Damn. 10+ hours of music, dedicated to the festival that’s happening again here in the good old USA in just over 50 days. If you want to know what the kids are listening to, or if you just have hours and hours to kill with some of the biggest tracks of the season, White Raver Rafting has got you covered. I don’t even know where to start when it comes to these tunes, but with hits from Avicii, Bassnectar, Garrix, Diplo, Zedd, Tiesto, Datsik, A-Trak, Richie Hawtin, Nervo, Ferry Corsten IN JUST THE FIRST HOUR ALONE, I think you know where this is going. Tons of music, to put into your face during your August cookouts and basement DJ sessions.
Category Archives: Of
Earworm Of The Month: A$AP Rocky – Ghetto Symphony (GANZ Flip) [Chill Trap / Bass]
I’ve been grooving on hit for a while now. It got a lot of attention when it dropped back in May, but I was a little late to the game. However, I’ve been putting it in my face ever since, and my July has been a little more massive & symphonic because of it. I want to emphasize that this Chill Bass vibe that I’ve been getting into is kicking off, but not in places local here to the USA outside of a few spotted club nights and Diplo shows. Most stateside trap is still this goofy banger shit (Yes, of course, except Minnesota & Koan Sound of course), while there’s work to be done exploring irregular but massive beats. This reworking of A$AP Rocky is a perfect example of what can be done while heads are still toying with playing the same chord 14 times in a row. I think we’re going to see a shift to this perhaps in the fall or spring of next year, but we shall see. I’d love for this stuff to get big.
Mix Of The Weekend: Cashmere Cat’s PS1 Warm-Up Mix
Today, I’m heading over to MoMA PS1 to watch Cashmere Cat, Goldlink & friends turn the art museum’s backyard into one of LIC’s famous day parties. This Warm Up series, done all summer, really gets the hipsters out. The last time I was at one of these things, there was a guy wearing a disco ball around his neck. I know that’s a little different than your image of tight jeans and annoyed PBR drinking, but the Warm Up events tend to be well attended, polite affairs, with affable attendees ambling around. The mix is freaking wonderful. Dotted with mandatory tunes from Jhene Aiko, Jam City, Kid Antoine, Trippy Turtle, Cam’ron & Lido, this is some future bass that you need in your world. Put it on at the beach, at the office, or just throw it into your headphones as you enjoy the weekend.
Bonus Mix For The Summer Weekend: Nutritious At Cielo!
Coming at you to wind down the weekend, Nutritious brings in some of the deeper, rounder, groovier elements of the dance music spectrum for this delightful mix at his return to Cielo. The last time we saw our hero there, he delighted & blissed out the crowd. I assume this time was more of the same. From the sound of it, I’m not sure how it could be anything but. Wind down with this fun mix and make sure to show Nutritious & SpinSpinNYC some love.
Mix Of The Weekend: The Music Maker – 1992 Rave (From Tommie Sunshine)
Listen up kids, Tommie Sunshine did us all a favor with this mix. He didn’t have to drop something from 19freaking92 on us. This is a gem of a mix, that I assume everyone at this party thought was lost. To put this in perspective, I was in elementary school when this party happened, which is funny, since this party apparently took place in an elementary school basement. When people use the word “Rave” this is what one of those sounded like. Take some time and put the 90 minutes into your face when you’re pregaming this weekend. This was only 7 years after MDMA was made illegal. This mix is required listening for anyone who wants to know how we got to where we are today. Without some of the admittedly goofy sounding tracks, progressive, big room, dubstep, trap and everything else y’all hold dear would’ve never happened. Hit up Tommie Sunshine, he’ll learn you.
Party Of The Month: Renegade Space Prom by Reformata
(UPDATE: The Kickstarter for the ICARUS art car is now live! Even if you can’t the party, you can still give to make sure a ridiculously awesome vehicle ends up playaside this summer!)
