Save The Rave: A call for action within the California EDM community

     As 2011 looms, and I'm sitting here writing this blog on the eve of New Years, I realize 2010 has been a great year for electronic dance music.  This year has graced us with some amazing events, huge festivals, and stellar tracks from our favorite artists.  As the year comes to a close and I reflect on the great times and experiences of the year, I realize we could not ask for much better.  However, as 2011 looms, the outlook is not entirely positive.  While 2010 was memorable, it was also infamous for many tragedies that have happened at EDM events.  The tragedies that stick out in my mind are the well publicized local deaths that occurred during POP in San Francisco and Electric Daisy Carnival in Los Angeles.  POP in SF resulted with 2 deaths and 5 hospitalizations, while EDC in LA resulted in dozens of hospitalizations and the death of a 15 year old teenage girl.  I was present at these events and I had a feeling at the time that these unfortunate occurrences would not go without action from state committees...and I was right.
     I'm sure all of you who read this from California are aware of the infamous proposed bill AB 74 by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma from San Francisco, which harbors the potential to prohibit electronic dance events to occur on public property if passed.  It also would ban such events to occur on private property unless a business owner provided a license.  To be specific, the details mentioned in the bill targets unlicensed nighttime events that "include prerecorded music and last more than three and a half hours".  In Assemblywoman Ma's own words: ""Raves foster an environment that threatens the health and safety of our youth. [This] is the first step toward eliminating these dangerous events."
      As hard as it is for me to admit, Fiona Ma's opinion on electronic dance events does not come entirely without foundation.  Long has the culture of the "rave" been associated with underground assemblies of teenagers and young adults doing drugs and dancing from the early hours of the night into the early hours of the morning.  She has cited a study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse that teenagers who attend raves use club drugs like ecstasy, ghb, methamphetamine, and LSD.  Let's not kid ourselves here...this study is not inaccurate.  A big culprit of this is the fact that most raves do not harbor an age limit on attendance.  Younger generations are always searching for methods of self identity, rebellion, and feeling like part of something.  Raves can offer this.  While any teenager under the age of 18 cannot drink or smoke legally, they could still attend a rave and any drug dealer could exploit this.  This is part of the reason why I don't like the term "rave" and never really have.  I think if you ask any stranger in the United States who is not familiar with the music or culture of the electronic dance scene, a "rave" to them means going to a club, warehouse, or underground location to dance the night away to light shows doing drugs to "techno music".  I know this, because I admit this was my opinion of the rave scene years ago before I really became involved.  This particular demographic, including Fiona Ma, create their opinions based on poor generalization of the community, out-dated principles, and have not taken a look at the bigger picture of what electronic dance music really represents and what it has become.
     If you take a look around at the trends in music on a global scale (or even just here in the United States), it is undeniable that electronic dance music is on the rise both in popularity and acceptance.  Mainstream artists such as Lady Gaga, Pitbull, Black Eyed Peas, Three 6 Mafia, Kesha, and Deadmau5, for better or worse, are spreading the taste of "rave" music to the masses.  Huge events like LA's Electric Daisy Carnival that push attendance numbers to the 200,000 mark and have the capability of filling out huge venues like the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum would not be possible without this upsurge in dance music enthusiasm.  It is not strange to hear a name like "Deadmau5", "Kaskade", or "Tiesto" in any conversation about music from any regular household anymore.  MTV in the USA now covers events like EDC and interviews artists like Armin van Buuren and Swedish House Mafia.  The music is out of the shadows and no longer limited to just "ravers" and this is why I believe the old opinions on what it is to be a "raver" should be a thing of the past.  While you could still find your typical underground rave in any major city, the music has moved on to bigger sanctioned events and has begun to attract a wider audience.  While Fiona Ma has gone on to call these bigger events "simply unmanageable," I do not believe that this is the truth.  While management of bigger events could use a few fine tweaks, I believe the solution lies in further education to the masses as to what electronic dance music is and what it truly represents.
     If one digs deeper into the world of electronic dance music and the culture involved, an educated mind on the matter could see that the positives that world brings greatly trump the negatives:

• Cultural Acceptance:  Electronic dance music has been popular on a global scale for decades.  The byproduct of such a wide audience of this music is that producers and DJ's from all over the world are creating their own brand of the music.  They are also touring all over the world.  French DJ's touring in America, German DJ's touring in Russia, British DJ's touring in India, etc etc. all while building loyal fanbases.  The walls of prejudice and judgment have been broken down within the dance community and could prove to be a great stepping stone for the rest of the world to follow in hopes to settle disputes and conflicts.  There are no disputes over religion, race, and culture within dance music.
• Global Networking:  The internet and social networking have made it possible to communicate and network with people all over the world within the blink of an eye, and electronic artists have mastered this more than most.  Whether it be a business conversation, sharing of music, or simply connecting with fans, electronic artists have become highly efficient at communication on a global scale to other fellow artists and their fanbase.  This global networking yields infinite possibilities.  An aspiring producer from Australia or any other isolated region of the world is no longer facing such an uphill battle.
• Musical Expansion:  As I mentioned before, the musical influences of electronic dance music can be heard in the mainstream now.  This means genres have begun to cross and more musical exploration is a result.  Electro-pop, Synth Pop, Synth Rock, Indie-electro, Trip-Hop, you name it....new music has only begun to scratch the surface of its possibilities with embracing the concepts and tools that electronic dance music has provided. 
• Mutual Respect:  In my years of attending electronic music events (or "raves" if you will), I have not seen one single fight or conflict that was not easily settled with a small conversation.  People do not attend these events with the intent to start conflict.  On the contrary, they are there to appreciate the music they know and love with other like-minded individuals.  You can always make a new friend at a dance event, and it is all because of mutual respect for one another. 
• Unity through the Community:  Unity happens through one common goal or common appreciation for something.  In our case, the music brings us together.  This has happened so well in fact, that "families" have been created within genres of electronic music.  Ever heard of the #TranceFamily or #HouseNation?  That's called unity right there.  Feeling like part of something, no matter how far away members live away from each other.  Great things have happened through this unity.  Some things that stick out in my mind just within my own local community is the San Francisco #TranceFamily (#TranceFamilySF) creating drives to donate clothes for the homeless and a small foundation for donations for a family member who suffered a horrible event.  People are reaching out to one another to help each other....these kind of things leave me speechless.  This is not seen within any other style of music (that I know of).  Not only are these group of relative strangers helping each other like trusted friends, they truly care about their communities as well.
• Technological Advancement:  DJ's and Producers constantly push the envelope of computer hardware and software in search of new ideas and tools to identify their music and shape their craft more uniquely.  The searching of this endless frontier drives the development of new software programs, hardware technology, and DJ tools that are infinitely useful not only within the electronic dance community, but music producers of any genre. 

      If the proposed bill AB 74 were to pass, it would mark a huge loss for the electronic dance community, and would create much more of a negative result than it would hope to create.  As Jason "Dyloot" Sperling of Deep Voices (respected Producer/DJ from San Francisco and promoter of Skills DJ Workshop) mentioned in a statement to the LA Times: "If electronic music is criminalized, our government will succeed in alienating a generation of Californians and simply drive dance parties underground — a less regulated, less safe, less sane situation than we have today."  This could not be more true.  The alienation is as clear as black and white: "The bill is not intended to impact traditional music concerts and sporting events," said Fiona Ma in her statement. "AB 74 is about cracking down on raves that harbor drug use and lead to teenage deaths."  Not only is this isolation and targeting a violation of the 1st Amendment (particularly Freedom of Expression), I believe it sends a bad message to the youth that have recently discovered the forward direction that electronic dance music is heading into.  This would, as Dyloot so eloquently put, send dance parties in California to a more unsafe and miseducated direction.  I feel like the passing of this bill would single handedly succeed in the creation of more "raves" that are not regulated and encourage drug use among younger generations (harmful to their own cause) instead of encouraging sanctioned, accepted "electronic music events" that promote all the positive aspects that electronic music represents with the involvement of the law.  Poor involvement from the law can create horrible tragedies like the events of Love Parade 2010 in Duisburg, Germany which resulted in the deaths of almost two dozen people.  The music we know and love so much is heading in a great direction all over the world, it would be such a shame for California to be robbed of this form of expression in a time where the world needs all the positivity it can get.
      I'll close this out with saying one simple thing: Get Involved!  Reach out to the movements at SaveTheRave.org and TranceFamilySF.com to help try and save our form of expression and the electronic dance music culture here in our great state of California.  We can only do this together, and we certainly need each other to accomplish the goals that we want.  The main goal that I hope to achieve through our own local networking is educating California residents and California lawmakers on what electronic music really is and what it represents around the world (so we can allow it do the same thing in California).  I'd like to wash away the negative image that the term "rave" used to mean in the past and move forward in the future with a new generation of electronic music enthusiasts and a new image that we are indeed a family and we want equality for all.  Let us write Fiona Ma at

