Happy Birthday To Me! BIG SHOW ANNOUNCEMENTS!

So on my birthday, I found out some HUGE news that has me all smiles from ear to ear.  Let's not spoil it with words, lets let the images do the talking:

'Nuff said. Let's get WEIRD!

~Mark

Sander van Doorn & Armin van Buuren bromance (ASOT 500)

Dutch brothers

Still listening to these sets from the ASOT 500 party in Miami at Ultra...and what can I say, I still get goosebumps.  I can just imagine what it must have felt like to be there with all the madness going down.  If you haven't downloaded the sets from http://www.weloveatrance.com you are sorely missing out.  Anyways...while I listened live to Sander's set and while i replay it, one thing seems pretty noteworthy...Armin constantly giving props to Sander van Doorn.  To have the announcement come on saying that they saved "THE BEST FOR LAST" and Armin constantly calling him a "legend"...that is HUGE props to come from the four time #1 DJ in the world!  I was actually really shocked to hear that.  I know they're friends, but I guess the bromance runs deep between these two.  Maybe not as close as Armin and Markus or Armin and Ferry, but pretty damn close.  Definitely the musical respect is there.  So in that spirit and in the spirit of Throwback Thursday...here is Sander van Doorn's remix of Armin van Buuren's "Control Freak".  Enjoy!

~Mark

ASOT 500 In Review: Day 2 Miami (Tracklist)

Millions around the world, thousands in attendance, and dozens of fellow DJ's and producers who are most definitely in awe of the epicness that was the 2nd day celebration of A State of Trance 500 in Miami, FL at Ultra Music Festival.  This one was definitely important for me to speak on considering it's the only celebration that takes place in my home country of the USA.  That coupled with the fact that more than half of my top 10 was on stage for this one...I had to tune in.  Let me just say...words cannot do this show justice.  Even while I was not in attendance, the pictures that are being tweeted, the songs that are being played, and the worldwide communication that is happening all because of this historic occasion is certainly making not only trance history, not only electronic music history, but music history as a whole.  Could anybody else other than Armin van Buuren bring the entire world to tune in for such a momentous occasion?  I really don't think so.  It really boggles my mind how much the internet was ABLAZE during the entire show and all sets involved.  The music was incredible and so was the fan reaction.  This is definitely one for the books and will be interesting to see if the ASOT 500 show in Den Bosch can top this one.  Argentina will definitely be a great one to tune in to for my boys HeatBeat, Markus Schulz, Jochen Miller, John O'Callaghan, and Dash Berlin.  Oh yeah... also another cool thing to take note.  Why did Twitter ban #ASOT500 from being a worldwide trending topic like it was during the Johannesburg show?  I really don't see Twitter's logic behind this as this is a worldwide event that cannot be denied, but oh well.  I don't make the twitter rules and apparently neither can the #TranceFamily.  Day 1 also had Leon Bolier become a trending topic which was completely awesome as well.  Haven't had much of a chance to check out his set but it's definitely on my list to do, on top of all these tracks played today that I have to track down.  Between downloading and discovering new music, when will one ever have time to do anything else?  No wonder DJ's get so busy.  But before I get ahead of myself...here are the tracklists of today's sets in Miami for ASOT 500.  Enjoy!

Marcus Schössow

01. Schossow & Sagstad - Dome
02. Marcus Schössow - Swedish Nights
03. Marcus Schössow - Alright
04. BT - The Emergency (Marcus Schössow Remix)
05. Above & Beyond – Sun & Moon (Marcus Schössow Remix)
06. Leon Bolier vs. Marcus Schossow - 2099
07. Yep & Lang - Nevertheless (Nifra Remix)
08. Conjure One feat Jaren - Like Ice (Marcus Schössow Remix)
09. Judge Jules - The Greater Good (Marcus Schossow Remix)
10. Leon Bolier & Marcus Schossow - Ost Kaas (Mozarella Mix)
11. Gareth Emery vs. Alex Speaker - Exposure (Ben Nicky Mashup)

Alex M.O.R.P.H.

