BEATSELECTOR Magazine Issue N°7

A L L E FA R B E N ' S M U S I C I S M Y L I F E K I C K S O F F T H E N E W M U S I C R E V I E W S

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CONRO From humbled beginnings to touring the world

DANNIC Unveils his new FONK brand VICTOR RUIZ Seducing the dance music community with soulful sounds

ANDRÉS CAMPO BASTIAN BUX DANCE SPIRIT FERNANDO LAGRECA GARDENS OF GOD GROTESEQUE MUSIC SUN & ABS

O U R F E AT U R E I N T E R V I E W W I T H

EDM's REBEL SPEAKS OUT & SETS HIS OWN RULES

B EATSELECTOR Moving Electronic Music Forward

2016 / Issue N° 7

PUBLISHER

JOSEPH WENSELL CONTRIBUTORS Caitlin Cline Catherine Strickland Chloe Aiello Cory Royster Erik L. Richardson Fred Lee Joseph Arthur Karin Haslinger Leo Weaver Payton Gerencir Stephanie Hernandez Tyler Quick

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inside

ISSUE NUMBER 7 NOVEMBER 2016 Cover Photography courtesy of Harrison Shaw Table of Contents Photography by RYAN DINHAM

72 COVER

ARTIST

Features

52 CONRO Conor Patton has a destiny. That is self-evident as he’s been performing as a musician since the age of seven. He’s an

artist with a well-rounded musical background with a formal pedigree on violin, leading the way to self-instruction on guitar, piano, and drums. He's gone from living in a small trailer and working in a boat yard to becoming a producer and DJ on the rise.

56 VICTOR RUIZ

Seducing the dance music community with soulful sounds with a futuristic tip that is “dancy” and exciting. We put the spotlight on one of São Paulo Carioca Electronic Music scene’s favorite DJs and producers, Victor Ruiz, frequently compared to artists like Maceo Plex among others, takes part in a Q&A session sure to amaze.

62 DANNIC'S FONK RECORDINGS

In this insightful interview, conducted just before the 2016 Edition of the Amsterdam Dance Event, we get Dannic talking about his new adventure as a label head, as well as the always-elusive Life/Work balance, his friendship with DYRO, new music, and the State of the Industry.

Departments 08 ICYMI RECENT NEWS & MORE FROM AROUND THE WEB.

22 NEW MUSIC RELEASES ALUNAGEORGE, CRAIG DAVID, EMPIRE OF THE SUN, ENIGMA, JUSTICE, THE ORB. 34 ON TOUR ABOVE & BEYOND 36 ARTIST PROFILES ANDRÉS CAMPO, BASTIAN BUX, DANCE SPIRIT, FERNANDO LAGRECA, GARDENS OF GOD. 46 LABEL WATCH DJ RAM'S GROTESQUE MUSIC IS ANYTHING BUT GROTESQUE. 48 MUSIC PRODUCTION 101 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MATT CALDWELL PR PRESENTING SUN & ABS DISCUSSING GEAR & MORE. 86 CD/EP/12" MUSIC REVIEWS ALLE FARBEN'S LATEST RELEASE 'MUSIC IS MY LIFE' ON ULTRA/SONY MUSIC KICKS IT OFF.

vOPENING NOTES Written by Joseph Wensell

Content is King!

"Something I learned early on."

Way back in 90s, I was a member of team of highly talented magazine professionals working in the Jazz music industry. I learned many skills from my colleagues and mentors during my 8 year stretch, such as journalism integrity, art direction and graphic design, the importance of building and maintaining business relationships and how perception is reality, sort of. But, I keep thinking of a phrase that was emblazoned into my mind that is still relevant today as it was 20 years ago, "Content Is King."

As a relatively new EDM magazine, we pay attention to what other publications, competitors and non-competitors, are writing about and how we can separate ourselves and provide our readers with content that is often over-looked or ignored.

Granted, the EDM scene is oversaturated with new music releases and new artists jumping in to the game every single day, but that doesn’t mean that they and their music does not deserve coverage. To the contrary, many artists out there are producing quality recordings and are just as exciting as the DJs and producers that are well established and world famous.

For our previous 6 issues, we’ve worked very hard on giving some of the lesser known acts some ink within our pages and we’re proud to have done so. Now, that we are on to our 7th issue, we continue to follow that

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philosophy, however, we are fortunate to also include some bigger names that have huge fan bases.

Inside the following pages, we deliver some news on events that we feel are super cool, recently released and upcoming big new music albums, profiles on artists that you should pay attention to and an exclusive new series titled 'Music Production 101' with India's Sun & Abs discussing gear, software, influences and upcoming new releases, brought to you from our friends at Matt Caldwell PR. Our Cover Feature and Interview is with Harrison, a great personality on the brink of elevating his stature as a music producer and singer songwriter. It’s a "no holds bar" conversation and he pulls no punches.

For those in "Dannic Nation," when we were approached to interview the world famous DJ about his new endeavors as the label head of FONK Recordings and FONK Radio, it was a no brainer. He was super to speak with and generous with his time, as the feature interview is spread out over 10 pages. Additionally, we have CONRO, who is also on the verge of hitting the big time and an interview with, Brazil to Berlin, Techno visionary Victor Ruiz.

Reviews galore leads off with Berlin based Frans Zimmer, aka Alle Farben and his 'Music Is My Life' LP, an album that has been on replay for months in the offices of BSM. Plus, we write on 19 other releases that deserve listens and support. Enjoy and read on!

2016 DJAWARDS

BEST RECORD LABEL ELECTRONIC MUSIC AWARDS - IBIZA

vICYMI

News from around the web

19th Edition of the DJ Awards Announced and Carl Cox takes Home Two! On the evening of October 3, 2016, the 19th Edition of the DJ Awards was held at Pacha Ibiza. The gathering brought together the most influential people in the global dance music scene to celebrate the 21 awards passed out by hosts Des Paul and Lucy Horobin.

Of the 21 awards, 12 were chosen by fan participation with the remaining 9 awards acknowledged as Special Awards, determined by Industry leaders.

Highlights of the annual event include Anabel Englund premiering new music, and the reception received when Carl Cox received two awards—International and Techno. Additionally, Cox presented long-time friend and owner of Space Ibiza, Pepe Rosella with the first ever Iconic Club award. Emanuel Satie was the deserved winner of Producer, having had a string of successful releases, while Claptone received the kryptonite for House. ANNA’s heavy hitting, yet seductive style of techno saw her collect Breakthrough. The eclectic Mr. Doris won Ibiza DJ, Newcomer went to Mihalis Safras and after his many years of pushing the scene forward, John Acquaviva took the award for Electronic Music Pioneer.

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MUSIC CATEGORIES

BASS AMINE EDGE & DANCE BIG ROOM HOUSE HARDWELL BREAKTHROUGH ANNA DEEP HOUSE BLACK COFFEE ELECTRONICA JAMIE XX ELECTRONIC LIVE PERFORMER MATADOR HOUSE CLAPTONE INTERNATIONAL CARL COX NEWCOMER MIHALIS SAFRAS TECH HOUSE THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS TECHNO CARL COX TRANCE ARMIN VAN BUUREN

SPECIAL AWARDS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL AWAKENINGS CUTTING EDGE FUNKTION ONE PRODUCER EMANUEL SATIE IBIZA NIGHT WOOMOON IBIZA DJ MR. DORIS RECORD LABEL OF THE YEAR SUARA MUSIC IBIZA MUSIC EVENT MOSAIC BY MACEO PLEX ELECTRONIC MUSIC PIONEER JOHN ACQUAVIVA ICONIC CLUB AWARD SPACE Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 09

vICYMI

News from around the web

Claude VonStroke Tapped as America's Best DJ by DJ Times Magazine & Pioneer DJ On September 30, 2016, DJ Times Magazine and Pioneer DJ announced Barclay Crenshaw aka Claude VonStroke as its winner of America’s Best DJ 2016.

Fans voted online and on-site at more than 20 select venues and events across the United States including EDC Las Vegas, Detroit’s Movement Festival and Moonrise Festival in Baltimore.

Speaking on the award , VonStroke states "My fans are so kind hearted and amazing and I love them so much for creating such an awesome community where people feel safe and can have fun together. They voted for me to win over artists with huge radio hits and business machines which is so inspiring and surprising, for that I am truly humbled."

For years, VonStroke has climbed the ranks in the annual poll and this time around tallying more fan votes than Kaskade, The Chainsmokers, Bassnectar, Skrillex, Diplo, Markus Schulz, Jauz, and Porter Robinson. For his achievement, VonStroke was presented with a special trophy – a personalized, gold-plated Pioneer DJM-900nexus mixer at the Awards Ceremony and closing party at Omnia Nightclub in San Diego. Congrats!

