Posted by Rene Escobar

Part of my new job here at bpm:tv consists of interviewing the biggest names in the EDM world. When I’m not doing that, I have to attend local shows and blog about my experience.

I hate my job.

The subject of my first post? Arguably the biggest name in EDM ever to come out of Germany. By themselves they are Claus Toerhoven (a.k.a. Nic Chagall) and Stefan Bossems (a.k.a. DJ Bossi). Combine their individual talents, and you have the face-melting, groove-blasting trance duo known to the world as COSMIC GATE.

To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect from them live. Don’t get me wrong: I love Cosmic Gate. But as a house and progressive die-hard, I wasn’t sure if a trance show would get my inner house animal onto the dance floor. I’m talking body contortions, joint dislocations, babies flying everywhere — that’s just how hard I rage when that beat slaps me in the face.

19 seconds into their set I realized I had absolutely nothing to worry about.

I was raging harder than ever. It was only a matter of time before I found myself on top of the speakers, being “that” guy. You know: the guy who doesn’t give a shred of a … care who’s watching him.

All joking aside, Cosmic Gate was a unique experience. I’ve never seen anyone live who can get me raging like a rabid animal for 37 seconds, then have me singing along like a 12-year-old girl for the next minute and a half.

That’s what I love about Cosmic Gate: their notion of balance. A perfect example is their hit “Be Your Sound” featuring Emma Hewitt — a personal favourite of mine. If you love to throw your hands in the air, this is the song for you. And if you love vocal trance, this is the song for you. It truly is a win-win situation.

I’m so thankful I was able to witness Cosmic Gate light up Toronto. “For the last 20 years,” they said, “EDM has been the centre of our daily lives. It’s nearly as natural to have EDM music around us as it is to eat and breathe!” Wise words — and I think my visit to The Guvernment brought me a step closer to sharing their musical philosophy.

So what’s the duo up to right now? They’re capping off the year by continuing their North American tour. And all I want to know is when they’ll be back.

Anyway, enough fanboying: Here’s a YouTube of Cosmic Gate dropping “Be Your Sound” in Toronto. You can tell I’m right beside the speakers, SO BE CONSERVATIVE IN YOUR VOLUME CONTROL. (And yes, I’m afraid that’s me you hear singing along. Sorry, Emma.)

Be sure to follow me on twitter @RosasBoy. In the meantime, stay beautiful!

Posted by Scott Willats

Continuing with a look at some new videos, I have a treat for the trance addicts: a new one from Dennis Sheperd. This talented German has been busy these past five years establishing himself as a headliner, and  his newest track — featuring vocals from Molly Bancroft — shows exactly what he’s capable of: a satisfyingly rhythmic collection of keys, melodies and just enough bass to keep that smile on your face.

The video starts off a little awkward (check out the dancers in the background!), but the strength of the song really makes this one worth putting on repeat. You’ll be able to buy it on Beatport on August 13.

Enjoy. And stay tuned for the Sweets of the Week!

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Posted by Scott Willats

In football terms, Group 2 is the UEFA EURO 2012  tournament’s “group of death,” home to global powerhouses Holland, Germany, Portugal and Denmark. In EDM terms, too, this is an impressive stable — but not quite so evenly balanced. While Portugal has a lively, up-and-coming scene and Copenhagen is known to throw down some of the best dubstep concerts, neither can match the firepower of the Dutch and German camps. Let’s break it down.

GROUP 2

Netherlands – Nicky Romero

The Oranje. Total Football. Clockwork Orange. The Dutch have, by far, the greatest collection of offensive players in the tournament — the kind of goal-scoring talents that bring the masses to the stadiums. In the EDM arena, meanwhile, the country fields a similarly formidable team. Just think on these names: Sander van Doorn, Laidback Luke, Afrojack, Sidney Samson, Fedde Le Grand, Hardwell, R3hab, Bingo Players — not to mention the former DJ Mag Top 100 winners Tiësto and Armin van Buuren. That’s one hell of a starting squad. Still, for my money it’s the kid from Amerongen, Nicky Romero, who’s the talent to watch right now. Blending the familiar Dutch and Swedish sounds, he seems to have found a foolproof way to make hits. Heavily respected in the game, as evidenced by his collaborations with David Guetta and most of the DJs on the list above, Nicky Romero is the Robin Van Persie of this tournament: coming off his best year yet, hungry and embarrassingly talented.