01. Star Wars - Imperial March (Alex M.O.R.P.H. Intro Edit)
02. Sylvia Tosun & Bellatrax - Worlds Keep Turning (Alex M.O.R.P.H. Club Mix)
03. ID
04. Jose Amnesia feat. Jennifer Rene - Louder (Alex M.O.R.P.H. Remix)
05. Deep Voices Ft. Alexander Klaus - Autumn Leaves (Beltek Remix)
06. ID
07. ID
08. Dada Life – White Noise/Red Meat (ID Remix)
09. Protonica - Northern Storm (Original Mix)
10. Skytech - Rocket Science
11. Alex M.O.R.P.H. feat. Ana Criado – Sunset Boulevard
12. ID
13. Winter Stayed - Triple A (Alex M.O.R.P.H. Remix)
14. Veracocha - Carte Blanche (Alex M.O.R.P.H. Remix)
15. Glenn Morrison feat. Christian Burns - Tokyo Cries (Alex M.O.R.P.H. Remix)

Cosmic Gate

01. Cosmic Gate - Back To Earth (Arty Remix)
02. Cressida feat Roxanne Barton - Heart On My Sleeve (Kyau & Albert Remix)
03. Mat Zo - Synapse Dynamics (Arty Remix)
04. Moguai - We Want Your Soul (Thomas Gold Remix)
05. Dune - Heiress Of Valentina (Alesso Remix)
06. Cosmic Gate - Barra
07. Ferry Corsten - Punk (Cosmic Gate Essential Rework)
08. Nadia Ali - Rapture (Tristan Garner Elevation Remix)
09. Randy Katana - In Silence (Setrise Remix)
10. Cosmic Gate - Raging (Alexander Popov Dub Mix)
11. Cosmic Gate - Fire Wire (Cosmic Gate's Back 2 The Future Remix)
12. Store N'Forward vs. Gabriel & Dresden feat. Molly Bancroft - Donut Tracking Treasure Down (Store N'Forward Mashup)
13. Cosmic Gate - Exploration Of Space (Cosmic Gate's Back 2 The Future Remix)
14. Vincent De Moor - Fly Away (Cosmic Gate Remix)
15. John O'Callaghan feat. Sarah Howells – Find Yourself (Cosmic Gate Remix)

Gareth Emery

01. Gareth Emery feat. Brute Force - Arrival (Ashley Wallbridge Intro Mix)
02. Yves-Y vs. Fred Baker - Start Again (Original Mix)
03. Gareth Emery feat. Mark Frisch - Into The Light (ID Remix)
04. Steve Angello & Faithless - Knas Insomnia (East & Young Mashup)
05. Pendulum vs. Rank 1 vs. Nic Chagall vs. Wippenberg - The 100 Islands (Triarchy Edit)
06. Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford - Sun and Moon (Original Mix)
07. Gareth Emery & Jerome Isma-Ae - Stars (Hardwell Remix)
08. Gareth Emery feat. Roxanne Emery - Too Dark Tonight (John O'Callaghan Remix)
09. Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400 (Chris Kaeser Bootleg)
10. Gareth Emery feat. Emma Hewitt - I Will Be The Same (Dennis Sheperd Remix)
11. MEM - Forza (Original Mix) w/ ID
12. Gareth Emery - Global (Jordan Suckley Remix)
13. Lange & Andy Moor vs Tiësto - Lethal Stadium Four (Gareth Emery Mashup)
14. Gareth Emery vs Markus Schulz - Not The Same Citadel (Armin van Buuren Mashup)
15. Gareth Emery feat. Lucy Saunders - Sanctuary (Original Mix)
16. Gareth Emery vs. Motorcycle - As The Exposure Comes (Gareth Emery Mashup)
17. Gareth Emery feat. Lucy Saunders - Fight The Sunrise (Daniel Kandi Remix)
18. Marc simz - Forbidden City (Heatbeat Rapture Mashup)
19. Delerium - Silence 2009 (Gareth Emery vs Black Army Mashup)
20. OceanLab vs. Gareth Emery - On A Metropolis Day (Myon & Shane 54 Mashup)

Ferry Corsten

01. Kyau & Albert - On The Way
02.Cliff Coenraad - Oh!Mega (Bootyshakin Mix)
03. Steve Hill & Gaz West - Can U Feel It
04. Tellur - What You Think
05. Klauss Goulart - Maximum
06. ID
07. Ferry Corsten feat. Betsie Larkin - Made Of Love
08. Ferry Corsten - Beautiful
09. Dogzilla - Without You (Rafaël Frost Remix)
10. Coldplay - The Scientist (Maarten De Jong Bootleg)
11. Jacob van Hage - Spotfire (Original Mix)
12. Ferry Corsten - ID
13. Ferry Corsten - Brain Box (Original Mix)
14. Ferry Corsten - Punk (MarLo Remix)
15. System F Feat. Armin van Buuren - Exhale