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vICYMI

News from around the web

Gareth Emery Returns to London for a Special One-off Show at Roundhouse Gareth Emery has announced he will be returning to London on Saturday, December 17, 2016 for a special one-off show at the Roundhouse.

Bringing his beloved Electric for Life concept to the iconic London venue in Camden Town marks an outstanding return for Gareth. Last year’s sold out Electric For Life show at Electric Brixton was a huge success and became one of the most talked about events in the electronic music calendar.

This Roundhouse gig is Gareth’s final appearance in the U.K. this year and follows his stunning Electric for Life debut last year, and with a host of special guests still to be announced, the Los Angeles based DJ is set to make a major return at one of the capital’s premier music venues.

In support of his Electric for Life podcast series, the show at the Roundhouse will allow Gareth Emery to showcase a diverse range of sounds and styles, and experiment in ways other performances wouldn’t normally allow.

Gareth recently released his third artist album '100 Reasons To Live,' featuring contributions from Alex & Sierra, Janet Devlin, Lawson (band) and Christina Novelli.

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vICYMI

News from around the web

SNOWBOMBING 2017 Announces First Round of Big Name Acts Taking place from April 3-8, 2017 in the charming alpine town of Mayrhofen, Austria, Snowbombing has carved out a reputation as the No.1 festival on snow.

Now in it’s 18th year, Snowbombing has redefined winter sports holidays and shown what the ultimate alpine music festival looks and sounds like, winning a multitude of awards along the way. Known for its creative vision and uncompromising music line­ up, highlights from previous editions include The Prodigy, Jungle, Rudimental and Bastille, Craig David, Skrillex, Carl Cox, Nina Kraviz, Idris Elba, Kasabian, Skepta, The Chemical Brothers, Chase & Status, Sven Väth, Jamie Jones, Fatboy Slim and many more.

With igloo raves, forest parties, luxurious spas, snow-yoga, roof-top hot tubs, paragliding and even snow limos, not to mention 650km of unadulterated piste at one of the finest ski resorts in the Alps.

Snowbombing 2017 promises to be the most ambitious event to date with a lineup that includes Chase and Status, MK, Gorgon City, Hot Since 82, Eats Everything, Dusky, Alan Fitzpatrick, Cassy, Disciples, Monki, Skream, Toddla T and David Rodigan amongst the first to be announced.

To book tickets visit snowbombing.com.

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vICYMI

News from around the web

PLAYdifferently Teams Up with The Warehouse Project as Production and Technology Partner On August 22, 2016, PLAYdifferently announced a new partnership with The Warehouse Project, becoming the first ever production partner of the U.K.’s visionary nightlife institution.

The Warehouse Project launched ten years ago in 2006, the iconic Manchester club has built up a reputation as one of the world’s leading electronic music destinations, renowned for their impeccable curation and unique club spaces.

The club’s continued commitment to high quality music, sound and technology make it the obvious choice for PLAYdifferently’s first technology partnership, paving the way for yet more artists to experience the innovative DJ instrument and discover why it’s fast becoming the mixer of choice for many of the world’s leading clubs and electronic music artists. PLAYdifferently founder Richie Hawtin will perform at the 2016 WHP series on Friday 16th December, alongside acts including Ben Klock, Ben UFO, Andrew Weatherall, Daniel Avery and Shanti Celeste.

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vICYMI

News from around the web

Insomniac and C3 Presents Launch Brand New Music and Camping Festival Entertainment giants Insomniac and C3 Presents have announced the beginning of an unprecedented partnership with the launch of their brand new music and camping festival, Middlelands, taking place in Spring 2017 in Todd Mission, Texas.

A debut collaboration between the two industry-leading event companies – the minds behind North America's largest festivals including Electric Daisy Carnival and Lollapalooza – Middlelands will host three days of eclectic artists and four nights of camping in a spectacular venue with creative festivities extending well beyond music.

"Over the years, we've imagined building something new and unique with our friends at C3 Presents," said Pasquale Rotella, Founder and CEO of Insomniac. "Bringing together our teams will enhance the magic, diversity and community that can be created at a destination festival like Middlelands."

"We are looking forward to working with Pasquale and the Insomniac team on this exciting new festival in our home state.

Insomniac shares our vision for a quality fan experience and the fusing of our two worlds is a great opportunity to see what the next level of festival can deliver," said Charlie Walker, Partner, C3 Presents.

To receive the latest announcements on Middlelands, fans can sign up for email updates at Middlelands.com.

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vICYMI

News from around the web

Suara Store: The Union of 3 Universes Born in the Heart of Barcelona On November 25, 2016, Suara Store officially open its doors in Barcelona, the only place in Europe where fashion, music and cats will converge. The dream projected by the DJ and producer Iván Ramos aka COYU, will be transformed into a laboratory of ideas with more of 185m2 located next to the historical Mercat del Born.

The first floor of Suara Store will be a dynamic and multi-functional space in which Suara's clothing articles will be able to be bought, vinyl records of the record stamp and where there will be realized exhibitions related with the world of the art. This place will be also a meeting point for lovers of the electronic music and the foundation will give informative talks with educational aims.

The top floor and independent to the rest of the space, will be the corporate headquarters of the foundation where they will be able to visit and adopt rehabilitated cats. The foundation will possess two rooms, one of them will be for the adaptation of the newcomer cats and another zone for those who could be adopted. The interior design of this floor will be a faithful reflection of a house where the cats are confortable and could go familiarizing itself with his future home. The whole process of withdrawal, taken care and adjustment will be followed very closely by veterinary experts who will guard over the ideal care of the cats.

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vNEW MUSIC

The eagerly awaited sophomore album, I Remember, from singer Aluna Francis and producer George Reid, also known as AlunaGeorge, is now available through Universal Music Group's imprints Island Records and Interscope Records.

The album’s first single, 'Mean What I Mean' featuring Leikeli 47 & Dreezy, was premiered July 15 on Annie Mac’s ‘Hottest Record In The World’ on BBC Radio One in the UK.

at number 67. At the end of the year, they collaborated with electronic musician Zhu on his lead track 'Automatic' from his debut extended play Genesis Series.

The concept for the album began in 2014, when AlunaGeorge took part in several collaborations. One of the first collaborations was with DJ Snake, when he re-worked the duo's 2012 single, entitled 'You Know You Like It.' It was released in October 2014 and peaked in the UK Charts

In January 2016, the duo released their first official track since 2014, 'I'm in Control,' featuring vocals from dancehall rapper Popcaan. In April 2016, the duo worked on their third collaboration with electronic musician Kaytranada, alongside rapper GoldLink, titled 'Together.' The song was released as part of Kaytranada's debut studio

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album, 99.9%. I Remember, written and recorded in Los Angeles and London, sees them maintain their unique sonic palette, while pushing forward into bolder territories by channeling personal experience into a delicious mĂŠlange of pop styles.

"We were going for that holy grail of song writing," says Aluna. "It was an attitude of 'let's see what else we can do'," adds George.

With this new album, it marks an opening

of their creative process to new inputs and influences, as exemplified in its diverse list of collaborators that include Flume, Pell, Zhu, Popcaan, Leikeli 47 and Dreezy.

Aluna says, "It started to feel a bit like we had all these friends in music that we liked hanging out with but we haven't shared AlunaGeorge with anyone else, and at some point we were like why not? Let's open it up a bit more. We wanted to let people in a bit more now that we're more confident in our sound."

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vNEW MUSIC

Following My Intuition is the sixth studio album by English singer Craig David, released on September 30, 2016

by Insanity Records and Sony Music and features the likes of Big Narstie, Blonde, Sigala, Hardwell and Kaytranada.

Debuting at number one on the U.K. Albums Chart, its the first number-one album since his 2000 release Born to Do It, reached the top spot.

The concept for the album began in 2014 when David released teaser tracks 'Cold' and 'Seduction' through his official SoundCloud page.

On January 25, 2016, it was announced that David had signed a recording contract with Insanity Records, a joint venture

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between Sony Music UK and Insanity Management, and independent company Speakerbox Media and through those channels came the announcement of the album title.

On March 19, 2016, the second day of the Ultra Music Festival 2016, and during the set of Hardwell, he appeared as a featured artist on their new track 'No Holding Back.' He also managed to appear on Kaytranada's debut studio album 99% on the track 'Got It Good,'

which he also co-wrote. Both tracks were later announced to be included on the new album.

