Axtone Records welcome Belgian brothers Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike to the label for their debut single on Axwell’s imprint. The duo are no strangers to the imprint, having remixed the original Swedish House Mafia anthem ‘Leave The World Behind’, Abel Ramos’s ‘Rotterdam City Of Love’ and most recently David Tort ft Gosha’s ‘One Look’ alongside Axwell himself.
Seven-piece live dubstep group Submotion Orchestra’s hit jazz-dub fusion anthem, ‘Thinking’, gets the Mark Knight treatment in this recent outing for Toolroom Records.
Kicking off the new year for the revamped Sgn:Ltd is the new single from new girl on the block, Liz-E. Serving as a platform for breaking new talent, Sgn:Ltd, with some A&Ring from Friction & K-Tee, drop two dance floor tracks that have been featuring heavily in club land and on the BBC Radio 1 D&B show in recent times.
The ‘Plastic Age EP’ is the 70th release on Loco Records and with this EP, Karol XVII & MB Valence have three tracks included in the release: ‘The Bar Around The Corner’, ‘Simple Minds’ and ‘Days Without You’. ‘The Bar Around The Corner’ opens the EP and is quite characteristic due to its unique, punchy, big room bassline combined with stabs of synth over the top line, delicate drums that get accompanied by a subtle piano riff, which in turn adds a lot of flavour to the track.
Club Xberg at Arena Berlin is taking shape, celebrating the 10th anniversary of Ed Banger Records with Justice, Busy P, Breakbot and SebastiAn. On 6 and 7 September, Berlin Festival will begin 48 hours of festival madness starting at the historic Tempelhof Airport. Once again, when the clock hits midnight the festival will change locations, continuing at Arena Berlin under the guise of Club Xberg until the wee hours.
Indigo Raw returns after the recent release from Tom Ellis, this time delivering the debut single from label bosses Paul Loraine and Mirus under their Hit&Miss moniker where they delve deep into the dark subconscious with their debut EP. A-side ‘Your Imagination’ is an emotive, freethinking journey that eschews dance floor constraints.
Having broken through with the ‘The Moment’ and its follow up ‘Anima’ on Size in 2011, UK based DJ/producer, Tim Mason, is making his return to the label with new single ‘Swoon’.
This spring, Simian Mobile Disco will release their first live album since the duo’s conception in 2005. ‘Live’ is a mix of SMD releases, past and present, with some reworkings of some of their most infamous tracks. ‘Cruel Intentions’, ‘Hustler’ and ‘The Beat’, for example, all feature and the end result is a blend of precise electronics, danceable rhythms and aptitude.
Australian production and DJ duo, the Stafford Brothers, recently announced the remix package for their track, ‘Hello’ featuring Lil Wayne & Christina Milian, that will be released on Monday, February 11 via Cash Money Records. As the very first DJs signed to Cash Money Records, the brothers are continuing to grow their influence while making a statement with their first Beatport remix package. The package includes remixes from Albin Myers, Dannic, Henrix, Morten Breum, Candyland, and Apocalypto.
Chicago’s Large Music returns with another single from producer Nathan G, featuring the ‘Duplicity’ EP, two tracks of garage tinged house music. Currently under the influence of transformation to Berlin and recent #2 position on Beatport’s ‘ADE Best Deep House Tunes of 2012” with ‘Tears From Ghetto’, Nathan G is a name and sound that may well be gaining an exciting upward surge of quality attention.
Grammy winning DJ/producer Dubfire, will be playing New Jersey with a rare appearance in the Garden State outside of the Big Apple. The Sci + Tec head honcho hits Newark’s One18 Lounge on Sunday February 17 and due to New Jersey’s time constraints, doors will open at 9pm.
burn studios Residency is offering the chance for someone to showcase their talent by winning a residency spinning the decks for an entire summer in Ibiza. Many people applied for last year’s contest with winners Manu Vulcano, Adam Zasada and Urban Jeram fulfilling their dreams playing residencies in Sankeys, Café Mambo and Privilege respectively.
