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.
Events, Preview | Ferry Corsten — Full On @ Roseland Ballroom, 8/31
Posted by Spice on August 20, 2012
Electric Zoo is right around the corner (more on that later), and even if you’re going to be raging at the festival for all three days you’re going to want something to fill the hours between 11 pm and 4 am. Trust me. Fortunately, the good people at MadeEvent have obliged all of you night owls by keeping the party going long after the shuttle pulls out of Randall’s Island each night, and while there are plenty of excellent options to explore, there are a few parties in particular that we’re especially excited to attend. On Friday night, we’ll be hitting Ferry Corsten’s global blow-out event, Full On, which he is bringing to North America for the very first time since its Rotterdam debut in 2007. Objectively speaking, this is kind of a big deal — Full on Ferry has taken over dance floors everywhere from Ibiza to Bangkok (including London’s O2 Academy this past New Year’s Eve) and features festival-quality production and energetic B2B sets. With support from Gabriel & Dresden, Michael Woods and Anjunabeats rising star Audien, it’s going to be a night you won’t want to miss.
Song to know: Ferry Corsten and Markus Schulz – Loops and Tings (Extended Mix)
More info after the jump. READ ON >>
Electro-House, Trance | Above & Beyond – Sun & Moon (Gazzo Remix)
Posted by Mach on August 17, 2012
Gazzo is back again this week, and just in time to kick off the weekend. This remix is very different from what I was expecting a Trance and Electro-House blend to be. The build up is lengthy, but well worth the dutch like drop. Once that comes in, the party really gets started. A perfect remix for a steamed up dance floor this weekend.
Trance | 2Pac ft. Dr Dre – California Love (Dash Berlin Rework)
Posted by Spice on August 3, 2012
I’m quite literally geeking out over this right now. This works about 12905180512 times better than I ever would have expected and in sum is basically awesome. Maybe it’s because I happen to love “California Love” specifically and trance music generally, but wow. Come on. What isn’t to like here? Dash Berlin takes Pac’s anthem-to-end-all-anthems and transforms it into something totally new and amazing and Dashtastic (did I just say that? Ugh, I guess I did), layering those iconic vocals over some riveting and somehow completely fitting synths that are guaranteed to stir up a crowd during a live set. Oh, and the best part? Free download, homes. Vocals kick in around 2:05. You’re welcome. Now let’s get this weekend started, shall we?
Dubstep, Electro-House, Progressive House, Trance | Zedd – Spectrum EP
Posted by Spice on July 31, 2012
I hope you’re not sick of hearing “Spectrum,” because the full remix package is finally out and it delivers everything you could possibly want and more. So let’s just run right on down the list….after the jump, because there’s a lot going on here.
Trance | Jaytech feat. Steve Smith – Stranger
Posted by Spice on July 31, 2012
After commanding serious airtime on all of the weekly trance radio shows, Jaytech’s blissed out, otherworldly anthem “Stranger” has finally dropped on Above & Beyond’s Anjunabeats. While I’m partial to Kyau & Albert’s riveting and intense reboot (see above; it’s set to drop on August 20), the original is fantastic as well — you simply can’t argue with those vocals against that watery synth backdrop. Expect this track to send sparks flying in the Group Therapy tent at Electric Zoo next month, and look for it on Jaytech’s upcoming album Multiverse, out August 13.
“Stranger” is out now on UK iTunes and Beatport.
Trance | Markus Schulz & Ferry Corsten – Loops & Tings (Extended Mix)
Posted by Spice on July 30, 2012
Earlier this year, longtime buddies Markus Schulz and Ferry Corsten joined forces on an epic rework of early-90’s anthem “Loops & Tings” by Jens. The finished product dropped on Beatport today, and if you’ve had the good fortune to see either of them perform live in the past few months (or were alternatively melting your face off at an illegal warehouse rave in the summer of 1993), you will recognize the hook immediately. Why? Because as Markus and Ferry have demonstrated, this is the kind of track that gets dropped at that pivotal moment when the crowd is primed, the kids have been put to bed, and by all accounts it’s time to get down to business. Their 21st century retrofit of this influential classic has set fire to festival tents, dance floors, and all of the weekly radio shows, so even if you’re not a devoted fan of the genre I’d highly recommend taking “Loops & Tings” for a quick spin.