Posted by Gosia Mrugala

bpm:tv blogger Gosia Mrugala gets two for the price of one when she connects with Matt and Chris Stafford, a.k.a. THE STAFFORD BROTHERS. Not only are the Staffords Australia’s number one DJ duo — they’re also the stars of their own hit reality series, The Stafford Brothers airing right here on bpm:tv. CLICK HERE for info and airtimes.

EDM fans in Toronto can catch Matt and Chris live at The Guvernment, along with headliners Eric Prydz and Sander van Doorn, on Sunday February 17. CLICK HERE for details!

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

STAFFORD BROTHERS: Touring Australia for the summer. We’ve done 40 shows in 60 days here in Australia, which has been crazy. Then we’re back in LA on Monday to film our new video clip with Lil Wayne and Christina Milian.

GOSIA: So what’s it like working as a sibling duo? What are the pros and cons?

CHRIS: Pros – I always find two is better than one. Traveling with someone makes it more fun and I think it would be quite lonely by yourself on the road. Cons – We have to split the money!

MATT: It’s great because you know you have each other’s back. The pros are we know when to step back and not annoy each other, as we’re both trying for the same goal.

GOSIA: What is the best advice you’ve ever received — and who did you get it from?

CHRIS: I think it would be that our parents instilled the thought when we were young that you should never give up and always have a go.

MATT: “Green light,” from our father. He basically means go for it, have a go. We’re always having a go! I guess it would also be “Believe in yourself.” Our family are extremely supportive of us, which is great.

GOSIA: You guys have really built a strong following on the EDM scene. How would you describe the journey you’ve taken to get to this point in your career?

STAFFORD BROTHERS: It’s definitely been a long journey. We started playing every gig we could, self-funding lots of tours and “having a go.” The journey has been really fun, though, and we wouldn’t change it! It’s definitely a crazy/fun lifestyle, and something we want to continue to do for years.

GOSIA: What’s the biggest kind of “Oh shit” moment you’ve experienced during a set?

STAFFORD BROTHERS: With the new Pioneer CD players, they can be linked by a cable. So if the cable is pulled out, the music that’s not on that CD player can cut out. You can expect people to starting booing — that’s a nice “Oh shit” moment.

GOSIA: Can you tell me how your  360 Agency got started? How it is trying to balance producing, DJing and running an artist management agency?

STAFFORD BROTHERS: We were managing our own careers and bookings, and then started to do it for some others. Slowly that began to need more staff, and then another agency wanted to join forces. That’s what made 360 happen. We have a great team there, and that makes it easier for us to focus on the DJing, touring and performing.

GOSIA: What are the pros and cons of having your own reality TV show?

STAFFORD BROTHERS: There are so many pros, but it’s mostly the awareness of the Stafford Brothers that TV makes happen. Of course, this could also be seen as a con! But we love having the show, and it’s definitely an amazing thing for us.

GOSIA: Your top 3 tracks at the moment?

STAFFORD BROTHERS: 1) Stafford Brothers feat. Lil Wayne & Christian Milian – Hello  |  2) Swedish House Mafia – Don’t You Worry Child vs EMP (Stafford Brothers Bootleg)  |  3) Stafford Brothers – Pressure

GOSIA: Back in December, 93 people were arrested during a drug sweep at the Stereosonic festival in Melbourne. What kind of impact do you think drugs have on the music scene and on you as an artist — and what kind of message would you send out to your fans about drugs?

STAFFORD BROTHERS: Drugs are in all parts of life — from the music world to elite athletes and all the way to the other end of the scale. Staying away from drugs is the smarter move if you want a long and healthy lifestyle — although Keith Richards might disagree.

GOSIA: How do you feel social media outlets have influenced the EDM scene?

STAFFORD BROTHERS: MASSIVELY! Social media is the way that music is being pushed and seen. It’s also a way for fans to get to know their favourite artists, and join the journey they are taking.

GOSIA: You employ multiple companies to work in separate areas of your business. Why do you guys choose to have different handlers for different aspects of your career instead of one head honcho to take care of everything?

STAFFORD BROTHERS: It’s about getting the best person for the job. At the end of the day we oversee what’s happening, but we have particular people who are specialists in their fields to fulfill those different roles. Good at artwork? You do art. Good at PR? You do PR. I would say we are the “head honcho” who takes care of the delegating, but one person alone couldn’t do everything that is required.

GOSIA: Where do you see yourself in five years?

STAFFORD BROTHERS: Hopefully at the top of the DJ/production world. We’re now living in L.A., which has been a big change for us — but one we are loving. We hope to be more successful, but definitely still working hard and enjoying ourselves in the industry. At the top.

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

Made plans yet for New Year’s? Why not spend it with bpm:tv?

