Alex Jones is the latest artist to contribute to the Hypercolour family by providing his new EP Higher Level.
This video comes from the strange trend of substituting an original clip with 80s footage, either from a movie or tv show (like Nero, Robosonic http://jackhadagroove.blogspot.ca/2012/06/robosonic-worst-love.html etc)
The track itself is lovely, accompanied with a smooth vocal. Jones is actually co-owner of the label, which explains how he was able to obtain heavy hitters Groove Armada and Mr. Fingers to remix the track.
Pretty good eh?
Hold on to your hats, this one's a biggie! For all those running away from the scandals of the House music world, they are finding retreat in the electronic world by seeking out techno beats. Brodinski's latest release from his Bromance Records label comes from his friend and fellow Frenchman Gesaffelstein (real name Mike Levy). Bromance 4 is called "Rise of Depravity"
The end of the excerpt of Depravity reminds me of "The Most Wonderful Girl" by Lords of Acid...is that weird? Oh Praga Khan, what a crazy dude!
I couldn't possibly mention Hollis P Monroe without posting my absolutely favorite production by the Philadelphia born, Montreal-based (wut wut!) artist.
Remember that quote Sebastian Ingrosso made, comparing what SHM does to the Beatles? How the Beatles would make something melancholic to sad and happy at the same time? This track does exactly that for me. The vocals are by Terence Trent D'Arby. It came out in 1997 (when I was in high school!) and was recently given remix treatment by Laura Jones, Subb-an, Larse and Sis. But truly, nothing compares to the original:
Rampa is part of the collective that runs Berlin based Keinemusik, and has collaborated with Monroe to give "Look Out" which appears courtesy of his home label. Featuring the vocals of Overnite, the track is another melancholic/uplifting track, and a track like this is always refreshing to listen to.
Update 30/08/12: Hollis P Monroe himself (so honoured!) gave me a heads up that a video has been made for the track, check it out here!
Anna Lunoe is Australian vocalist, producer and DJ who is now based out of L.A. (every electronic producer and their mother seems to have relocated there). Her latest EP features collaborations with Touch Sensitive and Flume.
I really like "Real Talk" and I wonder if it is Lunoe's vocals that are sampled in the track, though there are no actual lyrics.
Flume, whose real name is Harley Streten, is also Australian, and belongs to the Future Classic label. Lunoe provides the vocals for "I Met You."
Check out the video for the collaboration between Flume and Lunoe, where they both star in the clip:
Well, the mixing was definitely off. She started singing (badly) along to her new song produced by Afrojack called Last Night. The songs included mainstream, non-House tracks like Gotye's Somebody I Used to Know and Rihanna's We Found Love. She also played Avicii's Levels and Alesso's Remix of Pressure, which are very well known tracks in the House world. Not sure what else she played during her set but it didn't sound too good from the posted videos.
Also, did you see her logo? Laden with diamonds floating around her name. And the images of her in the background...shudder! Someone also needs to give that girl some rhythm, seriously. She shimmies her chest forward (bleh) and dances so poorly, I have a hard time understanding how someone without rhythm would ever be able to properly beatmatch. Which is perhaps the reason we see what we do in the videos.
The videos went viral and were posted by a lot of DJs with negative messages attached to them. Basically Twitter and Facebook lit up with people comparing Hilton's DJ set to the end of dance music and even the end of the world. Haha! I know it isn't nice to be mean, but seriously, she truly has no business entering the DJ world if she only started listening to House in 2011, while there are tons of struggling DJs and producers trying to make it big.
This picture has been making the rounds, which lead people to state that she needed help mixing. Some people have defended it as him just adjusting the master volume. Well, maybe. Lets give her the benefit of the doubt. Still doesn't make up for what we heard in those videos!
Apparently Deadmau5 went on yet another rant, this time about her:
When he says he felt partially to blame, I think he is referring to when he allowed Hilton to shadow him at one of his shows late last year.
