HYDRO-FUNKSTER TRIO SUNSQUABI'S INSTINCT LEADS THE MUSIC REVIEWS
UNDER OR OVER RATED? HOW 12 EDM ARTISTS TRANSFORMED THE GENRE IN 2018
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PRINCIPLEASURE OCCUPYING THE GREY SPACE IN L.A. & BEYOND
KIWI
DOING WHAT HE LOVES & DOING IT WELL
AMYCANBE DNMO ELLEN ALLIEN NEVEREADY PAPER TIGER NEWS & NEW MUSIC PREVIEWS
LOST FREQUENCIES
ADDRESSING HIS LABEL FOUND FREQUENCIES
NICOLE MOUDABER
SPRING TOUR INVADES NORTH AMERICA
B EATSELECTOR Moving Electronic Music Forward
March/April 2019
PUBLISHER
JOSEPH WENSELL CONTRIBUTORS Caitlin Cline Catherine Strickland Chloe Aiello Cody Miller Cory Royster Erik L. Richardson Fred Lee James Arena Joseph Arthur Karin Haslinger Leo Weaver Payton Gerencir Stephanie Hernandez Vladimir Jean-Philippe Zach Miller
EDITORIAL REQUESTS
editor@beatselectormagazine.com
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GENERAL INQUIRIES
info@beatselectormagazine.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS
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inside MARCH/APRIL 2019
COVER FEATURE AN OP. ED. HOW THESE 12 EDM ARTISTS TRANSFORMED THE GENRE IN 2018
For our March/April 2019 Cover Feature we decided to stir things up a bit
with an Opinion Editorial piece on a sensitive subject that we anticipate will open discussion and many conversations—“Overrated and Underrated” DJs
and producers in today’s current environment. Zach Miller and Cody Miller identify 12 artists and address through their opinions who is overrated and who is underrated and why they feel the way they do. One thing is for sure, some will agree while others will not. You decide.
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inside MARCH/APRIL 2019
Features 76 PRINCIPLEASURE
Principleasure is a London native residing and working in downtown Los Angeles. He's an analogue synth wizard from the LA underground scene and Leo Weaver conducts an inquistive Q&A with the artist about his debut album release, "I," (a brooding mix of moody driving electronica, sublime beatless interludes and twisted analogue synth textures), machines and gear and who his favorite artists are.
80 KIWI
Alex ‘Kiwi’ Warren’s passion for music has been a fire that has long burned within. From humble beginnings as an in-house photographer for the world-famous DURRR club-night, started by Erol Alkan’s much celebrated Trash team, to the runaway success of his own club nights, it’s his prolific productions and genre blending extended dj sets that are now catapulting him into the spotlight. Joseph Arthur gets the assignment and delivers all the details.
Departments 22 ICYMI
ROUND-UP OF RECENT NEWS FROM AROUND THE WEB.
40 NEW MUSIC PREVIEWS
ERIC LUTTRELL, SET MO, WEVAL, LEX AUDREY, INFINITY INK, ICARUS, PATRICE BÄUMEL, BLACK GIRL/WHITE GIRL, GRIZ.
60 ON TOUR
NICOLE MOUDABER INVADES NORTH AMERICA
62 BUZZ WORTHY/ARTIST PROFILES AMYCANBE, DNMO, ELLEN ALLIEN, NEVEREADY, PAPER TIGER
72 LABEL WATCH
Q&A WITH FELIX DE LAET AKA LOST FREQUENCIES ON HIS BURGEONING NEW LABEL FOUND FREQUENCIES.
116 CD/EP/SINGLES MUSIC REVIEWS
SUNSQUABI ARE BACK WITH A TERRIFIC NEW AND SELF-RELEASED ALBUM TITLED "INSTINCT." HOW MANY STARS DID IT GET? REVIEW THE REVIEW!
[OPENING NOTES] Written by Joseph Wensell
MARCH/APRIL
2019 Our March/April 2019 issue of BEATSELECTOR Magazine marks a shift in our publishing frequency. With this edition, the days of publishing our magazine every quarter are now behind us as we move forward to a six (6) issue annual schedule. Challenging? Yes. Relevant? We think so.
and heroes. We also feature a Q&A with Alex ‘Kiwi’ Warren who has risen from humble beginnings as an in-house photographer for the worldfamous DURRR club-night to the runaway success of his own club nights. AmyCanBe, DNMO, Ellen Allien, Neveready and Paper Tiger receive our "Buzz Worthy"/Artist Profile treatment, we list dates for Nicole Moudaber’s 2019 North America Spring Tour and our Label Watch is with Lost Frequencies and his burgeoning label Found Frequencies. Also inside, we have write-ups on a few new and recent music releases, as well as several new music previews that should be on your radar and bucket lists. Read on!
To kick off this publishing shift, we decided to stir things up a bit with an Opinion Editorial piece on a subject that we anticipate will open discussion and conversation-- “Overrated and Underrated” DJs and producers in today’s current environment. Zach Miller and Cody Miller identify 12 artists and address-through their opinions-who is overrated and who is underrated and why they feel the way they do. Some will agree while others will not. Our other features include Q&A with an underground Los Angeles based DJ and producer known as Principleasure in which we discuss his new album, analogue electronics,
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DESIGN SERVICES FOR THE WORLD OF MUSIC & BEYOND GRAPHIC DESIGN // WEB DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT // ILLUSTRATION // VIDEO PRODUCTION // MOTION DESIGN www.karinhaslinger.com
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[ICYMI] N E W S F R O M A R OUND T HE WE B
EXIT Festival 2019 Headliners Are Primed And Ready For A Massive Dance Arena Blowout! Beatselector Staff | FESTIVAL NEWS
Judging from previous years’ production, the spectacular Dance Arena stage at the globally acclaimed EXIT Festival will once again push the envelope. Carl Cox already confirmed his return to one of the greatest electronic music stages in the world, and now other leading headliners of today will join him in Serbia on the first weekend of July. Even with more names to come in the following weeks, EXIT seems to be gathering its strongest techno and house lineup at the colossal Arena! It will feature a 2-hour live set by one of the greatest techno producers, the Berliner who packs up stadiums with ease – Paul Kalkbrenner! His live set in front of half a million people at Brandenburg Gate in 2014 is now firmly a part of the music history. Electronic heavyweights will share ranks with new age heroines Amelie Lens and Charlotte de Witte, who have come a long way since their teenage days in Belgium. Thanks to their true love of music and playing numerous sold out shows around the planet, they both became global superstars and a unique phenomenon of today's music! Also joining the bill will be Jeff Mills, Maceo Plex, Boris Brejcha, Peggy Gou, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Sofi Tukker, Dax J, Adriatique, Johannes Brecht, Satori and many more to be announced in the weeks ahead. EXIT Festival will be held July 4-7, 2019 at Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad, Serbia. The award winning festival has something for music lovers of all genres with a diverse mix of artists performing on numerous stages connected by cobbled streets, ramparts and tunnels. Also renowned for it’s amazing atmosphere and energy the Dance Arena champions the who’s who in the electronic music world set in the awe inspiring moat of the fortress, it’s that special moment when the sun’s rays shine over the fortress walls and your favorite tune is belting through the soundsystem and into your soul!. EXIT. Where hedonism meets activism. Get tickets here.
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[ICYMI] NE W S F R O M A R OUND T HE WE B
Nina Kraviz Headlines The Return of inner city electronic's 24 Hour Event Set For June 1st, 2019 Beatselector Staff | FESTIVAL NEWS
inner city electronic will take place on June 1, 2019 at eleven of the leading venues in Leeds,U.K. including Brudenell Social Club, Church Leeds, Distrikt, Freedom Mills, Hifi, Hope House, Hyde Park Book Club, Old Red Bus Station, Sheaf St, Wire, The Wardrobe, plus secret locations to be announced. With venues ranging from 250 to 1700 capacity, the festival offers a unique experience to explore the city across a range of parties and events, from small intimate art galleries boasting state of the art sound systems to terrace parties, industrial warehouses and even an 18th century church. The 2019 festival line up will perform at venues across the city over 24-hours, running alongside a comprehensive daytime program of talks and workshops at the conference, focused on musical development, music industry, culture and technology, all of which is yet to be announced. Last year’s conference program featured masterclasses from the likes of KiNK and Prince Fatty, an ‘in conversation’ series of talks with artists Craig Richards, Paul Woolford and Midland and a range of talks and panels with numerous industry panellists. In addition inner city electronic played host to technology showcases from the likes of TPI Audio, Master Sounds, Pioneer, Rane, Akai and many more. Nina Kraviz (pictured) leads the talent line-up which features Ben UFO, Craig Richards, Nightmares On Wax (DJ set), and Octave One (live), among many others. "After seeing the first edition of inner city electronic so well received, we are extremely pleased to be sharing the second installment. We look forward to seeing the city come together again for an event that we hope inspires the next generation of artists from Leeds and beyond."— Ben Thompson Tickets start at £30 and are available here.
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[ICYMI] N E W S F R O M A R OUND T HE WE B
Martin Garrix Announces Guests For His STMPD RCRDS Stage At Ultra Music Festival Miami 2019 Beatselector Staff | FESTIVAL NEWS
STMPD RCRDS, founded by Martin Garrix, has become a household name in the past years. Operating from their studio in Amsterdam they release new music weekly including some big hits from Garrix and other artists like 'In The Name Of Love', 'Scared To Be Lonely', 'X's', 'Lynx' and more. They currently have artists such as Julian Jordan, Todd Helder, TV Noise, Dyro and Loopers under their wing and are still expanding rapidly. After hosting stages at other festivals such as Tomorrowland, Balaton Sound and their own label night during Amsterdam Dance Event, Ultra Miami is the first to follow in 2019 hosting their own stage this year, has revealed the second batch of artists Julian Jordan b2b Brooks, Justin Mylo, Dubvision b2b Raiden, Cazztek and Van Duo joining Infuze, Junior Sanchez, Lost Frequencies, Matisse & Sadko, TV Noise and a special guest: Bumble's #MMM female winner who will play the opening slot. Making Moves in Music is an initiative by Bumble which was launched last October during Amsterdam Dance Event. The international campaign is about combating gender inequality within the dance music industry by giving female DJs and producers the opportunity to be seen and heard. The first phase of the initiative recently kicked off in Amsterdam where they hosted various masterclasses, including an afternoon at the STMPD recording studios for the final 6 female DJ/producers, who were selected out hundreds of entrees. The STMPD RCRDS team has supported the initiative from the start by sharing their knowledge and expertise during masterclasses, participating in panels and welcoming the finalists into their studio complex. On top of that, they are now offering the winner of Making Moves in Music to play at their stage at Ultra Music Festival in Miami this March 29-31, 2019.