To celebrate a watershed year for EDM in North America, we’ve lined up a series of specials showcasing the most exciting and important sounds of 2012. We’re gonna be the New Year’s destination for anyone who wants to hear the biggest hits and relive the most memorable moments of the year that was.

Here’s what’s in store:

>THE HOT 20 OF 2012
Airs: New Year’s Eve from 4 pm to 10 pm ET | New Year’s Day from 10 am to 4 pm, repeats starting 12 Midnight ET
bpm:tv’s Hot 20 Dance Chart is the definitive weekly guide to the dance tracks rocking clubs around the world. This two-part special recaps the best of the year’s best: the monster hits that scaled the upper reaches of the Hot 20 in 2012, from David Guetta’s anthemic “Titanium,” to PSY’s inescapable “Gangnam Style,” to Swedish House Mafia’s swan song “Don’t You Worry Child.”

>NEW YEAR’S DANCE PARTY 2012
Airs: New Year’s Eve from 10 pm to 1 am ET, repeats from 1 am to 4 am ET
bpm:tv bids farewell to 2012 with a three-hour commercial-free dance mix featuring the year’s biggest club hits, plus a sprinkling of last year’s smashes, and all-time classics from the likes of Daft Punk and Kool & The Gang.

>THE TOP 100 DJs of 2012
Airs: New Year’s Day from 4 pm to Midnight ET
This four-part special reviews the results of this year’s Top 100 DJs poll, the authoritative global ranking of electronic dance music’s most popular and successful artists, and highlights career-defining tracks by every major performer on the list, from Avicii to Zedd.

Don’t forget that bpm:tv is in free preview right now on Videotron and Eastlink, so if you’re a customer of either service, you can tune in to catch bpm:tv free of charge throughout the holidays. You’ll find us at channel 166 on Videotron, and channel 177 on Eastlink.

Happy holidays!

Join the Coco’s family, friends, staff, beach goers and frenemies for LIVE FROM COCO’S GRAND BEND, a Canada Day broadcast featuring the stars of the bpm:tv series GRAND BENDERS — and owners of Coco’s Grand Bend — Mickey, Nancy and Justin Rapaport.

The one-hour event will be hosted by Jorie Brown of bpm:tv’s Back @ Ya! and simulcast live online at bpmtv.com. HERE’S THE LINK.

Start time is 1 p.m. sharp, Sunday, July 1 at Coco’s, 62 Main Street, Grand Bend. The public is welcome to attend.

LIVE FROM COCO’S GRAND BEND promises to be a lively our of interviews, stunts and all the other things that make Coco’s … well … Coco’s.

The run-down includes live interviews with the stars of GRAND BENDERS, bunny tricks with Coco’s mascot Princess Coco, accordion playing, a mixology lesson, and a rummage through 25 years of Coco’s best “lost and found” items.

Immediately after the live broadcast, bpm:tv will stream GRAND BENDERS Episode One, “Chaos.”

LIVE FROM COCO’S GRAND BEND celebrates the 25th anniversary of Coco’s, a one-of-a-kind hotel, nightclub, restaurant and bar located on “the strip” in Grand Bend. Purchased in 1987 by Mickey and Nancy Rapaport, the family-run business is a hot-spot destination for young people and families alike seeking an escape from the city.

Over the years, Coco’s has also been a training ground for hundreds of local kids who live the Coco’s “work hard, play hard” ethic while undergoing a unique beach town boot camp, involving sleep deprivation, caffeine and cigarettes, liquor, love stories, misbehaving, and lifelong friendships.

During the live broadcast, online viewers can submit questions to the GRAND BENDERS cast using Twitter and #grandbenders or by posting a message to the GRAND BENDERS Facebook page.

LIVE FROM COCO’S GRAND BEND is produced by MDF Productions and Eventstream.

Happy June! The warm weather’s here, and that means one thing: festival season. Hope you can get out to at least one of the summer’s big fests — but if not, just remember that bpm:tv is always here, 24-7, to fill all your dance music needs.

Oh, and here’s some good news. If you’re an MTS customer, you can enjoy bpm:tv in free preview until June 30. That’s a whole month of Grand Benders, the Hot 20 Dance Chart, Back @ Ya!, Pop Profiles, The Stafford Brothers and more, all free free free of charge.

During the free preview, you can find us on channel 30. Our regular channel listing is 312, and we’re part of the Music theme pack. Go to MTS.ca or phone 204-225-5687 (204-CALLMTS) to subscribe.

Don’t forget to visit bpmtv.com or our Facebook page for programming highlights and other updates.

Check out our new gallery of exclusive images from the GRAND BENDERS Meet The Cast Party at Cobra London on Friday May 4. All photos by Michael Middy.