On August 19, 2016, Craig announced on social networks that his sixth studio album, Following My Intuition, would finally be released on September 30, 2016. On the same day, he released his new single 'Ain't Giving Up,' a collaboration with Sigala.

'Change My Love' was released as the album's

fifth single on October 21, 2016.

During the week of the album's release, it was confirmed that his 'Fill Me In'/'Where Are Ü Now' performance was added to the album, entitled '16,' and was released on September 27, 2016 as the second promotional release.

It was also confirmed that, along with Jack Ü, the additional mixers and producers for the song included Tre Jean-Marie, Richard Adlam, Hal Ritson and Wez Clarke.

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vNEW MUSIC

Two Vines is the third studio album by Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun. Released on October 28, 2016 through Virgin EMI Records, features guest appearances from Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham, Wendy Melvoin, Henry Hey and Tim Lefebvre.

The duo started writing the new studio album in 2014 and recorded it in Hawaii and Los Angeles, co-produced by Empire of the Sun, Peter Mayes and regular collaborator Jonathan Sloan.

The album's lead single, 'High and Low,' was released on August 24, 2016, followed by the album's first promotional single, 'Two Vines,' which was released the following day. 'To Her Door' was released on September 30, 2016 as the album's second single.

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vNEW MUSIC

The Fall of a Rebel Angel is the eighth studio album from Germany's legendary Enigma and was released world-wide on November 11, 2016 via Republic Records.

The first studio album since 2008's Seven Lives Many Faces, is a concept album that tells the story developed by Enigma's founder, producer, and principal composer Michael Cretu and German lyricist and librettist Michael Kunze, of a protagonist's journey of development and change to find a new, fulfilling life. Its artwork was designed by Wolfgang Beltracchi.

The Fall of a Rebel Angel, marks the first release from Enigma since its 2010 fan collaboration track 'MMX (The Social Song),' and commemorates the group's

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20th Anniversary. Michael Cretu, spent one year testing and and experimenting for a new Enigma studio album prior to recording.

Cretu aimed to return to the Enigma sound adopted in its early years which earned the group its biggest international commercial and critical success, adding his wish to transfer the spirit of Enigma's beginnings to the here and now, but in a new musical language.

The Fall of a Rebel Angel is a concept album

formed by 12 "chapter-like" tracks that tells a surreal narrative, based on an epic poem written for the album by German lyricist and librettist Michael Kunze, about a male protagonist's journey of development and change to find a new, fulfilling life.

Cretu described the story as a "symbolic journey to redemption—with everyone to define his individual path" combined with "psychedelic undertones."

He quotes from various literature, religious,

and pop culture sources to aid the story which includes themes of sexuality, faith and death. In one chapter, the character wonders through an imaginary town and encounters a priestess whose god is the Marquis de Sade, thus becoming a continuation of the story to 'Sadness (Part I)', the world-wide smash hit single from Enigma's 1990 debut album, MCMXC A.D. The story concludes with the individual breaking their own reflection in the water of a lake, accepting responsibility of its life.

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vNEW MUSIC

Woman is the third studio album and follows the acclaimed Audio, Video, Disco by the French electronic music duo Justice, released on November 18, 2016 via Ed Banger Records and Because Music.

Blitzing radio and the dance music community with three singles that have already been released—'Safe and Sound', 'Randy' and 'Alakazam!' —solidly set the dance music community a buzz with anticipation for the ten track album.

For the project, Justice recruited Diamond Night’s Morgan Phalen, fellow frenchman Romuald and Zoot Woman’s Johnny Blake for the vocal duties as well as bringing in the London Contemporary Orchestra to contribute.

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vNEW MUSIC

Ambient pioneers THE ORB (Dr. Alex Paterson and Thomas Fehlmann) are back with a new album titled COW/ Chill Out World!. Produced in 5 sessions over 6 months, The ORB are bound to be exposed to fan expectations running high, while quizzical questions about little fluffy clouds and the good old times take over.

This latest full-length offering on Kompakt Records is a masterful ambient album that branches out in many directions, but unmistakably sounds like THE ORB in either ear (and probably to your third ear, too).

"The idea was simply to make an ambient album," Dr. Paterson explains, "we didn’t look back and study earlier recordings, but wanted a more spontaneous approach, a focus on THE ORB today, our vibe in 2016…

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it got so spontaneous that a track like 9 ELMS OVER RIVER ENO (CHANNEL 9) consisted only of material collected at North Carolina’s Moogfest in May – second-hand records from local stores, field recordings, live samples from gigs that we liked, and of course an excursion to the Eno River, which actually exists. This geographic intimacy and the spontaneity are among the top reasons why we love this album so much."

Fehlmann credits the duo’s relentless gigging schedule as a formative influence on the new

album stating "the countless performances we’ve played in the last years – probably up to 300 – have brought us closer as a musical unit.

The spice of our concerts is improvisation – a fertile process that we’ve brought to the studio, where we operate with very simple rules of engagement (in this case "ambient") and go wherever the flow takes us…we’re quite happy and also a little bit proud that we’ve reached this level of unscripted levity with purely electronic means. We’re finessing ourselves, sort of, always looking for the next sonic surprise that leaves us rubbing our eyes about how the heck we got

there." THE ORB’s trademark playfulness is on full display on COW/CHILL OUT, WORLD!, and it doesn’t limit itself to the multi-layered sampling and psychedelic sound composites that the duo has become known for – you’ll find it in the album title as well. The greatest feat of THE ORB’s latest outing might just be how all this semantic doodling never gets in the way of the actual listening.

So, chill out world! and treat yourself to an outstanding new ambient experience from THE ORB. You won't be disappointed.

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vON TOUR

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European Tour 2016 NOV 25 (SOLD OUT) MANCHESTER, UK THE WAREHOUSE PROJECT NOV 26 (SOLD OUT) BELFAST, UK ULSTER HALL NOV 27 DUBLIN, IRELAND OLYMPIA THEATRE NOV 30 WARSAW, POLAND PROGRESJA MUSIC ZONE DEC 01 HAMBURG, GERMANY DOCKS DEC 02 MUNICH, GERMANY BACKSTAGE WERK DEC 03 COLOGNE, GERMANY LIVE MUSIC HALL DEC 10 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM ANCIENNE BELGIQUE (AB) DEC 11 PARIS, FRANCE ÉLYSÉE MONTMARTRE DEC 15 STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN NOBELBERGET DEC 16 HELSINKI, FINLAND THE CIRCUS DEC 17 COPENHAGEN, DENMARK VEGA MUSIKKENS HUS DEC 18 OSLO, NORWAY SENTRUM SCENE Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 35

vARTIST PROFILE

Written by Leo Weaver

ANDRÉS CAMPO

Spain’s contribution to the Electronic Dance Music culture is well documented with contributions from the likes of Maceo Plex, COYU, Art Department and José Padilla leading the way. There is one more name that is beginning to attract more attention and his name Andrés Campo.

For 15 years he’s been developing and perfecting his skills behind the decks allowing him to emerge from Spain’s underground scene as one of its brightest stars.

Campo is known for creating sets that are described as "Celestial Sound Journeys" with energy along with sharp and groovy techno rhythms that have kept his fans coming to shows including a long residency at Florida 135 to hear his music and dance.

Musical output includes four EPs: 'Residents' (2012); 'Devil at the Disco Backstage' (2013); 'Monegros' (2014); 'Numbers' (2016) for labels Florida Music, Upfront Records, Drakos Recordings, Natura Viva and dozens of singles and remixes.

Just over the last 5 years, Campo’s rise is credited to his fresh and original approach to music that has allowed him to be recognized with nominations and awards that include 'Best DJ' (2011 & 2013) by Premios de la Música Aragonesa, 'Best Newcomer' by DJ1 Magazine, 2014 Vicious Awards 'Fans Favorite Artist' and just missing out in the 2016 DJ Mag Top 100 DJs Poll.

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vARTIST PROFILE

Written by Catherine Strickland

BASTIAN BUX

Bastian Bux, as described in his official Biography, "is the consequence of reducing everything surrounding a DJ and producer to its essential element the music." So, what does that mean? It means that Bux takes an approach to creating music with deep textures, powerful harmonies, heavy beats and fat bass lines, all of which are trademark ingredients that make up the sounds that have put him on the fast track to wider recognition.

Exploding on the scene in 2015 with a series of brilliant EP releases on Suara Music, Bastian’s stature as a talented Producer and DJ, through these musical creations, reflects a diverse and wide mix of Techno, House, and Electronica that is appealing, infectious and supported by many big players in the scene’s underground.

