Posted by Gosia Mrugala

Indefatigable bpm:tv blogger gets to know Greek-born house DJ/producer Orelse (a.k.a. Orestis Papavasiliou) — part of a new generation of rising European EDM talents.

GOSIA MRUGALA: Hey, Orelse! What have you been up to lately?

ORELSE: Hello everybody! Past two months I am always on the road, spreading my “Deep Is Love” parties along Greece. I’ve been to many places, had some great parties, met wonderful people who truly love music. Other than that, when I have time I am in my studio. Just finished a new track of mine and a remix that I am really happy about.

GOSIA: How would you describe your musical style?

ORELSE: My style is always balanced between deep, sexy sounds and groovy ones. I play everything from deep house to classic house, and sometimes a little bit of tech house with tribal elements included. I want every set I make to be like a journey. You start from somewhere and there is always a destination to reach.

GOSIA: So tell me more about “Deep Is Love.”

ORELSE: “Deep Is Love” is a track of mine that was released in 2012. It’s a deep house track that got great worldwide support, so I named my parties after it. Either way, this is the music I play and I found the title more than suitable. The “Deep Is Love” parties will soon be celebrating their one-year anniversary. We’ve been to so many places that I feel blessed. We are also starting to expand them outside Greece soon, with gigs in Europe, the USA and probably Africa as well.

GOSIA: Which producing software do you prefer?

ORELSE: I am a bit of a vintage guy to be honest. I use the old Kinetic, along with Project 6, Virsyn Tera, Darbuka and sometimes Reason. Although I always try new software, these ones just feel like home.

GOSIA: Your top 3 tracks at the moment?

ORELSE: (1) Orelse – Eye Sea You (Original Mix): This one is coming soon on Underground City Music!  |  (2) Stefano Amalfi – Tonk (Original Mix): An all-time favourite!  |  Tim Deluxe – Transformation (Original Mix): A favourite also.

GOSIA: What influences the musical selection for your live sets?

ORELSE: I don’t think there’s something standard about it. I never have a particular pattern that I should follow. I just want to have fun when I play and I am always pushing to that direction. If you have fun, then people will have a good time also, because they get your vibration and positive vibes. It’s a chemical thing like love. You give and you take back and we all get lifted along the process.

GOSIA: How do you find a balance between music and your personal life?

ORELSE: (Laughs) There is no balance, to be honest. Music is life, my mind and heart — wherever I am or whatever I’m doing are combined with it. My friends and family are good with it ! Music is personal, you know…

GOSIA: What is one hobby that your fans would be surprised to learn you enjoy?

ORELSE: I really do enjoy fishing. It feels so calm — the sea, sunset, waves are a combination that makes my mind relax. I don’t really care if I catch any fish — it’s an excuse just to be there !

GOSIA: The summer of 2012 was mind-blowing. Any predictions about summer 2013?

ORELSE: I think this summer will be even better than the previous one. New music, good people. And the Greek islands are a must destination to have a good time and expand your mind.

GOSIA:  Can you tell me about any upcoming projects or collaborations?

ORELSE: I have some new releases that will come out on Wet Recordings, Underground City, Clubshine, Avatone and other labels. Did a remix for Mikael Delta that I am really proud of and honored — it will be released probably in June. Other than that, we have a lot of parties planned in Greece, plus some surprises that will be announced soon!

GOSIA: Where do you see yourself in five years?

ORELSE: Probably in Berlin, still expanding my music and getting the Deep Is Love name out there!

KEEP TABS ON ORELSE:

Facebook  |  Twitter  |  YouTube  |  SoundCloud  |  Mixcloud  |  MySpace  |  Resident Advisor  |  Beatport  |  The DJ List  |  Top Deejays  |  Deep Is Love Events  |

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.

Tom Swoon & Amba Shepherd – Not Too Late: BUY IT ON BEATPORT

Polish DJ/producer Tom Swoon teams up with vocalist Amba Shepherd to deliver this thrilling slice of progressive house goodness. Shepherd’s alluring, trance-like vocals mesh exquisitely with the rhythm on a track that’s custom-designed to drive the crowds absolutely wild at outdoor festivals. Which, by the way, is it summer yet? This one put me in an ecstatic daze, and I’m willing to bet it does the same for you.

