Diplo has been using his nightly live streams to preview new music.
During a recent live stream, Diplo announced and previewed a forthcoming Major Lazer remix for The Weeknd.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Diplo has been providing nightly entertainment in the form of live streamed sets on his YouTube channel. The producer has put together several hours of solo sets and even gone back-to-back with Dillon Francis on a couple of recent occasions. It was during one such livestream that Diplo announced Major Lazer is set to release a remix for The Weeknd.
The track they'll be remixing is "Blinding Lights," a cut from The Weeknd's 2020 album After Hours. Diplo took the opportunity to preview the remix during his live set which was captured on the spot by one diligent viewer.
The new music preview arrives shortly following the trio's release of "Lay Your Head On Me." The single features Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons fame.
To stay up to date on Diplo's forthcoming live streams, subscribe to his YouTube channel here.
BSOD's "No Way, Get Real" will be out in a few short days.
It has been over six years since we've heard a release from deadmau5' BSOD project, but that changes today with deadmau5' latest teaser.
BSOD, a collaborative project between deadmau5 (real name Joel Zimmerman) and veteran producer and sound engineer Steve Duda first took shape in 2005 and was last heard from in 2014. They only released one album titled Pay Here to Click in 2006, but despite a relatively small discography the project helped shape the landscape of mid-2000's electro house.
Seemingly out of nowhere, an announcement from Zimmerman earlier this month confirmed at least one new single would be committed under the legacy side project.
Now, with the first teaser out in the open, it seems BSOD's eccentric electro house flavor is back and better than ever on the duo's forthcoming single "No Way, Get Real." With frenetic lead synths and crisp bass lines the duo seem to have picked up right where they left off.
BSOD's returning single, "No Way, Get Real," arrives in full on April 10th.
Last week, FISHER treated fans to his first single of 2020: a tech house stomper titled “Freaks.” It turns out the track was one of two on an EP of its namesake, the other going by the title “Wanna go Dancin’.”
In contrast to the high-energy, SFX-heavy sound design characterizing Freaks’ title track, “Wanna Go Dancin’” follows a more melodic approach. The spoken-word vocal sample from which it derives it’s name gives the song a measure of singalong appeal without detracting from its infectious danceability.
FISHER (real name Paul Fisher) became a mainstay of tech house with instant classics like “Stop It” in 2017 and “Losing It” in 2018. The latter single reached #1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart, arguably playing a significant role in the mainstream resurgence of house music of recent years.
Stream or download FISHER’s latest EP, Freaks, in its entirety across platforms here.
Excision and Illenium's collaboration has been a long time coming.
After several months of waiting, Illenium and Excision's collaboration, "Feel Something," is ready to be released. The two producers famously teased they were together in the studio last July working on a then-untitled single. In September of 2019, the two debuted "Feel Something" during a back-to-back set at Lost Lands, but the details of its release have been murky until today.
Illenium (real name Nicholas D. Miller) has announced the track will be available this week. Listening to the the teaser Miller shared it's clear the two titans of bass have found synergy in the studio with the perfect blend of stringed riffs, cathartic melodic leads, and voluminous bass. I Prevail manage to command a powerful vocal presence on the song despite an instrumental that is otherwise packed to capacity.
In 2018, Illenium and Excision brought on of the biggest collaborations of the year to fruition with "Gold (Stupid Love)." The cut later appeared on Excision's most recent LP, Apex, which was released that same year.
The wait for "Feel Something" will soon be over. Pre-save it today and stay tuned for the full release on April 3rd.
It’s looking like Insomniac may soon postpone the 2020 edition of EDC Las Vegas.
The organizers of Insomniac‘s flagship event have held out as long as possible before postponing on account of COVID-19 concerns, but that may not be the case much longer. Numerous artists appear to have taken EDC Las Vegas off of their tour schedules, suggesting that internal conversations may have taken place ahead of their full announcement.
As other festivals folded amid the spread of the novel coronavirus, Insomniac founder and CEO Pasquale Rotella had done everything in his power to move forward with EDC Las Vegas’ 2020 event. The tone of his most recent update reflected the uncertainty faced by festival promoters in the weeks that the full scope of the pandemic has become apparent, however. Rotella wrote that organizers were exploring dates in June as well as further out in the fall.
Until further notice, EDC Las Vegas is still slated to take place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway from May 15th-17th, 2020.
Worlds collide in this collaboration between two bass music heavyweights.
SVDDEN DEATH has joined forces with a figure near and dear to bass heads for his latest track. He already boasts a list collaborators strong enough to include Marshmello and (potentially) Rezz, and “Deathmatch” sees him add Snails to it.
The hard-hitting single exhibits the SFX-heavy style of dubstep for which SVDDEN DEATH (real name Danny Howland) has emerged as mainstay of the EDM world in recent years. Mixed in is the distinctive “vomitstep” sound championed by Snails (real name Frédérik Durand), resulting in a soundscape sure to get rinsed by countless dubstep DJs - either during quarantine sets or actual festivals, COVID-19 permitting.
Durand’s collaboration with Howland is but one of many he’s delivered as of late. His late 2019 EP, World of Slime, saw him join forces with Subtronics, Kill The Noise, Barely Alive and others.
