♥ jonahberry’s picks

• Buddy Holly – Slippin’ and Slidin’ (Jacques Renault Remix)

Brooklyn-based, Jacques Renault, touched up this oldie from the legendary Buddy Holly for it’s digital re-release last month. Feel good grooviness.

• Beatles – Come Together (Lisboa & Luthier Remix)

This came out last year, but it was only just brought to my attention in the recent mix from Pleasurekraft that we hosted on Monday. If you love this song, and you love Tech House, you will love me for putting this up.

• Detboi – I Got Dope (CSY & Stripes Remix)

I’m pretty sure I’m going to be supporting everything from this up and coming duo out of London. Big tingz for CSY & Stripes in 2012.

• Jonquil – It’s My Part (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Remix)

Signature TEED sound laid beautifully atop Jonquil‘s mellow vocals. Single is out on Blessing Force the 27th of this month. 

Troy Kurtz’s Picks

• Matias Aguayo – Rollerskate (Original Mix)

I’m kicking things off with quirky track from Matias Aguayo. He samples all these weird sounds he makes and uses them as percussive elements. Half of what he says is undistinguishable, and the other half about roller-skates.

• Lana Del Rey – Born To Die (Gucci Vump Remix)

I don’t know what all the fuss about Lana Del Rey is about, but I’d totally take her out for an ice cream.

• Gil Scott Heron – I’ll Take Care of You (Mighty Mouse Not So Official Edit Type Thingy)

I closed my set with this the other night and all I saw were smiles. RIP GIL SCOTT HERON.

• Phonat – Set Me Free (Low Steppa Relick)

Bones put me on Will Bailey‘s side-project Low Steppa earlier this week. He rehashes this Phonat track and gives it an awesomely fat bassline that I’d love to hear in a club.

• Freeez – IOU (Original Mix)

I played this on a whim at Dim Mak Studios in LA last month and I’ve been trying to play it in every set since then. It’s more than two decades old and still sounds current. Amazing.

burn unit’s picks

• Junior Boys – Like A Child (Carl Craig Remix)

All-time classic circa 2006. Had been awhile since I had a listen but seeing a video of Jamie Jones dropping it at BPM brought it back full force and it’s been on repeat once again ever since. This YouTube video is a good way to enjoy it as well.

• Prince Club – Detroit (Original Mix)

The boys from the north side of the border pay homage to the original Mecca of Techno with this jam aptly named ‘Detroit.’ I’m amazed at how consistently awesome everything these guys put out is, and I’m not only saying that because Max recently made plans to crash at the GDD™ Miami Headquarters/late night techno lair for WMC.

• Larse – So Long (Original Mix)

There’s just so much soul in this track. This is what house music is all about to me. I positively NEED to hear someone drop this at 3AM upstairs at Electric Pickle in Miami (can you tell I’m excited to get back to Miami next month?)

• Massive Attack – Teardrop (Bareback DJs Bootleg)

Excellent rework by the Aussie badmen Bareback DJs. Love the sound these guys have gravitated towards in the last six months or so. And you know, oddly enough, Massive Attack in any form will always make me think of strippers. We got this stripper one time for SNEEVS’ birthday and she really liked Massive Attack and we put it on and… shit, I’ve said too much already.

Head on over to our Facebook to download the whole set!

I am quite pleased that Stuart Price is back in a big way so far in 2012.  Mr. Price, aka Jacques Lu Cont (also doing business as Thin White Duke, Paper Faces, Les Rythmes Digitales, et al) has written/produced songs for some of the biggest names in dance music (Madonna, New Order, Scissor Sisters, Kylie Minogue, The Killers) as well as being responsible for some of the greatest dance remixes of ALL TIME (namely these three dancefloor masterpieces by Missy Elliott, Madonna & Felix da Housecat).