Don’t forget to catch GRAND BENDERS on bpm:tv every Tuesday, starting tonight, at 9 pm ET/PT. Repeats Saturdays at 7 pm ET/PT

CLICK HERE to view the photo gallery.

Hola to all of bpm Nation’s friends in the London, Ontario area! You’re invited to a special live event this coming Friday night to meet the cast of bpm:tv’s new series

WHERE: COBRA LONDON | 359 Talbot Street, London ON

WHEN: Friday May 4, 2012

The festivities start at 10 pm and continue until closing. Want to get in free? All you’ve got to do is arrive between 10 pm and 11 pm, say “I’m on the GRAND BENDERS guest list” when you get to the door. Simple, no.

GRAND BENDERS guest star DJ Amy Elizabeth will be on the decks. Check out her FACEBOOK PAGE.

Don’t forget: The GRAND BENDERS world television premiere on bpm:tv is just eight days away. The original five-part docu-soap series airs Tuesdays, starting May 8, at 9 pm ET/PT, and will repeat Saturdays at 7 pm ET/PT.

See you this Friday!

It’s April With Attitude on Canada’s only dance station!

bpm:tv wants to rock your world this month. Go to the EVENT PAGE on Facebook and enter for your chance to win a shiny new iPhone 4S (voice and data plan NOT included) or one of 10 bpm:tv prize packs. Contest closes Monday April 30.

SPRING STARTS HERE, ON bpm:tv … DANCE WITH ATTITUDE!

…and you could win an iPod nano!

Our fans don’t follow the trends – they set them. That’s why we want to hear from you: your ideas will help us take bpm:tv to the next level.

Just CLICK HERE, fill out the online questionnaire, and enter for your chance to win a brand new iPod nano.

Be bold. Be loud. Be heard!

Draw closes Monday April 30. See the contest Terms & Conditions HERE.

So here’s some good news: if you’re a Bell TV or TELUS TV customer, you can enjoy bpm:tv free of charge from April 1 to 30. We’re in free preview with both providers all month long. It’s the perfect opportunity to sample our full lineup: the best new and classic videos, live sets by leading acts, artist profiles, fashion and a whole bunch more.

We’re channel number 579 on Bell TV — part of the Movies And More theme pack. Go to Bell.ca or call Bell TV at 1 888 759-3474 to subscribe.

We’re channel number 579 as well on TELUS Satellite TV, where we’re found in the Family 2 theme pack. And we’re channel 251 on TELUS’s Optik TV service — part of the Music theme pack. Go to TELUS.com or call 310-MYTV (6988) to subscribe.

Visit bpmtv.com regularly for programming highlights!

Here’s a quick rundown of the holiday specials we’ve got lined up for you through New Year’s Day. Enjoy!

DJ MARKY D’S CHRISTMAS DANCE PARTY
Dec. 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 @ 10 pm ET/PT
Just what you want to find under the tree: DJ Marky D wraps up three solid hours of the hottest club grooves for all the good little boys and girls, and puts a pretty bow on it. Visions of sugarplums won’t be the only things dancing.

BACK @ YA! MARATHON
Dec. 24: 9 am to 5 pm ET | Dec. 25: 8 am to 8 pm ET | Dec. 26:  10 am to 4 pm ET
Jorie Brown wants to spend her Christmas with you! Curl up in your favourite Forever Lazy with a cup of eggnog (and whatever you put in it), while the effervescent host of Canada’s only all-request dance hour plays the music you want to hear, from old-school grooves to big-room bangers.

BEST & WORST OF 2011
Dec. 24 & 26: 5 pm ET | Jan. 1: 5 pm & 7 pm ET
What was the sexiest dance music video of 2011? Which song had the worst lyrics? Who was the best dressed artist? The most overrated? (Could they be one and the same?) Join bpm:tv on a two-hour trip down short-term memory lane, as we walk you through the highest highs and lowest lows of the year that was in electronic music.

TOP 100 DJs OF 2011
Dec. 28: 3 pm to 7 pm ET | Dec. 31: 1 pm & 5 pm ET
From Above & Beyond (#5) to Pete Tha Zouk (#37), Bloody Beetroots (#86) to Laidback Luke (#20), we pay tribute to this year’s finishers in the definitive DJ Mag Top 100. It’s an honour just to be nominated — but it’s better to win.

XTENDAMIX MARATHON
Dec. 31: 10 pm to 4 am ET
No need to fuss over that playlist: we’ve got your definitive New Year’s Eve soundtrack right here: six nonstop hours of the year’s hottest dance tracks — killer beats to keep you dancing long after the champagne’s been drunk and the balloons all popped. Hello 2012!

Don’t forget: bpm:tv is available to all Rogers digital customers in free preview until Wednesday, Jan. 4. You can find us on channel 708. Have a safe and happy holiday, everyone!