Deadmau5; MTV VMA House Artist; Who for next year?

Hey what's going on everyone? Sure has been a while since my last post. Either way, I'm back and will try and post more often. There's been a lot of events I've been to lately and haven't really had a chance to catch up on all of the amazing energy that's been happening around the bay area and San Francisco. But let's get down to the gritty...
Now I know I'm REALLY late on this one...but the VMA's...oh what to say about the VMA's. Really there isn't a whole lot to say about them except they were boring, superficial, and slightly awkward as usual. No surprise in the random pairing of award presenters, underwhelming pop acts performing songs we've had millions of times on the radio, and of course Lady Gaga trying to out-do herself in the "I dress worse than anyone else but I'm a visionary for it" department. And Jesus, how awfully boring was Chelsea Handler? I swear, the VMA's did better the year that they actually had no host. To me, Chris Rock in 1999 and Russel Brand the previous years were teh ones that stood ut. HOWEVER...there was one big element that changed in this particular year. That big element was the house DJ actually being an electro house artist: DEADMAU5!


Now before I continue, it should be known that I have mixed feelings about Deadmau5, as I'm sure many in the EDM community do as well. He's arrogant, considers himself above his class, rude to fans (in some occasions), rude to interviewers, and overall doesn't seem like a nice guy sometimes. Despite all this, the fact remains that the man is a visionary and his talent for music and stage production cannot be denied. He has created a sound, an image, and a brand that has blossomed out of the dance music scene and into the mainstream. While he has garnered a few haters, his fanbase is nothing less than overwhelming. Good for him. Overall I think he is a positive thing for electronic music because of what he represents: not going with the flow. He hasn't really "sold out" in terms of making radio friendly songs or collaborating with big pop acts like David Guetta has. He's a computer nerd who doesn't really like fame or traveling, and just happen to get famous making the music he believed in. This interview might shed some light into the type of person that he is. Keep in mind its part 1 of 2:


So now I get to thinking why did MTV choose him as the house artist for the VMA awards show? I think it's pretty simple:
1) His popularity is blossoming at a huge rate. Since he's started he reached the upper echelons of the EDM scene within the matter of a couple years. To the point where his popular tracks can actually be heard on the radio!
2) The popularity of dance music as a whole is blossoming; especially house & electro house. Listen to the radio. It's EVERYWHERE! Even Usher using electro pop beats? you kidding me?
3) "Ghosts N Stuff" was a huge hit. It's been played on MTV before.
4) His stage act is reminiscent of Daft Punk-esque visual stimulation. Probably enjoyable for all in attendance and those watching at home. Actually looked really cool in HD.
4) He's cheap. While he is in the big leagues of electronic music, he is still a small fish in the bigger pond that is the global pop music world. At this point, he isn't in the position to demand a lot of money for this opportunity. I'm willing to bet MTV didn't shell out too much for his fees.

Check out his performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGRxpu4Pv9g

How well do you think he did? In my opinion, I think he did rather well. Many criticized him for not really doing much at all...which is exactly what he was supposed to do. The house artist has always been meant to provide as background noise. The few couple of times he got to shine, he kept it lowkey to his hits. Why play anything else? I'm sure all the famous people in the audience don't care about his newest track or what direction he's going in musically. They want to hear fun and upbeat popular tracks. He didn't over do it, and that was a BIG key to have the famous audience grooving along to his jams without really feeling like "what is this techno music crap"? I also think the work he had to do was underrated. For the show he had to create a whole slew of remixes and put together the performances that he got with some guest spots. I think it was horrible who he was paired up with to be honest. Travie McCoy? Jason DeRulo? Robyn?? Wow...what a melting pot of pure fail, musically. None of those artists, except for Robyn, had any chemistry with Deadmau5. Just didn't seem to work well at all. He did what he could though, and managed to walk away with himself intact. MTV should have known better. Overall, I give his performance a 4 out of 5 stars. Nothing extravagant, which is what was necessary, while at the same time not failing completely at being molded by MTV. He showed what he was about. Kudos.