The lastest Jacques Lu Cont remix is for sophomore heavyweights Miike Snow.  Another JLC gem, this remix progresses + builds into a blazing, genre crossing, filtered out, climatic jam that should have Coachella festival goers (and festival goers all around the planet) raising their hands & stomping their feet to this upcoming festival season.

aRod

A few years ago I wrote a paper in which I discussed and subsequently dissected the current state of women in hip-hop.  I eventually came to the conclusion that my fellow gender counteparts were about to take back what was rightfully theirs.  The reasoning behind this you ask?  Well that’s easy, her name is Santigold.

Santigold (formerly Santogold) released her debut album in 2008 and that shit was all kinds of cray.  It blended everything from reggae to indie pop and featured some of the industries biggest names, including Diplo and Switch.  She co-wrote and produced the entire album and once again made female empowerment an endearing quality.

As of late, Santigold has been working on her follow up album “Master of My Make-Believe”, which is expected for a spring release.  The first single “Big Mouth” dropped last month and with it she reclaims the meaning behind bad ass bitch.  It’s reminiscent of old-school Missy Elliot and the subtle stabs at her misguided haters is pure genius.  This is one fantasy I definitely want to be apart of.

Santigold – Big Mouth 

Download the track for free here.

posted by @clarkbs

Happy Friday! I hope this week treated you well and I hope the weekend will treat you even better. I have news featuring James Murphy working with the Gorillaz & Andre 3000, Skrillex videos, and Soul Clap. Please read on after the jump.

Gorillaz, James Murphy, and André 3000 Team Up

Gorillaz‘ partnership with Converse was unveiled in full today. Their contribution to the “Three Artists, One Song” series is called “DoYaThing” and features Damon Albarncollaborating with James Murphy and André 3000. It will be available for free download onthe company’s website on February 23.

Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett has designed four different Gorillaz Converse shoes, which can be seen at the Converse site.

(via Pitchfork)

Skrillex Mothership Tour (Short Film) + In Search of Skrillex: Is a DJ Worthy of 5 Grammy Nods

(via Youtube, The Daily Beast)

Soul Clap Announce New Album

Soul Clap have announced the details for their forthcoming album. Coming out on Wolf+Lamb, Soul Clap’s new album, entitled EFUNK will be released on April 20.

Having relocated to Miami to work on the album, their 45 minute, 13 track 12” is a statement. Coming off the back of their 2010 summer anthem ‘Extravaganza’, their loved DJ Kicks mix and some big remixes of DJ Harvey, Metronomy and Little Dragon, this album should only further cement their reputation.

To accompany the release, Soul Clap are in the midst of a world tour, taking in stops as diverse as Brazil, Japan, Singapore, London, and Tel Aviv.

(via Mixmag)

The Space Ibiza resident DJ Danny Marquez drops into Miami for set at Arkadia in the Fontainebleau Hotel tonight for the weekly Disco Sh!t party. The Spanish DJ has held residencies all over Ibiza, and launched his big room house imprint ‘F1rst Records’ in 2011. I’ll be supporting the veteran house DJ tonight once the doors open at 10pm. Here’s my latest mix to get you fired up for the weekend.

Winnie Cooper is sponsoring a local music series hosted by our friends at Original Spin. From February 10 – 18th at Cafe Deux Soleils you’ll be able to hear some of Vancouver’s best bands including Ville Kulla, Rococode, and The Gay Nineties.

Ville Kulla – Braves
Rococode – Empire
The Gay Nineties – Favourite Game

Three bands/night for eight days? Sounds good to me. Individual tix are $10 a pop and an eight days pass is a measly $25; steal. The bands are also giving away a free compilation album on Original Spins’ BandCamp page right hurr. Also, see the Facebook event page for a full list of bands here. Winnie will see you soonz ♥

Posted by John

Winnie Cooper is sponsoring a local music series hosted by our friends at Original Spin. From February 10 – 18th at Cafe Deux Soleils you’ll be able to hear some of Vancouver’s best bands including Ville Kulla, Rococode, and The Gay Nineties.

Ville Kulla – Braves
Rococode – Empire
The Gay Nineties – Favourite Game

Three bands/night for eight days? Sounds good to me. Individual tix are $10 a pop and an eight days pass is a measly $25; steal. The bands are also giving away a free compilation album on Original Spins’ BandCamp page right hurr. Also, see the Facebook event page for a full list of bands here.

Posted by John

Gotta Dance Dirty™: Alvin, thanks for letting me tag along tonight and also for giving me an interview. At Gotta Dance Dirty we have one question we always ask first to break the ice, so tell me what is your drink of choice when you are out?

Alvin Risk: You’re welcome man, I have been a fan of you guys for a while so it just made sense to hook up with you while I was in town. As far as my drink of choice goes, it has definitely become Red Bull over the past few years.

GDD: Nice definitely gotta love Red Bull, after all it does give you wings!  Anyway, I must say when I was doing research for this interview, I could not find much information about you at all on the Internet! All I really found is that you are from D.C. and some other generic information. So tell me a bit more about yourself.

AR: HaHa, well I live in a suburb in Northwest Washington D.C. called Pettworth. Which used to be kind of a shit-hole but now it’s started to become an up and coming area, a lot of things are going on.

GDD: How did you first get into electronic dance music?

AR: A downward spiral I think. Probably maybe even before that. Well, Michael Jackson I guess if you want to go that far back. I definitely consider Thriller and Disco almost like electronic music. It was not synced to any grid or anything and there were not a lot of computers involved in it but, synthesizers are electronic.

GDD: Ahha! Michael Jackson is the man. A true legend of the music scene.

AR: I could not agree more. Growing up, I fuckin’ loved the Thriller record. Every time my parents had friends over I would turn on Thriller and dance to it in front of them. Shit, I loved that track.

GDD: Just so you know there is no way I am not including that last tidbit in our interview. That is too classic to not be in there.

AR: No worries dawg. I wouldn’t expect you not too.

GDD: Moving on, when it comes to producing are you a VST or Analogue guy?

AR: Right now everything is in the box because I need to be able to do stuff while I am traveling and also to be able to work on a bunch of different projects in at the same time. I sample a lot of the Analogue stuff I have in my home studio because I like the sound of it but, to have it actually connected is not practical at the moment.

GDD: That makes complete sense, as a traveling producer VST’s become your best friend. What would you consider to be your favorite piece of studio equipment overall?

AR: HaHa, this sounds so generic but definitely the Macbook. Its versatility and ability to do everything is unbeatable!

GDD: Oh yes back to that constant touring aspect again. What is your musical background? Are you classically trained?

AR: As for my musical background, I have no formal training or anything like that. Guitar was actually the first instrument that I got really obsessed with and it kind of all evolved from there. Actually, prior to becoming a full time producer and DJ, I used to be the lead singer in an electronic orchestra.

GDD: Hold on, did you say a Electronic Orchestra?? Care to elaborate some?

AR: Oh man, Electronic Orchestra is going to be the future. It is basically the ultimate fusion between a rock band and electronic music all played completely live. I actually never planned on leaving the band and becoming a DJ, it just was not what I really wanted to do.

Mike from Designer Drugs was actually the first person to ask me what the hell I was doing? We were at this bar by my house in DC called the Looking Glass. He had just played a gig in the area and had come over to my house to finish working on a track that we were doing together. He had heard the tracks I was making with my electronic orchestra and thought they were cool and all, but were not what was popular right now. He said I should consider making a couple “banger” tracks to take advantage of how popular the “electro” scene was coming in America. I told him I duh-no if it would be a good call for me because I do not party or anything and that I would not really fit into that scene.

After that conversation I decided to start making remixes and see how it went. Then after the whole Sonny (Skrillex) thing went down and the Steve (Aoki) thing it was obvious that being a DJ was a quicker way to get to where I wanted to be. Much quicker than just slogging around carry tons of gear, playing small clubs in front of nobody in a genre that really didn’t fit in anywhere.