Armin van Buuren

01. Armin van Buuren feat. Ferry Corsten - Minack
02. Marcel Woods - BPM (Kristof Van Den Berghe Remix)
03. Ørjan Nilsen - Between The Rays (Original Mix)
04. Ørjan Nilsen - Go Fast!
05. Armin van Buuren feat. BT - These Silent Hearts (Ralphie B Remix)
06. Bjorn Akesson – Painting Pyramids
07. Shogun - Skyfire
08. Arty & Mat Zo - Rebound (Original Mix)
09. Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford - Sun & Moon (Club Mix)
10. Klaus Goulart - Turbulence - Gufman Celebration
11. Gareth Emery vs. Alex Speaker - Exposure (Ben Nicky Mashup)
12. Tom Colontonio - Reflections (Heatbeat Mix)
13. Markus Schulz pres. Dakota - Sinners
14. Leon Bolier - Capetown
15. Armin van Buuren pres. Gaia - Status Excessu D (ASOT 500 Anthem) 
16. Armin van Buuren feat. Winter Kills - Take A Moment (Alex M.O.R.P.H. Remix)
17. Aly & Fila feat. Jwaydan - We Control The Sunlight (Original Mix)
18. Signum - Beyond This Earth
19. Push - Universal Nation (Dash Berlin Bootleg)
20. Jorn van Deynhoven & Manuel le Saux - Nardo (Jorn van Deynhoven Mix)
21. Paul Van Dyk - For An Angel (ID Remix)
22. Armin van Buuren - Communication 3

ATB

01. ATB - Ecstasy (Special US Intro Mix)
02.  First State feat. Sarah Howells - Reverie (First State's Pounding Club Mix)
03. Estiva - Festival (Original Mix)
04. Jaco - Excuses (Original Mix)
05. ID
06. Rammstein - Du Hast (Gerayd Remix)
07. Ultra Dj's - Me & You (Ernesto vs. Bastian Mix)
08. ATB feat. Melissa Loretta - ID
09. MuseArtic - Last Saturday (Original Mix)
10. ID
11. Anton Firtich pres. AF Project - Something Wrong (Original Mix)
12. ID
13. ATB - LA Nights (Original Mix)
14. ATB - What About Us (Original Mix)

Sander van Doorn

01.Intro ID
02.Taylor & Close - Come With Us (Original Mix)
03.Sander van Doorn feat. Carol Lee - Love Is Darkness (Original Version vs. Ummet Ozcan Remix)
04.Sander van Doorn - Koko (Original Mix)
05.Green Velvet - Flash (Nicky Romero Remix)
06.Erick Strong - The Monster (Original Mix)
07.Radion 6 - Streets Of NY (Original Mix)
08.ID
09.Jacob van Hage - Spotfire (Original Mix)
10.Tiesto vs. Marcel Woods - Don't Ditch (Original Mix)
11.Sander van Doorn - ID
12.Sander van Doorn - Renegade w/ Setrise - Kernkraft 400
13.Ummet Ozcan - Transcend (Original Mix)
14.Ummet Ozcan - ID
15.The Killers - When You Were Young (Jonas Stenberg Remix)
16.Ali Wilson & Matt Smallwood - Morph (Mark Sherry's Outburst Remix)
17.Sander van Doorn pres. Purple Haze - Hymn 2.0 (Original Mix)
18.Sander van Doorn - Daisy (Original Mix)
19.ID
20.ID
21.Sander van Doorn - Daddyrock (Original Mix)
22.Paul Ercossa - Ercogen (Original Mix)
23.W&W - Alpha (Original Mix)
24.Evol Waves - Everything In Its Right Place (Original Mix)
25.S.O. Project - Direct Dizko (Sander van Doorn Remix)


Tuned in too late to miss Marcus Schossow, Alex M.O.R.P.H., and Cosmic Gate (that one I'm especially disappointed in missing because I heard it was out of this world).  However, I did get to catch all sets at Ferry Corsten and afterward.  Amazing things by all parties involved, especially Sander van Doorn for the closing.  He tried out a lot of different style tracks than what was played all day (dubstep breakdowns at a trance show?), and definitely got the crowd to explode for the closing hour of the party.  Trance-step, dub-trance?  He might be onto something here.  As one of the most prolific producers of our time for electronic music, Armin knew what he was doing by letting Sander close.  That was definitely a MONSTER set.  Big ups also to Gareth Emery for delivering a completely amazing set.  Always a pleasure to hear a set by Ferry Corsten as well.  and Armin?  Well you can already imagine how that one went.  Big tunes and BIG crowd reaction.  He is the king.  Plain and simple.  Will most definitely be tuning in next week for the Argentina show.  Will you be?

