Preview, Progressive House, Trance | Arty feat. Chris James – Together We Are (Preview)
Posted by Middy on January 27, 2013
It just isn’t fair sometimes. Everything this man makes is just too good. First premiered last New Years, Arty’s most sought after ID is finally finished and has its release info. He added vocals from Chris James of “The Veldt” fame to the track and it works very well. Just bask in the blissful glow of the lush pads and reverbed piano and know that February 18th Big Beat will have this release for you.
Events, Review | Fareoh returns to Santos Party House for a Special Hometown Set
Posted by Middy on December 20, 2012
I had been very excited to see Fareoh for a second time after his Halloween set with Adventure Club & Nero, especially in a club setting where he would be the headliner with more time to craft the ideal Fareoh set. I got to the venue around 11:45 and the place was largely empty as you would expect in a New York City nightclub, with a few groups dancing on their own to the soulful tech grooves of the opening DJ. As time progressed from midnight on, the crowd started to fill in, many wearing santa hats and costumes because of Santacon that day. Fareoh was late getting to the venue and this threw off the opener who reverted to some safer, commercial plays a little after 1am as the venue was getting very full.
At around 1:30, Ian Spurrier, better known by his stage personna, Fareoh, arrived at the venue and wasted no time getting right into it. The venue itself has a very unique charm and style, as it does not go for the big LED screen or the big laser displays, but rather puts the DJ booth front and center in the middle of the crowd and allows for a more intimate setting between the DJ and the audience who surround the booth on all sides. Fareoh, playing to a packed club of people dressed in clothing ranging from full on Santa costumes, to your usual clubbing attire, to the guy in a LED suit (way to be), wasted no time making sure his presence was known on the decks taking the lead with a big room, bootleg heavy set.
Albums | Deadmau5 – > album title goes here < (Review)
Posted by Spice on September 27, 2012
Deadmau5 dropped his much-anticipated sixth studio album on Tuesday, marking the culmination of what has been a long, fascinating-to-watch process that played out largely on Soundcloud and the mau5’s Ustream channel. While > album title goes here < is not as groundbreaking or explosive as some of Joel Zimmerman’s past efforts — in fact, it’s been handily derided by a number of critics for feeling “tired” and “stale” and like “a Sasha and John Digweed set from 1997” — it is in fact very much in keeping with Joel’s ethos as a musician and seems reflective of both his state of mind and his (occasionally prickly) attitude towards the music industry.
In many ways, > album title goes here < is classic mau5. The production is polished to an obsessive extent, with deceptively simple but pitch-perfect synths playing off of one another to create the multi-dimensional soundscapes he is known for. The majority of tracks fall in the six to nine minute range, and eschew big, heady drops for the slow-burn builds favored by the tech house denizens of yore. Though indie darling Imogen Heap and My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way both have vocal credits, this is not a poppy album by any means — it is restrained, nuanced, and at times incredibly minimal, an album for the connoisseurs. There are moments when you’ll likely find yourself thinking of tech house and trance; ever the iconoclast, Joel is not one to do what people expect. He is, however, one for working through his creative highs and lows with his fans watching, meaning that you will probably recognize several of the tracks from their earlier stages (“Fn Pig,” “There Might Be Coffee,” “Superliminal” and “Closer” were all posted on Soundcloud long before they were finished). While some may be disappointed by the comparative “lack” of new material, there is nonetheless something fitting and decidedly mau5-ish about seeing these tracks in their final incarnation on the album.
Overall, > album title goes here < is something to listen to from start to finish, with each song contextualized against the next. It’s an album for a roadtrip, or your headphones, or a long evening at home. There’s no bombast here, but there’s an almost intellectual level of mastery on display; unlike much of today’s EDM, it just happens to lie in the subtleties.
Drum & Bass | Deadmau5 – The Veldt (Mr FijiWiji Remix Ft. Matt Emery)
Posted by Mach on August 11, 2012
Mr FijiWiji has yet to disappoint me with his Drum & Bass productions. He always seems to know where the sweet spot is when it comes to making a great track or remix. In addition, Matt Emery’s cover of “The Veldt” vocals sounds incredible. His voice has an original but friendly tone to it, as if it had been from someone you’ve known your whole life. One of many remixes of the Deadmau5 original, but definitely one of the best.
Progressive House | Deadmau5 – The Veldt EP
Posted by Middy on June 25, 2012
After having listened to the famed 8:42 radio mix of the magical single from deadmau5, we now have the lengthier version of the song with the capable Tommy Trash remix and deadmau5’s track with Cyprus Hill “Failbait”. The original mix opens with some interesting percussion with some tambourines, shakers and congas with a slowly moving synth to lead into the melodic masterpiece that we have come to know in “The Veldt”. Tommy Trash provides a more upbeat alternative that does not lose all of the melodic attractiveness of the original, but rather plays on it and makes the track more friendly for a club or a festival. He does not enter into this track as heavy as he might normally do, but rather gives airs on the lighter side, showing respect to the original. Also included in the EP is his rather interesting track with Cyrpus Hill. Not your vintage mau5, but still a decent effort.