The latest offering from the rising "Techno wonder-kid" comes from Nicole Moudaber’s label MOOD Records. Titled 'Protest,' the two cut EP was released on October 7, 2016. The label describes the tracks as: 'Protest' pounds with a robust kick and undulating 909 bass groove that peaks and troughs beneath a sinewy topline and trippy dubbed-out echoes. 'Riot' takes a more subversive tact with deeper low-end fluctuations as the subs wrap tightly around the kicks, big metallic percussive hits provide the melody and iced out pads ripple through the mix with euphoria.

Behind the decks, Bastian feeds his audience’s vibe delivering his sonic soundscapes that have led to residency opportunities with Elrow and Space Ibiza along with numerous appearances and tour stops throughout the U.K., Germany, France, and Dubai. Pay attention to this rising star as his future looks bright and busy.

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vARTIST PROFILE

Written by Leo Weaver

DANCE SPIRIT

Christopher Mohn has a passion for dance music and DJing. Reagan Denius has formal music and computer training. The duo make up Dance Spirit and the music they create is the result of their synergistic partnership and shared philosophy of producing music that is full of rhythms, melodies and movement.

Their breakout album 'The Sun Also Rises' on Supernature, along with releases on Rebellion, Maison d’Etre, Superfreq, Kindisch, Culprit, Akbal Music, Endless, No.19 and Connaisseur round out their musical output.

Compositional descriptives include futuristic minimal techno with deep layers and rolling low ends that are as addictive as they are highly creative.

Over the years, Dance Spirit have been invited to perform at some of the globe’s most coveted festivals and clubs including Coachella, Lightning in a Bottle, Fabric and Verboten as well as holding down a residency at the wildly popular parties thrown by Flying Circus.

The pair have shared their musical vision performing in capitol cities from San Francisco, Miami, New York and Los Angeles to Playa Del Carmen and Tulum and a residency in Ibiza.

As a result of experience and demonstrated skills, both live and in the studio, on top of increasing popularity, Dance Spirit are an act worthy of the attention their beautifully emotive music deserves. Check them out.

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vARTIST PROFILE

Written by Joseph Arthur

FERNANDO LAGRECA Fernando Lagreca began his music career way back in 1989 as a member of Uruguay’s Necrollage. It did not take long, about one year as a matter of fact, that he stepped out on his own a solo artist focusing on electronic music and techno.

In the early to mid 1990’s he would tour with two other artists presenting electronic versions of the songs on Joy Division’s iconic album 'Ceremony' and by 1997 he would release his first album titled 'Paseo Boomerang' followed by performing at Uruguay’s infamous underground circuit in Montevideo, as well as developing Innova—an electronic music collective—with Frederico Deutsch, Fabián D’alesio and video artist Guillermo Amato.

Currently, Fernando resides in Barcelona and has been perfecting his sound with a slew of LP and EP releases on Autoplate, Real Audio, Irregular and most recently, Kassiopeia Kollektive.

Creatively, Lagreca composes sounds in an experimental fashion that captures noise, ambience, static loops and everyday sounds from our daily environments, along with traditional instrumentation that include guitar and keyboards.

When he's not composing or performing live, Fernando spends his time working on other projects and passions, such as running his Microclima and lending a hand as an associate at Spain's Miracle Management.

Follow fernandolegreca.com C/fernandolegreca M/@greknoise 42 | Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7

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vARTIST PROFILE

Written by Leo Weaver

GARDENS OF GOD

For over 10 years, Minidaugus Lapinskis, known as Gardens of God, has been composing music for film and televison. Transitioning to electronic dance music, a mix/hybrid of house, techno and electronica, seems to be the next natural progression for the Lithuanian Producer, and he has pulled it off successfully.

Demonstrating his talent with just a few releases for multiple labels that include Ellum, Boso, and Needwant, provide the evidence with several tracks hitting the charts. Now he's stepped out on his own with the creation of his imprint label Sodai and on September 23, 2016, released a stunning new two track EP titled 'River/Ghost' EP. Speaking about the launch of his newly established label, he states "Sodai will allow me to to experiment with my sounds and create an ongoing project that gives me the freedom to style both with art and music."

To further illustrate the growing buzz around around the artist, BBC Radio One invited the rising star to lead the program as the debut artist for its Future 12 Mix Series, in which over the course of five weeks, he presented five DJ mixes appearing on Friday nights.

Appearances at events such as Warehouse Project, BPM and DGTL festival in the last twelve months, further demonstrates his vast and wide sounds that are set to fill bigger stages and grow his popularity in the months and years to come.

Follow gardensofgod.com C/gardensofgodmusic 44 | Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7

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vLABEL WATCH

Written by Joseph Wensell

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Tiësto’s label Black Hole Recordings is the home of several successful subsidiary labels that include AVA Records, In Trance We Trust, Magik Musik and Perfecto. Added to the list in 2014 is Grotesque Music and it’s offshoots Grotesque Fusion and Grotesque Reworked.

The label is run by the artist and DJ known as RAM (pictured left) and Geert Huiink, and they have taken their experiences as trance producers and presenters of popular Club Nights and Festivals and have released 12 singles and a compilation LP in just 2 years time.

The Grotesque Music roster is substantial and impressive featuring well known names that include Craig Connelly, M.I.K.E. Push, Steven Kirkwood, and label co-honco RAM. Recent releases from the label are Rene Ablaze & Diana Leah’s Don’t Turn Away’ (rel. 10.31.2016), Daniel Skyver featuring Cari ‘Teardrop Eyes’ (rel. 10.17.2016), Steven Kirkwood & 2nd Phase ‘Steal this Track’ (rel. 10.24.2016-GF), Allan Morrow ‘Out of Reach’ (rel. 10.03.2016-GF), and Phynn ‘Lucid’ (rel. 10.10.2016-GRW).

Year Established 2014

Home Base

The Netherlands

Website

blackholerecordings.com/ labels/grotesque-music/

Facebook

grotesquemusic

Twitter

@Grotesque_Music

Soundcloud

grotesque-music

Youtube

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vMUSIC PRODUCTION 101 A N E X C L U S I V E S E R I E S I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H M AT T C A L D W E L L P R

Brothers Sunil Sindagi and Anil Sindagi, aka Sun & Abs are an EDM DJ and Production Duo from India, who have been honing their skills for almost a decade.

Their unique style; born from a combination of musical passion, production expertise and the vibrant dance music scene in their home country, has catapulted them into EDM's Premier League and won them global support from the likes of Hardwell, Quintino, Karim Mika & Moe Aly. Having thrashed a huge number of applicants to finish in the Top 10 of Hardwell's 'Mad World' Remix Competition with their stunning interpretation they soon followed up with their own hit, 'Pune 52', which received massive praise from India's number 1 spinner, DJ Nyk, and a host of others including Ed Mercy, Thermal Project and DJ Kamal.

This exclusive interview, provided by Matt Caldwell PR, shares the duo's career and their approach to making music.

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Hi guys, thanks for taking time to talk to us about the production aspect of your career. Can you tell us about how you got involved in producing?

Sunil & Anil: I got into this when I was 16 years old. I started out as a solo project and later along with Abs I moved towards EDM production. In the early stages we started off remixing bollywood tracks using electronic sounds. We connected really well when making music together and started merging our own sounds together for original productions.

Which hardware and software do you use for music production?

difficult for us as there aren’t many VSTs or sample packs that includes these sounds. But in terms of merging such elements with EDM is quite easy. Our upcoming track 'Tinka' is our first track which has ethnic Indian instruments in which we have used Sitar, Santur, Tabla etc. It was difficult to find the right sounds which would work well with electronic instruments.

The selection of ethnic sounds took us more than 3 months and the outcome was really good.

How long does it usually take to complete a new track?

What is your favorite plugin, synth and sample pack?

Sunil & Anil: Not very long. When we have time to produce music we usually write at least 1-2 melodies in a day. Remixes usually happen the quickest cause there's already something to work with. For a new track sometimes it takes more than 3 months - our first production 'Pune 52' took about 4 months to complete. The next one was completed within few weeks.

Sunil & Anil: Sylenth1, ReFx Nexus, Vengeance Sample Packs.

Which traits do you think make an excellent producer?

You have a background in sound engineering. Do you master your own tracks?

Sunil & Anil: Firstly, a great ear for sound and one that should follow new music, and try to adapt changes in production blended with your own creativity. You need to be musically inventive and develop skills with sound and writing music.

Finally you need the technical ability to put it all together knowledge and skills with EQ, compressors, mixing, mastering etc.