Afrojack then went on to try to defend himself and Hilton:
I guess he feels that he too was under fire. He had an exchange with a Twitter user where he basically said that it was not right to hate on someone (the haters) didn't know, and not know Paris Hilton's motivations for becoming a DJ. He also said he didn't care if his career was tarnished because he has amassed enough money to take care of his family 2 years ago, and so all he wants to do is have fun making music. Wow, so Afrojack is insanely rich. Well, good for him I guess. Maybe he is so rich he has forgotten what it is like to struggle as a producer and get noticed. He since deleted his exchange so I couldn't get a screenshot.
However, he did change his tune the next day after watching the videos posted above:
The picture he uploaded was this:
And he actually entered the definition of facepalm according to Wikipedia as his bio:
So maybe the rumours of them breaking up are actually true.
I agree with what he is saying, but seriously, I still wish Paris Hilton had nothing to do with House music, or DJing. She is the epitome of everything I dislike: famous for being famous. I don't even know who Bill Gates or Steve Jobs kids are. There are a lot of heirs and heiresses out there that have much more dignity than Paris Hilton. Even Kim Kardashian acknowledges she is famous because of her sex tape. I know that Paris Hilton's empire came with a lot of work, but she also had a lot of backing. It is this same reason I don't like how she got to have a major gig in Brazil after enlisting Afrojack to help her while there are so many producers and DJs out there who may never catch their break.
Some DJs have stated either that they are tired of hearing about it, or that it isn't right to be mean to her, and to let her do what she wants. I liked DJ Craze's response to that:
Of course you have to consider the source, as he is known for his mixing skills, and is part of the school of thought that Traktor makes DJs lazy.
Its a lot less about hating Paris Hilton and a lot more about just not wanting her to DJ. For her, its a commodity, not really a passion. I think that is part of what frustrates a lot of people.
There are a lot of memes going around, one I saw today was on point but nonetheless vulgar, so I won't post it. People are saying that even the negative publicity she is getting is giving her the publicity she needs to be recognized as a DJ. Maybe, but I think the number of dislikes on the videos of her will truly dictate how good a DJ she is.
Imagine her debut was actually good? I doubt I would have written this post, even though I am not a fan of hers. Either way, she doesn't care, as she posted this picture today showing she has yet another DJ gig.
I've called it the backlash. People can't decide which side of the debate they are on anymore because they have come under fire from criticism of becoming too mainstream. Born in Canada, I really like to support Canadian artists. I cannot say I love them all, and Deadmau5 is the perfect example of one I have often times found myself on the fence on, but more times than not, I have a dislike for a lot of the things he says. Many people do not know Joel Zimmerman's work prior to his collaboration with Kaskade. I was privy to his earlier works as they would play them on Canadian radio. He was part of the IDM collective. IDM meaning "intelligent dance music." It is so interesting to see how the mention of "EDM" can be so polarising, but to make IDM is supposedly cool. Insert eyeroll here. His music was frenetic, electronic, and not close to anything that could be labelled House. I was not really a fan of it to be completely honest. All the while, Kaskade was making house music and contributing to OM Records. Deadmau5 started to crossover to House, and the two eventually collaborated pushing both of them into the spotlight with "I Remember" and 'Move for Me." What I found strange was that Deadmau5 was propelled further than Kaskade initially, but I am glad to see Kaskade now shares a great deal of notoriety as well. I was shocked because of Deadmau5's success also because I kept hearing his constant negativity and vulgarism. He even dubbed himself as a "professional griefer." During this time, his show and productions were becoming extremely popular. After having a public relationship with a playboy playmate, when that went sour, he started to "grief" less about others and it became apparent he was struggling with personal issues. I truly believe he was undergoing a severe