WHO FOR NEXT YEAR???

Now all this begs the question as to who should be the house artist next year? Should MTV continue in an electronic music direction? Will electronic music still be as relevant in the pop world at this time next year? Or will music be in a completely different direction? For all intents and purposes, let's assume that electronic and dance music continues in its sky-rocketing boom. Who do YOU think that opportunity/burden should fall upon? Who would be well suited to take on the pop masses? I happen to have a suggestion...


I think the house artist for next year's MTV VMA, assuming music will continue its trend, should be none other than the dance music legend: TIESTO. Now I may have my personal bias in this as I am a very big Tiesto fan, but consider the facts:
1) Tiesto is already in the ears of the pop masses, whether they knew it or not.
2) He already has established working relationships with many popular artists including Tegan & Sara, Nelly Furtado, Three 6 Mafia, Bloc Party, and others with collaborations.
3) His musical direction as of late has taken a drastic shift from full blown trance to a more "radio friendly" sound that incorporates progressive house, electro house, and electro pop. He has become a jack of all trades; able to please whatever crowd he steps in front of.
4) He understands and loves all forms of music, not just the trance heavy sound he creates. He could spin anything at the award show and make it blend perfect.
5) He understands the US crowd and knows not to overdo it.
6) He is already a household name to much of the rest of the world outside of the US.
7) My own personal bias again, but Tiesto has earned his legend status through his years of endless hard work. He deserves it.

So there you have it...my wrap up on a lot of opinion on MTV, the Video Music Awards, and just the nature of EDM in the popular music scene. I'm sure the same case I made for Tiesto could be made for David Guetta...but let's be honest, David Guetta just recently boomed. I'm still yet to be convinced he's the real deal. He isn't as prolific of a producer as Tiesto and his popularity push came at expense of his house roots. What do you think? Any opinions?? Who do you think should be the one to spin at the next MTV VMA's?? Leave a comment!!

~Mark

#MusicMonday: How To DJ From the #1 DJ

It's not secret that DJ's are on the come up in this current state of pop music. We are currently seeing the biggest upsurge in the popularity of electronic music and acceptance into mainstream American culture since it has broke into the music world in the 80's. Thanks to many top 40 hits these days employing some blatant qualities associated with house and electro aspects, even people who used to doubt electronic music's staying power are grooving to it now. A biproduct of this? DJ's used to be associated with hip-hop and turntablism. Today's world of DJ's seems to be leaning into a much different direction; the direction of electronic dance music. Who better to learn from than from the best? I credit trancefamilysf.com for the discovery of this great video. Learning how to DJ from the world's #1 DJ. Armin van Buuren has always been one of my favorites, if not my absolute favorite. He's a class act, a pro, and loves to see others below him succeed. This video further cements my beliefs. Enjoy!



~M

A night out with Matt Darey and TranceFamily SF (8/28/2010)

Would like to take this opportunity in this post to give a very special shout out to the awesome people at trancefamilysf.com and the good time they showed me this past weekend at my most recent home away from home, Ruby Skye to see Matt Darey and roll all access style. I've been very familiar with Matt Darey from his nocturnal radio show that I've had the chance to be able to check out from here and there. His name has also resurfaced a lot with remixes from other artists I follow, along with being a household name in the trance and progressive house world since the mid 90's. Something that struck me huge in the show...despite being a veteran in the game, the guy doesnt look like he ages a bit! Talk about being well preserved. Good for him. If there's any herbal secrets I should know of, I hope he tells me next time I see him. All jokes aside, the show was amazing. Beside dropping some of his old faithful hits and remixes, like the "Lost At Sea" Remix with Ashley Tomberlin, he dropped some great tracks that are blowing up the dance floor these days. From my recollection, Steve Angello "KNAS", Dada Life's remix of Kaskade's "Dynasty", and Deadmau5's remix of Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" to name a few. What a night. The crowd seemed really responsive as they should be for a DJ of that caliber. Getting the chance to speak with him at the end of the show, he seemed like he had his doubts on the caliber of his performance. If that set was any sort of lackluster, I can only imagine what Matt Darey would consider his best performance. Sometimes we are our own worst critics, but at Ruby Skye, he definitely tore the house down. Cheers Mate. Hope to see the man back soon. That aside, everyone should go check out TranceFamilySF.com. They have an amazing staff and share a mutual passion for electronic music, much like myself, that has huge potential of networking the bay area in a way we have not seen yet. Big ups to the trance heads!

Whose excited about Matt Darey? Clearly I am (on the right)

~M

Now Playing: Blank & Jones "Miracle Cure (Martin Roth NuStyle Remix)"

Hey what's up everyone. It's been a good week in the music world as usual. Finding some good beats and discovering some new artists and that's always fun for me. While going through some songs however, I re-stumbled upon one of my old favorites that came out in 2008. I know it's Throwback Thursday and 2008 isn't necessarily quite a "throwback", but oh well. I'm putting it up anyway. This is a downright mind blowing track from Blank & Jones, remixed by Martin Roth called "Miracle Cure". I remember first hearing it on Armin van Buuren's yearmix 2008 CD and it took me forever to track down. Since it came up on my beatport, I remembered how much I loved the track. I think it deserves a re-spin. This is what dance music is all about right here. Check it out:



~M

Show Review: A night out with Sander van Doorn & friends

Greetings everyone on this rather hot Sunday night in the Bay Area, as I happily write this very special entry in the "rehab clinic" blog documenting a weekend that was without a doubt one for the books. Typically I try to write shows reviews the following day after, but there was just so much going on this weekend that I couldn't hold out an hour or so to sit down and put thoughts onto a computer considering the non-stop ups and downs I have had all over the bay area. From Martinez to San Jose, this one had endless hits including two electronic shows in San Francisco, a visit to San Jose to cheer on the Earthquakes, and a quick visit to the beach. Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked. Let's get to what I really wanted to talk about...



Sander van Doorn @ Ruby Skye, San Francisco, August 20th 2010

Disclaimer: it should be understood that I have been following Sander van Doorn for quite some time and Ruby Skye has and always will be one of my favorite venues in San Francisco. This is for any points made in this entry that appear bias. Follow me? Perfect.

From the get go, I had a chip on my shoulder leading to this show when it has come to seeing Sander van Doorn live in the bay area. I've had opportunities to catch his live act but several outside interferences have hindered that. Him being an opening act, my typical late arrival, venue's poor organization, long lines, hearing about the show too late, etc etc. Certainly big amounts of frustration, considering I've been sold over as a huge fan ever since the release of his track "Riff" on the Supernaturalistic album and hearing it and other classics non-stop on radio shows like A State of Trance and played at live shows. I felt like this was a chance to redeem on previous failures and finally catch one of my heroes in the EDM world.

Arriving at Ruby Skye via car vs taxi always adds on another 30 minutes minimum thanks to looking for parking in packed SF on a Friday night. The line to get into Ruby Skye? Make that another 45-60 minutes depending on your position in line and what time you have arrived. This has always been one of my points of frustration with the place as the organization's may fault is always with the entry. Sometimes it feels like it doesn't matter whether you bought tickets or not, printed them out vs willcall, or free guest list because everyone waits in a line anyway. A line, I might add, that becomes infinitely longer as people cut in line. Last time I came to see Cosmic Gate, I waited 60 minutes. This time? Thanks to printing out tickets it shortened my trip just a little bit, but would have been the same if I was just buying tickets at the door. Very convenient eh? Something definitely needs to be done about this. The time passed by a little quicker this time thanks to some new crazy friends that were made on the walk to the venue that were traveling from Barcelona. They had never heard of Sander van Doorn but wanted to check out Ruby Skye. What a night they were in for...