Sunil & Anil: FL Studio, KRK Rokit 5, M-Audio Keystation 49, Focusrite 2i2.

Sunil & Anil: Yes, and we use Pro Tools for mixing and mastering.

Do you sit down with an exact idea for a track in your head or is the process of producing more organic, with ideas developing in real time?

Sunil & Anil: No it’s more of ideas developing in real time.

We start writing catchy melodies to begin with and then start designing unique sounds which will sit in the track well.

Where do you find or take inspiration for your productions?

What producers are exciting you right now?

Sunil & Anil: Hardwell, The Chainsmokers, Thomas Newson, Dannic and Quintino.

You run your own Academy in Pune. Can you see anyone there destined for stardom?

Sunil & Anil: We listen to the best available music in the scene and also watch movies for inspiration. Our biggest inspiration would have to be Hardwell, we love is sound and want to take it and develop it further - there's so much more to be discovered!

Sunil & Anil: Yes, we have lot of bright students here. To name a few, we have Ashkraze & Vaddy, who have great music skills and their dedication towards music inspires us. These brilliant minds surely have a long way to go.

You include many elements of traditional Indian music in your work. How easy or difficult is it to merge such elements with EDM?

What new productions are coming up from Sun & Abs?

Sunil & Anil: In terms of getting Indian sounds, it was a bit

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Sunil & Anil: Our track 'Tinka' is all set to release and we are working on another track titled 'Veer' (Working Title) as well as lots of new music.

WWW.SUNANDABS.COM

C/SUNANDABSMUSIC M/@SUNANDABS Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 51

Conor Patton has a destiny. That is self-evident as he’s been performing as a musician since the age of seven. He’s an artist with a well-rounded musical background with a formal pedigree on violin, leading the way to self-instruction on guitar, piano, and drums. With experience working in a wide array of genres such as orchestral, rock, alternative, and even folk music, yes readers, folk music (two self-released albums), he expertly incorporates these different sounds and styles into the music he makes today—a delicious recipe of ingredients of down tempo where energetic and future bass meets electronic laced with lush melodies.

Wriiten by Leo Weaver

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Four years ago, in 2012, the Canadian born producer was living in a 25 foot trailer, working as a security guard in a boat yard when he got the break he needed with his first electronic piece of music, 'Axiom' for the Kindergarten label and shortly thereafter charting at a peak position at #8 on Beatport and receiving high praise and support, DYRO and the Bassjackers extended an invitation to him to join them on the now infamous 2014 X Bus Tour.Some of the most in-demand names on the dance music circuit such as Porter Robinson, Tommy Trash, Knife Party, among others are on the Conro train, playing his tracks and helping him break into the collective consciousness of fans, not only in his home country, but globally.

In addition to touring with DYRO and the Bassjackers, Conro reached a milestone with a performance opportunity with the legendary Wolfgang Gartner at Avalon Hollywood in front of a capicity crowd of 2,000 attendees. Since breaking onto the scene, his release output has been active and impressive with recordings on Armada, Revealed Recordings and DYRO's WOLV imprint. It was the collaboration with DYRO on the smash 'Bittersweet' featuring the vocals of Envy Monroe that really put him over the top. The track would be his biggest to date and is still being played today. Currently, he's signed to Monstercat and has released four very

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successful tracks: 'On My Way Up,' 'City Lights,' 'The Saint' and 'I Wanna Know.' The last two of which, have been streamed over a million times.

Thanks to a shift in creative direction, and not being constrained to boundaries, the end result is a new voice in the EDM scene. He elaborates on this new direction by stating "over the past year I have kept all my music writing behind closed doors working on something new. I redefined my passion for music and decided to write something different.� He's done just that and 2016 has proved that young talent has "made his bones" with works with Afrojack, Mr. Probz, and Fais, as well as a remix of the Official Ultra Miami 2016 anthem 'Something About You' by Paris Blohm, out soon on Revealed Records.

Now, he's made the move from living in the urban center of Vancouver to living on a chicken farm in British Columbia. It's an enviroment that is condusive to peace and quite, an essential part to his process of creating and turning out his hits. Pay attention fans, he's breaking out.

WWW.CONROMUSIC.COM

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VICTOR RUIZ SERVING ELASTIC & ENERGETIC TECHNO HOUSE STRAIGHT FROM THE SOUL

Brazil is world famous, for Coffee, Football, Carnival, the Cathedral of Brasilia, and Bossa Nova artists—most notably Antônio Carlos Jobim, João Gilberto, and "The Girl from Ipanema," Astrud Gilberto. But, the country has, in recent years, become a big exporter of electronic music and a top tour destination for the biggest names in EDM. In a 2012 article written by Anderson Antunes for Forbes Magazine, Antunes cites Brazil as a rapidly growing scene with plenty of artists, discos, festivals and a lot of cash.

Jumping forward to 2016 we put the spotlight on one of São Paulo Carioca Electronic Music scene’s favorite DJs and producers, Victor Ruiz.

Written by Catherine Strickland Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 57

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V

ictor Ruiz has been seducing the dance music community with soulful sounds with a futuristic tip that is "dancy" and exciting.

He’s been compared to artists like Maceo Plex among others and his recent tours and projects with visual artist and collaborator, Any Mello, has seen his global popularity rise, rise, and rise.

Highlights of his career as a solo artist include the tracks 'Rollercoaster,' 'Thunderstorm,' both on Yoshitoshi Recordings, 'Lucky Strike/Easy Riders' on Herzblut, 'Interestellar,' 'Soul Seek' on Sprout Music, the EP 'Orion/Speed' with K.A.LI.L., and an EP-'Draco/Serpens' both on Electric Ballroom, 'Midnight Sun' on Heinz, 'Music,' 'In Between' and 'Arise' with D-Nox & Beckers on Sudbeat Music, and massive hits with 'I Look Into You' on Sprout Music, and 'Medusa Smile' from Konrad Black.

Nowadays, Victor is a respected remixer. He’s been recuited by Oliver Huntemann, Stephan Bodzin, Hatzler, Thomas Schumacher, and Luzon among others for several projects.

Huntemann discovered the talents of Ruiz through a bootleg recording of his track 'Magnet' that garnered a whopping 240,000 listens on Soundcloud leading to a signing with Senso Sounds, Huntemann’s label.

We are thrilled to now share with you an intriguing Q&A session with Victor.

Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 59

BSM: At what age did you realize that you wanted to be a professional DJ & Producer?

VR: I was into music in my early years. I started playing bass guitar when was 10, since then, music became my life. It was at the age of 16 that I got hooked by electronic music, so I couldn't only listen, I had to make my own music. So, that's when I started.

BSM: How has the evolution of electronic music culture in São Paulo and Brazil influenced you as a musician, producer and DJ? VR: Well, as I was born in São Paulo, my first contacts with electronic music were there. I had been going to a lot of clubs and festivals there and everyone of them have influenced me. I have a taste in a lot of genres within it, so it's a quite big mix of influences, from Techno to House and also Trance. It's a big city, with a lot of "inputs and influences."

BSM: As an internationally touring artist, hearing and seeing electronic music from different countries and scenes, what do you see as the biggest differences in musical styles and how does it influence your musical creations?

VR: I think the biggest difference is the crowd and how they listen and react to the music. There are more explosive crowds, more that are introspective and more "constant-dancing." It is really beautiful to see how every country and culture has its own particularities and personality.

BSM: According to your official biography, in the beginning you were focused on reinterpreting your roots in a more contemporary way with futuristic tones that were racial, exciting and danceable. Can you go deeper and explain what that means and do you, at this stage in your career, feel the need to continue to reinvent yourself and the music you produce?

VR: I was always into rock'n'roll and heavy metal, so this also influenced me a lot as a musician. It means that I've always tried to put some details from these genres into my electronic beats. As an artist, I'm always trying to innovate myself. It's the natural evolution.

Making the new and the old blend together in different ways. Also making not so common choices while composing is something I can never stop doing. I always try to think outside the box, and this keeps me going. It's quite boring doing the same thing over and over, so I keep pushing myself to take the next step. Everyday.

BSM: How has working with Oliver Huntemann opened new opportunities for you professionally, especially in Germany and other European markets?

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VR: 'Oli' is such a nice guy and I've been always a fan of his music since I started listening to Techno. To work with him is amazing. Everyday as I become closer to him, the more I admire him.

BSM: In your opinion, how has the dance music culture changed the business practices of club owners, record labels, press, and radio? For the better? For the worst?