Stream or download “Deathmatch” by SVDDEN DEATH and Snails across platforms here.
“We believe the prudent next step is to postpone our upcoming ticket sale.”
The organizers of Burning Man were among many who changed their tune last week as the escalation of COVID-19 has threatened gatherings farther and farther out on the horizon. Now, the minds behind the transformative gathering have postponed its main sale - which was slated to begin April 8th after registration opened on April 1st - for an indefinite period of time.
“As you all know, there’s a tremendous amount of uncertainty right now,” reads a post to the Burning Man website. “Given that reality, we believe the prudent next step is to postpone our upcoming ticket sale.”
The main sale is how regular attendees of the event secure admission, whereas the direct group sale that took place in February allowed for those participating in theme camp builds to lock in their spots. According to the update, organizers are exploring options to issue refunds to those who purchased them last month. “Issuing refunds would be challenging for our nonprofit, but we are examining all possible scenarios that would enable all of us to weather this storm,” reads a passage.
Until further notice, the 2020 edition of Burning Man is still slated to take place from August 30th-September 7th.
The duo provide a sweet escape to listeners during this challenging time
Canadian producer Fairlane brought the magic we all know and love into his newest single, “First Time,” featuring talented singer/songwriter RUNN. With the combination of RUNN’s light and airy vocals and heart-pumping topline melodies, this release captures the first love feeling in a fresh and unique way.
Fairlane greets listeners with dreamy guitar instrumentation that quickly turns into a showcase of RUNN’s powerful vocals. Through his unique production and usage of futuristic synth tones, Fairlane perfectly encapsulates the sensation of believing “nothing can compare to the first time.”
Not only did the Fairlane and RUNN’s teamwork bring the world new music, but it also brought a new camaraderie. In a recent Instagram post, RUNN expressed her gratitude for this song and how it started such a wonderful friendship between the two.
The YouTube-hosted documentary will feature footage of Daft Punk, Billie Eilish, and many more.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has left a Coachella-sized void in our lives. While the festival was not outright canceled, it was pushed back until October in order to stop the spread of the virus. In the meantime, organizers are giving fans a reason to stay inside with the release of a new documentary about the iconic festival.
Titled Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert, the documentary will look back on the festival's creation and some of the monumental performances they've hosted over the past two decades. While we won't know everyone featured until the documentary drops, the trailer teases footage from Daft Punk, Billie Eilish, Paul McCartney, and others.
Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert will premiere on April 10th at 12:00 PM PST on the festival's YouTube channel.
Coachella 2020 now takes place October 9th-11th and October 16th-18th at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. This year's celebration is set to feature performances from Flume, Calvin Harris, Disclosure, and many more. Tickets to both weekends of the event are sold out but you can enter the waitlist on their website here.
Fans can now enjoy over two hours of live Love Regenerator on YouTube.
In an effort to entertain displaced EDM fans in a time of social distancing and isolation, many artists are taking advantage of live stream technology to provide improvised music experiences to the masses. One of the most monumental names in EDM history, Calvin Harris, is no exception. The dance music mega-star recently dropped two live streamed mixes as Love Regenerator, his classic house and techno-inspired side project. Available via his YouTube channel, each mix provides well over an hour's worth of music from the past, present, and future.
While not every song is identified in the mixes, each of the videos' descriptions contain a number of the titles included. While they were mostly hand picked by Calvin Harris (real name Adam Richard Wiles) himself, he took requests from fans in the chat during the stream.
Like clockwork, Wiles has released a new two-track Love Regenerator EP each month this year. Fans and artists alike have enjoyed seeing the pop and EDM sensation delve into something far from radio-friendly and honor the roots of the genre we know and love.
RIELL, Denzel Moiz, Sofasound and more featured on this week's installment.
Numerous artists, industry professionals and fans consider SoundCloud the best platform for unsigned music to shine up to its true potential. Its direct, artist-centric approach has enabled bedroom artists to find fan bases all over the world, and equipped emerging talent to turn their SoundCloud game into long-term careers.
In this series, our aim is to showcase the best new music we discover on the platform, music that oftentimes can’t be found anywhere else. In addition, we shine a light on successful artists that are either now breaking through on the platform or have used it to attract an active following in the past.
This latest feature includes gems from RIELL and Billy Vena, atmospheric vibes by fugue and Cour & Victor Brodin, energetic bangers by Lizdek and MadBliss, and more.
Taken off her upcoming debut album scheduled for release later this year via Nightblue, RIELL’s latest single, “Control Of Me,” is an epic showcase of songwriting and stunning vocals. In recent years, the singer has cemented herself as one of the scene’s most exciting up-and-coming vocalists.
Dutch producer Denzel Moiz succeeds in combining the ambiance of cinematic music with bass and pop music, releasing his latest single, “Night Torch,” on rising label Suit Of Bullets.
Out via Let Me Hear It, exciting newcomer Billy Vena’s “Space Hippie” is a funky, self-produced debut effort that’s dominated by catchy bass lines and stunning vocals.
