Yesterday was a big day for new music releases as Oliver released the 'Mechanical 'EP while Birdy Nam Nam also put out their new EP titled the 'Defiant Order' on the same day. Here are my two favourite tracks from each:
Oliver - MYB:
Birdy Nam Nam - Defiant Order (UZ Remix):
You can hear the full stream of Oliver's new EP on Soundisstyle, and Birdy Nam Nam's new EP on Dancing Astronaut.
Huge news out of New York today as one of the largest A State of Trance events ever organized in North America was sold out in less than one hour! The Armada team along with Made Events sold out all 12,000 tickets at the iconic Madison Square Garden which is a massive accomplishment and a major stepping stone for the Trance genre overall.
Just heard we sold out #ASOT600NY at Madison Square Garden in New York in less than an hour!!! #TheExpedition twitter.com/asotlive/statu…
— Armin van Buuren (@arminvanbuuren) January 23, 2013
Hopefully this is a signal of bigger things to come in future ASOT tours. The Swedish House Mafia also sold out MSG in record time a few months prior to the announcement of their massive One Last Tour which has seen jaw-dropping sell out crowds. Could ASOT do something similar for ASOT 650 in 2014? I hope so.
This year's ASOT 600 'The Expedition' is traveling to far off places like Minsk, Guatemala City, Kuala Lumpur, and Beirut which will create many new Trance fans all over the world. But ASOT 650 should think bigger in 2014 by targeting huge venues in North America just like the Swedish House Mafia did. Cities like L.A, San Francisco, Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, Chicago should all be put on the calendar. I don't see any reason why A State of Trance cannot sell out the Air Canada centre, Shaw Conference Centre, or BC Place in Canada.
I hope Armin views this sell out at Madison Square Garden as an opportunity to take ASOT 650 and the entire Trance genre to the next level in 2014.
*Not everyone was happy with the news of a sold out show at MSG, read @TranceInNY's reaction for a different perspective.
Dancing Astronaut wrote another editorial describing the big players in the electronic dance music industry and their quest to buy up all of the major EDM companies. Rumours are circulating that Robert Sillerman and Live Nation have set their targets on Insomniac (organizers of all Electric Daisy Carnival events and more), Pacha, Ultra Music, and blogs such as Dancing Astronaut. With the news that both Live Nation and Sillerman's SFX company are joining forces with ID&T to bring Tomorrowland (+ most likely Sensation) to North America we are heading towards a future where only a handful of players may control the vast American EDM market.
Dancing Astronaut paints a rosy picture at the end of the article stating that there is nothing to worry about:
"If and when you hear the news that your favorite festival or nightclub has been acquired — whether by SFX or Live Nation — do not panic. Sillerman and Rapino have been the cerebral forces to define the entertainment landscape as we know it, so it’s safe to trust them with our new-born baby of a movement."
Not so fast. It's still far too early in the game to conclude such an opinion on this acquisition binge of EDM properties. There is still a wide possibility of outcomes that could either strengthen or weaken the landscape as a result of all of this activity. If Insomniac, the company behind such events as EDC, Beyond Wonderland, Electric Forest, White Wonderland, etc, is purchased by either Live Nation or SFX in the future - pay close attention.
Here are two possible scenarios that could happen if Insomniac is bought out:
If most of these major festivals are owned by one or two companies then there may be little incentive to continue competing on price. In a landscape of little to no competition, ticket prices could rise much higher. If you control all of the supply of festivals then both Live Nation and SFX have the freedom to set the future ticket prices.
With so few organizations controlling most of the festivals and events across the U.S., the negotiation position of DJs to ensure higher fees might be compromised. In the current landscape, your favourite DJ has the luxury of shopping their live performances to the highest bidder which has elevated the fees and made a lot of DJs rich. In a scenario where all of the major festivals are controlled by one or two players these bidding wars might become a thing of the past as Live Nation and SFX are put in an overwhelming position to set the booking rates as they see fit.
The biggest DJs in the land including Tiesto, Swedish House Mafia members, Deadmau5, Skrillex, Armin, Markus Schulz, and others will not likely be affected as much, as their participation is vital for any festival success. It might be the mid-tier names and future stars that may be impacted. It is unlikely that any booking agent will take the risk of employing strong negotiation tactics against a company that holds the key to so many festivals that are vital to any successful DJ career.
These two possible scenarios may be the reason why Robert Sillerman's SFX and Live Nation are in a race to control the vast majority of big EDM event companies in America. Owning one or two properties might be nice during the EDM boom but by owning most of them will give either player the power to set prices and fees. If they manage to do that without sparking a fan revolt, true fortunes will be made.
Great track from up and coming Canadian producer Joe Ghost and established big room phenom Hardwell. It's nice to hear that Hardwell is willing to diversify his sound by including a 'tribal-like drop' as reported by Dancing Astronaut. 'Are You Ready' is going to fire up a lot of nightclubs and festivals over the coming months.
You can pick up your copy on Beatport.