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[ICYMI] Finnish Broadcasting Company Announces Darude's Entrance To Eurovision Song Contest NE W S F R O M A R OUND T HE WE B
Beatselector Staff | INDUSTRY NEWS
From ABBA to Celine Dion, the Eurovision Song Contest is an annual event steeped in history, celebrating the most diverse and exciting names from across the continent. You’ve heard the ubiquitously iconic "Sandstorm" amongst others in an almost 20 year long career and now for 2019, Finland will be represented by Darude for this year’s competition. Darude is one of the most successful Finnish artists of the modern era with true global appeal. A multi-platinum, award-winning Producer/DJ, who plays hundreds of club and festival shows around the world and who to date has released 4 critically acclaimed studio albums, his most recent album "Moments" (Warner Music) coming back in 2015. In a career that has seen him win prestigious awards that include 3 x Finnish Grammy Awards to having one of the world’s biggest selling 12 inch singles in 2000, Darude has continually flown the "Siniristilippu" (Blue Cross Flag) of Finland wherever he has travelled. An act that his home country has always respected him for and is in part the reason behind why he was invited to usher in the 2016 New Year Eve celebrations by DJing at a largescale public event in the country’s capital of Helsinki in front more than 100,000 people as part of the celebrations of 100 years of Finnish independence. ”This is a huge challenge for me in many ways, when I was asked to represent Finland I felt a bit scared at first, but there was no way I could say no to my country! It is an honour to be part of this incredible experience and I only have positive expectations!” Darude says. Darude will release three songs that will compete in the national selection of the UMK, to be released worldwide on February 8th,15th and the 22nd. The winning Darude track that finally represents Finland in the ESC 2019 will be decided by a combination of public vote and an international jury’s points via live TV broadcast on 2nd March. Get ready Finland, as Darude is going to join the elite EU rankings and make it one memorable night…
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[ICYMI] Deadmau5 Breaks New Ground: Scores OST For Netflix's Neo-noir Adaptation Film "Polar " N E W S F R O M A R OUND T HE WE B
Beatselector Staff | INDUSTRY NEWS
"Polar" is a 2019 neo-noir action film based on the web comic series of the same name. It is directed by Jonas Åkerlund and written by Jayson Rothwell. The film stars Mads Mikkelsen, Vanessa Hudgens, Katheryn Winnick and Matt Lucas. It was released on January 25, 2019, streaming on Netflix. The world’s top assassin, Duncan Vizla, aka The Black Kaiser, is settling into retirement when his former employer marks him as a liability to the firm. Against his will, he finds himself back in the game going head to head with an army of younger, faster, ruthless killers who will stop at nothing to have him silenced. The action, mystery and intrigue are set to a custom body of productions by Deadmau5. "Polar" (Music from the Netflix Film), the film's original soundtrack album, was released by Deadmau5 on January 25, 2019, through his record label Mau5trap. The soundtrack's release details were announced on January 8, 2019, along with the film's initial trailer. A single from the soundtrack album, "Midas Heel" was released on 11 January 2019, followed by the vocal version called "Drama Free" featuring Lights which was previously released on Mau5ville: Level 2. Several tracks of the score (such as "Somb," "Wilhelm" and "End") feature elements from Deadmau5's previous tracks from his seventh studio album "While(1<2)," as well as two new tracks named "Nosedive" and "Camilla," the former being a remake of his unreleased track "Rio," the latter being known previously as "Suite 02." "deadmau5 is an unstoppable force. Taking him out of his comfort zone to compose a film, he brought power and excellence to the score without losing that deadmau5 DNA we love so much. Walking into this project, we didn’t know what to expect. His unique and cutting-edge approach to composing Polar exceeded our expectations and brought a brilliance that guarantees his genius."– Jonas Åkerlund, Director, Polar
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[ICYMI] N E W S F R O M A R OUND T HE WE B
Oliver Heldens Brings "Heldeep 5 Tour" To North America: United States, Canada And Mexico Beatselector Staff | INDUSTRY NEWS
Oliver Heldens just announced the mammoth "Heldeep 5 Tour" which will take him through the USA, Canada and Mexico. Kicking off in March 2019, the 18-date trip will sweep through world-class venues such as Echostage in Washington DC, Exchange in Los Angeles, and a special Heldeep 250 show in New York. To celebrate 5 Years of Heldeep Radio and to mark the 250th episode of the globally recognized radio show that reaches over 70 million people a week, the event in New York will be live-streamed on to Facebook and other platforms. Heldeep Radio 250 will be a live recording of Oliver Heldens' set. The tour comes on the heels of Helden's release of his first major label debut single, "Fire In My Soul" ft. Shungudzo. Billboard called the track, "an absolute blaze." Just as the name suggests, 2019 marks 5 years of Heldeep Records. The Dutch/DJ producer founded the label to create a platform to showcase the new music of budding producers. In only five years, Oliver Heldens has grown Heldeep Records into a fully-fledged label, featuring respected mainstay acts like ALOK, Chocolate Puma, & Dada Life as well as hosting stages at leading festivals across the globe like Tomorrowland, Electric Forest, Spring Awakening Music Festival and South West Four. On March 16th, Heldeep Radio will celebrate their 250th episode, and revellers attending the New York show that evening are in for a special treat. More details to follow. The tour promises incredible lineups (special guests to be announced) and immersive entertainment (brand-new visuals, Co2 effects and pyrotechnics). Tickets are available now. Get them here.
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[ICYMI] Innervisions Debuts In New York Featuring DJ Koze, Dixon, Âme (DJ), Jennifer Cardini & Trikk! N E W S F R O M A R OUND T HE WE B
Beatselector Staff | INDUSTRY NEWS
After a stellar 2018 which saw Innervisions touch down in Miami, Beirut, London, Moscow, Marrakech, Barcelona, and Paris, the prestigious label will make a rare trip across the pond for its New York debut taking over Knockdown Center on Friday, May 17 from 9pm5am. With visionary label heads Âme (DJ) and Dixon leading the night’s proceedings with a special back-to-back DJ set, together they will bring along some of the most exciting names in underground dance music: critically-acclaimed DJ Koze, fast-rising star Trikk and French talent, Jennifer Cardini. Founded in 2005 by visionaries Dixon (Steffen Berkhahn) and Âme (Frank Wiedemann and Kristian Beyer), Berlin-based label Innervisions has become one of the most influential voices in underground dance music over its 14 year history. Handpicking releases from the likes of Laurent Garnier, Lee Burridge, Matthew Dekay, Recondite and more, Innervisions continues to offer refreshing and groundbreaking originals. The latest release on the imprint -January’s "Secret Weapons Part 11" compilation -- features work by 14 artists with divergent styles that have all enjoyed regular rotation in both Âme and Dixon’s sets allowing them to create vivid moments during both after hours and peak time performances. Nestled on the Bushwick-Queens border, Knockdown Center is a music, art, and performance space dedicated to cross-disciplinary projects and collaborations. The stunning space includes a century-old building with artisanal wood panelling throughout and has rapidly become a venue for innovative and experimental programming in visual arts, performance, music and more, making it the perfect partner to host Innervisions New York. Advance tickets to Innervisions New York at Knockdown Center are available via Eventbrite while supplies last!
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[ICYMI] The International Dance Music Awards (IDMA) Returns For 33rd Annual WMC Program N E W S F R O M A ROUND T HE WE B
Beatselector Staff | INDUSTRY NEWS
The International Dance Music Awards (IDMA), an electronic music institution spanning 33 years, has announced a refreshed approach to its program for 2019 and beyond. For the first time since its inception, the IDMAs will undergo a complete update to its governing body, categories, and voting processes. Electronic Music will now have its very own advisory board that will help to define what the IDMA’s become and bring a new credibility to the awards like never before. The IDMA Advisory Board is comprised of major players within the electronic music community including notable artists, managers, agents, publicists and promoters, among others. Part of this year’s awards are powered by Viberate - the world’s biggest crowdsourced platform for listing and mapping the live music industry. Using their metrics based platform, the Viberate team was able to populate the IDMA “artist categories” and present a set of nominees based on true artist popularity and free from industry favoritism and politics. Nominees for the remaining IDMA categories will be selected by The IDMA Advisory Board, with the winners of all categories being determined by a public vote. The IDMAs have always been at the forefront of representing different styles of electronic music while also offering a more inclusive look into the global scene. This year’s awards categories are the most comprehensive to date, modified further to celebrate electronic music’s ever changing palate and community. “Best Artist” categories have grown extensively, now featuring electronic music artists representing the pop electronic, techno, house, bass, trance, drum n’ bass, downtempo and hardstyle genres. Each “Best Artist” category is represented by a set of “Best Male” and “Best Female” nominees to offer an even wider view of the genre. Visit wintermusicconference.com for more information.
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[ICYMI] The 12th Edition of IMS Ibiza Presents the Global Leading Women's Network SheSaid.So N E W S F R O M A R OUND T HE WE B
Beatselector Staff | INDUSTRY NEWS International Music Summit (IMS), the premier platform for business, culture and education in global electronic music, announced their collaboration with the leading female empowerment organisation in the music industry SHESAID.SO. As the summit continues to identify areas where positive transformation can occur, encouraging debate and proactively working towards change, this year's event at the Hard Rock Hotel in Ibiza on May 22-24 will be presented and co-curated by the shesaid.so organization, with a 50% discount offered to all shesaid.so members who are attending the summit for the first time. IMS and shesaid.so share the same key ideology and vision: creating an environment that supports collaboration, creativity and positive values. Key objectives of this partnership are to break down gender stereotypes whilst promoting and increasing the profile of women who are making an impact in the industry. The two organisations are uniting to make a joint statement of intent to help the electronic music industry examine inclusivity and encourage its movement to a more balanced sector, they will work together to strive towards gender parity at IMS Ibiza. In addition, IMS continues to collaborate with and unite the strongest voices in our industry, working in partnership with leading platforms to effect positive change. IMS Ibiza 2019 key partners include Pioneer DJ, Dancing Astronaut, Data Transmission, Decoded Magazine, DJ Magazine, Essential Ibiza, FAZE Magazine, Ibiza Spotlight, International DJ Mag Editions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spain & Italy, Mixmag, Pulse, Resident Advisor, Ministry Of Sound, Record Of The Day and Trax. During IMS Ibiza week delegates can experience a carefully curated three-day summit including inspiring keynotes and workshops, powerful networking sessions, Remedy State presents ARETĂ&#x2030;, Ibiza opening parties, the IMS Legends Dinner and the annual IMS Dalt Vila closing finale.
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[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS] and the bad.” Drawing from varied childhood influences like The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana and The Prodigy, his love for San Francisco, and his time as a student in Berlin, "Into Clouds" explores Luttrell’s broad stylistic range. The subtle melodies at the heart of opening and closing tracks "After All" and "Outro" demonstrate Luttrell’s knack for emotive production, while infectious club tracks "Into Clouds" and "Windowscene" showcase his commanding dancefloor sound. Lead single "Out of Me" was premiered on Annie Mac’s show on BBC Radio 1, while follow-up singles "Quiet Even Dark" and "Into Clouds" saw similar support from Phil Taggart at BBC Radio 1 and Triple J.
2019 has already seen San Franciscan producer Eric Luttrell embark on an extensive headline tour of North America in support of his debut solo album "Into Clouds," out now on Anjunadeep. Initially breaking into electronic music as part of the OWSLA-affiliated trio The M Machine, Eric launched his solo project in 2016 with the acclaimed "Need You" EP, quickly winning support from some of the scene’s key tastemakers, including BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac and Pete Tong, and DJs like Joris Voorn and Claude VonStroke. Luttrell’s unique and recognisable sound has seen him rack up a remarkable 88 plays on BBC Radio 1, and almost 15 million streams, catching the attention of acts like Moby and Tycho, both of whom commissioned and released Luttrell remixes in recent months. Inspired by the empowerment and vulnerability experienced in starting anew and going solo, "Into Clouds" is an exploration of beauty and catharsis. Luttrell explains that the deeply-personal 10-track LP is about “doing your best to recognise and appreciate the beauty - both in the good times
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Speaking of the album, Luttrell explains: “I think each song has a message, a vibe or a feeling that each and every one of us can relate to on some level. Some moments are flying high above it all, some are dreamy or whimsical, and some moments are more pensive, delicate or even vulnerable. I want listeners to make this album their own and attribute their personal experiences and feelings to the music.” The album announcement closed out a breakthrough 2018 for Luttrell. Alongside the release of his "Intergalactic Plastic" EP, the title track of which was named Hottest Record In The World on BBC Radio 1, he has played major festivals like Tomorrowland, Holy Ship and the DoLab Stage at Coachella, and toured the world with Anjunadeep, Rüfüs Du Sol, Lane 8 and Above & Beyond. Luttrell is currently on the road, celebrating the release of his debut album with an extensive 23date Into Clouds North American Tour. "Into Clouds" is available now digitally, on CD, and on limited edition 2x12” vinyl, due for release March 1 2019. Buy it here.
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[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS] out club brand Stamina Sessions, they managed to deliver every time. In spite of the challenges this presented, they were inspired to name their album "Surrender" after the notion of "truly surrendering to your art." The result is a sublime album of Electronica, Vocal House, Deep House and Breakbeat featuring a plethora of vocalists from around the world. With influences from the UK house sound, 90's rave and even Brian Eno. In addition to the tracks they have released over the year they have presented five new exclusives. "Surrender" is a solid listen wherever you are, with tracks that translate on the dance floor, international radio and streaming playlists alike.
