This week, I’m really excited by the EP I found digging around on Stoney Roads. The pop vocal + indie bass pairing is something I’ve been going on about for months, and it seems with the Australian summer almost upon us, we’re about to get an earful of that sound. This 3pack by Allume & 3 Aussie producers, by the names of Valleys, Oscilla & Souda, makes for some fun, dance poppy listening. I really do hope this gets the attention of LA talent scouts, because this kind of vibe is totally necessary at bars, clubs & lounges all across the country. Plus I’d say this kind of sound has huge potential for marketing, cinema & television soundtracking.
Valleys mixes in some fun backing to the dance pop that Allume rolls through with, creating an almost indie feel that introduces the concept delightfully. Oscilla keeps the party going at a medium pace, keeping the vocal work and the beat almost restrained, letting the emotion ooze out from it in a masterful way. Control, ft. Souda, finishes out the trio of Allume pairings wonderfully, using a broken beat backing her melancholy vocals, given a vintage feel this time. It ends out the EP in an old school way, making me excited to hear more from everyone associated with this project. Definitely keep an eye on these producers coming in from the land down under. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
In anticipation of his upcoming massive event Dec. 12th at Slake, Menno de Jong & I had a brief conversation about my favorite topic: TRANCE!)
1. Is Trance back now in 2014? Did it ever leave? No, it never left. People’s idea of what is popular changes with time but Trance has been around for 2 solid decades now. It may fluctuate between 140, tech, uplifting, prog and psy but it’s been one of the more consistent genres if you think about it, largely due to the very loyal fanbase!
2. Do you regret not being a label boss anymore? Intuition had some amazing gems on it. It was a golden era and a pleasure to work with guys like Jonas Steur and Airbase. Although I don’t own a label anymore I’ve been helping Black Hole Recordings out with the A&R for In Trance We Trust, where I’ve recently started to release my own music. All I can say is watch that space, some amazing artists are bringing their music to the label!
Almost 1/2 of the world’s wealth is now owned by just 1% of the world’s population.
I know, not exactly the subject matter you were expecting on this Thursday morning, but Eclectic Method got about 18,000 people to send in videos of them making songs & dances. It seems that when you give this guy literally days worth of footage, he can make a beat using anything. Hand claps, kazoos, Simon Pegg (not kidding, he’s totally a core part of the backbeat I swear), and a whole lot of jolly good fun seem to be where this tune comes from. Eclectic Method is known for his bonkers mashups and this one is for a great cause. So give it a listen and learn more about Oxfam International & their fight against poverty worldwide.
While I’ve spoken about Kove a couple of times here on le blerg, this is the first time he’s hit my radar for house. This shift in gears for him is a stunning reminder that talent is talent, with DJs mixing it up more and more these days. This deeper, almost Chicago house offering is a fantastic re-imagining of the Zeds Dead track that’s not due out until Jan 2015. The track premiered on Annie Mac over the weekend, so I knew I needed to get it to you as quickly as possible. Kove shows that he can pull into a much groovier, funky end of the dance spectrum with this track. It’s all fun and games, especially with the pull back 90 seconds in. The build back into the groove goes without a hiccup and you’re shaking without realizing it once again soon after. Hit up the rest of Kove‘s work, especially if you’re a fan of that drum & bass sound like I am.
Truly a masterpiece of our time. Kidnap Kid‘s reworking of Submotion Orchestra is a triumph. The soothing beats melt into the soulful vocals, mixing together in an almost melancholy way. Submotion orchestra recognized the quality of this remix immediately, with MrSuicideSheep joining in to get the word out. I’ve been listening to this tune for weeks, and it always seems to lift my spirits, even though it may not be the most anthemic or euphoric of what’s out there these days. The Kid had a great night at Verboten a few weeks ago, and I’m hoping he comes back to NYC soon, as a talent like this needs recognition in Brooklyn. Put this track on and let the subtle vibes wash over you.
I don’t get to feature this genre of music very often, as it’s just so damn rare. Current Value is one of the artists that’s caught my attention really giving it a try. Trance & Bass, when done properly, brings together the chords & chromatic builds that you love trance for, at the 80/160 tempos that you love Drum & Bass for. When it’s done poorly, it’s utter garbage, but when a proper DJ gives it a try, backed by a decent label, magic can happen. We have that here in Current Value’s Exposure release. Pick this up on Beatport here. The rest of the offering may be a little intense for some, but I find the punchy, rambling beat that Current Value brings to Exposure, combined with the menacing bass, makes for a rowdy track good for any soccer riot pregame. Hit up Subsistenz as well if you’re into this sort of thing, and don’t forget your gas mask!
If you missed my Glitch Mob, Chrome Sparks & M Machine review, here’s a little taste of what the kids from Brooklyn that make up Chrome Sparks are capable of. This is off of a neat little EP they dropped called Goddess, onthe future classic label. The indietronica vibes are strong on this one, while they keep it delightfully ethereal. I think this kind of feeling will find a great home in a more cinematic setting, especially as film continues to incorporate Brooklyn sounds into (hopefully) the burgeoning Brooklyn film industry. 4min 20 sec in the vibe fattens out and provides some interesting synth that borders on psy without getting too crazy. A great little tune start to finish, and makes me even more excited for them to get back to doing shows along the L line.