San Francisco District Offices:
455 Golden Gate Ave.,
Suite 14600
San Francisco, CA 94102

and educate her on the great things that electronic dance music has done globally and within our community.  Let her know the positive experiences you've had at dance events and how it has changed things for the better.  This is also a call to action to promote a drug-free environment at electronic dance events, because after all, it was always about the music and not about the drugs.

Thanks everyone for reading....I hope for a happy 2011 for all and Happy New Years Eve.  Please be safe.  Long live electronic music.

~Mark

Sources:
The LA Times
Guardian.co.uk
Save The Rave

#ThrowbackThursday: Thomas Bronzwaer "Shadow World"

Around the year 2007 is around the time where my interest in electronic music and trance in particular really hit a peak for me.  I had been listening to acts like The Prodigy and Daft Punk since way in the past, but I guess you can kind of call that my renaissance year because once I embraced the lifestyle and genius behind trance, it changed my tastes forever.  I owe it all to that month of October (and the specific events of Lovefest in San Francisco and Monster Massive in Los Angeles).  Around that time I caught wind of this little gem from dutch producer Thomas Bronzwaer.  Quintessential trance at its best.  This track really takes you on a roller coaster.  The production is as perfect as the ear can pick up.  The effects are crispy clear and perfectly placed.  The main riff, while simple, leaves an incredibly lasting impression.  What more can I say?  It became one of my favorite tunes at the time and still has high repeat value when listening to it 3 years later.  I don't think I'll ever get sick of it.  For your listening pleasure:



~Mark

Today's LOL: Tiesto vs the personal trainer

Tiesto wins fights against his trainer if he gets him hammered the night before...LOL

Today's LOL: Andy Moor & Gareth Emery vs. Ashley Wallbridge (Drunks)

It's pretty common among friends to have each other pressure another into drinking, especially calling them out when they decline, but this one was just too funny not to post (keep in mind the conversations start and go from bottom to top):

It all started with:

 Followed by:

And the final KO punch:

In any language...LOL!  Just goes to show that if you party with Andy Moor...don't be a girl.

~Mark

Today's LOL: Sied van Riel's holiday spirit

Need not say much more except...lol.

-Mark

Upcoming Event: ETD Love 2011

Everyone who lives in the Bay Area or surrounding regions of San Francisco should be no stranger to ETD Love.  2011's offering of this annual valentines themed dance music event should prove to be quite a powerhouse with big names in Trance and House alike.  I am particularly excited about seeing Mr. Pit and tyDi on the Trance bill.  Both have had some killer tunes this past year and would be great to see them played in a big room setting.  On the House side...I've heard some Felguk and have been impressed by their work.  Other than that, don't know too much about it.  Seeing as how I am more of a Trance follower, I know that room certainly will not disappoint with the aforementioned talent.  The house room I am sure will not disappoint either.  Let's get ready for LOVE!

~Mark

What's the deal? Afrojack

2010 was certainly a monster launch year for a lot of young new acts in the progressive house (and house as a whole) scene.  One name that certainly sticks out of that bunch is Afrojack.  Known as Nick van de Wall in the Netherlands, this guy had a great take-off into the scene for various reasons: huge support from his buddy David Guetta, big remixes of big records from big guys like Benny Benassi, lots of satellite radio play, a dynamic DJ set, and popular records such as "Bangduck".  Anyway, I don't feel like going on and on about Afrojack, but he's got a new song out right now called "Replica".  Without further adieu...



