This delightful re-imagining of Fred V & Grafix’s Major Happy from 2012 could be a master class on how to construct a remix. The rambling beat collects a number of the elements from the original song, and adds them all back in new ways, such that the track can hardly even be called drum & bass anymore. As it shifts into the realm of almost IDM or glitch, there’s a classical or symphonic feel that sticks with you as the violin strings pluck away under the gurgling beat. Just as quickly as it appears, it’s gone, and it leaves me wondering when I get more from this Mr. Robinson kid. Time to start keeping tabs on this one.
Attend: Open Up 100 – Astrix & Simon Patterson At Slake!
(I’m going to be covering this for ElectronicNightLife later this month, and if you’re interested in the harder end of the dance music space that doesn’t involve diplo, you’re in luck. This is going to be an astonishing night of trance, with a focus on hard & psy-infused variants I’d wager. This is going to be a big one, so don’t miss it,)
If you’re not at OpenUp100 on January 31st, you’re going to be missing something very special. Simon Patterson, the trance genius he is, realized what NYC hasn’t had since New Years Eve last year. Astrix hasn’t been back since his legendary performance with Infected Mushroom at Best Buy Theater. Boy have we missed him. The Israeli psytrance guru has been knocking clubs & parties around here on the East Coast for over a decade (as my ticket to his performance at Nation in DC back in 2004 reminds me). He’ll be bringing his signature brand of hard trance & psy-trance to the stage of Slake, the increasingly crucial venue for people who can’t tolerate big rooms here in NYC. Here’s one of his better progressive & psy mixes to sink your teeth into.
It’s hard to introduce Simon Patterson properly. When you’ve had 17 straight Beatport #1 releases, explaining how dope your sound is can get kind of tiring. Open Up has become one of the most listened to DJ podcasts, especially in the trance & psytrance arenas. This guy is going to do some amazing work on the 31st, I have no doubt in my mind. As a vintage (read: old) fan of this tempo, space & genre of music, I’m gonna be raging hard all night. If you can’t figure out why, check out his mixes here:
Get tickets here and I’ll see you guys there. This is definitely going to be one for the record books. Psy is so hard to come by in NYC & if you’re into the genre but haven’t heard either of these headliners play live, you owe it to yourself to check this out. Just in case you don’t believe me that this is a match made in heaven, check out a collab between Simon & Astrix. It is some potent psytrance, and that’s what I know we’re going to be served up all night at Slake. Esscala has been killing it with these bookings lately, and this event is going to ensure they start 2015 with a bang.
Midnight Music: NuTone – Tides (ft. Lea Lea) [Liquid Drum & Bass]
NuTone does all the right things when it comes to soothing drum & bass. I’ve spoken about him before, but this is a special track that I thought deserved additional words. From his Future History album, the fast bassline melts behind some soulful vocals, resulting in some good music for tea sipping. I’m serious, go pour yourself a cuppa, then imagine sipping it while watching the afternoon rain in Brixton or riding the Underground in January. And, if you’re currently in the UK and able to do that, leave a comment and let us know how it feels.
What Lies Beneath: The CityFox Experience Rings In 2015 Like No Other.
I had been hearing murmurings about The CityFox Experience, an event series from a team based out of NYC & Zurich, for months now. After stories about their now infamous temporary club concept events over the last year have been murmured across the Gotham Underground, I decided it was time to see what these cats were up to. Boy, was I impressed.
The CityFox Experience seems to be an experiment in generating high quality events in places you wouldn’t expect them. This harkens back to the pop-up party concept of years long past, especially in the era of bottle-service, mega clubs and festivals making the one-off “night of dope shit” almost impossible to come by these days. So, my companion & I decided to take a chance and found ourselves on the water outside of an enormous building with surprisingly ample parking & good traffic management. Just one of the details attended to with finesse.
Midnight Music: Royalston – Kronos [Massive Drum & Bass]
I don’t know how I missed this. London Elektricity turned me onto this track on his XmasCast so, I’m going to bring you the best bits over the coming week. This one is on the heavier end of D&B, but there’s a smoothness to the vibe while still being an exquisite & driving production. The build into the punchy, vintage sound works flawlessly, and you find yourself solidly in the realm of the camouflage pants & hoodie wearing bassheads. With a dreamy interlude and an even more impressive build, we only get a taste of the 2nd drop before the tune taps out. This is definitely one of the best D&B tunes of 2014 and Royalston, from down under, is not be watched. All they need is a dope remix or a slot at a Hospital Records show, and you’ll be hearing about them. I guarantee it. This Hospital/Med School Records group is going to get in your face soon.
Mix Of The Weekend: Slow Magic’s Best Of 2014 [Future Bass/Chicago Footwork]
This is a good one y’all, but it may be a bit too future for some of you. I promised I’d spend 2015 finding even less retail & more underground music than I have in the last year or so, so this is me taking a big chomp out of the new year. Slow Magic has been on that massive yet chilled tip for a while now, with his year end mix not disappointing. Dope shit from Yung Lean & Yung Gud, an almost baroque bass tune from Photay and some amazing work by Tielsie. This French footwork artist is blowing my spot up and I’ll be yammering about them later in the week. The mix finishes out with a premiere of a new DJ Clap remix, with the whole thing being a Free Download. So seriously, what else do you want to kick your January in the right direction?
