Here we are again, and this year I wanted to up the ante to include the top 50 tracks of 2011. So fire up the audio player at the bottom left of the screen and enjoy what I thought to be the best electronic pop tracks of 2011.
Good morning! We have an excellent update for you all today. Sometimes I wish that the artists that make the headlines were a lineup for a GDD™ Festival. Don’t you? Anyway, there is way too much going on for you to not check it out, so hurry after the jump!
Deadmau5 Launches Nokia Lumia 800 at Millbank Tower, UK
We know Deadmau5 is always out to one-up himself, and this week Nokia in the UK offered him and his visual team a giant canvas. To celebrate the launch of a new handset on Monday night, Nokia set the world-conquering Canadian up with a stage under the Millbank Tower on the banks of River Thames in London. As the mau5 performed a half-hour set, the tower acted as the world’s biggest projector screen, as you’ll see in the video below.
In order to achieve the dazzling result, the building was blacked-out and each of its windows covered with vinyl. According to the Nokia spiel, “16 powerful projectors stationed 300 metres away on the other side of the river” then “beamed 4D images onto the structure”. Deadmau5 apparently created exclusive remixes of his tracks to accompany the visuals – and was no doubt paid handsomely for his efforts. After taking over the London skyline, how’s he ever going to return to this measly set-up?
(via inthemix)
Avicii – Levels Video
Finally!
Justice World Tour
French electro assault artists Justice are embarking on a 28-date world tour in support of newest album ‘Audio, Video, Disco.’
The tour begins in Australia at Field Day Festival and ends in Vancouver, including ten U.S. stops and a notable gap in April that practically screams “Coachella appearance.” The full dates are below.
1/1 @ Field Day Festival – Sydney, Australia
1/2 @ Field Day Festival – Queensland, Australia
1/3 @ Summadayze Festival – Perth, Australia
1/6 @ Festival Hall – Melbourne, Australia
1/10 @ Namba-Hatch- Osaka, Japan
1/11 and 1/12 @ Zepp – Tokyo, Japan
1/27 @ La Coopé – Cermont-Ferrand, France
1/28 @ Le Bikini – Toulouse, France
1/31 @ L’Aéronef – Lille, France
2/1 @ Stereolux – Lille, France
2/2 @ Le Cargo – Caen, France
2/4 @ L’Olympia – Paris, France
2/9 @ O2 Academy – Bristol, England
2/10 @ O2 Academy – London, England
2/11 @ O2 Academy – Birmingham, England
2/12 @ O2 Academy – Glasgow, Scotland
2/13 @ Manchester Academy – Manchester, England
3/16 @ Terminal 5 – New York, NY
3/17 @ Terminal 5 – New York, NY
3/19 @ House of Blues – Boston, MA
3/20 @ Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA
3/21 @ 9:30 Club – Washington, D.C.
3/22 @ The Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
4/17 @ Fox Theater – Oakland, CA
4/19 @ The Pool at the Cosmopolitan – Las Vegas, NV
4/24 @ Roseland Theater – Portland, OR
4/25 @ Paramount Theatre – Seattle, WA
4/26 @ Forum – Vancouver, British Columbia
The Crystal Method “I’m Not Leaving” RE:GENERATION Music Video
The Crystal Method just released the video for the their recent collaboration with R&B legend Martha Reeves. “I’m Not Leaving”. The clip merges footage from TCM’s recent touring and behind the scenes film for the RE:GENERATION documentary with Martha in Detroit.
Presented by Hyundai Veloster, RE:GENERATION is a documentary film that follows DJ Premier, Pretty Lights, The Crystal Method, Mark Ronson, and Skrillex as they remix, recreate and re-imagine five traditional styles of music.
Mysterious concert footage curiously labelled and set to Chemical Brothers tracks has been popping up online. What do ‘the brothers’ have in store this time?
Ed and Tom from the Chems have tweeted the videos, but for now the only official word can be found by visiting the terrifying clown at the tellingly-titled at www.dontthinkmovie.com.
Earlier this month they tweeted, ‘Watch the skies. Exciting news soon come”. Then the following day, “Expect the unexpected”. At the moment, we only have the collection of videos as a hint.