I took a break promoting events here because I wanted to make sure the focus was on music and dance culture related lolz, as opposed it looking like someone’s comping me every month. However, this month, there’s something very special happening and I can happily report most of my favorite people are going to be there. A retro futurist theme, Space Prom looks to be a costumed extravaganza that only NYC Burners can pull off. The King & Queen of the Renegade Space Prom will look to be galactic-levels of fabulous. Make sure to bust out your finest Summer threads for this Icarus fundraiser. It seems some friends of mine behind Icarus straight up want to create an ADC, or an Armored DJ Carrier. This looks somewhat bonkers when it comes to art car designs, and that’s saying a lot for the artistic space, considering what people have put out onto the Playa.
The tunes are going to be second to none, and really, something that should be totally expected at every party you attend. There is a giant pile of talent at this thing that you’re going to adore. So, here’s a pile of music you can use this week to get you hyped for Saturday.
Soul Mob has this minimized, relaxed vibe that still throbs with energy. I’m not really sure how this works, but I was definitely up late jamming on this mix earlier this week. It’s deceptively groovy. I’ve got a set by Coyoti from somewhere in the Middle East if I’m not mistaken. If you like deep house with a global flavor to it, there’s a lot for you to enjoy here, as I’ve mentioned before.
Mix Of The Weekend – An Endless Horizon via Chill Sessions HD
Quick drop for your Sunday. Some chillness for you from a new Soundcloud follow of mine. Chill Sessions HD focuses exclusively on the lighter, turned down side of things. Dotting a mix with tunes from Jacoo, Enigma Dubz & Coma, plus many others I’d not caught, the hour rounds out in a gorgeously chill way. Check em out if you’re into it & enjoy the Sunday!
EP Of The Week: MitiS – Touch
The Opening Part 2 kicks, with some serious high energy grooves. The scintillating production values of MitiS shine once again, with this bloopy anthemic tune to open his EP. The Original Mix tease means there’s remixes on the way, which makes me warm & fuzzy inside. Touch gets at the real signature sound that MitiS brings to the fore. There’s this triumphant synth work that picks you up and never lets you down. The tune is infectious and deceptively dubby. The vocal mix, featuring Shana J. Munson adds another excellent layer to the massive tune. It picks the energy up and combines it with some fantastic lyrical work. This is some festival ish right here. I’d mistake it for a tune off of A State of Trance if I didn’t know better.
Namaste, Alvida is a translation of Hello, Goodbye in Hindi, also the title of a particularly complex and delightful tune on the EP. The massive dubstep combined with the chilled out elements that MitiS is at most home with work splendidly. There’s a bit of a Drum & Bass feel in the second half of the tune that’s wonderful. Life is a slower, more massive tune that, much like life, you don’t start to appreciate until you’re about 30-40% of the way through it. Drearily euphoric, with amassive front end and a build that blew me away. The breakdown reminds me of some of the most victorious guitar work I’ve ever heard. Forget the Wyld Stallions, MitiS will bring peace in our time. Breezes rounds out the EP with a rambling, drum & bass tune that pulls everything together nicely. I’d love to see an acoustic version of this, because I bet it’s a blast on the piano. Hit up the EP below and show the dude some love. Trust me, he’s one of the great ones, you’ll see if you don’t yet.
Mix of The Weekend: Kaskade’s EDC Las Vegas Live Set [American As Apple Pie!]
In case you weren’t one of the millions of unlucky people like myself who didn’t make it out to the Electric Sky for EDCLV, Kaskade once again comes to the rescue to round out your weekend. He dropped his hour long set at the Kinetic Cathedral, the largest stage ever constructed in the USA. Because Rotella said so. Good on you Kaskade for continuing to make this all happen and putting it out to the people. Can’t wait to see this music portal. (via EDMTunes, they’ve got the tracklist too, in case you’re as impressed as I am.)
Mix Of The Weekend: Dreamstep by Jaya Prime
This week, we’re moving into the bassy space, with a gorgeous mix from years ago by Jaya Prime. Just in case you’ve never gotten into this, you need to put it into your face. Dotted with samples from Inception, the mix is ethereal, heavy & at times pounding when it comes to the blend of dubstep, future garage & metal. Any mix that has Burial, Sarah McLachlan remixes & Bassnectar is one you need to hear. Get into the heavy and enjoy.
Terry Gotham 