As the whole of the UK prepares for a massive Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend, we caught up with Catz ‘n’ Dogz to find out what we can expect from their set on Sunday June 3^rd at Circus’ massive party at The Masque in Liverpool. On the same bill as Yousef, James Zabiela, Adam Beyer, Heidi, Lewis Boardman and Scott Lewis, this is shaping up to be one of the top nights of the whole weekend…

Sneaky Sound System make their debut at Electric Brixton, London on Saturday 21^st July. Powerhouse singer Miss Connie Mitchell and producer extraordinaire Black Angus McDonald make their debut following on from the release of their third album, ‘From Here To Anywhere’. Connie and Angus started making music together in 2004 and as their reputation grew, Sneaky Sound System started releasing singles (including ‘Pictures’, ‘UFO’,  ‘I Love It Hip Hip Hooray’ and ‘Tease Me’) and eventually, in 2006, a self-titled debut album. 

Matthew Dear will release his newest album ‘Beams’ on August 28^th on Ghostly International. Matthew, songwriter, producer and collaborator, offered an early taste of what to expect from ‘Beams’ with the well-received EP, ‘Headcage’, in January of this year. The highlights were working with other producers (Van Rivers & The Subliminal Kid) and vocalists (Johnny from The Drums), which lent ‘Headcage’ an openness and poise. 

Fareoh is giving away a custom remix of Calvin Harris' hit ‘Let's Go’ featuring Ne-Yo. The up and coming 20-year-old big room progressive DJ/producer has just embarked on Kaskade's Freaks of Nature tour tour and is giving this track to his fans to get them pumped for his live performance on the tour. All Fareoh asks in return for the free remix is for fans to simply Tweet the track or put it on their Facebook page by ‘Paying with a Tweet’. 

To celebrate the fact it will be 30 years since Manchester club The Haçienda opened its doors, current incumbents of the brand have programmed a very special celebration at Space in Ibiza. Headlining the party on June 9^th will be seminal figures from the world’s of house, techno, rave and acid in the form of Kevin Saunderson, Marshall Jefferson, 808 State and original resident, Graeme Park.

Dino Lenny Vs Hardrive – I Wanna Be Like Talking Heads (Strictly Rhythm)

Think this could be one of those tracks that you’re either going to love or hate. We love it and think it’s sheer genius! On paper, it just doesn’t make sense. Italian DJ/producer, Dino Lenny, mashes up Talking Heads’ ‘Psycho Killer’ with Hardrive’s ‘Deep Inside’, then adds his own vocal, replacing the voice of David Byrne with his own and talks about how he’s ‘just a DJ, but if you dig deep inside, I’m like The Beatles or The Doors, you decide. I’m just a DJ but if you look deep inside, I’ve got a good heart, just love me tonight.’ 

This Saturday, 2^nd June, Howard Donald returns to Plug in Sheffield. For the last 20 years, thousands of knowledgeable clubbers, over ten different countries, hundreds of the world’s highest profile club nights and hundreds of gigs have all been subject to the tech and electro house sets of Howard, before, during and after his 'alternative' career.

Vans and FYF announced the return of the Vans House Parties to Brooklyn, New York this summer. The first installment of the free concert series will kick off live from the House of Vans (25 Franklin Street) on Wednesday, June 20^th with performances by The Rapture and Tanlines, and will feature a Dave P (Making Time/Fixed NYC) DJ Set. The show will be followed by a second Vans House Party on July 12^th, with performances by H20, 7 Seconds, and more. There will be four additional Vans House Parties throughout the summer on July 26^th, August 2^nd, August 16^th and August 29^th. 

After their collaboration on the monstrous ‘Blood Diamond’, Last Japan and Trim combine again for the apocalyptic amalgamation of styles ‘East’. Trim’s recent album deal was announced with London pirate station turned underground music powerhouse Rinse, and this collaboration represents his final feature before dropping his debut LP with the imprint. The hype surrounding the East London MC continues to grow ever stronger and it’s not hard to see why, his monotone delivery was one of the brighter talents on the Wiley fronted ‘Roll Deep’. Here his talents once again work wonders with the breathtaking sonics at Last Japan’s disposal.

Judge Jules and Judgement Sundays recently announced the highly anticipated partnership with Ferry Corsten’s events concept Full On Ferry for the 2012 Ibiza season. Co-hosting six nights across the summer, two of dance music’s powerhouse club brands, spearheaded by two of the scenes most revered DJ/producers, will come to together for a series of events that will help earmark the sound of Ibiza this summer. 

On July 17^th Ribbon Music will release on behalf of John Maus, throughout the world, a 16-song collection of music spanning 11 years of creative output, titled ‘A Collection of Rarities and Previously Unreleased Material’. Of the 16 songs showcased, five – ‘This Is The Beat’, ‘Castles In The Grave’, ‘Bennington’, ‘My Hatred Is Magnificent’ and ‘No Title (Molly)’ - have appeared on previous compilations. 

British disco imprint Outcross Records release the 'I Can Fly' EP this June by label owners Miguel Campbell and Matt Hughes. Miguel Campbell recently unleashed his talent upon the world with the heavy hitter 'Something Special' on Hot Natured. He now returns to the roots of his success with longtime alliance Matt Hughes, who together as MAM and individually, have been steadily releasing their infectious hooky disco grooves on Outcross Records since its inception in 2006.



Taking place in Seattle, Washington on September 26 - 30, 2012, the 9^th annual Decibel International Festival of Electronic Music Performance, Visual Art and New Media has been announced, featuring headliners Kimbra, Carl Craig, Matthew Dear, Fennesz, John Talabot, Ariel Pink, and Actress, Nina Kraviz, and Baths. In addition to the headlining acts, the festival will feature Dragonette, Emancipator and Yppah. Following the “artist a day” approach, the rest of the musical lineup (60 more acts out of 120) will be announced on June 27^th with the entire program of educational programs, film festival, after-parties and boat-parties announced on July 11^th. 