Australia's hardest working production duo Set Mo (Nick Drabble and Stu Turner) have spent the past year working relentlessly, composing and writing songs inspired by their travels and personal experiences. Having spent time in studios across London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Australia, teaming up with the likes of Touch Sensitive, Happiness is Wealth, AJ Wright (Cloud Control), Asta and Julian Hamilton (The Presets), the duo are set to release their mammoth 16-track debut album "Surrender." Where many artists would opt to take a break to complete their work, often shutting themselves away, Set Mo approached the writing process in a completely new way. Their plan to write while touring and travelling, punctuating the writing process with special locations to draw inspiration. Having had the original idea to release a new track every month throughout 2018, they stuck to their guns, committed to writing and composing a diverse volume of work. Despite their touring and show schedule around their own successful sell
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The 5 new songs included add further context to the boy's year long story with the soft and gentle "Counter Human Emotion Ft. Woodes." Laidback track "Bergamot" features uplifting synths, creating a perfect reflection of an Australian sunset. "I'll Be There Ft. Happiness is Wealth" is a deep and atmospheric track, featuring powerful vocals throughout. "You Don't Know Why" contains dreamy percussion and emotive keys, and the final new addition is "Woodburn," driven by percussion, including spine-tingling piano chords and enticing vocal samples, making it a powerful closing track. All together this is a very diverse album showing the breadth and depth of Set Mo's production skills. Set Mo remain an outstanding product of the vibrant Australian House scene, which has produced some of the biggest stand out artists and releases of late and are tapped to be the next break out act of the Southern Hemisphere, becoming recognised names in the world Electronic Music landscape. Buy it here.
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[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS] melodic halo that surrounds their music, this second full-length effort sweeps an extra-wide and languidly woven palette of emotions and moods, making for a uniquely ambitious and generously colored mosaic of sound. The album is the fruit of a whole new working process for them too - more playful and unpredictable - which saw them switch from "guitars lying around to piano, onto our own synths and the most cheap quirky toys synths you can imagine."
Amsterdam duo Weval (Harm Coolen & Merijn Scholte Albers) have returned to Kompakt for their new album "The Weight," set for release March 8, 2019. The lead track from the upcoming LP, "Heaven, Listen" is an arpeggiated slice of piano-strewn kosmische, and an invitation to an epic-scale odyssey from the inner-spheres into the distant fringes of the outer-world. 'The Weight' follows Weval's breakthrough selftitled debut album, which made countless year end lists and was described by Pitchfork as "the rare electronic record that is so strong and obviously appealing that it can't help but end up in the hands of casual listeners." On their sophomore album, the duo break their pop-mellow, nostalgia-friendly facet further out in the open as they arrive "at this place again where everything felt spontaneous, new and exciting, like we had in the beginning." Orbiting around that ever luminous yet wistful
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"We've always wanted a narrative for the album, and finding the right order perhaps took the most effort" they explain; "we felt anxious, felt insanely positive, felt heartbroken again, felt in love again, and there was death, and even suicide around us. It was quite chaotic." As a whole, "The Weight" breathes with that transformative richness, free of limits and rules. Amidst this collection of songs and instrumentals that live by Weval's singularly positive take on music - one that can "lift you up, and make you feel hopeful without being necessarily straight out 'happy,'" the title track and lead single stays true to the duo's dynamic approach, putting on a fine balance of floor and dream inducing adaptability that sound engineer David Wrench (Frank Ocean, The XX, FKA Twigs, Caribou... etc.) subtly made palpable. Weightless and airy, yet texturally dense and widely magnetic overall, Weval's second LP is a synthesis of the duo's multi-angle take on electronics: blissed-out, heartening and infinitely free. Buy it here.
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[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS] together to create a track around his creations as each idea comes to fruition. Having been part of the Austrian music scene for almost two years now, their debut album sees Lex Audrey ready to take on the global market as they rely more on electronic soundscapes instead of traditional instrumentation. Inspired by a wide array of acts, Lex Audrey channels the vocal harmonies of Bon Iver, the genre-defying attitude of Radiohead and the electronic production elements from James Blake. They ooze rock 'n roll grit, exude the carefree persona from indie and manage to combine it all together with the best aspects of electronica as each listener will be drawn towards a dancefloor.
Austrian Indie-electronic act, Lex Audrey released their debut album, "No Intention Of Changing The World" on February 8, 2019 via Las Vegas Records. The self-produced, composed and mixed "No Intention Of Changing The World," comes after their acclaimed 2017 debut EP, "Godgiven," their August 2018 single release "NSFL" and their latest single, "Winter II" single and video which were premiered by top end tastemaker publications COMPLEX and The Line Of Best Fit respectively. This dynamic trio has seen radio support on a global scale with their music receiving spins on stations in Austria, Germany, France, Poland, Japan and USA including Billboard Radio China, iHeart Radio and FM4. The Vienna-based trio consists of Niklas Pichler (vocals), Patrick Pillichshammer (drums and samples), and Lukas Staudinger (synth and bass). Each of them started playing instruments from a very young age as it allowed them to express themselves freely through the use of music. With Niklas on main songwriting duty, the group comes
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"No Intention Of Changing The World" sees Lex Audrey produce a stellar debut record filled with 12-tracks that never lets up. This album ranges from catchy upbeat tracks like "Winter II," "Mexican Standoff" and "NSFL" while flawlessly also including slower gems such as "Lost To You," "From Beginning" and "No Intention of Changing the World." Lex Audrey creates their sound with a spectrum of styles especially on tracks like "Little Elephant," "TikTikBoom!" and "The Key," where it's clear they had a lot of fun experimenting with different elements. If you're into big tracks that remind you of classic arena rock, then the anthemic "Get Me Anywhere," the synth-heavy "Metaphor" and the massive guitar solos of "Godgiven" should be right up your alley. It's difficult to place any of the tracks on "No Intention of Changing the World" into a singular box, as this album manages to tick every box. Synth, indie, electronica, rock, pop, dance, ballads; Lex Audrey can do it all. Buy it here.
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[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS]
Infinity Ink unveil their hugely anticipated debut album - H ouse of Infinity. Hot on the heels of their first LP release of 2019, '"Rushing Back" featuring the mesmerising sounds of vocalist, Yasmin, the duo invite a host of leading feature artists to create their most diverse and triumphant chapter yet. From it's conception, House of Infinity has been a labor of love for the duo A li Love and L uca Cazal, they recorded the album over the space of three years, across various studios in London, Ibiza and Toronto. Inviting guest singers to their late night jamming sessions, the duo were inspired to use a load of 80's and 90's machines, alongside live takes of us on bass, guitars, keyboard. With the aim to push their musical backgrounds to the max, the use of software was minimal, choosing instead to draw from their f ull spectrum of influences: classic songwriting via the sounds of Disco, Acid and Chicago House, while nodding to 60's psychedelia in both the vocal melodies and lyrics. The album begins with the "Infinity Intro," which feels like a transmission into outer space. It flows straight into the enticing beat of "Set Your Body
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Free," armed with a club-ready vocal from Ali Love himself. With a voice that appeals to the dancefloor, Ali makes another solo appearance in "Alienation." Paying tribute to hazy nights, both Mr V and eLBee BaD lend their tones to their respective tracks. "In The Rush" Mr V's heady vocals layer over a rumbling bass, destined for peak hours. While "Get Up On The Rhythm And Dance" is elevated via eLBee BaD's unmistakable tone, centred around robotic rhythms and cosmic pads. The feeling of the album slowly unravels as the themes of love and freedom on the dancefloor take hold. Released earlier this year and heavily supported on BBC Radio 1, " Rushing Back" is a UK garage infused number adorned with uplifting melodic synths and Yasmin's warm, soulful voice. The duo had a similar success with the singer on " How Do I Love You,"an enchanting hit that features later on in the album. Mid-way through the LP A ya lulls the listener into a hypnotic state, fully submerging them in the warm sonics that the duo are famed for. "Cloud 8.5" featuring Tim Fuller and " Situation" featuring C edric Gasaïda both combine a playful beat in a modern day disco framework. The album closes with the melancholic melody of "Tomorrow Never Comes," filling you with ambient tones and love-drenched lyrics. Friends for twenty years and collaborating for eight, they have released a plethora of highly regarded tracks that have defined their presence in the industry and showcased their ability to create catchy music that works perfectly in big club rooms and small smoke-filled basements alike. Their DJ sets and live performances are bursting with energy and have taken them across the globe; from London to Chicago, Miami to Paris, and New York to Amsterdam. Now with the release of their debut album, Infinity Ink are here to push their sound to the next level. "House of Infinity" will release worldwide April 5, 2019.
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[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS] Land," a collaboration which pitied ICARUS's dark, cinematic production alongside transient-themed lyricism from Real Lies. As ICARUS note, "We've got the clearest vision that we've ever had of the core ICARUS sound, but those tracks show that we'll always experiment with how far we'll push it." That approach also informs the EP's other new tracks. Previously ICARUS have moved at will between styles, infusing crossover anthems, cinematic atmospherics and expansive progressive productions with their own signature style. This time around, "Sirens" brings all of those elements into one thrilling new take on what ICARUS can be. An early demo of "Sirens" was almost forgotten about until it was included on a pre-gig playlist during the duo's first live tour. 2018 provided the biggest moment of ICARUS's career to date. They started the year by landing their fourth consecutive Hottest Record with "Love Has Come Around" – a track that soon earned the support of rising stars RÜFÜS DU SOL. ICARUS opened for them on the North American leg, earning new fans wherever they went, notably with three nights at Los Angeles' 6000 capacity Shrine Expo Hall and another three at New York's Terminal 5. ICARUS then stepped up as main support on RÜFÜS'S UK dates as they earned a rapturous reception at London's Printworks. While all that was going on, the genre-defying duo – brothers Ian and Tom Griffiths – were also readying their new EP "This Must Be The Place," out now on FFRR. Their most accomplished body of work to date, the EP revolves around the concept of constantly moving from one place to the next – a lifestyle which dictates contradictory emotions of unlimited freedom alongside loneliness and anxiety. The EP was previewed by "Echoes," which hit #3 on Radio 1's Dance Chart, and "Man of the
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That version attracted the interest of some friends and inspired ICARUS to again focus their attention upon it. "It was a straight-up crossover track, almost a pop record with a three-minute song structure but we really liked the beat and the drop. Our current approach to production made it come together." It features vocals from fellow Bristolian, Katy Pearson. The other new track "Running Away" best captures the EP's concept of constantly moving onto new horizons. The track remained unfinished as they left for the RÜFÜS DU SOL tour and trying to finish it on the road proved difficult. But it soon reached its full potential when they returned home. "It took going away on tour and having those experiences and then coming back to our comfort zone to make it work. But now it really matches up with what we both felt was right for it." ICARUS "This Must Be The Place" EP is out now via FFRR. Buy it here.
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[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS] tracks from established artists and new talent alike, the two mixes include original works from Patrice himself (with three exclusives "Expanse," "Collider," and "Mutant Voices’), alongside Phil Kieran, Guy J, Shlømo, Ripperton, Pig&Dan, Markus Guentner, Swayzak, Matthew Dear, Adam Port and many more. Patrice’s choice of Berlin was simple; it represents the “epicentre of the electronic music world. There is no club scene anywhere else that offers the diversity, freedom, rawness and sheer size of Berlin’s nightlife."