Producer Cour and singer Victor Brodin combine their talents on their latest single, “Shallow,” an ambient pop song that evolves into a lush house beat filled with emotional melodies and vocal samples.
Exciting talent Sofasound has been crafting his diverse style for some time now. His latest single, “Life Is So Beautiful,” from his upcoming EP with bitbird, is here to “remind people that inevitably, if you let your heart sing, the suffering doesn't own you, and happiness can still exist in your heart.”
With his latest release, “drowsiness,” young talent fugue manages to create a breathtaking vibe, taking his listeners on a journey through ambient atmospheres and washed-out guitar melodies.
Though Lizdek’s “Abyss” starts off with a perfectly sung intro, the energy switches big time as the lush atmospheres and piano chords are flipped into a bass-heavy, distorted drop.
On “TORONTO,” talented producer MadBliss flips KEY! and Kenny Beats’ 2018 single of the same name, turning the hard trap song into a showcase of bright synth arpeggios and chords.
Out on Moving Castle, the artist’s debut EP is a stunning effort.
Though his recently released EP, Collections, marks Kwon’s first official solo effort, the L.A.-based artist has been creating behind the scenes for some time now, being Whethan’s former audio engineer. So far he has also amassed over 2 million streams across all platforms from his remixes alone, including reworks of artists from Hotel Garuda and Jai Wolf to Post Malone and Thutmose.
Having taken his time to deliver a project that effectively displays his creativity and passion, Kwon (real name Justin Kwon) has hit the mark with Collections. It has been released via Moving Castle - a record label and collective founded by AO Beats, Hunt for the Breeze, Manila Killa and Robokid - and it is a stunning, six-track effort.
Leading single “Smith,” a collaboration with fellow talents Manila Killa and Ramzoid, immediately hooks the listener into Kwon’s bright world. Previously released singles “Ju81y” and “I(my Head)n” add much to the tracklist, driven by trap percussion and bright sound design, while the distorted bass and weird effects in “Oceanside” close off the EP on a strong note.
“The EP is titled Collections. It was what came naturally to me when creating and has been something I subconsciously needed to make” explained Kwon of the EP. “I struggled a lot with ‘finding a sound’ alongside every other producer, trying to follow trends, and simply just being content with my music. One day I just decided to stop caring about all that and that’s when it clicked. The whole EP came together in about five or six months besides one track, “770 twin,” which was made in late 2018.”
Because music festivals should be safe for everyone.
The ethos of electronic music festivals is one of openness and acceptance. When attendees pass through the front gates, they (hopefully) check their egos at the door and join co-revelers of all walks of life. This attitude fosters an environment where people can express themselves in ways that might be unacceptable or scandalous elsewhere.
Although what results can certainly feel like a kind of utopia, the unfortunate truth is that there are more than a few people who take advantage of the community’s openness. When over 75% of people can say they have been harassed or assaulted at music festivals, it’s time to take a step back and reevaluate.
Here are 8 tips to help curb the less-than-savory behavior that haunts music festivals and events everywhere.
1. An outfit is not an invitation
This is a big one and should honestly be fundamental in life. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Someone else’s outfit is not an invitation. It is not an invitation to gawk, to harass, and it is especially not an invitation to touch. Assume an outfit is meant for no one’s benefit save for that of the wearer. Appreciation can be nice and compliments might be welcome, but there’s a clear difference between appreciation and creepiness.
2. Don’t touch people to get past them
One of the most common complaints we hear at music festivals is when people put their hands on others to slide by them in a crowd. The typical offenders go for the waist or lower back in a painfully transparent and downright slimy excuse to touch people. Those who have a modicum of respect and who have actually been to a festival or two know that it’s entirely unnecessary to touch someone to get past them. Those who insist it is necessary are either lying to themselves or should be considered predators. Full stop.
3. Quit staring
Yes, music festivals are full of beautiful people. Yes, some outfits could be considered scandalous by everyday standards. No, that does not imply it’s ok to stare at people who want to show a little skin or dance a bit provocatively. To quote a fellow raver, “I always love to dance however I’m feeling and sometimes it’s sensual. When someone is staring, it’s hard to keep going.”
4. Verbal assault is still assault
There is a blatant misconception that assault must include physical contact to count. This misconception is shameful at best and intentional at worst. The truth is that verbal abuse can be just as disgusting - and if anything, it’s more pervasive than physical assault. Simply put, unsolicited comments, whether intended to be positive (like catcalls) or negative (like derogatory comments), are never okay. Innocent and friendly comments may be welcome, but it’s painfully transparent when they bleed into the creepy and overtly sexual.
5. Someone dancing doesn’t need to be danced with
Just like an outfit isn’t an invitation, nor is dancing. Someone who is enjoying themselves lost in the music, does not need to be danced with. Trying to do so is simply predatorial and gross, and if a person’s friends or even strangers feel the need to run interference, then it’s a great idea to step off and maybe leave the festival entirely. People who can’t take a hint need not be welcome at public events.
Brian Baker is a writer, photographer, and designer based out of St. Louis. You can find his portfolio here.
Afrojack, Dimitri Vegas, Lost Frequencies, and more are set to play the virtual dance music event.