Lost My Dog’s annual Sonar Off event in Barcelona hits its fourth successive year and this year the party, in conjunction with local label Your Only Friend, features Shades Of Gray (Live), Pete Dafeet, Nacho Marco, Your Only Friend and Ryan Bliss. The party takes places at the brand new ‘The Family Music Club’, a cutting edge venue located just off Las Ramblas in the heart of Barcelona. This year the focus is on a late night event, running from 11pm until 6am. Previous years parties have included an all-day hotel rooftop terrace shindig, an evening soiree at the waterfront Club Mondo, and an afternoon boat party on the Mediterranean.

North America’s first and only touring electronic music festival experience, Identity, recently announced that tickets for its two California shows are now on-sale. The full line-ups for each California date have also been released. Limited numbers of $25 early-bird tickets will be available. Last year, each of the San Diego and San Francisco shows drew crowds of more than 15,000. With the 2012 New York Identity leg selling out in just 24 hours, demand is expected to be similarly high for the California dates this year.

Ireland's Kormac has been releasing records as a solo artist since 2007, with his debut album, ‘Word Play’ (2010 Scribble Records), featuring DJ Yoda, Koaste (Black Grass,) DJ Cheeba (Solid Steel/Ninja Tune) Messiah J & The Expert and MC Little Tree. At the age of 17 he presented and produced his own radio show on Radio Caroline moving on to Power FM while his club DJing progressed. He's supported everyone from DJ Hype and Goldie to Grandmaster Flash and Jurassic 5's DJ Numark. Not just a wizard behind the wheels of steel, Kormac's AV sets have seen him perform in Bratislava, Slovakia and Vienna.

Taken from the Dub Pistols’ impending fifth album ‘Worshipping The Dollar’, comes ‘Alive’, featuring reggae legend Red Star Lion and the very radio-unfriendly D&B monster ‘Mucky Weekend’ with Rodney P. Remixes of ‘Alive’ come from Hackman, Urban Knights and Sunday Best along with instrumental versions of both. From their early beginnings as a sound-system project, Dub Pistols have grown into a party-rocking live band and their infectious blend of ska, dub, hip-hop, electronic music and punk has won them many fans around the globe over the past 15 years. 

Azari & III exploded onto the scene in 2011 with their cult underground hit ‘Hungry For The Power’ which shook dance floors and airwaves around the world. The band ignited the festival circuit last summer with critically acclaimed performances across the UK and Europe as they bathed festival goers in their own breed of brooding electronic beats smoothly laced with that signature soulful vocal.

Sabrina Johnston – Satisfy My Love (Champion Records)

Part of Champion Records’ Vault series, where the label has been remixing some of its classic tunes from back in the day, bringing them bang up to date for dance music fans in 2012. These two mixes from Tiefschwartz aren’t really the popular sound of dance music just now, the cheesy one that’s getting hijacked by all the urban artists. 

WeSC are hosting a stage at this year’s Eurocultured Festival in Manchester, held this year over the forthcoming Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend. Eurocultured is Manchester’s longest running and most loved street festival that attracts a loyal crowd of thousands each year, drawn to the unique and diverse blend of art, music and performance. WeSC have teamed up with local collective and blog PYC Sessions and Manchester label Estate Recordings to bring two days of showcases featuring some of the best UK producers and musicians in a truly unique space on New Wakefield Street. 

Shed's debut album for 50 Weapons, ‘The Killer’, is his third in total, his first, ‘The Traveller’, was a collection of tracks recorded over a long period of time. The follow up, ‘Shedding The Past’, was the first concept album, produced in one go. In hindsight, according to his own words, maybe a bit overambitious. Shed was combining all his influences into a melange of genres from dubstep to techno, bass, ambient and IDM.

Massive week in Glasgow, Scotland as Coloursfest 2012 takes place this Saturday, 2^nd June, at Braehead Arena & Waterfront. The event is Scotland’s longest running dance event and has been held on the first Saturday in June every year since its launch in 2002. Coloursfest brings together 10,000 clubbers and some of clubland’s hottest brands, with a few superstar DJs thrown in too. 

After taking the electronic music world by storm last year with their inaugural Ibiza season, Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel brings you two mix albums showcasing the latest and greatest in underground house. With records from a huge range of artists including Maceo Plex, Maya Jane Coles, Flashmob, Todd Terje, Storm Queen, Subb-an, Mark Fanciulli, Huxley, Crazy P and more, this is an essential collection for all disciples of the White Isle. 

PRT Stacho & Underset feat. Ange - Empty World (King Street Sounds)

This was originally out on King Street’s ‘Miami 12’ compilation and now it gets set for a full release with remixes from Japanese producer DJ Keiichiro, Marcelo Vak & Alex Roque and our preferred mix from Eric Kupper. The Vak & Roque mix is a chunkier one, geared to work well at peak-times on the dance floor and NYC- based Keiichiro’s mix takes the track into the deeper side of techno. 

Volkova Sisters are an exciting new band from Budapest, Hungary. Emerging from the underground DIY scene there, and attracting much attention after a head turning performance at SXSW this year, they’ve just released their new EP ‘Hope’ this week. We caught up with the band to find out more...

After a WMC sampler that took in tracks from Ian Pooley, Vincenzo, Francois Dubois and Raxon the Dubai imprint delivers its Sonar Sampler featuring cuts from Downtown Party Network, Seva K, Raxon, Wagon Cookin (feat Gabriella Smith) and Sin Tek.

 Audio Tonicʼs reputation was built on a weekly radio show and club night in Dubai, providing middle-eastern house fans with a steady stream of quality and the label is no different. 