Incidentally, you’ll want to check out the Bassnectar & PatrickReza dubstep remix as well as Maor Levi’s electro house version — both highly successful remixes!

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.

Bang La Decks – Kuedon (Obsession) [Leroy Styles Remix]: BUY IT ON BEATPORT

This track gets a whole “Arabian nights” vibe going, and the rhythm is an obsession for me. The buildups and drops had my heart dancing in unison with the insistent drumbeat. This is one I can see creating chaos at clubs and a full-on frenzy at festivals. While the original track is more than satisfactory, it’s the Leroy Styles remix that really has me hooked. The music video (below) is a bit questionable. I was fairly mind-boggled — at least until the twist ending.

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.

Paul Oakenfold & Matt Goss | The Concrete Sneakers – Touch The Sky: BUY IT ON BEATPORT

Following up on their 2010 collab “Firefly,” trance legend Paul Oakenfold and vocalist Matt Goss from Eighties Britpop outfit Bros (Hey, remember Bros? Anyone? Hello?) have teamed up again on this enrapturing new track. The release includes three remixes; all are superb, but my fave is by Faustix & Imanos. Just try and sit still when this one comes on! The buildup and drops are sure to drive any club or festival crowd into an animalistic frenzy.

The lyrics on “Touch The Sky” could serve as a manifesto for the EDM movement: “If you wanna feel love / Just feel / Let’s unite / Come and touch the sky / Raise your hands and try to feel the light / All around the world, around the world / Let’s unite.”

Paul Oakenfold’s Web site lists a number of upcoming shows in the US, but I’m waiting anxiously for him to bring his sound back to Toronto. For info on shows and to buy tickets, GO HERE.

Don’t forget to check out Oakenfold’s weekly Planet Perfecto radio show and podcast HERE.

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.

Lana Del Rey – Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix): BUY IT ON BEATPORT

A great remix by French house DJ and producer Cedric Gervais. I absolutely adore Lana Del Rey‘s voice, and Gervais’ spin on “Summertime Sadness,” a standout track from her debut album, is absolutely awe-inspiring. If the original is all calm before the storm, this remix is the thunder and rain. And when the heavens open, what are we to do but DANCE IN THE RAIN. While I still love the original, Gervais’ remix brings a luminous new light to it. Baby you’re the best.

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.

King Britt – Now feat. Astrid Suryanto (Sharam’s Crazi Remix): BUY IT ON BEATPORT

OK, yeah. This track has a couple years on it. But I couldn’t help myself. It played on my iPod today and sent me into a trance right on the subway. And this remix by Sharam is as close to perfect as a remix can be. With Astrid Suryanto providing the entrancingly tranquil vocals, this track is, quite simply, a house masterpiece

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.

The Prodigy – Breathe (Zeds Dead Remix): BUY IT ON BEATPORT

The Prodigy are beyond legendary. From rhythms to vocals, their songs are instantly recognizable to just about anyone who knows and appreciates good music. So it took a certain audacity for Toronto’s Zeds Dead to approach the classic track ‘Breathe” and put their own dub spin on it. All too often, these attempts at re-working iconic tracks end in worse than failure: they ruin the original for the listener. Miraculously, Zeds Dead have pulled it off, ripping apart the original big-beat anthem and turning it into a mind-blowing, body-pumping dubstep monster.

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.

Autoerotique feat. Marissa Jack – Roll The Drums (Clockwork Remix): BUY IT ON BEATPORT

“OK ROLL THE DRUMS” … and boom! An orgy of sounds! I love love love this track by Toronto’s Autoerotique, and that goes double for this remix courtesy of Clockwork. The union of Marissa Jack‘s vocals and the blistering “Roll The Drum” rhythm absolutely blows me away. Her sweet, euphoric voice is such a perfectly harmonious compliment to the hard, grimy beat, I couldn’t help but press repeat several times.

If you like this, kids, you’ll want to check out Felix Cartal‘s remix of the same track. GET IT HERE.

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.

Burn The Disco feat. will.i.am (David Heartbreak Remix): BUY IT ON BEATPORT

Part of the so-called “second wave” of Chicago house, Felix da Housecat has been a major presence on the scene since the late 1980s. Definitely love the energy of this track: blending his musical touch with will.i.am‘s distinctive vocals brings a rush of pleasure to the senses. You’ve got to check out the mind-twisting video, too. I’m not gonna give any more away than that. Just watch!