Global Underground presents the latest edition in its signature city album series with "GU42: Patrice Bäumel - Berlin," due for release on Friday, March 29, 2019. The album, which follows the last Global Underground city series installments by Solomun, and James Lavelle, is part of the pioneering DJ mix album series which includes alumni such as Sasha, Carl Cox, Deep Dish, Paul Oakenfold, Danny Tenaglia and John Digweed. "GU42: Patrice Bäumel, Berlin" is a tribute from the German DJ and producer to his second home, the album will be available as a double CD, plus digital and streaming formats, and a limited Collector’s Edition 2xCD box set with 110-page photo book containing photographer Dean Belcher’s images of Berlin and 4x12 inch square art prints. Expertly programmed and mixed, "GU42" comes as Patrice Bäumel’s career continues to flourish amongst his string of powerful releases on Kompakt and Afterlife plus his hallowed remixes. His ability to work crowds and deliver powerful experiences is exemplified here. Featuring 49
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This rings true for many who’ve found the new German capital to be a beacon of freedom, but the city has held a special attraction for him for as long as he can remember. The son of a music journalist father and art historian mother, Bäumel was born in the small East German town of Freital in the communist Eastern Bloc. Although he grew up behind the Iron Curtain, due to Patrice’s father’s job, music was constantly on around the house during his childhood, from free jazz, Frank Zappa, Nick Cave, Laurie Anderson through to rock and punk bands like The Rolling Stones, The Velvet Underground, Sex Pistols or The Ramones. His father encouraged him to find his own musical path, which led to childhood obsessions with Depeche Mode and The Cure, bands whose melancholic nature are still at the root of Patrice's sound today. A teenage Bäumel attended his first Love Parade in 1994, and so began a life-long obsession with techno, and the city that defined the genre in Europe. "Global Underground Berlin tells my story of a city that has never sold out, that does not know when to stop, that sweeps you off your feet with its relentless energy, that chews you up and spits you out. Had Frank Sinatra lived today, he would be singing about Berlin, the city that never sleeps." —Patrice Bäumel. Buy it here.
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[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS] Renowned for their ability to deliver infectious dancefloor cuts, the pair has been making serious waves in the industry. With two well-received EPs on Relief and more sought-after releases on Kittball, Roush and Desert Hearts, Black Girl / White Girl’s career is on the rise and all the signs are pointing higher. The “Twilight Zone” EP features three solid dancefloor heaters, all with the signature Black Girl / White Girl vibe, yet each is entirely unique.
Ty and Karin are Black Girl / White Girl: a Curaçaoan/Israeli DJ and production duo whose refreshing sound has been breaking exciting new ground for the past couple of years. Their authentic sound successfully blurs the lines of tripped-out house and techno, an irresistible combo custom made for sending dance floors into a frenzy. Their productions have the rhythmic energy to move big rooms, yet they’re unafraid to throw in less expected, experimental constituents too. Support for their releases has come from heavyhitting names Green Velvet, Jamie Jones, Nicole Moudaber and Detlef, to Seth Troxler, Pan-Pot, and Latmun. Black Girl / White Girl are on fire. Hot off the heels of their heavy hitter “Mind Warp” released last October, comes the highly-anticipated “Twilight Zone” EP on Relief.
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First track “Reflexions” is a thumping cut bordering on big-room techno. Rugged percussions keep the track moving forward, while stunning diva vocals, unexpected bleeps, and dusky textures add further mystique. “Chem Cut” then, is an upbeat peak-time banger. Catchy vocal samples, booming drums, and crafty analog glitches intertwine to create a sultry tech bomb. Final track “Body Snatchers” wraps things up in style, with its stripped-down grooves, retrofuturistic percussions, sci-fi inspired synth squiggles, and singular vocal chops coming together to invoke a powerful mood. The “Twilight Zone” EP has racked up serious club play over the past few months, and you can expect it to get plenty more. Stream it here.
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[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS] collaborate with Chicago Children’s Choir, and spanned across many sessions in New Orleans. Snoop Dogg even sent in a verse from his studio in Long Beach. There’s truly something for everybody in the record. Each song tips a hat to Grant’s personality, and many parts of this represent moments of reflection. GRiZ and Matisyahu were in the studio just days after February’s Parkland shooting, and a song about gun violence, “A New Day,” became of it. The album parallels Grant’s core as a human; it’s about love and a need for peace. It’s just another piece to the puzzle that represents GRiZ becoming the positive force that mainstream electronic and popular culture need.
Every time GRiZ puts his mind to something, it’s a moment. It’s a fleshed-out idea, a fruit of commitment and passion, not an idea thrown at a wall and moved on from.
"Ride Waves" will be paired with a US album tour, which kicks off in March and he will be touching down in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, St. Augustine, Minneapolis, New Orleans for Buku Music & Arts Project, Miami’s Ultra Music Festival, and more.
Multi-instrumentalist, artist, producer, philanthropist and LGBTQ advocate, GRiZ, has announced his sixth studio album, "Ride Waves," along with a US headline tour, and releases a new single, “I’m Good.”
As the year rolls on GRiZ will then take the album on an international journey taking in destinations such as Europe during the summer, as he seeks to bring his famed good-vibes and funk to dancefloors around the world!
"Ride Waves," out April 5, is the culmination of the last two years for GRiZ––a period pillared by his own creative exile, high impact sociocultural issues, and a slew of communities and relationships in which he has embedded himself.
"Ride Waves "will mark the beginning of the next chapter for GRiZ – one that sees him not only persevere as a solo artist, but also step up to the plate as he joins the ranks of the producers outside of the electronic world that inspire him. This is the most evolved version of GRiZ—and one that will continue to grow.
The 14-track LP sees Grant being immersed into the environments that have inspired his carefully curated sound. He tapped hip-hop favorites like Wiz Khalifa on “Find My Own Way,” and DRAM for “It Gets Better.” His sonic journey touched down in New York’s urban core to record with the Harlem Gospel Choir, stepped into Chicago’s South Side to
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Fans can pre-order and pre-save "Ride Waves" here and instantly download album singles “It Gets Better (feat. DRAM)”, “Can’t Get Enough”, and “I’m Good.”
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FAITH In The Product LOYALTY To The Client LOVE For The Consumer
TW BS teamweasal.com
[ON TOUR] NICOLE MOUDABER
Making her highly anticipated return to North America this spring, DJ and producer Nicole Moudaber will touch down for 15 dates throughout March, April and May 2019 for what is to be one of her biggest tours yet on this side of the pond. Making appearances at high profile festivals including Coachella, the newly revived Winter Music Conference, Ultra Music Festival Resistance Miami and SXM Festival in St. Martin, coupled with a slew of club dates stretching from San Francisco to Toronto, 2019 is already working out to be an incredibly exciting year for the much-loved artist. After a stellar 2018 which saw the one woman techno machine tour more than 28 countries to play over 110 shows, Moudaber also found time to launch her charity campaign, ELEVEN, which is aimed at eradicating the barbaric practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). Never one to slow down, Moudaber also already has a heady 2019 release under her belt -- a remix of Sasha’s “Vapourspace” for the progressive house star’s "Last Night on Earth" 100th release compilation album, which premiered in Mixmag in February to wide acclaim.
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March 23 Nest Toronto, CA March 28 Winter Music Conference -- Techno Panel Miami, USA March 29 TBA Miami, USA March 30 Resistance Miami Miami, USA April 5 Soundcheck Washington D.C., USA April 6 The Midway -- Open-to-Close set San Francisco, USA April 12 & 19 Coachella Indio, USA April 20 45 East Portland, USA April 21 Stereo Live Houston, USA May 26 Movement -- Dubfire B3B Nicole Moudaber B3B Paco Osuna Detroit, USA May 31 99 Scott -- All Night Long New York, USA Beatselector Magazine | March/April 2019 | 61
[BUZZ WORTHY] AMYCANBE
Written by JOSEPH ARTHUR
A
mycanbe is a dance, electronic music act with dream-pop leanings based out of Cervia, Italy. Formed in 2002 by Marco Trinchillo (drums and keys) and Mattia Mercuriali (bass, guitars) along with Francesca Amati (vocals) and Mattia “Matta” Dallara (keys) bring you to the current line-up of Amycanbe. Three
EPs: 2005’s “Yellow Suit;” 2011’s “The World Is Round” and 2017’s “Plato Plomo” and three Albums: 2007’s “Being A Grown Up Sure Is Complicated;” 2011’s “Mountain Whales” and 2015’s “Wolf” have all laid a solid music foundation for their loyal fan base. Over the years, they’ve been very active on the club circuit all over their homeland of Italy, The U.K. and Europe and have had their music featured on television and reality shows including Finding Carter, MTV's Catfish, Web of Lies and Royal Pains,My Giant Life, How To (Not) Kill Your Husband, Top Chef Stars and High Infidelity. The band pulls Inspiration from a diverse list of legendary performers including Nina Simone, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Portishead, Aphex Twin, and David Bowie, influencing and providing them a foundation of creating their own dreamy music with a direct appeal pointed towards fans of The Xx, The Cocteau Twins and The Naked And Famous. Currently Amycanbe is gearing up for their forthcoming four-track EP “White Slide” slated for release on April 19. Leading up the EP’s release, a live version of the title track 'White Slide' has been released to the public and presents is the track as a re-imagination of the ethereal original song. The “live” version is heavy with hard-hitting bass and grooves and breathes new life with the hypnotic and danceable synth lines, Francesca's voice and intricate yet subtle production elements On 'White Slide', Amycanbe explains, "'White Slide' is a song originally started as an instrumental demo by Marco Trinchillo for a dance side-project. When Francesca Amati heard it, she immediately felt she wanted to sing and wrote the lyrics. The live version is very different and pushy; tremendously rearranged by the band as a whole, and is a great moment in the show for Amycanbe fans."
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[BUZZ WORTHY] DNMO
Written by LEO WEAVER
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lden Morgan aka DNMO (pronounced Den-mo) made numerous “Watch” lists in 2018. The U.K. based producer is signed to Deadbeats, the home base for Zed’s Dead and in a relative short amount of time, has racked up a slew of impressive tracks. Last year, DNMO took to the U.S.A. for the first time debuting with a sold out show at Red Rocks, the youngest ever to play at the iconic venue. With dates at Electric Zoo, HARD Day of The Dead, Ministry of Sound, Aragon Ballroom and Exchange along with touring with Ghastley and Ookay, mark significant accomplishments for the young producer, placing an exclamation point on the phrase “one to watch.” On February 15th, DNMO released a soulful track reeling in the distressful feelings of teenage love. The track was produced with Sub Urban who has collaborated on several of DNMO’s previous tracks. They are not strangers when it comes to making music together and it’s apparent, through their collaborative efforts, the chemistry and creativity feed off both of these very talented people. “Sick of You,” the lead single of a forthcoming EP, reveals a narrative revolving around “toxic” relationships, how they can become addictive and how to combat teenage love issues, all in a multi-layered, slightly dark and organic soundscape. Check it out for yourself and stay tuned. "'Sick Of You' was written about a girl in your life that you cherish more than anyone else. It’s about old habits, ritual attraction and at times, pity, obscured [by] the fact that this girl was a toxic ailment towards everyday life. For this track, Sub Urban and I spent a week writing music in the studio together, which really helped us reach a whole new level of songwriting. Through that experience we were able to capture the high energy vibe we were feeling at the time.”—DNMO and Sub Urban.Granted that DNMO’s career as a music producer is a relatively short one, one thing is certain, his commitment to creating quality electronic music is paying off. His music output proves it. Just check out his collaborations with MAKJ, Max Styler, and Zed’s Dead to name just a few. So, as 2019 rolls on, will DNMO’s popularity continue on its upward trajectory? I say yes.
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[BUZZ WORTHY] ELLEN ALLIEN
Written by CATHERINE STRICKLAND
E
llen Allien is a seasoned producer who has been a trailblazer within Berlin’s vibrant contemporary Techno scene. She’s also made a name for herself as a live DJ act delivering an “in real-time” live mix behind the decks feeding off the crowd’s energy and vibes giving the audience an experience. Upon discovering Ellen Allien’s music,
you can expect to hear the influence of Berlin’s Techno scene along with some acid, giving Techno fans an exciting and cutting-edge artist to follow. Bottom-lining it, Ellen Allien’s music is hypnotic, aggressive and addictive and that's exactly what you’ll hear on dozens of her releases. Currently, she holds residencies at Barcelona’s Nitsa and the world famous Cicroloco at DC 10 and is building on her successful bi-monthly “We Are Not Alone” rave event at Griessmüle in Berlin. January 28th marked the release of a two track EP “UFO1” (on vinyl and digital) and the launching of her imprint UFO Inc. According to the label founder herself, UFO serves a mediator between earth and heaven, i.e. the concrete dancefloor and a feeling of transcendental rapture - the kind of track that lifts you up from where you dance and takes you away to new spheres. What starts off as a tough and understated banger, slowly morphs into a unexpected journey full of twists and turns. Drawing from the tension between interlocking rhythmic elements and spheric synthesiser sounds, UFO is a perfect exercise in both suspension and the ecstasy that comes with release. Acid-tinged and cosmic at the same time, it must be considered the definite UFO Inc. manifesto: rough music from and for the here and now, opening a pathway into the greater unknown. In fine Ellen Allien form, the 2nd track, “Körpermaschine,” is filled with Berlin stylized techno flavors, hits you harder and has all the elements of a bona-fide dancefloor anthem. Future plans for releases by Alien Rain and Regal have been announced and in doing so, further establishes Ellen Allien’s UFO Inc. as a rising tour de force among the world’s upcoming contemporary Techno music labels.