 Does it sound familiar a little bit?  Does it sound a little similar (almost TOO similar) to his previous track called "Take Over Control" which was a huge song this past summer?  Take a listen...



 Now, before anyone feels like lynching me over this, I'm not necessarily a huge Afrojack fan.  His tracks seem a little obscure and leave quite a bit to be desired.  Songs like "A Msterdamn" and "Bangduck" are just a little strange to me...I don't really understand why are they so huge.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, go take a listen to them.  Not to mention his synth style that he uses is on EVERY SINGLE TRACK!  I know he has some DJ skills, but I saw him at Electric Daisy Carnival and wasn't too impressed.  Now with this new song "Replica", I think the title makes much sense in terms of his all too repeated formula.  This might be a classic case of popularity through friends in high places (ie David Guetta, another producer/DJ that is hard to stomach for me personally).  I don't know, I'm sure im overlooking something if he is so popular, but I've yet to see it.  Still waiting to be amazed.

~Mark

Producer Tips: Morgan Page

What's up everyone? Especially for the aspiring producers out there. Here's a little tidbit from the progressive house genius Morgan Page about compression. His # hashtag seems to yield some more tips. Great to see top down support from the big names for the future generation of producers. That's what makes the electronic music scene so great.

~Mark

The Triumphant Return of THE PRODIGY to the United States!

What's up everyone.  Happy to report some exciting news.  Now, for the purist, this should actually not be news at all; but the good word is that The Prodigy will be making an all too rare appearance in the USA beginning early next year 2011.  I really cannot describe how thrilled I am to get the opportunity to see these electronic legends live and in the flesh.  I missed their show at the Warfield in San Francisco last year and I will definitely not pass up the chance to see them again.  Anyone who knows me knows that The Prodigy isn't just one of my favorite electronic acts of all time, but certainly one of my favorite musical acts of all time transcending all genres and tastes.  Not to mention, I have first hand recommendations from friends that have seen them that they completely tear the house down in their live shows.  In good spirit of this occasion, I have decided to go see their show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in February instead of my more local Los Angeles.  Why so, do you ask?  Well, because...why not?  And more importantly, seeing Prodigy in Vegas would be all more glorious (plus its on a weekend).  Ready for a weekend of debauchery anyone?  I certainly am.  For those who plan on attending, see you there!!

Here is a flyer of the tour:

And for those that have any inclination of what they are in for should they decide to attend; I leave you with this:



~Mark

Today's LOL: Twitter joking with Sied van Riel

So I know this didn't happen today (for those that took notice of the date), but I had this in my twitter and didn't think to post it until now. For those that don't follow @SiedvanRiel on twitter, the man does have a sense of humor and throws jokes back at ya if you catch him in the right moment; like I did. I definitely got an lol from this. Shout out to SvR!
~Mark

#NowPlaying: Deadmau5 "Raise Your Weapon"

What's up everyone.  I'm sure by now the loyal house and mau5 followers have gotten a chance to check out the latest offering by Deadmau5: 4x4=12.  I've had a chance to listen to the whole album and let me just say...wow!  Some of the album is pretty typical straight forward stuff from the mau5, but there is one particular track that stands out for me above the rest.  It is definitely the magnum opus of the entire album.  Here it is:

"Raise Your Weapon"



Holy moly! What a jammer.  This track definitely reminds me a lot of "Strobe" from his previous full length album For Lack Of A Better Name.  Although the track reminds me of that one a lot, this one is very different; namely the dubstep breakdown around the 4 minute mark.  I've never really been one for dubstep, much less dubstep breakdowns within already good progressive tracks such as this one, but I think it kind of fits in this case.  Especially considering the feel of the rest of the album, the dubstep part isnt so bad.  It's perfectly placed and is a good easing into the next track "One Trick Pony" which is entirely dubstep.  I probably could have done without it though.  If this was just another straight forward progressive track with an awesome peak instead of the dubstep breakdown, I could have given this a full rating in my iTunes.  Oh well...I still can't get it off repeat on my player.  Good stuff mau5.

