Events | Five Things We Can’t Wait For At Electric Zoo 2013
Posted by Spice on August 8, 2013
Summer is flying by, which is bittersweet on one hand but totally amazing on the other. Why? Because it means that we’re getting closer and closer to Electric Zoo’s blowout fifth year. If you’re not up on your EZoo life, check out our official recap video from last year and see what you missed. Yeah — it was pretty killer. Fortunately, this year is already shaping up to be bigger and better than ever for many reasons, not least of which are:
1) Two mainstages (count ’em, TWO) and an expanded festival site on Randall’s Island. More on that later.
2) A new 18 and up policy. Sorry, youths (#YOUTHS) of the world — I’m too old for your shenanigans and look forward to mingling with an older and wiser crowd. *Wheezes; testily gestures for you to GET OFF MY LAWN.*
3) A totally killer lineup — which is par for the course by EZoo’s standards. There’s lots to be excited about here, but we’ve come up with five things that we’re especially stoked for. Check ’em out after the jump.
Exclusive, Moombahton, Videos | The R.O.A.R. – Touchdown [Video + EP]
Posted by Spice on February 1, 2013
NYC-based producer the R.O.A.R. stands at the intersection of rock and moombahton — and it’s a combination that works better than you think. His newest track, “The Touchdown,” melds the wobbly funk of moombahton with some hard-edged vocals and driving drum kicks for a result that’s high energy and sure to get you moving. The full package is out now on Beatport and features remixes that range from trill and trap’t out to groovy and latin-infused (see: Mr. Vega of Sazon Booya’s take). And sure to check out the above video — the visuals match the vibe of the song perfectly.
Beatport: The R.O.A.R. – Touchdown EP
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
DJ-Set, Drum & Bass, Dubstep | Krewella – Troll Mix Volume 1 (F**K FINALS EDITION)
Posted by CHAZZZ on December 5, 2012
Need another excuse to not study for finals? Krewella comes up clutch with an epic hour long mix to help you through finals week. We all know that studying isn’t important, so put your books down and let Krewella take you on a bass thumping ride. This mix is full of all the drum & bass, moombahton, electro house, progressive house, and dubstep you need to get the stress of studying out of your head. Krewella has been blowing up over the past year and I have no doubt that the upcoming year is going to be even bigger for them. Oh, and don’t forget, F**K Finals.
Events, Featured | Electric Zoo: A How-To Guide (Day One)
Posted by Spice on August 23, 2012
Labor Day weekend officially begins when the gates at Randall’s Island open at 11 am next Friday. Electric Zoo is second only to Ultra in terms of festivals on the east coast and its 2012 installment is sure to have have something for everyone. You will get to see some of the best talent from every end of the dance music spectrum, with festival mainstays like Hardwell, Above & Beyond, Axwell, Nicky Romero, Tiesto, Skrillex, Steve Aoki, Dada Life, Sander van Doorn, Zedd and many more. Electric Zoo also features legendary underground names like Sasha, Luciano, Boys Noize, Chris Leibing, and Marco Carola, and gives even the most casual viewer a chance to see some of the brightest young talent in the game, thanks to Porter Robinson, Pierce Fulton, Alvin Risk, Mord Fustang, Maya Jane Coles, W&W, and Norin & Rad. Finally, with seasoned tastemakers like A-Trak and Diplo topping out headlining sets, you’re pretty much guaranteed to have an amazing time.
It’s a tall order to attempt to concisely preview Day One in a single post. All four stages feature excellent talent, from Above & Beyond’s tranced-out Group Therapy tent to the absolutely stacked main stage lineup. Riverside brings a more eclectic sound to the festival, thanks to A-trak and Jack Beats, and Sunday School Grove provides that techy, old-school sound that the deepest and darkest house heads crave. So let’s dive headfirst into Friday — Middy and I will tell you who you must see, who you can miss, and the sleeper picks that will round out your Day One experience.
Check out the full list of Electric Zoo set times and create your own custom schedule for each day here.
Moombahton | Madeon – Finale (Dillon Francis Remix)
Posted by Spice on August 20, 2012
I’ll get the bad out of the way first: this remix is pretty underwhelming, as I think it was basically fated to be from the outset. While I do kind of wish that the original was twice as long, it is such an exhilarating force of a song with such a complex and distinctive chord progression that I never really thought it could be improved upon. Bottom line? Dillon Francis may have just been faced with an impossible task here. To his credit, he brings his trademark sound to Madeon’s handiwork with verve, dropping the tempo down to 112 bpm and brightening the drops with those recognizable high synths. It’s not better, but it’s different in an interesting way, and if the original weren’t so amazing it would be an objectively excellent remix. But sadly it’s the original that I’ll be blasting in the car on my way to work tomorrow. I’ll reserve final judgment until I hear it live — I think that the “unpredictable” factor has the potential to surprise and ultimately wind up a crowd in a a big way.
Moombahton | Collin McLoughlin – Relapse (Jakers Remix)
Posted by GMONEY on December 21, 2011
After hitting impressing us with his dubstep remixes to Krewella’s Strobelights and Rihanna’s We Found Love, Jakers left us hungry for more. His latest release is a remix to Relapse off of Collin McLoughlin’s latest EP Stark Perspective. Jakers takes the original track for a ride to produce a truly unique moombahton-influenced piece.
Download: Collin McLoughlin – Relapse (Jakers Remix)
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