#NowPlaying: Afrojack - "Bangduck" (Moguai Remix)

Ladies n gentlemen, we officially have a banger:



While the original was pretty cool, Germay's Moguai put an awesome touch to the track on his most recent remix, pretty much changing the feel of the track altogether.  It really flows now and he's made it really danceable...big room status.  Sometimes it's the little things that can make a remix so huge.  You don't have to change everything, just a few key elements and you can transform a track into something major.  Look forward to hearing this played all summer long.

~Mark

This Week's Artist Spotlight: Michael Woods

 When you talk about consistency, none come more on top of the game than British sensation Michael Woods.  After cranking out smash after smash, year after year, season after season, you can hear his tracks on rotation from a wide variety of DJ's.  Trance, House, Progressive, doesn't matter...he's THAT good, and that diverse.  He's pretty much got his own style that when you hear the track, you're not surprised when you find out that Mr. Woods is behind it.  After much rotation in my favorite radio shows like Markus Schulz's Global DJ Broadcast, Ferry Corsten's Corsten's Countdown, and Gareth Emery's weekly podcast, I'm always in the know when he drops his next smash single or killer remix.  After the release of "Fruitcake", I have to show everyone a little taste of what I'm talking about.  If you don't know, now you do.  Here are some gems from the man.  Enjoy!  ~Mark











Comment and let me know what you think!

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

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

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

#NowPlaying: Benny Benassi "Electroman" ft. T-Pain

I can't speak much on this one.  Just listen:



Ok i kid...I can speak on this one.  Before I even listened to it, I thought to myself: "Really Benny....REALLY?? T-Pain??"  What is Benny trying to do here?  What is he trying to prove?  Is he really trying to sell out this hard?  He doesn't need to.  He's already legend status by this point, and I don't think this move necessarily helps his career (even the song with the Black Eyed Peas & Kelis) for an album that still doesn't have a release date.  But the track aside...the vocals from T-Pain are pretty painful.  Electroman?  Electrogirl?  Still in the typical T-Pain autotune style.  The beat is the only thing that saves this song.  In true Benny Benassi fashion, it's an electro banger.  The beat is still pretty minimal without much flash, but you can appreciate it.  I'm sure Benny was expecting a lot of backlash for this song, so I appreciate his courage.  However, I can't rock with him on this one.  Get rid of T-Pain and get back on track.  It absolutely PAINS me to see Benny going the bland/unnecessary sellout route of David Guetta.  Please don't turn into David Guetta.  You are Benny Benassi...start acting like it.

~Mark

P.S. This may help to recover your ears a bit, but the Congorock Remix isn't so bad.  However...the vocals still butcher the song.

Thoughts on EDC's move from Kaskade

The man with the masterplan Kaskade had some comments about the movement of EDC today.  Here's what he posted on twitter....

I can see where he's coming from.  He's been a big part of Electric Daisy Carnival from the beginning; and this truly is the end of an era.  He's more or less been THE staple of the festival and I'm sure will continue to be.  Can't help but agree with him that politicians have been breathing some serious fire down the throats of EDM lovers as of late.  Gotta move with the times though buddy.

~Mark

The Prodigy is BACK IN THE USA! And we're READY!

Pick your poison!

 I would like to take this time to give a big warm welcome one of my favorite music acts of all time back to the US of A...THE PRODIGY!!!  Sure they are opening up for Linkin Park on some west coast dates...but who cares?!  They're back to bring the ruckus, bring the noise, shake the floor, ruin some eardrums, and make the crowd go crazier than any rock band in this current age can.  Where will SF Tremor be catching the action from?  Ironically...not anywhere local.  If you notice the updated tour dates (which is not the picture that I have up in this current posting but you can see here), there is a show in San Jose that will be happening this coming Tuesday at the HP Pavilion (where my beloved San Jose Sharks play).  However, before this date was announced, the tickets to the Las Vegas show were already purchased.  Do not feel one tiny bit bad about this because who doesn't love Las Vegas?  The MGM Grand is one of the greatest casinos in the city and this weekend will be a full journey and experience that will not be able to be put into words.  Another interesting tidbit of information?  A contact of mine has contacts of his that run contacts of the Marquee Club at the Cosmo where the mighty Above & Beyond will be at Saturday night.  Could this be the biggest EDM heavy weekend in Vegas?!? Who knows!  Calvin Harris, DJ Vice, Felix Da Housecat, and Roger Sanchez will also be in town.  Oh lordy...LETS DO IT!!!

VIVA LAS VEGAS BABY!