‘Green’ shows a man baring his teeth and shouting along to ‘Block Rockin’ Beats’. ‘Sun’ is a sea of outstretched arms undulating to ‘Star Guitar’. ‘Magenta’ shows a put-together woman clasping her hands calmly as music swirls around her. All of the footage seems drawn from the same Chemical Brothers concert. Could this mean a new live DVD? As they say, expect the unexpected.
When Madonna took to social media earlier this month to beg fans to stop posting a leaked track from her upcoming album, no one was more troubled than French producer Martin Solveig.
“We had a terrible leak … and everyone is very upset about what happened,” said Solveig, who is one of an elite few producers working on the massive Madonna 2012 release.
The flap unfolded two weeks ago when a demo version of the Solveig-Madonna track “Give Me All Your Love” hit the blogosphere, much to Madge’s chagrin.
The Material Girl tweeted that “real fans” wouldn’t have leaked her music before it was finished. The dance-pop track allegedly also will feature M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj, but Solveig, who plays Royale on Friday in his first-ever Boston show, said he can’t talk about the track.
But he did say working with Madonna is a dream come true.
“I would have considered this as impossible,” he told the Herald from a tour stop in Miami. “People ask who you would dream to work with. To me working with Madonna was not really something I could do. When I got the call, first I thought it was a joke. And then when I realized it wasn’t, I was real-ly overwhelmed. The collaboration has been an enormous joy and an enormous surprise.”
Solveig, 35, is the latest Euro-pean DJ to cross over into the U.S. pop world, joining the likes of David Guetta, Afrojack, Avicii and other top dance-music artists. In addition to his work with Madonna, Solveig (born Martin Picandet) had a hit last year with “Hello,” one of three tracks with indie darlings Dragonette on his latest full-length release “Smash.” The disc first dropped this summer in Europe.
“The album ‘Smash’ is finished and ready to be released in the U.S. I’m also working on some different versions, some remixes,” he said. “I’m touring the whole U.S. … which is overwhelming and great. There is a whole expectation (here) of electronic music and myself. The U.S. crowds appear to be a very, very good crowd. It’s great fun.”
While Solveig has benefited handsomely from the blogosphere and the press over the Madonna leak, at the end of the day, he says dance music is all about the live performance.
“The interesting part is, always to come to the show because there’s surprises,” he said. “And there’s dancing, which is something you don’t have on the Internet.”
1.Benga-Any Steppers
2.Benga-Electro West
3.Skream-Ice Cream Jelly Roll
4.Skream-Nefarious
5.Skream- Phat Head
SnowBall Music Festival organizers announce lineup
SnowBall organizers have started to announce the lineup for the music festival taking place in Avon March 2-4. Each morning through Friday, they’ll release two names < one at 10 a.m. and one at 11 a.m. viawww.snowballmusicfestival.com.
So far the lineup reads like this: English Dubstep DJ Rusko, Indie Kiwi trio Unknown Mortal Orchestra, electronic music producer MartyParty and finally New York Indie rockers TV on the Radio, pictured here. Advance three-day tickets for the festival go on sale Wednesday at noon for $134.50.
XS Nightclub Launches into 2012 with a Dynamic Lineup of International Talent for New Year’s Eve Weekend
Preeminent electronic artists bolster the holiday weekend with sets
by Sebastian Ingrosso, Steve Angello, Afrojack and deadmau5
Las Vegas, NV – November 28, 2011 – XS, the luxurious nightclub at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, rings in the New Year with a phenomenal sequence of international talent that will set the tone for what’s to come in 2012 at the award-winning venue.
“This has been an unprecedented year for XS that has included welcoming a supreme DJ roster to our stage,” said Jesse Waits, co-owner and managing partner. “The lineup for New Year’s Eve weekend demonstrates our mission to remain one of the most prestigious nightclubs in the world, offering a winning combination of immaculate customer service and renowned musical talent.”