Tomorrowland has announced an upcoming live stream event, United Through Music. To close out one of the most hectic months in our collective lifetime, Lost Frequencies, Afrojack, Dimitri Vegas, and Vintage Culture will perform online to entertain those stuck indoors.
In a quote obtained by DJ Mag, performer Dimitri Vegas spoke on the power of music and how it can be used to support listeners during these uncertain times. In his own words:
"With the postponement of so many events and the need for social distancing, we know the People of Tomorrow are looking to connect through the power of music more than ever.
I am very happy to join Tomorrowland in order to give people across the world a magical experience at home, interacting and supporting each other as one large global community.”
United Through Music takes place on March 31st at 3:00 PM CET. You can watch the stream on either their website, YouTube channel, or Instagram and Facebook pages.
While the future of the event may be up in the air due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tomorrowland 2020 is scheduled to take place July 17th-19th and July 24th-26th in Boom, Belgium. The massive dance music event is sold out. For more information, you can visit the festival's official website here.
At least COVID-19 hasn’t halted Duck Sauce’s deluge of new music.
At a time when it feels like everything is on a standstill, the Duck Sauce reunion still appears to be on. The duo comprised of A-Trak and Armand Van Heldenbroke a six-year silence earlier in 2020, and despite tour cancellations they’re still moving forward with releases - the latest of which is titled “Captain Duck.”
Following in the footsteps of previous Duck Sauce releases, “Captain Duck” captures the liveliness of classic house with instrument-heavy samples. A call and response between male and female vocal samples sets the single apart, as does a buildup/drop scheme that would suit it well as an addition to any tech house DJ set.
Prior to the runaway success of Duck Sauce’s 2010 single, “Barbara Streisand,” both Van Helden and A-Trak (real name Alain Macklovitch) were influential figures in their own right. The former’s “dark garage” remix of Sneaker Pimps’ “Spin Spin Sugar” arguably altered the course of the UK garage genre in the ‘90s - shortly before the latter won the DMC World DJ Championship at only 15.
Stream or download “Captain Duck” across platforms here.
Bassnectar’s doing his best to keep cabin fever from getting to his diehard fan base.
EDM artists have been bringing out the big guns to make COVID-19 quarantines more amenable. Bassnectar has joined them by giving fans more to look forward to: namely audiovisual set recordings, mixtapes, and what he’s referred to as a “secret album.”
Bassnectar (real name Lorin Ashton) took to Twitter to whet fans’ appetites for the veritable wealth of new music. In regards to the album he wrote, “restructuring schedules but it’s incoming,” perhaps suggesting that the endeavor’s release has been pulled forward on account of coronavirus-related tour cancellations.
Ashton has performed and released music as Bassnectar since the turn of the millennium, with the EDM boom of 2010-2013 elevating his career to its current status. In recent years he has said that the moniker represents a collaborative project, not any one individual.
Ashton has yet to disclose a title, release date or any additional information for his upcoming album at the time of writing.
The drops are as uneasy feeling as hitting your funny bone.
MUST DIE!'s immediately recognizable sound stands out amongst other dubstep. His crunchy, distorted, and relentless style always has the attention of bass lovers around the globe, and "Nerve Damage" on Never Say Die Records is absolutely no exception.
"Nerve Damage" opens with an arpeggio that takes you higher than the vocal that appears shortly thereafter. The buildup is unforgiving, and you'll want to brace yourself. A few bars before MUST DIE! lets loose, the vocal glitches and stutters, making it sound like the file is corrupt. This glitching and stuttering is the perfect setup. The drops unleash a similar structure and are relentless in their and swift movements.
Allow for MUST DIE! to carry you through with grace, glory, and an endless amount of bass.
The Spanish festival has announced that it will now take place in August due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Festival organizers have announced that Primavera Soundhas been postponed due to COVID-19. Originally scheduled to take place June 3rd-7th, the festival has now been moved to the end of August.
They've announced that all tickets to the previous date will be valid for the rescheduled show. As of right now, future ticket sales have been paused until the Spanish government lowers the country's state of alarm.
In a statement posted to the official festival website, organizers shared an uplifting message telling attendees to stay strong and look to the future celebrations. In their own words:
"Let's all face this together. We will get through this together. And we will celebrate our 20th anniversary together. We are waiting for you in the Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona at the end of August. Primavera in summer, for once in a lifetime."
Primavera Sound 2020 will now take place August 26th-30th in Barcelona, Spain. For more information, head over to the festival's website below. This year's festival will host performances from Lana Del Ray, Massive Attack, Bad Bunny, and more.
In addition to sharing the number of attendees, Pasquale Rotella hinted that future virtual events are in the works.
Since the COVID-19pandemic forced Insomniac to postpone this year's Beyond Wonderland, organizers decided to give fans a virtual festival experience in hopes of entertaining those stuck at home. After the streaming extravaganza, the prolific company announced that over 3.5 million fans attended the “Rave-A-Thon.” The millions of fans got to witness performances from artists like Kill The Noise, SVDDEN DEATH, Joyryde, and more.