depression, and it changed my tune toward him, because I found myself feeling the need to reach out and help this person who I once was not exactly fond of. I would tweet him messages of encouragement, I have no idea if he ever saw them. Depression is not something to take lightly, and there are a lot of medications and cognitive therapies out there to help people. I still hope he has made the right strides to get the help he needs. He fell off the radar for a bit, but has gotten back up on the ladder and continues to make waves, and headlines. Criticizing Madonna for her talk of Molly was a big incident. One that I actually agreed with because we all know she wasn't really promoting Cedric Gervais' track Molly, but rather trying to be hip knowing most of the crowd was high on drugs. I don't care how you spin it, drugs like Molly are illegal and she shouldn't be promoting it just because its hip and part of EDM culture. Then he took on Pauly D, which was kind of funny only because they seem to be in completely different stratospheres. Obviously we all know the biggest allegation that has been made with DJs who are considered to be "EDM" is that they push play on pre-recorded sets. Zimmerman decided that he should weigh in and even call people out. This isn't uncharacteristic of him, but I think its uncalled for really. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/on-the-cover-the-rise-of-deadmau5-20120620 "And not to say I'm not a button pusher. I'm just pushing a lot more buttons." Well good for you, Deadmau5? I don't understand what kind of point he is trying to make. That he is more knowledgeable of the technology he uses? There is no way every DJ and producer out there has the same knowledge of technology. There are so many brands, so many controllers, so many gizmos that it is impossible. He even goes in on Skrillex, who pretty much owes Deadmau5 for kick-starting his career. So Deadmau5 is saying he is a cut above because he is smarter? Hmmm. He lauds his UStream sessions as "lifting the veil" allowing his fans to see what he's doing. Yes, it is great, it makes things very interactive. He even made the Veldt through connecting with one of the online users who contributed the vocals to the track. Awesome. But why are you trying to make others look bad?
Ingrosso also elaborated on his hopes that Swedish House Mafia might collaborate with Paul McCartney, describing the former Beatle, who stopped by the group's set at Coachella, as "the biggest musical legend today living on this planet."
"I think the Beatles made something that's kind of melancholic to sad and happy combined, and that's just amazing," Ingrosso said, adding that he sees similarities between the Fab Four and Swedish House Mafia's chord progressions. "I kind of analyze music a lot, and I think that what the Beatles have done is what we do today. [It] doesn't matter that we do dance music."
Man, I wish Rolling Stone would stay out of it. Its as if you need the sensationalism to sell your magazine. Bleh.
I saw Hot Creations' Lee Foss ask his followers on Facebook to comment, and here was our exchange. I commented because everyone was bashing SHM:
It sucks because I like Lee Foss' work, and it just looks like I'm trying to, as he said, play devil's advocate. But its more that I hope to get through to them to not misconstrue what was being said. Why do I keep defending these guys? Because I saw how hard they worked to get where they are, and yeah, they have fancy cars, lush lifestyles, but I refuse to ignore their humble beginnings.
I know Ferrer sided with Sneak on his crusade against SHM, but I was surprised to see Laidback Luke's comment!
Deadmau5 then felt the need to elaborate on his Rolling Stone quotes, by posting on his blog: http://deadmau5.tumblr.com/post/25690507284/we-all-hit-play I felt that this blog post was really for the amateurs, because if you cannot make the distinction between producing and DJing, then google should be your friend. He also feels the need to tell "button-pushers" to own up to it, and stop pretending that they're doing something special up there (in the DJ booth) because it annoys him. Boo hoo. Why are there so many "who died and made you dance music spokesperson" going around? Why can't these people unite instead of divide and fall together? I get that beause dance music is the biggest thing right now, its becoming saturated and people are trying to set themselves apart, but its so much more classy when done in a positive way.
Spoken like a true hypocrite "griefer."