2020 Vision drop a remix package of Crazy P today, taken from the forthcoming Crazy P Remixes album, the wax features exclusive remixes from Burnski, Bonar Bradberry and Wolf + Lamb. 2020 Vision released the Crazy P ‘Heartbreaker [Remixes]’ in late 2012 which featured remixes from two rising stars of the underground, Huxley and Mark E. This package opens with the ‘Burnski Remix’ of ‘Beatbox’, and the Leeds born producer ventures in a slightly more funk-laden direction from his usual raw, deep house vibes.
For his next track, D-wayne has teamed up with one of our all time favourite production duos, Gabriel & Dresden. Out today on their own Organized Nature label, ‘Shatter’ demonstrates their great ability to encompass all sub-genres of house music in just one track.
Circus returns to The Shipping Forecast on Saturday February 23, and this time the session is helmed by Yousef. The club’s founder, promoter and resident takes over The Hold for a full four hour set behind the decks, giving him the chance to really indulge everyone as he crosses techno and house.
Beatport Mixes recently announced a very special presentation by Ferry Corsten. The Dutch trance DJ had the honour of being chosen to be the front-page headliner and to showcase his ‘Once Upon A Night, Vol.3’ mix compilation in a unique two-part Beatport Mix. Beatport Mixes allows DJs to profile themselves, allowing visitors to purchase their DJ mixes and unmixed tracks.
On January 31, Soundplate and Concrete PR team up to bring the Soundplate Awards Party at East London’s new club destination, Basing House. The DJ line up consists of DJ Pioneer (Kiss 100), Marcus Nasty (Rinse FM) with MC Shantie, with Black Butter Records providing special guest DJs. With a number of sponsors involved the awards will be providing the winners with a range of prizes to kick off the year in the best way possible.
Gareth Emery is back with his first release of 2013, ‘Meet Her In Miami’, out on Garuda Music February 18. Following his two singles ‘Tokyo’ and ‘The Saga’ -both of which landed in the top 10 on Beatport’s main chart - Emery is back with another slice of big room dance music, just in time for Miami Music Week. Through a change in tempo and progressive builds, Emery has produced a modernised tribute to the beloved 1997 dance hit ‘Meet Her at the Love Parade,’ by Da Hool.
On February 18 Slovenia-based DJ/producer Beltek returns with his new single, ‘Connect Us’ on High Contrast Recordings. In this teaser in advance of the full release, Beltek takes you inside the origins of the song by playing the melody on grand piano before the main dance version kicks in.
On Monday January 28, Spanish DJ/producer, Wally Lopez, releases a remix package of his track, ‘You Can’t Stop The Beat’ on EMI Music, with mixes from Jasper Clash, DJ Dero, Albert Neve and Walker Barnard. The track is currently circulating the airwaves on Spanish radio stations, with its video receiving more than 250,000 views on YouTube.
‘Work’ is Toolroom Trax’s most recent release, a cool and funky collaborative effort from one of our fav DJ/producer’s, ATFC & The Cube Guys. Having pricked the ears of Toolroom most recently with their ‘Missin’ rework, The Cube Guys return to collaborate with long-time house-head ATFC to deliver a ruff and funky roller designed to peak at any party.
‘iPhonica’, the new album from Vector Lovers, was developed over a period of ten months and was made with nothing more than an iPhone and a pair of Sennheiser HD25 headphones. Numerous locations would stand in as makeshift recording venues, including train carriages, a doctor's waiting room, cafes in Berlin, off the beaten track on the Yorkshire moors, and Martin's back garden. Blip Interactive's Nanostudio app became Martin's weapon of choice for synthesizing, sampling and composing the 16 tracks that make up ‘iPhonica’.
Hot Creations recently announced the addition of a new O2 Brixton Academy date on Friday 12th April after overwhelming demand for ‘Paradise’ tickets, featuring Hot Natured (live), on Saturday 13th April, completely sold out.
Toolroom Records welcome rising Dutch DJ/producer Dannic to the label with his debut track, ‘Clobber’. When a one-minute teaser video racks up over 15,000 hits in just three days, you know you’re likely onto something special, and the big room sounds of ‘Clobber’ do not disappoint.
Early 2013 will see Moonbeam - Russia’s EDM duo - surmount their greatest career challenge to date. ‘The Random’ represents not only the group’s fourth artist album, but also their first original film score. Soundtracking the directorial debut of the Moonbeam’s Pavel Khaleev, it brings together 12 original tracks alongside 10 club renditions. Featuring Moonbeam’s vocal ensemble, on board are the singer-songwriter talents of Avis Vox, Leusin, Aelyn, Blackfeel Wite, Matvey Emerson and others.
One of London’s fledgling new house labels, Hi Life Records, opens its account this year with its finest work to date, ‘Where Were You’, the new deep and haunting vocal house track from David Anthony & Lisa Millett. The song showcases Lisa’s passionate vocal with a striking synth line, shimmering hi hats, all underpinned by a sultry groove.
The A State of Trance 600: New York City show from #1 DJ Armin van Buuren at Madison Square Garden has sold out within an hour of the tickets going on sale to the public. The New York celebration of the 600th episode of the A State of Trance (ASOT) radio show is part of the extensive world tour of the Dutch DJ and will gather over 12,000 dance music fans for one top night.
Eric Prydz’s ‘Black Dice’ residency, his first ever in the US, at Wynn Las Vegas plans to usher in an evolution in Sin City’s recent love affair with dance music. ‘Black Dice’ offers a new paradigm for Las Vegas, paired back production with black-out lighting, fog machines and lasers, musical spontaneity beyond sure-fire club hits; it’s aim is about immersion, and surrendering oneself to a DJ's journey. A homage to Las Vegas the residency will take things darker, creating a leaner clubbing experience, centered on the music.
Late Night Alumni are back with their fourth album, ‘The Beat Becomes A Sound’, which is released on Tuesday January 29 on Ultra Music. The album is a heady electronic journey, returning listeners to Late Night Alumni’s singular down-tempo mix of ethereal vocals, jazzy drum breaks and organic instrumentation, where the inimitable vocal lead of Becky Williams again provides the lovely unifying thread.
German-born electronic artist Ulrich Schnauss recently released his latest video for ‘A Ritual In Time and Death’. Premiered at Fader, the grandeur of Ulrich's music is captured by the ambition of visual artist Nat Urazmetova's direction. The track is drawn from Schnauss' latest record, ‘A Long Way To Fall’, out now on his own Scripted Realities imprint in Europe and on Domino Records in North America in February.
The International Music Summit recently announced the line up for the Grande Finale 2013 at Dalt Vila, Ibiza. Combining one of the most beautiful settings with some of the biggest and most respected acts of 2013, this is the only time in the year the UNESCO heritage site, which boasts an unparalleled setting on the isle, is home to a contemporary music event.
After selling out the XoYo last October, LeftBoy brings the Sexual Encountour back to London for Round 2 with some new tracks and new surprises. At the age 16, Ferdinand Sarnitz AKA LeftBoy wrote and produced his first original song. Based in New York and Vienna he spent the next couple of years narrowing the gap between his expectations and the quality of his work.
After tearing up the New Year in style with the release of DirteeTV.com The Mixtape Vol.2, Dizzee Rascal releases featured track 'Bassline Junkie', a taster of what is to come from Dizzee’s forthcoming fifth studio album that he has been working on both in the UK and Stateside with some of the biggest names on the scene.
Launching this Friday, January 25, Back To The Phuture is a new monthly night that mixes “new” and “established” artists and DJs at The Half Moon in Putney. Renowned as a major draw at Bestival, Back To The Phuture travels through time joining the musical dots of the past, present and phuture in their own immaculate style. By combining both new and established artists and DJs in one night, it introduces audiences to brand new bands, and new bands get to play alongside their heroes and influences.