Once inside, I realized I was right on time as the last opener put on his last few tracks. Cue the madness put on by SvD!! The big hype leading up to this was the release of his Dusk Till Doorn compilation that very same week. As expected, many tracks from that release were spun including some of my favorites: "She Gives Happiness (Arty Remix)" by D-Mad, "Moment" by Stoneface & Terminal, and "Tweak Your Nipple (Tiesto Remix)" by Faithless. He dropped some of his own tracks too that made for a classic mix including the epic "Hymn 2.0". As I imagined it beforehand, the crowd was nuts. Ruby Skye always has a good balance of dedicated fans of the night's act and newcomers just along for the ride not knowing what is going on. Both demographics seemed like they were enjoying themselves and packed the dance floor with an incredible amount of energy. The venue's stage production, lighting, sound, background images, and gogo dancers have always been a point of strength when it comes to shows here.

The kicker that made my night all the more epic? Besides making some international friends and introducing them to our domain in the city...my own little groupie moment of watching Sander van Doorn in action up close, toasting a drink with him, shaking his hand, and talking to him after the show turned into one of those surreal moments that took me back to when I was a teenager meeting Papa Roach for the first time. Rarely does one get to experience watching one of their musical heroes up close. But meeting them? Makes it an entirely different show. In an all exclusive world when it comes to DJ's and electronic dance music, this one felt all in the family. I'll certainly see this show and Sander van Doorn himself in a very unique light from here on out. Not to mention him taking the time to also embrace fans out on the dance floor; telltale signs of a DJ dedicated to his fanbase and craft. Let's break it down now...

Breakdown:

Crowd - As I mentioned, the Ruby Skye crowd is always a unique blend of club goers ignorant to who is playing on stage and dedicated fans. All were in big time for this show. But who couldn't be? SvD was just spinning so well and dropped the hits. Everyone was dancing.
Production - Ruby Skye never disappoints in the spectacles they put on to make sure their club looks nothing less than world class. I certainly appreciated it all. Kudos to them for not disappointing.
Organization - As I mentioned earlier, Ruby Skye has issues when it comes to who they let in and who they make wait at the entrance of the club. Much to work out here. Ticket holders and will call guests should be the first ones to get let in. But hey, what do I know about clubs?
Lineup - Considering I didn't arrive to the club in time to catch the other DJ's, I can't say much to this respect. I have heard much about them which makes for good company for SvD but unfortunately was not able to catch them in the mix.


Rating: Great tunes, world class DJ, great crowd, great club, great friends. Isn't that the recipe for success of a Friday night in San Francisco? It was a breath of fresh air to come to a show like this and be reminded that DJ's love their fans and take the time to show it even during their hectic schedules. Things just came together perfectly. I'll remember this one forever. ***** (5 stars).

Scale:
***** - Perfect night. Legendary show
**** - Great night. Very enjoyable
*** - Decent night. Some things were hit or miss but overall fine.
** - Boring night. Not too many enjoyable things at this show.
* - Terrible night. Everything went wrong with this one. Where's the booze?

Cheers and Goodnight music heads.

~Mark Menjivar

Random Thoughts: Deadmau5 at VMA's

What's up everyone? Welcome to another late entry into the rehab clinic blog. Hope everyone is having a good week so far. It's getting to the close of summer and sadly that means back to school for a lot of people out there and colder weather slowly throughout the coming weeks though. Indeed a depressing time for everyone unless they completely love the fall season. Honestly, anyone that actually prefers fall season to summer must be a sad, lonely person. All that aside however, I've had some thoughts brewing in my head lately in the world of music. I haven't put a random thoughts posting in quite a bit. I've been thinking too much about long columns and important pieces to come up with that I have forgot to update with simple ramblings. So let's get down to it...

There's a lot of talk right now about the much anticipated (and dreaded for some of you) MTV Video Music Awards. Oh man...a lot can be said about these awards and MTV as a whole, but let's just say that these are the 2nd biggest awards in music behind the grammys. Many, like myself, could argue that the MTV VMA's are just a horrible waste of time and production money to hand out fake awards to payola artists who everyone already knew was going to win anyway. All that aside, we still watch them anyway. Ratings keep things on tv so we're all guilty for this one. I plan on writing a full piece in anticipation for the VMA's to look out for that one. But right now I have just have one thought I want to share on this...DEADMAU5 IS THE HOUSE ARTIST?? It has been announced that one of my favorites, Joel Zimmerman aka Deadmau5, is going to be the house artist for the VMA's this year. This is a shocking but yet awesome announcement. Good and bad things can come out of this, but it certainly means that the electronic scene is alive, well, and on the come up. I'll drop another piece on how electronic music becoming popular is also a double edged sword. In the meantime...I just send out my congratulations for deadmau5. He has been a hard worker.