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[BUZZ WORTHY] NEVEREADY
Written by LEO WEAVER
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eveready is a self-professed vinyl collector and crate digger hailing from Finland. He is also an experimental electronica and trip-hop music producer going back decades with releases on Fjuu, Anti-Party Music, Monsop and Redvolume and his debut2013’s “Rejections” received a nomination for Debut Album Of The Year from Finland’s Funky Awards. Growing up in Vaasa, a small city on the west coast of Finland, his formative years were spent exploring and listening to his brother’s music, which was wide-ranging from Jimi Hendrix and The Doors to Mobb Deep to Metalheadz. Discovering early on the genres of Jungle, Drum & Bass, Trip and hip-hop through the recordings of Nightmares On Wax, DJ Shadow and Photek among others, would all play major creative roles in the innovative and completely unique sounds that Neveready produces today. As a performer, Neveready has played some of the biggest festivals in Europe including the Dubshack Party in Estonia, All Out Dubstep Party in Stockholm, Sweden and the Funky Elephant Festival in Helsinki. He’s shared the stage with King Shiloh, Ivah Sound System, Orkidia, Dalindeo and has side projects in the hip-hop and jazz worlds with Fearfall- a project with fellow producer Jussi Neiminen, Organ!k-a jazz and hip-hop outfit with Toni Nordlund and a future collaboration with DJ Subsense. On March 15, Neveready will release his latest EP “The Forest”. It spans eight tracks and features multiple appearances by vocalists Astrid Stenberg and Charlotta Kerbs. The first track to be shared from 'The Forest', Neveready's brand new, 'Release Me' and is the perfect introduction for any new listeners. A calm and soothing track, features Astrid Stenberg’s vocals against a layered production creating an atmospheric and textural soundscape. Speaking of 'The Forest' EP, Neveready explains, "I wanted to create a soundtrack for 'getting lost in the forest,' for people to unwind from their busy realities. The songs are constructed and composed to sound like they are played by a band, even though most of the people involved have never met each other in the flesh. It is essentially my 'imaginary' band playing what I would like it to play."
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[BUZZ WORTHY] PAPER TIGER
Written by JOSEPH ARTHUR
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aper Tiger, the Leeds and London based sextet, for the past couple of years, have put forth some of the most interesting and inventive spins on trip-hop, hip-hop, improv and electronic music as a whole since debuting in 2013. The band’s roots go back to early beginnings in the suburb of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom that is built on their like-minded passions and shared interests in African Funk music, Japanese animation, sound-system culture and jazz, hip hop and electronics. The band consists of Matt Davies (drums and drum machines), Oliver Cadman (keyboards, synthesizers), Sam Vicary (bass guitar, double bass), Greg Surmacz (production, electronics, woodwinds, synthesizers), Adam Radley (production, turntables, samples) and Raphael Attar (vocals). Over the course of their short career, they’ve shared the stage with Amon Tobin, Quantic, Jaga Jazzist, Nightmares On Wax and Bonobo among others and consistently receive support and praise from radio personalities to contemporaries and critics alike. Reputed as an electronic space funk outfit, Paper Tiger’s music is wild, and quite frankly, way outside the EDM mainstream. They are known for expert live musicianship, humorous lyrics, and multi genre song styles that seemlessly and effortlessly develops into intriguing and lushful music. Paper Tiger’s documented works on LP format can be found on the Wah Wah 45s label with 2013’s “Laptop Suntan,” followed by “Sultan Antpop”—a companion remix album in 2014. In 2016, the band released their second full-fength album “Blast Off” featuring Shafiq Husayn, Pyramid Vritra, Chester Watson, and Sarah Williams White. Jumping forward to current days, Paper Tiger is preparing to release their 3rd album for Wah Wah 45s titled “Rogue Planet.” The new LP includes past collaborators Shafiq Husayn, Chester Watson and Foreign Beggars. The album also features the legendary Steve Spacek on the album's first single "The Cycle" and Olivia Bhattacharjee “Rogue Planet” is described as “a record drenched in futuristic soul, brimming with textured samples and intriguing progressions – demonstrating the enviable musicianship on show here. G-Funk-esque melodies run throughout, joined by reverberating celestial horns and scattered drum patterns.”
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[LABEL WATCH] CONNECT
5fTY Felix de Laet also known as Lost Frequencies has climbed the ranks of dance music stardom with a string of #1 hits, several of which have achieved gold, platinum, and double platinum certified status to boot. Busting loose and breaking out all across Europe, and the globe for that matter, came on the heels of "Are You With Me," which would earn the title of "Most played record in Europe" and taking the top position in the UK Singles Top 40. So, back in late November of 2017, Felix decided to launch a label-Found Frequencies. Already riding on a gigantic wave of success, the label's very first release "Crazy"- a collaboration featuring Zonderling set the standard with streams in the tens of millions. Since then, multiple remixes of the smash hit have been unleashed, followed by releases with and by Twopauz, James Blunt, Van Duo, Jameson, Pretty Pink, Mordkey, Mastrovita, Petit Navine, and Submaryne. For this issue's Label Watch Q&A, Felix graciously explains the why's, the who's, the what's and more.
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“I’m really happy to see the launch of my label, Found Frequencies. It will serve as a home to my own music, and I hope it will become the go-to label for up-and-coming talents as well, as it goes way past chill vibes only. I intend to release a few club records of my own on the label and as for the rest, the sound correlates with everything I play in my live sets or add to my playlists. I really hope it’s a musical taste many find enjoyable.”
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LATEST RELEASES
FIVE QUESTION With Felix de Laet aka Lost Frequencies
Let’s address the “elephant in the room.” Why did you establish Found Frequencies? Tell us about your team and who you’re working with to grow the label? I did it because I realized a lot of cool guys around me where working on tracks that didn’t have a "home," just for fun, and I wanted to give artists the chance to have a place to release music and a platform just like I was in the beginning. Armada runs our distribution, which has been my home for the past few years, so I work in conjunction with the team over there. My manager Nick Royaards is also involved and I handle the A&R myself. Sometimes we release music from artists we know, sometimes we put the spotlight on new talents! How will the label separate and distinguish itself as unique among the other Artist led Label models? I think with "models," many labels operate in a similar way, it’s the music – for us – that really makes our operation unique and we always try to deliver the freshest sound and best final edits we can do. I also have made the label very personal, releasing music from artists I really like such as Zonderling from the dance music world, and also branching out with the collaboration I did with James Blunt, for example. For me, it’s purely about the music and not about which artist is releasing it – we try to give a platform for a lot of young producers next to more established ones. I’m very proud of all our releases so far, as well as what we’ve got in store for 2019! Since the launching of Found Frequencies in November 2018, the label has been very active releasing several tracks, most notably; your collaborative smash hit and label premiere "Crazy" with Zonderling. Are there any other releases that you would like to hype? Why? I really enjoyed making "Melody" with James Blunt, we received #1 airplay across European radio and to work with a pop artist and such a talented songwriter as James was really cool.
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NS & ANSWERS Tell us a little bit about Jameson and his latest release "Fast and Slow." Jameson is a new artist and "Fast & Slow" was the second track we have released from him, it has this looped vocal sample that I love, it really grooves before it bursts into this big house anthem. It’s really original and the music he’s making and releasing with us really excites me. How is 2019 shaping up for the label? Can you share some hints on future releases and new signings that readers should watch out for? 2019 is going to be a big one for us! "Fast & Slow" has been a great way to start the new year and we’re going to release a really cool new track from Dr. Shiver soon – to find out when our next tracks are dropping you can follow us on Facebook at @ FoundFrequenciess – I hope you all enjoy the music and thank you for your continuous support!
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FROM THE LOS ANGELES UNDERGROUND COMETH THE MUSIC OF
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Based between Los Angeles and London, Principleasure is an artist mired in vintage analogue synthesizer technology. By combining new production techniques with the raw warmth and nostalgia of hardware instruments, Principleasure prefers to occupy the grey space between dancefloor and afterparty soundtrack. Leo Weaver quizzes Principleasure about his debut album release, "I," (a brooding mix of moody driving electronica, sublime beatless interludes and twisted analogue synth textures), machines and gear and who his favorite artists are.
INTERVIEW BY LEO WEAVER
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"You know those T-shirts that say 'wit Well for me, it would be without tempera Who is Principleasure? Tell us about yourself and how you came to be an electronic music composer. I’m originally from London but have been living in Downtown Los Angeles for the last few years. I’ve had an unhealthy relationship with electronic drum sounds and synthesisers for as long as I can remember. To not put this into the form of music would probably have led to some form of madness. You know those T-shirts that say “without music life would be a mistake?” Well for me, it would be without temperamental vintage analogue synthesisers. You’ve got a brand new release out titled “I.” Interesting Cover Art by the way. How did you envision the album to sound and what listenership did you have in mind while creating and composing the tracks? I just did what I liked and blissfully paid very little attention to what was going on around me musically. I haven’t heard much innovation in club music, even though production tools are getting better with every day. Sonically I wanted something that drew from a familiar palette but added substance to the arrangement and processing of the sound, which I think is either typically underdone or overdone in most music I hear. I’m hoping the result will at least appeal to someone, and ideally both those that enjoy club experiences and those who do not. The songs on “I” are complex and ensure a deep cerebral listening experience. Was that your intention? To draw the listener in and to focus on what is going on musically?
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thout music, life would be a mistake?' amental vintage analogue synthesisers." Thanks. Not really. There’s no telling. I just wanted to do the best I could with older technology and really show why I feel it sounds richer and warmer than a lot of modern tools. The arrangements get to the point quicker I guess.. there aren’t any extended mixes on the record and there are a few beatless instrumentals peppered in there, so I guess subconsciously a “listening experience” was being created. For all the “gear heads” reading, what tools and instruments did you use while creating “I”? Primarily the TR-808, TR-707, TR-606, Linn Drum LM2, Emu SP-1200, Roland Jupiter 8, Jupiter 6, Roland SH-101, Elka Sythex, Elektron Analog Four, Distressor, Dbx 160, Eventide Harmonizer and on one track I cheated with my own software synthesiser - Zone. Who are some of your personal heroes in electronic music? Name a couple of your favorite Albums and how do they “speak” to you. I have to say the age old influences would always be Juan Atkins and Cybotron, Robert Hood, Jeff Mills, John Carpenter, Trent Reznor, The Egyptian Lover - of the newer artists, Barnt, Daniel Avery, Clark, Lone (I love all of his albums), R&S Records, Factory Floor (again all of his recent albums have been terrific). In general I love artistry that presents subtle hints of the past but is dressed in newer production techniques without trying too hard. Those I mentioned do that really well.
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HAPP THAT I INTERVEW BY JOSEPH ARTHUR
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IN A GOOD PLACE
Alex ‘Kiwi’ Warren’s passion for music has been a fire that has long burned within. From humble beginnings as an in-house photographer for the world-famous DURRR club-night, started by Erol Alkan’s much celebrated Trash team, to the runaway success of his own club nights, it’s his prolific productions and genre blending extended dj sets that are now catapulting him into the spotlight.