After an iTunes exclusive last week, today sees Leeds-based promoters Kissdafunk give a general release for their debut digital compilation, marking a fresh new chapter for one of the UK’s best-loved club nights. Kissdafunk, the brainchild of Glyn Tolley and DJ Rob Tissera (aka Bobby Tee) is an award winning house music night that has taken the world by storm. Supported by industry luminaries such as Radio 1, Galaxy, Mixmag and DJ Magazine, along with regular guest appearances from some of the biggest artists on the planet such as David Guetta, Erick Morillo, Laidback Luke, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso and Axwell, KDF has delivered a consistent diet of cutting-edge house music from many world class names. 

2012 has been by far the most exciting start to any year in Pig & Dan’s 10-year strong career. After beginning the year with the much acclaimed release ‘Pollerwiesen’ on Stephan Bodzin’s cult label Herzblut, the Dynamic duo once again teamed up with Mark Reeve and produced the techno bomb release ‘Origami’. Soma records launched ‘Origami’ into the Beatport top 20 and saw the title track just skim the outskirts of the top 10. Almost immediately after, Pig & Dan released the Beatport top 5 smasher ‘Machines’ on Bedrock. Now some 10 plus years later, Soma Records present ‘Decade’ – 10 years in 10 tracks from one of techno’s most enigmatic duos.

Epitomising the phenomena of a global gathering, Portugal’s biennial Boom Festival kicks off once again for its ninth edition, taking place around the stunning shores of a lake at Idanha-a-Nova from 28 July until 4 August. The event invites some 30,000 people from across the globe for an eight-day experience as it celebrates its 15^th anniversary, bringing together some of the very best in alternative culture, music and art alongside addressing environmental and human concern. Its meticulous production pivots around an environmental program, geared towards taking the whole event completely off grid. Initiatives including composting toilets, waste vegetable oil-powered generators and development of photovoltaic stations have reaped it awards such as: European Festival Award 1010 (Green ‘n’ Clean Festival of the Year) and Greener Festival Award 2008 and 2010 (Outstanding Prize).

Spiritchaser – Conch (Guess Records)

Ouch! After a roasting weekend of BBQs and illegal sound systems on the beach, it’s safe to say that we’re like a burst couch today. So, like every Monday morning, we need something special to ease us into the week ahead. And we’ve got it again, with another tune of the day from the prolific production duo of Richard Earnshaw & Mark Bamford aka Spiritchaser. 

When it comes to using the digital mix to the fullest, you have to take your hat off to Rockstar Games. Through a clever mix of preview trailers, community building and audience interaction, by the time Max Payne 3 was released, everyone knew about it and everybody wanted a shot of it. Now that’s how to hype a release! We were desperate to try it and when our copy eventually arrived, it was Xbox on, TV on, sound system on, blinds closed and a do not disturb sign placed on the door. So, was it worth the hype, you betcha!

An event we like very much, the final preparations are now underway for Glade Electronic Arts festival. Started seven years from its origins at Glastonbury, this summer’s festival takes place over four days in June located in the beautiful parkland and surrounding woods of Houghton Hall in Norfolk. Fourteen stages will showcase an extensive line-up with over 200 artists includes names such as Sven Vath, Mosca, Vitalic, Stanton Warriors, Foreign Beggars and many, many more.  

As the Ibiza season kicks off, Toolroom Records are releasing the ideal start to the summer with ‘Toolroom Records Ibiza 2012 Vol. 1’. Accompanying Toolroom Knights’ residency at the legendary club Space, this new summer soundtrack brings together 42 huge hits, including new and exclusive cuts from label boss Mark Knight, Tiësto, Hardwell, Funkagenda, Popof & Olivier Giacomotto, Afrojack, Laidback Luke, UMEK, Michael Woods, Nic Fanciulli, Maceo Plex, Manuel De La Mare, Alex Kenji and Maya Jane Coles. Three full-length DJ mixes complete the package.

Madrid-based imprint Depaart kicks off in style this June with its inaugural release ‘Weak Ties’ by Georgeous. Steadily developing himself as a key artist in the Spanish electronic music scene, Georgeous has an intuitive understanding of how to bridge musical divides. Skillfully integrating touches of dub, soul, jazz and deep house material the Spaniard finds common ground amongst all of them to create a unique and melancholic EP.



Following their ‘Worry’ EP released in December, Little Comets are set to return to the fold with new single ‘Jennifer’, released on June 11^th through Dirty Hit Records. Intricately weaving trademark afro-beat rhythms, spikey indie guitars and heartfelt melodic vocals, ‘Jennifer‘ exudes the feeling of upbeat summer euphoria as lead singer Robert Coles delivers his frustrated plea to a lover.

Tonight sees legendary Italian club, Moxa, launch Moxa Experiment – a summer long season in London at Corsica Studios alongside some select Warehouse events.

 Each week at its home in Mantova, Italy, Moxa welcomes the likes of Moodyman, Osunlade, Larry Heard, Derrick Carter and Francois K to play in an intimate and special setting. 

Hardwell recently released a preview of his new remix of the British boy band The Wanted's hit single ‘Chasing The Sun’. ‘Chasing The Sun’ is the main track off of The Wanted's recently released ‘Chasing The Sun’ EP and is definitely one of their standout tracks. Hardwell takes their pop vocals and transforms the track into a powerful big room beast. With an infectious top line and powerful lead play that stays consistent with the original's theme, this remix comes at a perfect time as the summer and festival season is right around the corner.  

This year, BBC Radio 1 will be returning to Playa De'n Bossa in Ibiza - kicking off with another huge free Radio 1 Party on Friday 3^rd August at the stunning Ushuaia Ibiza Beach Hotel. Rob Da Bank will be warming up from 5pm and then from 7pm Annie Mac and Pete Tong will be broadcasting live from Ushuaia with some very special guests to be announced. Then on Saturday 4^th August Cream play host to a sizzling line up at Privilege as part of the BBC Radio 1's Ibiza Weekend. 