MASSSSSSSIVE!

Nicky Romero – Toulouse: LISTEN TO IT HERE

The perfect download …

Nicky Romero – Essential Mix BBC Radio 1: LISTEN TO IT HERE

Germany – Boys Noize

Germany is stacked: ATB, Paul van Dyk, Moguai, Cosmic Gate, Digitalism and Kris Menace — all household names in the EDM world. But there’s one young man from Hamburg who stands out from the pack. Alex Ridha, a.k.a. Boys Noize, has redefined techno — not just with his own innovation in the studio, but through his label Boysnoize Records (BNR), which can boast some of the biggest releases of the past five years. The one thing always synonomous with the German team is clinical finishing; the same can be justly said for this man.

Quick shout-out to Donna Summer: here’s an amazing tribute Boys Noize did for the late, great disco queen!

Boys Noize – Donnastag: LISTEN TO IT HERE

Portugal – Buraka Som Sistema

Style and flair. The Portuguese, much like their Brazilian brethren, are admired not just for their talent and skill, but for the elegance of their play. Fitting, then, that we should choose Buraka Som Sistema to carry the flag for Portugal in bpm:tv’s EDM Euro Cup. The group that messed with African kuduro so thoroughly that they ended up creating “progressive kudoro” is an act you don’t want to miss. While the Portuguese squad boasts boasts Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the best player in the tournament, BSS boasts “Up All Night,” arguably the best song out there right now. Never underestimate the Portuguese. Por-Tu-GAL!

Buraka Som Sistema – A$$ (Bootyleg): LISTEN TO IT HERE

Denmark – Medina

It may not be known as a hotbed for house music, but Denmark still boasts an impressive lineup of performers. Trentemoller, Daniel Kandi, Kid Massive and Noir are all the kind of big names you’re likely to see at any festival as an opening act on the main stage. But it’s Medina I’ve chosen to represent the Danes. Maybe, as a Canadian, I’m swayed by her Deadmau5 connection. But there’s just something about this woman’s angelic voice over progressive house chords that gets me every time. It’s always a treat to hear a brand new Medina track, and to look forward to what creative remixers will do once they get their hands on those vocals. Some forget that the Danes have been winners of the Euro tournament before. They may well be poised to strike gold once again — just as Medina did with “You and I.”

Medina – You And I (Deadmau5 Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE

Next up: Group 3, home to the defending champs, Spain.

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Posted by Scott Willats

Extreme! The Red Bull generation is coming into its own — and dubstep seems to be its soundtrack. Now, I’m a  bit of a traditionalist when it comes to sports, but not so much when it comes to music. You could say the same about Johannes Bürmann.

A graduate of musicology at Germany’s University of Giessen he has released outstanding remixes and originals under the names Brand Blank and Burman –notably “Take Me Away,” posted below.

Bürmann is in fine form on his cutting-edge remix of Bob Marley‘s “Sun Is Shining.” While that track deserves attention on its own, what really makes it worthy of a post is the amazing video below, which uses it as the soundtrack to footage of extreme athlete Jokke Sommer in his wingsuit, flying through some of the gnarliest places in the world. The images and sound together are truly inspiring. Enjizzoy!

Burman – Take Me Away (feat. Jessica Jean): LISTEN TO IT HERE

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Posted by Scott Willats

This seems a proper time to pay tribute to Germany. With the UEFA Champions League final — the “Super Bowl of Soccer” — slated for May 19 in Munich at the jaw-dropping/awe-inspiring Allianz Arena, it was always going to be a special time for the country. That the home team has surpassed all expectations by miraculously making it to the final –  a first in the history of the competition — just makes it all the sweeter.

Meanwhile, in the competitive arena that concerns this blog, Germany current runs neck-and-neck with Sweden in terms of exporting EDM talent to the world: Moguai, Digitalism, Cosmic Gate, and Zedd — these are just a few of the German artists you’ll find ensconced in the top tier of electronic music’s own champions league.