GDD: Wow, so basically your band and the music you were creating were ahead of times huh?

AR: HaHa, I feel the best way to put it is that I was ahead of my budget. We used to have to bring my own monitor mixer because I was doing everything strictly on ears. So we would have to come into these shows 2-hours early and haggle with the front house sound guys to let us split their sub-stake with our monitor mixer just to play a show in front of 20 people.

GDD: In that past explanation, you dropped some heavy hitting names from the EDM industry so I am curious as to how did you meet Mike (designer drugs), Steve Aoki, and Sonny (Skrillex) in the first place?

AR: (Laughs) Most of them completely randomly. I’ve known Mike the longest of the three. I met him from when I used to produce drum bass and we actually used to do shows together back when he lived in Philly.

I met Steve actually through the guys from Pendulum as weird as that sounds. I sent my demo tapes from my Electronic Orchestra to them first and they really liked what I was doing but at the time had really nothing they could do with it. So they asked me if it would be okay to send them over to Steve and of course I said yes. After he heard them, he loved them and contacted me to tell me how much potential they had and to stay in touch. Funny thing is this was way before I made remixes or dance tracks. Steve was actually shocked when he heard a few months down the road that I was making dance music.

Sonny was the last one of the three that I met. I had sent him my demo from my electronic orchestra and during WMC last year he called me up and told me to book a flight ASAP down there and he would pick me up at the airport. So I flew down on the first flight I could and the whole time I am thinking, “What if this guy does not even show up when I get there?” So I landed and at first he is no where to be found then out of nowhere he pulls up in a car and I jump in and inside the car is his manager from Blood Company and Lee from AM  Only. That’s when Skril said, “Guys this is Alvin Risk, he is gonna be the next big thing so we need to sign him right now,” and the rest is history. Sonny was the first to actually follow through with more than just liking my demo and took the chance on signing me and taking me under his wing. For that I will forever be in debt to him.

GDD: Damn, man you have quite the crazy back story. You crossed paths with a lot of key members of the EDM scene before you had even really hit the scene yourself.

AR: Yeah, I have and it has been really good. It has made it a good way for me to introduce people to each other. Like, I feel Sonny and Mike need to work together! I have been trying to make that happen and I know it will happen someday, somehow.

GDD:  Awesome, man that would be quite the collaboration if it does happen. Enough about your back story lets get to your own current music. So far all the tracks of yours that have really hit the main scene have been Dubstep. How did you get into producing Dubstep? Is it the main genre you plan on pursuing?

AR: I made drum and bass for a long time. To me personally making a Dubstep track process wise is exactly like making a drum and bass song. It puts me into the same mindset. It is completely different from making 4/4 stuff or electro stuff. That type of stuff to me was much more difficult for me to really learn how to make.

I would not say that Dubstep is the main genre I want to pursue at all. I mean my Dubstep remix of “Eyes” by Kaskade was only my fourth Dubstep track I have ever made and my remix of Steve Aoki’s “Earthquakey” is the 5th. I have only made 5 Dubstep tracks out of the 25 tracks I have on my soundcloud. I definitely have spent the least amount of time on producing dub tracks but since it is so close to drum and bass it just came really naturally to me.

GDD: Dubstep also happens to be the most popular genre right now it seems so I am sure that is another reason that those 5 tracks really took off.

AR: Yeah, Dubstep is really killing it right now and I am really excited to have opportunity and luck that my tracks in the genre have been so widely accepted.

GDD: Tell me what should we expect from you in 2012?

AR: In 2012, I am going to be touring a lot. First starting off on the Steve Aoki “Dead Meat” tour, then heading to Europe more towards the summer to go on my first European tour with Example. I am also going to be releasing one EP on Dim Mak/Ministry of Sound and another EP on OWSLA. I mean how could I not release one on OWSLA. I owe Sonny the world! The Dim Mak release is gonna come first. That EP is going to be completely different from anything else I have released. It is going to be House but still groovy.