VR: It's quite good to have it more "professional" in a way, if you know what I mean. Of course, the bureaucratic stuff sucks, and also those DJs that only aim for money suck, but it's the business. I will be always focusing in what I want, which is the music. And I admire the artists that are doing the same. Sometimes the parties lose their essence putting too many effects and stuff that we actually dont need. We always have to remember the most important thing is the music.

BSM: Imagine throwing a dinner party. What music would be playing in the background, what cuisine would you serve and who would be your guests sitting at the table?

VR: That's a tricky one! The music would be low volume and a relaxed jazz or downtempo stuff. I would be making the classic brazilian barbecue with lots of good drinks, and, of course, with many friends of mine.

BSM: Is there one place you'd like to travel to, where would that be, and why?

VR: Today Japan is the #1 on my bucket list. I simply adore the culture and to be able to experience it would be amazing. Ah, and the food of course! Iceland is another place I'm dying to go asap. The landscapes are breathtaking and so are the northern lights.

BSM: What was the first record you purchased?

VR: The very first one was Iron Maiden - Virtual XI. And a vinyl record

by Ben Klock - One.

BSM: What does 2017 look like for you? New music, gigs, collaborations?

VR: It's looking great and I'm looking forward to it! Many great things to come that I cant tell you, but I think 2017 will be one of the most important years in my career, so stay tuned! :)

C/VICTORRUIZOFFICIAL M/@VICTORRUIZDJ Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 61

DANNIC (Daan Romers), respectfully, does not need an introduction to our readers, or his millions of fans across the globe for that matter. His inclusion among dance music producers and DJs is evident and well documented. Year after year and release after release, the Breda, Netherlands native has been ahead of the curve as an influential force when it comes to Groovy, Funky, and energetic Big Room house music, has been a mainstay on DJ Magazine’s Annual Top 100 DJ Poll,

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WANTS

TOYOUUP!!!

FONK

has released dozens of successful singles and has performed at the biggest dance music events all over the world. So, what’s next in his evolution? The launching of FONK Recordings and FONK Radio. In this insightful interview, conducted just before the 2016 Edition of the Amsterdam Dance Event, we get him talking about his new adventure as a label head, as well as the alwayselusive Life/Work balance, his friendship with DYRO, new music, and the State of the Industry.

Written and interviewed by Joseph Wensell Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 63

INTERVIEW

THE

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BSM: Hi Daan! How are you?

Dannic: I'm very well, thank you.

BSM: You are having a pretty good year so far, yes?

Dannic: Yeah, it's been a tough ride, but it's all good.

BSM: Cool. I visited your websites to learn more about FONK Recordings and FONK Radio. How is that shaping up for you and what is FONK's primary purpose?

Dannic: When I started my label, the purpose was to focus on my sound more and more. My signature sound is all about groovy Big Room and I had the DANNIC Selection EP on Revealed Recordings for a while which I invited young talent to release their music, which was more or less my sound, but I did not have the proper platform myself for them to release single tracks. I've been helping some guys for over three years now, giving them advice, helping them with their mastering and arrangement of tracks and stuff, all very talented guys. I just missed my own platform and that is what I have now with Fonk Recordings, so, I am finally able to self-release my own music, focus on the groovy stuff and help those young artists get in there.

BSM: The label's business model is taken from your experiences working with Hardwell and Revealed Recordings?

Dannic: Yes, and I'm very thankful for having Hardwell as friend of mine because back in the day we both started Revealed Recordings and I was the first release on the label ever, so I was there from the start. So, I am to be able to help others, knowing how it is to have your own label and to be able to help others. I think it is a really cool thing to have, especially in a really saturated market at the moment, where a lot of kids are trying to become the next TiĂŤsto or Hardwell or whomever. It's just really hard to cut through because it's too saturated, there's way too much music out there, so it's really hard to get your name out there.

BSM: How do you go about breaking your artists

and how wIll you go beyond traditional marketing strategies, print, and publicity to create the visibilty?

Dannic: Yeah, obviously I am really busy and my schedule is very hectic and I have to focus on my own career as well.

But on the other hand, I try to help my artists with the business aspects of the music industry. I see a lot of young kids signing contracts that they probably should not have signed. Sometimes they sign to a label or an independent for three or four years, sometimes five, literally, it is just a waste of creativity in my opinion. I try warn them for the mistakes I've made back in the days by helping that way and of course publicity wise. My label is starting to get some shape and people are starting to notice what kind of sound it is, and of course we need to build it up more and more to give them more visibility as well. One of the first steps, right now, is my own ADE label night, which is the first time I've invited the label's acts to come out, some of which have never DJ'd before. That's going to be interesting because there will be a lot of people from the music industry, so for my artists, it's going to be a big deal.

BSM: What advice do you give to your artists that have not performed in front of a live audience?

Dannic: I often Skype with my artists, discussing music, sharing my thoughts on what they should play if they are warming up for a certain act, because right now they are in a position where they are invited to play at clubs or festivals, but obviously not as headliners, so they need to play a proper warm up set and that is what a DJ is all about. You don't need to bang out all the hits from likes of The Chainsmokers or Hardwell, you have to be cautious and you have to pay attention to the vibe of the crowd and play a decent warm up set.

BSM: Obviously, your high level of success demands performing hundreds of dates a year, and now with your new label, how do you balance the Life/Work equation?

Dannic: That's a very good question. Not so long ago, I think it's been about four months now, I broke away from my management, which means I have had to do everything Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 65

myself for the last four months and that was pretty hectic, especially with the whole 2016 Summer tour and with my new label. Because I'm so passionate about what I do, it doesn't feel like work. So, when ever I have to work 90 hours a week, for example, I don't care. As long as I'm happy and passionate about it, I'll continue doing this and it doesn't matter that sometimes I'm a little more tired than a normal human being. In the end it's all about hard work and making your dreams come true.

BSM: How many releases are now out on FONK Recordings?

Dannic: 10 releases so far. One a month.

BSM: Is that what you had planned from the start?

Dannic: Yeah, since we are building up our label and image as well, so, it is really important that I'm not releasing alot. I would say quality over quantity, making sure that every track is the right track and stands for a certain quality, especially for this starting year for Fonk Recordings. It is really important and people should know what kind of sound we are looking for and building a a strong and loyal bond with our fans.

be my tour manager as well and that way we can work really fast because we are always 24/7, I see them more than my own Mom. For example, if I get a demo for FONK Recordings, I can test it and he can also listen to it when I play it live and see the crowd's reaction that way we can decide if we want to sign it yes or no. It works really well.

BSM: What do your distribution channels look like?

Dannic: We have a signed contract with Cloud 9, the same distributor for Hardwell's Revealed Records. I'm really happy with those guys, really professional and the good thing about them is they are always open to sign a track with a major label. So, when they feel a track is commercial and we should definitley look for a major label, then they are open for that and I really like that flexibility.

BSM: How has the industry and fan base embraced your releases? Positively?

Dannic: Yes, I'm always open to anything, but right now we're focusing on releasing Club tracks, which is why I started FONK Recordings. I always tell people you have Big Room House and Future House and we're right in the middle, so, our tracks are energetic enough to play at a festival, but they are more suitable for clubs. Meaning, it's not too hard, but it's not too Big Room as you might say.

Dannic: Really positively actually. I was quite happy with the positive feedback of my fellow DJs and colleagues as they're always searching for these kind of tracks for their sets and with my label I can provide them with right tracks for their sets and that is major deal for me. As for my fan base, they're always into the more groovy tracks that I make, but on the other hand, the more melodic stuff, I'm not bound to one label, meaning I can still release to Axetone or Revealed, it all depends on what I make. So, if I make a more melodic track, it will probably go on Spinnin' or Revealed for instance. Now that I have my own musical genre and my own platform, that's what I want to push for, as well as my own sets that will be special Fonk sets, the first of which will be played at Groove Cruise in San Diego. I'll not be playing any melodic stuff, trap or whatever, just real groovy house.

BSM: Do you have a team around you to help you with the label or are you wearing all the hats?

BSM: How do you see yourself as an influencer in the evolution of the dance music culture?

Dannic: (Laughing) No, I'm not wearing all the hats. If I were, I would not be able to make my own music or tour as often as I do. I do have a handful people, a dedicated manager, a day to day manager and a label manager—who happens to

Dannic: I think right now there is a big filtering going on and and that is really interesting to see. A lot of guys that have had big hits in 2012-13 when the EDM Big Room sound was really popular, they are now starting to struggle

BSM: So, the plan is to release only single tracks? EPs? Full length albums?

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because they just stick to that certain sound and did not evolve their sound. I think evolving is really important, being flexible in this market. For example, TiĂŤsto would switch from Trance to House and would release Deep House sometimes.

