Author: Spice
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Trance | Rank 1 vs. M.I.K.E. – Elements of Nature
Posted by Spice on January 29, 2013
Did you listen to Above & Beyond’s Group Therapy radio show last week? If you did, you will probably remember this track from Rank 1’s amazing, dynamic guest mix. Rank 1 are titans of trance so it’s no surprise that their latest, a collaboration with fellow veteran M.I.K.E., is an absolute killer. Darkly melodic with a fast-paced and uplifting vibe, “Elements of Nature” is the kind of track that puts a fresh, 21st century spin on the genre’s more classic elements.
Beatport: Rank 1 vs. M.I.K.E. – Elements of Nature
Trance | Armin van Buuren & Markus Schulz – The Expedition (A State of Trance 600 Anthem)
Posted by Spice on January 28, 2013
We’re about two weeks out from the launch of Armin van Buuren’s A State of Trance 600 world tour, so it’s only appropriate that the official theme song — which premiered a few weeks ago on ASOT — got a Beatport release earlier today. ASOT theme songs are always a bit of a marketing ploy — by design, they’re meant to drum up excitement for the tour — but they’re also frequently great in their own right. Armin and Markus’s “The Expedition” (which in some ways recalls the ASOT 550 theme, W&W’s “Invasion”) is no exception. A dark and dramatic vibe, punchy synth riffs, and a slightly higher bpm (133) ensure that this is something we’ll be hearing plenty of in the coming weeks. For more details on A State of Trance 600 and to see if Armin and the gang will be coming to a city near you, head to the official website.
In other trance news, look for Armin’s upcoming A State of Trance 2013 compilation to drop on Valentine’s Day. (Note: apparently it will feature a new Gaia track. Goodie!) This compilation is the 10 year anniversary edition and will likely (hopefully) be filled with a lot of great material. He’s also in the process of wrapping his next artist album, so, as always, many things to look forward to in the coming weeks and months.
Beatport: Armin van Buuren & Markus Schulz – The Expedition (A State of Trance 600 Anthem)
Progressive House, Trance | Gabriel & Dresden vs. Sia – Breathe Me
Posted by Spice on January 26, 2013
Not too much to say about this one. Everyone knows “Breathe Me” by Sia — it’s a beautiful and authentically emotional song that cuts right to the core. San Francisco-based duo Gabriel & Dresden (who are no slouches in the remix department) give it a trancey, synthy facelift in this epic reboot and the end result is nothing short of amazing. While it’s probably not the most optimal track to begin your Saturday night with, it’s definitely something you’ll want to add to your music collection.
For maximum angst, double this up with Butch Clancy’s dark, riveting dubstep version. Not recommended for anyone who has recently gone through a breakup.
Free Download: Gabriel & Dresden vs. Sia – Breathe Me
Featured, FYI | You, Me, and Avicii — The State of EDM in 2013
Posted by Spice on January 24, 2013
January 23, 2013. 12:13 p.m.
Up until five minutes ago I was having an utterly unremarkable day. In fact, had someone asked me about my day five minutes ago, I would have responded with something along the lines of, “well, you know, it’s really cold out.” Or, “I had soup for lunch.” In other words, up until five minutes ago, my day was filled with the mundane but generally inoffensive things that define the 9-to-5 hours.
But then the following tweet happened. And just like that, I became a bitter, angry person with a white-hot axe to grind against the world and everything in it:
Thank you so much for all the GREAT #aviciixyou basslines! Next up is the beat/rhythm! aviciixyou.com for more info! #networkedsociety
— Tim Bergling (@Avicii) January 23, 2013
Ugh.
For those of you who don’t follow the baby-faced Bieber of EDM, the man (boy? guy?) better known as Avicii recently launched a large scale initiative to crowdsource his next “hit single.” AVICII X YOU styles itself rather magnanimously as the first ever “global collaboration” in dance music, inviting You, The Aspiring Producer, to join forces with Tim Bergling in creating his next anthem.