Troll label owner Christian Sol returns with a new EP featuring three cuts of hypnotizing house and a remix from Kruse & Nuernberg. Troll Records, the Norwegian label owned by Nils Noa and Christian Sol, may not be the most prolific imprint in the world, having chalked up just 16 releases in three years, but what they do, they do exceptionally well. Tracks from the likes of Alex Jangle, Of Norway & Mudman have helped define the label’s sound but the real driving force behind Troll Records has been the music of Noa & Sol.

Mentored by Kevin Saunderson, Juan Atkins and Derrick May aka the Belleville Three, Detroit’s Stacey Pullen rose to prominence through his DJing and production output, with releases on many of the scene’s key labels, including R&S, as well as remixes for the likes of Inner City’s Kevin Saunderson. Lately, it's been a superb few months for the Kosmic Messenger. 

BBW is the new, limited, vinyl only imprint from Francis Inferno Orchestra and Voyeurrhythm’s Tyson Ballard and this double A-side release from the Australian producers new aliases, Deepthroat and Linda Lovelace, is the debut 12”.

An outlet for uncomplicated, raw and stripped back house and techno, BBW1 sets out a formidable stall for the label.

 Deepthroat’s ‘Gag Reflex’ occupies the A-side and does so in a decidedly no-nonsense fashion. 

Jagga is set to unleash his next single ‘Love Song’ into the ether, following the massive underground success of TMS track ‘Keep On The Light’ on which Jagga and Devlin both featured. Jagga is a new breed of modern pop star ready to carve out his own singular niche in the UK scene; with a unique sound of explosive beats and bass-heavy synths, teamed with an unmistakable, impassioned vocal that saws over deep crunching industrial arrangements. 

With the Queen notching a monstrous 60 years at the helm of the nation, the final May Bank Holiday has been moved to June and elongated to include a fourth day off and Sankeys has decided to go all out with a five party celebration in the good Queen’s honour. Royalist or otherwise, this is a full-on festival of electronica’s finest in Manchester, one that is ram-packed with star names. As we’ve mentioned a few times, Eddie Halliwell and Fire it Up kick-start the weekend on the Friday, celebrating the release of his Toolroom Knights compilation, Eddie’s patent brand of lofty electro, rump shaking house and energetic techno might be more mature than the hard dance he originally made his name with, but it is no less fun or hedonistic. 

Steve Lawler’s VIVa imprint is to release ‘In My Factory’, the debut album from Italian producer, Leon, this Monday, 28^th May. In 2011 Italian DJ and producer Leon emerged as something of a new school tech house star. His productions ranged from big, floor filling and anthemic like ‘Like This, Like That’ or ‘Body Monster’ on Saved, to deeper and more stripped back for labels like Cécile. Now in 2012 he’s set to blow up, with his full-length album on Steve Lawler’s VIVa exploring plenty of different vibes from start to finish, often with the help of a guest along the way.  

Toolroom Records, one of the leading names of the house music scene, is set to bring something special to San Francisco. Established in 2003, Toolroom Records literally began in owner and superstar DJ Mark Knight’s backyard tool shed. Since then, the label has grown into an international powerhouse that has achieved great success in just a short few years. The label has smashed sales records, scooped up awards from Beatport, picked up an IDMA at Winter Music Conference in Miami, broke into the iTunes compilation charts, and collaborated with A-list artists such as Coldplay, Florence and the Machine, Faithless and Tiesto.

Sander Van Doorn Ft Mayaeni – Nothing Inside (The Remixes) (Doorn Records / Spinnin)

Final one of the week and what a tune to park on our homepage for the weekend. It’s from one of the biggest DJs in the world and it’s fair to say this track is already huge, the hype for it pre-Miami was justified and it quickly moved into a different stratosphere after Sander’s private showcase and his Miami Music Week performances. It has to be said, quality production aside, the most standout thing from the original mixes and these two new ones from Adam F and Holland’s Julian Jordan is the sheer class of Mayaeni’s vocals. 

Female Russian house DJ/producer Nina Kraviz executed a mass seduction with her deep and sexy, spaced out debut LP on Rekids earlier this year. Now the label drops the single ‘Aus’ featuring a trio of remixes by DJ Qu, The Rhythm Odyssey and Matthew Edwards aka Radio Slave. One of the deeper tracks on the album, ‘Aus Feat King Aus On The Mic’ is full of bubbling Rhodes, jazzy tones and organ melody interlaced with ice cool funk, while the vocal, reminiscent of Foremost Poets, unfolds on the top line, penetrating the smokey atmosphere. 

Arcane Roots, the Kingston trio, can now finally announce they have signed a record deal with the brilliant Play It Again Sam label (Young Guns, Seasick Steve, Zulu Winter). The band are currently hard at work on their debut album proper, set for an early 2013 release, which will include some surprise collaborations and exciting new musical directions. The first release for Play It Again Sam will be a limited CD edition of the much acclaimed debut mini album, ‘Left Fire’. This special edition version (the first to ever be officially released) will include all the eight original tracks totally remastered and remixed, new track ‘Habibty’ and new acoustic version of ‘You Are’ and ‘Rouen’. The album will also be released as a non-limited digital format. 

Not without good reason is the motto of this year's Cocoon Ibiza season "Into the Magic", as the sun-drenched Balearic island is steeped in a special enchantment. So, with great enthusiasm, the team around Sven Väth are applying themselves to the 13^th season in Ibiza, and you don't have to be a prophet to predict some historic club nights ahead at Amnesia. As is the annual custom, at least since 2007, Cocoon lay the way for this season with their Cocoon Ibiza Summer Mix CD, this time featuring mixes from two of the year’s DJ highlights Joris Voorn & Cassy.

