Dancing Astronaut

DA’s Best of the Rest: Friday May 24th, 2013

Dancing Astronaut Staff — Sat, 25 May 2013 01:30:29 +0000

Best of the Rest is a daily feature from Dancing Astronaut that recaps the most important posts of the day as well as the stuff we didn’t get to. With the rapidity that dance music news and releases come out it’s difficult for us to hit everything — we hope BOTR serves as a catch-all. Make sure to check it out at the end of each day to ensure you don’t miss anything!

DA POSTS YOU CAN’T MISS

1. Fatboy Slim is honored at IMS Ibiza.

2. Nile Rodgers talks about his collaborations with David Guetta, Avicii, Disclosure and more.

3. Understand the high tech soul with our Detroit techno history lesson and why it matters to the EDM generation.

MORE MUSIC AND NEWS

1. LEViii released his Obligation EP as a free download:

2. The Mightyfools preview newest EP, “Feel Good” today on Dim Mak:

3. Anjunadeep’s May Mix features Da Funk and a host of gripping deep trance cuts:

Sebastien Bennett & AEL – Gammatron [Preview]

Dylan Farella — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:41:28 +0000

French electronic producer Sebastien Bennett has risen from Ibiza-party status in 2006 to high-profile releases nearly eight years later. After dropping tracks on Laidback Luke’s MixMash Records, “Slap” and “Ghost Rider,” Bennett returns with a collaborative effort alongside AEL. The heavy-electro jolt of “Gammatron” is expected to make its way through DJ sets this summer following its release this Monday, May 27th via HFI Records.

Sharam Jey & Night Talk – Your Heart EP [Preview]

Dan Carter — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:10:19 +0000

Amid all this talk of the great disco revival, Sharam Jey has been patiently plotting away at what he does best: that glorious middle ground between those groovy sounds and modern house music. Blessing the ranks of Sander Klienenberg’s This Is imprint alongside familiar Swiss peer Night Talk, the Bunny Tiger frontrunner drops two-tracks in the theme of twisting familiar sounds away from their comfort zones. Where “Your Heart” leads with the beats and bass with simple melodic elements, “I Wish” is where the boundaries are really broken, uniting progressive melodies, heavyset beats and deepish hallmarks for an impressive aural feat in the name of underground club music. Doing the historically consistent label a world of just from the first play, Jey remains on point for the pre-summer play-off. Expect this one on June 3rd.

Stream Marquee Las Vegas Memorial Day events all weekend

Andrew Spada — Fri, 24 May 2013 23:05:40 +0000

Stuck at home Memorial Day Weekend? Rained out on the East Coast? Marquee Las Vegas has the solution to all your problems (well, kind of). The night and day clubs will be streaming the Benny Benassi, Arty, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano and more live from the day club via Be-At.tv. While it may not be as exciting as spending the weekend surrounded by models and bottles in the City of Sin, it’s a much better time than grilling hot dogs by your parents’ above ground pool.

Tune in live here.

Watch this: Toolroom Records jets from Miami to Germany in episode 7 of Toolroom TV

Cara Daley — Fri, 24 May 2013 22:19:54 +0000

In their latest episode of Toolroom TV, Toolroom Records takes its fans to Miami and back again, exploring both the American dance music market and its parallel in Europe. In this almost 30 minute clip, you will be treated to a tour of Miami from Cedric Gervais, a trip through Ultra with the Toolroom Knights stage, conversations with Butch, Funkagenda, and Pan-Pot and Fritz Kalkbrenner back in Berlin. Enjoy a European perspective on Miami and the American festival experience.