~Mark

Today's LOL

Arnej knows how to throw some clever jabs at his boss Markus Schulz...LOL

Today's LOL

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well...for Armin and Markus, this picture is worth that and more. woww, kandi, red cup, and all!  ...wait for it.... LOL!!!!

~Mark

Thank You to TranceFamilySF.com!

Hey everyone.  If you haven't read my previous post, the column about my dream collaborations in electronic music (and just commenting on collaborations in general), please take a moment to do so and leave a comment.  Or...even better, why not read it HERE and comment there!  Want to take this moment to give a big shout out to my good friends at trancefamilysf.com for posting my column in their guest blog section.  This website does amazing things for the local trance scene and the community as a whole, and I feel whole-heartedly thrilled to be a part of it; no matter how small.  That being said, please check out the rest of their site at http://www.trancefamilysf.com!  Keep the music alive in the bay area!

Peace,
Mark

Collaborations in Electronic Music; My Dream Wish List

What's up everyone? I haven't written a column that has required some thought in quite some time since I've just been bombarding you with new tunes that have caught my attention or just plain old hot tracks that have been in my rotation. Apologies, as I've been holding back. Anyways, time for me to get to a subject that I have been wanting to write about for quite some time. So here it goes...

This year in electronic music has been amazing! Trance, house, DnB, Dubstep, Techno, you name it...all have had some groundbreaking tracks that will change the landscape of new music to come in 2011. That being said, this year also brought along some collaborations that have been classic: Above & Beyond vs. Kyau & Albert, Above & Beyond w/ Gareth Emery, Tiesto & Diplo, Paul van Dyk & Armin van Buuren & Paul Oakenfold, Deadmau5 & Wolfgang Gartner, etc. On the flip side, some collaborations have left us scratching our heads: Tiesto & Kaskade "Only You", Armin van Buuren w/ Ferry Corsten "Minack", etc.

Collaborations can be a hit or miss. Depending on the artists, how well their styles come together, their work ethic, their humility (collaborations are an equal opportunity playing field), their knowledge of the other's work, and their respect of each other all play important factors as to whether the collaboration will turn out successful or not.

I'll go on a bold statement here (so don't kill me if you disagree) to say there are really two kinds of collaborations that I can see in the electronic music world. The peas & carrots collabo and the ketchup & mustard collabo. Now before you think I've lost my mind because of my food references, let me explain:

The peas & carrots collaboration (insert two other foods of similar origin that go good together if you hate vegetables) in a nutshell describes two artists coming together from similar backgrounds and similar styles (or tastes lol...get it?) to make a collaboration track that harmonizes and blends so well you would think it came from just one producer on a workaholic studio binge. Just like peas and carrots are both vegetables and don't necessarily taste too different (but go well together), many times the artists are so similar the track just makes perfect audible sense. The ideal example that comes into mind for me is Deadmau5 & Wolfgang Gartner's recent collabo with "Animal Rights". These two electro house heads are both synthesizer geeky computer nerds at heart and love experimenting with obscure synth sounds and notes that don't quantize too well all while keeping in perfect groove with the backbeat which usually incorporates some raw thumping bass. If you take a listen to that track even with a close ear, it's pretty hard to tell apart each producer's contribution to the track. I really can't tell, and that's what makes it work so well. It all comes together like peas and carrots.

