Posted by Scott Willats
New video from Kill the Noise, and it’s exactly what you’d expect from Mr. Jake Stanczak. I’ve always said that his Website is one of the best in EDM. Well, now he’s taken that attention to detail and applied it to his visuals. Seriously, this could be a movie. Sit back and get your popcorn ready. (Oh, and if you’re a youngun, viewer discretion is advised.)
Posted by Scott Willats
Do you feel it? I definitely feel it. It’s the sound of summer coming to an end.
Ok ok ok ok! Hold on! Quit throwing rotten vegetables! I didn’t mean to say that it’s over — only that this wonderful, busy, record-breaking summer of ours seems to be winding down. But it’s not all doom and gloom: after all, autumn is when producers head back in to the studio, study what they’ve hearing on tour all summer, and get down to creating some next-level shit.
Consider this a quick snapshot of what’s going down as the summer draws to a close.
Anthem. ’nuff said.
Sebastien Tellier – Russian Attractions (Nation Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE
Benny Benassi takes on the Legend.
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Jammin (Benny Benassi Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE
The trap is back, as Flosstradamus continue making next-level shit.
Flosstradamus – UNDERGR☢UND ANTHEM: LISTEN TO IT HERE
A little tardy on this one — but the grime is so epic I’m thinking you’ll forgive me.
will.i.am feat. Eva Simons – This Is Love (Afrojack Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE
Already a huge fan of the original, I appreciate Frenzy’s decision to wait on the remix so it could get a proper hearing. Wicked.
Childish Gambino – Heartbeat (Frenzy Re-Bounce): LISTEN TO IT HERE
Got more trashy electro for you, right here.
La Musique D’Ordinateur – Revolver (Andy’s iLL Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE
I’ve been telling anyone who’ll listen about this kid for a while now: he makes wicked electro house. Case in point.
Le Castle Vania – Play Loud: LISTEN TO IT HERE
Funky as f**k!
Surrender! – S_M_A_S_H (Blende Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE
This is massive, but I can’t seem to find a copy of the whole thing, so we’ll make do with the video.
Heavy heavy heavy remix of a crowd favorite
This just feels good down in your bones
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In which Toronto’s Warrior Music goes dubstep all over “Zia’s Theme,” a folky tune from the soundtrack of the video game Bastion, and makes vocalist Ashley Barrett‘s promise to “build that city on a hill” sound ominously like a threat. You can download for free at warriormusicbass.com. Level up!
Warrior Music- Bastion (Original Mix): LISTEN TO IT HERE
Check out the original track:
Posted by Scott Willats
Collaborations in music today are so commonplace that almost nothing comes as a surprise anymore. If Garth Brooks teamed up with Wolfgang Gartner, I’m not sure I’d even even bat an eyelash. And to me, anyway, that’s a positive. Bringing together vastly different sounds and genres in unlikely combinations can leading to something unique. The results may be awful, interesting, strange, enticing or immaculate — and sometimes all of the above.
EDM really seems to lead the way when it comes to collaborations. Maybe it’s the big role that festivals play in the genre. These gatherings are about more than just celebrating the music: they give artists a chance for artists to catch up, listen and share their new sounds.
All of which brings us to the mysterious new duo known as Dog Blood.
Rumour has it that Dog Blood is actually a collaboration between heavy hitters Skrillex and Boys Noize. I’m inclined to believe it. Why? Well, their debut release “Next Order” comes to us via OWSLA and Boysnoize Records — so that’s, you know, a little bit of a hint. Many of my industry friends and fellow bloggers are certainly convinced it’s them. And frankly, this teaser sounds exactly the way you’d expect a Skrillex/Boys Noizes superhero team-up to sound.
Now, say what you want about Skrillex (and many people do). But the superiority of Boys Noize is not up for debate. He reinvents himself, disappears, and then reinvents himself again — the perfect artist’s template, in my mind. This project sounds tight, so let’s hope we hear more. Lots more.
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Posted by Scott Willats
My new obsession is NYC electro-pop duo The Knocks. Though they’ve been around since 2007, putting out substantial remixes and originals, it’s only in the past six months that, for me, they have really started to shine. The distinctive way they blend electro with pop-funk gives you a sound that’s been missing from today’s general noise. And their remixes offer clear proof of musical knowledge well above the norm. They know how to preserve what you love about the original song while adding something that feels like it should have been there from the beginning. Right? Right!