-Mark


P.S. I wanted to add some of my favorite TwitPics of the night that DJ's were putting to this blog...but guess what...twitter BLOCKED me for tweeting too much about #ASOT500.  Go figure..  I'll add them later!

Today's LOL: Twitter joking about the Simpsons with Max Graham

As you all know, its winter music conference week in Miami for all the big DJ's...and make no mistake...Max Graham is a big DJ. But like many dj's that come in contact, a good sense of humor is what really gets a good plug in my book. Max Graham is the next one to be added to the wall of LoL. He knew exactly what I was talking about. If you're a child of the 90's or if you love Latin Jazz, you should know what this is all about.

-Mark

Save The Rave: I think we got our point across ;)

 

 For anyone that was in attendance Tuesday night to the memorable gathering of edm lovers and freedom of speech supporters alike, I just want to say thank you!  Thank you for coming out and letting the city of San Francisco's lawmakers know exactly how you feel about what they are trying to strip from us.  I was in attendance with my friends Sony and Kendra [founders of TranceFamilySF.com and fellow #TranceMafia members ;) ], and can truly say I made the best decision in recent memory to attend this historic occasion.  Now that the dust has settled and the emotions have calmed down a bit, it's a little easier to put some thoughts together and really evaluate what went down on that great night.  Now in case you missed it, here is footage from the hearing courtesy of TranceFamilySF.com:

http://trancefamilysf.com/2011/03/23/save-the-rave-speeches-at-the-city-hall-03-22-2011-complete-video/

There was definitely a special feeling in the building that night.  There was a refreshing sensation of being in control of one's own destiny.  Indeed this was our generation's movement to protect the music, the lifestyle, and the freedoms that we hold so dear to ourselves.  We do have a right to express ourselves and the speeches given by our local public illustrated that greatly.  Here are a few tweets from twitter that night which give a general consensus of what was felt that night:

Indeed a truly inspiring and emotional night as those who love electronic music wore their emotions on their sleeves and shared their stories to the public.  One person in particular, @glasser, was giving a play by play of the night. 
What really struck a chord with me was the fact that one single demographic did not represent the voice of edm lovers in the Bay Area.  All ages and all classes came together for their common passion of dance music and to protect their rights and freedoms as human beings.  DJ's, producers, record label owners, promoters, music fans, activists, community organizers, committee heads, youth groups, and all other forms of general public used their opportunity to speak.  Hearing all the stories of how edm has changed lives (and saved lives) forever and how our music really means the world to our people will stay with me forever.  The different ages and voices brought diversity and validity to our claim and proved on an intellectual and spiritual level that dance music events are beneficial to our cultural identity and ultimately, our youth development.  I think what transpired the night of Tuesday March 22, 2011 was truly something special that will be remembered in the history of the great city of San Francisco.  I can only hope Fiona Ma bore witness to the voices she is hoping to silence.  As I mentioned in one of my tweets: "Passion, expression, and discovery are all aspects of human nature that cannot be stopped or denied."  Only together can we accomplish our goals.

~Mark

EDC Update: Did we speak too soon? (Venue back in limbo)

 So in an odd and definitely disturbing twist of events...we might have spoken too soon about the hype for Electric Daisy Carnival.  Remember the super cool venue we were talking about that EDC was going to take place at?

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

 Yeah there we go...that one.  Well, their official website is at http://www.lvms.com/schedule/complete/ and take a look at the calendar.  Under that calendar go down to June and take a look at the events going on there...  See something missing?  Yeah, EDC is NOT listed under there.  And what's worse, something is scheduled during June 24th.  The "Dodge Midnight Mayhem" is scheduled to take place from 9 pm to 11 pm: prime time EDC hours.  It might be sad to admit it...but sorry folks, the rumors might not have been true and we got far too excited far too quick.  Are we back to the rumors of UNLV's Sam Boyd Stadium?  That would put EDC back on a much much smaller scale.  What is going to happen?  Only time will tell...

~Mark

The Gareth Emery Podcast turns 5 years old! 5 hour Episode 125 Tracklist!