Check it out:


Now the ketchup & mustard collaboration to me describes a collaboration that on paper makes no sense due to the completely opposing nature of the artists and their styles, however ends up creating a concoction that tastes so well to our ears. Much like ketchup is relatively sweet and mustard is awfully sour, opposite un-related artists can be very capable of coming together to create a track that comes together surprisingly well. Much like a yin-yang relationship, different style artists can fill each others' voids on a track. While one could be good at creating obscure synths & sounds that usually don't keep a rhythm, the other could bring the beat and organization that will keep it on tempo and create the proper groove for a structured song. Example: think of Tiesto & Diplo's "C'Mon", easily one of the biggest summer anthems this year. It was played at 90% of electronic events around the world I'm sure. Tiesto is known for being one of (if not the biggest) names in trance music and a pioneer in his genre. Trance is structured and follows an arrangement. You have your intro DJ friendly part, your buildup, your breakdown, another buildup, the climax, a calming, and an outro. Tiesto has become a master at this. Diplo on the other hand, doesn't necessarily follow rules or guidelines. Much like he doesn't necessarily have one style you could confine him to, his songs don't necessarily need follow a pattern or arrangement. However, he's been able to create some insanely unique sounds that would sound great with a structured home. Cue in Tiesto. How did these two come together? Who knows. All we know is the bi-product of this yin and yang relationship is a track that will ring in our heads for years to come. Opposite tasting ketchup and mustard coming together well on the hot dog that is a sequencer.

Take a listen:


Now this brings me to what I've been wanting to write about all along: my dream collaborations! We had some great ones in 2010 like I talked about, now these are the ones I would love to see happen in 2011. Will they happen? Probably not. But hey a dance head can dream right? This is my wish list:




TOP 10 COLLABORATIONS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE FUTURE




10. Paul Oakenfold & The Prodigy

Now I know this one is far fetched, but imagine what kind of beautiful insanity this track would provide? Well, really...you couldn't. And that's what makes the premise of it seem so great. Nobody could have predicted the Tiesto & Diplo (ketchup & mustard style) collaboration to work so perfectly, so whose to say this one wouldn't work. I'm a huge fan of both these legends and my prediction is that their differing styles could compliment one another. Prodigy brings the ruckus while Oakenfold brings the atmosphere. The combining efforts of the two would most likely yield a journey into sound that our sensitive ears probably wouldn't be able to handle. It is however, a shot in the dark, as most of these type of collaborations usually are. I would have faith in it though. Brits seem to understand one another pretty good. They're both veterans of their own style. So it begs the question...why not?

What you could expect: I have absolutely no clue. A beautiful melodic mess perhaps?




9. Mr. Pit & Phynn

The boys of Coldharbour...why hasn't this happened? Mr. Pit should need no introduction. 2009 and 2010 were huge for him. He has produced some of the biggest anthems I've heard recently. It is no wonder why Markus Schulz uses him as the right hand man for his DJ sets. Listen to "Sky Traffic"...wowww! It is an absolute trance roller coaster. There is so much going on, and that's kind of become a staple for his sound. Phynn (a name that hasn't really reached my attention until this year) reminds me a lot of Mr. Pit. Not only are they in the same label family, but Phynn has gained the trust of Mr. Schulz himself by completely owning the remixes of his tunes. Much like Mr. Pit, his songs can go all over the place. His remix of Markus' "Rain" completely won me over. Yes Mr. Pit has remixed one of Phynn's tracks recently, but it's not enough! Come on Markus, you're their boss, make it happen!

What you could expect: A fast paced, high octane, trance roller coaster.




8. Sander van Doorn & Marco V

These tech trance geniuses both create anthems that sometimes leave me scratching my head when it comes to being able to classify them. Can I even call it tech trance? I'm not sure, because it's housey too. What am I trying to say? Honestly, I have no idea (and that's a good thing). That's how success is measured with artists such as these. They are generally revered within the trance community, but it has the ability to be appreciated by all. Their productions are so intricate and incorporate such different production elements that sometimes go unnoticed. Take a listen to any song by these two with a good set of studio headphones, otherwise you don't get the full effect. They are both so unique masters of their craft. It is no wonder that they are so highly respected. Why did I choose these two? Listen to SvD's "Daddyrock" in conjunction with Marco V's "Reaver". Sounds kinda similar no? Two totally different producers, but both have the potential to work and sound very well together. I would love to hear what these two could come up with together!

What you could expect: A crazy catchy dance-able tune that would be almost impossible to classify.