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.

Posted by Gosia Mrugala

No introduction necessary. If you don’t know from CALVIN HARRIS, you’re not reading this blog. So let’s just dive in.

1. “Green Valley” – Well, that’s 1:49 of my life I’ll never get back. It’s interesting for the first 30 seconds, then continues without much change. Picture the soundtrack to a bad porn scene: not the most auspicious way to start an album.

2. “Bounce” – Here, Harris adds the soulful vocals of Kelis to a funky house track. I like this one, but can’t say I’m the biggest fan. Mostly, I suspect, because it’s been around for some time now and is simply overplayed.

3. “Feel So Close” – I absolutely fell in love with this track the first time I heard it, back at WEMF 2011. Definitely a successful prodution, and it’s no surprise that this became Harris’s first solo single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S.

While I’m still a fan of the original, I’ve gotta say: I am head-over-heels addicted to Nero‘s remix of this track. If you haven’t already heard it, you owe it to yourself to give a listen …

4. We Found Love – By now, I’ve heard this track once too often on the radio — and to be honest, I was never a fan. Just not my cup of tea, although I can see why it satisfies the ears of some EDM fans. The music video has earned quite a bit of criticism, and while it’s not the worst EDM video I’ve ever seen, you can’t exactly say it promotes positive lifestyle choices.

5. We’ll Be Coming Back – Don’t know what it is, but something about the vocals of English singer-rapper Example just appeals to my senses. This track starts nice and mellow, then kicks into a solid tempo. Definitely something you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home, but at the same time clearly built to rock dancefloors from Ibiza to Iceland.

6. Mansion -  VERY disappointed with Harris on this one. Cuz here’s a track that pulls me in within the first 10 seconds, and at 1:25 has me thinking of the rave scene from Blade … and then it ends just past the two-minutes mark. SERIOUSLY? This had the potential to be a nine-minute epic, but Harris decided to pull the plug and settle for a short, sweet banger. Why?

7. Iron – This track is infatuating — but the affair is short and sweet. At the end you get a nice buildup, and you’re waiting for a sick drop, and then … nothing. THUMBS DOWN to that. Over on Beatport you can buy the vastly superiour full five-minute version of “Iron.” Given the high expectations of his fans, I’m really not sure why Harris decided to put shortened versions of his tracks on this album. Not so nice!

8. I Need Your Love – Harris couldn’t have chosen a better vocalist than Ellie Goulding. Her voice works perfectly with his beats here. And yes, I did press repeat on this one.

9. Drinking From The Bottle – I’ll keep it short: not a fan of this one.

10. Sweet Nothing – I’ve always been a fan of Florence Welch, and her powerful voice works perfectly with Harris mellifluous style. This track has been one of Harris’ biggest successes, charting high just about everywhere from Ireland to New Zealand. Sweet — and definitely not nothing.

11. School – It’s got a soulful vibe and a funky, old-school feel to it. I’m a bit torn on this one: can’t say it’s a favourite, but there’s something to it, all right. Still, of all the short tracks on this album, it’s the only one I’m actually glad is short.

12. Here 2 China – Nope. Didn’t make it past the 20-second mark. Sorry, but no. Just doesn’t fit here.

13. Let’s Go – I remember watching the Euro 2012 tournament this past summer and being absolutely blown away by that Pepsi Max commercial. It was this track that made the spot such an attention-getter, and it more than stands on its own — though it’s Ne-Yo’s voice and the lyrics, more than the music itself, that make the whole thing so satisfying and impressive.

14. Awooga – Another impressive track, but again, too short. If you want to support Calvin Harris by purchasing his album, just know that you’ll be getting the truncated 3:51 version of this song. And maybe make a mental note that the full seven-minutes-plus version can be found over at Beatport for a more $1.49. Just sayin’. And let’s be honest: this track was meant to have some length to it. I’d put it along with “Mansion” and “Iron” as one of my favourites from the album.

15. Thinking About You – OK, the album may have started on a disappointing note, but I’d say it finishes admirably. I’m definitely “Thinking About” this album — though mostly what I’m thinking is that I have some seriously mixed feelings. Overall I’d rate it a success for Harris — but with some questionable odds and ends that make it less satisfying than it ought to be.

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.