You really have to adapt and people are far more open to different styles of music as well. We don't think inside the box anymore, you can think outside the box and make a Deep House track, why not? Just try to surprise your fan a little bit.

I think that is really important and I can't wait to see that happen. The best example is The Chainsmokers who made Progressive House and are doing big things with other stuff right now, they're killing it. It's harder for other producers to just succeed and I think the filtering is really important for the whole industry right now and the guys that can deliver are in the top 100.

BSM: Let's talk about FONK Radio. What is the misson of the program? To push out and promote FONK Recordings and its artists?

Dannic: I'm always looking for new music and not necessarily just from my artists. For example, the FONK Demo of the Week. I play a track that I want to share with everyone and give that artist an extra boost to keep it going and it is really important to motivate people. If the music is right, I always tell people that if the music fits in a Dannic set, then I'm going to play it for sure. And my with new radio show, FONK Radio, I want to seperate myself from all the other EDM radio shows out there and I want to bring something different, not just the Beatport Top Ten or what's really popular. What I usually do, is play an instrumental track by a young talent and then I'll mash it up with a Chainsmokers vocal or whomever just to keep it easy to listen to. It's always going to be music that you've probably never heard before or don't hear on other radio show. That's what I try do with FONK Radio.

BSM: Tell us about how your friendship with DYRO started.

Dannic: It's actually a funny story. It was five or six years ago, I was playing at the first Revealed label night at ADE and he was there and he handed me a USB promo with some tracks on it and about a month later he had his first release

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for Revealed Recordings and also shared it with Hardwell. We started emailing each other sharing tips and tricks and we started working on track together and Hardwell invited him to tour with us and that was the beginnig of our friendship.

Obviously, his style changed dramatically (laughing) switching from EDM to more electro sounds, but we still get along really well and often see each other at festivals and tours, he's a good friend of mine and I think he will be for a long time.

BSM: What's happening with you for the rest of this year, aside from big gigs? Do you have any free time for holidays/vacation?

Dannic: I just finished a holiday for ten days, which is perfect for me. (Laughing) I can't go longer than ten days because I start to itch to get back to the studio. Right now, I'm back in the studio working on new tracks. I just made a new solo track and I'm working on another one as we speak, so that's always cool and other than that I'm trying to see my family and friends to have a beer, we actually had a beer this past weekend, just doing normal stuff as well, because it is really important because I'm always on the road and I don't see my friends that much.

BSM: Will the new tracks you are currently working on be released through FONK Recordings?

Dannic: One track will be released through Spinnin' along with some other stuff, and a very big surprise collaboration coming in the new year and I just made a new intro for my live sets which will come out on FONK Recordings...I'm really excited about that one. I also have several more collaborations coming soon.

BSM: What recent development(s) in the industry has caught your attention and why?

Dannic: Streaming media vehicles such as Beatport, Youtube and Spotify and the effect it will have in the future on the productions of other producers and artists.

"...when ever I have to work 90 hours a week, for example, I don't care.

As long as I'm happy and passionate about it, I'll continue doing this and it doesn't matter that sometimes I'm a little more tired than a normal human being. In the end, it's all about hard work and making your dreams come true." —DANNIC Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 69

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THE CATALOGUE THE

FIRST

11

www.fonk-recordings.nl C/FONKREC M/FONKREC w/FONK RECORDINGS SoundCloud/FONKREC Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 71

Dance Music's REBEL? OUTLAW? Harrison Shaw's music is bold, exciting and sometimes controversial. He is not the typical singer/songwriter in the traditional sense. His approach to producing is actually pretty simple—he writes great songs that get stuck in your head, period.

He exhibits a rock star swagger that is represented not only in his songs, but also in his confidence on stages, which he has graced in venues and festivals across the globe. He's a man who has overcome the odds and adversity of breaking out in the dance music community through perservance and determination. In this interview, Harrison speaks with us in a candid "no-holds-bar''manner, from his studio in London, teasing us with new music projects, his opinions on the mental and physical health issues affecting the industry and his biggest and most personal achievement so far in his budding career. So, is he a rebel and an outlaw? In some respects he is. But, we'll leave that up to you to form your own opinion. Read on!

Written and interviewed by Joseph Wensell Photography by Ryan Dinham

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Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 73

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BSM: Hi Harrison. It’s nice to meet you. How are you doing?

Harrison: Hi Joseph. I am doing very well, thank you.

BSM: Great to hear. So, what’s up? What are you working on?

Harrison: Right now, I’m in my studio working on some tracks for a new album.

BSM: Super. Can you share with us which label you will be working with for the new project?

Harrison: Ahhh, I wish I could tell you that.

BSM: It's still a secret?

Harrison: Yeah, because it’s my first major and previously I’ve been lucky enough to release on Spinnin’ and ULTRA, and some other big labels in EDM and it’s just really nice to be able to something with somebody else for once. I can tell you that it will have a more broader reach with other fans and not necessarily just the dance music, hard raver community, you know?

BSM: Yes, I get that. I first discovered you last year from watching your video 'Sally' on Hardwell’s Revealed Recordings label. I was really impressed with sound and direction of the track, notably the rocking guitar licks which is prevalent throughout the song.

Harrison: Excellent. We really wanted to create controversy around the track and it worked. Everybody talked about it. Deadmau5 tweeted me, sharing it with his fans, the DJ Magazine community was buzzed about it and you know when everybody has release, right?, oh yeah um, we’re going to pay these outlets like EDM.com to do write ups about it, but it's all written by the press people of the artist, but for once, we had everything going on about it and didn’t have pay anything, they just all wrote. It was a song (Sally) that was made to be not taken seriously, it’s a song that is supposed to played at 5 in the morning and it’s a song that is

fun. Unfortunately, there’s too many shitty lyrics going on in tracks like 'I’m gonna save from the Moon and the Stars and we’re gonna run away and I gonna wait for you' and all that, it’s like, come on man. It’s just nice, something different.

BSM: There are similarities between that track (Sally) and your recent track L.A. Girls with once again, guitar. It’s refreshing and bold.

Harrison: Yes, and if you go back to my first track with David Guetta, you can hear similar guitar work in that track as well. So, it’s almost telling you something, that I’m heavily involved with the production with all the songs I’m involved with. But I don’t need tell anyone that…everybody thinks David Guetta is amazing. So, I had a massive job to do with all the productions of my tracks including the mixing and mastering.

BSM: What kinds of music was playing in your household when you were growing up and did that have an influence on your career choice?

Harrison: There was a lot Rock playing. I grew up listening to Nirvana and the Red Hot Chili Peppers and stuff like that, and a little Eminem and I quite liked bass music as well. I didn’t realize that I wanted to be a producer until I was 17 or 18,. 'Ain’t a Party’ with David Guetta was one of the first songs I wrote, so I just got lucky I guess, because everybody dreams of having a song with him. At the time, it was one of those tracks where there were already two producers in the credits and I was singing on it as well, so it was like where do we put you, you’re a producer, but you’re also the singer, so we’ll just list you as the feature, but you can be in the production credits in the back of the album sleeve, so I was like o.k., fair enough, whatever. I didn’t realize that it would affect my career at the time because everybody looked at me at that point as being just a singer, but I had been making the tracks, so it was kind of insulting. I’m over it now. Look at The Chainsmokers, they’re singing now, standing behind the decks and even Calvin Harris is singing on his latest track.

Everybody is doing it now.

BSM: Have you ever thought about fronting a Rock band because of the great vocal chops that you have?

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Harrison: Ehhh, no, because it doesn’t sell anymore. I think if it was big, I could have been a rock singer maybe in a big band or whatever, I don’t know, possibly. But, it just doesn’t sell man. I like being able to be a producer, I love electronic music a lot, so I quite like to be able to use the full dynamic range of my vocals and to be able to produce the tracks, doing everything from the emotion that I’m writing. I like to be there from the beginning, kind of babying the track, mixing it out and then writing the lyrics that I want to get across and the whole emotion of the song, that’s what’s so great about being a songwriter and the producer, because you have control of both. Whereas normally, with a lot of lables, for instance, you’ll get a track and then, you’ll get that track passed around to 50 or 60 songwriters, and then you’ll have to pick the best one. But maybe all of them come

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back as shit that you didn’t even want to have in your mind.

They always send out a brief, I want it sound like Rhianna or Calvin Harris and then everybody is copying it and if you are copying it then there is nothing original. The one thing I can always say about the Harrison songs that I have released is that they have always sounded unique to me. I’m very lucky with that. And the new stuff is even more special, it’s like an evolution of Harrison stuff, you know, still keeping the guitars and my heritage as a powerful singer, but also an evolution into a 2017-18.