Disclosure – You & Me feat. Eliza Doolittle (Bicep Remix)

Cara Daley — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:13:38 +0000

We’re a little more than one week away from the long-awaited release of Disclosure‘s debut album Settle, and the remixes are already beginning to roll in. Earlier today, Mixmag premiered Bicep‘s remix for Disclosure’s most recent single “You & Me” with vocalist Eliza Doolittle. Bicep has been all over the map as of late — working with Simian Mobile Disco and Ejeca and taking their talents to Radio 1 and no shortage of other outlets. The pairing is logical enough too, both duos focus on their own tinge of neo-house garage revival, bringing the 2-step back into the scene in very positive ways. Bicep’s rework is a tougher interpretation of the original, focusing less on the sticky sweet vocals and light atmospherics and more on a hard-lined, synthed-out sonic foundation.

Preorder Settle on iTunes now.

Ryan Hemsworth – Still Awake EP (Free Download)

Amanda Claudio — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:39:56 +0000

Ryan Hemsworth recently released his beautiful EP Still Awake for free and it sounds like our imagined version of an adult lullaby; it’s whimsical and easy to listen to but has just enough kick to keep us awake until it’s over. Hemsworth has built a name for himself with glittering remixes of Frank Ocean’s woeful ballad “Thinking About You” and Lana Del Rey’s “Summertime Sadness,” but there’s something particularly enamoring about Still Awake. Each track tugs at the heart strings and when it’s over we’re left wanting more. If you only listen to one track off the EP, we suggest “(｡◕‿◕｡) (or, I Want To Stare At Your Face Until I Die)” for its perfect bliss and whimsy.

You can download the full EP here.

Sixth annual IMS Ibiza honors Fatboy Slim, talks dance music shop, parties on White Isle

Cara Daley — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:34:58 +0000

In days 1 and 2 of the sixth annual International Music Summit in Ibiza, the dance music industry conglomerated to reflect on the status of music, posit the future, and award the best of the past. After a brief introduction by the IMS partners (including Pete Tong and Danny Whittle), the group moved right into the IMS Business Report which, much to everyone’s liking, showed that from 2011 to 2012, there has been a 36% growth in the sale of dance/electronic tracks, higher than any other genre by far.

Market researcher Kevin Watson shed light on festival growth (particularly in the United States) and the mergers and acquisitions in the last year associated with the commercialization of dance music. According to his report, the global EDM industry is worth a reported (and staggering) $4.5 billion annually. Patrick Moxey of Ultra Records/Sony Music and Mark Geiger and William Morris Endeavor followed with two telling keynote speeches –both giving their own upfront and take-charge thoughts on the current state of the industry (and of course touching on Daft Punk.

There were also panels on the changing face of Ibiza and discussions around better harnessing the technology associated with club play (Shazam) and the nonstop music exposure associated with the Internet. Duncan Stutterheim of ID&T and Tomorrowland sat down with Shelly Finkel of SFX, and Finkel began calling “EDM” “EMC” for electronic music culture, a term we certainly like better than EDM. Lastly, Pete Tong sat down with controversial blogger Bob Lefsetz for a straightforward conversation on piracy, social media, and promoter politics.

On Thursday evening, IMS honored Fatboy Slim at the Legends Dinner complete with clips of praise (no pun intended) from Iggy Pop, David Byrne, Carl Cox, and Nervo. A 20 piece choir performed a special rendition of “Praise You,” and a Christopher Walken imitator even reproduced the dance from the award-winning “Weapon of Choice” music video.

Essential Mix Review: Todd Edwards breathes own air into ‘Random Access Memories,’ celebrates new life

Cara Daley — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:13:04 +0000

It’s no surprise that in lead up to the release of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories that Radio 1 would invite one of its many collaborators to take the deck for their own two hours of soulful house music. The lucky first nominee was Todd Edwards, and his very exciting Essential Mix premiered on the air last Friday. Todd Edwards is first and foremost a very legendary New Jersey garage and house DJ and sample-driven producer, but more recently he’s stepped into the limelight as one of Daft Punk’s collaborators both on Discovery for “Face to Face” and Random Access Memories’ “Fragments in Time.” He was inspired by Todd Terry, MK, and worked very closely with New York’s Nervous Records, remixing for St. Germain, Justice, Klaxons, and Dimitri from Paris.