I'm now going to come across as the biggest hypocrite. I keep talking about being positive but I cannot get on board with the blog Dancing Astronaut. I remember when the Swedish blog Beat My Day emerged. I love that blog because you know that there is research that goes into their posts, and there are long-standing fans of dance music that contribute. So many times I have seen really poor research done and claims made by Dancing Astro that begs the question when these guys started actually listening to dance music. It seems to be run by people who are very new to the world of dance music, and they often don't get their facts straight. Guys & gals at Dancing Astro, google is your friend, use it! I have such an issue with this blog because they probably don't even know who Jeff Mills is and they claim to have the freshest news in dance music. Call yourself an EDM blog, but don't go say you have all the info when the most "underground" artist I've seen them blog about is Brodinski! What annoys me even more is how many producers praise the blog...this isn't blog on blog war, and I'm not trying to say people new to the scene shouldn't be able to contribute. On the contrary. But I just wish they would dig deep before blindly making claims and posting them as facts. http://www.dancingastronaut.com/2012/06/editorial-dance-music-has-gone-mainstream-but-it-doesnt-have-to-sell-out/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#axzz1yeZI4YiX Here is an editorial from Jacob Schulman, who is not the founder but the editor-in-chief of the blog. I envy him cause he does get to go to a number of the big EDM events, and sometimes gets backstage access because, as I said, a lot of producers like the blog. This particular article states that the DJs are playing the same tracks every night. But that is also because they are not playing the same venues every night. Die hard fans may follow them along theur tour circuit, but the vast majority do not. If you go to see Avicii, you're going to want to hear "Le7els." If you go see Green Velvet, you're going to want to hear "Percolator." I understand the point he is trying to make, and yeah, DJs should play a variety, cause it mixes things up. But who the hell is Dancing Astro to dictate what these established DJs should be playing? If you're bored, go watch someone else. Apparently everyone's a critic! Like I've said before, be weary of what you read out there!
More rants:
Once again demonstrating why I prefer Beat My Day:
I like this quote by young prodigy Madeon. I wholeheartedly agree with him too. For example, some music is not made to make you think but rather to enjoy at face value and dance to.
Side note: am I the only one who thinks Madeon looks like a young Martin Solveig? And no, its not only because they are both French!
I like this rant from Swedish producer Ida Engberg:
Deep Dish's Sharam said this (he probably doesn't like to be branded as Deep Dish since they are no longer a duo but I said that for context) :
Yup
Finally, Junior Sanchez felt the need to explain the direction of his music. Caught in the middle of the SHM vs Sneak war, I find his opinion is always one worth at least hearing out.
Yup. Because he can! Exactly! Haters gonna hate, but people still move on with their lives!
I have yet to see his submission to Rolling Stone, but this article came out instead: http://www.meoko.net/interviews/dj-sneak-defining-house-music There is some major bias going on in this article. The source basically allows him to be the one to define House music. Ridiculous, it is his opinion, not fact. It is so completely ridiculous how he goes after "the mainstream" as if they came out of nowhere and became commercial all of a sudden. I could go on and on about how this article is so flawed, but what is the point? Its the same drivel we've ben hearing from Sneak since March.
I've seen a couple of rants from DJs. Its part of that whole "defending themselves against the backlash" bit. Take a gander:
From Dutch producer Sander Kleinenberg
After a Twitter troll was harassing Steve Angello about being fake, he said this:
From Kaskade defending his Freaks of Nature tour where apparently he is showcasing his production work rather than playing a DJ set:
Kaskade is an artist, so to me, I think this was a bit unnecessary only because he should be able to do what he wants. I suppose he felt he owed it to his fans to explain the direction of his latest tour. Less of a rant and more of a distinction between a typical DJ set featuring other artists' records versus his own. It is lost on most that producer is not equivalent to DJ, but in the electronic scene, a lot of producers also DJ and vice versa.
From American producer Sandy Rivera, who releases quite a bit on the UK label Defected:
Never to shy away from a good ol' fashion rant, DJ Sneak weighed in:
I tweeted to Sandy Rivera about whether crowds can distinguish how records are mixed (CDJ vs being synched on something like Traktor) but he didn't reply. It was a legitimate question, because I doubt I would know the difference. I also mentioned in the tweet that it is important the DJ make the right song selection in order for the night to be successful. Song selection is a huge part of what a DJ does, isn't it? If a DJ has a preference to pop songs versus one that likes techno, and people want to go to a techno night, then that is something I'm sure audiences look for.
French producer Sebastien Leger, one who always likes to insult the mainstream/commercial, wanted to make this distinction:
What I feel is that it seems purist DJs that spin records almost wish this software like Traktor was not created. I don't understand this resistance to the evolution of technology. Technology is supposed to make things easier, right? How else would manufacturers of said technology be able to market their products otherwise? TV specs have been improved, phones have been improved, movie theatres have been improved...there are countless examples of how technology has been developed to ease the experience. From the ENIAC computer to my MacBookPro, countless efforts have been made to make products that bring simplicity.
