Soon after they began pumping out remixes for the likes of Madonna & Britney Spears, Armin Van Buuren, The Killers, and more. In 2008, Gabriel & Dresden won the WMX award as Best American DJ for the second time, and simultaneously announced that they would be splitting up, much to the chagrin of thousands of fans. In an interview, Dresden explained the decision for the split stating that, “Gabriel & Dresden have parted ways for the time being. Over the past year, Josh and I have been moving apart as artists and we decided rather than milk it and be moderately happy together that we separate and examine outselves as individual aritsts for a while.”
Many considered that the end. But on NYE last year, Gabriel & Dresden took to the stage together again at the Hollywood Palladium in NYC (which I’ve included below) and have announced a series performances around the world during 2011. This group is a must-listen for all EDM lovers so get after it.
I’ve got three remixes today of Faithless Sound System’s 2010 single ‘Tweak Your Nipple’. I have never really been interested in the British electronica band, but this track “tweaked” my interest again so I listened to their Radio 1 Essential Mix. Needless to say, I was absolutely blown away. Whether it was the smooth flow of Maxi Jazz’s omnipotent rapping, the overplayed but always evocative ‘Hide & Seek’ drop, the maximized minimalist beats, or Sister Bliss’ resonating remixes, their set was spectacular. I now have faith in Faithless…
I know I posted a song of theirs yesterday, but after seeing Cosmic Gate perform live last night, I feel compelled to make them this week’s feature on ‘Get 2 Know A DJ’. I haven’t seen straight trance performed live in quite awhile but the German duo’s set blew me out of the water. The beats were fresh, diverse, and pounding. More importantly, Nic Chagall and Bossi were having fun. There’s nothing that takes me out of the moment at a concert than a boring artist who is just staring at the computer. Cosmic Gate was interacting with the crowd, making sure everybody was on the same level and building the excitement. Anyways, here’s a quick bio:
Cosmic Gate formed in 1999 after a chance meeting between the two DJs in Cologne. Their first single was “Exploration of Space” which I posted yesterday. The group remained relatively unknown until their release of “Fire Wire” in 2001. Since then, the group has risen to the top, producing massive trance hits and remixes for the likes of Tiesto, Ferry Corsten, AvB, Paul van Dyk, and other EDM titans. This year, Cosmic Gate was ranked 24th on DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs Poll. The duo has performed at the biggest clubs and concerts around the world including Electric Zoo, Electric Daisy Carnival, the Ministry of Sound, and Ibiza’s Amnesia.
Their sound has gone through a transformation since the release of their early tracks, moving away from harder edge trance to a more subtle yet driving and energetic music style. Cosmic Gate has a lot to offer and if you ever have the chance to see them live, take it. BLAST OFF!
From the most symphonic trance to the crunchiest dubstep, I spin whatever makes bodies move. If I'm not DJing or producing around DC, you will find me front row with the party people; eyes on the strobe, hands in the air, ears against the speakers. This is because music is my drug and I need my fix. That is all you need to know about me.