Production outfit Pink Skull join the ranks of the My Favorite Robot Record artist roster, dropping a new five track EP of spaced out grooves in five distinctly different flavours. Julian Grefe and Justin Geller have been working together for the best part of a decade now releasing a string of singles and albums that have gained the Pink Skull name respect. The duo’s shared love of early disco and primitive electronic music has been instrumental in forging their sound and ensured that their take on things is always far from predictable.
On February 14, Armin van Buuren will release the 10th edition of his ‘A State of Trance’ compilation series. ‘A State of Trance 2013’ is the 10 year anniversary of a series based on his weekly radio show, listened to by more than 20 million people. On the day of release, Valentine’s Day, Armin kicks off his ‘A State of Trance 600 – The Expedition’ world tour, as he travels from Madrid to Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Kuala Lumpur, New York and more.
After the success of Toolroom Records Samples 01 and the feedback and demos received from everyone using the pack, Toolroom follow up with another selection of percussion loops, rumbling bass grooves, top synths and musical hooks to enthuse studio maestros of all capabilities.
Madrid’s Depaart imprint opens 2013 with a three track package from Spanish producer Enrique Perez Sitjar aka Xuzav. Depaart launched in 2012 putting out three releases throughout the year from label founders, Georgeous and Moliner, which picked up support from the likes of Iron Curtis, DJ Deep, Halo Varga and Pawas.
Heading into 2013 will see Leeds Warehouse turn an impressive 34 years old, with a selection of parties already lined-up for the first few months. The big one is the 34th birthday on Easter Sunday, March 31, with Belgium duo 2ManyDJs and the UK’s Paul Woolford.
Perfecto label boss Paul Oakenfold teams up with pop star Matt Goss to create a follow up to their single ‘Firefly’, which was released on Perfecto Records in 2010. Here, under their brand new alias The Concrete Sneakers they’ve created “Touch The Sky”, a crossover vocal track that has already generated support on both radio and in clubs.
Revealed Recordings premiers their first track of the New Year, W&W and Ummet Ozcan's 'The Code', which entered this week at #1 in the DMC buzz chart. Returning hot off the heels from their 'Trigger', Dutch duo W&W and their homeland counterpart Ummet Ozcan extend their fusion of progressive trance and big room club fuel.
Canadian DJ/production duo Zeds Dead, made up of members DC and Hooks, will release their Hot Sauce EP via Diplo's Mad Decent label on January 29. The follow-up to last year's ‘Mad Decent’ EP, ‘Victor’, features five instrumental tracks that find the duo exploring more sonic territory with their music, further proving that they are a versatile electronic groups.
Sunnery James, Ryan Marciano and Jaz von D recently revealed that their track 'Firefaces' will be the official anthem of the ID&T event, Energy 2013, taking place March 2 in Amsterdam. The threesome broke the track last October, dropping it at their own event at Passenger Terminal at 2012’s Amsterdam Dance Event.
Continuing the Toolroom Records series of classic Todd Terry tracks reworked by some of the hottest house stars of the moment, it’s Iban Reus this time around who takes on the old school vibes of legendary Terry club cut ‘Jumpin’.
Transahara in the Sahara Desert in Morocco takes place over a five-day period between April 3-7. This music, artists and culture festival’s aim is to provide a desert journey where your mind, body and soul can explore the seductive silence of the sand dunes, the breathtaking views of the horizon’s infinity, and the endless possibilities of surrealistic encounters with others and itself.
SEGA® Europe, Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc. recently launched Kingdom Conquest II™ on the App Store™ and Google Play™. Developed by SEGA Networks, Kingdom Conquest II is a universal app compatible with iPhone®, iPad®, and iPod® touch and is available for free on the App Store and for all Android devices on Google Play.
This month saw the launch of Spanish imprint Sub_Urban, with the ‘Freedom’ EP by Guri, comprising three original cuts of contemporary house music. The Sub_Urban brand was birthed as an events promotion company in Mallorca / Spain, tipping their focus towards American house and German techno influences. The events have welcomed artists across the board to grace their decks from the likes of Tuccillo and Rodriguez Jr. through to DJs like Nic Fanciulli.