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How has the start of 2019 been for you and what “Spring-time” news do you have to share with our readers? Its been so good! I'm feeling super inspired at the moment and have been hard at work starting my new record label, which focuses on collaboration and positive human interactions. Crossbreed Records will all being well be fully launching in the spring. Aside from your own productions, what are you listening to that is having an impact or influence on the direction of your new productions? Ooooh, good question. All sorts of things, there’s a new Fred und Luna album I find really weird and interesting. I’ve also been digging through a bunch of old synthy new wave/ pop stuff. As festival season is literally upon us, do you have any bookings lined up yet? Festival wise I'm dgoing to Love International, and the Masked Ball. There’s a few others coming, but not announced as yet, so stay tuned. Tell us about your early days as an in-house photographer for DURRR Nightclub and how that opportunity paved the way as a launching pad for your career path. Basically, I really found a home for myself at Durrr, as a teenager. It became my stomping ground and my family away from home. When The End shut and Durrr ceased to be every Monday, I felt in someways displaced so decided to start my own clubnight Orlando Boom, and that was really the tipping point when I realized I was a half decent DJ and could round up a hundred or so mates for a rave in a room. From there I went on to get a job at The Columbo Group to launch The Nest nightclub in Dalston. I started making a bit of music on the side, and everything just fell into place.
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If you could play only one festival and one Nightclub venue this year, which would be chosen? Why? Love International! Best people on earth, in the most beautiful of settings. Panorama Bar, for me it’s just nightclub paradise, it has everything and I feel so comfortable and at home there, it’s my dream to play in there one day. Are there plans to come back to the United States this year? MAYBE!!! I’ll be over for sure! But can’t be sure exactly when. Asia seems to be a “hot bed” of performance opportunities and you’ve toured and experienced it first-hand. What makes it so attractive and different than other destinations? Well it really depends on where you are. In China for example, you can’t rely on your language at all and google doesn’t work so that cant save you. You really do have to communicate in other ways. The culture is so different, but the people are really just the same wherever you go. I like to get out of my comfort zone, and Asia can really do that to you. Musically speaking, what’s coming out and whom are you working with? I have just released a record on Cin Cin alongside Joe Goddard. I have a single coming on Needwant which I’m really excited about! A 7 inch on Edinburgh’s Paradise Palms and another 12” on Futureboogie. Other than that, the focus is all on Crossbreed, where I’m working with a bunch of people, but I’ll keep some of it underwraps. The first record is with the italo legend DJ Rocca, and then I have something with Phantasy sounds Ghost Culture.
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Who are your heroes in the electronic music world, or the music world as whole for that matter, and tell us why they mean so much to you. DJ Harvey. I find the way he explores music and builds tension so inspiring. He is the archetypal DJ and can completely change how you hear a record with context. My second choice would probably be my friend Andy Peyton who was for sometime the booker at the Columbo Group. He’s supported me a lot in my career. But it’s his approach to problem solving that I find really interesting and inspiring. Creativity and expression can come in many forms and different people approach things in different ways. Crossbreed is all about how we are better as a member of a team than we are individually. I think that is something that Andy recognizes and harnesses. When you are a solo artist, I think it’s really easy to forget how important it is to get out there and work with other people. In your opinion, what is the determining experience that has led to your success? I don’t think there really is one. I’m still learning and exploring, I don’t think there was a turning point as such. Success is also a difficult thing to quantify, how successful really am I? I’m supporting myself, I’m doing the one thing I love most in the world and I’m really enjoying it. But I want to be doing more, I’m not in any way content. But I think more recently I’ve become very aware of how lucky I am, for everything I have and I find happiness in that.
CM
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"I’m doing the one thing I love most in the world and I’m really enjoying it. But I want to be doing more, I’m not in any way content. But I think more recently, I’ve become very aware of how lucky I am, for everything I have and I find happiness in that."—KIWI Beatselector Magazine | March/April 2019 | 85
UNDE ▲OR OVER Issue N° 12 2019 86 | Beatselector Magazine |March/April 68
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How These 12 EDM Artists Transformed The Genre In 2018
Beauty may lie in the eye of the beholder, and creativity may not be quantified by any objective tools of our time, but art is nonetheless weighed and measured by its purveyors most passionate. In the EDM arena, that humble privilege rests at least in part on our shoulders as we review the genre’s most under- and overrated artists of 2018. Through combined decades of experience in the music industry, tallying hundreds of concerts and thousands of streams between us, the editorial team of BEATSELECTOR Magazine spent many long hours revisiting the many changes that the electronic dance music community had undergone in 2018. From arguably ruinous collabs with Fortnite fads to stunningly formidable singles, the past year shifted the very tectonic plates of EDM’s foundation. The longevity of these rifts may depend on a simple question that we endeavored to answer regarding some of 2018’s biggest names in electronic music: Where do you lie … under or over?
WRITTEN BY ZACH MILLER & CODY MILLER Beatselector Magazine | March/April 2019 | 87
UNDER OR OVER? REZZ:OVER▲RATED
Though listed here as an overrated EDM artist of 2018, there is a lot to admire about Rezz. While relatively new to the electronic scene, she is already considered to be the “space mom” of the EDM community, a title that may be more restrictive than rewarding for her growth as a producer. Born in 1995 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Isabelle Rezazadeh began DJing at 16-years-old and shortly after moved into making her own dark, minimalistic productions in the Space Bass subgenre. Released in 2018, Certain Kind of Magic reveals a lot of potential. The lead single “Witching Hour” plays with lots of interesting builds, but is little more than that: interesting. She is still at an early stage in her career, so hopefully the hype from her “space kids” hasn’t gotten to her head, because there’s a lot that she can become if she continues at this pace. Rezz’s live performances fall far from DJ standards in the genre, but with her rapid rise to fame, it can hardly be held against her. She is certainly on the up and up, and should be applauded for her success, but the standards of infallibility her cult fanbase hold her to almost threatens to encase her growth rather than promote it. For now, she does little more than meet expectations of a competently creative producer, but her creative potential is palpable in every song she produces.
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UNDER OR OVER? SNAILS:OVER▲RATED
Originator of the EDM subgenre Vomitstep, SNAILS is infamous for hyping up crowds during live sets with other producers’ tracks. Hailing from Quebec, Frédérik Durand built his SNAILS brand on raspy bass warbles and discordant synths that is reminiscent of electro dubstep with a grimy twist. When Snails first broke out in 2015, his sound was unique. Over time, his progression as an artist has stagnated, as his 2018 EP SLIMDEAGEDDON suggests. Though popular for his energetic live sets, other artists far outshined his performance at October’s EDM fest, Sluggtopia. The only songs that stick out as notable were others’ songs that he performs. As some of his collaborations are as unique as they are engaging, there’s still room for Snails to grow, so long as he refocuses on creating great music and less on performing the same stale sets show after show.
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Beatselector Magazine |March/April 2019 | 91
UNDER OR OVER? MONXX:OVER▲RATED
An up-and-comer with a chip on his shoulder, Monxx seems to be his own worst enemy in his growth in the EDM community. A native of Peterborough in the UK, Josh Carling has settled into the Riddim scene, an EDM subgenre with an interesting influence of reggae’s percussive triplets. Though the foundation of Riddim paves the way for a lot of unique adaptations, much of Monxx’s music feels very repetitive. His 2018 release of Bone Yard was enjoyably grimy, but was overall lackluster and left wanting of artistic vision. On top of it all, Carling has flaked on multiple shows, lied to his fans on social media, and has seemed to have garnered most of his fanbase by openly leading the bandwagon against more established DJs like Bassnectar.
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Beatselector Magazine | March/April 2019 | 93
UNDER OR OVER? HEROBUST:OVER▲RATED
Though budding with potential, Herobust falls far short of the hype his name has recently garnered throughout the EDM community. A trap artist at his core, his work lacks the authenticity that makes the genre so visceral, as indicative in his 2018 mix WTF. A native of Atlanta, Hayden Jerome Kramer seems to produce timidly and perform with a crutch as he relies on playing others’ tracks to put on a decent show. When original mixes don’t do it for the crowd, he’ll pivot to perform other house mixes and others’ songs outside of his style. While that flexibility is a great trait in a DJ, it reveals that he may not yet know what exactly his style is and what his fans want. As he said in a recent interview, he plays it safe on his social media. Lately, it’s felt like he’s been playing it safe with his music, too.
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UNDER OR OVER? SLANDER:OVER▲RATED
Frat brothers turned trap producers, Slander is the American DJ duo of Derek Anderson and Scott Land from Los Angeles’s burgeoning Heaven Trap scene. Typified by emotive vocals and clean electro sounds, Heaven Trap offers a unique opportunity for the melding of EDM with traditional pop; Slander, however, are the unfortunate frontrunners of the new subgenre. While their electronic mixes are catchy, the overly emotional lyricism and sad boi buildups that their fans seem to adore yield cringes rather than goosebumps to the discerning ear. Slander can manufacture impressive bass drops, but each is layered into the song according to a predictable formula. Their recent releases “Hate Being Alone” featuring Dylan Matthew and “Running To You” featuring Elle Vee demonstrate all the short successes and disparaging defects of Slander’s work. Live, the DJ duo thrives off hype and typically rely on performing a majority of other producers’ tracks. While they have somewhat of a wide range in sound, their music feels limited by inartistic production, so it would not be surprising to hear the Heaven Trap pair fell from grace in the near future if they don’t start putting out more tracks of greater depth.
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UNDER OR OVER? MARSHMELLO:OVER▲RATED As of today, there is indisputably no EDM artist more overrated than Marshmello. Christopher Comstock intentionally operates anonymously beneath a marshmallow mask, a visual representation of the prepubescent fanbase that has flocked to his music. Though admittedly melodic and chill, Marshmello’s beats are simpler than Kids Bop instrumentals. His official remix of Jack U and Justin Bieber’s song “Where Are U Now” gave him a lot of success, but his 2018 album Joytime II sounds like the soundtrack to a Chuckie Cheese’s ball pit. Each track is very layered, creating an illusion of depth that masks the shallow production as plainly as his marshmallow disguise. On one hand, success derived from a gimmicky persona, a kitsch social media presence, and emotionless music could be read as a bad sign for EDM. On the other, one can only hope that Marshmello serves as an introduction to EDM for those unfamiliar to the genre and that they quickly outgrow him as they discover DJs/ producers with real artistic talent.
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Beatselector Magazine | March/April 2019 | 99
UNDER OR OVER? CHIME:UNDER▼RATED
A 23-year-old EDM prodigy from Leeds, England, Harvey Thompson has been producing for nearly a decade under numerous aliases; at last, he seems to have found his sweet spot as Chime in the Melodic Bass subgenre. Young and extremely talented, Chime combines an aggressive production style beneath a sweep of melodic rhythms. Though he typically produces tracks on his own, he is also known to collab and create amazing remixes with other artists under his record label Rushdown, the releases of which mainly consist of melodic riddim and other dubstep. Released in August 2018, Chime’s single “Sherwood” exemplifies his characteristic style. Laden with owl sounds and forest feels, as well as his distinctive synths, the song is nostalgic and fun, like going through the Lost Woods of Legend of Zelda, a video game whose motifs and melodies Chime often employs.
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UNDER OR OVER? AFK:UNDER▼RATED
Far from an up-and-comer, AFK has earned much success behind the curtain of the EDM scene for a decade. A Dallas native, Jimmy Blythe has had many tracks featured in Excision’s Shambhala mixes since 2010 and has collaborated with other heavy hitters such as Antiserum, Carbin, Getter, and Bare Noize. Though his style may seem difficult to pinpoint to any one subgenre, ranging from dubstep to trap and even some melodic styles, AFK’s blend of 8-bit soundscapes with blistering basslines has crafted a signature sound that fans have come to love. “On The Floor 2018 VIP” demonstrates this range of influence and interests, with strong wubs, a gritty mix, and measured drops. Additionally, his “AFK B2B SVDDEN DEATH LIVE @ EDC LAS VEGAS” in May was a crowd favorite, the hour-long live mix of which is still a popular stream on SoundCloud, indicative of the true performative power of a talented DJ who knows how to manipulate music to match the crowd.
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UNDER OR OVER? JPHELPZ:UNDER▼RATED
With a consistently heavy sound and continually improving style, JPhelpz never fails to satisfy fans of dark and gritty electronic dance music. John Phelps began his career around 2011, unleashing his sinister mechanical sound design techniques onto the scene. In 2014, Datsik signed JPhelpz’s first EP, Summon The Dead, to Firepower Records. Since, the St. Louis producer has only honed his skills. Aggressive, but not overly done, JPhelpz’s heavy metal background comes through a lot in a great evolution through his work, as heard in his recent collab with Datsik on “Ronin Riddim.” His new EP Maximum Damage is an instrumental playground of dark and heavy bass, vampiric synths and melodic instrumentation, with even bluesy rhythms in “Break Yo Neck” and “OG.”