And let’s not forget the Godfather of German dance. Grammy winner Paul van Dyk has managed to maintain household name status — in EDM-friendly households, at least — for a decade-plus. That alone is enough to certify him as a legend. And his new album, Evolution, finds him re-creating himself, with a sound that’s current, fresh and unique. Forget legend — try icon.

Paul van Dyk – Evolution: LISTEN TO IT HERE

I’ll zero in on the tracks I’ve enjoyed. In fairness, though, they’re all really meant to be heard at a Bal en Blanc type of festival with thousands of other people all tuned in to the same vibe you’re on.

* Symmetries stands out for me because its 130-ish bpm tempo sets the standard for an album that is clearly made for dancing. So often, trance albums have … well, let’s call it a Cinderella storybook type of sound. Great for those long walks through the enchanted forest, for sure. But those of us who live in real life in real time, a 10-minute ballad with two minutes of full-out kick, clap and snare is sometimes just … a little much. Now maybe that pegs me as less than a fully fledged trance fan in your eyes. I assure you, to the contrary, that I am — and that the kind of trance sound van Dyk experiments with on this album is precisely the kind I’ve most come to love.

* The Ocean is something special. A trance song with female vocals is usually only going to go as far as the songstress can take it. And Arty takes it all the way to the edge of the Pacific. (Barf in your mouth at the play on words, if you will, but there it is.) There are points in this song, at 0:45 and 3:13, when the filter really starts kicking in and you feel, in your bones, what trance is about. Cinderella storybook, but with a conscious beat. Hard to describe, easy to listen to.

* Verano is a big room anthem. I mean, f**k genre boundaries. van Dyk sees what’s good, wherever it is, and goes to there. This song sounds conjures up all that’s best about Avicii, yet it’s van Dyk all the way. Proof that this established artist is still perfectly happy playing around with new sounds. Credit must go to Austin Leeds, whom I’m sure helped with the “evolution” of this track. (See what I did there?)

* I Don’t Deserve You. OK, at first I thought this was going to be a trance version of Milhouse’s “Can I Borrow A Feeling” — basically a little melodramatic and over-the-top. But the beat van Dyk lays down really throws the vocal and the vulnerability of the lyrics into sharp relief. You’re the first face that I see and the last thing I think about. I think we’ve all been there.

* Lost in Berlin. Simply put, the kind of EDM track I love. In your face from start to finish, all style and flair. Catch me dancing to this at 4am like it’s noon.

* Rock This. Now, just wait a bloodclot minute! Isn’t this supposed to be a trance album? You know, all flowers and rainbows and shooting stars and s**t? Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, man. Mr. van D goes for some glitchy, amped-up electrofunk on this one, creating the biggest drop on the album. Go on, rudebwoi!

* All the Way. Hmmm. Now, this song bit me on the ass the minute I pressed play. Something sounds awfully familiar, though. I’m getting a “Mason-Exceeder” feel — but the way van Dyk plays with the sound is so original that I say what the hell: bump it!

* If You Want My Love. Saving the best for last. It might sound pedestrian to some, but for me this jumps off the Pioneers for me. As in: potential top 40 classic. Or at least prime — and I mean PRIME — remix material. Give it a shot!

van Dyk has really experimented with an array of styles and sounds on this stellar collection. Albums really seem to be making a comeback in EDM right now, and when you see iconic artists like Paul van Dyk and Cosmic Gate at the forefront of this revolution, it gives you faith that we’re in for a good run in these next few years. No question: this is Germany’s moment.

BUY PAUL VAN DYK’S EVOLUTION ON ITUNES.

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From a Vancouver Sun feature on Montreal-based indie-folk artist Rae Spoon, who has incorporated a number of electro influences - among them Kraftwerk, The Knife and Crystal Castles – on his new album Love Is A Hunter. It’s the result, he says, of an extended stay in Germany.

“I was explaining to one of my friends over there what folk music was … and, very seriously, he told me that folk music in Germany was techno. It really changed my perspective … People my age in Germany will more likely try their hand at DJing than learn how to play guitar … I was interested to see how I could bring the skills required in folk music and the idea of songwriting and then add electronic music elements and bring them together.”

Read the whole thing.