Belgian festival Tomorrowland has firmly cemented itself as being one of the leading live music events on the planet. 2012 was its biggest year yet, picking up numerous awards in the process, including Best Major Festival at the European Festival Awards. The event has already clocked up over 40 million views of its 2012 after-movie, and over 400,000 views daily across all Tomorrowland content.
Dance music has been bringing people from all over the world together for decades, so it's no surprise when two producers from the very different countries of Egypt and the Netherlands share the same taste in sounds. 19-year old Dutchman Rolvario and 23-year-old Egyptian Moe Aly met the old-fashioned way (on Facebook) and began discussing their production techniques, sharing online new samples and melodies.
NNA Tapes has announced the release of Blanche Blanche Blanche's forthcoming LP 'Wooden Ball', due for release March 11. Sarah Smith and Zach Phillips, better known as Blanche Blanche Blanche, we are told, ‘live by the element of risk’. A fact which will resonate to strangers upon listening to their latest full-length record 'Wooden Ball', where the unpredictability reaches palpable levels.
Belgium’s Marco Bailey launches his next artistic chapter with the ‘High Volume’ album which includes his beloved experimental down-tempo electronica, alongside pumped up tech-house and percussive techno club tracks. As the album chops and changes between heavier and funkier grooves, it becomes eminently obvious that Marco Bailey is a man who understands dance-floor dynamics.
ULTRA Worldwide recently announced the headline acts for ULTRA Korea as the festival returns for edition #2 at the Olympic Stadium Complex in Seoul on June 14 – 15, 2013. The world’s #1 DJ Armin van Buuren and Avicii will take over the main stage with their shows on Friday and Saturday respectively. Carl Cox will be curating a diverse techno soundscape in his celebrated Carl Cox & Friends Arena over both days, which has become an ULTRA institution over the years; consistently delivering some of the best in underground house and techno from all over the globe.
From producing a string of remixes to his latest offering, ‘A Modern Ritual / From The Edge’, Dosem has been flexing his musical muscle thanks to his output on adopted home Tronic, as well as labels such as Intec, Suara and Bedrock. His music has also been causing a fair few stirs in the clubs garnering pan-wide support across the electronic spectrum with DJs from John Digweed and Sasha to Laurent Garnier and Adam Beyer all supporting.
After a two-decade hiatus, the legendary Crime & The City Solution is back with a new incarnation based in a new home city, Detroit, and a new album, ‘American Twilight’ out on March 25. This latest embodiment Berlin era members Simon Bonney (vocals), Bronwyn Adams (violin) and Alexander Hacke (guitar), joined by renowned visual artist Danielle de Picciotto, Jim White (drums - Dirty Three, Cat Power), David Eugene Edwards (guitar - 16 Horsepower, Wovenhand), Troy Gregory (bass - Witches) and Matthew Smith (Moog / keyboards - Outrageous Cherry, Volebeats).
Throughout ‘LISm’, the curtain rises and falls on a variety of soundscapes, songs and tracks that take you on a journey through Ellen Allien's sonic world. Hailing from Berlin, one of the planet’s most dynamic party scenes, her artistic home stands for one thing above all: freedom, in every aspect. DJ, musician, label manager and businesswoman, fashion designer and creative all-rounder – Ellen Allien has carved out her own space in all these roles.
As a key proponent of trance music since the genre's inception at the dawn of the 1990s, John 00 Fleming has watched the music go through many changes, but has never lost sight of its original underground ethos. With the release of his second artist album ‘One Hundred Ten WKO’ on March 4, John sends out a timely reminder that trance is something you can truly get lost in, at home and on the dancefloor.
Lavo New York has put together a minimix comprised of only Dirty South tracks in anticipation of his return to the nightclub on Thursday, January 17. Dirty South's biggest dance floor anthems, including both originals and remixes, are all packed into a 30 minute mix to display the type of set that you can expect from his live performance.
Following the one-two punch of ‘Man With Potential’ and ‘Pro Style’ for Type Records, Pete Swanson returns to his deformed warehouse techno sound with ‘Punk Authority’. After leaving cornerstone US noise duo Yellow Swans, Swanson made it his mission to pull apart the techno genre by the seams. This four-track stomper for Software Recording Co. is by far his most damaged solo offering to date.