Let's hope we make it out alive...

~Mark

Thursday Is The New Friday (Dada Life @ Ruby Skye)

The dada was done!

Wow...what a night last night was?  Sleep, sweat, and energy was sacrificed for the greater good against whatever had to be accomplished Friday; as Dada Life graced our presence last night in San Francisco at Ruby Skye and the city couldn't have been more excited about it.  If you guys haven't been reading the twitter feed (which...why the hell aren't you?) you would know exactly the thoughts myself, along with the rest of San Francisco, feel about the gargantuan show that was put down at Ruby Skye..EPIC!  We also got some very special shout outs and ReTweets on Twitter from the crew at Ruby Skye; which further cements my opinion of them being the greatest club in the Bay Area; bar none.  Wow...cannot be put into words.  It truly got way crazier in there than can even begin to be described. Luckily, we have more than words this time, we have video!  The video compilation will be coming up soon within the coming days.  As the days have gotten busier and the weekends have grown more intense, more efforts will be made to get the vids to you guys in a timely manner (along with the full length review that is always done around these parts).  Has Ruby Skye gotten a negative review yet?  Hmm...do some investigating.  I don't think that club can fail, especially putting on shows like this.  Until then, keep entertained with this catchy little number below that I found on youtube (not my video!):



Till next time Tremor heads!

~Mark

Official Dates for Electric Daisy Carnival & 5 Acts We Want There!

Electric Daisy Carnival approaches!  Now even though this is the "San Francisco Tremor"...we show love to our brothers in the south side of the west coast.  There are a few key events that warrant the journey down to SoCal to Los Angeles, and the mecca of them all is Electric Daisy Carnival.  It is a sort of pilgrimage if you will for all electronic music lovers & enthusiasts of the west side of the United States.  Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if some Midwest or east coast people made the journey.  While there are other dates in Dallas and Puerto Rico this year (one short of last year which also included Denver), the magnum opus is always the LA show that carries for 2 days.  Last year it was H-U-G-E!  Hell, even Armin van Buuren said it was his favorite event of the year in his DJMag #1 interview.  Coverage by MTV, appearances by Lil Jon, Rivers Cuomo, and the Black Eyed Peas, and 2 days of nonstop music from premiere DJ's from all over the world.  It doesn't get much better than that people.  And while the line-up still has not been announced for the dates, we do know a couple of things:

1.  After a whole bunch of legal battling back and forth, it will once again take place at the LA Memorial Coliseum
2.  The official dates that it will take place this year are June 24th and 25th (Friday & Saturday)

What great acts can we expect?  What unexpected surprises and appearances will we see this year?  Only time will tell... but for now, we have a wish list of people we would like to see show up:

5 acts we would like to see at this year's EDC:

Markus Schulz

The man is a work horse.  Does he ever take vacations?  Does he ever take breaks?  Well he doesn't, and this bodes well for us who like to see him on his various world tour stops.  To my recollection, he hasn't played EDC anytime recently.  I know he hasn't been on the bill for 2010 and 2009, and it would be great to see him jam out on one of the grandest stages in electronic music.  Plus he has that big Prague 2011 compilation album he is going to be touring under.  Makes sense don't it?


Benny Benassi

Sure he was there last year, but who doesn't love to see Benny Benassi on a big stage?  His appearance last year marked one of the most extravagant DJ sets of his entire career.  The man puts on a show and his set is a spectacle.  With EDC having such a big stage and presenting such a huge audience, Benny brought back every ounce of that energy with classic jams, new jams, some of his own remixes, and anthems that got the entire crowd in song.  Lil Jon, trampolines, midgets....what could he possibly bring out this year?



Dada Life

Another act we have seen there before, but last year Dada Life put on two (since they played both days) of the most energetic performances I have ever seen in my life by a DJ duo.  The first day especially radiates in the minds of dada lovers (since it was the one at night).  They bring raw energy and pump up the crowds to ridiculous highs with their stage antics and jams they play.  Inflatable bananas and champagne bottles?  Ridiculous!  Make no mistake, EDC is a party.  And everything about the dada is a party.  Even tho bigger acts followed, they have the prowess of festival closers the way they shut it down.



Tiesto

The man, the legend.  He needs no introduction.  His resume speaks for itself.  We need Tiesto at EDC!  Why do you ask?  Well if you're asking....that's a silly question.  His style of DJing and producing has evolved quite a lot over the past couple of years, and it would be great to see what kind of a showcase he brings to such an enormous event and stage.  He is known for coming to Los Angeles doing a tour of his own, but the caliber of event that EDC is; it's undeniable.  I think he would make a great addition (definitely a great closer) and is necessary with the likely absence of Armin van Buuren this year. 