In a press release obtained by Your EDM, Insomniac's founder and CEO, Pasquale Rotella, expressed how grateful he was for all those who logged on to the virtual party and shared plans for future streamed events. In his own words:
“The energy that came from everyone who tuned in from around the world was unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed in the 25 years of me starting Insomniac.
Fans of all ages, families with their kids and grandparents, friends connecting through FaceTime across the globe, all throwing raves in their bedrooms. There was so much love coming from all different directions. We’re now planning a calendar of Rave-A-Thons that I’ll personally announce very soon.”
The rescheduled Beyond Wonderland SoCal takes place June 19th-20th at the NOS Events Center in San Bernadino, California. Tickets to the event are still on sale and can be purchased here.
Skrillex also announced that he hopes to use his channel to raise funds to help support COVID-19 relief foundations.
After treating fans to several Instagram live sessions over the past couple of days, Skrillex announced that he's opened his own Twitch account for future streaming. Announcing it both on-stream and through an Instagram post, the bass music pioneer explained some of his live stream plans for the future.
In the post, he explained that while it took him a while to set up his account, over the next couple of days he plans on streaming. He also revealed that he wants to start using his platform to raise money for various relief foundations helping the fight against COVID-19.
Fans of Skrillex (real name Sonny Moore) have been ecstatic with the number of updates from the recently quiet artist. Last week, he confirmed the longstanding rumor that he has more than one album in the works by announcing that "the first" of his albums is nearly finished. Days later, he went live with DJ Snakeand debuted new music and teased a potential collaboration with the French artist. In case that wasn't enough to get fans' hearts pumping, during another stream he showed off a work-in-progress tune that he would later send to G Jones for a potential collab.
APLSOZ has checked back in for the first time since playing Okeechobee Music Festival earlier in the month.
In times of quarantine and self-isolation, the need for introspective adventure has never been greater. Today, Florida producer APLSOZ returned with a new song that does just that. “Light (the Purpose of This),” an amped up, third sonic-chapter of his ongoing multimedia saga, Sonic Storyline.
Since launching his career in 2012, Florida bass act Aplsoz (real name Cody Bones) has maintained a reputation as one of the top up-and-coming bass acts in the Sunshine State. Earlier this month, Bones appeared at Okeechobee Music Festival, where his fiery dubstep perfectly accented the late-night Incendia Stage vibes. A month prior, Bones took to SoundCloud to unveil, “Love,” the first track of a four-part sonic saga, Sonic Storyline, complete with a written storyline about six travelers exploring the universe.
“Light (the Purpose of This)” checks back in to find our travelers swept up in a blackhole. To represent the imagined spiraling fractal lights, the song kicks off off with twinkling piano keys dancing around the listener. Deep bass rises up as the characters devise a plan, and at the one minute mark, with alarms supposedly ringing onboard the spacecraft, glitchy bass signals something approaching. The first drop, a grinding dubstep force, is depicted in the narrative as an energy field enveloping the space shift. By the song's end, the listener can relate to the narratives explanation of the travelers being swept out of a wormhole.
“This song is much more ecstatic and exciting in its arrangement,” said Bones, who caught up with EDM.com to talk about the release. “More bright and uplifting versus down, dirty and heavy [low end frequencies.] This effect of positive versus negative, light versus dark is my main goal in music.”
With the combined audio and written element, this sonic narrative is a powerful imaginative tool for listeners to escape while stuck at home or, worse, sick. This can be attested to firsthand by the producer, who first came up with the project while battling Mastoiditis, a rare anatomical disease.
“This was designed to have specific emotions play out for people so that they arrive at a hopeful resonance in conclusion,” said Bones. “I just want to offer a hand to anyone who is going through or has gone through a series of traumatic events. I hope this music and story can cause some healing for anyone in need.”
DANNY TIME (real name Daniel Castro), is a rising star in the bass house scene. The ICON Collective graduate previously released his track, "Da Funk," on Gibson Squad's Moretin. The Orlando, Florida-based producer has now teamed up with Dark Cities for a creamy remix of BADMOOOD and Green Ketchup's "Telephone."
DANNY TIME and Dark Cities' remix of "Telephone" kicks into high gear from the first downbeat. They take no time to introduce the vocals and line up a hard-hitting bass house drop. The two producers keep the entire production as simple as the vocal. The invigorating mid bass in the drop may be subtle, but paired with the percussion and moving vocal chops stir things up for a club-ready bass house anthem.
This remix is part of a remix album on NoFace Records for BADMOOOD and Green Ketchup's "Telephone." Other remixers on the album include Bloodlike, Los Padres, and Digital Koala.
Super8 & Tab are showing what's in store for their forthcoming album.
Super8 & Tab are showing they mean business in 2020 with an attention-grabbing collaboration alongside Armin van Buuren. The veteran duo joined van Buuren's Armada Music label in 2018 after switching from the Anjunabeats imprint.
Now, the duo are preparing to release their third studio album on Armada titled These Little Stories,Part 1, and what better way to set the tone than with a collaboration alongside the label boss himself. The single arrives a month after the duo's collaboration alongside Christina Novelli, "Rooftops."