Tracklist:
Slow Magic – Closer (Eest Coast Remix)
Lockah – Platinum Blonde
Photay – No Sass
Doja Cat – So High (Kodak To Graph Remix)
Yung Lean – Yoshi City
Yung Gud – My Guns
Moon Bounce – Shake
Tielsie – Hueboy / Pallette
Daktyl – Stay
Flying Lotus – Flotus
Spooky Black – Without U
Slow Magic – Girls (DJ Clap Remix) Premiere *
#FestFriday – Set Sail with some #ShipTips!
In case you missed it, here’s the #shiptips that we discussed on Twitter today.
Welcome to 2015! I hope you all danced your way into it in stunning fashion! For the first #FestFriday of 2015, we worked with some quadrouple OG ShipFam members to help you set sail for the first weekend of Holy Ship as prepared as possible! Missed it on twitter? Check out some of the tips below, and browse the hashtag on twitter: #ShipTips. Sail safely! xo
Need anything on the ship? Here are the @NYDanceSafe volunteers that will be onboard and have supplies for you:
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I Feel Sin City. A Night Of Taut, Deep & Sexy NSFW House.
After a month off, my companion & I hugged the door lady, a delightful lightworker & old friend of mine. The bass leaked through the space as we exchanged coats for drinks, taking it all in. I FEEL has come into its own, as my previous notes on them reflect, and it was nice to see the space/community & execution becoming mature so much that it’s commonplace and the people running the show are smiling, enjoying themselves and mingling with their attendees. Everyone knew what they were there for and they were getting it in spades. Sexy, sexy spades.
This was the month where the I FEEL community really cut loose. The theme ensured a dance floor filled with leather, lace, masks, tight pants, tighter corsets & an entire wardrobe of inappropriate clothing. This would’ve made for a delightful event in and of itself, but then the music. Oh my stars, the wonderful music. After consuming our drinks, making the rounds and being only slightly disappointed the X-frame & the St. Andrew’s Cross weren’t getting active use (hey, those parties are out there, don’t judge), we nestled into the dance floor with our people. The musicvibe swirled around as Holosound‘s set crescendo’d. Holosound had been building the energy ever so subtly since we arrived and the dance floor was so excited to see where the night headed. Especially the last half of his set seemed to be one huge song, and 55min in, the serotonin was hard to refuse, as we all lifted with him.
Midnight Music: Netsky vs Metrik – Can’t Speak ft Stealth [Drum & Bass]
I do love when dope producers collaborate. In true grand fashion, two of my favorite Drum & Bass producers from 2014, Netsky & Metrik join up with vocalist Stealth to re-work one of his tracks in an excellent, chilled out kind of way. It’s still fast & furious, but there’s a relaxed vibe that makes me wonder when Netsky or Hospital Records is going to work with Example. This might be seen as a little softer and more commercially friendly than some of Netsky’s earlier work, but there’s a lot to like about it and I think it’s important to give people something soothing. Relax with this tonight, only a couple of days left in the year.
Attend: Verboten & DiSORIENT Drop The New Year’s Afterparty
Instead of being like every other website and giving a scroll-fest/listicle about the clusterfuck that is New Year’s Eve, I’m only going to make one recommendation about what you should be doing on January 1st so get Tickets here. And it only applies if you’re still standing the next day. Verboten, the Great Bulwark Against EDM in Brooklyn is continuing the insanity from their New Year’s Eve event with some further quality. The all day drinking & brunch will be soundtracked by maestros Damian Lazarus, Hector & a posse of support. This party is going until 10 PM January 1st, so even if you sleep all New Year’s Eve, you’ll be rested for this, which isn’t the worst idea. Our friends at Talon&Claw will also be showcasing their finest, but a NYD whiteowljaguar set isn’t even the best part. They’re going to be closing out the main room (!!) but wait, there’s more! DiSORIENT, the premier Burning Man camp here in Gotham, is taking over their second room.
This sets a very interesting precedent, one I hope will be copied all over the place. The idea that a burner camp/crowd will control a space inside of a permitted/retail venue is something that’s only happened a couple of times. The couple of times, are always the stuff of legend. Most L-train venues have to stay focused on making rent, generating revenue through door & bar and keeping the cops, community boards and people who moved to Brooklyn expecting quiet off their backs. This means that it’s hard to really cater to the high-art crowd that Burning Man draws. Which shifts crowd demographics ever so slightly. A small difference, but to some people that’s all that matters. This alliance will ensure that there are wacky people in Pornj costumes and a crazy side room, as opposed to just residents, vendors and a more relaxed bar. Additionally, they’re bringing their own squizzad of DJs, so you can be assured DiSORIENT’s singular take on “house + something else” issues forth all day, so really, Tickets here. Speaking of which, how dope is the music in both rooms? Check this stuff out, and know that there are half a dozen DJs I’m not even mentioning, because, you need to get there to hear it all:
Terry Gotham 