Big congratulations to Gareth Emery and his podcast that turned 5 years old with the most recent episode #125! In case you haven't got a chance to check out this week's 5 hour long episode recapping some of Gareth's favorite music from the past 5 years, you can check out the download link here: http://podcast.galexmusic.com/podcast/garethemerypodcast_125.mp3

Now Gareth hasn't released the tracklist to the public yet (due for release March 23), but does that mean we don't have others out there trying to keep those secrets hidden?  Absolutely not!  Big ups to Garuda Nation for taking the time to listen to the music and ID'ing all the tracks.  They can be found at http://www.garudanation.com and can be used for all your Gareth Emery/Garuda music & info needs.  Without further adieu, here it is:

TGEP Episode #125 Tracklist

01. Gareth Emery Podcast - Intro (Hour 1) (01:23)
02. Jody Wisternoff - Cold Drink, Hot Girl (02:49)
03. Freeform Five - No More Conversations (Mylo Remix) (03:27)
04. Simon & Shaker - Zero (04:11)
05. Phatjak - Latenite Symphony (Gareth Emery Remix) (03:27)
06. Atrium - In Love With You (03:12)
07. Gareth Emery pres. Runaway - Outrageous (04:03)
08. Ferry Corsten - Are You Ready? (04:23)
09. Vinny Troia pres. Jaidene Veda - Flow (Gareth Emery Remix) (05:19)
10. Headstrong feat. Tiff Lacey - The Truth (David West Progressive Remix) (04:20)
11. Andy Moor vs. Orkidea - YearZero (Andy Moor's First Light Mix) (04:40)
12. David West - Make U Mine (Mike Shiver's Garden State Mix) (05:46)
13. Lange vs. Gareth Emery - Another You, Another Me (05:51)
14. Mike Foyle - Shipwrecked (Gareth Emery Remix) (04:42)
15. DJ Vesiga vs. Jomar - Nightoperator (Club Mix) (02:49)
16. Gareth Emery Podcast - Intro (Hour 2) (00:30)
17. Aril Brikha - Winter (02:57)
18. Meck feat. Dino - Feels Like Home (03:13)
19. Glenn Morrison - No Sudden Moves (03:13)
20. Chris Lake Feat. Emma Hewitt - Carry Me Away (03:54)
21. George Acosta feat. Truth - War Of Hearts (Club Mix) (03:24)
22. Paul van Dyk & Starkillers & Austin Leeds feat. Ashley Tomberlin - New York City (06:09)
23. Albert Vorne - Formentera What (Gareth Emery Remix) (04:02)
24. Boosta - Dance Is Dead (Gareth Emery's Illicit Remix) (04:05)
25. Martin Roth & Alex Bartlett - Off The World (Gareth Emery Remix) (05:26)
26. Alex M.O.R.P.H. & Rank 1 - Life Less Ordinary (Rafael Frost Remix) (04:29)
27. Sander van Doorn - Riff (04:22)
28. Marcel Woods - Lemon Tree (02:53)
29. Enmass - CQ (Seek You) (Randy Boyer & Kristina Sky Remix) (03:52)
30. Activa - Genetic (Airflow Mix) (03:43)
31. Bissen - Quicksand (03:01)
32. Gareth Emery Podcast - Intro (Hour 3) (00:39)
33. Mark Knight & Funkagenda - Man With The Red Face (04:01)
34. Michael Cassette - Shadow's Movement (03:40)
35. Morgan Page feat. Lissie - The Longest Road (Deadmau5 Remix) (02:26)
36. DJ Orkidea - Metaverse (Gareth Emery Remix) (04:08)
37. Simon & Shaker vs. Groove Garcia - Soultech (Simon & Shaker Remix) (05:16)
38. Jaytech - Pepe's Garden (02:53)
39. Heatbeat - Nebula (05:17)
40. Anton Sonin & Amx feat. Sari - Undone (Rank 1 Remix) (04:46)
41. Andy Moor - Fake Awake (04:53)
42. Jochen Miller - Lost Connection (03:18)
43. First State - Your Own Way (04:00)
44. Stoneface & Terminal - Blueprint (Club Mix) (05:22)
45. C-Systems - Close My Eyes (Lemon & Einar K Remix) (02:54)
46. Paul van Dyk feat. Rae Garvey - Let Go (Alex M.O.R.P.H. Remix) (04:52)
47. Lange feat. Sarah Howells - Out Of The Sky (Gareth Emery Remix) (02:19)
48. Gareth Emery Podcast - Intro (Hour 4) (00:34)
49. Rank 1 - L.E.D There Be Light (03:07)
50. Jerome Isma-Ae - Smile When You Kill Me (04:26)
51. Axwell, Ingrosso, Angello, Laidback Luke feat. Deborah Cox - Leave The World Behind (04:04)
52. Komytea - Professional Killers (Jerome Isma-Ae & Daniel Portman Remix) (03:42)
53. Kyau & Albert - Hooked On Infinity (Hard Rock Sofa Remix) (04:15)
54. Dennis de Laat - Sound Of Violence (Main Mix) (03:14)
55. Wippenberg - Pong (Extended Mix) (03:59)
56. Ashley Wallbridge - Chimera (02:11)
57. Andy Moor & Ashley Wallbridge feat. Meighan Nealon - Faces (04:20)
58. Nadia Ali - Love Story (Andy Moor Vocal Remix) (05:27)
59. Ferry Corsten feat. Betsie Larkin - Made Of Love (04:44)
60. Greg Downey - Global Code (Scot Project Remix) (01:10)
61. Greg Downey - Global Code (Club Mix) (02:23)
62. Paul Webster feat. Amanda - Time (Sean Tyas Remix) (04:16)
63. Activa - Transmission (03:26)
64. Sean Tyas - Tingle (04:07)
65. Gareth Emery Podcast - Intro (Hour 5) (00:18)
66. Petar Dundov - Distant Shores (04:54)
67. Avicii & Sebastien Drums - My Feelings For You (03:39)
68. Steve Angello - Knas (01:56)
69. Deadmau5 - Some Chords (04:28)
70. Nic Chagal, Rank 1 & Wippenberg vs. Pendulum - 100 vs. The Island (04:41)
71. Andy Moor feat. Carrie Skipper - She Moves (Ashley Wallbridge Vocal Remix) (04:32)
72. tyDi feat. Tania Zygar - Half Light (03:41)
73. Gareth Emery feat. Mark Frisch - Into The Light (04:19)
74. Rank 1 vs. Jochen Miller - The Great Escape (04:02)
75. The Thrillseekers - Savanna (On The Beach) (02:58)
76. Ben Gold - Sapphire (Trance Mix) (04:19)
77. Stoneface & Terminal - Moment (04:07)
78. Solid Globe - North Pole (Giuseppe Ottaviani Remix) (03:44)
79. Jon O'Bir feat. Fisher - Found A Way (Joint Operations Centre Remix) (04:27)
80. Skrillex - Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites (04:09)




