Archive for 2011

Happy Holidays and What Not

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It’s been a real, real long time since my last post but I guess that just means I have a lot of music to share. There have been a lot of awesome albums released during that time, I’m thinking mainly of Armin’s Universal Religion and Gareth’s Sound of Garuda compilations, W&W’s Impact and Camo and Krooked’s Cross the Line. If you haven’t checked them out yet, I highly recommend them especially if you’ve got some extra time over the holidays.

I’ll start it off with an awesome Red Hot Chilli Peppers remix that was probably one of my favourite tracks from Electric Zoo this summer and finally got released this past month. This song has been remixed so many times but I think this is the only one that does it justice really. It’s definitely a huge crowd pleaser and anywhere it gets played the crowd always gets in and starts singing.

So both Arty and Mat Zo have had monster years and so to cap it off they released a new single together in December called Mozart. I personally love it but it seems to have divided fans since many just wanted Rebound pt. II and it wasn’t necessarily as trancey as they wanted. Well fuck it, haters gonna hate, the track is crazy (although the video is utterly horrible).

Alright, so if you like drum & bass, you’ve probably already listened to the Camo & Krooked album (I’m REALLY late on this one but it’s so good I had to talk about it) and if not you’re missing out. I didn’t know much about them before, other than their Sweet Shop Remix, so the album was a great surprise. My favourite track is, without a doubt, Run Riot which just pumped me up every morning and probably caused the nice people at St-Hyacinthe to think I was crazy.

This second track started off as a great remix to Deadmau5’ Raise Your Weapon before he vetoed the release because he didn’t like it. Oh well, since they had just sampled the vocals, they pretty much said “Fuck that Shit!”, put new vocals and released it as its own track.Camo

Finally, I just had a few mashups to share with you guys. They are a lot more “poppy” then what I usually listen to but I am a huge sucker for good mashups. I recommend you check out these two guys’ site since they put up all their tracks for free downloads and they have quite a few gems.

E.T. Feels Starry Eyed (3LAU Remash) by 3LAU
Kap Slap - AA - One Rolling Love (Club Mix) by Kap Slap

I can’t say I like every part of the tracks (especially not that 3 second Flo Rida interlude), but they managed to use many songs I didn’t really like to make one I did so I believe that deserves some respect. So anyways, you can check out their soundclouds with the description of their tracks here: 3LAU & Kap Slap.

There is a Great Future for Trance

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Last week, Ellis and I went to Circus Afterhours to hear Shogun and Joop play live (there were other DJs, but we missed them). We were very pleased by their performances and I think it it safe to say that the future of trance seems pretty bright, with all these newly popular DJs/producers that are working hard to bring us the best music possible! Like some of you know, Cosmic Gate was playing at Redlite the same night, so the Circus wasn’t exactly what I’d call "full”, but the atmosphere was still great and the music was still amazing! We arrived there when Joop had just started his set. Joop is a Dutch DJ/producer that plays some very tech-trance tracks and that brings a lot of energy to the crowd. Check his Facebook page HERE for more info on him! The first half of his set brought the people to his room and then he “unleashed the beast” in the second half. Ellis and I both think he was on “f***ing fire” during the last hour, playing tracks that made the people there go crazy, like his new track that he made in collaboration with Raneem and that is getting released on the 21st, Plur. Here is a little preview of it to convince you to buy it in a few days. Trust me, listening to it is worth your time and you will understand why people go crazy when it’s played live.

The next artist playing was Andrew Chen, also know as Shogun. He is an American born Taiwanese DJ/producer that has seen his popularity rise a lot lately, with the release of his track called Skyfire. We can give the credit to Armin Van Buuren’s influence in the trance scene and Shogun’s hard work for his popularity, since Armin played Skyfire a lot in his sets during the last few months and since it is featured in A State of Trance 2011 compilation. If you want more information on Shogun, check his page on Armada HERE or go read the interview answers we got from him below!

Shogun started his set with one of the hottest tracks right now, Tomahawk, from BT and Adam K. He kept this insane energy during his whole set by playing great tracks and mixing very, very well. He played some Stoneface & Terminal, some Gareth Emery, some Ferry Corsten, Above and Beyond, Armin Van Buuren and, of course, his own track, Skyfire, that you can hear right under this paragraph!


And since Tomahawk from BT and Adam K is so great as well, here it is:

It is always awesome to be able to ask questions directly to artists; it helps us learn a lot from them. We sent some interview questions to Shogun and here are the answers. Hope you enjoy!

What are your primary inspirations? my family, good trance music, and movie scores

What do you think sets you apart from other trance producers? I like to produce tracks that are based on a personal level, and try to evoke different emotions with my remixes and productions.

What did you do before being a full time EDM Producer and DJ? I used to be a resident DJ at clubs

What do you like the most from being an EDM Producer and DJ? Gigs, traveling, meeting people who are as passionate as I am about the music

What do you think of the DJMag Poll in general? this year? I think DJ Mag Poll is important for DJ's, clubs and promoters worldwide. Also, its something the fans can follow and keep track of their favorite DJs which is a great thing. This year I ended up at #122

What is your favorite drink when you DJ? Vodka Redbull, or just Redbull

Do you have any "rituals" you do before starting a set? I listen to chillout music before starting a set, it helps gets my mind ready for a big gig.

What tip(s) would you give out to new DJs/producers? For DJ's, start producing if you haven't already and try to find your own style. For producers, focus on mastering one synthesizer and one sequencer. You can do a lot more by really knowing a synth inside out, rather than slightly knowing 50 synths.

You've travelled a faire amount, where would you say the girls are the most attractive? Girls in LA and Vancouver, there's something about the West Coast

Which song(s) has gotten you the best crowd reaction so far in 2011? Definitely Skyfire, every time I drop it the crowd goes off!

Is there anyone you'd really like to work with next year? I'd like to work with Orjan Nilsen, I think his productions are top notch at the moment

Any plans on returning to Montreal after your set at Circus Afterhours? Of course, I love this city and can't wait to come back

What do you think of the crowd in Montreal? I think the crowd here is one of the best, so much energy and everyone shows their love for trance music.. can't ask for more.

Do you often go to see other DJs play? And which ones are your favorite? I'm either on the road or in the studio working on tracks, so I don't get to catch other DJs play too often. Armin van Buuren is my favorite DJ, he always puts on an unbelievable show.

What do you think about music blogs? In your opinion, are they helping or hurting artists? Do you follow any blogs? Will you read The Hawt?music blogs are great, and help the artists in many ways. Will definitely read The Hawt.

 

That is all for now, take care and make sure to buy your tickets for Resolution 2012 if you want to see Avicii, Axwell, Gareth Emery and Dash Berlin to celebrate the New Year! The event is on January 1st and is happening at the Bell Center in Montreal. There is also an event in Quebec City and it may be your chance to see Deadmau5 if you missed him last time he came here!

Bad Things Can Indeed Become Worse!

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I’m not talking about herpes, or the time interval between posts here at The Hawt, or the difficulty of my midterms, or … whatever. I’m talking about the DJMag top100 DJs of this year. I was astonished to see how bad this year’s poll is (it’s worse than last year’s!).

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I have to admit a few artists deserve their newly acquired spot in the top100 and I congratulate them (I’m talking about Tritonal, Skrillex, Hardwell, Orjan Nilsen, Alesso, AN21, Felguk, Porter Robinson and Sidney Samson), but if you take a look at the top20, you will (most likely) throw up. You will notice that David Guetta is first, beating Armin Van Buuren for the first time. This “tragedy” shows us how the poll is now a huge farce and how getting good rankings just depends on how many Facebook Likes or Twitter Followers you have. I’m sorry David Guetta, but making pop music doesn’t mean you’re a good DJ. I remember hearing him at Bal en Blanc 16 and it was the worst set I’ve heard in my life coming from one of the “greatest DJs in the world”. He may have become better, but from what I know, I still don’t think he deserves his spot.

Also, Deadmau5 keeping his 4th spot helps proving how bad the poll now is. He told DJMag himself that he’s not entirely sure why he’s 4th in that poll, since he never touched a CDJ in his life and doesn’t consider himself a DJ.