Top 100 DJ's poll: My 5 votes for 2010 and why

Once again music heads, welcome one and all to the most important day of the week for many people in the working world...FRIDAY! Everyone loves Friday. I'm not even working right now and I love Friday. Not really too sure what it is about today, but Fridays usually just radiate positive vibes, good energy, and all around good times considering most of the working world knows their work week is coming to a close and they can enjoy doing the things they actually want to do for the next couple of days in the weekend. What does that include for most people? Cutting loose, putting on some good tracks, enjoying a nice strong drink, and dancing the night away. And if that's not what you enjoy doing on a Friday night, well you should probably re-evaluate your extracurricular activities.

On another note...this day brings me to a more important topic. It has come now to that time of year where once again (drumroll please) the TOP 100 DJ POLL HAS BEEN RE-OPENED!! That's right ladies and gentlemen. For those that haven't been up to speed in the DJ world, this is the most prestigious and recognized ranking system for DJ's around the world to showcase who remains on top, who is having a great year, who is making a breakthrough, and who is generally relevant in the electronic music community. Put on by www.djmag.com and voting through www.top100djs.net, the system runs from now until September for music lovers to vote for their top 5 DJ's of this year. The system has a very legitimate way of verifying voting so there is as little spamming as possible, and usually the results come out around October to announce the full 100 lineup in voted order to show who has really made an impact this year. As you can imagine, my voting has already come full circle and I've cast my choices. Do you want to hear about them? Of course you do. These are my top 5 choices that I've cast in rank order.

A few things to remember:
-This is in no way an opinion on who I think are the BEST 5 DJ's in the world. I'm sure some of my choices could be considered inferior to some bigger names that have had a few years head start. This is mainly my voting on who I feel deserve the votes because they have impacted my music listening in 2010 in some way, shape, or form. Somehow these have been special. So don't take it personal if I didn't pick your favorite.
-Only 5 are allowed to go on your cast ballot. If 10 were allowed or 20 were allowed, I could include more of the DJ's I hold near and dear to myself. However, I can't, so only 5 can do.
-This is not simply a countdown on who is a good "DJ". This is an all inclusive list that incorporates their productions, live shows, DJing skills, and ability to maintain their fanbase.

Now journey with me...

5. Tritonal

The ever so energetic DJ duo from Austin, Texas has my vote for number five because of the amazing breakthrough they have accomplished and great year they have had so far. They haven't really come on my radar in the past, but I felt they deserved a vote this year because of the countless shoutouts they have been receiving from huge name trance DJ's on radio shows, compilations, and remixes. Their podcast "Air Up There" has also been gaining a great amount of steam with great cuts picked out on the regular. These Texas boys have good taste. Not to mention, how often do you hear of trance DJ's coming out of Texas?? That's almost unheard of to me. Very remarkable. There is some definite USA pride coming with this vote and I think they deserve it. They work hard. And from what I have heard, their shows showcase a great amount of energy as well.

Check out:



4. Ashley Wallbridge

Perhaps my favorite producer of 2009-2010, Ashley Wallbridge from the UK never ceases to impress me. His productions are flawless. I don't think I have listened to one of his tracks or remixes yet without being stricken with awe. I really don't think this man has made a bad or boring track yet (knock on wood). He deserves this vote because this has certainly been his year on the rise. He has become a work machine, pumping out track after track while still maintaining a hectic touring schedule all over the world and maintaining his podcast. You could say, he's kind of like an Armin van Buuren Jr., but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I've witnessed some live footage of him on youtube and from what I can see, the man certainly does not disappoint in his live shows either. Perhaps my biggest regret of 2010 will be the fact that I missed his show in San Francisco at Ruby Skye. Oh well. If he continues on this path of success, I am sure it will be only a matter of time before he comes back.