~Mark


More info at: http://www.garudanation.com/showthread.php?110-Gareth-Emery-Podcast-125-5-Year-Anniversary

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

John O'Callaghan loves St. Patty's Day!

To all the Irish out and about all over the world, have a great St. Patty's Day today!  Get wild, have fun, drink your Jameson, be safe, and pinch the night away!  Just don't end up like this guy:

After that, it's allllll good!  Have a great day everyone!

~Mark

Tiesto On Tour: Central & South America

Anyone who knows me knows of my appreciation and respect for the legend known as Tiesto, and his recent touring escapades cement my deep respect for him, what he does, and how he reaches out to his fans.  He's embarked on a long tour as of late (that can be followed on twitter with the hashtag #TiestoOnTour and his profile @Tiesto), and last week he did a tour of Central/South America which included Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru, and Argentina.  Check out his twitter postings of how it went:

I respect this man so much for reaching out to the Latin American fanbase as so many musicians and DJ's tend to forget about this section of the world when going on tour.  Myself being of El Salvadorian decent and having been there to visit family, I understand how important it is for those people to see their favorite musical acts.  Considering how rare it is for them to see quality shows like we in the United States have been spoiled to consider as regular occurrences, when something as big as this does happen, you might as well consider it a religious holiday.  Does it matter what day of the week? The venue? The time? No.  They don't care, they just want to see a quality show as they don't get it as often as we do.  I understand that, and so does Tiesto.  He reached out, and I'm really happy he did.  I'm sure the people of Central/South America did too.  He's like a god to them now I'm sure.  Viva Tiesto! Dance4Life!

~Mark

This weeks' Twitter shout outs

Wow...I'm overwhelmed by the responses and support that has been shown over Twitter since I created an account in spirit of the blog.  A lot easier to get ramblings and communicate with DJ's and producers that way.  The best part?  They actually shout back!  I'm really happy to say I've gotten some cool shouts back from some of the coolest DJ's on the planet, and now I can share them.  These are from this week alone!  Check it out:

Matt Darey

Sean Tyas

Thomas Bronzwaer

Wolfgang Gartner

....but you know, no big deal...SIKE!!!