There’s no doubt about it, Martin Solveig released one of the catchiest dance-infused songs of 2011. With only 70,000 more record sales to go, ‘Hello’ will be hitting platinum single certification in no time, and what better way to celebrate than heading out on tour and putting out another single featuring the lovely vocals of Dragonette‘s Martina Sorbara. ‘Big In Japan’ is the 4th installment of Solveig’s SMASH Web Series, and the music video directed by Tristan Seguela & Martin Solveig is entertaining to say the very least. This new single along with ‘Hello’ and ‘Ready 2 Go’ will be featured on Solveig’s forthcoming album, SMASH, slated for release in early 2012 on Big Beat Records.
North American Tour Dates:
11.9 Ann Arbor, MI – The Necto
11.10 Denver, CO – Beta
11.11 Las Vegas, NV – TAO
11.12 New York, NY – Roseland Ballroom
11.16 Miami, FL – LIV
11.18 San Francisco, CA – Ruby Skye
11.19 Los Angeles CA – Avalon Hollywood
11.20 San Diego, CA – FLUXX
11.23 Chicago, IL – Enclave
11.25 Montreal, ON – La Mouche
11.26 Washington, DC – Fall Massive
11.30 Atlanta, GA – Opera Atlanta
12.2 Boston, MA – Royale
12.3 New York, NY – Pacha New York
Back again with the Best of 2011 (thus far…) pt 2
This is my list of the best electronic music I found between the months of April through June of 2011
You can read my previous picks from January - March: here
Nearly 8 months after releasing her last single “Stop Hey”, Sunday Girl is finally back with the follow-up. The fashionable pop star’s 4th single happens to be a cover of Sunscreem‘s 1992 trance hit “Love U More” (well there’s a Steps version, too, click at your own risk). While I’m not previously familiar with the original, her version is quite ravey, and definitely her most radio-friendly yet. I don’t mind a bit of chart-chasing action, as long as the album gets released soon! “Love U More” is out October 30.
Sunday Girl – Love U More (Sunscreem Cover)
After the jump, you can listen to her old but still delectable cover/remix of Everything Everything‘s “Photoshop Handsome”, and “Let’s Not Play Games”, her most recent collab with Martin Solveig for his new album “Smash”.
On Saturday, Smirnoff’s hotly anticipated Sensation event rolled into London for an unparalleled night of mischief in white. The setup – which drew together 22 fountains, 13 laser systems, 100 different pyrotechnic effects and 16 6-meter wide jellyfish – was like nothing we’ve ever seen. Following on from last week’s chat with the man behind it all, creative director Duncan Stutterheim, one thing he said resonated with me: “the show is close to perfection”. I’ll be the first to admit that the statement sounded a little arrogant initially, but after experiencing Saturday, I find myself in agreement.
The show was beautifully executed, and no expense was spared as the London crowd piled into the O2 Arena to be treated to a spectacle that incorporated performance art, installations, new technologies, and music from some of the world’s finest DJs. The DJs performed from a rotating booth in the centre of the dance floor, while legions of clubbers hailed them like gods dressed head to toe in white. This was a clubbing experience like no other.
The most enjoyable set on the night came from Joris Voorn and Nic Fanciulli, who really set the standard with some awesome techno and house, before Fedde Le Grand and Martin Solveig took the party to the next level with some huge big-room anthems. All DJs were really well received, but the night was less about the music than it was about the experience and overall staging of the event which was a total sensory overload. We had a great time, and would like to thank the Smirnoff team for their awesome hospitality.
On a night out, it’s always nice to hear praise for the work we do here at Gotta Dance Dirty, and when that praise comes from a world renowned DJ it’s even more flattering and lets us know that we must be doing something right. Getting kudos for our blog from Martin Solveig was a surreal highlight on Saturday night when we caught up with him before his headline set. You can read our exclusive interview with him after the jump…
GDD: So is this your first Sensation event?
MS: This is somewhere around my 15th!
GDD: And from a DJ’s perspective, what is it that makes Sensation so different from other dance music events?