Dubai’s Audio Tonic Records starts 2013 with ‘Wonderland’ by Spin Science, backed with a remix from Tom Middleton. Audio Tonic Records have had a decent 2012 with remixes and original material coming from the likes of The Revenge, Vincenzo, Ian Pooley, Jimpster and Florian Kruse. The prospect of what’s to come in 2013 looks promising as the imprint continues to provide output through its musical output, radio show and events at Dubai’s 360° Club.
Southern Fried Records opens the new-year with an EP of deep electronic grooves served up by Spanish production duo Wish & Consyn. The label had an impressive year in 2012, moving towards a deeper sound with records from the likes of Chicken Lips, The 2 Bears, Maribou State and Luca C & Brigante. Amongst the label’s roster there have been a number of up and coming artists making their mark, including Wave & Odyssey and Jack Fell Down.
Gilles Peterson, well known for his record label (Brownswood), BBC radio show and deep crates, takes the challenge and pays tribute to one of his favourite labels, Black Jazz. An overview of Black Jazz Records’ lost archive of spiritual 1970’s modal/free jazz/funk, is being made widely available for the first time on CD and digital formats.
Detroit producer, artist and songwriter Akhil Sesh is back with another video for his single off debut album ‘SeshedUp’. Self-written, ‘Loud Pack’ is released under his independent label SeshedUp. Produced and directed by Sir Fawn at Fawn Creative the video exudes a sought-after lifestyle of fortune, luxury and love.
After selling out Governors Island over the summer, Thomas Gold announced his biggest ever NYC show to take place at Roseland Ballroom on January 26 – which has sold out over two weeks before the event!
Amba Shepherd, who’s featured on collaborations with Hardwell, Ferry Corsten and Porter Robinson among others – teams up with Danish producer Mikkas for the their new track ‘Finally’ (not a cover of the KOT classic!).
17 year-old Spanish DJ, Danny Avila, recently announced his next venture – The Generation Wild Tour! Featuring four young DJs and producers - Danny Avila, Deniz Koyu, dBerrie and Mikael Weermets - joining forces from all over the world, this concept tour kick-starts at The MID in Chicago on January 31.
Last night, during his A State of Trance radio show, Armin van Buuren announced the final date and city of his upcoming tour. On February 14th, Valentine’s Day, he will host an exclusive pre-party at the Spanish capital of Madrid, kicking off the ‘A State of Trance 600 - The Expedition’ world tour. The setting for the official A State of Trance 600 pre-party will be intimate, taking place in the New Garamond club in Madrid.
Grin Recordings kick off 2013 with a collaboration between label heads So Called Scumbags and Paul Hardcastle Jr. With an Australian tour scheduled for February, the London duo continue where they left off at the end of last year. 2012 saw them make festival appearances at Bestival, Glade and The High Definition festival alongside club appearances at Pacha Ibiza, Ministry Of Sound, Egg and Cargo to name a few.
‘Hotfingers Talks’ is a new compilation series by the Hotfingers Label. Out on February 1 2013, the album is selected and mixed by UK DJ/producer, Richard Dinsdale. Containing all exclusive material, the compilation includes originals by Richard himself, Betoko, Mario Piu, Alex Roque, Benny Royal, Mark Junior, Lazy Bug, Jairo Delli, Oliver Schmitz and remixes of Alex Kenji's Get Funky & Pleasurekraft.
Out 4th February on Sony Music, ‘Acid House Anthems’ is a 3CD compilation released to mark the 25th anniversary of acid house - the UK’s most influential youth culture phenomenon since punk. The album features 50 of the most loved tunes and biggest artists from the ‘second summer of love’ including tracks and mixes from Orbital, 808 State, Coldcut, Primal Scream, Happy Mondays, St Etienne, Frankie Knuckles, Inner City, Paul Oakenfold, Andy Weatherall, A Guy Called Gerald, Phuture, Rhythm Is Rhythm and many more.