What I didn’t know about B-Roc and JPatt — and shame on me! — is their mixing ability. They’ve just released a 15-minute mix that features no less than 46(!) different songs. For those of you who constantly flip radio channels in your car or skip tracks on your iPod faster than Usain Bolt on race day, this mix will be right up your alley. As for those of you who appreciate tracks from start to finish … well, I urge you to do just that: listen to this mix all the way through. It doesn’t feel at all like a clusterf**k of pop tracks; it’s a perfectly balanced blend of familiar tunes and hidden gems that you probably overlooked in the past.
One thing is certain about it: shit knocks!
TSIS Megamix Vol. 1 – The Knocks: LISTEN TO IT HERE
Masssssssive!
Santigold – The Keepers (The Knocks Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE
The Knocks – The Feeling: LISTEN TO IT HERE
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Posted by Scott Willats
The three amigos are back at it again — but this time around, it’s to deliver their swan song.
We still don’t know exactly why Swedish House Mafia have decided to call it quits, but the fact that all three members are gearing up to pursue their solo careers suggests it may be a while before we see the Scandinavian dons together again. For now, they’re embarking on their “break-up tour,” and dropping a few new tracks that you can count on hearing again in a few years time, when they play the inevitable reunion shows.
Whether you think this split is a promotional stunt or the real deal, you can’t deny that these guys have been as important to EDM as any DJ in the history of the genre. They helped put EDM at the front and centre of the public consciousness, and established themselves as international icons. They were one of the first acts to make me feel truly starstruck when I encountered them in Ibiza. There has always been a special aura around this trio, and it will be sad to see them go their separate ways.
Still, you knew they wouldn’t part without some proper goodbye gifts. Their latest release, “Don’t You Worry Child” is as reassuring as the title promises. It’s the sound that’s synonymous with their name, with those enrapturing vocals the whole world loves to hear. This is only a radio rip, but it’s well worth the listen until the official release comes along.
As good as these guys are as individual performers (Axwell, for me, standing head and shoulders above Ingrosso and Angello), I can’t help but wonder if they’ve taken for granted the special quality they share as a trio. Granted, their image and profile have taken a bit of a dip with the emergence of North America’s new wave of superstar DJs — but make no mistake, you still want to be at a SHM concert.
OK, so it’s not like The Beatles are breaking up, but it does draw a little tear. This is the end of an era.
Swedish House Mafia – Don’t You Worry Child: LISTEN TO IT HERE
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Posted by Gosia Mrugala
EDM has exploded onto the Canadian scene in the past few years, and this summer will almost certainly be remembered as a history-making moment, dominated by a series of electronic music tests that fans will be talking about for years.
Last weekend brought the inaugural VELD Music Festival and its mind-blowing lineup to Toronto’s Downsview Park, courtesy of INK Entertainment. An interesting name for a festival, no?
Veld – (noun) the open country, bearing grass, bushes, or shrubs…
The anticipation for this fest was absolutely mind-boggling, fed by a YouTube video designed to get you wanting more and the posters and billboards plastered all over the city. Happily, VELD went above and beyond expectations. I was blown away and left speechless. Just about every performance was noteworthy, but a few will stay permanently imprinted in my memory.
All praise to the brilliant Steve Aoki — a true performer. He rocked that crowd, delivering not only smashing tunes but a jaw-dropping show. From crowd-surfing in an inflatable boat to soaking the audience in champagne, he is by far one of the most commanding performers I’ve ever had the pleasure to experience.
I hadn’t had the chance before to see Krewella live, so I’m grateful to have experience their impressive performance in the Bacardi tent at VELD. The trio work harmoniously together, cranking out skin-crawlingly ecstatic tracks precision-tooled to galvanize the crowd.
Steve Angello turned in an awe-inspiring set. His music selection was absolutely infallible and kept the crowd moving in a frenzy.
VELD’s headlining acts were Deadmau5 on day one, and Avicii on day two. Deadmau5 dazzled the hometown crowd, even in the pouring rain, dropping a selection of his classic tracks along with some new beats that fell intriguingly on my music-hungry ears. But it was Avicii who surprised and impressed me, played some hard, bass-pumping stuff that left me hungry for more, even after two exhausting days.
All in all, VELD was a great success. INK did a phenomenal job with this event, and I’m excited to see what they will bring to the table in summer 2013. Till then, be sure to check out some of their other notable events, including CONTACT and Labour of Love at Toronto famed The Guvernment/Kool Haus complex.
Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.
So. VELD. Wow. That was just … wow. I mean, the music and the crowd and the spectacle … it was all just … you know … wow.
Screw it. There’s no easy way to describe an incredible experience like that. You know what they say about pictures and words? If you really want to know what last weekend at VELD was like, check out the massive photo gallery posted by fearless bpm:tv bloggeuse Gosia Mrugala.
VIEW THE ENTIRE VELD PHOTO GALLERY HERE.
Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.
Posted by Scott Willats
Something brand new for you and your crew. But first and foremost, a quick word on last weekend’s VELD extravaganza.
Naturally, it was a massive success. However, the fact that French electro kings Justice — one of the reasons that massive EDM events like this even exist — were playing at HARD, a completely different festival taking place at the same time on the other side of the city … well, missing that made the whole thing a bit bittersweet for me.
Now, judging by the reported turnout at both VELD and HARD, there were plenty of EDM fans to go around. But still — if we’re going to have festivals like this, why force fans to choose between competing events on the same weekend? Why not do as Rogers and Bell have done with Olympics coverage: establish a consortium and have a single event that the world will envy?
Just my opinion. Anyway, enough politics; more music. We got something brand new-ish today from Dillon Francis and Jack Beats. Dillon and the Jack duo have both established their own signature sound over these past two years, winning followers one track at a time. This new offering is a little different, but just as sick. I don’t know how to explain it except to say: it sounds like a perfect blending of both artists. Wicked.
Jack Beats Feat. Dillon Francis – Epidemic (Original Mix): LISTEN TO IT HERE
Posted by Scott Willats
And here we go. Y’all getting sick of me talking about festivals? Well sorry, but tuff f***ing luck. Because this weekend Toronto the place in the world to be for EDM. Or any kind of music, actually.
Sure, Montreal has Osheaga happening, which promises to be nuts in its own right But Toronto is bringing the heavy, what with VELD and HARD both going down this weekend.
What’s HARD, you ask? Just a little gathering featuring the likes of M83, Buraka Som Sistema, Austra … oh, and Justice. Sorry, let me rephrase that: JUSTICE!!!! The French icons make their looooooooooooooong-awaited return to Canada in style. Fort York is a special place to be this weekend.
And then there’s VELD, the brainchild of Canada’s own EMD titan, Deadmau5. Check out this lineup: Avicii, Kill the Noise, Mord Fustang, Bassnectar, Cosmic Gate and soooooo many others are busy tearing Toronto’s Downsview Park a new one. Rain is in the forecast for Sunday, but it’s gonna get real messy long before that. Canada, this is our weekend!
And with that, it’s on to …. THE SWEETS!
This will get your weekend going just right. A free download that hits the spot.
Of Monsters & Men – Little Talks (The Knocks Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE
In anticipation of Saturday’s main event: 5omething brand new from the Mau5.
Deadmau5 – There Might Be Coffee: LISTEN TO IT HERE
The second installment of Fools Gold‘s Clubhouse compilation series is just as heavy as the first. No point trying to pick a favourite: here’s the whole thing, amigos. Did I mention it’s FREE?!?
Fool’s Gold – Clubhouse Vol. 2: LISTEN TO IT HERE
I got news for you: this isn’t house.
Dream – This Isn’t House EP: LISTEN TO IT HERE
Big room time!
Zedd feat. Matthew Koma – Spectrum (3LAU Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE
Eddie Thoneick & Norman Doray – Celsius (Original Mix): LISTEN TO IT HERE
How can you not love Montreal’s Adventure Club? OK, maybe the sound is becoming just a tad predictable. But that in no way means it’s played out. And the fact that it’s free is an added attraction.
Adventure Club – Retro City: LISTEN TO IT HERE
Brand new Sound Remedy!
Ellie Goulding – Hanging On (Sound Remedy Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE
So glad the full version of this is finally out. This is special.
VISUAL SWEETS
Already a huge fan of Dan Black, but this is trippy. I love it.
Nobody’s quite doing it like Calvin Harris right now. Anybody else thinking it’s time for him to do an album with Example?
August 10th. The Hoxton. You will find me there.
Justice flashback!
… and that’s it, kiddos. Be safe this weekend (but not too safe) and make sure you rep bpm:tv a llllllll weekend long!
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