Check out:



3. Dada Life

These party boy Swedes most definitely have amazed me this year. I had the pleasure of seeing them twice at the same event! Seeing their name on the lineup for Electric Daisy Carnival had me do some investigation on their tracks and where they are from. Considering this has been a huge year for house, Dada Life has enjoyed some success in 2010 stemming from their big releases, remixes, and guest DJ remixes of their own track for maximum exposure. I really dig their style of producing. Whether they lean on the more electro or progressive side of things, their tracks always have a groove that immediately has your head bobbing to the beat. What really makes them stand out however, is their live show. Their set at EDC completely rocked me because of the insane amount of energy these two have live. Most importantly for me, they rock it because they honestly look like they are having fun while they are spinning the records they love! I think this is important because a sour DJ will never have the crowd in their pocket. These two are incredible fun and always bring out surprises at their shows (inflatable bananas and champagne bottles anyone?). Their sense of humor has also been able to crack up their follow DJ's with the likes of twitter. I can see big things coming for Dada Life. Do the DaDa!

Check out:



2. Benny Benassi

The Italian Stallion himself, Benny Benassi certainly belongs on this countdown for me because of the amazing year he has been having so far. We all have known him ever since his smash hit "Satisfaction" in 2003, however what has made him relevant ever since then and this year especially, is his ability to re-invent himself to once again bring something new to the fold. When a DJ has a big single like "Satisfaction", that sort of success can either make or break you. In the latter case, many DJ's like Darude and Dirty Vegas have scored a one hit wonder and fizzled out with time due to their lack of a follow up hit and inability to translate that style into momentum. Benny Benassi has kept up as a work-a-holic with countless remixes, releases, and compilations to prove to the masses that his staying power is without question. Switching up the style in 2010 to include hip hop artists and R&B singers, he has still been able to be considered a purist by many because of his producing style having the ability to evolve and bring something new while being able to snag the attention of newcomers to house music. Simply put, he can do it all. On a small side note...his live shows are simply amazing. His set at Electric Daisy Carnival this year proved to me that Benny Benassi will be a name that might never be rid of in the house music world. His transitions, song choices, stage theatrics, guest apperances, and overall show flow made him one of my favorites at EDC without a doubt. Bow down to the Italian Stallion.

Check out:



1. Armin van Buuren

The man, the legend, the already 3 time top 100 #1 DJ winner once again is a candidate for #1 for me without question. Armin van Buuren is THE icon of trance in today's electronic music scene. How has he been able to do it? We all know the reasons why: his globally popular "A State of Trance" radio show, his incredible live shows, his amazing ability to connect with fans, and powerful productions & remixes. But I think the main reason why I think that Armin has been able to remain on top while others like Tiesto and Paul van Dyk have slowly decreased in rank is because the man is a complete and utter work-a-holic. He's a machine. Ever since I began following him in 2007, I'm not sure he has ever really taken time for himself. The radio show alone and global touring schedule is enough to be considered a 200% full time job, but he still manages to consistently crank out full artist albums that rock the trance community. I could honestly write a whole column on Armin van Buuren and why he is the best (which I think I will do someday), but for now let's just say that the man has been and most likely will be #1 for a reason. He knows what he's doing and he's remained humble all throughout. He has a way of connecting to people that I don't think any other DJ can do at this particular moment in time. I should also mention he has a new album due out in September called "Mirage". Some more classics to turn up on there I am sure. Cheers mate, you earned this one again. 4 times the king!

Check out:



...and that's it boys and girls! What do you think? Do you agree with these 5 choices? Do you disagree with these choices? What would your choices be? I think these are 5 solid candidates that deserve all the props they get for their hard work and expect to see great things come out of each and every one of them throughout the rest of the year; especially in competing for that grand prize of being crowned as the #1 DJ of the world. I'm certainly excited to see how the polls turn out. Let the games begin! GET OUT THERE AND VOTE!!!!

~Mark