Emancipator (Doug Appling) sold out over 21 headlining shows in 2012, including venues like San Francisco’s Mezzanine, NYC’s Highline Ballroom, and Denver’s Ogden Theater, was praised by The New York Times and toured with Pretty Lights. 2013 sees the release of his third album ‘Dusk To Dawn’ and a 44 date North American tour kicking off this month.
The winners of the 2013 European Border Breakers Awards ("the EBBAs"), highlighting the best new music acts in Europe which have achieved cross-border chart success, were honoured recently at the Eurosonic Noorderslag festival at Groningen in The Netherlands. The biggest winners of the night were French DJ collective C2C, who scooped the public choice award, which was announced live during the ceremony following an online vote to select the 'best of the best'.
Opening in September 2013, The Hydro is a 12,000-seater brand new state of the art entertainment venue promises to bring the biggest new shows, games and acts to the heart of Glasgow in the UK. And with American broadcaster CNN recently naming Scotland as the top travel destination for 2013, the countdown has well and truly begun to the opening of Scotland’s new home of live entertainment.
The 18th edition of the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) will take place from October 16-20, 2013. ADE is expected to grow significantly again this year, in part through a planned expansion of ADE Playground, the daytime program of unique film screenings, exhibitions and retail promotions. The organizers expect over 200,000 festival visitors and 4,000 professional conference attendees.
Recently signed to Strictly Rhythm, and with tastemakers such as MistaJam already showing support, Fleur is working with a host of producers, including DaVinci, White N3rd and Tim Powell (who has produced for Girls Aloud and Kylie Minogue). ‘Turn The Lights On’ is Fleur’s follow up to her Cutline collaboration ‘Broken Mirror’.
2012 was a top year for Danny Howard. He secured his own show on BBC Radio 1 as host of the new look Dance Anthems, which has seen his popularity rocket worldwide. Alongside this, he's notched up several big releases, played sellout clubs, festivals and appeared on many mainstream media outlets.
Some 7000 kilometres divide Marc Romboy and Ken Ishii, but that didn't prevent them uniting to produce ‘Taiyo’ (Japanese for ‘sun’, the origin of everything), an album that is as much about the duo’s shared musical vision, as the inevitable flicker of creative conflict that marks collaborations of this nature. Over seven tracks the pair combines to craft an album of intricate next level techno, simultaneously creative in its sound design and with enough drive to excite a dancefloor, proving distance is no barrier when two musical talents undertake a collaboration.
Just Be – the new solo project of Matthew Bushwacka - steps into the fold for Get Physical Music with ‘After The Storm’. Due for release on 21st January, the new single also features a deeper mix, and additionally a B-side also called ‘Out Of The System'. The release is also accompanied by a video that focuses on contemporary dance and explores themes such as disability discrimination, personal triumph and acceptance.
‘Nights Awake’ is the new artist album from Kyau & Albert and features 15 songs ranging from emotive love songs to full on, hands-in-the-air club tracks. Fans of the duo will recognise ‘A Night Like This’ and ‘Another Time, two tracks that were both in heavy rotation for much of 2012 on satellite giant SiriusXM [BPM].
2012 was possibly the strongest year yet for Circus and Yousef. He cemented his status as an artist of considerable note with his second album ‘A Product of Your Environment', receiving widespread acclaim, whilst his single ‘Beg' has been in the upper echelons of the Beatport chart since late November. He also became considerably more concerted in his role as an ambassador for house music, both through his radio show 21st Century House Music and via Circus, the night which recently celebrated a decade.
Suede have announced the release of their brand new studio album ‘Bloodsports’, out in March 2013. This will be preceded by the single ‘It Starts And Ends With You’ in February. The tracklisting, details of a deluxe direct to fan edition, and the exact release date will be announced shortly. In the meantime, a key track from the album, ‘Barriers’, is available as a free download via the band’s site: www.suede.co.uk.