MS: It differs a lot. Playing Sensation is not like playing your regular festival – it’s being part of an integrated team for one night and so it makes it very interesting. For me, I treat it almost like a side project, as it’s not solely about me like my shows are. I’ve been working with the team in Holland for 4-5 years, it’s a super cool event, really well organized and the production is amazing. Sometimes it’s also a really good way for all of us to travel and play to crowds we wouldn’t usually play to. When I played Sensation in Spain, it was almost the first show I’d ever played there, so it’s a good vibe.
GDD: So does your Sensation set differ from your club set, and are you playing to your surroundings and the visual spectacle?
MS: It differs for sure, firstly with the energy levels: my personal style is very much a fidget house oriented sound, lots of fast cuts and the festival mentality of keeping a crowd very busy. When you play a festival you want to make every minute count, but when you play Sensation, you are kindly asked not to do this, and to play a little bit more on the vibe so the people can feel the production more. This also has to do with the length of the event, which lasts for 7 or 8 hours, so you don’t want to kill the vibe or peak too early. At Sensation, there’s more of a progressive element and each DJ seeks to build the night, so you take it a little bit easier and let the record do the job. This means the rhythm of the mix is a bit slower.
GDD: How do you go about finding your records?
MS: I have a pretty wide range of stuff I can play and I’d say that my normal set is pretty rock-ish, and sometimes a little bit urban. Most of the time there are guitars, but tonight I’ve set that aside and am going a little bit more electro.
GDD: Do you ever plan your sets or is it all spontaneous?
MS: I have a few tracks that I’ll drop almost every set – of course my own tracks – but aside from that, the rest of it’s floating. Today because we’re in London, I thought I’d play more UK producers, guys like Calvin Harris or Michael Woods.
GDD: And where’s your favorite place to play?
MS: My favorite place in the world to play is and always has been Australia. It’s what I’d call “DJ’s paradise” [laughs]. It’s for a reason though, the music taste of Australians seems very close to mine, so I’m always able to connect really well with crowds out there. Chatting with other DJs and musicians, everyone thinks they’re probably the best crowd you can play to. You always get fierce party animals out there, and because of the weather, the sky is always blue and everyone’s always wearing swim suits, so of course that always helps. It’s just an amazing place to play!
GDD: As a high profile DJ, how do you manage to balance DJ sets, production commitments and your private life?
MS: Private life always suffers when you’re very busy, but being almost a 35 year old man and having done this for quite a bit of time, I’ve decided to balance things a little bit more and so my DJ schedule will not be open all year round now. I’ll take some time off for production and also a little bit for the rest.
GDD: When was the moment you realized that you’d accomplished your dream of becoming a professional DJ and a producer?
MS: That sort of thing crosses my mind almost every day, because it’s a very lucky life. I studied until the age of 23 or 24, and at the same time I was already starting to DJ and produce in Europe. When I graduated, I took one year off to finish my debut album, but it didn’t work at all. For a reason, I had one track that did break through called ‘Madan’ (a remix of legendary Malian musician Salif Keita) and that sort of made the first step that led me to where I am now. So I guess I’ve had 12 years of being a professional DJ, I’m not the only one, but yeh, it’s crazy!
GDD: And if you weren’t a DJ?
MS: My next fantasy – I don’t know if it’s possible, but let’s have dreams – would be a movie director.
GDD: What sort of stuff?
MS: A lot of different stuff. I think comedy is very difficult but very interesting. This is what we try to do a little bit with Smash on a very low key way. But yeh, why not!
GDD: Your videos are very distinctive as is your dress sense. How many headbands do you own and why this one?
MS: This is my official one, I designed it, so I have plenty of those and throw them away into the crowd during my sets.
GDD: What does 2011 have in store for Martin Solveig?
MS: I have a new episode of Smash coming out in September with a new single, and the story will go on like this. We have a few things that we shot already and a few things we need to finish, but the album is done and I’m gonna make some remixes. I’m also starting a couple of new productions, but that would be for 2012.
GDD: And Finally, when you’re not DJing and you’re on the dance floor as a punter, do you dance dirty?
MS: Of course I dance very very dirty. And if you don’t believe me you can ask Skrillex!
Black Light Dinner Party – Older Together
Flight Facilities – Foreign Language (ft. Jess)
Sebastian – Love In Motion (Featuring Mayer Hawthorne)