~Mark

Today's LOL: Wolfgang Gartner on High School vehicles

Today's Twitter LOL comes from non-other than my other favorite electro house nerd Wolfgang Gartner and the many ridiculous vehicles that we all saw in high school.  Admit it!  You had one!  I know I did, and apparently he did too.  Could you imagine him driving in the streets of Austin, Texas with a spoiled Honda?  LOL!

-Mark

Our favorite DJ's send their love out to Japan

As everyone in the world is aware by now, Japan was devastated by a horrible earthquake followed by a disastrous tsunami that has left hundreds deceased, thousands injured, thousands missing, and horrific long term implications on this nation of great people.  As the entire world is, many famous faces are sending their prayers, best wishes, and support to Japan.  Our beloved DJ's and producers are no exception!  Twitter has been flooded with all kinds of support for the #PrayForJapan movement, and above is but a taste of the support that has been on twitter from our favorite electronic musicians.  Once again, a great reason why the electronic music community is so great....we all know to love.  As Glenn Morrison's tweet says, donations can be made to the red cross in support of Japan.  We are all one and the same, and let's show we care for one another!

One <3,
Mark

Glenn Morrison reveals to us who plays the guitar solo on "Tokyo Cries"

Now if you don't know what I'm talking about, check out Canadian producer Glenn Morrison's newest track here first:



Pretty good track. Decent vocals by Christian Burns. Have never really been too keen on his vocals, but in this case his contribution complements the song well. Not my favorite by Glenn but as usual, the production is not lacking. What really took me back however was the killer guitar solo that happens toward the end. You can tell he has been hanging out with Armin van Buuren as most recently he has been the pioneer of mixing rock and trance elements. Who played this ferocious solo? Well Glenn told us himself on twitter. How awesome is that? ;)

~Mark

The Gareth Emery Podcast #124 Tracklist

As you all know, this has been my favorite podcast as of late.  Always consistent, always diverse, and always a good outlook for big tracks in the future.  Today's new episode seems no different.  Episode 124 is out and based on the tracklist alone, it looks like another huge episode.  You can check it out here: http://podcast.galexmusic.com/podcast/garethemerypodcast_124.mp3

#TGEP Episode 124 tracklist:

Clashback - Outset (Michael Woods remix) [Diffused]
Lost Witness - Red Sun Rising (Michael Cassette remix) [Maelstrom]


Podcast Player: Blake Jarrell

Blake Jarrell - Maldives [Garuda]
Cold Blank - The Thirteenth Skull [CDR]

Soundprank & Jaytech - Pranktech [Anjunadeep]
Gareth Emery - El Segundo (Arty remix) [Garuda]
Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford - Sun & Moon (Club mix) [Anjunabeats]
Nitrous Oxide feat. Aneym - Follow You [Anjunabeats]
Arctic Moon - Adelaide (Ben Nicky remix) [Future Sound of Egypt]
Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400 (Chris Schweizer Bootleg mix) [CDR]
Sander van Doorn feat. Carol Lee - Love Is Darkness (Ummet Ozcan mix) [Doorn]
Taylor & Close - Come With Us [2Play]
Sophie Sugar & Tom Colontonio - Arlanda [ASOT]
Gareth Emery feat. Lucy Saunders - Sanctuary (Giuseppe Ottaviani remix) [Garuda]

#NowPlaying: Some of the favorites of TGEP 123

For those not in the know about TGEP (The Gareth Emery Podcast), you are seriously sleeping on arguably the most consistent music podcast in the EDM realm at the moment.  Not saying it's the best, but for my particular tastes, it delivers the 1-2 knockout blows every single time.  The most recent Episode 123 is no exception.  This past week's episode brought so many jams I've had it on repeat.  If you haven't got a chance yet, be sure to check out Gareth's podcast here: http://www.garethemery.com/podcast/. Til next time, here are some of my favorite tunes from this past week!

Adam K ft. Naan - Wake Up (Morgan Page Remix)


Gareth Emery - Full Tilt (Beltek Remix)


Craving - Our Tribe


Ferry Corsten - Punk (Arty Rock-N-Rolla Remix) **BIG TUNE



All I gotta say is... in Gareth we trust!