The latest party for event organisers Freeze sees them bringing Bedrock to Liverpool for the first time at Camp & Furnace on Saturday February 9. John Digweed and Nick Muir’s iconic record label will be demonstrated by an extended five-hour set from Digweed himself, alongside a smattering of the label’s freshest talent. Bedrock kicked off in the final days of the last century and has since gone on to record many successful productions and promotions.
Danse Club Records look to the release of the second in their ‘Gold Series’ releases this time featuring 1995 US house track from Michael Whitehead given the 2012 remix treatment from Willie Graff & Tuccillo, Florian Kruse & Max Jacobson. The first in the series saw Cherie Lee’s ‘Love Me Or Leave Me’ revamped and led to support from the likes of Dusky, Waifs & Strays, Ethyl and Ugly Drums.
Critical Music recently announced the new project from drum & bass ambassadors Sabre, Stray & Halogenix, Ivy Lab. Having released ‘Oblique’ ft Frank Carter III on Critical at the start of last year as a trio, so they feel the time is right for the next stage and the birth of the Ivy Lab.
Together Festival is coming back to Bangkok on January 19. First launched in April by A.G. Productions and Bangkok’s Retox Sessions, Together Festival is an emerging name in worldwide music fairs and festivals and plans to put Bangkok on the map regionally. This year’s headliner needs no introduction, he’s known best as Snoop Dogg.
Supernova returns to Egg at Kings X on Saturday 16th February featuring DJ guests from the Moon Harbour and Ovum labels. Taking centre stage on the terrace is Chicago/San Francisco house music wizard, Mark Farina, who lands in London for a rare appearance. His West Coast sound is revered by party people and fellow DJs alike thanks to his selection and skills that make him a highly rated DJ.
New Year’s weekend saw the release of the Phase 1 Lineup of Ultra Music Festival Miami after Avicii leaked the lineup online. One week later, the festival can now confirm artists that will be performing throughout the 6-day/2-weekend marathon of sound, light and dance. Over the weekends of March 15-17 and March 22-24, Downtown Miami plays host to the event’s 15th year with some of the best DJs, live acts and future talent available.
An Awaken Ibiza trip allows each person to enjoy the best of what Ibiza has to offer without the fuss of planning your own itinerary. Running for three years and having brought thousands of people to Ibiza, its aim is to provide you the experience and expertise to try and give you the best holiday you have ever been on. Awaken 2012 clubs comprised of Space, Cream @ Amnesia, Tonight @ Amnesia, Es Paridis, Channel Zoo, Eden, Privilege with DJs such as Eric Prydz, Heidi, Chase & Status, Subfocus, Annie Mac, Steve Aoki, James Zabiela, The 2 bears and Hot chip.
On March 30th, #1 DJ Armin van Buuren will have his A State of Trance 600 world tour touch down in New York’s Madison Square Garden. The arena will gather thousands of EDM lovers for a spectacular show with some of the world’s best DJs and talents, part of the world tour that celebrates the 600th episode of the Dutch DJ’s A State of Trance radio show.
With the European showcase festival and conference Eurosonic Noorderslag kicking off next week the program is now complete. Taking place from 9th to 12th January 2013 Eurosonic Noorderslag is the key exchange and networking platform for European music, European artists, international music and interactive industry professionals and organisations.
‘All In The Blink’ is the brand new single from Theo Keating under his Fake Blood moniker and is set for release this Sunday, January 6th through Different Recordings. The track mixes buoyant keys with playful house beats and is the second single to be taken from Fake Bloods’ debut full length ‘Cells.’
German’s Gomma label looks once again to the duo of Mercury for a brand new single featuring their trademark house sound. Swiss duo Mel & Simon AKA Mercury are becoming one of the shining lights on Gomma’s artist roster.
The Fiakun label teams up with the talented Piek, who together with Samuel Fitch & Mianyo delivers some disco inflected house in the shape of ‘Hemingway’. Fiakun’s last release saw the Spanish label drop ‘Voodoo’ by Mexican producer Cesar Coronado, a record which caught the attention of DJs such as Huxley, Maceo Plex and Ralph Lawson. Now the imprint returns with a brand new single, this time delivered courtesy of Piek.