To conclude my “raging”, let’s just say that the poll has become too popular and that most people voting don’t really know many DJs and vote for the ones they hear on the radio, like Guetta, Tiesto and Deadmau5 (don’t get me wrong though, I think Tiesto deserves his spot). Check out this video of Sexy chick, definitely the best remix/edit I’ve heard! Hahaha.

On to other things…

Justice just released their newest album Audio, Video, Disco and I’ll be honest with you guys, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the album. It’s a lot less “in yer face” and more of an “old school electro” record. It’s very good music by itself and I love it, but I think their last album was a little bit better when it comes to electro (and their singles/remixes). Justice didn’t bring their style to their album as much as they usually do in their other tracks and I don’t really see their album being played live without being remixed at all, it’s not electro enough. Of course there are a few tracks that are more Justice-y, like Civilization, but there are too many soft tracks in my opinion. It’s a good album, but not what I was expecting from the French duo… but hey, at least they will probably go back on tour! (It’s been 3 years since their last visit to Montreal) I’m sure their live performance is still amazing and I can’t wait for their return. While waiting for their tour, check out their video for the song Audio, Video, Disco(which is kinda awesome to be honest):

In my last post I talked about Tritonal and how they were really good and impressed me at their set. Two weeks ago, they released a club remix of a song I loved called Still With Me (featuring the amazing Cristina Soto). I think you guys should check it out if you didn’t already do so, since it’s really great!

I’ve been listening to dubstep again in the last few weeks, hoping their would be new records that were worth listening to since the last time I really checked into it (like 1 year ago). The style really evolved and is now a lot more “complicated” than it used to be. Let me explain: if you remember, the first time most of us heard about dubstep was when Rusko released his remix of Take Me to the Hospital and at that time, most songs were simply a bass line with simple wobbles, a few random sounds here and there and one or two drops (it was also always at 70 bpm). Now, if you listen to a song from Skrillex or Nero for example, there are a lot of different synths being used, mixed with a lot more samples and it’s not always 70 bpm. Also, moombahton is exploding right now and emos that used to listen to hardcore emo and such (now listening to dubstep) are all changing to half moombah, half dubstep. I like moombahton to be honnest, but it feels really weird to see a girl (non-emo girl) that used to listen to Usher and David Guetta ask me if I know Borgore or Skrillex or even if I know about moombahton. I guess the world is evolving! (Yeah right)

Here are a few links to youtube you should definitely check out if you enjoy dubstep.

Nero – Promises (Skrillex Remix)

Excision and Downlink – The Underground

Josh Money – Let Go With You

Robyn – Call Your Girlfriend (Feed Me Remix)

That’s it for now! Have a great week and may your midterms not suck as much as mine.

Who Said American Trance Producers Were Bad?

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While Ellis was at Electric Zoo with Jon from Circuit 12 and while Justin has gone MIA, I went to Circus Afterhours to listen to Arty and Tritonal’s sets. I have to say, I’m not as jealous anymore for missing Electric Zoo again this year!

Before I start talking about new releases and the show at Circus, let me remind you to check out Circuit 12’s great podcast HERE. It’s a great source of new music and they have great guest mixes! Go check it out, I think they deserve A LOT more fans.

I don’t know when was the last time we didn’t talk about stuff related to Garuda, but the winning streak is not over yet. The compilation The Sound of Garuda: Chapter 2 is finally out and is great! The full versions of the songs Flash (from Ben Gold and Gareth Emery) and Mansion (from Ashley Wallbridge and Gareth Emery) are on the album and I must say, they are great! There are a lot of other tracks from other Garuda artists that are on the album and that are worth listening to, so if you like the genre of tracks Garuda releases, I’d buy the full album either on Beatport or on Itunes ASAP.

On to the show review! You guys will be happy, because after my review of the show, you will find an interview with Chad and Dave from the american duo, Tritonal, who really rocked the place at Circus on Sunday night. Like Gareth Emery would say: it cannot get any fresher than this!

The night started at 2:30 am for us when we actually woke up from a nap and drove all the way to Circus Afterhours. We got there just in time for Arty’s set, which was very good! Arty is known for his unique style, mixing tech and electro sounds with Trance. He played most of his popular tracks like Superman, Around the World and Rebound. He surprised the crowd when he played some bootlegs/mashups/remixes of tracks that we did not expect, like a mix of Nero’s Me & You with Tiesto and Diplo’s C’mon. Ravers do not know how to “dance” to dubstep (dance is a very strong word), but it was still a very good surprise! The energy of the crowd was good and I think everyone enjoyed Arty’s set.

At 5:30am, Tritonal took Arty’s place and started with force, giving a lot of energy to the people there. They played a lot of their own songs, most of them coming from their album Piercing the Quiet, which, by the way, is amazing. The duo kept the crowd dancing through their whole set and beat my expectations by a lot. As much as I was expecting a great set, I was not expecting a set that was this good and it is definitely one of my favourite set of the year until now! I was blown away! Their performance at Circus changed my vision of Dave and Chad from Tritonal, which are now, in my opinion, the DJs to follow through 2012; they release a lot of amazing tracks and are great live and I think they will keep getting better with time! Check their website HERE.

Like I said earlier, I sent them a few questions and here are the answers!

What are your primary inspirations?

Chad - We listen to a lot of alternative music, classical compositions, movie scores and even pop tracks on the radio. We're also carefully tuned to what’s going on in the industry at the moment.

Dave - We're also paying attention to what's out there music wise in video gaming as well. It can reflect what kids are listening to overall because it's such a young community.

What sets you apart from other trance producers?

Chad - Tritonal has a unique sound, catchy melodies and has been known to write some pretty cool vocal tunes. Our bass lines, in combination with vocalists like Cristina Soto have definitely given us our own vibe.

Dave - We also are pretty energetic on stage, I must say. We go all out into our performance as we do our productions; we want to make it about a night to remember instead of just "two dj/producers playing music"

What did both of you do before being full time EDM Producers and DJs?

Dave - Well I was always into computers since I can remember, so I did get into technical support for a bit for my family's company. I was also a student in college at the time as well and really had no day job other than working on my own productions... doing homework as much as I could :P

Chad - I was a student at the University of Texas, graduated with a degree in Business / Economics and minored in Audio Engineering.

What do you like the most from being EDM Producers and DJs?

Chad - The ability to constantly be creative. I love writing tracks early in the morning, with a good cup of coffee and a Logic Pro session.

Dave - You're your own creative boss - you can do whatever the hell you want, the sky is the limit and nobody is there knocking you down saying "no you can't." This isn't a 9 to 5 desk job; I love having a job where I can say "I want to try that" and do it!

You guys had amazing releases this year and we think that they will bring you a lot higher in the DJMag charts. Where do you think you will be this year?

Chad - I honestly don't know, we hope to crack the DJ Poll so just getting in would be amazing!

Dave - haha as Chad said... I don't know either. Last year, we did better than we had expected, but judging from that I can only watch and wait ;)

What are you best known for?

Piercing Quiet & Lifted are probably are biggest tunes as of yet.

Track of the year?

Lifted feat Cristina Soto

Gig of 2011?

Electric Daisy Carnival - Las Vegas (Gig of the Century?!!)

Best end of the night tune?

Still With Me feat Cristina Soto!

Best new club visited this year?

Beta Nightclub - Denver Colorado

Favourite non-dance album of 2011?

Not out yet, but guarantee it will be Mylo Xyloto by Coldplay!

You've travelled a faire amount, where would you say the girls are the most attractive?

Las Vegas, Nevada (and Montreal, of course)

Is there anyone you'd really like to work with in 2012?

Arty / Kyau & Albert

Any plans on returning to Montreal after your set at Circus Afterhours?

Indeed - let’s lock in a date asap!! \o/

What do you think of the Montreal Nightlife?

Amazing, never seen so many people go for it till 7:30am!

What do you think of the crowd in Montreal?

Incredible, can't wait to get back guys, we loved it!

Do you often go to see other DJs play? And which ones are your favourite?

We do watch other DJ's at festivals - Beyond Wonderland, Ultra Music Festival, Electric Zoo, Nocturnal and Electric Daisy are always cool places!