Here’s how it works. You, The Aspiring Producer, dream up a melody and submit it to AVICIIXYOU.com. Then you wait on tenterhooks as everyone votes, but that’s all for show because in the end Avicii’s just going to pick his favorite. Then a bassline follows in the same manner, then percussion, then a break, and finally, on February 7th, “effects” (a truly vague delineation which I’m personally choosing to construe as more cowbell).
Thus, a song is born.
Albums, Compilation, Moombahton | Review: Moombahton Forever
Posted by Spice on January 22, 2013
As some of you may already know, I tend to get unreasonably fired up about moombahton. This is in part because I’m a D.C. native, like the genre itself, and in part because I like to shake my ass (and there’s nothing more conducive to ass shaking than Dutch house bouncing along at 110 bpm above a funky riddim). Happily, it would seem that I’m not alone in this regard; with moombahton-centric stages cropping up at major festivals and heavy support for the genre coming from some of electronic music’s biggest names, it’s clear that Dave Nada’s “Moombah” MacGyver job has officially taken on a life of its own.
Moombahton Forever is therefore exciting for many reasons. First, it’s a panoramic shot of the genre as it stands at this exact moment. Moombahton has evolved a fair amount since that fateful homecoming party in 2010; it’s a niche subgenre of electronic music, to be sure, but over time it has come to contain its own diverse elements. In other words, there’s more going on under the moombah hood than you might expect, and it’s all on display in this very thorough 20 track compilation. There are tracks that pay homage to the genre’s midtempo roots in cumbia and global funk. There are deep, sexy tracks that are better suited to the after party than the the club. There are rollicking bangers that recall the halfway mark of a Knife Party set. Hell, there’s even Dillon Francis. Which brings me to my next point: most of moombahton’s most stalwart players are represented on Moombahton Forever. Nadastrom, Tittsworth, Sazon Booya, Bro Safari, ETC!ETC!, Ayres, Torro Torro, Sabo, Craze, Gent & Jawns, Munchi, the aforementioned I.D.G.A.F.O.S. poster boy…the gang’s quite literally all here, and it truly feels like a big creative culmination for everybody involved.
Admittedly, there are people who may find Moombahton Forever repetitive at times, as moombahton, with its fundamental structure of high synth leads and a reggaeton bassline, can get a bit subtle in its intricacies. In fact, there is something nuanced and almost house-esque about moombahton at its very deepest — and it’s a testament to the production level on display that elements of that particular side of electronic music meld so seamlessly with elements from its more primal cousins. I personally find Moombahton Forever smoothly textured and incredibly well organized; the tracks fit together beautifully and as compilations go, it manages to establish an omnipresent unifying theme without feeling redundant. The best part? The bonus continuous mix is all you need to set off a wild, sweaty dance party in your basement.
Rating: 4/5. For best results, add Natty Boh and really good speakers. But remember: there’s only one U Street Music Hall.
Beatport: Moombahton Forever
Dubstep, Preview | Underworld – Rez (Bassnectar Remix) [Preview]
Posted by Spice on January 16, 2013
Well, happy effing Wednesday. Bassnectar may be off the grid at the moment, but we’ve still got an exciting preview of what to expect from him next month. In the midst of all the blowout shows he treated fans to at the end of 2012, it seems he managed to find time to polish off a monster remix of Underworld’s 1994 tech-trance epic “Rez”. If you’re a fan of Lorin’s explosive, mind-melting soundscapes, heady builds, ferocious low-end bass and unparalleled usage of drums, you’ll be all over his treatment of this track — it’s a slow, spacey journey through many of his trademark sounds. Look for it to drop bass in your face on February 12th.
Dubstep | Anita Ward – Ring My Bell (Kill Paris Remix)
Posted by Spice on January 15, 2013
Anita Ward’s disco mainstay gets a funky, unexpected facelift in Kill Paris’s latest remix. The young producer’s bass-heavy treatment of this 70s classic works way better than you’d expect — he expertly retools the vocals in a way that vibes perfectly with the updated sound of the remix. Kill Paris is another one to watch in 2013 — check out his Soundcloud for loads more free downloads if this is the first you’re hearing of him.
Free Download: Anita Ward – Ring My Bell (Kill Paris Remix)