In his own words, his mix is a celebration of Random Access Memories. His work with Daft Punk directly convinced him to pack up his studio and move to LA, where he worked closely with Thomas and Guy-Man not only on their new projects, but also on many of his own. They took him in, introduced him to new friends, and seemed to have made quite an impact on this pivot he’s taken in his life. This mix, in some ways, is a big thank you for being accepted into what his calls the “Daft Family.”

For someone raised on disco and classic rock, this mix was enlightening. Not only is his mixing smooth and controlled throughout, but instead of just throwing in unexpected samples from the heyday of New York house, he focuses more on rock roots. Kicking off the mix with Bowie, moving through RAM’s “Instant Crush,” and getting into a groove with a melding of Lindsey Buckingham’s “Big Love” to the ever-so-sweet vocals of My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, it was clear he meant business from the start.

He motors through no fewer than 17 personal edits, but doesn’t forget these so called new friends he’s made: Poolside, LOL Boys, Disclosure, Rudimental, and Sam Smith all pop up on the mix. There’s also a curious “Unnamed Track” by Nameless, and exclusives from Surkin, a remix of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” and a collab remix of “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” with Prince. This mix is really, really not messing around.

TRACKLISTING

David Bowie – Let’s Dance (Todd Edwards Edit)
Daft Punk – Instant Crush [Columbia]
Pharaohs – Syzygy [100% Silk]
My Morning Jacket – Touch Me I’m Going to Scream, Pt. 2/Big Love (Todd Edwards Edit)
Poolside – Between Dreams [Poolside Music]
Giorgio Moroder – The Chase/Digital Love (Todd Edwards Edit)
Pharaohs – Miraculous Feet [100% Silk]
Giorgio Moroder – Evolution/Looking For Love (Todd Edwards Edit)
Chic – I Want Your Love [Atlantic]
Daft Punk – Get Lucky/Something About Us (Todd Edwards Edit)
LOL Boys – Changes (Todd Edwards Remix – Special Edit)
Atumpan – The Thing (Todd Edwards Remix)
Todd Edwards – Javid Khan
Nameless – Unnamed track (feat. Todd Edwards)
Jonah S. – Got My Mind Jazzed Up (Velcro Remix)
Todd Edwards – Hold The Faith [Body High Records]
Surkin & Todd Edwards – Mighty Love/My Girls (Todd Edwards Edit)
Jessie Ware – No To Love (Todd Edwards Remix) [PMR]
Disclosure – White Noise (Todd Edwards Unofficial Dub)
Donna Summer – I Feel Love (Todd Edwards Edit)
Daft Punk & Prince – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger/Controversy (Todd Edwards Edit)
The Messenger & Todd Edwards – Guide My Soul [Nervous Records]
Todd Edwards – Saved My Life [i! Records]
Todd Edwards – Steal Your Heart [i! Records]
St. Germain – Alabama Blues (Todd Edwards Dub) [F Communications]
Todd Edwards – No Place Like London [Sweat It Out!]
Daft Punk – Face to Face (Todd Edwards Edit)
Rudimental – Waiting All Night (Todd Edwards Unreleased Vocal Mix)
Robert Lux – Fool Disclosure
Sam Smith – Lay Me Down (Todd Edwards Vocal Mix)
The Sample Choir & Todd Edwards – Break Smooth [Nervous Records]
Todd Edwards – Fly Away [i! Records]
Todd Edwards – Georgio by Moroder [i! Records]

Maor Levi – Lift Me (Original Mix)

Andrew Spada — Fri, 24 May 2013 19:15:12 +0000

Maor Levi joins Tristan Garner’s imprint XTralife for the release of his latest solo work “Life Me.” Imbuing trance charm with electro and dubstep drops, Maor continues to push his own unique crossover approach with ease. Describing “Lift Me” as electrohoustep, Maor casts a dark shadow over his melodic trance undertones, delivering a bass heavy assault that feels right at home in Garner’s armory.

Purchase: Beatport