Seattle’s Jon Lee (Tilted / Dance Lab / Celestial) and L.A’s notorious Damage Brigade partner up on the tune ‘Fakin’, released 8^th June on Anadamide Records, to deliver the west coast style of funk and flavour that they've helped build and establish for decades now. ‘Fakin’ is a bass grooving, spaced out breakbeat jam that should get the heads to the dance floor. 

BE in collaboration with Toolroom Knights will be hosting the legendary Space Ibiza Terrace every Wednesday, showcasing some of the hottest and most prolific artists electronic dance music has to offer. BE presents Toolroom Knights is where you will exclusively see Mark Knight, label boss of Toolroom records, leading the charge across all 19 dates, starting with the grand opening party on May 30^th alongside British sensations Friendly Fires as they take to the decks with an exclusive DJ set. 

This summer Just Jack are picking up their sticks and stepping into the festival circuit, bringing all their favourite DJs and the all-important bunting with them. Having kicked started the year with their parties at spiritual home Motion in Bristol with friends Seth Troxler, Maceo Plex, Subb Ann, Laura Jones, Jay Shepheard and Gavin Herlihy, Just Jack now venture onto bigger stages further afield. From Bristol to Bulgaria, Bygrave Wood to boats in Croatia, Just Jack will be showcasing their passion for house music and zest for creative and vibrant production that brings an experiential quality to all of these musical milestones.

Italy’s Opilec Music continues its relationship with Dutch master Orlando Voorn this summer with a two-track release of the producerʼs material as Format, remastered and titled ʻFormat Remasteredʼ.

 Rightly recognised as one of a handful of artists who built the early, crucial bridges between Europe and Detroit in the late-80s and early-90s via collaborations with Juan Atkins and output for KMS, Voornʼs legacy is unquestionable. 

Steve K & Anna Rizzo – Second Time EP (Hed Kandi)

More lovely summer house music for this week, and this time it’s the turn of Australia’s Steve K & Anna Rizzo, whose EP gets the remix treatment from Steve Lamb and South Africa’s Shane D. The EP consists of two tracks, ‘Second Time’ and ‘I Am Nothing’ and it’s ‘Second Time’ which takes prominence as it comes here with three mixes – the original and a remix each from Shane and Steve.

All The Young have confirmed details of their first headline tour following the recent release of their debut album ‘Welcome Home’ on 14^th Floor/Warner Bros Records. The Stoke-on-Trent quartet have supported Morrissey, Kaiser Chiefs, The Courteneers, The Wombats, Hard-Fi and The Pigeon Detectives and dates include the legendary 100 club in London and the Dot to Dot Festival. 

With the official album tour party at Sankeys, Manchester now just over a week away, now seemed like the best time for our Nicola McDougall to give her thoughts on Eddie’s album for Toolroom Records... I’m intrigued. Eddie Halliwell releasing a house album without the word ‘hard’ in front of it. This has got to be worth a listen surely! So, in search of some sun I decide to take ‘Toolroom Knights Mixed By Eddie Halliwell’ to Ibiza with me on a pre-season jaunt to the White Isle and clearly this album is going to be a forerunner for this season’s madness as the billboards already have appeared plastered with his Toolroom night artwork.

Production duo Fish Go Deep return with their much-anticipated second album ‘Draw The Line’, offering up 11 tracks of quality electronic music that show why the pair have been so in demand for the last two decades. Greg Dowling and Shane Johnson AKA Fish Go Deep have been working together for more than two decades now, spreading their message as DJs, producers, label owners and radio presenters. From their early days as club residents in their home town of Cork, to their extensive global touring during the last decade, the pair have brought their passion for great house music to crowds wherever they have been. 

Cocoon’s annual ‘letter’ compilation albums are always a high point in the musical calendar, coming as they do with a host of talented producers offering up new and exclusive tracks for the legendary Frankfurt label. This year they have reached ‘L’, a letter that Cocoon states, stands for Love: A love that stretches from the early days of acid house to the modern global scene, a passion for electronic music that is undiluted by time and represented the on-going love affair between the dance music faithful and the music that makes anything possible. This year’s album features some of the most exciting electronic music producers on the global stage and as always is a treasure trove of never before released records. 

With the first two regions EPs already released and the North American edition out this week, ‘Vs The World’ - Richard Durand’s unique, collaborative new album - is rolling hard! The penultimate regional round of the Richard Durand vs. The World contest is now opened and now it’s the turn of Africa and the Middle East. The Progressive Brothers, Dennis Sender and, most recently, Huge Euge have become the first fledgling artists to become co-producers on this audio-odyssey. Created from the track stems Richard has been placing online since last November, their studio work has been making the cut on club floors worldwide.

There are just six weeks until the brand new Garden Tisno site hosts its opening two events of the season in early July. Working together as a whole, this summer’s Garden Festival and Electric Elephant, whilst standalone events, also offer the unique Double Whammy package. With both festivals taking place concurrently, for anyone looking to up their dosage of sun-kissed partying on the sizzling Adriatic coastline there is now twice as much action to enjoy in a truly stunning coastal location. Indicative of this unity, with record sales of double whammy passes already achieved, a new and very special guest has just been announced, playing in the brand new Barbarellas Discotheque, handing over from The Garden Festival into Electric Elephant. 

Lio is Ibiza's newest venue, situated in the Ibiza Marina amongst the moorings of millionaires’ yachts and just a stone’s throw away from Ibiza town. It has now been confirmed that this will be the home of Jean Claude Ades and his international ‘Be Crazy’ parties this summer, as they will be taking up residency there every Friday night. At its core Lio is a stunning restaurant that transforms into a cabaret and then a club. It has a unique vibe which amalgamates performance, food and clubbing. 