Daft Punk

In the words of John Lennon: "you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." We know this one is a super long shot, but stranger things have happened!  Millions were let down when these French house legends were left off the bill of Coachella.  Does Disney have them on contract lock down with the release of Tron: Legacy?  Most likely that's the case, however when does that contract let up.  We can only hope that it's over before June 24th.  It would be highly unexpected to see Daft Punk make an appearance at an event like EDC, but it would mean a lot for the fans and they usually take that into consideration.  Like I said, it's a long shot, but one could only hope.


And that's it!  What do you guys think?  Are there any others you would like to see?  Post in the comments below.  Let's get ready for EDC!!

~Mark

Tiësto & Hardwell - "Zero 76" out now! Tiësto goes House!

It's been a long time coming for the legend Tiesto to come out with some new music since last year's smash "C'Mon" and Kaleidoscope: The Remixes album.  Now the man is back in full force!  This time teamed up with young Dutch house producer Hardwell for the new single titled "Zero 76".  An interesting move for Tiesto to say the least.  For those unfamiliar with Hardwell, he's one of the newer generation rising stars in the house realm.  For being only 21 years old, the kid can bang with the best of them, having started his career at 13 years old!  Wow!  Being that young and having a long enough resume to team up with Tiesto for a track is nothing short of amazing.  But back to the subject at hand... Take a listen:



 Really really housey for Tiesto.  This is truly Hardwell's style if you have listened to his previous productions.  This could really be a Hardwell track all on its own if I didn't know any better.  In all honesty, it's kind of hard to tell which parts are Tiesto's contributions.   But if I were to put my money down, it would be the pitch bending synth that happens after the snare rolls and the parts leading up to it.  That kind of big room trancey synth sound is a Tiesto trademark.   While it is an undisputed progressive house track (beatport classified correctly this time!), it does have juuust a little taste of Tiesto's "Trouse" element.  Overall, I think it is a really organized track.  Everything kicks in at the right time, the layers sound great together, the mix is good, and has its good balance of uplifting and breaking it down.  I don't necessarily think anything groundbreaking for either artist, but will be a staple in DJ sets for sure. 

Looking deeper:
This is just another great track that will further launch the blossoming career of young producer Hardwell.  Well played for him, however I feel like it marks the next step in a continued metamorphosis for the Tiesto.  He has been long revered for his legend status and being a pioneer (if not "the" pioneer) in Dutch trance.  Lately though, he has taken a BIG step away from all this by immersing himself more on the house side.  Listen to his Club Life Podcast, listen to his recent singles (especially "C'Mon"), and take note of all the house acts that he brings on tour and plays with at festivals (house acts like Dada Life, Chuckie, Avicii); mainly house!  Does that mean he's done with trance?  I wouldn't necessarily think so, but I wouldn't hold your breath to hear another anthem like "Flight 643" anytime soon.  I think it means he continuously wants to re-invent himself; which is a good thing.  However, one has to understand that switching up the style means alienating some fanbase in exchange for new fans.  It's unavoidable...I'm sure some of the trance loyalists that idolized Tiesto in the past might not be so enamored these days.  It certainly happened with him moving more into a pop direction with his Kaleidoscope album, and has continued to do so with a continued direction into progressive house.  Could this be the reason why he's taken a step down to #3 in the DJMag Top 100 poll?  Most likely.  "Trouse music all day" has been Tiesto's motto of late, and we can certainly see he is a man of his word.  House music with trance elements: it's a perfect marriage.

Rating: ***1/2  (3.5/5 stars)

The song is available NOW exclusively at Beatport: http://beatport.com/s/r1neSb

~Mark

Dada Life "White Noise/Red Meat" out NOW! And oh its dirty!

The day has come! Our favorite electro swedes Olle and Stefan (the Dada) have graced us with another dirty banger to get hype and do the dada to. I managed to take a listen to it this morning (along with the remixes), and let me say, it certainly doesn't disappoint. The build up and eventual grimey breakdown is reminiscent of their previous single "Unleash the F**king Dada", but this track stands alone in its melody harmonizing when building up. While it is electro, any progressive or trance fan can appreciate its gradual build up that is sure to annihilate the dance floor anywhere it is played. Now as far as the remixes are included; they're all great. This release is highly recommended by me. The good ol' SF Tremor seal of approval.