(This is a repost of a review that I did for ElectronicNightLife.com, so head over there and show them some love in thanks for getting me into crazy parties.)Saturday night at the Manhattan Center (or Hammerstein Ballroom for all of us oldsters) was one of the best dance music events I’ve attended in almost a decade of partying. The evening started out with a stunning set by Chrome Sparks. While I’ve been a fan of the group for a while, I had no idea what they sounded like live. Their live show was a tremendous fusion of indie feels, signature synths, live percussion & a rocking vibe. The Glitch Mob fans who got there early were treated to a delightful performance that I hope resulted in hundreds of new followers for them. They totally deserve it, and just in case you want to know what they sound like, check out this cat video featuring their track “Marijuana.” When it dropped live, the crowd was massively into it.
The venue was perfect for this show, with the floor filled by the time Chrome Sparks finished up. For a mid-tier venue to be totally filled more than an hour before the headliner starts requires a special talent and that’s what The Glitch Mob was providing. The M Machine took the stage after a couple of minutes of tech and completely blew away the unsuspecting crowd. I’d not heard them live before either, but now they’re a must-attend if I end up at festivals they’re performing at or if they return to NYC.
Their set was a potent argument for their rise to Headliner status. The crowd was with them every step of the way, as they blended big room, deep house, banging electro and a couple of fun surprises with ease. Even when their system crashed mid-drop, the crowd accepted their apology, with no one moving from the dance floor. They kicked back into their set a minute or two, finishing out strong with some huge bangers that had the crowd “massively stoked” for Glitch Mob. That’s in quotes because I actually heard an attendee say that to his friend as they walked by.
This was their first show in NYC since 2012, and Gothamites were hung out to dry when Glitch rolled through on their Love Death earlier this year. If you were at the Terminal 5 show you know how special this group is and the quality of the shows they can put on. The big fans (i.e. Me) went down to the show they did at Electric Factory in Philadelphia to see them, so I had a good idea of what to expect. Or so I thought.
Their set was, in a word, legendary. This was a completely different set than the one I’d seen only a few months ago, and whoever convinced them to change it up needs to be given the highest of fives. The set started out with an assortment of everyone’s favorite tracks off of Drink The Sea, their debut album. The crowd surged as the Blade launched the percussive onslaught that is The Glitch Mob live. Their massive drums, controllers & synth systems were on full view to the audience, so anyone who wants to have the “press play” argument won’t find any supporters here. Boretta, Ooah & ediT had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands, as their electic fusion of rock, breakbeat, hip hop & bass music flooded the ballroom. Their Derezzed remix from the Tron movie Daft Punk score had the floor rocking out in ways I’ve not seen since I saw Rammstein at that venue in high school.
Pulling tracks from We Can Make The World Stop, the trio started filtering into their more recent work, which, was a potent choice. While the Love Death Immortality tour started with Mind Of A Beast & Our Demons, the new album’s tracks hit the crowd about halfway into the set, pushing the energy higher and higher. Becoming Harmonious & the rest of the Love Death Immortality album were celebrated by the crowd, as they’d been waiting to hear these tracks since the album came out. They even surprised the dance floor with their Tupac remix. Hearing their massive “California” rework live was fantastic, but not the thing I was looking most forward to.
They played their Prodigy – Breathe remix. I’ve been waiting to hear this live since The Prodigy released their expanded 15th Anniversary edition of Fat of the Land (their seminal late 90’s album). They didn’t play it in Philadelphia, which was my only regret at that show. However, here in NYC, the track killed. The crowd loved every second and the dance floor exploded some more. This & their Seven Nation Army remix showed they knew what the crowd wanted to hear, and boy did they deliver. The mandatory multi-song encore was more of exactly what we wanted and a well deserved victory lap for the trio. They’ve come a long way since their Drink The Sea mixtapes, and I’ve been so happy to see them become the super group we all knew they would be.
This was one for the record books folks, and if you missed it, you have my deepest condolences. This show was dope and I can’t wait to see what the three have up their sleeves next. (Photos by Dylan Smith)
This is a picture of the Beatles in Aldershot, England, in 1961. There were 18 people in the crowd. 18. In case you don’t believe me, there’s a picture below to provide further context. That’s right ladies & gentlemen. This is pre-Ringo, pre-Sullivan, pre-everything. Everyone, even the best, start somewhere. Roll up your sleeves and get to work. It’s a new week, what plans do you have for making your life/art better?
Someone get this kid a fire extinguisher, because he’s going to ignite any minute. Annie Mac dropped a track of his & thankfully, ANDY C reposted it. This is a fantastic, truly massive sound coming out of Culture Shock, and I attached not one, but two of his remixes from his Soundcloud below. If you’re into Drum & Bass, especially the stuff coming out of Netsky, ANDY C, Metrik & what Mistajam dropped on his show, you really need to put this into your face. This is the kind of drum & bass that scares people in the suburbs if it wants to, but can be smooth as silk when it needs to. Every time this kind of stuff makes it over to Gotham, I bust ass to see it, and you should too. Check out the other tracks below and show some love.
Saturday night at the Manhattan Center (or Hammerstein Ballroom for all of us oldsters) was one of the best dance music events I’ve attended in almost a decade of partying. The evening started out with a stunning set by 
Terry Gotham 