I'm sorry he misses the old school days, but maybe DJs who used to rely on spinning and beat matching need to realize that evolution is constant. Its like if doctors were replaced by robots: doctors would then have to adapt to figure out a way to provide skills that the robot could not. ADAPT! I don't see DMC Champion A-Trak whining about this, cause he has adapted! Taking up production skills, and putting on a show, rather than crying about how he misses the old school days.
So for the old school thinkers who resent the new technology that allows more people to enter the game of DJing and production, I think the best thing to say is, better get those creative juices flowing, or you will become phased out!
An article came out basically attributing the "downfall" of dance music to the rise of it in America. http://www.inthemix.com.au/features/53105/Is_America_killing_dance_music I can't say I agree with everything stated in this article, but it is one of the rare ones that acknowledges the presence, or rather emergence of the mainstream from the underground. I don't think it is America that is killing dance music, but rather its the trends that are popping up that are. Its the niche market of places like Vegas, but there are still some deep grounded roots in America that keep dance music healthy and alive. I know a lot of American producers/DJs were offended, and you have to take this article with a grain of salt when someone outside of America is basically trying to blame America. My favorite quote from the article was "Wall St Journal, we didn't know you cared." Haha! Exactly! http://jackhadagroove.blogspot.ca/2012/06/edm-on-wall-st.html The article also acknowledges sentiments made by King Unique and David Guetta. What I took from it is that the underground wants to keep its sound to itself, and stay forever 'cool' but will bash the sound that ultimately emerged from it and became popular. If you do not think what Guetta, Avicii, SHM and Afrojack play emerged from the old school dance scene, you are living in denial.
Franky Rizardo has delivered yet another drum heavy, latin-influenced EP that is meant to light up the nigh time Ibiza sky. http://jackhadagroove.blogspot.ca/2012/05/franky-rizardo-on-my-own.html
The first track "Bumba Meu Boi" sounded like Portugese to me (not that I speak that language!) so I googled it and found out it 1) is 2) translates as "hit my bull" 3) is a Brazilian folk theatrical tradition where a bull dies and then is brought back to life. The production is supposed to involve drums, music and costumes, and many flavourful characters (cowboy who causes the bull to die, rich man who owns the bull, a priest, an ugly pregnant woman...haha, you get the gist of it!). La Chicambo rounds off the EP, another drum heavy track (those Dutch and their drums! Love it!)
Jaymo and Andy George are the lovable duo that you can often catch gracing the airwaves of BBC Radio 1 with their old school throwbacks and clear ability to recognize the next big track. Their label, Moda, is releasing a new compilation called Moda Black.
One of the standout tracks for me is This1 That1. I mentioned that the phenomenon of "booty music" was on the rise http://jackhadagroove.blogspot.ca/2012/05/zombie-disco-squad-feat-dj-funk-twerk.html and this track will make you want to express yourself a la Diplo.
Here is the rest of the Moda Black compilation, featuring tracks from Shadow Child , Tim Green, Disclosure, and the duo Jaymo & Andy George themselves.
As if I was not going to comment on this one! News broke out today that Swedish House Mafia has broken up after they posted this message on their website.
Where to begin? Some people are lauding DJ Sneak for lending a hand to their demise. Even he thinks its because of him!
Some have said they saw it coming.
Here are some responses:
Of course, there are haters:
This is what I know. I heard Axwell's High Energy in 2003 and it blew me away. After hearing a couple of tracks through his aliases, in 2006, I purchased Steve Angello's Ministry of Sound Sessions compilation and it blew me away. I started digging and found collaborations between Angello and Ingrosso and they blew me away. Angello and Ingrosso were childhood friends who grew up sharing a passion for music. Being part of the Stockholm scene, they met Axel Hedfors aka Axwell. Along with Eric Prydz, these Swedish producers were making waves at the same time and became dubbed the "Swedish House Mafia" by Radio 1 DJ Pete Tong. I remember listening to the radio show when it happened. Prydz' sound was not exactly in line with the rest of them, and so he decided to distance himself from being labelled as a member. The trio would appear sometimes on the same bill, but the name caught on. I would YouTube so many interviews of these guys, always wanting to know what they were going to do next. They started DJing together, playing each other's productions, but it was not until March 2009 when we would hear their first production together along with Laidback Luke. I've said this before, I remember Pete Tong having exclusive first play of the track, I was sitting at my desk trying to get school work done, and my ears were peaked. "Leave the World Behind" featuring the vocals of Canadian R&B artist Deborah Cox basically floored me. This track remains as one of my all time favorite dance songs EVER! (posting this version cause there is too much talking in the official video haha)
I always call WMC 2009 the event that changed dance music. Of course David Guetta contributed a great deal to the movement as well. His album, One Love, was a crossover hit, and also released in 2009 (and featured contributions by Sebastian Ingrosso).