Spencer & Hill & Nadia Ali – Believe It (Remixes) (Strictly Rhythm)

Latest remixes release on the very cool Strictly Rhythm records where one of our favourite vocalist, Nadia Ali, teamed up with Spencer & Hill for their recent track ‘Believe It’. These three newly released mixes already add to the original and other mixes already available for the track. The Ziggy remix gives the track big room appeal, with all the necessary builds and breakdowns for that euphoric moment. 

Madness will embark on their biggest UK arena tour to date this November / December taking in 13 cities. The tour will see the band showcase new tracks from their forthcoming album – the follow up to the critically acclaimed, ‘The Liberty Of Norton Folgate’ as well playing all the hits and fan favourites. The tour will start in style at the Madness House Of Fun Weekender – the Madness curated festival – now becoming a staple part of the winter music scene. They will play two live sets at The Nutty Weekend – the full bill is yet to be announced but will include genres from ska to reggae to electronica. The arena tour will arrive in the band’s hometown of London for the closing night at the O2.

Today sees the launch of Yousef’s brand new ‘21st Century House music’ weekly radio show on DI FM. Kicking off at 7pm GMT (2pm EST) the show will be a one-hour thrust through every crevice of modern house music, from deeper and more laid-back sounds to the more frenetic and fuller festival tackle. The shows mark something completely representative of the full spectrum of house music.

In recent months, British singer/songwriter/guitarist Lianne La Havas emerged as one of the UK’s most buzzed-about new talents, with two critically acclaimed EPs, sold-out shows worldwide, and praise from the likes of Bon Iver and Ryan Adams. La Havas’ debut album, ‘Is Your Love Big Enough?’, will be released in the US on August 7^th via Nonesuch Records. The album was recorded in Brooklyn and Los Angeles last summer and produced by Matt Hales (Aqualung).

Innercircle make its debut this June with ‘The Illusion Family’ EP, featuring tracks from Alex Arnout, James Johnston, Little Fritter, Acid Mondays and many more.

 Innercircle comes compliments of Tom Craven and James Cotterill, the duo that birthed Illusion Recordings and recently released ‘NY Stomp’ by Gerd. The collection, as the name suggests, stands as a representation of the talent surrounding the Illusion Imprint, that the pair have opted to push via its sister label.

 

Sankeys Ibiza opens its doors for the summer season this Thursday, May 24^th, for a week of parties including Sankeys' head-night Carnival, Bugged Out!, mulletover, Fuse and Kaluki & Krankbrother. There will be a double-header opening party on May 24^th and May 25^th, with artists including Basement Jaxx, Booka Shade, David August, Guti, Joy Orbison, Jackmaster, Mosca, Solomun, Stimming LIVE, Tiefschwarz, and Tobi Neumann. Plus, many more guests including Anja Schneider, Bones, Geddes, Heidi, Julio Bashmore, Matt Tolfrey and more planned throughout the opening week.

As the festival season approaches, Dimensions Festival embarks on its UK launch party tour. The festival, which runs from 6^th – 9^TH of September, is set against a backdrop of the stunning region of Istria, Croatia in the abandoned Fort Punta Christo. With artists like Detroit’s Moodymann, Sweden’s Little Dragon, London’s Four Tet and Berlin techno pioneer Marcel Dettmann, Dimensions is set to potentially be one of the best new house and techno festivals of 2012.  

June 18^th will mark TRES Records release date for ‘Let It Go' the debut album from Detroit native House Shoes. House Shoes released the now treasure-hunted Jay Dee 'Unreleased EP' and Phat Kat's classic 'Dedication To The Suckers' on his own imprint. He’s also produced for the late Big Proof (D12), J Dilla, Elzhi, and Danny Brown and DJ'ed for Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, Mayer Hawthorne, Slum Village and many more.

Jamie Jones’ rise to the top has been a steady climb. The young Welshman was always respected from fellow peers and artists through early releases on Freak’n’Chic, Cocoon, Get Physical and a debut artist album on Crosstown Rebels, but now is deeply admired as one of the best in the game. 

With his forthcoming new album, ‘Tracks From The Crypt’, Jamie finally sets some of the best-loved dancefloor bombs of the past five years loose from the vaults of his studio. 

Switzerland’s !Organism imprint returns with another release from label favourite Mylo Salte featuring remixes from Mazel Source, Timmo & Flug (Junior Lopez). Alongside label owner Yan Stricker, France’s Mylo Salte has been responsible for some of !Organism’s key releases including the ‘Sending Behind’ single from last year, now he is back with a brand new release featuring more of his trademark deep, techno sound.

Soul Clap – EFUNK (The Remixes) (Wolf + Lamb)

Boston’s Eli Goldstein and Charles Levine aka Soul Clap are back with four mixes from three tracks, all taken from the recent album ‘EFUNK’ - Everybody’s Freaky Under Nature’s Kingdom – out on the Wolf + Lamb label. First up is ‘Need Your Lovin’’ featuring Mel Blatt, which is included here in its nice original guise, and now comes with a shiny new mix from Boston’s Nitetime aka DJ Kon and the Whiskey Baron. The duo add a more prominent 4/4 beat behind the track, although still keeping it quite downbeat. It’s good enough to be a worthy alternative to the original version though, when it comes to choosing what version to play. 

This week, some of the world’s top DJs come together for an electric opening week and summer season at Pacha Ibiza, as the club presents their strongest line-up to date. Kicking it all of is one of the most famous parties in the world, F*** Me I’m Famous, under the control of DJ/producer David Guetta, which opens the doors to their 2012 season on Thursday 24^th May. Joining David will be Will.I.Am and Daddys Groove to launch the first week. The following night, Friday 25^th May, is the turn of one of the most respected nights in Ibiza, Pete Tong’s All Gone party, with guests including Calvin Harris, Sebastian Ingrosso, Jacques Lu Cont, Laurent Garnier, Axwell, Paul Oakenfold and many more. 

Wheel & Deal continue to prove their all-encompassing music policy with two odes to dance music of yesteryear, courtesy of new 140 BPM production outfit North Base. Made up of Prophecy, Sonic, Silver, Ikee B and Microcosm there’s enough skills on show to belt out some proper dance floor dynamite. 

Insomniac and Rock the Vote joined forces to announce “Spin the Vote” reaching electronic dance music fans across the US and encouraging them to participate in the 2012 election.  Launched at the first Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) New York over the weekend past, and at all Insomniac festivals in 2012, Spin the Vote is setting up an interactive experience providing festival goers with the opportunity to register to vote, receive election information and share their opinions on why voting matters. 

Simian Mobile Disco recently released their third studio album ‘Unpatterns’ in the US to critical praise. The UK electronic duo are also set to kickoff their North American tour this week in support of the album. The fourth video from the album for track ‘Pareidolia’, directed by Hans Lo & Kate Moross, just premiered and can be viewed below. 

On June 5^th, legendary NYC house music label Nervous Records teams up with Rony Seikaly for the release of a new compilation – ‘Nervous Nitelife Presents Rony Seikaly’. Seikaly first rose to prominence in the NBA but when he wasn’t on the court he was in the record shops, reading the top dance magazines and driving around with the best dance mixes blasting from his car stereo. Seikaly turned his hobby into a second career in which he’s quickly risen to the top of the pack, playing at international club destinations like Club Liv in Miami and Pacha in ibiza. In addition to extensive DJ touring, Rony is also an accomplished producer whose summer 2010 track ‘The World Is Beautiful’ was frequently played on Pete Tong's Radio 1 Show and charted by top DJs worldwide. 

Franco De Mulero & Hector Romero - I Found You (Favouritizm)

Becoming a bit of favourite label for us, but with so much same-shit music around, it’s nice to find a label that stays true to its soul, literally. This new track on Favouritizm by Franco De Mulero & Hector Romero is exactly where we want to be and what we need for a Monday. Something soulful and beautiful to slowly kick-start our day and ease us into another week ahead. It’s a laidback piece of instrumental beach house music, which is very fitting for the week that the Ibiza season finally kicks off. 

After four years of techno EPs for Delsin and Ann Aimee, Niels Luinenburg aka Delta Funktionen has finished his debut full length, ‘Traces’, due for release on 9^th July. Though still very much couched in techno, the album sees Dutchman Delta – who recently mixed it up for Ann Aimee on their ‘Inertia’ compilation – explore plenty of new sonic territory, as he often does in his long ranging DJ sets. It's adventurous, basically, and is an album that doesn't loose itself in intricate sound design, but instead pairs a raw, machine made aesthetic with plenty of real human soul and palpable earthly emotion. 

Beat & Raw will be the new Friday party at Space Ibiza. This is a new concept, an urban-feel party that plays with the stories of two characters, Beat and Raw, two friends who through circumstances of life decide to set off together on a trip to the island of Ibiza where they will live magic and unbelievable experiences at Space Ibiza.

Plant Music: Love Me is the first compilation in a brand new series from the New York-based label, featuring a collection of some of the sexier of its recently released cuts. The artwork is by Plant friend and rising art star Curtis Kulig, whose "Love Me" message can be seen on the streets and in galleries from Los Angeles to New York to Tokyo. The album is compiled and curated by Plant honchos Dominique Keegan and Stretch Armstrong and is Plant Music's second compilation series, having released the infamous and much acclaimed "Sound Of Young New York" albums in the mid-2000s.

Orbital were recently confirmed to play live at the massive Space Opening Fiesta next Sunday, 27^th May. With an electrifying and exclusive live set, Orbital – brothers Paul and Phil Hartnoll - are back with an unbelievable bang this year with not only with an appearance at Space Ibiza, but the release of their first new album in eight years, appropriately titled ‘Wonky’. The duo will be testing it live on the Space stage, surrounded by thousands of music hungry fans keen to hear their new productions as well as some classic tracks.

The final Spectrasoul single before their debut album drops has arrived and it may be set to cement the duo as one the most exciting and most talented production outfits currently spearheading the multi-genre movement. 

Following a successful independent physical release and national tour with Rohin Jones in early 2012, Australia-based band The Broken Needles’ long-awaited debut album, ‘Terra Nullius’, is now out. Borne out of the tropical wasteland of the region, the album is a ride from the desolate, empty landscape of the band’s hometown to the southern capital cities of Australia, filtered through lead-singer Mick Galloway’s decadent and depraved mind. 

London’s Disco Bloodbath launches its long awaited label this June with the raw, unbridled house of ‘That Ain’t Right’ by co-founder Damon Martin and backed with remixes from Waze & Odyssey and Legendary Children. Disco Bloodbath began life in 2007 as an irregular speakeasy party in the basement of a Caribbean restaurant in East-London, the brainchild of its resident DJs Damon Martin, Ben Pistor and Dan Beaumont (now ex-Bloodbath). 

Following up the J Daniel single ‘The Way’, Portuguese label Question of Time are back with the debut single from East London duo Tingle Town. Portugal’s Question of Time Records was one of the country’s leading electronic music labels in the ‘90s, now after an extended hiatus the imprint is back and causing a stir once again. Label boss J Daniel kicked off the reinvigorated label late last year with a brand new single and followed it up with a remix of his classic 1995 track ‘The Way’.

Another soul singer gone as disco legend Donna Summer sadly passed away yesterday at her home in Florida. Donna, aged 63 had been battling cancer for some time and her family made the announcement of her death on Thursday morning. The five-time Grammy Award winner, famous for her hits including ‘I Feel Love’, ‘Hot Stuff’ and ‘Love To Love You Baby’ broke new ground for dance music in the ‘70s, after her collaborations with producer Giorgio Moroder.