The new single is a festival-ready collaboration fit for energizing audiences on the road. The anthemic instrumental is sure to be warmly received by commercial and progressive house fans. For van Buuren, the new single marks a return after a brief break following the release of his late-2019 album, Balance.
Super8 & Tab's full album, These Little Stories,Part 1, is due out for release in 2020.
Rezz is making Rezz Rocks III the biggest installment yet.
Rezz has dropped arguably her biggest show announcement on this year’s calendar. Taking to the historic Red Rocks Amphitheatre this September, Rezz Rocks III is poised to be an epic, two-day event.
Rezz Rocks III brings together the bass music hive mind with a slew of supporting artists. Rusko and i_o are serving as direct support with Lucii, X&G and many more shaping the undercard.
Rezz (real name Isabelle Rezazadeh) made a promise to expand her Rezz Rocks event to a two-day event earlier this year. Previous annual installments have been single-day headline events. It seems the bold expansion to make Rezz Rocks III bigger than ever is already paying off. Tickets are moving fast with the single day Friday tickets featuring i_o having already sold out.
Rezz Rocks III takes place Thursday September 3rd and Friday, September 4th; tickets are still available.
San Holo's "(if only i could) hold you" is his first in a series of new releases.
The first installment of San Holo's forthcoming project, Stay Vibrant, has arrived and it's the perfect song for the moment. Titled "(if only i could) hold you," the melancholic track arrives during a period of mass quarantine and social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
San Holo (real name Sander van Dijck) addressed the song’s timeliness by stating he would be releasing music "every week for a while." Much like the rest of the music industry, the producer has had to cancel a slew of shows as a result of the pandemic. The resulting body of new music will be titled Stay Vibrant.
As evidenced by the single, it seems van Dijk is seizing the opportunity to make some of his most authentic work to date. In his recent statement the producer noted he will be creating this music "on the fly" and won't be overthinking it.
We'll see what happens in coming weeks as San Holo continues to cut through the red tape with his latest project.
Redefined is yet another impressive EP from Rotteveel, as each track shows clear growth of his signature sound. The EP includes his previously released single "I See" as well as two new tracks, "Time" and "Replica." Undoubtedly, these club-ready tunes are exactly what fans have been asking for from Rotteveel and he delivered. Redefined is just the first move within Rotteveel's "Redefined" concept, as he plans to embark on a world tour as well as release a three-part documentary series.
Rotteveel began to achieve mainstream success in 2013 with the release of his Krewellacollaboration, "Legacy," as well as his and Avicii’s "I Could Be The One." Since then, the Dutch talent has collaborated with some of the biggest names in dance music including Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, W&W, Timmy Trumpet, Steve Aoki, and many more.
While everyone's buckled down indoors due to the COVID-19 quarantines, artists have been passing the time by live streaming. A beautiful silver lining in all this is the wave of new music that is sure to blossom as producers are now locked up with little to do but create art. One producer who is doing just that is Skrillex (real name Sonny Moore).
He recently went live on Instagram sharing a full behind the scenes of his creative process and ended up making an entire track. The beat caught not only the attention of his fans but bass music producer G Jones(real name Greg Jones). In the first clip, you can hear Moore tinkering with a funky, Bollywood-sounding production when he notices Jones in the comments. From there he goes on to shoot over the track to him igniting fan frenzy over the potential of a collaboration.
This isn't the first collaboration teased by Moore since the quarantines were put into place. Just a few days ago he went live with DJ Snakeand they revealed plans to release a track together in the week. We also learned this week that Moore’s highly anticipated new album was in its final stages.
Stay tuned as more information regarding the new album, and potential new collaborations come out.
The EP includes his previously released single, "Only Now."
Seven Lions (real name Jeff Montalvo) has released his latest EP, Find Another Way, via his Ophelia Recordsimprint.
Find Another Way features four new tracks as well as his previously released single, "Only Now." The EP offers yet another strong showing from Montalvo, as he's once again created moving tracks infused with heavy bass alongside a slew talented vocalists. Each track of the EP contains a feature, including two from Tyler Graves as well as collaborations with Au5 and Crystal Skies, April Bender, and HALIENE. Fans of Montalvo has been itching for a new EP and Find Another Way delivers everything they've been asking for.
Montalvo has become a household name in the dance music community, as he's impressed with not only his diverse production skill but his unique and carefully curated label as well. Last year he released his iconic single with Wooli, Trivecta, and Nevve, "Island," as well as "Another Me" with Wooli, Excision, and Dylan Matthew. Earlier this month, Montalvo announced the 3rd iteration of his Chronicles event series is scheduled for July 11th at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington state.
Enter Achroma features Timmer's previously released singles "Violet," "Companion," "Sanctuary," and "Insane" as well as 10 new tracks. The album moves swiftly from genre to genre, flexing his diverse production chops once again. Timmer also enlisted a number of talents for his debut album, including favorites Sullivan King and Micah Martin as well as previous collaborators The Arcturians and Azuria Sky. Undoubtedly, longtime fans of Timmer will thoroughly enjoy Enter Achroma, as it showcases his undeniably original sound throughout all 14 tracks.