Rating: **** (4/5)

The release is available NOW at beatport.com and all your other favorite retail joints on Dim Mak records!
-Mark

New music from Tritonal, Stoneface & Terminal, and Dada Life! Previews galore!

What's up everyone?  2011 is already shaping up to be great with new music coming out and big projects planned from some of my favorite artists.  Some previews of new music have caught my eye and without further adieu, let's start to get STOKED!

First up, some of my favorite local US boys in the trance realm: Tritonal.  They have a big project coming up...their debut artist album!  I'm really excited with what the future holds for these dudes and look forward to hearing/seeing them grow in the coming years.  I'm sure they're destined for greatness.  Here's a preview of one of their tracks from their forthcoming album Piercing The Quiet on Air Up There Recordings / Enhanced Music:

Tritonal feat. Cristina Soto - Lifted (Mat Zo Remix)




2nd up to bat...one of my favorite producer duo's in the world: Stoneface & Terminal.  They had a great year with great singles in 2010 with "Moment" and "Don't Give A F**k" (along with various remixes of other artist songs), and they have a new single coming up on Euphonic Records called "Here To Stay".  Check it out:

Stoneface & Terminal - Here To Stay




Last and abso-LUTELY not least, two of my favorite electro boys: Dada Life!  For those that aren't too familiar with these Swedes (and how could you not be with how often I write about them), their energy levels and fun shows cannot be compared!  Without a doubt one of the greatest acts you could see in terms of electro house.  They are working on a forthcoming album as well, and they have released a preview of their new single "White Noise/Red Meat" that they premiered in Los Angeles at Together As One, due up Feb 1st on Steve Aoki's Dim Mak Records.  Haha watch this preview, I love these guys:

Dada Life - White Noise/Red Meat





Three cheers for new music!  Whose excited?!?!?! Oh and by the way...for anyone who lives in San Francisco or the outlying regions... a little bird told me Dada Life was coming to Ruby Skye on Feb 10th.  Must have been a damn cool bird!  Check out the announcement coming up soon!

~Mark

Where are you Daft Punk?? (Coachella Preview & Laidback Luke Shoutout)

Master Houdinis

After the rumor mill has been ABLAZE about Daft Punk making their grand return to the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, CA this spring, everyone had their hopes and dreams crushed with the announcement today of the official lineup.  Any electronic music enthusiast (including myself) was shocked to see the omission of the legendary French house duo on the final bill.  Was it just speculation then?  Was all this news a false concoction of sheer hope and excitement that we might actually see Daft Punk live again since their disappearing act after the 2007 Alive tour?  Most likely.  The possibility still exists that they could be one of the later additions to the lineup and they don't feel like announcing it now.  However, I find it highly unlikely considering the caliber of performers that they are and how huge their name is.  Especially ever since they are back in the spotlight with the release of Tron: Legacy and their smash single "Derezzed", I doubt they could keep something so secret until the end.  The point always remains tho...I could be wrong!  So what's on the menu for Daft Punk then?  Are they even going to tour at all in 2011?  Are they going to do anything for their groundbreaking film score?  At this point, it seems like they almost enjoy not touring or being in the spotlight at all.  In a sick way however, I'm slightly intrigued that they aren't going to be at Coachella.  Why?  Because it gives all the more opportunity for them to perform at the premier electronic event on the west coast: Electric Daisy Carnival!  A VERY long shot I know, but if I had to pick a show for them to be part of, it would certainly be that.  A guy can dream you know....

...Anyway, back to Coachella.  Some interesting acts on the lineup, no doubt.  For all the EDM heads in the Sahara tent, we got: The Chemical Brothers, Sasha, Afrojack, Crystal Castles, Boys Noize, Skrillex, Steve Angello, Paul van Dyk, Fedde Le Grand, Laidback Luke, Chuckie, Axwell, Bloody Beetroots, Duck Sauce, and Jack Beats (forgive me if I forgot any important ones).  Holy moly!  That's as huge a lineup as you could ever get at one particular music festival.  Definitely exciting to see these big names on the rise in such a high profile music festival.  Coachella has always appreciated electronic music, and we can certainly thank them for that.  Who else can I thank at the moment?  Shout out to Laidback Luke who responded to my twitter plug when I found out the final Coachella lineup.  Check out the big homie below!

Isn't that just cool? No? It's just me? Oh well...lol.  Anyway, Coachella looks dope.  I'm sure it will be another one for the books.

~Mark

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

Today's LOL: Tiesto vs the personal trainer

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

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

#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