What do you think about music blogs? In your opinion, are they helping or hurting artists? Do you follow any blogs? Will you read The Hawt? :)

They are cool sources of information, interviews, track releases and insights. We follow a few, will definitely subscribe to The Hawt!

Thank you to Dave and Chad from Tritonal and their publicist, Erin, for the great Interview! If you didn’t already vote for the DJmag top100, well, it’s that time of the year again! Go HERE to vote. And if you don’t know who to vote for, check Tritonal’s promotional video, it should help you fill one spot!

Also, check out their newly released remix of Lose Yourself from Emery & Kirsch, it’s very good!

If you still want more (like me), check out their amazing podcast, Air Up in Here, on itunes! For the tracklists go on their website, HERE.

Have a great week and come again in a few days for a new post!

Pay Homage to the Mustache

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POST BY JUSTIN (yes, again. his computer is not working properly for some reason.)

jack_layton

If you live in Canada, you’ve surely heard about the death of New Democratic Party leader, Jack Layton. Good ol’ Jack valiantly fought the nasty cancerous cells which had been plaguing him since early 2010 and surrendered early in the morning of August 22nd. He will be remembered by many as the man who brought the NDP to prominence. However, for those of you who don’t exactly know who he is or are far too immature to care about politics, like me, he will be remembered for the glorious ferret he kept on his upper lip. RIP, Jack. Now back to the music.

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Since the end of the Ibiza season crosses paths with the opening of the DJ Mag top 100 poll, lots of DJs/producers are hard-pressed to spit out new tracks and leave a lasting impression before the general public goes back to work/school. I’m relatively certain that’s what Alesso and Sebastian Ingrosso had in mind when collaborating on their new track, “Calling.” Set for release on Ingrosso’s Refune Records on August 31st, this Progressive House bomb perfectly melds the distinct styles of both the veteran and his young protégé. A beautiful loop of chopped up vocals gets the tune underway, flowing into the short breakdown and introducing the simple, yet catchy melody. Then comes a vital part of the tune, the bassline. It oscillates in and out of audible volume and slowly rises from low to high pitch. It somewhat resembles the cuts in Alesso’s remix of Pressure, making me think the loop comes from him. It adds a magnificent contrast to the lead synth and truly makes “Calling” what it is. The only drawback I have to this collaboration is the way the volume of the different layers is distributed. All previous previews of this track came from live performances with loud bass, completely overshadowing the bassline and diminishing my enjoyment. I’d have to hear it live myself to properly judge, but still a great song to have on your iPod.

Sebastian Ingrosso & Alesso – Calling (Original Mix)

Released on August 31st on Refune Records

Alesso & Sebastian Ingrosso - Calling [Pete Tong Radio 1 Preview] by Alesso

In lieu of recent events, I find it hard to believe that computer software and an idiotic arsonist come before British producing partners when you search “Nero” on Google. The duo of Daniel Stephens and Joe Ray has got to be the hottest act in the Dubstep and Drum ‘N Bass worlds right now. With the emerging popularity of Nero’s collaborative remix with Skrillex of their own “Promises” and last week’s massive release of their debut artist album, “Welcome Reality,” it seems like the group has set a nearly insurmountable bar for any of the subgenres’ other artists. Their productions have reached the far corners of the EDM universe, turning Trance, House and Techno enthusiasts, as well as far too many critics, into huge fans. Needless to say, I’m a big supporter and their latest remix of Calvin Harris’ “Feel So Close” does nothing but strengthen my love for these two geniuses. In this reworking, they keep the vocals intact and precisely incorporate quick stabbing drum sounds that go great with the inevitable wobbles of Dubstep. To top it all off, the remix is outfitted with a brilliant, fast-paced melody that, combined with the lyrics, give the song a satirical feeling of sinister comfort. Give it a listen, there’s an open spot next to me on the Nero bandwagon.

Calvin Harris – Feel So Close (Nero Remix)

Released on August 22nd on Ultra Records

BeatportiTunes

As if listening to their music wasn’t fun enough, Nero designed their very own Facebook-integrated arcade game, in which you can sample 6 tracks from “Welcome Reality.” Take control of Daniel, Joe or Alana (vocalist on most of their tracks, although not technically a part of the group) and go postal as street thugs attack from all sides. The more points you have, the more tracks you unlock. Play the game here or check out the whole album here.

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Diplo’s history as a collaborator leaves little doubt that he is more than just your average DJ/producer. Unbeknownst to the majority of the public, the Philadelphia native is partly responsible for massive chart topping hits, such as M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes,” Beyonce’s “Rule The World (Girls),” Snoop Dogg and Kid Cudi’s “That Tree,” Chris Brown, Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne’s “Look At Me Now” and an immeasurable quantity of other wildly popular tracks. His latest team effort, a Dubstep/Electronica track with Datsik and vocalist Kay, surpasses almost all of his previous work, as far as the dance floor is concerned. The track starts with a comical manipulation of Kay’s voice, making her sound like a husky rapper with throat cancer. This paves the way for the breakdown, which is characterized by scattered kick drums, a nagging wind sound, bits of vocals and an awkward melody, all building up to a veritable “calm before the storm” moment. Where Stoneface & Terminal succeed in Trance, Diplo and Datsik do in Dubstep; the drop is the offspring of Hurricane Katrina and Mount Vesuvius. It’s jumping off the Empire State Building and having God turn up the effects of gravity tenfold. The drop is so hard, it makes diamonds feel like sponge cake. Strong, heavy synths and Datsik’s signature “Transformers” sound crowd the meaty part as the title of the track, “Pick Your Poison,” is repeated amidst the bass-heavy and undeniably massive sound. This song is a must-have for all Dubstep fans and will surely be played for a long time.

Diplo & Datsik – Pick Your Poison (Original Mix)

Released on August 2nd on Mad Decent

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It’s been over a year since the first Sound of Garuda album was released. The 2-disc compilation brought us tracks like Ben Gold’s “Sunstroke” and was also the platform for the original release of Gareth Emery’s incredible re-edit of “Lethal Stadium Four.” This time around, Garuda is going with a single-disc, 12 track compilation with all exclusive tunes. Taking tracks and artist from a multitude of labels, Emery seems to have chosen songs that best reflect and hone the Garuda sound, hence the name of the compilation series. The Sound of Garuda: Chapter 2 will feature exclusive tracks and mixes from Garuda veterans, such as M.I.K.E. and Mark Eteson, as well as newcomers Craig Connelly and Michael Jay Parker, Triarchy’s first original production and of course, two tracks from the leader of the label himself.

The Sound of Garuda: Chapter 2

Released on Garuda on September 5th

The Sound of Garuda: Chapter 2 by garethemery

(If the soundcloud doesn’t work go HERE or HERE if the first option doesn’t work either)

Now a quick event update. If you won’t be going to New York for Electric Zoo or Toronto for Labour of Love, then its no sweat off your back. That’s right, Montreal finally decided to plan a few big events for labour day weekend. Fei-Fei gets the weekend started on Friday at Circus Afterhours, with a big chunk of that night’s proceeds going to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. On Saturday, September 3rd, Sebastian Ingrosso makes an appearance at Metropolis for a solo show. If you leave as soon as it’s over, you might be able to scurry over to Circus in time for the start of John Digweed’s set. If you read this blog, you probably aren’t a Techno fan, but you still might want to get your ticket for the legendary Carl Cox at Stereo. Physically and musically, the man is a tank. He’ll have some tough competition with Umek, Arty and Tritonal all playing at Circus on the same night. My pick: Circus with the superstar trio. It’s half the price of Carl Cox’s show and features 3 artist instead of one. Have a great Labour Day weekend!

Oh Please.

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Summer is a great season; plenty of quality shows, new releases, sundresses, great weather and… more sundresses. Obviously if this was the Playboy website I would be talking exclusively of sundresses (on or off), but this is an EDM blog so I’ll be talking more about the latest shows and releases we’ve got to see and listen.

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First of all, we went to see Gareth Emery at Telus Theater AND Circus Afterhours on July 22nd and I must say, it was great. There’s something that Gareth has that other DJs don’t and I can’t really tell what it is, but one thing I know is that he makes people go crazy (me included).

Telus Theater (Northern Lights Concert): As expected, he played a similar set to the one he played at ASOT500 last April. He obviously played the so-called “ASOT 500 Remix” of Into the Light and the KNAS Insomnia mashup on top of other great tracks. There was also a few live performance with Mark Frisch, Roxanne Emery and Lucy Saunders. Something worth mentioning: Gareth played the piano while his sister sang Too Dark Tonight and he was great. Mark Frisch was the best live performance in my opinion, but all of them were good. The only “bad” thing we’ve noticed was that Lucy Saunders cannot dance, at all. She would clap her hands and not move at all, but hey, she still sang really well. Overall, it was an incredible set and my favourite from Gareth until now. The atmosphere was great, the sound was almost perfect (not too loud and good quality) and the lighting was crazy (especially the laser). It was a little bit hot in there and the fact you can’t refill water bottles kind of sucks, but it was only from 12 to 3, so we weren’t really tired yet and could endure the lack of water.

Circus Afterhours (Regular Set): The afterparty was at Circus Afterhours and Gareth played a 2 hour set that finished around 7-7:30 (I can’t remember exactly). Since he played all of his best tracks at Telus, it wasn’t as good (in my opinion) as the concert before, but it was still above average in term of quality. It really felt like an afterhour instead of a normal set: there was less energy in the crowd and such, but I still enjoyed my time there as well. We caught Blake Jarell’s last 45 minutes and I think he was really good. My favourite track from him was his mashup of Heart Is King vs. Losing My Religion, even though I really don’t like the original of Heart is King (the vocals make it that much better, yes).

I don’t remember if Gareth played his new collaboration with Ben Gold at Telus Theater (or Circus), but one thing I know is that it’s awesome and that I have a 128kbps version for you guys! Make sure you buy it on September 5th when it gets released; I’ve set an alarm on my phone to make sure I don’t forget. I’m not kidding. I really like the mix of Gareth’s “way of doing songs” with Ben Gold’s synths and personal touch. Hear the awesomeness for yourself:

Gareth Emery & Ben Gold – Flash

Let’s change of music genre a little (a lot) and talk about Moombahton/Moombahcore. This genre is a mix of reggaeton and dubstep/weird car engine noises. I thought it would be horrible at first, but after giving it a listen, I must admit that it’s really good and innovative. Here is a song (harder moombahcore than usual) and a mix from Diplo that’s really great and that is not 100% moombahcore, but it’s really worth listening too.

Datsik – Firepower (Munchi Moombahcore Remix)

MDWWR #67 Diplo's Moombahton 2k11 Mix by diplomaddecent

 

That is all for now! Don’t forget to buy your tickets for Michael Woods, Mat Zo and Jochen Miller that are going to play at Beachclub on the 13th and Jochen Miller and Heatbeat at Circus Afterhours (right after Beachclub).

Québécois Guidettes Are Called Douchebags, Episode 3: When Push Comes To Shove, Embrace The Silicone

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POST BY JUSTIN (He wasn't able to post it from his account for some reason).

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My couple of months away from EDM blogging saw 3 artists call off their Montreal appearances, free tickets thrown away, multiple trips to BeachClub and an unfortunate bout of food poisoning, ultimately leading to a 4th and 5th cancellation. Although the end of May/beginning of June was supposed to be rife with international DJs, Andy Moor, Axwell and Ferry Corsten were unable to grace us with their talents. Regardless, we had other events to focus on, like the 100th episode of Tytanium Sessions. On the 1-year anniversary of the 105th edition of Gareth Emery’s podcast, Sean Tyas set camp at Circus Afterhours for the 100th episode of his. Even though none of us are big fans of his weekly show, there was no way we were going to pass up a St-Jean-Baptiste celebration with Raneem, Arnej, Simon Patterson and Sean himself.

Raneem got the show started with a set full of IDs. The live Afterhours.FM broadcast only began one hour into his performance, so he naturally kept most of his own productions for the last 2 hours. He played his popular remix of Emvy’s “Strut,” as well as “Out of Nowhere” and his mashup of CIrez D’s “On Off” and Darude’s “Sandstorm,” which is always a crowd pleaser. After re-listening to his set, it has become clear how much Raneem’s grown this year. Nobody at The Hawt had ever heard of him until Gareth Emery’s February show and our respect for his musical prowess hasn’t stopped gaining since. Here’s the last 2 hours of his set from the night.

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Arnej followed our favorite Circus resident with the best 90 minutes of the night. His darker take on Trance was ever so present as he entertained the crowd with tracks by Dakota, Jacob van Hage and a few from Coldharbour Recordings. The highlight of the night came when he played his new 8 Wonders tune, “X.” The song features a somewhat elaborate melody, all the while keeping the bass-heavy dark presence which he holds dear. As if that wasn’t enough, he followed his original with Chris Schweizer’s bootleg mix of “Zombie Nation.” When he turned down the music, only to hear the entire club singing along, it was obvious that he had stolen the show. Here’s “X,” along with his set.

Arnej pres. 8 Wonders – X (Original Mix)

Released on July 18th on Arnej Music

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Arnej was followed by the evening’s headliner, Sean Tyas. I’d seen him at Circus before and I recall having had an absolute blast. True to his form, Tyas turned the bass up as high as possible and consequently, no one could quite hear the melody or any other parts of any of the songs he played. I’m not sure what it sounded like in the DJ booth, but we were only able to recognize the tunes we actually knew. Amongst the incomprehension, we were able to make out Funkagenda’s “What The Fuck,” Eric Prydz’s remix of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus” and Tyas’ “Banshee.” Only after listening to the recording afterwards was I able to properly appreciate it. And even then, it wasn’t anything special. All together, it was a somewhat disappointing performance by Tyas, as he was easily overshadowed by the impressive squad he invited to play alongside him. Here’s his set from the night.

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Simon Patterson was the next to play. He nearly employed the same tactic as Tyas, but cleverly turned down the bass ever so slightly. His set was characterized by unpredictable drops, lengthy breakdowns and lots of his own tracks. I was disappointed to see him neglect his label’s latest release, Nick Callaghan and Will Atkinson’s 2011 remix of his classic, “F16.” In fact, he played Night Vision’s only other 2 releases in Des McMahon’s remix of Wayde Rafnel and Dave Correa’s “Derailed” and Patterson’s own “Latika.” He ended his solo time with “For The Most Part,” his collaboration with Sean Tyas which fit nicely in what was to come. Here’s his entire set from Circus.

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In the final moments of the Afterhours.FM live braodcast, Patterson and Tyas played back to back, as in one song after the other. This is when they played their more recognizable tracks, like Dogzilla’s “Without Me” and Tyas’ remixes of Tiësto’s “Suburban Train” and Gareth Emery’s “Sanctuary." Here’s their back to back set.

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mtlnightclubs

Thanks to our buddy Samson at montreal-nightclubs.com for the download links. Check his website for all the tracklists from Tytanium Sessions 100.

The holiday weekend continued on Sunday at BeachClub. Pointe-Calumet hosted Sander van Doorn and hundreds of Montrealers eager for a taste of the amazement he displayed at Bal en Blanc. Playground had built a special stage for Armin during his recent visit, but for some reason, Sander was not given the same luxury. Albeit a little crowded, the dancefloor was nonetheless spacious and easily encompassed the horde of day ravers. Here’s what the scene looked like from the DJ booth:

sander beachclub

As you can imagine, the area was laden with more than a few over-makeuped, silicone engineered “hotties” grinding their shirtless He-Men and the HGH/steroid abuse problems that came with them, shades of La Folie. I can only speak for myself, but while I’m not a fan of the fake tit, I don’t mind having a few graze my body while I dance. I might be split on the whole Guido culture, but I’m definitely not on Sander van Doorn.

The Dutch producer settled in just as we arrived and opened with the obvious track of summer 2011, Alesso’s remix of “Pressure.” The next hours were spent bobbing and weaving in between genres, going from House to Trance, Electro to the rare Techno track and so on. Sander took the opportunity to drop many tracks from the newest in his Dusk Till Doorn compilation series, which contains lots of new material from Spinnin’s sub-labels. From Wall Recordings, he played Afrojack’s “Doing It RIght” and “Prutataaa,” a collaboration with DJ R3hab, Erick Strong’s “Italian” from Reset Records and Ummet Ozcan’s “Transcend” from Liquid Recordings. However good “Transcend” may be, it was greatly overshadowed by his latest dubbed “Reboot.” The tune reveals a different, more tech-trance side to Ozcan, a variety he’d been lacking for a long time. It’s on the Dusk Till Doorn compilation, but will get a proper release on the 1st of August.

Ummet Ozcan – Reboot (Original Mix)

Released on August 1st on Doorn Records

Since he was so brilliant at Bal en Blanc, his set at BeachClub may have been slightly disappointing to some, considering he also chose to play a variety of genres instead of sticking to the strict Trance makeup his performances used to employ. He ended his show with Eric Prydz’s fantastic remix of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus,” a tune made for live performances currently being played out by loads of DJs, the original mix of “Daddyrock,” even though the Arty remix had just been released, and Sander’s remix of The Killers’ “Spaceman.” He also managed to squeak in his new tune, “Timezone,” which features the vocals of Frederick, but it lacks the power and energy needed for a song to be played live. Regardless, although Sander’s performance paled in comparison to the white party’s, it was a memorable one that displayed his love for all genres of EDM and his willingness to open the minds of the numerous House enthusiasts.

Raneem shaved pits

Raneem was on closing duties and since we had missed most of his opening set at Circus on Thursday, we decided to stick around to check out our favorite resident DJ. There’s a few things we learned: first off, looks like Raneem shaves his pits. Just sayin’. Second, Raneem is as popular, maybe even more so, than Sander van Doorn is in Montreal. If you’re a member of the Montreal Trance Scene group on Facebook, you know exactly what I’m talking about. There was a ridiculous amount of praise for him with lots of people saying that he had ousted the Dutchman. Thirdly, his new track, which he happened to premier at the event, is absolutely genius. It’s called “Free Fall,” its just been signed to Leon Bolier’s Streamlined and it might be even better than “Out Of Nowhere.” Here’s a video of Raneem at BeachClub mixing Mark Sherry’s “Phantasmic” into his own “Free Fall.”

Raneem – Free Fall (Original Mix)

Released on ??? on Streamlined

Check out Ramy Bargz’s YouTube channel for nearly all of Raneem’s set from BeachClub.

Summer of Love “Normal-er” Music

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So it seems as though Ferry Corsten at La Folie is cancelled, but we do still have Sean Tyas at Circus on Thursday and Sander van Doorn at Beach Club on Sunday to look forward to. I must say I’m disappointed in La Folie since they already cancelled Axwell earlier this month and now Ferry isn’t looking good.

There has been a ton of great releases in the past months and the one that stands out is without a doubt Kiss From the Past by Allure (a.k.a. Tiësto). Upon seeing the album title, I was hoping for some old school Tiësto from the days of Elements of Life but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this album. One of my favourite tracks is Show Me The Way that features the vocals of JES but I must also recommend the track On the Wire in which he rekindles with vocalist Christian Burns.

Show Me The Way (feat. JES) - Allure

This next song also has a great vocalist in Susana (probably one of the best all time where it comes to trance in my opinion) and Alexander Popov really delivers on the remix. I heard it first on Myon & Shane54’s podcast and fell in love with it almost immediately. For some reason, this song got me wondering if there were any trance songs with more than one vocalist. Imagine how epic a collaboration between Justine Suissa and Susana could be! If you have any good ones, please share them in the comments below, I’m a complete sucker for some vocal trance (or house, whatever you’ve got).

Fall in Deep (feat. Julian Vincent) [Alexander Popov Remix] - Susana 

Alesso has really exploded onto the scene this summer and at 18 years old you can really expect him to keep on getting better. His remix of Nadia Ali has been dominating the charts and is my favourite house track of the summer so far. He does go a bit overboard with the chopping sound but I don’t mind it that much.

Pressure (Alesso Remix) – Nadia Ali, Starkillers & Alex Kenji

I’m usually not that big of a fan of the dubstep songs Gareth Emery plays to end his podcast but last week’s was very decent and here’s a great remix of it that holds its own alongside the original.

Louder (feat. Sian Evans) [Drumsound & Bassline Smith Remix] – Dj Fresh

This next track cannot be released fast enough, although bootlegs often don’t get that privilege. It played on TATW a few episodes back and its simplicity struck me. Hopefully not another brilliant track that never sees the light of day.

On The Move (Bart Claessen Bootleg) - Barthezz

If you like mashups, chances are you’ll like this next track. Heatbeat (who will be playing at Circus in August alongside Jochen Miller) samples no less then 7 tracks for this monster bootleg. Check out the description of the video for the listing.

Megabootleg 500 - Heatbeat

So, in light of Gareth Emery’s massive upcoming Northern Lights Concert at Theatre Telus, here is my favourite remix of Into the Light by none other than remixer extraordinaire Alex M.O.R.P.H.

Into the Light (feat. Mark Frisch) [Alex M.O.R.P.H. Remix] – Gareth Emery

And finally, probably one of the tunes of the summer. It has been remixed by a so many artists so far from Soundprank to born again duo Gabriel & Dresden (Josh Gabriel is actually part of Andain). However, none of them seem to come close to Myon & Shane54’s Summer of Love mix. While I’m on the subject, I would like to recommend their podcasts to you guys. It’s a weekly, one hour episode that features a lot of exclusives including many of their signature mashups that you will not find anywhere else.

Promises (Myon & Shane54’s Summer of Love Mix) - Andain

New Music n’ shit.

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I know, I’m such a slacker and like every time I post, I have news and then music! But this time I don’t need a wall of text to explain.

I’ve decided that it was time for Hawtmusik to sell t-shirts, because, let’s face it, we’re awesome. The plan for the first t-shirt is to write HAWTMUSIK DOT COM in the back, but we didn’t make our choice yet for what will be written in the front. We have a few ideas, but it’d be great if you guys sent us ideas by email to thehawt@hotmail.com or simply in the comments section beee-lowww. Also, I’m still unsure if we’ll go for the cheap-ass t-shirts that would be around 16$ or for the reasonable ones that would be around 25$. Obviously this doesn’t include shipping or any other fee, but I won’t be charging more than what it actually costs. Also, the cheap ass t-shirt can only be white, while the other one can be any color, but it will most likely be black. Whatever, tell me what you think.

Madison Square Gardner

Music time! Do you remember the Chris Lake interview we got last December? We were super busy with all kinds of things and we just had enough time to post the interview and go back to whatever we were busy with, but while that happened, I was still receiving emails from great producers that deserve to be blogged about.

I was very interested with this new-ish label based in Salmo, British Columbia, that releases very uncommon music (and that has an awesome website with sick images!). It’s called King Deluxe (http://kingdeluxe.ca). But before I go on, I must say something: these days, we only hear about 3 types of music in the EDM scene. If you’re a normal hipster (by normal I mean poser as fuck), you’ll probably be hearing about dubstep a lot, if you’re someone that just began listening to EDM, you’ll probably be hearing about House music all the time and if you’re someone like us at the hawt (awesome), you’ll be hearing about Trance as well as the other genres mentioned above. This label does not release any common derivatives of any of them and that’s what makes it awesome.

The first artists I listened to in the label was Fancy Mike. It’s reallyyyy hard to describe his style, because I don’t hear stuff like this very often, but I think the label did a great job explaining what you’ll hear if you click the play button: “His sound consists of lo-fi, synth-based instrumental music, backed by analog-driven technology and tape hiss. He likes to maintain a style that is heavily reminiscent of filmic scores, French electro, 70s disco music, 80s synth-pop and current-day keygen music.”

What I really like about Fancy Mike is the fact it’s different from the rest of my music library and when I’m sick of hearing the same tracks over and over again, I play his album and relax. Sound explains this feeling better than words, so here we go (downloads below):

Lazer Opera by fancymike Hipster Crack by fancymike

Check out the full album here and buy it for 5$ here. If you really enjoy his stuff, go listen to his newest release (that I didn’t have time to listen to that much though) right HERE. Here are two of his tracks for free, I hope it’s okay with the label! 

Fancy Mike – Lazer Opera

Fancy Mike – Hipster Crack

If you want more of that type of music, go check the label’s website HERE and go check Aleph, that is also very good, HERE. Aleph’s music sounds a little like Fancy Mike’s, but it seems quicker and less “insanely-chill”. There are other artists signed with the label too, but I didn’t have time to listen enough to them to criticize their music!

100_0352Egyptians invented acid, in my opinion. (Photo by me @ Le Louvre, Paris, France)

Ellis is supposed to be posting some “normal-er” music soon, so I’ll let him take care of that, but before I finish my post, here is some new dubstep n’ shit from my boys in Chicago, Keith Kabz and DJ Solo. They always release nice stuff, so you guys should check their soundclouds by clicking on their name (especially if you like dubstep)! Their new stuff is really nice and innovative!

This songs makes you want to buy a sub for your car, but it aint dubstep, it’s the whitest rap you can find on the web! But it’s good, so… respect.

Gittin It - DJ SOLO by DJ SOLO

Seriously, what the fuck, this is good!

The Office (DJ SOLO Remix) by DJ SOLO

Dirty shit is dirty.

How To Chop Up Dubstep VOL. 1 (KABZ MASH-EDIT) by DJ KABZ

Here’s a mix by Kabz, legendary as usual!

KABZ Kinetic Masquerade MIX 4-11 by DJ KABZ

And one of DnB! What?!

KABZ JUMP-UP DnB SET!!! NASTY BASSS!!! 2-22-11 by DJ KABZ

Enjoy your week people! And don’t forget to come to Ferry Corsten on the 23rd @ La Folie and to Sander Van Doorn @ Beachclub on the 26th! And also, comment on the t-shirts! Thanks!

Trance, trance and some more trance

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Aight, so I think it’s about time to get over Bal en Blanc, no matter how amazing it was. Even more so if you stayed until the end and got to see Ben Gold who delivered a ridiculously good set. Well anyways, on with the music.

So I guess my title is a bit deceiving, it’s my first song and it’s not trance but it’s one of my favourites of the past few weeks, heard it first on TGP and it just keeps growing on me. Just gotta love what Arno Cost is doing.

Arias & Arno Cost – Days to Come (feat. Michael Feiner)

Next track is a sick collaboration from Markus Schulz and Jochen Miller (who’s at Circus in August!!!!). I feel it kind of sounds like a morph between Gareth and Ummet Ozcan’s sound. If you get lucky, like Justin you get to hear it at a club and text me at 2am telling me the Dj is playing it…

Markus Schulz & Jochen Miller – Rotunda

Well, I guess I would feel pretty bad if I didn’t post some Stoneface and Terminal since they’re here on Sunday, at least their latest release is absolutely killing it for me, oh wait they all do… (did i ever mention that they have the best name also?)

Stoneface & Terminal – Time to Wait

2:08 of the video, super awesome…

Before I go on with the next song, I just want to recommend that you guys check out Tiësto’s new compilation Club Life, Vol. 1 Las Vegas. Got to hand it to him, he morphed his style and I really did not think I’d appreciate it but this CD is really fucking awesome and his recent productions under the alias Allure are decent as well. Unfortunately, there’s just too much music for me to put everything I like up but if you are like me and you’ve got the time, you should really check it out.

Oh well I guess one last video before I get to the awesome upcoming weekend. Here’s a beautiful song for you guys, vocal trance how it should be.

Max Graham – So Caught Up (feat. Neev Kennedy)

 

So, as I usually end my posts, here are some upcoming events.

Chris Lake, Funkagenda, Dirty South – May  20th @ La Folie               M.I.K.E & Mr. Pit - May 20th @ Circus Afterhours                             

ARMIN VAN BUUREN – May 22nd @ Beach Club                                  Laidback Luke – May 22nd @ SAT                                                      

Ben Gold – May 22nd @ Red-Lite                                               Stoneface and Terminal & Wezz Devall – May 22nd @ Circus Afterhours

So…yeah, holy shit the 22nd is a crazy ass day, depending on the set times, it would be possible to see maybe 3 out of the 4 (conflict between Ben Gold & Stoneface but i haven’t seen S&T yet).  A bit of lameness though, Andy Moor was originally scheduled to play at Circus but got dropped for some reason, which sucks cause he’s been on fire lately.

Andy Moor & M.I.K.E – Spirit’s Pulse

Vangelis – Rachel’s Song (Andy Moor Remix)

BAL EN BLANC 17 (2011)

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FOR THE PICTURES: GO HERE FOR THEHAWT’S FACEBOOK PAGE AND HERE FOR THE PICTURES.

We went to Bal en Blanc 17 and it was amazing! Here are the live sets recorded from AH.FM, sadly Sander Van Doorn and Above and Beyond requested to not be broadcasted, so we couldn’t get their sets. We will have a pretty in-depth review of the event in a few days.

If you post the sets on your website, please refer hawtmusik.com, we work really hard to bring you guys great content and it takes a lot of time to do all this stuff! Thanks!

Bal En Blanc 17 (scroll down for tracklists):

DJ Malek: Mediafire     -     Megaupload

Raneem: Mediafire     -     Megaupload

Cosmic Gate: Mediafire     -     Megaupload

Markus Schulz: Megaupload

Ben Gold: Mediafire     -     Megaupload

This post will be edited often in the next few days, so check back every now and then! The review is coming!

image Picture by me, from my iphone. IMPORTANT: THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL THEHAWT PICTURE AND THAT IS WHY THERE ISN’T ANY BAL EN BLANC LOGO.

TRACKLISTS (Thanks to montreal-nightclubs.com for these):

DJ Malek

1. Fefo and Dario Arcas – Take Me Away (Hernan Cattaneo and Soundexile Remix)
2. Third Party – Release
3. Jordy Lishious – Radiator (Funkagenda & Jordy Lishious Re-Edit)
4. Parker & Hanson – Alquimia (Andrew Bayer Remix)
5. Cirez D – Full Stop
6. Erick Strong – The Monster
7. Gareth Emery – Stars (Hardwell Remix)
8. Moguai – Oyster (Michael Woods Remix)
9. Mike Foyle pres. Statica – Headrush
10. Jochen Miller – U & Eye
11. Mat Zo – Back In Time
12. Arty – Hope
13. PPK – Ressurection (DJ Kharma Remix)
14. Jochen Miller & Rank 1 vs Yuri Kane – The Right Escape (Andy Moor Mashup)
14. Miguel Bose – Jurame (AvB Remix)
15. Jeremy Sky & DJ Malek – White Dream
16. Gareth Emery – Into The Light

Raneem

01. Michael Woods – Dynamik
02. Save The Robot – Big Ben
03. Solaris Heights – No Trace (Popof Remix)
04. Cliff Coenraad – Distorted Reality (Re-Shizzled)
05. Raneem – ID
06. JOOP – Choices (Raneem Remix)
07. Raneem & ID – ID
08. Emvy – Strut (Raneem Remix)
09. Raneem – Out of Nowhere (Original Mix)
10. Super8 & Tab vs MEM – Invictus Scorchin` (Raneem Mashup)
11. Cliff Coenraad – Oh!Mega (Bootyshakin` Mix)
12. Darude vs. Cirez D – On Off Sandstorm (Raneem Mashup)
13. Jean Claude Ades vs. Tomcraft – My Loneliness (Raneem Mashup)
14. Andrew Bennett – Adagio for Strings

Cosmic Gate

01. Gareth Emery – Arrival (Ashley Wallbridge Remix)
02. Kyau & Albert – Kiksu 2011
03. Cosmic Gate – Barra
04. Mat Zo & Arty - Rebound 
05. ID
06. Gareth Emery ft. Jerome Isma-Ae – Stars (Hardwell Remix) 
07. ID
08. Axwell – Heart Is King
09. Cosmic Gate – Back To Earth (Arty Remix)
10. Cosmic Gate feat. Jan Johnston – Raging (Alexander Popov Dub Mix)
11. Above & Beyond Feat. Richard Bedford – Sun And Moon (Club Mix)
12. Jurgen Vries – The Theme (ID Remix)
13. Ferry Corsten – Punk (Cosmic Gate Essential Rework)
14. Cosmic Gate – Fire Wire (Cosmic Gate’s Back 2 The Future Remix)
15. ID
16. Randy Katana – In Silence (Setrise Remix)
17. Ferry Corsten – Feel It
18. Cosmic Gate – Exploration Of Space (Back 2 The Future Remix)
19. ID
20. ID
21. John O’Callaghan feat. Sarah Howells – Find Yourself (Cosmic Gate Remix)
22. Nic Chagall Feat. Jonathan Mendelson – This Moment (Prog Mix)

Markus Schulz

01. Faithless vs. ID – Not Going Home vs. ID (Markus Schulz Mashup)
02. Wippenberg – U R (Markus Schulz Big Room Remix)
03. Markus Schulz Presents Dakota – Sinners (Aerofoil Remix)
04. Aerofoil – Caress 2 Impress (Markus Schulz Big Room Reconstruction)
05. Tiesto – Lethal Industry (Remix)
06. Fedde Le Grand – Control Room
07. Rank 1 & Jochen Miller vs. Yuri Kane – The Right Escape (Markus Schulz Big Room Reconstruction)
08. John Dahlback – Back 2 the Dancefloor (Khomha Presents Halbro Remix)
09. Marc Simz vs. Aerofoil – Xplode 2011
10. Beat Service – Outsider
11. Mr. Pit – Sky Traffic
12. ID
13. Markus Schulz Presents Dakota – Sleepwalkers
14. ID
15. Markus Schulz – 65.4Hz (Mr. Pit Remix)
16. Orjan Nilsen – Go Fast! (Markus Schulz Edit)
17. Aerofoil – Vortex (Markus Schulz Edit)
18. Push – Universal Nation (Remix)
19. Hard Rock Sofa & St. Brothers – Blow Up (Thomas Gold vs. Axwell Remix)
20. ID (Track 17 from ASOT 500 Buenos Aires Set)
21. Ferry Corsten – Punk (Cosmic Gate’s Essential Rework vs. MaRLo Remix / Markus Schulz Big Room Reconstruction)
22. Khomha – Rainy in the Night (Markus Schulz Edit)
23. Koen Groneveld – Slides
24. Artento Divini – Who’s Next (Markus Schulz Big Room Reconstruction)
25. Klauss Goulart – Turbulence
26. Wippenberg – Earth
27. Traumer – Cobraphobie (Markus Schulz Big Room Reconstruction)
28. Randy Katana – In Silence (Setrise Remix)
29. Markus Schulz Featuring Sir Adrian – Away (Cosmic Gate Remix)
30. Markus Schulz & Justine Suissa vs. Tomcraft & Jerome Isma-Ae – Perception in the Redlight District (Markus Schulz Mashup)
31. Steve Aries Featuring Lavoie – Dressed in White (Markus Schulz Coldharbour Remix)
32. Markus Schulz – The New World (Markus Schulz ASOT 500 Big Room Reconstruction)
33. ID
34. Rex Mundi – Interstate of Lightning
35. Artento Divini Presents DTC vs. Delerium – Lift Off Silence (Markus Schulz Mashup)
36. Art of Trance – Madagascar (Richard Durand Remix)
37. Markus Schulz & Jochen Miller – Rotunda

Ben Gold

01. Nenes & Pascal Feliz – Platinum (Ben Gold Intro Mix)
02. Ben Gold – Pandemic
03. W&W – Arena (Ben Gold remix)
04. Ferry Corsten – Feel It!
05. ID
06. Sean Tyas – Solo (Organ Donors Remix)
07. Deadmau5 – Raise Your Weapon (Lee Osborne Remix)
08. W&W – AK 47
09. Ben Gold – Sapphire (Trance Mix)
10. ID
11. First State Featuring Sarah Howells – Reverie (Dash Berlin Remix)
12. Gareth Emery Featuring Lucy Saunders – Sanctuary (Ben Gold Remix)
13. Andy Moor & Ashley Wallbridge Featuring Meighan Nealon – Faces (Ben Gold 2010 Remix)
14. tyDi Featuring Tania Zygar – Vanilla (Ben Gold Remix)
15. Be:Gold – Sunstroke
16. Lange, Andy Moor, Komytea & Tiesto – Lethal Stadium Four (Gareth Emery Re-Edit)
17. Gareth Emery – Exposure
18. Artento Divini vs. Prodigy – Who’s Next Bitch (Artento Divini Mashup)
19. Marcel Woods – BPM (Kristof van den Berghe Remix)
20. ID
21. Super8 & Tab Featuring Julie Thompson – My Enemy (Rank 1 Remix)
22. Marcel Woods – The Bottle
23. Gareth Emery – Global
24. Rank 1 vs. Jochen Miller – And Then…
25. W&W & Wezz Devall – Phantom
26. Sied van Riel & Radion 6 – Radiator
27. Tiesto Featuring BT – Love Comes Again (Bart Claessen Remix)

Preview: Bal en BLanc 17

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For 364 days every year, fellow Montrealers alike aimlessly gawk at the myriad of EDM spectacles offered hundreds and thousands of kilometers away. For the past 16 years, Easter weekend has given them an opportunity to give the same treatment to the rest of the world. Heralded as one of Canada’s most prestigious events, Bal en Blanc is the child of Playground Productions, the Montreal-based event company responsible for organizing most of the big happenings on the somber island. The affair takes place downtown, at the Palais des Congrès, where the stages are split amongst 2 rooms: House and Trance. Attendees are required to dress in white, as per the title, and include people of all creeds, ages (18+) and sexual orientations. From youthful producers like Avicii and Ben Gold, to tried and tested veterans such as Armand van Helden and Cosmic Gate, Bal en Blanc holds something for everyone.

We have prepared a special post for this momentous event:

For a preview of the MAIN ROOM, click here.

For a preview of the TRANCE ROOM, click here.

The Hawt’s writers have been given the privilege to fully cover the event. We will be wearing press passes, scurrying backstage, talking to DJs, capturing phenomenal photographs and reporting this event to the best of our ability. In addition, we will be giving you high quality recordings of the sets from the Trance room. Check back with The Hawt on the days following the event for a full low-down on what went on. We hope to see you there and wish you a happy Bal en Blanc!

MAIN ROOM: Bal en Blanc 17

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For a preview of the TRANCE ROOM, click here.

To return to the preview post, click here.

Main Room

The main room welcomes the House side of EDM. This year’s line-up holds some lesser known talents, a home grown Montrealer, a few rising stars and possibly the best DJ in the world.

21.00 – 23.00 DJ Uppercut

uppercut  Image courtesy REDLITE

Uppercut is not new to Bal en Blanc. In fact, this will be the fourth straight year he performs at the event. He has earned his spot after many years DJing in and around Montreal. As a resident of both the Complexe Millenium and Red-Lite, DJ Uppercut is known throughout the city as one of the island’s best. He’s displayed his skills at  many other Playground events, including Resolution, Sensation 2008 and Tiësto’s show at Beach Club last year. As far as producing goes, Uppercut is an important part of KULT Records, heavily contributing with some originals, as well as their remix series of “Gotta Be Me” by Steve Sas, a celebrated song in the underground House community. Below is his latest on the label, a track called “Sensation” that he’ll surely play come Sunday.

Uppercut – Sensation: Beatport

Uppercut - Sensation (Original mix) by Uppercut

djuppercut.caTwitter

23.00 – 0.00 Manufactured Superstars

mansuperstarsImage courtesy BSK Photo

The Manufactured Superstars are a special pair very important to EDM. Based out of Denver, Colorado, Brad Roulier and Shawn Sabo make music that attempts to conjoin mainstream with electronic. These innovators revolutionized the world of dance music in 2004, when they co-created Beatport with a few of their buddies. It was through this stroke of genius that Shawn and Brad hooked up at first. Giving and taking what they liked from each others’ styles, the guys decided to team up for good. They are extremely big on mashups, easily going through 100 tracks in a span of 2 hours. They are mostly popular in the US, thanks to their weekly radio show on 94.7 FM in Las Vegas. They are no spring chickens, as they have played for crowds alongside massive DJs such as Paul Oakenfold. Below is an popular track of theirs called “Come With Me.”

Manufactured Superstars, Trent Catrelle & Jeziel Quintela - Come With Me: Beatport

Manufactured Superstars, Trent Cantrelle, and Jezel Quintela - COME WITH ME - Blu Music by Manufactured Superstars

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0.00 – 1.00 Hardwell

hardwell                              Image courtesy Gerald Henninger

Hardwell got started in EDM extremely young. He grew up in music and starting gaining knowledge about DJing at the age of 13. Learning on his own, he slowly discovered every aspect of the craft, making sure to completely grasp each part before moving on. He suddenly emerged onto the scene in 2009 with his bootleg of Steve Angello and Laidback Luke’s tracks “Show Me Love vs. Be,” which became one of the biggest hits of the summer. He began 2010 by releasing some decently successful tracks which were supported by a few big names. He caught the eye of Dutch producer Chuckie, who suggested they do a song together. They created “Guess What, “ a huge hit in the underground House community which continued to advance his burgeoning career. His 2010 summer was spent introducing himself to sold-out crowds in Ibiza which furthered his cause even more. The highlight of his journey so far is definitely one of his most recent projects. Hardwell collaborated with Tiësto on the monster hit, “Zero 76,” which has been played all around the world and is featured on Tiësto’s new compilation. Below is Hardwell’s new track which was released on his own Revealed Recordings on April 18th.

Hardwell – Encoded: Beatport 

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1.00 – 4.30 Tiësto

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Headlining this year’s House room is one of the most popular and versatile DJs in the world. The first half of his career was dedicated to conquering the world of Trance and now, Tiësto is beginning to do the same with House. Arguably the best DJ in the world, the Dutchman’s achievements include a Grammy nomination, a multitude of MTV awards, one of the longest streaks of sold-out shows and an insanely popular radio show that reaches to all corners of the earth. In addition, after DJ Mag placed him in 24th in 2000, he’s consistently been in the top 10 of the poll, with only 1 year outside the top 3. From star-studded collaborations, numerous trips to the top of music charts and classics like “Lethal Industry” to playing at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Olympics in Athens, sharing decks with the world’s greatest and serving as a headliner for the biggest festivals, he has truly become a global phenomenon. Below is a video preview of his new compilation series, “Club Life Vol. One: Las Vegas.”

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4.30 – 6.00 Avicii

avicii1Image courtesy Danilo Lewis

Avicii’s rise to fame was as fast as they come. After only a few months of producing, he got to work on a remix of the theme song to a video game named “Lazy Jones.” His big break came came later in 2008, when he won Pete Tong’s fast trax, receiving a whopping 70% of the votes. “Manman” was released on Bedroom Bedlam a short time later, an action which turned heads all over the world. Signing on with with Vicious Grooves, Joia Records and Ministry of Sound gave him lots of inspiration, which propelled his next track “Ryù.” It was  named “Essential New Tune” on Pete Tong’s radio show and was the track of the week on Tiësto’s Club Life in the weeks following its arrival. The next part of his story is the present, with the explosion of “Bromance,” its lyricized version and multiple appearances at the most exclusive stages in the world. It’s no secret that Avicii is popular in Montreal, as he has been in the area twice in the past few months, doing a show at Club Muzique and headlining alongside Cosmic Gate for Resolution 2011. His fresh, youthful take on EDM is a wonder and makes it abundantly clear that this young man is the future of House music. Below is “Swede Dreams,” a remix of the 1995 Marilyn Manson classic.

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6.00 – 8.00 Armand van Helden

Armand van Helden

Armand van Helden is one of the 2 members of Duck Sauce, a group consisting of himself and A-Trak. The duo’s latest piece of work, “Barbara Streisand,” has quickly become a huge commercial hit, playing in clubs all over the world. But this isn’t the first big track Armand has produced in the world of EDM. In fact, he’s one the most experienced DJ/producers at this year’s event. His musical career began when he started DJing at the age of 15. A few years later, he started to spin in Boston clubs, which prompted him to quit his job and focus solely on music. After a few moderately successful releases, he got the opportunity to remix for Tori Amos and what would be the track that put him on the map, “Professional Widow.” In 1999, he released his third studio album, “2 Future 4 U,” which included what is his best known track, “U Don’t Know Me.” The song peaked at #1 on the UK charts and #2 on Billboards’ and is today considered a classic of the genre. On his way to superstardom, Armand produced another 4 artist albums, played what is said to be the best mashup DJ set of all-time, worked with Dizzee Rascal and finally decided to team up A-Trak. Below is his 1999 classic, “U Don’t Know Me.”

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8.00 – 9.30 Freemasons

freemasons

When you name yourself after a bar, chances are you like to party. That’s the case for British duo James Wiltshire and Russell Small. The two have been collaborating together for years and are known under many different aliases such as BN3, The Alibi, Walken and Funk Fanatico. Their main moniker, Freemasons, is the name under which they have produced most of their huge club hits. Although, this team doesn’t fit 2011’s House profile, it was the talk of the town just a few years back, beginning with its chart-topping remix of Tina Turner’s “When the Heartache is Over.” Freemasons’ follow-up remix was of Beyoncé’s “Déjà Vu,” a tune that got them a Grammy nomination for best remix. James and Russell continued in the same vein of the previous successes and continued to put an electronic spin on popular pop tracks, trying to bring the sound to mainstream audiences. They’ve been doing so for about 6 years ago now and show no signs of stopping. Although they have vast skills in remixing, the Freemasons can also create from scratch. In late 2010, they released a track called “Believer, “ which featured vocal from Wynter Gordon. Below is their latest work, a remix for Yasmin’s “Finish Line,” due for release in May on Ministry of Sound/Levels Recordings.

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9.30 – 10.30 Yinon Yahel

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Yinon Yahel, originally from Israël, discovered his musical talent at a very young age. When he was only 15 years of age, he started playing keyboard for the well-known Israeli rock band, “Enam,” a group that showed him electronic sampling, which ultimately leveraged his DJ career.  In early 2000, after a few unsuccessful attempts at breaking through the EDM scene, Yinon teamed up with fellow DJ Offer Nissim and signer/songwriter Maya Simantov, both past performers at Bal en Blanc. Together, they co-produced an album by the name of “First Time,” of which 3 tracks quickly found themself near the top of Billboards’ Dance/Club Chart. This first important imprint on dance music launched Yinon’s career, sending him to all corners of the world to perform. More recently, he has produced and written for multi-platinum artists such as Ashanti and P. Diddy and is finishing his debut artist album. Below is his latest, a track called “Tonight,” which features vocals by Emmi.

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10.30 – 12.00 Sultan & Ned Shepard

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Being a relatively new union, the EDM world was shocked when Sultan & Ned Shepard began banging out hits from the start of their merger. House fans have welcomed this pair with open arms, as their combined experience from years as solo artists culminate in a unique and quite pleasant sound. Both are gifted instrumentalists and have much talent as DJs and producers. In their short time as a single act, they’ve released tracks on Size Matters, Harem Records (owned by Sultan), Funk Farm, collaborated with Nadia Ali on the smash-hit “Call My Name” and remixed for artists such as Kaskade, Thoams Sagstad and Tiësto. Needless to say, these guys will have lots of fans partying until the very end.  Besides, how awesome are those dreads? Below is the music video for their recent collaboration with Fedde Le Grand, called “Running,” which features vocals from Mitch Crown. The track will be released through Flamingo Recordings exclusively on Beatport on April 25th.

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To finish, here are a few tracks that you should brush up on, because you are definitely going to hear them play more than once on Sunday:

Tim Mason – The Moment (Steve Angello Re-Edit)

Axwell – Heart is King (Original Mix)

Mark Knight & Tiesto ft. Dino – Beautiful World (Original Mix)

Funkagenda – Splinter (Original Mix)

Benny Benassi – Cinema (Skrillex Remix)

Marcel Woods & Tiesto – Don’t Ditch (Original Mix)

Hook ‘N’ Sling & TV Rock ft. Rudy – Diamonds in the Sky (Original Mix)

The Hawt’s writers have been given the privilege to fully cover the event. We will be wearing press passes, scurrying backstage, talking to DJs, capturing phenomenal photographs and reporting this event to the best of our ability. In addition, we will be giving you high quality recordings of the sets from the Trance room. Check back with The Hawt on the days following the event for a full low-down on what went on. We hope to see you there and wish you a happy Bal en Blanc!