Guy Gerber takes a different approach to the latest edition of the fabric series, producing 16 new tracks, including collaborations with some other talented producers, to carefully craft his own story. Guy is notorious in electronic music for being a maverick. Both within genres and musical collectives, the Israeli likes to keep his toes in many musical worlds. From his mysterious 11:11 project to his adventurous and high kudos Supplement Facts label, Gerber’s greatest fear would be to be pigeonholed. 

Tonight, Chew the Fat! saddles up to Dub All Or Nothing to offer another showcase of every facet of bass music, building on from the success of the hugely popular showcase the duo crafted in January. In the main room there will be a doubled up assault of drum and bass and dubstep to craft some speaker shredding sonics, headed up by Bar9. With dense levels of warped noise and shuddering bass to create an intense and full frontal barrage of sound, it’s music that is not for the fainthearted and evocative of the sheer seismic power music can create.

Festival No. 6 has revealed its next wave of acts including Richard Hawley, psychedelic rock band Death in Vegas, Gruff Rhys, Kindness and LA indie rockers Local Natives. Also joining headliners New Order, Primal Scream and Spiritualized will be Field Music, Everything Everything, Beth Jeans Houghton, Alt-J, Cate le Bon, Jessie Ware, Eugene McGuiness, Clock Opera, The Wave Pictures, Gang Colours, Y Niwl, Sweet Baboo and The Whip. 

2012 will see Pete Tong take his "all gone" parties to a whole new level. Last year was a top year for Pete at Pacha and this year he is set to raise the bar even further, with a line-up that balances global superstars with the pride of the underground, from Calvin Harris to Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler, Maya Jane-Coles and many more.

German DJ and production duo Tube & Berger are set to release their long awaited debut album ‘Introlution’, mixing acoustic chords with electronic beats to create an organic and well crafted listen. Tube and Berger, also known as Arndt Roerig and Marko Vidovic, set out to give electronic music an organic and “live character” and that is exactly what they have done with their debut album. Using acoustic instruments and vintage hardware, they create a warm rich sound that resonates throughout the long player.

Azealia Banks will release her debut EP, ‘1991’ digitally on May 29^th through Polydor Records, with a physical version to follow on June 12^th. Her first single ‘212’ is fast approaching 16 million views on Youtube and she is currently recording her debut album, which will be released later this year. Azealia will embark on her first headline UK tour later this September as well as playing a plethora of festivals over the summer

Following on from our news last week, with trailer video, Toolroom TV successfully launched yesterday and is already proving to be pretty damn good. Documenting all things Toolroom and bringing to the small screen the international world of house music, the first episode gives a behind the scenes look at Toolroom Knights parties at Brixton Academy, Space Ibiza and the world's leading electronic music conference - the Amsterdam Dance Event. 

Danny Howard –Adagio For Strings (Magik Muzik)

Last one for this week and it’s another biggie for the weekend. Although the track really is Barber’s classical ‘Adagio For Strings’, for many dance music lovers, it’s Tiesto’s infamous interpretation that brought the composition many new fans around the world. A mix he still regularly plays in all his live sets. So, touching it and remixing it for 2012 would be considered a bit risky when it’s associated with a famous composer and one of the biggest DJs in the world. 

Fuse London moves forward with its fifth vinyl release this June, Rich NxT & Seb Zito’s ‘Gophers In The Cupboard’ EP.

 Rich NxT & Seb Zito employ enviably simple drum programming, with highly refined reverbs and delays to embed a constant dynamism throughout.
 
The release demonstrates further developments in production techniques for the two rising talents with a ‘less is more’ attitude and inventive automation touches, again incorporating the signature ‘dub house’ sound often identified with the London events.

 

Ovum once again opens Sonar week on Wednesday June 13^th at Boulevard. In Room 1, long-time friends and collaborators Josh Wink and Steve Bug will go back2back alongside Ovum artists Luca Bacchetti and Alix Alvarex back2back and Axel Boman, whose remix of Agraric Projects 'No Way I Know I Feel' was one of Ovum's highlights of 2011. In Room 2, Wink will open the first hour for a special warm-up set ahead of his main room set later on, followed by Perc live, Max Cooper live, KiNK live and Andre Buljat, completing the tightly packed line-up of electronic talent. 

Richie Hawtin recently confirmed he will launch his first solo residency on the island of Ibiza, with the introduction of his new visionary ENTER. concept. Hawtin will take over Thursday nights at the award-winning Space in Playa d’en Bossa for 12 weeks (July 5^th to September 20^th), curating four rooms built on the principles of music, sake, technology and experience. Hawtin and ENTER. will also collaborate with underground night Kehakuma to form ENTER.Kehakuma on the famed Space Terrace.

The first digital compilation on Dutch imprint Pssst Music sees label owners and DJ/production duo Chocolate Puma, AKA René ter Horst and Gaston Steenkist, dig deep to compile a selection from the label’s catalogue; including some unknown B-sides, some well-known re-mastered classics and  some new material produced since the label’s 2011 revival. 

Pssst Music was started in 1995 by Chocolate Puma, after discontinuing the hugely successful Fresh Fruit label, on which they released their seminal ‘Give It Up’ under The Good Men moniker. 

Circus recently announced that it’s back for good at the Masque in Liverpool and for the first bash of the summer has a cracking ensemble lined up, alongside the club’s lynchpin Yousef. Joining him this month will be James Zabiela, an authority on Pioneer’s CDJ deck, he has been the most respected voice on the technological development of the past decade within DJing. His musical scope is as fearlessly wide ranging as his sense of adventure in the way he presents it, blending mesmerising techno with gut shaking house grooves.