7. Avicii & EDX

The older generation meets the new. Although EDX is in no way old, the Swedish progressive house prodigy Avicii (aka Tim Berg aka Timothy Bergling) has been completely taking off this year with leaps and bounds and he's only 21 years old?!? Unbelievable! The big room anthems that this young man creates has the ring of a veteran. Once again...unbelievable. Since he's one of my new favorites of progressive house, I thought he could naturally work well with one of my all time favorites of progressive house: EDX. EDX is without a doubt the progressive house juggernaut. Everyone realizes this; even the trance heads. EDX tracks can be heard all over the place in everyone's sets. We got a taste of their power with Avicii's remix of EDX's "Shy Shy". It gives me chills to think about the big room sound that these two could produce together. It could even make the most loyal trance fan join the house side.

What you could expect: An amazing progressive tune as intricate and emotionally moving as any huge trance anthem.




6. Arty & D-Mad

Exploding onto the scene in the past couple of years, these two have worked very hard to cement their names into the trance world. Remix after remix, production after production, both of these guys have created a body of work that has been appreciated by all the big names and veterans in the scene. Without a doubt, Russian trance is coming up BIG in the world and these two are at the forefront of it (along with Bobina). The elements that these two put into their songs actually create a distinct brand of trance that can actually be recognized quite easily, especially Arty. Russian brand trance...who would have thought? I'm a big fan of these two and they are clearly no strangers to each other (Arty has remixed D-Mad's "She Gave Happiness"). I'm a huge fan of that track and is definitely a sign of the future of things to come in regards to trance music. I would be very interested to see what these two would put down in the studio working jointly.

What you could expect: A trance track unlike anything you've ever heard. Vodka for your ears.




5. Dada Life & Wolfgang Gartner

Anyone that knows me well understands my love for Dada Life. Simply put, their brand of electro house is what I think is the perfect embodiment of the genre: PURE ENERGY! If you have ever seen Dada Life live then you know what I'm talking about. You could be tired as hell from the night before but they would be able to get you PUMPED! Their productions are raw and dirty, as electro house should be. Listen to their new single "Unleash the F**king Dada!". The bass and synthesizers are so deep and obnoxious that they demand a dance floor. Much like the style of Wolfgang Gartner as of late; a man that has won me over in 2010. Like Dada Life, his production style is based around odd (and almost random) synthesizer effects. His songs can almost be called controlled chaos, only controlled by staying on tempo. His collaboration with Deadmau5 left me hungry for more. I also know that they are huge fans of each other. Both's style of electro house is raw, dirty, loud, and in your face. Make this happen!!

What you could expect: One of the dirtiest, filthiest electro house beats produced by any group of human beings (or aliens for that matter).




4. Paul van Dyk & Cosmic Gate

This is one of those dream collabos you think about and wonder why it hasn't happened because it almost seems like a no brainer. We heard a taste of what they are capable of with Cosmic Gate's remix of PvD's "Home", but I'm sure them actually working together would produce a track all too hypnotic. Both have a penchant appreciation for techno which always rings prominent in their productions. As for PvD, while much of his uplifting tunes have a trancy ring to them, they are hardly ever full on trance. There is much more to them than that. His blend is all too complex. Listening to the incredible In Between album is a testament to that. And while the trance flavor is subtle, it rings true when spun during a set that is full trance. Cue, Cosmic Gate. I think they could enhance the trance elements of what PvD would bring to the production and supplement each other very nicely. It would still be techy, but Cosmic Gate would certainly turn up the trance volume. It would feel like Berlin on any dance floor. Sidenote: to date my favorite trance song is Paul van Dyk's "Crush".

What you could expect: A very complex trance tune with some techy flavor that could hypnotize you on the dance floor.