Excision took to Instagram to congratulate his protege by sharing a picture of when they first met alongside his sentiments regarding the album.
Timmer has created quite the buzz since bursting onto the dance music scene in 2016. That year, he released both his Plug Me In and My WorldEPs that featured his hit single with Excision, "Africa." The following year proved just as big for Timmer, as he released his Textacy EP as well as his singles "Till I Make It," "Proper," and "Bezerk." Since, he's frequently toured with Excision, with multiple performances at both Bass Canyon and Lost Lands.
It’s the latest single off his upcoming album, Guiding Light.
Paul van Dyk (real name Matthias Paul) is back to drop the third single off his highly anticipated tenth artist album Guiding Light. "First Contact" features Ireland's trance star Kinetica (real name Dee Henry) in an aptly titled collaborative debut. Alongside the release of the new single is the announcement that Paul will host another PC Music Night live stream on Saturday, March 28th at 7:00 PM CET.
"First Contact" feels like the spiritual healing we all need during this time of uncertainty and unrest. It's peppered with bright, uplifting melodies that will ease the mind. Paul and Henry joined forces to give trance purists exactly what they wanted.
"First Contact" follows behind February's single "Duality" and 2019's "Parallel Dimension.” Guiding Light will be his 10th studio album, following 2018's Music Rescues Me. With it, Paul is painting a story of his recovery from his fall during his performance at A State Of Trance 750 in Utrecht. The 10-meter fall caused the producer to suffer severe brain and spinal injuries. Much of the struggles were documented in his book Im Leben Bleiben (Holding On To Life), which came out last year.
While the tour is on hold, the esteemed producer is keeping his fans happy by entering into the virtual clubbing space. He's working alongside fellow Berliner Chris Bekker on the aforementioned PC Music Nights. Fans can tune in through Facebook and watch it all go down at the German capital's Anomalie Art Garden venue. Their first virtual show was five hours long and brought in a massive 30,000 audience. Says Paul, “The idea was to unite people from all over the world, bring them together virtually, find strength in numbers, and escape reality through music.”
Tune in tomorrow, March 28th at 7:00 PM CET for the next live stream. In the meantime, fans can still see the first PC Music Night here.
The U.K. duo have served up another emotional barrage.
In the world of melodic bass music, U.K.-based duo Culture Code (real names Chris Bains and Dylan Norton) have certainly made their mark over the past decade. With releases like "Make Me Move" featuring Karra and their remix of MitiS' "Shattered" featuring RUNN, the duo have cemented themselves as an upfront act in electronic music. Now, they've teamed up with vocalist Aloma Steele for an emotional new single called "Surrender.”
The emotive vocals from Steele sit perfectly atop a riveting and cinematic production from Bains and Norton. All of the eminent elements of previous Culture Code works are present, from the vibrant supersaws to the acoustic guitar notes in the buildup, which lend a hand to the melancholy feel of the track.
"Surrender" is a pensive and reflective Culture Code piece, which is a perfect fit for their well-established repertoire of emotional electronic music. The perfect follow-up to their MitiS remix, "Surrender" continues to guide Bains and Norton's consistent but ever-evolving sound in new directions with familiar elements.
The new single is Culture Code's first single release of 2020, following up 2019's "Fairytale" featuring Amanda Collins and "Our Time" featuring Harley Bird. "Surrender" is out now via Proximity Records, and it‘s available at this link.
Fans of Steve Aokihave something to look forward to as we are now officially one week out from the release of his upcoming album, Neon Future IV, set for April 3rd. He's giving us yet another taste of what's to come with a new single titled "One True Love" in collaboration with Slushii (real name Julian Scanlan). This is a full-circle moment for Scanlan as he previously remixed the Neon Future III track "Waste It On Me" featuring BTS.Aoki is channeling his old school sound with this single, pumping up the positivity in a time when we truly need it most.
The track opens with some sweet, mechanical croons and wholesome synth work but quickly transforms itself with a massive drop that has both Aoki and Scanlan written all over it. It's easy to imagine how insane the crowd will go for this one once the tour kicks off again. In the meantime, this is the perfect single to blast and dance to in your house. Be prepared to apologize to your neighbors for all the pumping basslines and jabbing synths, however.
The Dim Mak label head has been slowly releasing single after single in preparation for the forthcoming album. Along with the drop of "One True Love,” Aoki’s gone on to reveal the entire tracklist for next week's debut. Fans can expect a total of 30 singles, filled with collaborations with some of the biggest artists in the game. Included will be previously released tracks like "Maldad" featuring Maluma, "2 In A Million" featuring Sting and SHAED, "Let It Be Me" featuring Backstreet Boys, and many more.
The producer’s latest is one of his hardest tracks to date.
Rising producer GunFight has been working hard lately. He’s unleashed his latest single, “Simulation,” already marking his third release for 2020. Following up the energetic “Purgatory” and sinister “Lethal” with this latest one, GunFight’s progression as a producer is clear. His versatility and work ethic can be traced back to 2017 when he released two albums, the bass-heavy Rouse, and trippy Paramount.
