...Electronic dance music feels like a revolution, it feels like the kids' music. I just wanna be a part of it.
Jay-Z is currently organizing his 'Made in America' music festival in Philadelphia on Sept 1-2 which will feature 28 different acts that will be sure to include a few big EDM names.
Both Nicky Romero and Steve Angello have been making noise on Twitter that they have been working hard in the studio working on new music. I hope they don't take it easy on us come Friday night and drop a lot of their new stuff. For info on tickets please click here.
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Nicky Romero recently tweeted this new site called topdeejays.com which claims that it is the largest DJ database in the world. There has been a lot of controversies over some DJs 'buying' their Twitter followers and Nicky Romero along with Steve Angello haven't been shy in calling out this shady practice.
Some big news was dropped on Ottawa EDM fans today as Porter Robinson's 'Language' Tour featuring Porter, Mat Zo, and the M Machine will be coming to Barrymore's on Wednesday, June 20th!
Make no mistake, all three of these EDM artists have been responsible for creating some of the very best music in their respective genres in the last few months so seeing them all in one night is a real treat.
Porter Robinson has just released a genre breaking hit called 'Language' that has been embraced by virtually the entire EDM community from the Trance world to major Progressive House names such as Sebastian Ingrosso from the Swedish House Mafia. Ingrosso recently mentioned Porter Robinson on the latest 'Refune Radio' Podcast show saying how much he appreciated seeing his fast paced mixing skills live as well as complimenting him on his latest track:
For those that missed Porter Robinson the last time he came to Ottawa this is now your chance to redeem yourselves! His last set at Ritual Nightclub was one of the best I've seen in 2011.
Mat Zo has made a big name for himself in 2011 in part thanks to his amazing producing skills but also from the love given by Anjunabeats/Above & Beyond crew who have been so supportive of this young talent. Mat Zo recently caused a stir on Twitter but has redeemed himself by releasing such a beautiful track called 'The Sky' featuring the voice of Marcus Schossow's sister Linnea Schossow:
The Sky is now available on Beatport. If he keeps releasing tracks of this calibre then certainly 2012 will be a major year for Mat Zo.
The M Machine just released Metropolis Part 1 EP which was inspired by a 1927 German Sci-Fi movie also named Metropolis. Skrillex and his OWSLA label has given this San Francisco trio their full support which is entirely justified as I found their release to be dark, atmospheric, edgy, and highly enjoyable. Here's one of my favourite tracks of the bunch:
The M Machine - Shadow In the Rose Garden
The entire EP is available on Beatport. Make some time to venture to their Youtube channel to fully explore the EP, it's well worth the effort.
Dada Life - Rolling Stones T-Shirt (Official Video) - It was inspired by this Aphex Twin video but the video is still great and shows why Dada Life is at the top of their game right now.
Going Quantum - Hello (Ephixa Drumstep Remix) - Been a fan of Ephixa for a while so I'm happy to post such a banging tune.
Arty - Open Space - Not a fan. I hope Arty finds re-finds his trance roots one day.
DNA Presents announced that they will be giving away 1,000 free tickets to the Steve Angello/Nicky Romero event at the CE Centre on May 10th at noon. For more info please check the DNA Presents Facebook page.
Update: Go to Want Tickets and select the promo tickets, promo code is: ELECTRIKJAGER
According to the Rolling Stone and Pitchfork websites (via @edentates) it looks like Diplo along with Koan Sound and other acts including Pretty Lights and Tokimonsta will be the openers for Skrillex's Bluesfest event on July 14th! The Full Flex Exrpess Tour featuring Skrillex will tour around Canada through most of July with a private train that stop in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Vancouver.
We still await official confirmation from the Bluesfest organizers.
Mat Zo has caused quite a stir on Twitter this morning when he made a few disparaging comments about the Trance genre:
Even thinking the word trance makes my brain melt and drip out my nose
Mat Zo and Cosmic Gate will be opening for Above & Beyond on their Group Therapy Tour when it stops in Chicago on May 12th. The possibility of a few awkward conversations arising backstage are quite high.
What even is Brostep? The only time ive ever seen what I thought were 'Bros' was in Miami and it was spring break.. I see people from all walks of life at shows, its actually quite surprising sometimes, seeing a full on goth and a pilled up raver and a hippie stoner all dancing within a few inches of each.
2528 comments were posted in the thread, impressive.
Madeon, the young EDM phenom from France will be dropping some happy electro beats at the Mansion Nightclub during the Victoria Day Weekend! I'm completely floored by this announcement because Madeon is in my shortlist of top EDM acts to see this summer and being able to see him live in my hometown of Ottawa is an unbelievable feeling.
Hugo Leclercq, aka Madeon, was introduced to the wider world for the first time when he released his epic mashup track of 39 songs that featured samples from Daft Punk, Madonna, Deadmau5, Kylie Minogue and many others. The video was released 10 months ago and so far has garnered close to 11 million views:
Besides being a great tune I believe there are a few reasons why the video became so popular: it's sheer originality and Madeon's combination of technical skill and memory to pull off such a flawless live recording. To see Madeon create a track live by managing 39 samples on his Novation Launchpad is inspiring and also incredibly refreshing. Someone on Twitter (@KLandry09) stated that 'trance music cures any type of depression and anger', well if Madeon's 'Pop Culture' mashup doesn't put a smile on your face then there's just no hope for you.
Madeon has recently proven that he's not a flash in the pan by releasing some monster tracks so far in 2012. His first EP release titled 'Icarus' shot up through the beatport charts and wound up being featured in many top EDM podcasts including 'The Gareth Emery Podcast':
Icarus has a lot of wicked happy vibes with catchy electro styled hooks that should get anyone moving. Madeon's latest release is a remix of Martin Solveig's 'The Night Out' which is currently residing in the #8 spot in the Beatport top 100 charts:
It's really exciting to observe such a young talent develop his own distinct style and sound into something that I like to call 'happy electro'. Here's what Madeon had to say when asked about his style last year:
The main goal of my style was to implement the detailed glitchy aspect of electro in a more melodic pop context. I like the idea of having a continuous melody that is played subsequently by various, sometimes unrelated instruments.
You can find the rest of the interview from the Worst Guy site here.
Madeon has the potential of being an absolutely huge EDM star over the next few years and I consider myself lucky of getting to see him live for the first time in a few weeks. This summer you can also catch Madeon as he tours with the Identity Festival in North America (which includes a stop in Toronto), the Osheaga Festival in Montreal, and the Milton Keynes Bowl in the UK where he will open for the Swedish House Mafia infront of 65,000 fans (!!!). For a list of his entire tour schedule please check Madeon's facebook page.
Here are the key details for the Ottawa May 20th event:
Location: Mansion Nightclub, 400A Dalhousie, Ottawa, ON
Time: 10:00 pm - 2:30 am
Tickets: $15.00 + $2.50 Service Charge at Want Tickets.
I'll leave you with a fun clip from Martin Solveig's 'The Night Out' - Smash Episode #4 which guest stars such EDM stars as Laidback Luke, A-Trak, Zedd, Dillon Francis, Porter Robinson, Sidney Samson, and of course Madeon:
