BEATSELECTOR Magazine September/October 2019

COSMIC GATE’S 20 YEARS–[FORWARD EVER BACKWARD NEVER] ALBUM HAS ARRIVED! PAGE 108!

HEY Rainer,

Vienna'S

CALLING!

NEW!

@HOME PG 70

WITH LUIS FERNANDO

THE MAN RE-IMAGINING THE MUSIC OF FRED ASTAIRE, THE ROLLING STONES & NIRVANA

+

GIUSEPPE OTTAVIANI AN EXCLUSIVE 'EVOLVE' Q&A

MATT CALDWELL

PR PITCHMAN EXTRAORDINAIRE

CIMO FRÄNKEL JIMI POLO KA FU NOELLE CHIODO FUNTCASE SUBLEASE MUSIC LENELL BROWN NEWS & NEW MUSIC PREVIEWS

FAITH In The Product LOYALTY To The Client LOVE For The Consumer

TW BS teamweasal.com

B EATSELECTOR Moving Electronic Music Forward

September/October 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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inside SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

COVER FEATURE Austria has a vital electronic music scene and emerging from it are three artists who have combined forces to form a new dance music entity known as Club27. It began with producer and Austria native Rainer C. Regatschnig’s 2017 idea to revamp another '80s gem (Taco's 1982 version of the Irving Berlin which reached number four on the US pop charts). This led to the formation of his partnership with Berlin-based Wolfgang Lohr, one of the electro-swing genre’s best-known producers, and Justin Fidèle, a DJ and remixer from Germany, highly prolific on the international circuit. After finding great success in the electro-swing market, the trio hopes to expand their world presence through Club27 by reinventing classic rock tracks in progressive, floor-filling styles. The project begins with the house-bent premiere single, "Sympathy For The Devil," which features New Order-esque cover art. We spoke with Rainer from his home in Vienna and discussed his team’s ambitious plans to recapture the dance floor excitement his Austrian predecessors mastered so well.

90

inside SEPTEMBER/OC TOBER 2019

Features 82 MATT CALDWELL

In 2012 Matt Caldwell PR launched. The agency quickly gained popular in the Electronic Dance Music industry and has serviced PR campaigns for prolific and emerging artists, labels and brands including releases for or on Spinnin’ Records, Armada Music, Revealed Recordings, Size Records, Be Yourself Music, Enhanced Music and many more.

In this interview Matt shares his insights, advice, success and what makes MCPR unique.

100 GIUSEPPE OTTAVIANI

"The producer’s producer," as he’s often referred, are really just words until you’ve empirically witnessed how Giuseppe Ottaviani does that thing he does. The divide that separates what the audience hears and how it came to be however has been one Giuseppe Ottaviani’s been chipping away at for time. Giuseppe delves into "Evolver"- his July-released fourth artist album, as well as a discussing his self-built G.O. Live 2.0 in-club set-up and more in this exclusive interview conducted by Tim Stark.

Departments 22 ICYMI

ROUND-UP OF RECENT NEWS FROM AROUND THE WEB.

36 NEW MUSIC PREVIEWS

DOMINIK EULBERG, DAMIAN LAZARUS, MOKSI, SAM SHURE, SHOCKONE, PARTY FAVOR, ENZO SIRAGUSA, MAKOTO, BETTER LOST THAN STUPID, AHMED ROMEL.

56 ON TOUR: FUNTCASE

FROM OCTOBER THROUGH TO THE END OF THE YEAR, DO NOT MISS OUT ON THE CHANCE TO WITNESS HISTORY IN THE MAKING. FLEX YOUR ANGRY CLAWS, GET YOUR BASS HEAD ON AND GET DOWN TO FUNTCASE’S DPMO. WE GIVE YOU THE DETAILS, DATES, CITIES, AND VENUES.

58 BUZZ WORTHY/ARTIST PROFILES CIMO FRÄNKEL, JIMI POLO, KA FU, NOELLE CHIODO.

66 LABEL WATCH: SUBLEASE MUSIC

STEVE BUG UNVEILS AND HYPES HIS LATEST LABEL IMPRINT SUBLEASE MUSIC.

70 @HOME WITH LUIS FERNANDO

FOOD, MUSIC, LITERATURE, MOVIES, VICES AND MORE GO ON FULL DISPLAY.

76 BEHIND THE SCENES: LENELL BROWN

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR HOLLY ROSCOE CATCHES UP WITH LENELL TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HIS LATEST RELEASE "I NEED LOVIN'" AND ABOUT HIS INCREDIBLE CAREER.

108 CD/EP/SINGLES MUSIC REVIEWS

COSMIC GATE’S 20 YEARS–[FORWARD EVER BACKWARD NEVER] ALBUM LEADS THE REVIEWS!

[OPENING NOTES] Written by Joseph Wensell

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

2019 Our September/October 2019 issue of BEATSELECTOR Magazine shines a spotlight on two forward thinking and creative music executives.

Record man and producer from Vienna Austria,Rainer C. Regatschnig gets the Cover Feature followed by a long overdue piece with Matt Caldwell of Matt Caldwell PR .

MCPR has been a great friend to this magazine and as such we reciprocate with a feature on Matt by which he offers advice, success stories and experiences.

Our third full feature comes in the form of an exclusive interview with Giuseppe Ottaviana who sat down with Tim Stark for an insightful conversation about G.O.'s new release "Evolve," his latest stage & gear setups and more. Cimo Fränkel, Jimi Polo, Ka Fu and Noelle Chiodo receive our "Buzz Worthy"/Artist Profile treatment, plus we list dates for Bass music wildman Funtcase and DPMO tour, kicking off in October.

For this issue's Label Watch, we inform on Steve Bug's brand new imprint Sublease Music. New to Beatselector's editorial direction is a new Q & A Column titled @Home. The point of the column is explore and learn more about the featured artist's other passions and lifestyles discussing a wide range of subjects from food to literature and of course a bit about music as well. Our premier artist is Luis Fernando, a very interesting personality. Guest contributor Holly Roscoe returns with a "Behind The Scenes" spotlight on singer/songwriter and producer Lenell Brown's latest single "I Need Lovin." Also inside, we have write-ups on a few new and recent music releases deserving attention that should be on your radar and must have lists.

Read on!

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[ICYMI] ESA Astronaut Luca Parmitano Makes History With Broadcast As The First DJ In Space N E W S F R O M A R OUND T HE WE B

Beatselector Staff | INDUSTRY NEWS

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano made space (and music) history on August 13, 2019 when he broadcast the first DJ music set from orbit, performing to an audience of over 3000 people as part of the BigCityBeats WORLD CLUB DOME Cruise Edition.

The results of his work were beamed to the main stage on board the cruise ship Norwegian Pearl moored at the Spanish island of Ibiza. His set of around 12 minutes was played as part of the regular programme of DJs at the festival. This was the first time that a DJ set has been played from the International Space Station and, indeed, from space.

Making time for this broadcast during his non-operational activities, Luca also explained the goal of his Beyond mission and demonstrated life on board the Station to the audience in Ibiza. All these activities were key to widening awareness of ESA to a young European audience and bringing the focus on space in an inspirational and accessible setting.

The "first DJ in space" story can trace its origins back to 2018, when Frankfurt-based events company, BigCityBeats, contacted ESA’s newly formed Partnerships Unit. They requested the assistance of an ESA astronaut for a ‘zero g’ parabolic flight that they had chartered from French company Novespace (which also operates the joint ESA/CNES/DLR parabolic flights).

Bernd Breiter, CEO of BigCityBeats GmbH, said, “I had goosebumps and tears in my eyes when I saw Luca raising the WORLD CLUB DOME flag on the Space Station. When the first music started to play during the broadcast from space, I cannot even begin to describe my feelings in that moment. This has been my dream for many years to create the first club in space and, on a much broader scale, to connect science and music, which I hope will inspire generations to come.”

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[ICYMI] NE W S F R O M A R OUND T HE WE B

Bebe Rexha Partners With Fashion Brand And Launches "Bebe Loves Bebe" Beatselector Staff | INDUSTRY NEWS

2X Grammy nominated artist, Bebe Rexha has partnered up with fashion brand bebe, to debut an empowering national marketing campaign "BEBE LOVES BEBE." The campaign was created to celebrate the powerful idea of loving and accepting yourself, feeling incredible at any time, all the time. Rexha appears in the brand's Fall 2019 campaign, which will debut throughout the U.S. on social, out of home, and in print with the launch of Vogue's September issue. The campaign was inspired by Rexha, her honest unveiling of the fashion community and their injustice when she was nominated for a Grammy earlier this year.

In an empowering video on Instagram, Rexha called out designers who failed to dress all celebrities, and those who do not fit "a runway size." Rexha urged women and men to love their bodies and feel beautiful at any size, hence the campaign hashtag, #LoveYourself.

"It's incredible to be part of this bebe campaign, it's not only about me loving the brand, but more importantly about me loving myself! I hope to inspire and empower women all over the world with this message of self-love, I believe it is super important," commented Bebe Rexha.

"I grew up wearing bebe, it was the coolest piece of fashion you could have, so to be able to mix fashion and my music is so fun," Rexha added. Joey Gabbay, CEO of Bluestar Alliance and manager of the bebe brand commented, "The bebe brand has a passionate consumer following, one that loves the brand and all it has to offer. Similarly, Bebe Rexha has passionate fans around the world that love her, her music and what she stands for. Beyond sharing a name, this was a natural partnership as Bebe is a longtime fan of the brand herself."

Rexha will be making a personal appearance at Macy's Herald Square on November 7th, to promote the bebe Fall/holiday collection. The collection includes sportswear, outerwear, swimwear, active footwear, handbags, watches, jewelry, eyewear, accessories and kids. The full 2019 bebe collection is available at department stores nationwide, as well as online at www.bebe.com.

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[ICYMI] TIDAL, deadmau5 And mau5trap Label Release Exclusive Documentary Out Now N E W S F R O M A R OUND T HE WE B

Beatselector Staff | INDUSTRY NEWS

Global streaming and entertainment platform, TIDAL, has announced it's partnering with international electronic music superstar, deadmau5, and leading independent label mau5trap to release an exclusive documentary, Wild Things: Life Inside The mau5trap.

Members across the globe can experience what it's like to be a performing artist at one of America's largest EDM festivals. Chronicling the label's time at Ultra Music Festival in Miami, the documentary shares a behind-the-scenes journey of the mau5trap collective and explores how they create their distinctive sounds, connect with their audiences and build the cohesive mau5trap family. TIDAL members can tune in at TIDAL.com/mau5trap.

TIDAL is an artist-owned global music and entertainment platform that brings artists and fans closer together through unique original content and exclusive events. Available in 53 countries, the streaming service has more than 60 million songs and 250,000 high quality videos in its catalog along with original video series, podcasts, thousands of expertly curated playlists and artist discovery via TIDAL Rising.

As a TIDAL artist owner, deadmau5 has previously collaborated with the platform on several TIDAL X: deadmau5 livestreams as well as the exclusive nine-part series, Orchestration. Wild Things adds to the growing list of exclusive content and unique experiences available for TIDAL members. The video further solidifies the platform's commitment to elevating the connection between artists and their fans by providing subscribers with more than just great music.

Produced by Live Nation, deadmau5's North American 'cube v3 tour' is set to kick off in September with members of his mau5trap label family joining him for shows in Dallas, Austin and Los Angeles.

Tour and ticket information can be found here: https://cubev3.

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[ICYMI] N E W S F R O M A R OUND T HE WE B

CruCast Announces Indoor Festival At Printworks As Part Of Huge Autumn '19 Tour Beatselector Staff | FESTIVAL NEWS CruCast has announced the date and full line-up for a huge indoor festival at London’s Printworks, the final part of the leading UK bass music brand’s four-date UK autumn 2019 tour. The London event, which takes place on Saturday, November 23rd, follows largescale indoor festival shows in Newcastle, Birmingham, and Nottingham.

The stellar line-up for Printworks’ includes Crucast featuring Skepsis, Darkzy, Bru-C, TS7, Window Kid, LazCru and Mr Virgo in the Press Halls, with very special guests Problem Central (Logan D, Majistrate, Eksman, Evil B), Watch the Ride featuring Randall b2b DJ Die b2b Dismantle featuring Prime plus a very special unannounced guest, Distres Signal (Kanine, K Motionz, Simula), Jungle Cakes Take Over feat. Ed Solo B2B Deekline B2B Benny Page B2B Serial Killaz, hosted by Navigator, Upgrade, DJ Q b2b Jamie Duggan, DJ Guv b2b Hedex​ Royal T b2b Champion.

Completing the venue takeover, The Dark Room at Printworks will feature Darkzy (dubstep set), Taiki Nulight b2b Cause & Affect, Bou, Cajam, Indika, Meltout Crew, Sammy Virji (UKG set), Subsonic, Tsuki, and Zero.

CruCast is largely involved with the new wave of British bass music including drum & bass and garage and is known for developing the ever-growing bassline sound that’s fast becoming the soundtrack for a new generation of UK ravers, both in terms of recordings and live events. Fresh from three previous back-to-back sold out UK tours, CruCast has hit new heights in 2019 taking over festival stages at Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, Creamfields, SW4, Kendall Calling to name a few, as well as Amnesia in Ibiza.

Registration for priority access to tickets via www.crucast.london.

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[ICYMI] N E W S F R O M A R OUND T HE WE B

LANDR Adds Music Creation To Platform With New Rent-toOwn Synthesizer Beatselector Staff | INDUSTRY NEWS LANDR, the AI-powered creative platform for musicians, announced today it's expanding its creative platform to include Lethal: a sample-based synthesizer. The powerful plugin, which retails for $299 USD, will be offered to LANDR users for monthly payments of $9.99 USD over 20 months. A free three day trial of the plugin will also be available for download.

This important addition to LANDR's product offering will allow creators everywhere to make their best music, faster, at a price they can afford.

Known for its versatility and ease of use, Lethal is a valuable asset in any creator's toolbox.

It comes with more than 10,000 ready-to-use sounds made specifically for electronic, EDM, house, trance, trap and hip-hop, as well as powerful customization features that make it adaptable to other genres. The plugin, which includes an expansive core library, highquality presets and a wide range of effects and modulations, is also CPU-friendly, allowing for complex arrangements on any computer.

Education is an integral part of LANDR. Each plugin subscription will come with free in-depth, genre-specific educational content to help users make the most of Lethal's capabilities.

Short video series will include tutorials and valuable tips from up-and-coming artists, and guide users through the process of building a track from start to finish.

This announcement comes in tandem with LANDR's five-year anniversary and marks an important milestone for the company, as it continues to evolve into a full service creative platform for musicians worldwide.

To learn more about Lethal, visit https://plugins.landr.com/

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[ICYMI] Dirtybird Players Announce November 2 Phoenix AZ Tour Stop N E W S F R O M A ROUND T HE WE B

Beatselector Staff | TOUR NEWS

DIRTYBIRD announces the DIRTYBIRD Players Fall Tour alongside Phase I of Claude VonStroke’s fall show dates, touching down in Brooklyn, Las Vegas, Arizona’s Rawhide Event Center, and Washington DC throughout October and November.

The DIRTYBIRD Players run kicks off in Brooklyn, where the brand will be staging a takeover at the esteemed Warehouse of Horrors Halloween gathering. VonStroke tapped longtime label stalwarts Justin Martin and Justin Jay to join the festivities, as well as VNSSA, who’s quickly become a favorite amongst the DIRTYBIRD community. VNSSA will go on to play the Las Vegas show at Caesar’s on November 1, where J.Phlip and Christian Martin will also be showing off their polished takes on house and techno.

Walker & Royce will continue their monumental rise within the DIRTYBIRD family this year, joining the Players in DC, Las Vegas, and Arizona following the success of their "Bodies Do The Talking" EP this summer. Likewise, the venerable Shiba San will be lending his talents for the Arizona and Washington DC dates.

To top it all off, DJ Mag’s 2019 "Breakthrough Producer of the Year" J. Worra is also slated to join the Players for their Arizona throwdown. DIRTYBIRD Players club nights and festival stage takeovers remain a vital piece of the label’s coast-to-coast legacy. It is the enthusiasm of their outrageously dedicated fanbase that fills these evenings with the wacky bliss that has defined the label for nearly fifteen years. Couple this with the musical surprises in store from the constantly evolving DIRTYBIRD clan and you have one of North America’s most happening parties.

General Admission passes for the DIRTYBIRD Players Phoenix date are on sale now for $39, before fees. VIP passes are available for $69, before fees. You must be age 18 and up to purchase VIP passes.

For full details and all ticket options, visit www.relentlessbeats.com.

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[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS] unleashing of a weighty, punching kick.

"With Fünffleck-Widderchen I wanted to build a hypnotic and almost transcendental journey. For that I created polyrhythmic sequences which are also sometimes triplet, but their transpositions are still in the classic 4/4 scheme. In interaction with its broken beats and the wide Oberheim theme with no clear start and ending, it develops its own vortex this way. Fünffleck-Widderchen (English: New Forest Burnet) is a moth with five red spots per forewing. This is why it is track-number five on my album Mannigfaltig."

—Dominik Eulberg

Music producer, Biologist and Ecologist, Dominik Eulberg has a clear message within his music. Creating a plea to save the biodiversity of nature, his forthcoming album, "Mannigfaltig" pushes forward the importance of preserving our earth's ecosystems and warning of the danger posed to it by humans.

Ahead of the album's release via !K7 Records, Dominik unveils the next single, "FünffleckWidderchen" which translates as "New Forest Burnet."

With each album track from "Mannigfaltig" aptly named after varying native animal species which bares a number in its name in German, "Fünffleck-Widderchen" derives from the name of a distinctive species of moth with five red spots on each forewing.

Looking to celebrate the many shades of nature and its beauty, Dominik offers a near extraterrestrial take on "Fünffleck-Widderchen."

Electrical currents tick and crackle as feather light bells and synths harmonise before the

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As he seeks to showcase nature at its most raw and magnificent, a series of stunning and nature-centric music videos will also accompany the album.

With the recent release of previous single "Goldene Acht," Dominik worked with one of Germany's leading documentary film makers Jan Haft to create the music video.

The upcoming video for album track "Eintagsfliege" has also been recognized by the UN Decade Of Biodiversity, gaining "An Outstanding Contribution" award whilst also receiving recognition from the Federal Agency of Nature Conservation who will feature the film as their "Project Of The Week."

Alongside the new single "FünffleckWidderchen," Dominik also reveals a series of album tour dates that will see him perform across Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, France and Spain.

Stream/Buy it here.

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Beatselector Magazine | September/October 2019 | 37

[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS] acclaim from some of the scene's most respected publications at the time - and also some degree of confusion. Indeed The Guardian went as far as describing the album: "Less troubled and deep than Björk's Debut, it still captures the atmosphere of latenight clubland – the transcendent freedom, the fuzzy unreality, the implicit emptiness, the dysfunction – with a similar potent accuracy. That it does so by fusing Ricardo Villalobos and Robert Wyatt, and slipping in a Scott Walker cover, might explain why it is not being hailed as one of the crossover albums of the year. But it is."

Damian described how the inspiration for the album came from "what I know best, about what goes on in the darkness of dancefloors." This innate connection between Damian and his audience created an album that struck a poignantly emotional chord with its listeners.

Damian Lazarus will celebrate the tenth anniversary of his acclaimed 2009 debut album "Smoke The Monster Out" with the release of a re-mastered and expanded edition on his label Crosstown Rebels on the 27th of September.

In celebration of such a milestone, "Moment In The Dark EP" acts as a precursor, featuring two of the album's original tracks, Moment and Diamond In The Dark reworked and remixed by Keinemusik resident Adam Port, rising newcomer Tibi Dabo and Dutch talent Satori.

Released in 2009, "Smoke The Monster Out" album was a milestone in Damian's career. The first time he had written and produced his own music.

Drawing on the inspirations that informed his Lazpod series, Damian emerged from studio sessions with Arthur Jeffes (Penguin Cafe Orchestra), Luke Solomon and Mark Ralph with an album. It was a brave album from a DJ not afraid to experiment, wear his heart on his sleeve or risk his successful DJing career by singing on his own music. Even today, it's a fantastically unique album that refuses easy categorization. It received critical

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The release of "Moment In The Dark" is no different, providing the perfect taste as to what can be expected from the upcoming album rerelease.

The EP begins with the original tracks. Two equally slow-burning, emotion-filled cuts. "Moment" is an epic, gently unfolding piece, whilst "Diamond In The Dark" showcases a soul-infused, folk-rock sensibility.

Keinemusik stalwart Adam Port provides a winding journey in his remix of "Moment," that drifts between safari-like melodies and touching beautiful vocals. Rising newcomer Tibi Dabo offers an ethereal re-work of "Diamond In The Dark," one that features a slick, minimal bassline coupled alongside pulses of fantasy-like vocals, before Dutch talent Satori rounds off the release with a moving cut that features soft keys and wholesome, warming pads.

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[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS] Family label, founded by Yellow Claw.

"After releasing multiple EPs and about 50 songs in general, we felt it was time to make music with a new set of goals. Not just 1 dope song for our DJ sets, but a whole goddamn album with songs that have more meaning. It changed our way of producing cause there's a bigger story to tell than just 'one sick drop.'

It gave us some new much-needed perspectives as producers, and after making this album, we knew this is what we want to do for the time to come." — Moksi

Dutch duo Moksi has finally unveiled their first full-length studio album "The Return of House Music," a diverse and energetic nod to the genre's past with a decisive modern twist.

Moksi's twelve house tracks explore a broad spectrum of musical influences, from the groovy and progressive realms of opener "Doorman" with Chace to the soulful vibe of "Slow Burn." They know how to turn up the heat on records like "You Lose Nothing" with Chocolate Puma, "Boom Shakalaka" with Emy Perez & Digitzz and "Spike the Punch" ft. Dusty, which make for dancefloor killers with attitude and a sound that is uniquely Moksi.

The duo started teasing the release of the album in July by dropping the rap-infused "So Fly" featuring Lil Debbie, followed by "Downtown" with Ookay, "Gipsy" and "Find My Light" featuring RAiK. The sheer variation of music alone would make the album stand out, but it is the meticulous and always party-ready production style of Moksi that makes this duo a force to be reckoned with. "The Return of House Music" is out now on Barong

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Diego and Sam of Moksi have been friends since 2006 and began their musical partnership in 2015 when they ended up playing together on top of a food truck. The duo has made great strides since then; their "first track" - which was really only a 45-second snippet - was still impressive enough to catch the attention of Yellow Claw. That snippet became their single "Getting Higher," which put Moksi on the map and eventually led to their EP "Brace Yourself."

That same year, Moksi made their stage debut at none other than Tommorowland, making for an epic debut show that was the start of performing at festivals such as EDC, Spring Awakening, Ultra, Lollapalooza and more. Their most notable releases include 2017's fan-favorite "Open" with Yellow Claw, which has amassed 27+ million streams on Spotify alone, and the Beatport #1 single "Hippo" (with legendary Dutch duo Chocolate Puma) and the rave monster "Powermove," alongside Hardwell.

Keep an eye out for more news from Moksi coming soon as they continue their hot streak!

Stream/Buy it here.

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Beatselector Magazine | September/October 2019 | 41

[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS] with fellow producers Cioz and Cook Strummer, as well as a special apparition by Sam's paternal figure Basem Darwisch playing the Oud on "Mirage."

The tracks explore a diverse array of dispositions, from groovy up-warmers such as "Mangata" or "Louna" to more lively dancefloor aggregators such as "Kamala Bani," on to the deeply polarizing, whirlwind synth dinger"Guz" or the more experimental self-evident "Not Much To Say." A novel detail makes an appearance on "Je te vois," an acoustic electronic dance number with poetic lyrics tenderly sung in French for the first time.

A natural for stirring melodies, Berlin-based Sam Shure channels his all-around manifold array of talents into his debut album, "Laconia," following standout releases on Stil Vor Talent, Mukke and Bar 25 Music.

"My first studio album Laconia gave me the freedom to try different genres and styles. This has partially pushed me to my limits, but above all, I have been able to learn a lot, also for further productions. Each song tells a little story that was mainly inspired by the different places of my travels because I like to capture ideas on the go and put them into practice in the studio."—Sam Shure.

With its versatile moods yet compact constructions, Laconia is a self-fulfilling prophecy featuring ten tracks that draw on Sam's jazzy Egyptian roots while staying grounded in his usual melodic, mood-heavy aesthetic.

With its warm tones, hazy pads and smart basslines, it creates a perfect ambiance for deep set dancefloors. Laconia features collaborations

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The artist's romantic side also shows through the mystical elements interspersed throughout, from the spellbinding "Encanto" to the dreamy soundscapes of "Atreyu," named after the famous German fantasy book character.

Thanks to a modest key riff and more cosmic effects, "Aubade" lends its meaning of "greeting in the sun" to the atmosphere, rounding off the release on an incandescent note.

Having started his affair with music from a young age, Sam Shure's native talent and his everevolving skill set dot him as one of the stand out artists rising this year.

Releases on the likes of Stil vor Talent, Klassified Music and Katermukkes's sister-label Mukke have cemented him as a respected artist in his own right, while his DJ sets are full of the Berliner's infectious and vivacious energy.

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[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS]

After much anticipation from recent releases "Run" and "Til Dawn," Australian artist ShockOne has released his new thirteen-track album "A Dark Machine" out now on Monstercat.

Breathtakingly complex, hauntingly poignant and sonically masterful, the album explores a concept few people dare to truly dive into confronting the darkest parts of ourselves and realizing that our power as humans makes us capable of both great and terrible things. As the album progresses through both psychological stages - from awakening to self-destruction, hopelessness to self-acceptance, ShockOne creates more than just a sonic joyride. "A Dark Machine" is an immersive experience that delves into the complex human psyche while running the gamut of bass music genres with an experimental flair.

The album features guest collaborations with ShockOne's real-life sister, vocalist Reija Lee, as well as Cecil, Cruz Patterson, The Bloody Beetroots and producers Ekko and Sidetrack, who each contribute their unique sound to the whole.

No matter what stage of the journey you're on, you are bound to discover something new and

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mind-blowing on this album. ""A Dark Machine' begins with 'Run' and the intro connected to it 'Awake.' The whole thing started from the idea I had of the protagonist waking from a dream while finding themselves running, from what exactly, they don't know, but they are filled with a sense of dread, they do know, however, that if they stop running something terrible will happen. I just had this image of someone waking up running from something, and at the beginning, I wasn't quite sure what that was myself. As I kept writing and scribbling random phrases and notes down, it started to become clear that what the protagonist is running from is a reflection of their own psyche, their subconscious, perhaps even the darker side of it, and that is essentially what 'A Dark Machine' represents. As I continued the writing process, I started to realize this album is basically the story of someone coming to terms with their own mind/subconscious, the good and the bad parts of it. The closing song 'Silver & Gold,' is the final conversation between the protagonist and their own subconscious. The eternal conversion we are all having with ourselves that can sometimes get pretty dark. This story is like a dramatization of that, and this album is like a soundtrack to the dystopian art film I have in my head that will never get made! Although the fantastic videos Matsu made for 'A Dark Machine,' 'Bleed Black' & 'Run' are pretty damn close!" —ShockOne Since his debut in 2009 with "The ShockOne" EP, Karl Thomas has established himself as one of the most exciting bass artists in the scene. ShockOne's most significant break came in 2012 when he released the genre-bending, now-iconic work of art that is "Chaos Theory" featuring Corey Burton.

"Chaos Theory" experienced astronomical success, peaking at #2 on Beatport, #1 on Trackitdown, and #1 on iTunes Dance in Australia. Stay tuned for what comes next from this leading Aussie export!

Stream/Buy it here.

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[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS] "Before I finished the 'Layers' album, I knew that I wanted to put together a remix pack for it.

I’m so happy how they all turned out. So many talented people got to be a part of this, and I’m very grateful. All genres, all vibes and everything in between. Everyone did their thing. Smashes all around." - Party Favor With one of the most diverse and accomplished resumes in the industry as a DJ, producer, and boundary-pushing artist, Party Favor is a real force of nature.

Party Favor is still riding the wave of hype and acclaim from his debut album "Layers," and he's back with another gift for fans - a package featuring rage-ready remixes from Duke & Jones, Wuki, J. Worra, Blanke, TroyBoi, BIJOU, Dabow, and YehMe2.

Each features a unique spin on the original, with the overall influences drawing from bass, tech house, g-house and more.

From the reverberating basslines and sinister sound effects on Duke & Jones's remix of "Reach for Me" to TroyBoi's hip-hopinfluenced remix of "Wait A Minute" to the two dancefloor-ready remixes of "Wasabi," the "Layers" remix package has everything you need for a night out.

With the release of "Layers," Party Favor explored the many facets of himself as an artist, and we can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

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His music has helped the festival trap, and twerk scenes rise to sudden popularity in dance music, frequently blurring the boundaries between electronic, rap, reggae, and many other genres.

In addition to multiple hit singles and a debut EP (feat. Gucci Mane, Rich the Kid, Dillon Francis) that reached #2 on iTunes Dance, #1 on US Dance Radio and #7 on Billboard's Dance radio charts, the LA-based artist has worked as a producer for some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Lil Jon, 2 Chainz, Migos and A$AP Ferg.

In case you can't make one of his album tour dates, catch Party Favor at his residencies at Hakkasan Group (Hakkasan, Omnia, Wet Republic) in Vegas, E11even in Miami and Premier Nightclub in Atlantic City this year.

2019 thus far has been a massive transformation for Party Favor, and shedding all of these "Layers" was just the beginning.

Stream/Buy it here.

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[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS] Rossko and Archie Hamilton climbed the ranks up to the booth from the dance floor, starting as fanatic weekly ravers of the party.

Mid way through an immense year long tour celebrating 10 years of FUSE events, Enzo Siragusa unveils his second album of 2019; "A Decade Of Rave Volume 2."

Volume 1 (released in April 2019) exhibited 10 solo tracks from Enzo that meandered through his 10-year journey at the helm of FUSE. Volume 2 brings in the four members who have remained at the core of FUSE history; Rich Nxt, Seb Zito, Rossko and Archie Hamilton, each collaborating with Enzo to create seven straight-talking dance floor cuts that have fuelled FUSE's parties, capturing the essence and development of the "FUSE sound" over the last decade.

This is the first time FUSE fans will see all five work together on one release, and a testament to the watertight friendships they have built.

Rich Nxt and Seb Zito were by Enzo's side at the very first FUSE party back in 2008, while

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"The boys and I have grown together as artists.

Raving together every Sunday when FUSE was a weekly party, then taking those experiences back to the studio together has made us incredibly close. Not only has the FUSE sound evolved as a result of this, but also our solo careers. We fed our individual experiences back to each other, and in turn back into FUSE. Each of the guys have inspired me greatly over the years. Each have helped influence mine and the label sound. 10 years of friendship, and we wouldn't have got to this point if we weren't driving and helping each other so much. The album is a celebration and reflection of all of this" – Enzo Siragusa Enzo and Rich Nxt set the tone for the batch of euphonic collaborations that follow starting with "See You In Ten" and the straight up grooves of "Enriched."

Rossko cuts in second to bring us the engagingly propulsive "Dreamers." Archie Hamilton deepens things down with"Aviva" and "Direct Line."

Finally, Seb Zito kicks the gear back up with weaving garage influenced elements to "What's Going On" and closing with low slung "What's Happening."

All tracks testifying to each resident's deftness in creating atmospheric gems with the mastermind behind FUSE. Stream/Buy it here.

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[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS] and more. The uplifting summer number, "Shine On Through" is a collaboration with the young breakthrough producer Mountain from Osaka, Japan. Makoto’s signature sound is brought into 2019, soaked in a warm rolling bassline, energetic synths and topped off with vocals from the outstanding singer/songwriter Karina Ramage.

The instrumental masterpiece "Kosa" features Med School’s orchestral maverick Keeno and is the perfect combination of powerful soul, epic strings and dynamic drumwork.

As one of the founders of Japan’s drum & bass culture, Makoto is a man who needs little introduction.

But, if you are not familiar with this artist, Makoto Shimizu, more widely known simply as “Makoto”, is a testament to the international scope and power of electronic music. Born, raised and still based in Tokyo, Makoto was influenced at a young age by a wide variety of music ranging from classical to soul and funk. Upon hearing the soundtrack to The Last Emperor by the academy award-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, Makoto was so inspired that he made a life-changing decision – to pursue a career in music.

On his sixth studio album, "Tomodachi Sessions," he presents 15-tracks of exquisite, sun-drenched drum & bass soul. Each and every track is a collaboration with a close friend, that has played a part in his twenty-year career, with the likes of DJ Marky, S.P.Y, Bop, MC Conrad, Pola & Bryson, Degs, Karina Ramage

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"Morning Sunrise," is a majestic dose of drum & bass and is the team effort of Makoto, Danny Wheeler and G Force. It also brings in the vocal powerhouse Blu James, also known from the Basement Jaxx classic "Red Alert."

Having gained respect for the quality of his music since the days of LTJ Bukem’s Good Looking Records, Makoto has gone from strength to strength with an impressive discography that includes seminal classics like "Golden Girl" featuring MC Conrad.

Makoto can be found at a number of events and festivals this summer, including Hospitality In The Park 2019, Sun & Bass, Liquicity, Standon Calling, and more.

The album will be available via Hospital Records on a 3x12” royal-red vinyl, CD, digital and streaming platforms.

Stream/Buy it here.

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[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS] between Better Lost' and stadium techno acts like The Chemical Brothers and Underworld, stand up. The production quality is every bit as good as you’d expect from Buttrich and Co., and the songs have been crafted and written by three people who’ve spent their lives making music and then playing it to hundreds of thousands of people.

"Wild Slide" is the debut album from techno supergroup, Better Lost Than Stupid, aka 3 of the world’s finest producers and DJs Martin Buttrich, Davide Squillace, and Matthias Tanzmann.

Released on September 13 by Skint/BMG, the 11 track album follows a slew of singles "Back From The Desert," "The Sky Is Too Low" and "Inside" – which have won praise from the likes of Mixmag, Dancing Astronaut, RA, Radio 1 (Pete Tong and Danny Howard), Marco Carola, Dubfire, Nicole Moudaber, Kolsch, Joris Voorn, Claptone, Eats Everything, Adam Beyer, and many more. Electronic music underpins "Wild Slide," but "Better Lost" look beyond it with a varied collection of songs that combine synth-pop ("Inside," "Wild Slide"), electronica ("Boys & Girls," "Harder Than Gold"), indie rock ("Back From The Desert"), and downtempo ("Without The Feeling," "Bender"), with the kind of euphoric techno moments they’re individually known for ("Inside," "Right Now").

"Wild Slide’"shows that the comparisons made

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"Wild Slide" was largely written and produced in studio sessions over the past year at Martin’s studio in Barcelona, and saw the trio come together more like a traditional band, alongside close friends and collaborators including Jonathan Illel (JAW/DOP), Theo Altieri (CHANEY), Amber Van Day, and Alex Naza; the album was mastered by Bob Ludwig (nominated for 11 Grammy Awards).

Once the album recording was completed in late spring, the trio went fully into live rehearsals ahead of their first shows in May at Heart Ibiza, and London’s The Steelyard.

A triumphant culmination of months of intense work, both shows saw Better Lost’s songs transformed into a blistering live set.

Forthcoming live shows will be announced soon. Though the live shows debuted in May, as DJs, Better Lost Than Stupid have already played a long list of memorable sets including a Miami Winter Music Conference headline show for Arcadia; a sold out headline show at Koko in London, their standout BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, headlined legendary Ibiza venue, Amnesia, and at the likes of Razzmatazz in Barcelona, Circoloco at DC10, Krystal Club in Romania, and BPM Festival.

Stream/Buy it here.

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[NEW MUSIC: PREVIEWS] more effortlessly energetic than the last.

Starting off with "Be My Eyes" the mood is set for the release – power, beats and stunning timbres throughout. "Don’t Say Goodbye" features the demure yet striking vocal line from Roxanne Emery.

Potent vigor runs deep within tracks such as "Vanya" and "Anjara" but is consistent throughout the tracks.

Featuring the famed Trance vocalist Jennifer Rene, "Silver Lining" pulls on the heartstrings before inciting the need to get up and move.

Ever since Ahmed Romel burst on to the scene with his first release in 2001, his rise into the upper echelons of Trance music has been mesmeric.

16 years after hearing his first ever Trance compilations, 8 years after his first release and 4 years after he was first supported by Armin Van Buuren and Paul Van Dyk – "Rüya" is here.

Starting as a DJ but evolving in to a producer, Ahmed Romel has released on FSOE, the eclectic and iconic Trance label, but this marks his debut album.

Known for intricate melodies, musicality beyond the norm and unique instrumentation, this album is something the Trance industry have been waiting for for a long time.

16 tracks of pure, unadulterated Trance bliss – this is the reinvigoration this genre needed. A gorgeous mix of organic and digital textures are spread over every single track – each one

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"The Eternal Peace" is a different vibe entirely to close the debut, and it shows the versatility of this producer.

Angelic strings and live percussion sum up the human aspect that Romel brings to his music and end the album in beautiful style.

With such a well-rounded and thoughtprovoking release, it is hard to know where to start with summing it up. His work is given praise routinely in the form of plays from the industry’s giants – but this album deserves special plaudits.

There is something inherently unique about this album – and the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into its creation are obvious for all to see. This won’t be the end for Ahmed Romel – but this may well be the work that he becomes most admired for. Until the next one.

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[ON TOUR] FuntCase hits the road again this fall in what will be his second headline tour of the ridiculously heavy DPMO show.

Kicking things off in his spiritual home of the USA, DPMO will roll through California, Oregon, Texas and Florida before heading up to Canada, then back to the States for more.

Joining FuntCase for DPMO 2019 across selected shows will be Conrank, Definitive, SweetTooth and UBUR. Without doubt these are four of the hottest up and coming names in the bass world. All are having a huge year, Conrank with his debut LP "What’s a FKNGConrank" on Circus, UBUR’s collaboration "Savceboys" with SVDDEN DEATH and Oolacile pushing to 1m Spotify streams, Definitive’s "Warning" becoming a favorite on Never SayDie’s Black Label and "Impending Doom" by SweetTooth growing into the biggest hit fromFuntCase’s own DPMO 2 LP. FuntCase launched the first DPMO compilation in 2017 as a vehicle for the fresh and undiscovered talent he’d been supporting in his sets. The first edition helped launch many new faces into the world, including the likes of Phiso and Flakzz. 2018 saw the follow up, which is drawing close to a huge total of 2 million streams.

The initial concept has now become a force, a definition of the FuntCase sound and a merchandise brand that’s being worn by thousands. From October through to the end of the year, do not miss out on the chance to witness history in the making. Flex your angry claws, get your bass head on and get down to FuntCase’s DPMO. Tickets are on sale now at http://www.dpmotour.com

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10/24 TENN Tallahassee, FL 10/26 Bassmnt San Diego, CA 10/30 Soundcheck Washington, D.C. 10/31 DNA Lounge San Francisco, CA 11/1 The Observatory Santa Ana, CA 11/7 Green Door El Taso, TX 11/13 Sky SLC Salt Lake City, UT 11/14 Rex Theatre Pittsburgh, PA 11/15 SAT Montreal, QC 11/16 Peabody’s Night Club Virginia Beach, VA 11/21 Treehouse Miami Beach, FL 11/22 District Atlanta, GA 11/23 Liquid Madison, WI 11/29 The Nest Toronto, ON Beatselector Magazine | September/October 2019 | 57

[BUZZ WORTHY] CIMO FRÄNKEL

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Written by JOSEPH ARTHUR op music diversity is solely due to the imagination and skill of producers, musicians, singers, and songwriters giving gifts of joy that make the world a better place. If you are a Producer, Singer and Songwriter you are a special breed. Not many people are.

It’s risky and an expensive career path without a doubt. Cimo

Fränkel is one of those rare individuals who exhibit all three titles. Ten years ago, at the age of 20 years old, Fränkel unleashed an absolute smash hit with “Sex” performed by Cheat Codes & Kriss Kross Amsterdam amassing millions of sales, not to mention over 650 Million streams, from all over the world.

Other songs penned by Fränkel that are notable and worth mentioning are “Shotgun”—an iconic piece of music performed by Yellow Claw and “How You Love Me” (Snoop Dogg & Hardwell), OMI’s “As Long As I’m With You,” and “Where Have You Gone” performed by Lucas & Steve. The rising star has featured on releases by some of the biggest names in the industry including Armin van Buuren, Daddy’s Groove, EDX and TW3LVE just to name a few. Cimo grew up in Amsterdam, frequently hanging out in studios, and learning the craft—music production, largely in part to his Father being a professional Funk musician and introducing him to the culture. As a songwriter, Cimo has accumulated a number of local awards in The Netherlands, including the coveted National Buma Award, thanks to the global success of “Sex.” In these current times, Cimo has since released solo singles titled “Occasional Love,” “Never Give Up” and “I’m Alright.” Most recently, on June 28, 2019, Cimo released a 6 track EP “Stay The Night.” One musical trait becomes crystal clear upon listening to Cimo Frankel’s productions- he has a strong command in making catchy and intimate Pop music that crosses barriers and brilliantly showcases his abilities in songwriting, singing, and production. It’s no wonder that the “Buzz” surrounding this artist continues to swirl on an international scale and will further spread the word that Cimo Frankel is poised and positioned to take the world by storm.

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[BUZZ WORTHY] JIMI POLO

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Written by JOSEPH ARTHUR ames Perri, also known as Jimi Polo, is an American DJ, Producer, Singer, Composer, and songwriter that has roots going back to the birth of Chicago’s House music scene. As a one of the true pioneers of the music coming out of Chicago, he is responsible for the iconic classics “Shake Your Body,”“Better Days” and “Express Yourself.“ These

tracks were widely played not only in Chicago, but also in New York City, London, and beyond. Seeing an opportunity to relocate to London, James, took the leap of faith across the pond and was instantly recruited to join Nellee Harper and Jazzy B’s Soul II Soul outfit, a gig that lasted two years. His list of collaboration credits is impressive and includes Seal-in which the song “Killer”written by mentored Adamski was dedicated to him, Martin Sloveig’s “Come To Me,” songwriting and production credits on David Guetta’s album “Blast” and the track “If You Give Me The Love I Want” with Guy Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk fame. After finding success in London with “Better Days” which incidentally was sampled by Fatboy Slim and Brit Pop mega band Blur, Perri moved on to Paris leading him to his collabs with Martin Sloveig, David Guetta and Guy Manuel de Homem-Christo. Next move, Italy, where he was active playing in clubs from north to south and teaming up with Masters at Work’s Kenny Dope for a rework of of his classic “Shake Your Body.” His latest project undertaking is Physical Graffiti, which mixes Pop, Rock, and House creating a rock and rave feel. Not one to confine himself to one particular genre or style, Perri is revered in the Underground scene as well as in the commercial music space. This makes him a valuable artist in the sense that he is multi-talented and can create music for any audience. Supporters include BBC’s Annie Mac and Pete Tong, among other tastemakers and dance music aficionados from all over the world. Currently James is working on an Opera/Film with David Roberts titled “The Mountain Shadow” as well as working on a new song with Joe Smooth.

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[BUZZ WORTHY] KA FU

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Written by LEO WEAVER a Fu sought out his future, took risks and has stayed true to keeping with his inner power to communicate through music with his audience, while embracing spiritual freedom and adventure.

Ka Fu makes experimental electronic music that is deeply moody, dark, and heavily influenced by the music Depeche Mode. He also

frequently draws inspiration from the ambient masters of Brian Eno, Orbital, and Autechre, among others in his original compositions. Ka Fu originally comes from Severodvinsk, Russia and currently resides in Milan—the place where he finds inspiration, connectivity, freedom and creativity. On August 9, 2019, Ka Fu released “Empty Days,” the second single and follow up of “Where Everything’s Ours” from his forthcoming debut LP “Encoding Master” via Hidden Vibes out on October 4, 2019. While living in Severodvinsk, Ka Fu began making plans for a drastic geographic relocation by which to pursue further development and growth with his music. Attracted to the “doesn’t really matter” attitudes made famous by Milan’s society, it appears the Milan electronic music scene was a good choice to put down roots, for the time being, and create some good music. Case on point- “Empty Days” harks back to the heydays of the 90s pop synth era. It features some dark and deep vocals, some hip-hop elements and delivers an enchanting prelude for listeners of what is to come on the album’s release day. Speaking to the track, Ka Fu comments "If you have the sound of 'Violator' or 'Ultra' (Depeche Mode) in your headphones while going by suburban train everyday then you have a certain sound code in your veins.

'Ultra' turned those grey days into meaningful time: I started to think and not only exist and the transformation had begun. In 'Empty Days' I'm using this code of melancholic dynamic especially in the bassline and then layering minor synth leads for going closer to what once has touched me deeply and changed my life. So that 'Empty Days' is a statement of the power to think and to identify yourself as a unique blessed human even in a 'dead-end race' and then turn the greyness of your outdoor into your personal revolution."

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[BUZZ WORTHY] NOELLE CHIODO

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Written by CATHERINE STRICKLAND oelle Chiodo puts passion behind every word she sings. The Las Vegas born and raised singer / songwriter is relatively new to the scene. During the last few years, she’s been honing her performance skills both in the public arena and private sectors and now has branched out offering her songwriting

and singing skills to the DJ community. She attributes her artistic influences as coming from Bruno Mars, Joss Stone, Aretha Franklin, Christina Aguilera, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga. In addition to making music, she has been affiliated with MAC Cosmetics, RI2K London, Thrive Market, Gypsy Junkies, The American Cancer Society, Miss USA, The National Domestic Violence Hotline, Nevada Blind Children’s Foundation, unselfishly sharing her time with charities and social issues she cares about. As a musician, Noelle prefers creating songs in very simple fashion "…give me my piano or guitar, a notepad, and a pen, and I can take my truth, my experiences, and my feelings and write them into a few minutes of melody." Back in the springtime of 2018, Noelle released her debut single "Up All Night" which received recognition by reputable music blogs Gas Mask Magazine, The Looking List, and EDM Inside. Following "Up All Night," Noelle released a second single, "Your Love's Got Me Blinded," as well as a music video with participation from a number of domestic violence shelters in Las Vegas, as well as the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The music video and passionate song brought attention to many- including Female Music Nation and various domestic violence shelters all over the country. Speaking about her journey so far, Noelle says "I’m incredibly excited and nervous all in a good way to be releasing my music for the first time. I can’t wait for people to hear my experiences and my thoughts from the past few years. I want to touch people with my music, make them feel something, and paint pictures. And I know that this project does exactly that."

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[LABEL WATCH]

Welcome to a new endeavour by Steve Bug: Sublease Music is the new sublabel to Poker Flat and indulges Bug's love for more reduced, hypnotic, and raw sounds than the main label. As Steve explains: "I've been thinking about starting a new label for a while now, and now seems the perfect time to finally do it. I get sent a lot of tracks I love and play in my sets that aren't quite right for Poker Flat: deeper, more club-ready, tracky cuts from exceptionally talented producers that deserve a platform so that more people can hear them. This was the ethos with which I originally set up Poker Flat, so it seems fitting that as we celebrate 20 years of Poker Flat it's time for Sublease Music to bring a different sound to the world".

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"I get sent a lot of tracks I love and play in my sets that aren't quite right for Poker Flat: deeper, more club-ready, tracky cuts from exceptionally talented producers that deserve a platform so that more people can hear them." —Steve Bug

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The first release (available on September 20th)sets out the label's intention perfectly, offering up two sides of sick techy house music from newcomer Kellie Allen.

A formidable musician, DJ and producer, she has her own weekly radio show Kellie Allen: In The Mix boasting 860,000 listeners weekly on Ibiza Global Radio. Hailing from London, you can catch Kellie playing regular slots in the UK & Ibiza for clubs such as ABODE, Octan Ibiza, Apollonia's We Are Planet Claire, Lost In Ibiza and the Paradise Airstream at DC10.

"I discovered Kellie Allen while browsing for new music for my sets. The more often I browsed the more great tracks from Kellie came up, so I got in contact and she sent a demo which I simply had to put out on the new label," says Steve.

"La Vie En Rose" is a bumpy, jacking house groover with a deceptively simple rhythm track. Allen lays over some wonky sounding synth flourishes and vocal samples to give the track an after-party edge - a sure fire winner for many situations. "Heartbreak" is a slightly tougher proposition, with snappy drums and shuffling percs. Dubbed out vocal samples and key stabs add to the hypotic, heady atmosphere.

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[@HOME] with Luis Fernando

by Joseph Wensell

Coming out the Brazilian and Berlin music scenes, Luis Fernando, known as ^L_ is a personality worth learning more about. Early on as a teenager, Fernando started making music, drawing on the sounds from bands like My Bloody Valentine and Nine Inch Nails.

The exposure to those two bands would prove to be the inspiration for his first Shoegaze-leaning excursions in to the music world.

Like most musically inclined people, the more music Fernando was exposed to, regardless of genre, the more eclectic his tastes and visions for his own compositions would evolve. Over the years, this has proven to be the case as Luis would go on to work in the digital music realm, scoring and producing soundtracks for films, as well as experimenting with the sounds of Techno, Acid, Noise and the abstract. A very interesting trait about Fernando is the fact that he is not one to shy away from social injustices, religion or philosophy.

Fernando simply transfers his “disdain” for these topics to the music he creates, which easily and effectively communicates his feelings.

This bold approach to communicating controversial subjects through his music caught the attention of reputable global media outlets like Thump and Vice, among others, to do editorial and interview features and reviews of his music giving him wide spread exposure in major hubs for cutting-edge electronic music including Berlin and New York City. Over the last fews years, I've been following Luis, mostly on his Facebook page, learning about who this guy really is. I've always found his Facebook posts intriguing and almost always share the same tastes in literature, art and all kinds of music. As such, it seemed only natural to invite Luis as our first personality to talk about home life discussing a wide range of subjects from books, movies, and music to foods, booze, vices and more.

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What is the last novel you’ve read. Why should people read it?

LF: Philip Roth Portnoy’s Complaint. One of the greatest masterpieces of one of the greatest American writers. extremely controversial! Published in 1969, The Portnoy Complex is a provocative grenade thrown directly at the Jewish and literary establishment. Featuring a comic and hyperactive monologue delivered by the main character to his psychoanalyst, the pages of the book ramble between scenes of obscene masturbation and erotic desire, Jewish guilt, and family quarrels.

What is on your current personal ‘Play List’: Albums, Tracks, etc…?

LF: my current playlist consists of experimental and varied artists like John Zorn, Steve Reich, Morton Feldman ... classics like PIL, Einstende Neubauten, Revolting Cocks and Ministry, plus some Brazilian stuff like Baden Powel, João Donato and Arrigo Barnabé and dark techno, hardcore digital classics and ambient music (especially biosphere).

What is last movies you’ve watched?

LF: Fitzcarraldo (1982) -a film by Werner Herzog and Boi (2018) , a film by Jorge M. Fontana.

Who is your favorite visual artist and why?

LF: Francis Bacon. This Irish artist by birth treated with extraordinary complacency some themes that continue to shock our group life. Masochistic fantasies, pedophilia, body dismemberment, male violence linked to homoerotic tension, forensic dissection practices, attraction to body representation (a special fascination with natural fluids: blood, bile, urine, sperm, etc.). ) and, in general, with everything that is directly linked to the transgression is related to sex, religion (his portraits of Pope Innocent X from Diego Velázquez are paradigmatic) or any taboo, were the plays with which Bacon built his "modernist" view of the world.

What is your favorite meal to cook?

LF: Oh, man very difficult hahahal. Let me think…for cooking-a classic Italian risotto and for eating-a classic-Filet Mignon and French fries.

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Do you prefer Beer, Wine, or Spirits?

LF: Wine, definitely! but my favorite drink is a White Russian.

Coffee or Tea? LF: Coffee, no sugar.

Filtered or non-filtered cigarettes?

LF: Filtered Camels.

Cats or Dogs?

LF: Dogs - recently my dog ​​passed away (her name was Nico - I pay tribute to Velvet Underground).

What is the best thing about living in Berlin and Brasil?

LF: when I'm in Berlin - friends, culture, making music in good studios and the history of Germany... I am completely obsessed with the history of Germany. When I'm in Brasília (DC) my family, friends and making music. Being more objective-Berlin / culture and make music in amazing studios. Brasília (DC) - my family.

In your opinion what is the ultimate Fashion faux pas?

LF: Hummm... nice question. I believe there was an opportunistic boom of grunge revival in fashion. Grunge has always been known for its "repulsion" of big corporations and institutions- and seeing models dressed like Kurt Cobain was definitely a big mistake.

Last question. If someone, a friend or a new acquaintance, visited you at your home, what impression would they get upon entering your home?

LF: I'm bothering - I'm a terrible host hahaha!…really.

Stream Luis' latest release Sex, Violence, Noise & Silence here.

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[BEHIND THE SCENES] Lenell Brown's "I Need Lovin" Written & Interviewed by HOLLY ROSCOE

Virginia native Lenell Brown has featured on a number of collaborations with some of Spain’s top DJs and Producers such as The Zombie Kids, Fonsi Nieto and Robbie Rivera. Lenell is also the resident vocalist at one of Spain’s most prolific record labels Clipper’s Sounds, his gospel upbringing paved the way for his career to span across the world, touring in places such as Japan, America and Switzerland. Holly Roscoe caught up with Lenell to find out more about his latest release "I Need Lovin" and about his incredible career.

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Hi Lenell, thanks for chatting with us! How would you sum up "I Need Lovin" in a sentence for those who are yet to hear it?

Lennel Brown: It’s a fun track about love and relationships. The key message in this is the idea of if you could turn back the hands of time and ask yourself ‘did you really give everything you could in order to receive everything from that relationship?’ what would your answer be.

Where did you get your inspiration from for this track?

LB: The track is based mainly on past experiences, that feeling when you have given it your all to make it work. Of course, it is different for everyone but you tend to do the best you can, sometimes you get it right and sometimes you get it wrong but its all a part of the process, it allows you to grow as a person and find out more about yourself.

Can we hear any of your influences in this piece?

LB: You can for sure hear a bit of a Hip Hop influence in this track.

Give us an insight into what its like being a resident vocalist for Clipper’s Sounds?

Lenell Brown & Ben Muhlethaler

LB: It’s awesome!!! I was introduced to the label in 2014 while working on a collaborative House production called "Purpose" with one of Switzerland’s top House producers Terry Lex that was released back in 2015. Ever since then, the relationship between the label and myself has grown and developed into something which I consider a dream come true. They keep me busy and they take really good care of me. My A&R at Clipper’s has arranged some incredible collaborations with some of Spain’s top DJs like The Zombie Kids, who won the 2012 Best Spanish Artist of the "MTV European Music Awards." Not to mention other incredible artists such as Fonsi Nieto, Robbie Rivera, Tall & Handsome, Both Face and many more. I’m more than happy, so I’m rolling with them until the wheels fall off!

You worked with Ben Muhlethaler on this track, how did this partnership come about?

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LB: Great question because I absolutely love to talk about the incredibly talented Ben Muhlethaler! We were introduced through a mutual friend, R&B and Soul singer Paola Jean when I first moved to Switzerland. Bens’ accolades speak for themself.

Producer, arranger, mixer, multiple Gold and Platinum award winner, Grammy nominated. He is incredible! I work with so many producers, but Ben is my producer. He’s been with me from day one; together we have over 100 pieces of work!

We have been working together for many years and this producer/friendship relationship has truly stood the test of time in this crazy and hard industry. He knows exactly how to push me to get the absolute most out of my vocals and motivates me to put out my best work. I’m truly blessed to have him as my producer and to also be able to call him a friend.

How do you find working with such a range of producers?

LB: I love it and I welcome it. It keeps things fresh and I love working with so many talented producers with different backgrounds and ideas.

It’s challenging and it pushes me to new limits each time, so there is this continual growth pattern thattakes place, which contributes to my development as an artist. I accept the challenge with open arms.

If a producer wanted to work with you, how could they contact you?

LB: The best way to contact me is through my Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/ lenellbrown/.

You had quite the musical upbringing, tell us more.

LB: I grew up singing Gospel in church. That’s where my love for singing started and then spread out to Go Go, Hip Hop and R&B music.

I then toured and worked for the International performing organization UP With People for 6 years where I toured in 28 countries and 49 states.

I didn’t become a recording artist until I moved to Switzerland. It was a bit of a shock to the system I must say. After touring and settling in Switzerland,

I started singing and performing Rock and Blues as the lead singer for the incredible Blues guitarist Rolf “LL” Lüthi & The Handyman and by doing so, my career as a recording artist began. I started off writing and recording hooks on other artist projects which helped a lot to meet some really cool people. I went back on tour in Switzerland performing with the Hip Hop R&B group Duke Sheltic. We actually placed in the final top 10 acts of Switzerland to try and qualify for the 2011 Eurovision. Unfortunately, we lost but the nationwide television exposure was fantastic!

I went on to become a solo recording artist and worked and toured with some great artists mainly in the Hip Hop genre; I got the opportunity to work with the likes of Swiss award winning Rapper Steff La Cheffe, Ice-Ts legendary Rhyme Syndicate member “The Syndicate Sniper” Donald- D, MC Sha-Rock, and recorded a number of tracks with the West Coast G-Funk king, Shade Sheist who’s known for his debut track "Where I Wanna Be" featuring Nate Dogg and Kurupt. One of my career highlights would be receiving a gold album for my participation on the REMADY & Manu-L album “Original.” I have been around the block a bit and have performed and recorded so many genres, but I absolutely love working in dance music at the moment!

What tips do you have for vocalists wanting to crack the dance scene?

LB: Mainly, be open to new opportunities. Work hard and commit yourself to the GRIND. There aren’t any short cuts, surround yourself with a strong team and keep banging on doors and making your own noise until someone hears you. Most importantly be ready! When that door finally opens, do not wait to get ready, BE READY… music, photos, bio, social media, website, quality performance videos, a vision, a plan…

Finally, where can people go to buy a copy of "I Need Lovin"?

LB: You can find it on iTunes and Spotify and all other digital platforms. https://fanlink.to/_ INeedLovin

CM Beatselector Magazine | September/October 2019 | 79

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE [MC]PR, BABY!

In 2012 Matt Caldwell PR launched. The agency quickly gained popular in the Electronic Dance Music industry and has serviced PR campaigns for prolific and emerging artists, labels and brands including releases for or on Spinnin’ Records, Armada Music, Revealed Recordings, Size Records, Be Yourself Music, Enhanced Music and many more. In 2019 Matt was invited to author the Publishing & PR chapter of The Dance Music Manual: Fourth Edition by Rick Snoman - the popular series of educational books published by Focal Press/Routledge/Taylor & Francis. The book received widespread coverage in dance music media and is a book that is on the recommended reading list at a number of global universities that offer music production courses as well as being regarded as one of the standout educational resources in the world for aspiring electronic music producers and DJs. In this interview Matt shares his insights, advice, success and what makes MCPR unique.

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Since starting out in 2012, when did you first realize that MCPR “turned the corner” going from “start up” to a full fledge operating Public Relations and Promotions firm?

Matt Caldwell: I guess the obvious answer would be when business got to a point where I had to either turn down potentially great projects or expand and take the setup from a one-man operation into a team effort. When I first started working freelance, it was initially just going to be something to work on until I found the right role somewhere else. I was taking interviews and got some great offers to work at some exciting music industry businesses, but for one reason or another I convinced myself not to take any of the offers that were in front of me. I can’t say that there was a masterplan in place from inception, but it really did not take too long for things to get to a level where I had to make a decision on what direction this whole project was going to go. I made the decision and decided to go down the road of expansion, hired our now Co-Director Steven which was great for the project and we’ve really been on a steady upwards trajectory ever since.

Surely, you’ve had a number of successes. What campaign stands out as your greatest? Would you care to share any failures and what you learned from them?

MC: There are varying degrees of success in our world and it all comes down to who we’re working with at the time. One thing we’re proud of here is our track record of playing an important part in the development of up and coming artists. Most (but not all) of the PR firms in electronic music have a pretty tough set of expectations about what successes a potential signing needs to have behind them before considering them for signing. This makes perfect business sense from the PR side of things, but it often also results in super-talented artists going under the radar and missing out on the action just because they’re more interested in their time in the studio than being a promotions expert. These days you can very

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easily find yourself getting judged by your peers in the industry on something as trivial as a bad logo design. Imagine an artist getting turned down from a deal because they can’t use Photoshop, or didn’t think anyone would care – it happens. Seeing as when we sign someone we’re looking for potential and not the finished article, the things that I always remember most fondly are times when I got to call someone to break the news to them that I just heard their track on BBC Radio 1 or a similar level of far-reaching exposure – especially when they were not expecting it. We work with artists and labels of all shapes and sizes but there’s something special about telling a client something that you know is going to make their year.

In terms of memorable failures, early on there was definitely a bad habit of taking on too much at once. I guess that’s a standard shortcoming of a lot of young entrepreneurs, but you certainly have to learn to find the balance of things. The habit of getting obsessed about your current creative endeavor is a blessing and a curse in any business but especially for music. Those 18 hour marathon work shifts might seem like a necessary effort and maybe sometimes they are, but in reality over an extended period of time – quality always tops quantity.

Story telling and editorial pitches are obviously very important to publishers, and from my side of the desk, often underutilized. When you approach media outlets, how do you spin the story idea to land coverage for a particular artist?

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MC: We’re kind of lucky in electronic music because the X-Factor backstory spin isn’t going to get you very far. You are right though, the story-telling side of dance music is overlooked a lot by up and comers and they don’t like the idea of it, but they don’t always notice the characteristics and narratives around the artists that they follow. Nearly everyone in music has a story in reality. Even the famous “strictly underground” DJs get a public persona or reputation. You can even look at someone like Aphex Twin who basically avoided the media for the best part of 20 years, probably not the kind of advice you’d get from most publicists or managers, but sure enough that became the ‘story’ and was front and centre of hundreds of articles, reviews and press. He might have been the most anti-PR artist of the last 20 years, but he still had a story. When it comes to finding a narrative for an artist, the most important thing is not to force it. If that means working for a while as you develop something that stitches the puzzle pieces together, it’s better to work like that than resort to “I always loved music ever since I was a child and as soon as I heard DJ XYZ I knew that I had to dedicate my life to this”. We try to steer people away from that one.

What defines success for you and your clientele?

MC: We’re really big on making sure a project has solid foundations that are built to last. We try to avoid over-promising and under-delivering and always try to look long term to set true goals. One of the most common dilemmas that a modern artist hits is having some degree of intense short-term success that quickly fizzles away back to nothing in a matter of weeks. The modern media world is not setup to nurture lasting success as fads come and go so quickly and new content (music included) is so disposable. To stand a chance of having a shot at any long-term relevance in this era, you need to become a part of the culture and really dig in. We live in the times of one hit wonders and 5 minutes of fame, so we take carefully planned

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steps to ensure that when our clients hit a hot-streak of growth, it’s nurtured in a way that gives them the very best chance of building something that will withstand the test of time.

What influences your decision-making process when signing a developing artist to your client roster?

MC: Potential is the first thing that comes to mind. Raw talent, work ethic, personality, creativity and commitment to their craft are also great boxes for us to tick. We steer clear of people who want everything hard and fast and put our energy into those that are trying to build a house of bricks rather than sticks or straw. It’s tough out there for most up and coming artists though as you have to put in a lot to get to the point where the music career is your primary income source and it’s probably the part of the journey that demands the most effort, which is hard to summon when you’re working a full-time job or dealing with life’s other distractions.

As a PR and Promotions professional, what are the essential PR and Promotional tools being used today to push artists further into the mainstream?

MC: Social media is obviously such a huge factor today. Historically before the modern era, things like PR were centered around album releases or tours. You promoted the album, released it, toured the music, then you get back in the studio and start the process all over again. That life is just a memory now as you’re not just a musician anymore, you’re the Director, Producer and star of a 24/7 show on your social media networks. You don’t need to be on stage anymore to be broadcasting and there are influencers out there right now sharing content to followers from their bathroom at home that are reaching more eyesthan most major television

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networks are capable of. The other thing that we rely on now is massive amounts of data and analytics. You can pretty much dismantle a famous artist’s PR campaign from a distance now with tracking tools, streaming data, social media insights, Google keyword tracking and filtering, utilities like 1001Tracklists, Chartmetric, Social Baker, Hootsuite and more. If you’re serious about promoting a record properly, your time would be well spent digging deeper into what the artist or labels that are on top of your genre are doing and if you know where to look, it’s not that hard to decipher a lot of information about what and why people are doing what they do.

What separates MCPR as an alternative and unique resource compared to other PR firms in the marketplace?

MC: I know we get a lot of business from artists and labels that have had negative experiences with other management or PR services in the past for sure. We hear a few stories over and over again, usually about previous managers running out of ideas or working for a couple of months and then just saying they’re not ready for what the manager’s vision was. I think what we do especially well is get creative when it comes to keeping clients busy in the press and online in general.

A lot of traditional PR firms will tell you to come and knock on their door when you’re going viral as you’ll be all primed for traditional promotional methods, but we’re not a traditional agency and we offer a more progressive and 360-style setup. Our clients have a vast array of personal areas that they need to work on for their development and it’s our job to steer them in the right direction and open as many doors as possible on the way up.

You were recently invited to contribute an entire chapter dedicated to Publishing and

Promotion for the 4th Edition of Dance Music Manual. That must be a career highlight for you to be included in such a reputable resource that is referenced not only by colleagues and music industry professionals, but also in higher education classrooms across the world. How does that feel?

MC: It was pretty awesome to get asked to contribute for sure. I remember being told at university by the lecturers to make sure I bought a copy of the book and it was used in our classes more than a couple of times. The author of the books Rick Snoman really knows his music and the books are pretty much the gold standard for that kind of thing so of course it is an honor to think that my thoughts and theories about PR in dance music could be getting taught to the next generation of the industry in classrooms all around the world. I’d love to go a step further some day and work on a whole book of my own, but I think that’s a job for later on in life.

In your early days, you were producing music of your own. Do you miss performing and producing your own music?

MC: For sure I miss the kick of finishing a new track, getting it out there and seeing what happens. It’s a feeling that’s hard to replicate. More than any of that though I definitely miss the creative release that you get from producing when you’re in your element. One day I will put together a home studio again just to keep me sane if nothing else but I have no dreams or visions of kicking off a music career for myself – I guess I’ll stick to what I’m good at. I managed to get myself on BBC Radio 1 and got on the decks Privilege, Ibiza and I weren’t exactly a musical prodigy, so it seems clear my time is probably best spent working on others’ music based on the evidence.

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"

"I think what we do especially well is get creative when it comes to keeping clients busy in the press and online in general. A lot of traditional PR firms will tell you to come and knock on their door when you’re going viral as you’ll be all primed for traditional promotional methods, but we’re not a traditional agency and we offer a more progressive and 360-style setup."

—Matt Caldwell

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Vienna C

Thirty-plus years ago, Austria was taking the world's pop hits. Falco's "Der Komissar" and "Rock Me Amadeus," O became iconic anthems of the '80s—impressive for a re contributions had been largely limited to the realm of cl scene and emerging from it are three artists who hav known as Club27. It began with producer and Austria another '80s gem (Taco's 1982 version of the Irving Berli on the US pop charts). This led to the formation of his p electro-swing genre’s best-known producers, and Justin on the interna

After finding great success in the electro-swing market, Club27 by reinventing classic rock tracks in progressive bent premiere single, "Sympathy For The Devil," which fe from his home in Vienna and discussed his team’s ambi Austrian predecesso

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CALLING!

p and dance charts by storm with a flurry of powerhouse Opus' "Live Is Life" and Edelweiss' "Bring Me Edelweiss" elatively small country whose biggest previous musical lassical music. Today, Austria has a vital electronic music ve combined forces to form a new dance music entity a native Rainer C. Regatschnig’s 2017 idea to revamp in song "Puttin On The Ritz" which reached number four partnership with Berlin-based Wolfgang Lohr, one of the n Fidèle, a DJ and remixer from Germany, highly prolific ational circuit.

the trio hopes to expand their world presence through e, floor-filling styles. The project begins with the houseeatures New Order-esque cover art. We spoke with Rainer itious plans to recapture the dance floor excitement his ors mastered so well.

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Thanks for taking time to speak with us, Rainer. Tell me a little about your past and how music became a part of your life.

Rainer C. Regatschnig: It’s my pleasure. Music has been a major influence in my life, as far back as I can remember. As a child, I used to tape music off the radio and make my own “radio” shows for my mom. Then in the mid-’80s, I started working in a studio and got my hands on mixers and such when I was 18. At 19, I produced an Austrian garage band called Timeshift. A guitar band—it was kind of a success as a local band in Vienna. I began working on dance music and concept productions, creating my own label, and then moved into advertising and record label promotion. I always had a lot of concepts in my head, which later on led to my Puttin’ On The Ritz and Club27 projects.

Austria really made a name for itself in the dance-pop world of the mid-1980s. I’m thinking of artists such as Falco (“Rock Me Amadeus”), Opus (“Live Is Life”) and Edelweiss (“Bring Me Edelweiss”), all of whom had major US pop hits. Did this success make an impression on you?

RR: Yes, definitely. I knew Falco personally because he was being signed to EMI Records when I was a promotion manager there. I was reminded of him earlier today as I was putting on hair gel after a shower this morning. The first time I met Falco, he was going to the elevator, and I was coming into the office. He had just signed to the label. I said hello to him and he asked me what I was using in my hair because we had similar hair styles. We were like two girls! [Rainer laughs.] He was a great guy, and I loved him a lot. About a year later he released the hit “Titanic.” It was very exciting meeting him because I had grown up with “Der Komissar” and his other hits. He was Austrian, he was having big hits singing in English and German, he could rap (I was a big fan of Grandmaster Flash)—so he was really a hero.

What’s your take on the radical technical transformation to the music industry we’ve seen evolve over the past few decades?

RR: In the ’80s in Austria, recording reached a high level of quality because of computer music. Compared to today, you have to remember that back then we also had to do a lot more work to release something. Now, because of streaming and all the platforms, let’s say almost anyone can release music. In the ’80s, you knew the guys behind the projects, the artists—today it is less so, just names, especially in dance music. Also, music can be released today so fast. Bang-bang-bang! That’s what I don’t like most. And you sense that—a lot of dance music today has no feeling.

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Rainer C. Regatschnig (far right) circa 1980's Beatselector Magazine | September/October 2019 | 93

In 2017, you teamed up with Wolfgang Lohr and Justin Fidèle and launched your first music project, a very successful electro-swing-styled remake of the 1982 international dance-pop smash “Putting On The Ritz,” performed by Taco (Ockerse). It was followed by the album Puttin’ On The Ritz - A Tribute to Fred Astaire. Would you tell me about the genesis of this project?

RR: There’s a funny story behind the project. My wife Bibi is a professional dancer. She had this franchise business called the “Arthur Murray Dance Studio.” I felt that nobody knew who Arthur Murray was anymore. So I had picked up the Fred Astaire dance music franchise for Europe. For the grand opening I was looking for something that would kind of bring Fred Astaire to life. I thought most people knew the song Fred sang called “Putting On The Ritz” and would connect it with Taco, the singer who had a big worldwide hit with it in 1982.

Why not try a new version of it in an electro-swing style? Taco loved the idea and said, “Let’s do it.” I was playing around with the idea in my studio and thought, well, this would be my first production in the electro-swing genre, and I should have

some support from people who know the genre. I connected with Wolfgang Lohr and Justin Fidèle (of Electro-Swing Revolution) in Berlin. We worked well together and that led to the single and album.

We planned to do an album, but although I loved working with Taco and we were very much in sync, it didn’t work out to do a full length LP with him.

Instead, the album expanded into working with a variety of artists, including Bart & Baker, Right Said Fred, Ashley Slater (Freak Power), Alvin Chea (Take 6), Stella Jones, Louie Austen, Alex Larke, and many others. [Wolfgang, Justin and I] began to jokingly think of ourselves as a new version of [Britain’s famed ’80s dance pop producers] Stock Aitken Waterman. [He laughs.] It worked out so great. It’s unusual because three cooks can sometimes spoil the meal. But we’ve been getting along and working together now for more than three and a half years. Wolfgang is very proficient in programming; Justin is perfect with technique— the vocal recordings, signals, etc. All of us play major roles in the creation of the music. We had the chance to create something cool in the studio, with melodies and styles different from the originals.

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Rainer & Louie Austen Beatselector Magazine | September/October 2019 | 95

L to R: Wolfgang Lohr, Rainer, Justin Fidèle Your latest project is called Club27—and your focus is more directly focused on club and house music—but with a rock twist. Your current single is a high-energy reinterpretation of the Stones’ classic, “Sympathy For the Devil.”

What inspired this very different direction?

RR: We had heard a lot of Fred Astaire songs and worked very hard on that album. We also did a lot of club remixes for it, and, in doing so, we realized this was the style we wanted to work in next. This was the base for our Club27 project. Now that we’ve done a lot of projects together, I suggested we create a sort of boy group—it was a joke. But Wolfgang and Justin really liked the idea. We thought it would be cool to bring the music of great rock artists, like The Stones and Nirvana, to a new generation through an imaginary group called Club27. The concept is to release club versions of these legendary rock songs. It’s a simple idea—like Kiss said, “Keep it simple, stupid.” We thought we would start with the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy For The Devil”—Brian Jones (one of the first artists we

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thought of for Club27) contributed so much to that song—that “oooh, oooh” chorus line and elements that maybe make it a little different from other Stones tracks. We thought it was credible classic to do a club mix.

You opted for a very powerful female vocalist.

Why? RR: I thought it might be very dangerous if we featured a male singer, in that fans might compare it to Mick Jagger and think nobody else can sing this song. Very quickly we decided a female singer would be best to put a new feeling and energy into it. I was very happy we found Erika Schiff. I asked if she’d like to do it, and when she sent back the vocal track, we were so excited. Her voice absolutely had rock power, but also a great club vibe. She has a voice you can remember when you hear it on the radio. (I’m of the generation that still loves radio.)

Can you tell me how you managed to get the track in front of DJs and build momentum for it?

Wolfgang and Justin built out a network among DJs over the past 10 years that’s been very helpful.

Also—those playlists on Spotify and streaming services. At first I didn’t like that idea. But after a while I realized that songs get stuck in digital download platforms, and if it’s not discovered in one to three months, it’s virtually dead. But with streaming, music is found more easily, with fewer time constraints. It’s also added to one playlist— and then another, and another. Then momentum builds.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m still a collector [of physical product]. I remember listening to albums with friends and discovering new music that way— sitting together and actually listening to music together. It was like a holy act—getting a new album, carefully slipping it out of the jacket, reading everything printed on it, and listening intensely to each track. I miss that!

What do you have planned for Club27 next?

RR: Our next idea will be a reinterpretation of the Nirvana classic, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” We’re expecting to release it in the fall. We want Club27 to be open to male and female [vocalists and song originators]. We three are the foundation, and this track will have a male singer from the Netherlands.

Let’s see how this works. We have a third single in mind, but it’s not settled yet. The idea is to release a series of club singles, and when we have enough, maybe think about an album. In streaming, you don’t really have to do an album anymore, but we are planning to eventually release a set of the singles on vinyl. We love to work together, and we’ve already got next year all locked up. Now we just have to see what the audience thinks. We want it to be quality—to be something special.

How do you measure your success?

RR: That’s a good question. In this case, we are like little children. We are excited to create this music, just like little kids get excited. I can’t imagine that it’s honest if someone says they don’t care about success.

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But it’s not about the money—there is no real money in the music business. [He laughs.] What would have to happen is our song gets used in a commercial or something. Then you make money. But success for us comes from entertaining people—a lot of plays on Spotify, etc. “Puttin’ On The Ritz” reached number one on the iTunes chart in November of 2017. The producers of the US. TV show Dancing With The Stars asked to use our version of “Ritz” on their [25th] season finale, and the couple dancing to it (Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold) won.

We weren’t the composers of course and didn’t see any more money, but it was a big step forward. That brought us a lot of attention. When that happens, we know people like our work. We’re not on a stage, like a traditional artist, to hear applause. It’s a lot of work to produce this music, so this kind of feedback really encourages us to go on.

I didn’t do anything in the music business for a long time—I ran a multi-media company and plan and sell [pre-fab homes]. I’m very happy I did this work because it allows me the freedom to now do the music. A major label might reject our work, but we don’t have that pressure—we put out our music ourselves (our label is called R&B Music—named after my wife Bibi and I), so it doesn’t matter. We have that kind of freedom.

Would you share your perspective on creating music that expands past the borders of Austria and is heard worldwide?

RR: Thirty years ago, with my first label and music productions, America was a mountain you had to climb. When Falco became such a success and went to number one the US, we all felt here in this country as if Austria itself had gone to number one—because America was so far away. When I look at Spotify analytics, our music is being played everywhere, and 70 percent is from the US. If this was 30 years ago, we’d be feeling just as we did for Falco! But now we know it’s because of the digital world— there are really no borders. If the production is released at the right time, and it’s good, you have a chance to reach anyone in virtually any part of the world.

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we did for Falco! But now we know it’s because of If the production is released at the right time, and rtually any part of the world."—Rainer C. Regatschnig Beatselector Magazine | September/October 2019 | 99

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ER EVOLVE-ING

USEPPE TTAVIANI An Exclusive Interview by Tim Stark

"The producer’s producer," as he’s often referred, are really just words until you’ve empirically witnessed how Giuseppe Ottaviani does that thing he does. The divide that separates what the audience hears and how it came to be however has been one Giuseppe Ottaviani’s been chipping away at for time. From audience-inspired idea-kernel to diamond-in-the-rough demo, before flaming into a fully realized floorcombustor is a typically extensive process. It’s also one that for reasons numerous is regularly hidden from end-user view. Giuseppe however sees such matters in a more progressive manner. Through "Evolver"- his July-released fourth artist album, he’s sought to remove the producer/audience fourth wall down to its last brick. This reciprocal reaction is something that Giuseppe’s been exploring for as long as his self-built G.O. Live 2.0 in-club set-up has allowed. "Evolver" however is his massively expanded effort to successfully turn that dynamic into a fully realized 17-track album.

(Or 18, counting its included full-length album rendition mix).

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Beatselector: Hey Giuseppe, thanks for joining Beatselector for this chat and – obviously - huge congrats on the release of the album!! Now first of all, talk us through the concept of ‘Evolver’, as it has a highly original - if not a unique production method doesn’t it?

Giuseppe: “Hey guys, yes ‘Evolver’ has been made the exact opposite way of all my previous albums. Usually I sit down in studio writing music, making ideas and demos not only myself but also together with other producers and/or singers. But this time every single track was born on the road as a live demo to play in my sets. My Live 2.0 setup allows me to create brand new music instantly while on stage, or at the sound check and then perform it straight away to the audience. It’s all based on simple loops and melodies and the track is performed live so it’s raw, doesn’t have a structure and it sounds far from a finished studio track but still good enough to be played live. After collecting around 22 live demos I just realized that I could turn them into finished studio tracks and so the idea of the album was born. Because of the nature of this process there are no collaborations at all. It’s just me and my music.”

Beatselector: That is a highly unusual approach indeed.

Do you remember when the idea to tackle an album this way first came to you?

Giuseppe: “Fans kept asking me to release those live IDs constantly which I did for few of them but I ended up having too many tracks to be release and people was asking for them. So I thought the best way would be to collect them all into an album. 17 tracks out of the 22 I had made it into EVOLVER.” Beatselector: How long have you been using the Giuseppe Ottaviani Live 2.0 set up in clubs now?

Giuseppe: “It’s been 4 years now. The very first test was at Dreamstate SoCal in 2015 where I came up with a melody idea during my performance and the people loved it. A couple of months later that idea was released and entitled ‘Musica’. The official launch of the Live 2.0 was at EDC Mexico February 2016.”

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— Giusepp

heck the CD album ably notice text inside edicate the all the fans ple who’ve ning me at and to the ms. 'Evolver' en made because of them."

pe Ottaviani

Beatselector: We would imagine at least that the idea of music creation, the developing of riffs and melodies, etc in front of an audience would be an alarming proposition for many producers. It is after all something that is generally hidden from view. Why is this not the case for yourself?

Giuseppe: “Well all the tracks that I’ve been creating during my shows also went online straight away so this could be scary to you as a producer. However initially I had no plan of releasing those tracks - I didn’t care much just because it was supposed to be live material only. (Indeed some ‘smart producer’ tried to copy the idea and release it under its name but the track has obviously been taken down the next day). On the other hand it’s very inspiring for me, seeing the reaction from the crowd straight away. It’s a unique feeling. Usually when I’m in studio and I make music I always imagine having a big crowd in front of me and I try to imagine their reaction. With the Live 2.0 I don’t need to imagine anymore because I’m there and it’s happening for real.

Moreover I streamed live from my studio most of the tracks from 'Evolver' so that people could follow the ‘evolution’ of the album. This got some big feedback from the online world. I also let people decide which track they wanted to see released as a single by using an online poll where people could vote. Feedback so far on 5 single releases is: three #1 spot on the trance chart, one #2 and one #3. Plus 'Evolver' made the #1 spot on the main chart, so I can’t complain!”

Beatselector: Every album’s production has its lows along with its highs. With ‘Evolver’s production method as it was, were there any bumps that were a particular result of the path you picked for it?

Giuseppe: “To be honest I had no particular issues a part the fact that when I decided the release date of the album I didn’t consider how much touring was coming in and so I was running late and I had to do extra hours work to keep the deadline and to not disappoint all the fans that have been waiting for so long. All the rest ran remarkably smoothly!”

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Beatselector: Once ‘Evolver’s tracks were in a state to be brought into the studio to be given that polish, you also opened the door there too (with live streams and session talk-throughs, etc). How did it feel to be effectively narrating your work to an audience as you were in process?

Giuseppe: “I thought it would be boring for the majority of people seeing me sitting in my studio and working on the track plus talking about technical stuff but in turned out that they wanted more 'boring stuff' and so I went even deeper with the technical things.

Over all it was fun also for me to tell people what I was doing and I think I will do it again in the future.

Moreover I’ve been reading all the comments that people left during the stream and I have included few suggestions from them into the production. It was like collaboration with lots of people at the same time.”

Beatselector: By your estimation what percentage of production time was spent in the studio and what in front of an audience at a club or festival?

Giuseppe: “If you talk about the entire album process I’d say that 'Evolver' is a collection of the best live demos I made during the past 3 years. The actual time I spent in studio wrapping all together was during a period of 8 months. If you talk about a single track instead I can say it was in minutes in front of the audience and about 20 hours in studio.”

Beatselector: The reaction to the album has been nothing less than extraordinary, with some fans (and media outlets) hailing it as one of the electronic music albums of the year. Given its reception, do you foresee an "Evolver II" in the future?

Giuseppe: “For now I will focus on single releases for a while and after 17 instrumental tracks I really want to do some vocal track again. It’s early to say if I’ll repeat myself with the same concept for another album but who knows - I really enjoyed the ride.”

104 | Beatselector Magazine | September/October 2019

Beatselector: And with regards to the fans in particular, how much of this love do you put down to (what must be) a growing awareness in the part they played in its creation?

Giuseppe: “If you check the physical CD album you’ll probably notice there is a text inside where I dedicate the album to all the fans and people who’ve been joining me at the shows and to the live streams.

'Evolver' has been made possible because of all of them.”

Beatselector: Finally in this year of years, live showwise what have been your highlights to date and what are you looking forward to most into the autumn.

Giuseppe: “Although ASOT900 in Utrecht was quite a big one, my highlight so far was definitely Dreamstate Europe in Poland, I haven’t seen such an awesome crowd like that in a while and now I’m really looking forward to my return to Transmission in Prague, I’ve been away for 5 long years and I can’t wait to finally come back.”

Beatselector: Thanks for talking to Beatselector, Giuseppe and all the best for the rest of 2019!

CM Beatselector Magazine | September/October 2019 | 105

[MUSIC REVIEWS] Masterpiece  Excellent  Good  Fair  Poor 

COSMIC GATE

20 Years [Forward Ever Backward Never]

MAGIK MUZIK

 The following words are not necessarily a review or a critique, but rather a “story” behind the release commemorating Cosmic Gate’s 20th anniversary with insightful album commentary by both Nic Chagall and Bossi. Here we go!

“The trick isn’t so much being lucky, but more recognizing luck when it happens” suggests Nic Chagall. “Nic & I could have gotten talking in the reception area of that studio in 1999 and – looking back – might have just gone our separate ways, contemplates Bossi. “That’s not what happened though, is it?!” smiles Chagall.

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Beatselector Magazine | September/October 2019 | 109

[REVIEWS: ALBUMS] 2019 and 20 big ones later sees the ultimate result of that meeting: the release of “[Forward Ever Backward Never]” – Cosmic Gate’s marking of twenty uninterrupted years of artistic union.

Having withstood the test of time, the pair conspired a release that would at once respect the time-honored tradition of the “greatest hits” LP while at the same time giving it the wildest of insurrections.

To mark the album’s release Nic & Bossi took time out to talk about that shake-up and jot down some background insights on its construction & composition.

Notably, ‘Forward Ever’s production road was actually four separate paths converging as one. “We wanted Bossi says to mix new Cosmic Gate productions, with our own ‘2.0’ versions of previous releases, while reimagining other artists’ tunes that have been personally inspirational and sitting them alongside new interpretations (from others) of ours.”

In that latter respect, Anjunaman Andrew Bayer’s given “Fire Wire” the twist of all twists, reimagining it as a sub-bass boosted, super-charged ass-shaker. For “Analog Feel,” Estiva supplied one of his typically atypical modifications, developing a whole new melody system for the track. On-the-march UK producer Rolo Green has spaced-out brilliantly on “Human Beings,” while Grum’s upped “Exploration”’s warp factor again – transmitting its to-the-heavens bleep to the furthest galaxies.

Wake Your Minds artists Greenhaven DJs and Patrick White have supplied high minded reworks of – respectively – “I Feel Wonderful” and “FAV” while Genix has ridden the synth storm straight to the heart of “Consciousness” (“already a set-favourite of ours” – chips in Nic).

And what of those “personally inspirational” remakes? “Well ‘Lizard’ Bossi says was one of the tunes which left a deep impression on us when Mauro Picotto released it back in 98. At the time we were right on the verge of unifying as Cosmic Gate and it was simply a perfect hybrid between club beats and - lets say – a more pop style melody. So we contacted Mauro, and he gave his blessing to do a remix and on top release it as part of the album.” The Above & Beyond championed ‘Need To Feel Loved’ basically started out, Nic illuminates as a bootleg we did for our DJ shows. But after it was received so well and additionally fitted into the album’s make-up, we decided to give it a proper release.”

Hitting Beatport’s #1, getting added to Spotify’s king-making MINT-playlist and being hailed the “tune of the summer” by Armin, new CG signature tune ‘Come With Me’ has racked up accolades aplenty already.

Tracks from their oeuvre that fell into the ‘lesser remixed’ bracket, the pair held back to develop (or as they term it “2.0”) themselves.

Their work on “Not Enough Time” (their first with the now muse-like Emma Hewitt) and “The Wave” aren’t renovations, reboots or overhauls as such. Moreover Nic says they’re “how the tracks would sound if it was first produced it 2019. So inevitably there are parts, aspects, FX, etc that came out and other elements developed alongside the new arrangements, which came in to individualize them.”

So there you have it: “20 Years – [Forward Ever Backward Never]” unboxed by the guys who boxed it in the first place. An absolute essential for any self respecting Cosmologist – it’s out now and available this very moment. #FEBN baby!

110 | Beatselector Magazine | September/October 2019

[REVIEWS: ALBUMS] several weeks in a coastal sea town surrounded by majestic mountains. A choice location made by both to inspire and write introspective songs about love, loss, relationships, and life.

After listening to the first few tracks, you’ll come to recognize the album follows a defined melancholic theme. The duo mixes and alternates featured instruments- guitar, piano, keys and soft vocals ranging from falsetto styling’s to the conversational.

The electronics within each song are uniquely thoughtful and brilliantly accent each song’s narrative, musically and lyrically. The sounds are incorporated in such a way as to not overshadow

ATELIER VARSAM COURT LOSSLESS

 Berlin-based imprint Lossless is releasing the debut album from South African electronic duo Atelier on October 11. Atelier is made up of childhood friends Alexander Inggs and Jaś Miszewski. Both share a deep passion for analog synthesizers, drum machines and effects pedals that are revealed and can be experienced at their hardware-heavy live shows.

The “Varsam Court” LP project is a platform for combining their differing musical backgrounds – a blend of house, indie, folk and techno – and has an underlying maturity that emerges in their frank performances and honest productions. Relatively new to the scene, they are creating quality electronic music for listening.

Ten tracks were created over the course of

the main melody, vocal and instrumentation.

As you get to the halfway point of the album, it’s possible that you will be in a state of chill and enveloped in the beauty, sound and message.

Alexander further explains the process as “During the creation of this album both of us endured love and heartbreak in our personal lives.

Jaś will never fully recover. The stories sung to you are based in reality. This is our attempt to make sense of it all – to laden the memories with beauty and remove their harsh stings. There’s something to be said for the content of a first album. There is so much that has been considered, deleted, reopened and re-imagined. It’s an amalgamation of our lives together, growing up on the edge of the African continent.”

“Varsam Court” and its ten songs represent an undeniably unique album release within the electronic music space. It's a gorgeous and hauntingly introspective debut, where the music and lyrics tell their story as a flowing narrative, with subject matter that many listeners will relate to-loss and love.

112 | Beatselector Magazine | September/October 2019

—JOSEPH ARTHUR

[REVIEWS: ALBUMS]

JackLNDN THOUGHTS JackLNDN

 Electric Disco Man. That’s what you’ll find if you jump over to jackLNDN’s official Facebook page. Jack’s journey in music began at age seven, singing in professional choirs.

By the age of ten, he will have met Queen Elizabeth and recorded at Abbey Roads. Jack grew up in a family that listened to Jazz, Funk, Disco and Classical, which influences, inspires and reflects his vision as a producer, singer, and instrumentalist to this day. After a number of successful single releases such as “All I See,” “The Feels,” “Never Get Enough,” and “Start Over Again,” jackLNDN debuts an impressive collection of songs packaged in the album titled “Thoughts.” Three years in the making, the Colorado transplant from London features Jack’s vocals on nine of the twelve

tracks of blended electronic driven rhythms and tempos and the utilization of acoustic instruments and voice that serves as a true testament to Jack’s forte of crafting really good songs.

Throughout, Jack’s trademark deep house music foundation accented by jazzy inflections, funky rhythms, and fluctuating tempos swings back and forth presenting varied moods and emotions. There are moments of deep chill vibes as well as moments of quicker paced and club oriented sound design tailor made for dance floors.

In a pre-release interview with Magnetic Magazine’s Kristi Forrest, Jack exclaims “…Each song was meant to capture a feeling, taking the listener on an emotional journey. The songs are a mix of good and bad emotions.

Spending the last three years writing these songs has been a sort of therapy for me.

These songs represent my letting go of my English repression after coming out of a longterm relationship…I think this is my best work to date because each vocal draws on confronting my emotions, capturing a feeling and translating that into words.”

Highlights include “With You,” “Lost Not Found,“ “Wilderness,” “Gone,” “Get Out” and “Remedy.”

In support of the new album, Jack is currently touring “Thoughts” presenting his new collection of songs to audiences across the United States in major cities including Phoenix, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Seattle, Los Angeles, Denver and Austin.

—CATHERINE STRICKLAND

Beatselector Magazine | September/October 2019 | 113

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RIOT TEN HYPE OR DIE: NIGHTMARES DIM MAK

 Born and raised in El Paso, TX, Chris Wilson, aka Riot Ten, exploded into the world of electronic music at 22 years old with his unique blend of dubstep, trap, and electro.

Signed to Dim Mak Records, while also having music out on Kannibalen, Rottun Records, Bassrush, and Insomniac, Riot Ten's music is supported around the world by the likes of DJ Snake, Porter Robinson, Zeds Dead, Excision, The Chainsmokers, Steve Aoki and more.

Riot Ten is best known his breakout single “Rail Breaker,” “F*ck It” championed by The Chainsmokers, previous Dim Mak EPs “Hype Or Die: The Dead” and “Hype Or Die: “Genesis” plus a sold-out “Hype Or Die 2018 Tour across 40+ cities.

Riot Ten’s latest installment of the Hype Or Die series- “Hype Or Die: Nightmares” received its worldwide release on September 13 courtesy of Dim Mak. Stated in the official press release Riot Ten explains “This album is literally who I am as a musician. It means everything to me.

I’ve put out countless EPs over the last three years, way too many single to even count, so to finally deliver a full-length album is a defining moment for me career and growth as an artist.

This album will showcase my roots, as well as my energy, and I can’t wait to share it with the world.”

Featuring ten tracks of blazing bass, dubstep, trap and hip hop with appearances by SayMyName and Milano The Don on “Glocks,” YDG on “Hyphy,” Whokilledkenny on “Freaky” and Throwdown and Atarii on “Showdown” highlight an sonic thrill ride you are about to embark on. The rap performances are effortless and smooth, the electronics range from the teeth grinding noise on the opening track “Mayhem” and “Showdown" to the brightly colored soulful melodies as heard on “No Ceilings” and “Never Win.” The album closes with an absolute beauty!

The title track “Nightmares features a simple singular piano melody accompanied by angelic vocals and subtle electronics and beats. It’s a gorgeous piece of music.

Riot Ten embarked on his Hype Or Die 2019 Tour in August and is hitting city after city in North America and Canada, ending with a few stops in Australia through the New Year in 2020. Joining the tour will be Delta Heavy, GG MAGREE, Sharps, Stoutty, Throwdown, Vampa, Walter Wilde and Yakz on select dates.

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—JOSEPH ARTHUR

[REVIEWS: ALBUMS] their electro-tinged sound has been championed by both Mau5trap and Anjunabeats. Reworks of Lane 8, Deadmau5 and Reflekt’s iconic “Need To Feel Loved” have become indispensable tools for the world’s biggest DJs. A comprehensive insight into the Tinlicker sound, “This Is Not Our Universe” features heartfelt song-writing, wistful house grooves and vibrant progressive interludes - a showcase for two innovative producers who are leading the pack.

Igniting dance floors with “Lost” feat. Run Rivers earlier this summer, the second single from the album is a long-awaited remix of alt-J’s “Breezeblocks.” A platinum-selling hit, the original has been streamed over 320 million times on

TINLICKER THIS IS NOT OUR UNIVERSE ANJUNABEATS

Spotify since its release on 2012’s “An Awesome Wave LP.” Commenting on the single “Breezeblocks," “We’re both fans of alt-J. We had the idea of



creating a completely different and unique

Tinlicker are the modern face of Dutch electronic dance music. Based out of Utrecht, the guys started their journey in late 2012, honing their sound, continually shaping their destination, and documenting their new ideas in music for labels Anjunabeats, Anjunadeep and mau5trap.

A

showcase

of

dynamic

songwriting

and forward-thinking sound design, Jordi van Achthoven and Micha Heyboer, a.k.a Tinlicker, have released their debut artist album “This Is Not Our Universe” on Anjunabeats.

Fusing Jordi’s polished pop and house production with Micha’s deep sonic palette, honed as a member of drum and bass group Black Sun Empire, Tinlicker has created grooveheavy progressive since 2013. Supported by Above & Beyond, Tiësto and Armin van Buuren,

vibe from the original, and the track has been a highlight in our sets over the past months. We are also very happy that alt-J themselves were happy for us to release this version.”

The Tinlicker remix of "Breezeblocks" is available to download and stream now. Tinlicker’s ‘This Is Not Our Universe’ is available for streaming, download, on CD, and vinyl. The CD, fittingly, comes in a collector’s edition tin case.

The accompanying "This Is Not Our Universe Tour" see Micha and Jordi visit four continents over the next few months including performances at Creamfields Festival, Warehouse Project and Analog Brooklyn. Look for full tour dates including club shows across North America, Europe, and Asia.

—CATHERINE STRICKLAND

Beatselector Magazine | September/October 2019 | 115

[REVIEWS: EPs & SINGLES]

LIQUID SLOW KNTXT MUSIC

DAN GUIDANCE THE AWAKENING DIVINATION RECORDINGS

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Charlotte de Witte has had a successful year so far with a non-stop summer, taking her dark, stripped down and powerful sounds to the biggest clubs and festivals all over the world. On September 27th, Charlotte will have officially launched her new label KNTXT with a collaborative EP with Chris techno giant Chris Liebing titled “Liquid Slow.” Speaking to the new EP, Charlotte adds “...we have shared a lot of laughs, a couple of beers and a million different mixdown versions of both tracks. I consider Chris to be my friend and I'm very proud and honoured to have worked with him on this EP." Opening the twosong release is the title track “Liquid Slow, seven minutes of heavy and hypnotic techno featuring acid bass lines, earth rumbling kicks, epic synthesizer work and a spoken word vocal. “In Memory” features drums and bass, more acid leanings and delivers another powerful and compelling piece of techno from two of the genres best.

Dan Guidance is known for producing atmospheric Drum & Bass music. Historically, Guidance’s previous music releases have contained elements of Jazz, Dub, Ska, Techno, Trance, House and even World music, by which add a special uniqueness when it comes to the usual Drum & Bass music being produced in today’s scene. August 30th marked the release of Guidance’s EP “The Awakening” through Divination Recordings. The EP opens with the soul stirring and heartstring tugging “My Biggest Fear.” The track features awesome vocals complimented by a beautiful melody against a background of lush and colorful sounds. The track has enormous staying power and leaves an impression on the listener, no doubt about it. The 2nd track, “Tracers” is emotional, serene and peaceful.

One of Dan’s goals is to continue his development in becoming a world-class DnB producer. With “The Awakening,” it becomes instantly apparent that his creative producing skills are becoming more defined and refined!

—LEO WEAVER

—JOSEPH ARTHUR

CHRIS LIEBING & CHARLOTTE DEWITTE

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[REVIEWS: EPs & SINGLES]

DAN MCKIE EIGHT ZERO #22 1980 RECORDINGS

SIAN ULTRAVIOLET EP 2.0 MAU5TRAP

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Dan McKie makes house and techno music with funky grooves, mellow vibes, and high tech sound design that is grabbing the attention and support of dance music’s biggest stars and personalities. This short list includes DJs Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin, Kyder, Fatboy Slim and radio hosts Danny Howard, Pete Tong and Annie Mac. His list of supporters is surely to grow on September 27th, the day his new EP drops. “Eight Zero #22” prominently features minimal and tech house across four tracks: “3:01;” “44km;” “Papi Tiburon” and “They Call Me Danger.” On full display are fat basslines, synths ranging from dark to punchy, and mix of hypnotics, mystic vocals, complimented by varied rhythms and tempos, giving you a stunning and attention worthy collection of cutting edge electronic music. McKie hopes “the techy techno sound and vibe will grab listeners attention.” For this listener, it most certainly did.

—JOSEPH ARTHUR

Do you like techno that borders on the avantgarde? Do you like techno that is hypnotic? Do you like seminal techno? Well, then Sian’s latest EP, Ultraviolet 2.0 is a must hear. Born in Ireland, raised in Spain, and currently based in Los Angeles, Sian’s new EP Ultraviolet 2.0, out now on mau5trap, is the follow up to Ultraviolet 1.0. Ultraviolet 2.0 will dazzle listeners showcasing techno that is heavily influenced by industrial, darkwave, synthwave and classical electro, complimented by acid sounds and varying sound design techniques.“Planets”opens the EP with a deep bassline and eerie melody. “Opium” follows with booming and cynical basslines, and “Nitro” takes us home with a throbbing bassline and dark experimental vibes exuding from every sound.

Always inventive, raw and uncompromising in his creative process, Sian continues to demonstrate complete command over his audience, creating electrifying soundscapes with each and every step into the strobe lit haze….

—LEO WEAVER

Beatselector Magazine | September/October 2019 | 117

[REVIEWS: EPs & SINGLES]

VARGO MINDSHIFT KAYOON RECORDS

AMBA SHEPHERD FLY AWAY SUPERRLATIV

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Vargo’s history in electronic music goes back almost two decades with early compositions built on a Commodore C 64 computer. Remember those?

Most won’t and that’s ok. Anyways, Vargo, also known as Ansgar Üffink, has dabbled in downtempo, chill-out, melodic and deep techno, and trance over the years of his storied career. He’s had dozens of releases across the LP, EP and compilation formats and has had many of songs featured on over 200 compilation albums, including the famous Buddha Bar and Café del Mar brands. On August 23, 2019, Vargo released a three track EP titled “Mindshift” on his newly anointed label Kayoon Records. For the EP, Vargo creates brilliant and contrasting flavors of the techno genre featuring melodic grooves, hypnotic vocals and high intensity tempos. An added treat is the remix of the title track by Berlin’s Chris Zippel who gives the original a progressive, high-energy slant.

Amba Shepherd ranks in the upper-eschelons of dance music vocalists who has featured on tracks

by Porter Robinson, Hardwell, Tiësto, Laidback Luke and Nicky Romero among other iconic producers and DJs. She is also a saavy businesswoman as well.

She runs her own label, Superrlativ and serves as a brand ambassador for Steinberg Music as well as representing Australia’s APRA/AMCOS. Amba is well known and in-demand for her serene and velvety voice, which is front and center on her latest single “Fly Away.” The track allows for all the worthy hype tailored for her die-hard fans. The package features two versions: “Uluwatu Sunrise Mix” and “Sunset Bros Remix” offering up stylistic contrasts of downtempo and chill-out to harder trance oriented leanings. Commenting on the track Amba says: “The song is about the feeling of freedom that comes from being surrounded by people who accept us exactly as we are.”

—JOSEPH ARTHUR

—CATHERINE STRICKLAND

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[REVIEWS: EPs & SINGLES]

GORGON CITY & MK THERE FOR YOU VIRGIN/EMI RECORDS

ILLUSTRATED ALCHEMY GRAVITAS RECORDINGS

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UK’s infamous House heros Gorgon City joined forces with US producer, DJ and remixer MK (Marc Kincen) for what is being called a “Slice of vocalhouse heaven” in the track “There For You.” Brimming with summertime feels “There For You” has the staying power and shelf life that should propel the popularity of the song well in to the colder months.

Collectively, Gorgon City and MK have accumulated upwards of one billion streams with over ten million single sales to date. So, the bringing together of these three extremely talented artists certainly lays the foundation of what is a stellar production.

“There For You” shines with very polished synths, perfectly placed vocals, rapid drums and a deep bounce in the bass. Melodically, the piano riffs stand out, albeit somewhat in the background. All in all, “There For You” should satisfy GC and MK fans, not to mention house music fanatics.

Sean Layton, aka Illustrated is a Los Angeles based Melodic Bass Music composer with prior releases on Solar Sound Records and Reid Speed’s Play Me Records. One year out from his previous release, Layton returns with a new track for Garvitas Records. Fans of CloZee, Desert Dwellers and Beats Antique take note. Layton has kicked out a track that will tantalize and entrance. Mysterious, slightly dark and exotic, “Alchemy” is a departure from the old and a glorious transition in to the new. Layton constructs the song brilliantly expressing feelings by leaning on his interest of esoteric teachings, philosophy and the unknown. “Alchemy” is a sound that is completely unique in today’s EDM spectrum and certainly stands out amongst most tracks within the crowded dance music space. I must say it is refreshing to come up on a new track that is this creative and goes way beyond what is expected.

—CATHERINE STRICKLAND

—JOSEPH WENSELL

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[REVIEWS: EPs & SINGLES]

JKRIV FEATURING ADELINE VERTIGO REMIXES Z RECORDS

OLIN BATISTA FALLING CYB3RPVNK

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JKriv’s premiere release “Vertigo” for Joey Negro’s Z Records is a perfect fit! Blending the classic disco sounds with the today’s modern incarnation of the genre reveals deep grooves and has all the disco feels and features the powerful vocals of Escort’s Adeline. Originally made available as digital only release, thankfully, the Z Records team is now offering “Vertigo” on vinyl with two additional remixes: one by Joey Negro and the other by France’s Yuksek. Joey Negro takes control and ads inspired flavors a la Canadian Disco legend Gino Soccio and fills it with funky guitar licks, horns, bright sounding synthesizers and bumpin’ beats. Yuksek’s remix brings out the strings, percussion and drums and whips it in to sweaty groove fest. How does one pick one remix over the other versus the original? With “Vertigo” having JKriv, Joey Negro and Yuksek at the controls, you don’t have to choose. All versions are fantastic!

Brazilian artist Olin Batista has been in the international music circuit since the age of 18, and it's clear the future is looking very bright for him indeed. Olin “made his bones” with official remixes of Ingrosso’s “Dark River,” Norman Doray’s “ All In” and Daft Punk’s “High Life.” He’s also released (“Luma”) on Kryder’s label Sosumi and is a recent addition to the CYB3RPVK roster of recording artists. Olin’s stardom is in his blood. As the official press release states, his parents are former Supermodel Luma De Oliveria and entrepreneur/Super Offshore Powerboat World Champion, Eike Batista.

For the last couple of years, Olin has been in the studio working and the end result is the new single, “Falling,” out now on R3HAB’s CY3RPVNK. Falling” includes his trademark tribal melody sensibilities, hot beats and rhythms that guarantee dance floor mania. Will we hear much more of Olin Batista's unique and energetic sound? Yes!

—JOSEPH ARTHUR

—JOSEPH ARTHUR

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