“Simulation” comes to digital platforms independently and is paired with a fitting music video filled with futuristic, neon aesthetics. It bridges early 2010s electro and current midtempo bass music trends, and the result is one of GunFight’s hardest tracks yet. Plenty of melodic elements are incorporated into the track, while the buildup approaches swiftly, leading to an explosive drop filled with expertly designed grittiness and weird effects.
“The simulation is real and throughout these unprecedented times I believe that music is needed now more than ever,” GunFight told us about the track. The producer, who has received support form superstars such as Don Diablo, Lost Frequencies, Cedric Gervais and more, is looking at a bright 2020 as he’s showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. He’s definitely going to be following up “Simulation” with more bangers.
KOVEN's debut album, 'Butterfly Effect' is out now.
Fresh off the release of their debut album, Butterfly Effect, London-based "cinematic bass music" duo KOVEN (real names Katie Boyle and Max Rowat) are feeling the love from all corners of the globe. Already garnering support from Delta Heavy, Document One, Pendulum, and more drum and bass acts worldwide, the duo's new album has certainly been making waves in the world of electronic music.
EDM.com took some time to talk with Boyle and Rowat about Butterfly Effect and what led them to their debut album release.
EDM.com:A debut album is a landmark achievement in any musician's career. How has the response to Butterfly Effect been thus far?
KOVEN: We are overwhelmed, honestly! We were very proud of this album and obviously we couldn’t put out anything we didn't think was good, but wow — the response has been beautiful. It’s just so lovely to see people as connected to something so personal as you are.
In the age of streaming, it seems that singles are preferred to albums. What are some challenges you faced putting together an entire album vs single releases? Do you prefer the album format to single/EP releases?
This was what we were very nervous about; you see it a lot when people release albums. Often listeners will focus on three or four tracks, and the rest fall by the wayside, but I think that's why we are so lucky we get given a green light when it comes to multi-genres. So, if you create an album where no two tracks are the same in any way, then people have no choice but to listen to it all through. I think that theory works anyway — could be wrong.
An immediate standout on Butterfly Effect was "Speaking Through Smoke Detectors.” What' s the meaning behind that track and its lyrics?
Ah, thank you! Very glad to hear that because it' s definitely one of our favorites as well. There are a lot of double meanings in that song, that's one of the ones we want to leave to let people to decipher for themselves.
Walk us through the creative process of writing a KOVEN song. Do you write the lyrics first, or is the instrumental track produced first with lyrics tailored to fit the vibe? Does it vary?
It totally varies. For example, if I take two songs from this album: "All For Nothing" started as an extremely basic piano demo I wrote and sent to Max, and somehow he turned it into something magnificent. "Shut My Mouth," on the other hand, started as just a one-minute instrumental which Max sent me, with no drop and I wrote to it first. "Give You Up" was a full on instrumental Max sent to me before any words were added. Every track has its own process. Some we write together like "Speaking Through Smoke Detectors", and some I write fully by myself and Max doesn't feel the need to change anything, like "Gold."
The Monstercat imprint seems to become more and more of a driving force in the world of electronic music every day. What's the best part of being members of the Monstercat family?
Their audience is very lovely, and they like to treat each other like a musical 'family,’ which makes them all very dedicated and loyal listeners.
The Pendulum Rampage livestream seemed to go over extremely well in such a strange time for music events. Do you have any plans to continue livestreaming performances in the coming weeks?
It was such a special experience and we are very grateful to have had that opportunity, and yes we will look into more things we can do like this during this weird time.
Building on that, what do you think will be the biggest challenge for musicians facing new regulations that limit their ability to perform live in the near future?
I think everyone's main fear right now is, “Will I still be relevant or will people everyone forget about me?” which is a normal thing to fear, but I think it'll be the opposite and once we can all play shows again the demand will be even crazier than before. I hope so, anyway.
You seem to have massive support behind your music, including friends like Delta Heavy, Cyantific, Pendulum, Document One, and many other drum and bass greats. How does it feel to be supported by so many giants in the scene, and how have they helped you with your own music?
It's really lovely and feels quite special. These are people we have looked up to for years, and now that it's come to us releasing our debut album, they are supporting us on social media and in the clubs. It's so nice. We are at one of those points in our careers where we have a lot of, "If I could go back and tell myself X amount of years ago this would happen, I wouldn't believe it" moments.
Max, who are some of your biggest influences from a production standpoint? What do you listen to outside of electronic music to gain new inspiration?
Katie, tell us about your experience performing live to drum and bass fanatics. What do you think separates KOVEN performances from typical live sets?
I get complimented a lot on my 'energy,’ like a weird amount. People say to me, "I love your energy," so I guess that is what makes our shows special — whatever it means! I just love performing so much and I know it sounds cheesy, but I am so grateful for every show and it helps that it took us so long to get here; it definitely adds to my gratitude so much. 11 years working in the industry and it’s finally at a point where it's our main source of income. It’s amazing.
It's certainly still early to be thinking about it, with Butterfly Effect only released a few days ago, but are there plans for more KOVEN albums in the future?
Absolutely. We have so many demos kicking around still from Butterfly Effect we can' t wait to get started on the next one.