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UNDER OR OVER? WOOLI:UNDER▼RATED
Though a newer member in the game, Wooli is constantly popping up in tracks and mixes in all forms of dubstep, from hard dubstep to even more melodic tracks as well. In 2018, Wooli truly showed how expansive yet controlled his sound really is. Released in 2018, Adam Puleo’s Mammoth EP featured collaborations with Mastadon, Kompany, and others. The EP blends together melodic future bass and hard-hitting dubstep artfully, as most evident in the track “Elephant March,” which bends genre and distorts expectations with grungy electric guitar, elephant trumpets, deep-cutting wubs, and prolonged drops. After lots of great projects and collabs, with Mammoth Wooli seems to really be coming into his own sound and setting the stage for a very identifiable style.
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Beatselector Magazine | March/April 2019 | 107
UNDER OR OVER?
SPACE LACES:UNDER▼RATED The OG of all EDM, Space Laces has been around virtually since the beginning of dubstep, yet remains underrated. After years of dabbling in many different genres such as dubstep, electro, house, trance, and drum 'n' bass, Space Laces has created his own genre of heavy sound design that will endure long after the overrated fandoms. After multiple collaborations with the likes of Datsik and Excision, including the legendary track “Throwin’ Elbows,” Ian Slider aka Space Laces was officially signed onto the iconic dubstep label Never Say Die, as well as its sister label NSD: Black Label. His recent releases “Overdrive” and “Vaultage” show a space style, controlled rhythm, and a true dedication to the craft and sound design of his ever-growing musical legacy.
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Beatselector Magazine | March/April 2019 | 109
UNDER OR OVER? TRUTH:UNDER▼RATED
A dynamic duo originating from Christchurch, New Zealand, the boys behind Truth are always looking for ways to get deeper into the sound waves and have turned a lot of heads in 2018 with their experimentation. Tristan Roake and Andre Fernandez forged the Deep Dark & Dangerous label, an aural series that chronicles soundscapes loaded with a heavy blend of deep bass and freeform sound. Their depth was rewarded at the 2018 Dubstep Awards with the accolade of Best Music Label of the year. A cornerstone of their success, Truth’s 2018 EP Mushrooms epitomized all that their label represents: deep, dark and dangerous. “Grampian” by Truth, Stylust and Sgt Pokes is dark, eerie and sonically experimental with haunting piano melodies behind staticky drops. “Atomic War” by Truth and Taso, meanwhile, mesmerizes the senses with dark wubs and apocalyptic vibes. Their music may be predicative of the end of the world, but there seems to be no end in sight for the creative aspirations of these dudes from the deep down under.
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In Review …
All of these artists, from the abhorrently overrated to the startlingly underrated, share at least one commonality — a true passion for the genre as they see it in their minds. EDM casts a vast net and encompasses many different types of music, as this list suggests, and is interpreted differently by every fan, performer and producer. However harsh or hailing these words may read, we are grateful for the work each of these artists have committed to the genre. Though they may all be pushing EDM in different directions, through their collective efforts, they are expanding the creative capabilities more and more with each new release. We can’t wait to hear where they are this time next year. —ZACH MILLER & CODY MILLER
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[MUSIC REVIEWS] Masterpiece Excellent Good Fair Poor
SUNSQUABI
Instinct
SunSquabi
Kevin Donohue (Guitar), Josh Fairman (Bass Synthesizer and Bass Guitar) and Chris Anderson (Drums), make up the “Hydrofunk” electro trio Sunsquabi, one of our favorite acts. The newly self-released album “Instinct” captures in fine form the trio’s knack for creating songs born in improv jam sessions in both a live and studio setting. Joining Donohue, Fairman and Anderson for the session is Big Gigantic Saxman Nick Gerlach, Spencer Anderson on Violin, Pretty Lights’ Chris Karns on Turntables and String Cheese incident’s Jason Hann on percussion.
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[REVIEWS: ALBUMS] “Instinct” contains 10 tracks and showcases the trio hitting their stride with trippy jam cuts that are tight in the groove and blazing with jazz-rock guitar licks, funky rhythms, a touch of drum and bass, disco beats, strings, horns and a whirlwind of electrifying electronics. Opening it all up is “Pangolin.” The track is greasy, super retro and funky as hell. Reminiscent of a 70s and 80s throwback, the track features Chris Karns on the Turntables providing cool samples and expert scratching that jumpstarts the album. The next three cuts, “Caterpillar,” “Chrysalis” and “Night Moth” illustrate the trio’s thematic imagination with a collective tight and cohesive vision. While the tracks are funked-up, jazzy and “in the pocket,” one can easily get caught up in the subtle trance elements, which are used to embellish and to transition in to the core melody and rhythm of the track. Check out “Night Moth” and you’ll get it. Half way through, you come to “Land Sloth” a slightly bluesy cut, once again flexing Donohue’s guitar muscle soaring above cascading electro and a driving beat. “Dexter’s Day Out” has an interesting backstory. According to Kevin Donohue, during an interview with 303 Magazine.com, the track was created with Josh’s dog and “de facto” Executive Producer title-holder “Dexter” in mind. The track continues with its killer synth and electric piano lines, deep groove in the bass, and soaring guitar. A true highlight on this album comes in the form of “Reptile” featuring Nicholas Gerlach. Trumpets take the lead with a funky melody paving the way for brief interludes of Gerlach’s sax lines. About halfway through the song,
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Fairman’s bass offers up a short reprieve before the guitars heat up and bring the song to a close with Gerlach’s epic solo. “Fisher Cat” dives back in to the jazz-rock arena with a slightly psychedelic glint, nothing new to talk about here, it is quite simply a track that demonstrates high caliber musicianship. Now, you've arrived at song number nine, “Snapping Turtle,” which gets down with a slow bounce with some tasty d’n’b inflection and reverb that perfectly compliments the interchanging and exchanging of keyboard and guitar melodic ideas. “Polar Bear” comes in at a slower pace with the electronics more out in the front and presents a cooling down of sorts from the blazing hot songs on “Instinct.” Sunsquabi’s ability to stretch out and explore Jazz-Rock improv while incorporating dance-oriented beats and groove bass rhythms proves that these three are creating dance music that really is unlike their contemporaries. Donohue, Fairman and Anderson perform in a tight and cohesive manner delivering ten songs that easily evolve with beautiful melodies and top-notch musicianship. It would be easy to go ahead and lump in Sunsquabi with other dance-oriented “jam band” acts like Big, Gigantic, STS9, GRiZ and the like, but what separates them from the pack is their ability to build on a simple basic and improv melody and develop it into a complex and enjoyable song. So, with this latest Sunsquabi LP, you get ten spectacular examples of their high-grade musicianship to behold and to plant the seeds for the next one. —JOSEPH ARTHUR
[REVIEWS: ALBUMS]
EJ FORMULA E : THE SOUNDTRACK VOLUME 1 GARUDA
EJ is the exclusive and mysterious resident DJ for the global entertainment and race championship brand, ABB Formula E, as well as one of the freshest talents on Gareth Emery’s record label Garuda. The partnership forged between the racing brand ABB Formula E and the Trance producer has been going strong over the last few years and as the event's official DJ for the global presenter of racing events, has taken him to choice exotic locations all over the world. EJ is the dynamic personality providing high-octane and revved up music guaranteed to get the party started. With the rise of Formula E racing, comes forth a companion soundtrack to score the exciting cutting edge sport.
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EJ digs in and compiles 38 choice cuts for “Formula E: The Soundtrack Volume One-Mixed by EJ.” The Trance world is well-represented featuring dozens of reputable composers, including EJ and his own compositions, plus the giants of the genre including the likes of Darude, Cosmic Gate, Gareth Emery and Gabriel & Dresden. I can only assume that compiling a massive project such as this was an arduous task. Furthermore, there is so much great music out there that could be included, regardless of genre. Since EJ has had his fingers on the pulse of the brand’s global entertainment and music direction, it becomes apparent that he knows best and what resonates with the fanbase. EJ has made these choice selections that soundtrack the Formula E Racing circuit with that in mind and as an added treat, EJ throws in special remixes by Tinlicker, Farius, Estiva and Flynthe. The prodcuer envisioned to bring to life the cinematic experience of watching a car race in the movies, giving the race crowds and viewers a real life Fast and Furious, LIVE! That goal has been easily achieved with precise high-energy music that is conducive to highspeed formula one racing. EJ, from start to finish, has selected spectacular tracks with lots of sharp turns and bursts of speed and power to create that soundtrack for you. All you have to do is strap yourself in for wild and energetic ride. Will we see a Volume Two? Possibly. In the meantime, "Volume One" should satisfy and keep your blood and pulse going until that day comes. Also, be one of the +200 million fans, check out a race.
—JOSEPH WENSELL
[REVIEWS: ALBUMS]
FRANCESCA LOMBARDO LIFE OF LEAF ARMADA MUSIC
Francesca Lombardo is a classically trained vocalist and pianist originally from the Italian region of Lombardy. Early on in her career, she was known as Jackie Misfit and as a member of the all-female electro/rock/drum and bass band Purity and Def by Disco. Spanning a twenty-year career, you can find her Techno and House music on Lokomotiv Recordings, Echo/Echolette, Crosstown Rebels, Rebellion, Leftroom, Get Physical, Flying Circus and Armada. “Life of Leaf” is latest long player offering from Lombardo via Armada Music. Eleven songs deep, the new album features songwriting that is forward thinking and emotionally powerful. It’s a mixture of classical and electronics with a focus on the vocal performance and live playing
versus creating on computers and synthesizers. Now close your eyes, take a couple deep breaths, let your mind relax and hit the play button. Throughout this collection of songs, Lombardo expertly utilizes live musicianship and performance, vocal deliveries that evoke varying degrees of emotions conveyed through personal story-telling and melodies that are haunting yet beautiful, along with electronic beats and rhythms that compliment, not outshining the live musicianship represented on each individual track. Live performance of piano, strings, various percussion instruments, dreamy vocals and tastefully chosen electronics dazzle and create many different moods. Some songs have a more melancholic slant, while others bring thoughts of The Cocteau Twins, Book of Love and Julee Cruise ambience creations. In the words of Francesca Lombardo herself, [“Life of Leaf”]... “Is a mixture of the styles I love, it reflects every aspect of my sound, telling my story through each lyric and every instrument or piece of equipment I’ve used. It represents me fully, 100% me.” Most likely this album resonate with many, dream-pop lovers, fans of downtempo and beyond. There is definitely something for all to embrace. Track after track, you'll be amazed in the skilled crafting of the song and lyric writing expressed in her music. Like I said before, it is dazzling and hauntingly beautiful! Album highlights include “Eye Ring,” “Rain,” “Paradise,” “Time Machine” and “Smiling Skies.”
—JOSEPH WENSELL Beatselector Magazine | March/April 2019 | 121
[REVIEWS: ALBUMS]
KEY4050 TALES FROM THE TEMPLE BLACKHOLE RECORDINGS
In 2017, Key4050 was just starting to make waves, taking giant strides in presenting their to the masses at events such Dreamstate SoCal, EDC Mexico, and Bangkok's Transmission event, instantly establsihing the duo as rising talents on the world stage. In case you do not know, Key4050 is made up of Dublin mates John O’Callaghan and Bryan Kearney. Interestingly, the duo did not have a single track out in the public domain last year. Now they have 32 thanks to a two disc set titled “Tales From The Temple.” The duo, performing as Key4050, are just as mysterious as they are notorious for keeping their set lists completely secret and exclusive. The “Temple” in the album title serves as homage of sorts and is the namesake of Dublin’s
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famous Dublin venue the Temple Theatre. Now closed, the Temple Theatre was a place that opened doors to emerging Irish producers and DJs, including O’Callaghan and Kearney whom both “cut their teeth” and learned the trade from the visiting superstar caliber DJs. The association with the venue goes even further with the proper naming of each disc in the set. Disc One: “Space” and Disc Two: “Crypt”- two club floors within the historical building. “Tales From The Temple” is a mammoth undertaking that bears the fruit of great music that stems back decades ago and now finally sees the light of day with an official release. Through the revisiting of dozens of demos and years past rough ideas, provided the raw material for the ambitious package. Techno, Trance, and Progressive styles loom large brimming with crashing waves of sound, high-energy beats and sweaty rhythms along with climatic crescendos and dramatic drops are just a few of the ingredients that cook up the red hot dance tunes. Think about it. 32 tracks of pure spitfire dance cuts that will certainly steer the conversation towards great praise from critics, including your truly, and furthermorem Tales From The Temple deserves to be included in "best of" year-end lists, as it is one of best trance albums this year. As a bonus, Key4050 released a companion documentary film capturing all the magic from behind the scenes, the making of the album, and backstories that bring enlightment to the importance of the Temple Theatre and its history.