GDD: How about a follow up to your Moombahton EP “Two Strokes Raw” that you did with Tittsworth? Any plans to do another project like that?

AR: My new EP on Dim Mak is going to be similar to ‘Two Strokes Raw’ in a way but it is going to be much much darker. It is going to be a return to the tracks Pendejas and Las Campagnas but with more of winter and less summer. It is more like shit that people from Norway would make because it is always dark there.

GDD: HaHaHa, so it’s gonna be some dark different shit? I cant wait to hear it.

AR: Yeah, I like to call it Witch House. I think you are going to like it and if you don’t I know someone will. Ha.  

GDD: Anything else you would like to share with our audience before we wrap this interview up and get on with our night out with Nero?

AR: Shit almost forgot I do have a couple Moombahton tracks coming out this year. I just finished a Moombah type remix of the track “Dirty Dancer” by Oh My! that will be released at some point this year on a Universal Records sub label and I am going to put a Moombah track on my upcoming OWSLA EP. I do Moombah when it feels right and I had a good idea for a new track I thought was cool so now it made its way onto that E.P.

GDD: Awesome man, I am huge fan of your Moombahton stuff and especially that remix you did of “Dirty Dancer.” I almost forgot to ask you about that, thanks for bringing it up. Well thank you for taking the time to sit down with me and lets get this night going.

AR: Anytime man!

Now here are some tunes for everyone:

Today Fatboy Slim is proud to announce the killer line-up taking over the Brighton AMEX Stadium alongside him on 1 & 2 June this year at Big Beach Bootique 5. Joining the original superstar DJ at the American Express Community Stadium’s first ever live music event will be some of the biggest names in dance music: Fatboy Slim, Carl Cox, Nero, Annie Mac, DJ Fresh, Luciano, Maya Jane-Coles, The 2 Bears, Doorly, Jaguar Skills & Union DJs.

More info & trailer after the jump.

Fatboy’s Big Beach Boutique gigs cemented their place as the biggest and best parties in dance music, and Big Beach Bootique 5 is just about to push the bar even higher, bringing the beach, beats and bass to Brighton’s brand spanking new football stadium.

Naturally, Norman will feature heavily on both Friday 1st & Saturday 2nd June, but it’s his love and constant hunger for new and exciting electronic music that’s to thank for the mouth watering smorgasbord of talent on display at arguably one of the biggest moments in live dance music history… stadium rave!

It’s a weekend showcasing the evolution of electronic music from it’s pioneering inception, right up to today’s cutting edge scene. On Friday, the inimitable bass heavyweight Carl Cox, Ibiza legend Luciano, The 2 Bears (Joe Goddard of Hot Chip & Raf Daddy) famous for “Bear Hug” & Maya Jane-Coles who’s “What They Say” was one of the biggest club tunes of 2011, will join Fatboy Slim. Saturday will see Noman play alongside the emphatic dubstep duo Nero, the brilliant Annie Mac (Radio One/AMP), Jaguar Skills (Radio One), Doorly who has one of the most unique and energetic live shows in the world & Union DJs.

Both days will see over seven hours of pure dance entertainment, culminating in a scorching starlit set by the multi-award winning, platinum album selling, dance institution that is: Fatboy Slim.

(via Ticketline/Fatboy Slim)

“i did a remix for BLACK MARBLE. a really great new cold synth band from brooklyn. i LOVE the original song, and i am really happy with how my remix came out as well. i hope you enjoy it! DOWNLOAD MY “OPEN THE DOOR” REMIX NOW! AND OPEN THE DOOR!”

I like how he referred to Black Marble as a “cold synth” act instead of goth. There’s hope out there for you lil gothies after all. Time to see all your goth stocks and invest in cold syths!

via Pictureplane’s blog.

Black Marble – Pretender

posted by @tristanorchard