After that turning point, SHM's train was full steam ahead. Debuting their SHM only-produced track "One" in 2010, working with British rap artist Tinie Tempah for "Miami 2 Ibiza," making a crossover hit "Save the World" which met controversy from critics (myself included!) which they responded as refusing to be pigeon-holed by anyone. Collaborating with dubstep outfit Knife Party to make Antidote, and collaborating with Sweden's Absolut Vodka for Greyhound earlier this year.
Headlining their own night at Pacha Ibiza, branching away from Ultra to create their own Miami event, performing in Madison Square Garden, chronicling their journey through their documentary "Take One" are just a few of their feats. Beckoned by popular recording artists to help produce their work (notably Kylie Minogue, Will.i.am, Flo Rida), helping kickstart careers like AN21, Max Vangeli, Alesso, Qulinez, Thomas Gold, bringing along friends Dirty South and Calvin Harris along for many rides (yeah, before Calvin made that Rihanna track!) their success spread like wildfire, and so did their name. I would go as far as to say some people new to the dance music scene would not even know the guys individual names, only that they were listening to SWEDISH HOUSE MAFIA.
Juggling the SHM brand with their solo acts as well as supporting the members of their respective labels (Angello with SIZE, Axwell with Axtone and Ingrosso with Refune) could not be easy, and I want to believe that that is why they will no longer be touring together. Axwell has a son, Angello has two daughters, and Ingrosso has a daughter with another on the way. Often times they tweet about #familyfirst, acknowledging that it is a priority in their lives. So that may also be a reason for not touring together. Being able to cater to their own schedule rather than having to take two other members into account. I know a lot of long-time fans felt they were missing out on productions from the guys themselves which they came to know and love, before the SHM phenomenon exploded, and so in a way, it could be a good thing. Maybe new Buy Now or Supermode releases!
But of course, with huge success comes the critics and the haters who prefer to see them go down rather than concentrating on their own lives. The controversy that surrounded Steve Angello saw a lot of his fans turn on him. Many people started to say "they were good before, now they make commercial stuff." And then DJ Sneak, a heavyweight in the industry, decided to make it his personal mission to slander their name and work. They have become the group many love to hate. Ingrosso made a statement to Rolling Stone magazine about comparing what they do to the Beatles. I personally did not take it as him making a declaration of saying they were as big as the Beatles, but of course haters are going to interpret what they want. Because if they hate you, they won't ever give you the benefit of the doubt. Surely members of the underground who often vocalize their disdain for the group will be elated by the news, as if it is some type of victory. There are still a lot of questions. Is it only the end of touring? Will they still produce together? Don't forget that Ingrosso and Angello are life-long friends. Axwell was one of Ingrosso's best men at his wedding. To say it is the last tour ever makes it seem it is a break up. To dissolve the group seems so absolute. I wish they said they were taking time off instead, because people immediate equate break up with conflict among them. I hope that is not the case. I'm really sad because I never got to see them together. I still have yet to see Sebastian Ingrosso live either. The good news is they are not dead, just possibly going to concentrate on their solo careers. Perhaps they felt it was the time to nurture their individual ideas instead of being part of a collective. Its their lives, they can do whatever they want, even though it makes the fans sad. There is no doubt they will keep producing, the three of them bleed music. But it is possibly the end of an era created by a joke of dubbing a bunch of Swedes "a mafia."
No past tense for me: WE COME WE RAVE WE LOVE