—JOSEPH ARTHUR
[REVIEWS: ALBUMS]
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM ELECTRIC LADY SESSIONS DFA
On January 19, 2018 James Murphy and company walked in to Electric Lady Studios in Manhattan, New York and by January 21st they walked out with a twelve-song live set titled “Electric Lady Sessions.” The LP, marked as their 3rd “Live” album, was made available in early February 2019 via DFA and Columbia Records on digital formats as well as a two (180-gram, 12-inch) vinyl gatefold package. This new live in the studio set features nine LCD Soundsystem originals performed during their successful 2017-18 American Dream Tour, along with three killer cover tunes: Human League’s “Seconds;” Chic’s “I Want Your Love;” and Heaven 17’s “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang.”
To clarify, “Electric Lady Sessions” is a “live in the studio recording” and not a live recording taken from selected stops on their American Dream tour. What Murphy and the rest of the LCD Soundsystem collective set out do was to record a few of their songs and put a new shine on the aged patinas of the selected classics. The tracks are not reconfigured, so you’ll instantly recognize several of your favorites quite easily. By the time you get to the album’s midway point, the band has solidly achieved their collective groove and feel. Mix in a little bit of chaos and some production wizardry and you end up with a "live" recording only Murphy and company can conjure up. Highlights include “Call The Police,” “I Used To,” and “Oh Baby.” Also noteable is the track transitioning of “Tonite” to “Home” to Chic’s “I Want Your Love.” The seamless blending of these tracks reflects and captures over 16 minutes of high-energy musical bliss that one would expect in an arena or high profile stage mixed by a DJ. "Electric Lady Sessions" is a time capsule containing fresh new takes on some of the band’s most iconic cuts. Now that LCD Soundsystem's "Electric Lady Sessions" is out in the public domain, one listen and you'll feel an honest, straightforward album, made with fun, love and imagination. This ''live" recording should also hold over LCD fans until the time of new album is announced. Listen. Listen again. You'll surely discover many delightful surprises and moments of LCD glory within.
—JOSEPH ARTHUR Beatselector Magazine | March/April 2019 | 123
[REVIEWS: EPs & SINGLES]
ALAN FITZPATRICK THE AWAKENING TRONIC
FERNANDO LAGRECA LEVELS AWEN
Alan Fitzpatrick is synonymous with the U.K. Underground scene and has been for many years. Historically, his music is full of life which makes this latest release “11:11 The Awakening,” an interesting listen as it represents a slight departure from his past and re-invention for the future. "The Awakening" is for people in a spiritual state of mind and communicates what is said to be a significant change in his life, refocusing on new beginnings and outlooks. Throughout the seven-track package, you’ll hear heavy drum work, killer breakdowns, pads and industrial leaning sounds. How it fits within the varied mood swings from trance like to downtempo is to be appreciated. Fitzpatrick mixes it up nicely and has set upon Techno community a pretty good offering. Tracks to pay attention to include: “All Hope Fades,” “Dead Beat Exile” and “Ego.”
Fernando Lagreca’s 2018 was a busy and successful year. He released recordings on Sincopat, Chrom Recordings, Dear Deer Black and Lost On You. Over the years, Lagreca has taken his Electronica and Deep Techno sounds to the big stages of Sonar, ADE, Verboten, Razzmatazz, The Warehouse, among dozens others. On March 11, Lagreca re-entered the conversation with a brand new three-track EP “Levels” on Spain’s latest burgeoning label Awen. Featuring two original tracks-“Levels” and “Reckon Boys” plus the remix of the title track by Greek artist AgainstMe, this EP is showcases LaGreca’s high complexity in composition creating twenty-five minutes of exotic and melodic Techno. Danceable? Yes. Cutting-edge? Yes. There are brief moments of chaos, however, it is organized and well thought out. The pairing pitter pattern rhythms with bouncy beats and cornucopia of electronics against subtle dark fringe elements work perfectly together.
—LEO WEAVER
—LEO WEAVER
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[REVIEWS: EPs & SINGLES]
MARKEE LEDGE THE GATEWAY DRUG TONAL RECORDS
UNER REVELATIONS SINCOPAT
Over the years, Markee Ledge has been included in the pages this publication. We have profiled him and reviewed several of his releases. In the beginning, there was his band Kosheen, whom broke out the poppy-electronica scene in Bristol with several charting hits. Over the years, Ledge has produced music ranging from dubstep, drum and bass to electronica. Since 2015, Ledge set out as solo act, writing and producing, engineering all his productions on the striking debut LP “Elevate.” Jumping ahead to this past February, Ledge dropped a three-track dubstep infused EP titled “The Gateway Drug” on his Zonal imprint. All three cuts: “The Gateway Drug;” “Kojak” and “Bomba” deliver high intensity, hypnotics, pulsing bass-lines and dramatic aural soundscapes. Dubstep lovers will find a connection “The Gateway Drug” is another rock solid release for the Markee Ledge discography.
Spain’s UNER has steadily built his popularity and reputation through many years of gigging and releasing his multi-genre music. The multi-award winning producer has returned to Sincopat with a new EP titled “Revelations,” featuring three new and original tracks and a mammoth remix Luca Bacchetti. The EP opens with “Waters Above”— brimming with dreamy atmospheres and melodies creating organic and magical sounds. Luca Bacchetti delivers a twelve-minute remix that is sensual, eclectic and club-ready. The second original comes in as “Firmament.” The longing anticipation builds to epic bass induced proportions. Wrapping it all up in a pretty bow is “Pieces.” It’s slowed tempos and gorgeous sounds swings the direction and offers a chill cool down from the blistering previous tracks. “Revelation” is a revelation. UNER continues to blaze ahead with cutting edge electronic music.
—JOSEPH ARTHUR
—JOSEPH ARTHUR Beatselector Magazine | March/April 2019 | 125
[REVIEWS: EPs & SINGLES]
VICTOR RUIZ BERLIN BEAUTY NOIR MUSIC
ABOVE & BEYOND DISTORTED TRUTH FINEST EGO
Victor Ruiz’s latest EP “Berlin Beauty” on Noir Music is quite simply, a powerful studio recording that makes an immediate impression of his vision of 21st Century Techno music. This striking release features three contemporary techno tracks inspired by his “new home” —the city of Berlin. The title track, “Berlin Beauty” pulsates with a kick drum and rapid-fire snare drums opening up to the minimalist melodic line that is gritty and distorted, in parts, laying down eight plus minutes of sweaty, dirty techno. Track two, “Scorpio,” pounds the beat with his usage of 909 kicks, high-octane percussion patterns and bursts of industrial stylized bass tones. “Down Under,” Ruiz’s homage to Australia, tracking in at almost 11 minutes, features more ambience, clicks, and a tight groove that sets on you a path of anticipation through the track’s evolution. —LEO WEAVER
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In February 2019, Above & Beyond’s “Common Ground” entered the Billboard Album charts at #3. Since then, a companion EP—“Common Ground Companion EP”—was released featuring original and club mixes of: “Flying By Candlelight" featuring Marty Longstaff; “There’s Only You” featuring Zoë Johnston and “Distorted Truth.” “Distorted Truth” follows the recent release of “Flying By Candlelight," and in contrast, delivers a raw, dark and slightly twisted track in the Above & Beyond tradition to keep the listener entranced and amazed at the blazing music. Jono, Paavo and Tony revert back to their classic sound for the track featuring an epic melody, flutes, dreamy electro ambience driven by intense shuffling beats and a pumping bassline. “Distorted Truth” is just what the doctor prescribed, a return to the classic trance formula that Above & Beyond is famous for.
—CATHERINE STRICKLAND
[REVIEWS: EPs & SINGLES]
COSMIC GATE & FORÊT NEED TO FEEL LOVED BLACKHOLE RECORDINGS
GIL GLAZE HOW WE DO SIRUP
Trance giants Nic Chigal and Bossi, collectively known all of the world as Cosmic Gate, are ushering in 2019 with some big plans. A 20th Anniversary Tour, a new album and this brand new single cut with Fôret. Story goes, “Need To Feel Loved” came to be a trance music anthem, not by original intent, but with a red hot remix, propelling it to the list of all time classics. Revisiting the original track and placing a new feel to the song was paramount according to Nic, and once again, shows that these guys are the tops and true innovators in creating new sound design and re-invention. The track features the magnificent vocals of Fôret, driving beats and a bottomed-out bassline interluding to lush piano chords and strings. “Need To Feel Loved” re-introduction to the Trance canon is spot-on and straight up Cosmic Gate greatness. Just imagine seeing and hearing the track live, the possibilities are endless. —CATHERINE STRICKLAND
Gil Glaze is on a mission to make as many people as possible happy with his sunny and poppish stylized house music. He’s done so with appearances around the world with club and festival appearances and has earned invites from Tiësto, David Guetta, Martin Garrix Diplo, Robin Schultz, Axwell Ingrosso and Mashmello. His timing is perfect as the winter duldrums are set in as Gil Glaze comes to the rescue with a new single “How We Do.” Shining with big production values, dominating piano lines, dance beats and great vocals, gives listeners a moment of the summertime feels. Is this just a tease of what will be greatness coming from the rising Swiss producer? We’ll all have to wait and see, but let’s be thankful that we have “How We Do” to hold us over.
—JOSEPH ARTHUR Beatselector Magazine | March/April 2019 | 127
[REVIEWS: EPs & SINGLES]
MELÉ THE '95 VIBE CLUB BAD
OLIVER HELDENS & LENNO THIS GROOVE HELDEEP RECORDS
Over the past few months, you may have heard “The ’95 Vibe” (Club Bad) track at Melé’s Liverpool based event series. All seven events were sell-outs by the way, which tells you, Melé has a draw. The official label launch takes place with the premiere release of “The ’95 Vibe’ featuring two distinct cuts “The ’95 Vibe” and “Temptation.” The title track harks back to the days of ‘90s house with nods to Armand Van Helden and Basement Jaxx. The bassline and percussion beats and super cool vocal loops lay down a scorching dancefloor groove. If it doesn’t get you moving, then there is something wrong with you, just kidding of course. The point is, the track is a burner. The second cut, “Temptation” leans towards classic house feels, percussive beats and rhythms, interspersed bursts of bright electronics, and a vocal sample here and there takes you to the other side of the Melé musical spectrum. “The ’95 Vibe” EP will release on March 15th via Club Bad.
Lots of bounce, a catchy handclap bit, and an infectious melody define the new Oliver Helden single “This Groove.” Once again and in collaboration with Lenno, these two producers wanted to create a track that brings Future House and Nu Disco into 2019’s fold. “The Groove” was released to the masses via Helden’s imprint Heldeep Records and on the heels of his recently announced “Heldeep 5 Tour” (North America Leg kicks off on March 1). A bit a triva for you. The two utilize the original 1984 hook from Carmen’s classic “Time To Move.” You may have also heard the hook on Nero’s “Must Be The Feeling.” Like I said in the beginning, the track has a fantastic melody line and an irresistible groove that will inspire you to “crank it up!” All the required elements of an “anthem” are fully represented here and ensure rapid reaction and upbeat audience participation, which will be, without a doubt, a track to look forward to as Heldens begins his slew of club dates across The United States, Canada and Mexico.
—JOSEPH ARTHUR
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—CATHERINE STRICKLAND
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Available at friendlyinc.com Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 12 | 163
[TEARS]
KEITH FLINT SEPTEMBER 17, 1969-MARCH 4, 2019
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