3. Deadmau5 & Kaskade



I know what you may be thinking: "Haven't we heard this already?? On TWO tracks??". Well yes...and no. Everyone remembers the collaborations from these house giants. The singles "I Remember" and "Move For Me" were the house anthems of 2008 that were played on everyone's ipods, car stereos, computer speakers, and rave events until you couldn't bear to play them again. Classic songs, no doubt. However, the reason I say "no" is because these two producers have grown quite a bit since 2008. 2010 saw the release of Kaskade's monster album Dynasty and will soon see the release of Deadmau5's 4x4=12. Their productions have certainly evolved and they have become more opposite than ever. Kaskade has taken more of a turn for the pop side while Deadmau5 has gradually taken steps more to the full blown electro side of things. We haven't heard that much progressive style from the mau5 lately. Then again we haven't heard much from the mau5 lately. However the point stands, they are very different two years later. I think it would be really interesting to see what they could come up with now. They are a good embodiment of the ketchup & mustard style collaboration and they compliment each other well.

What you could expect: Another summer anthem for 2011? I would surely hope so.




2. Gareth Emery & Ashley Wallbridge

These two have so much in common, that a collaboration only seems natural and necessary. Both are Brits, both are trance heads that yearn for bigger classification, both have huge support from the bigger DJ's (friends in high places), and both have had monster take offs in the last two years. Every single that Ashley Wallbridge drops ceases to disappoint. It almost seems like the man is incapable of failure. The same could be said about Gareth Emery, whose album Northern Lights completely blew my mind. I think their style of trance is actually very similar if you look at some of the elements. Listen to "Walk On Water" by Wallbridge and then "Sanctuary (Club Mix)" by Gareth. Very melodic, very euphoric, incredible build up, lots of reverb, no synth is too stand out or obnoxious, both use a lot of piano, and both have a HUGE thing for gated vocals (especially Wallbridge who does it on almost every track. Kind of becoming his signature). They are almost too similar that they could be cousins (maybe we should track down their family lineage). Both of them easily were 2 of my absolute favorite producers of 2009 and 2010 and deserve incredibly huge props in my book. Get the proper vocalist, and this track would be an absolute showstopper!

What you could expect: One of the most euphoric vocal trance anthems you would ever hear.




1. Tiesto & Armin van Buuren & Ferry Corsten

The original Dutch master trio of trance...these three are who I'd most like to see collaborate on one track. It is likely? Probably not. BUT...these three are no strangers to each other. Tiesto is a huge reason why Armin and Ferry have enjoyed such success this past decade. They have all 3 helped and supported each other in the early years of their career and heave learned much from each other. We hardly see them together on the same bill anymore due to career and business politics, which is sad, but understandable when each of them are trying to build their own brand and earn respect in their own right. Each one is an absolute master of their craft and have catapulted themselves into the fold so well that each could fill any stadium around the world on their own. Neither need any introduction. Anyways, what made me think of this one was the successful collaboration between Armin van Buuren, Paul van Dyk, and Paul Oakenfold on "Remember Love". It is rare to see a 3-way collaboration. Seeing these three names on paper at first filled me with doubt since each have differing styles and egos could come into play. However they didn't, and created an amazing tune. I also think of the collaboration between Rank 1, Nic Chagall, and Wippenberg on "100" this past year. Definitely confirms to me that if business could be set aside and the right cause called for it, a Tiesto, AvB, and Ferry collaboration would sound absolutely positively A-MAZING. I don't even think there would be a word in the dictionary to describe what it would sound like. Please guys...do it for the #TranceFamily. (Or in our case #TranceFamilySF).

What you could expect: ...I have no idea. I would be speechless. It would probably melt your headphones.

So there it is.  Did I dream big enough for you? I think I could probably come up with some outlandish ideas but within reason (somewhat), this is my dream list. If any of these are possible and should happen within the next few years, my musical appreciation would know no bounds. I think that's what makes our precious electronic music so great: the power of collaborating ideas for the greater good of musical exploration. Even though some of these seem completely far fetched, I believe the right motivating parties would raise eyebrows for the artists. As long as respect and appreciation is in place, anything is possible in the world of electronic music. The connection between fans and artists surpasses any other musical demographic in the world.

What do you guys think? Did I miss any essentials you would like to see happen? What would your ideal collaborations include? Or more so....have any of these already happened that I don't know about? Thoughts please! Let me know what you think! Post a comment in the comments section and let me know if you liked this read or if I have gone completely crazy. As always, one love to the electronic music community!

Ciao,

Mark