Cheers,
Mark

Ben Gold - "Pandemic (Original Mix)" release date revealed!

It's been teased at us for a while now...this epic track from Ben Gold.  From being played in The Gareth Emery Podcast, spun at shows like W&W in SF, and making buzz on youtube and twitter, we finally got the 411 about when this bad boy will get released to us.  The best part?  We got the info from the man himself...Ben Gold!!  It's always exciting to get direct responses on twitter, and this one was pretty cool.  Can't wait to get it!  More money dumped at Beatport!

In case you forgot what it sounded like:

~Mark

Save The Rave: Time to Take Action!

 If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area and truly care about electronic music, it's important that all of us come together to attend this hearing that will take place at City Hall on Tuesday March 22nd.  You all know how passionately I feel about this movement (as we all should), and I'm glad there is something to get the gears in motion and jump start the movement into something a little more tangible.  I plan on being there and be sure to tell your friends.  All the details are provided on the flyer above.  In case you missed it, here is my lengthy column about Save The Rave and how important it should be to all of us in California:

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

Cheers,
Mark

EDC Update: What a sick joke... (Justin Bieber)

You can imagine the emotions that ran through me (and I'm sure many others) when they saw this screen shot of Justin Bieber's twitter page.  That mainstream of an artist at EDC?!  It makes no sense and is completely unnecessary, considering it's not an event for that style of pop music and would completely overshadow the brilliance of all other musical acts involved.  The good news....SYKE!!  It was fake and completely photoshopped.  Phew!  What a relief.  EDC lovers...we can breathe again.  However, considering last year's appearances by members of the Black Eyed Peas and Lil Jon, I can imagine it's only a matter of time before Insomniac (or any other electronic music promoter) will want to cash in on this Bieber fever.  You know why?  Because word on the street is that he's going to release a dubstep track.  Now don't quote me on this, but I've heard from various sources that he's tweeted about it and it's in the rumor mill.  Will it actually come true?  Only time will tell.  However, with the release Britney Spears' dubstep flavored "Hold It Against Me", I really would not be surprised.  Pop artists have already raped electro house dry that they need to milk another genre on the rise, and dubstep would fit that criteria perfectly.  What would a Bieber dubstep track sound like?  I do n't know, but here's something to hold you over (/ make you not want to hear for a bit):



You know, now that I take a second look at the photo above, why the hell did I fall for that?  It's pretty poorly photoshopped but still managed to get me up in arms...FAIL.  Anyway, I'll end this with a big SIGH of relief and another Biebertastic youtube video (you might actually enjoy this one)...



Cheers,
Mark

EDC Update: May The Ghost of Elvis Save Us All...

...because this is going to be one hell of a ride:

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

That sight right there ladies and gentlemen, is the home of Electric Daisy Carnival 2011, the Motor Speedway of the great city of Las Vegas.  If this massive venue doesn't shock you on sight alone, take into account its capability to seat 142,000....that's almost DOUBLE the capacity of what the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum could provide.  HO.LY.S#*T!  So my previous theory of Sam Boyd Stadium got shot down hardcore; but this news makes me glad I was wrong.  If we thought EDC could get out of hand in LA, imagine what could happen at this humongous venue.  Get your dancing shoes ready...

What does this mean for us?
It means that what seemed like a dismal end of an era for EDC in LA has only spawned the beginning of something that has the possibility of being far greater than its previous predecessors ever could be.  The extensive capacity, the Las Vegas 24 hour party schedule (that is actually legal), and Insomniac's aggressive tactics to book top notch DJ's for the new EDC (I'm readily assuming), we have the recipe for a weekend we will never forget. 

However, this also means transportation complicates things a bit.  Sam Boyd Stadium of UNLV was only 9 miles away from the strip.  The motor speedway is now roughly 17 miles away from the strip (where I'm assuming a big chunk of the visiting population will stay).  This makes for a pricey cab ride, a pricey limo ride, or a risky inebriated drive at the end of the night (be sure to have a DD!).  I can only hope that shuttles are arranged from landmark areas around the city of Las Vegas.  Insomniac still has quite a bit of work today.

In short, I can tell this EDC will be one for the books.  And if done right, has the potential to be the greatest electronic music event this side of the world.  Viva Las Vegas!

~Mark

For more info check out: http://www.examiner.com/electronica-music-in-los-angeles/electric-daisy-carnival-las-vegas-will-be-at-the-las-vegas-motor-speedway