BSM: You’ve been on the road quite a bit this year.

How was that for you?

Harrison: Yeah, I had a lot of shows this year, one a week,

"The one thing I can always say about the Harrison songs that I have released is, they have always sounded unique to me. I’m very lucky with that. And the new stuff is even more special, it’s like an evolution of Harrison stuff, you know, still keeping the guitars and my heritage as a powerful singer, but also an evolution into a 20172018 sound."

—Harrison sometimes three in day. It got to a point when I had to say to my management, look I spent all this time on a plane, earning money for the management. And I was like dude, when am I going to write songs? They were like, well you know, and I said I haven’t had a release since June. I want to go out and do something for me. I’m not in this industry to just press play and make loads of money. It’s not about that. I don’t give a shit about money. It’s always been about writing great songs and getting people to hear it. That’s why you hear about a lot of DJs careers burning out because they get a big hit and tour and tour and tour and they never make any new songs. So, I said to them (management), look, just give me two months off, I’ll do a show on Halloween and do four or five more shows and in-between now and then we are going to just write new material and get brand new

stuff on the label that I can’t tell you about yet, as mentioned earlier (laughing) and go from there, and that’s what we're doing. I’m just sitting here in my studio everyday writing, I don’t go outside (laughing) so, don’t know even whether it’s night or day.

BSM: What’s your opinion on the mental health issues and burn out that a few artists have had recently, and I won’t mention names out of respect, but do you feel drug usage is an essential part in sustaining gruelling tour schedules and being a cause of the problem?

Harrison: The problem is, you can tour as long as you are clean, right? I can sit on a plane for 5 months, and every other day I can be in a different country. It's tiring for sure, Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 77

but when you sit there and you’re making a ton of money and you can sit in first class or business class and everyone is picking you up in a nice car and you’re staying in a nice hotel, come on man, it’s not that hard. What’s hard is when you are tanking yourself with LSD and cocaine and all this other shit that is going to have a massive effect on your body and you can’t say no. That is when your career comes to an end.

That’s when you see massive superstars, and I’m not going to mention names, but some recently who have decided to say screw it, right, because they can’t say no. And they are probably saying but the touring is so hard that I can’t keep up with it and that is why I take the drugs, and that is bullshit man. Taking drugs is choice. It’s just like, do I want to have a water or a beer. I have a choice. I don’t have to drink the beers provided in the Rider at my shows. I don’t have to drink the Vodka, I don’t have the Jack, I can just drink the water. It’s all a fucking choice man and these guys can’t say no. And it’s a sad thing to see because they’re around the partying and they’re tired and that’s how they feel. But you know what? They could also say, no I don’t want to earn a 150,000 tonight, I’m going stay at home instead, I’ve made that kind of money for the last 3 months, why do I need to go and do a 5th, 6th, or 7th show. You don’t. You don’t need to, again that’s a choice.

It’s all a choice. It’s all about how much you can take. You look at someone like Steve Aoki, someone completely clean and someone completely aware of their surroundings and works super hard. He is living proof that you can do 300 shows a year as long as you look after yourself. And by that, I mean having the right fitness, having the right energy, and having the right people around you. It’s all choices. It’s sad, but it’s just the way it is and I’m not being disrespectful to anyone, but it is a choice.

BSM: Yeah and there’s a lot a parallels here that apply to musicians no matter what the genre.

Harrison: Again, if you have the mentality to stop, to say no, that makes you a very powerful person.

BSM: What’s up with your ‘Outlaw’ Radio Program?

Harrison: Cool, glad you brought that up. The reason why

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it’s called that is because labels found it very hard to accept me for the last year and a half. I wanted to release a lot of Harrison originals and they kept saying fuck off, no we’re not interested, you’re just a singer and I was like every song I’ve had has millions of views and listens. For instance, if you look at the last single I had on Revealed Recordings, it became the most played song on Revealed Volume 7. It’s not just luck, luck is just one song or two songs, but when you have seven songs and each one is the millions, that’s not luck anymore.

BSM: What kind of marketing efforts are used to drive that kind of success?

Harrison: Budgets are pretty much the same for all the artists on labels I’ve released on. They all allocate a certain amount of money to push it. And then they wait to see whether it’s getting a lot of views or streams and if it is, then they start investing more money. But they all have an initial budget and whatever happens, happens. And 99% of the time, they don’t give it a second push. So, the songs that I have, have the same chance as anybody else releasing a song.

BSM: How long have you been in the industry?

Harrison: I’ve been singing as long as I can remember. I had my first studio when I was 17. Not like the one I’m in now, but It was pretty dope in my opinion, it was in lounge in my home and I used it during the day and in the evenings I had to use headphones as to not piss anyone off. When I turned 18, I struck gold and did a record with David Guetta. I didn’t know anyone in the industry, like my uncle isn’t the owner of Spinnin’ Records or some shit like that. I just sent out emails and waited for someone to respond back.

BSM: That’s an interesting approach, especially since a lot of labels and distributors do not accept unsolicited demos. Was it a difficult obstacle to overcome?

Harrison: No, not then, but now it is because the market is saturated. But when I was doing it, I was the first and I was lucky that I broke through.

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BSM: What else did you do to gain the attention of people in the business?

Harrison: Early on, I stood outside of a night club for a whole year to meet every DJ that came through door and I begged them for a collaboration. For a year, man, and nobody gave a shit.

BSM: Now, it looks like the tables have turned and you’re now working with big artists, and speaking of which, are there any big names collaborating with you on the new music you are producing?

Harrison: For this new project and probably future Harrison Records projects, no. I’ve decided that I’m not up to collaborating anymore, I’m kind of done with it. I just want to

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write stuff that makes me happy and prove that I’m a better producer than the majority of the people out there and beat them at their own game. And that’s where we’re at, and I’ll prove to everybody that you can be song writer and singer as well as being a successful producer.

BSM: What is your biggest career or personal achievement so far?

Harrison: My biggest achievement to this point is that I finally found peace with myself. Before, I felt that I was always striving to do something better, to be better than everybody else, to care about other people’s opinions, to read and react to every nasty comment every critic, or fan for that matter, ever posted. So, simply put, the biggest

"Early on, I stood outside of a night club for a whole year to meet every DJ that came through the door and I begged them for a collaboration. For a year man, and nobody gave a shit."

—Harrison

achievement is that I am Zen and not to give two flying fucks what others think about me. Not to take in negative vibes of how bitchy this industry can be. I feel my music is great partially due to that I’m not stressed to impress others. I used to be stressed, I was taking in everybody’s comments and it was making me ill and I’ve never resorted to drugs in my entire life and I’ve always been extremely on the no side. That was the way I was brought up and I respect that people have choices and they can do whatever they want, but personally, I’m against it. My career has been like this, like a snake, and now I’m in a good place and I’m really very happy with the music I’ve made, some of the best stuff I’ve ever made, so I’m very happy.

Harrison: I really haven’t decided yet whether it will be a mini LP, or an EP or just singles. Maybe just releasing a few singles and then do a big album, right now everything is up in the air. I’m just very happy and the writing process is going very well. I don’t have to worry about packing my bags to go to another country. So, this is really good for me.

BSM: Will the new music you are working be a full length album, an EP or just singles?

BSM: What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen or has happened to you at a show?

BSM: On a lighter note, what’s your favorite food?

Harrison: (Laughing) Pizza, but it makes my face fat because of the bread, but it’s hard to avoid it because I love Pizza!

Especially after a show, that’s all I want to eat. Or McDonalds (laughing).

Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 81

Harrison: (Laughing) A naked woman in the crowd jumping up on stage. That was really fucked up. But I think the craziest thing I’ve experienced on the road was when I was in South Africa with some other DJs. We were going through a Lion enclosure and we were inside with these two young Lions that were just chillin’ and sleeping. Imagine that, you’re in a cage with a Lion. Anyway, DYRO and his girlfriend was with me. We were laying down with the Lions and the Lion I was with was just sleeping, but the Lion that DYRO’s girlfriend was with, was very playful, and started biting her hand. They had to get a toy to get the Lion to let go of her hand, which ended up being very bloody. That’s probably the most fucked up thing I’ve experienced while being on the road.

BSM: What do you with your free time when you are not making music or touring?

Harrison: When I’m not on the road, I catch up on sleep and hang out with my girlfriend.

BSM: What was the first album you ever purchased?

Harrison: Eminem’s Curtain Call. It’s a good album.

BSM: What was the first concert you ever went to?

Harrison: David Guetta.

BSM: Any shout outs?

Harrison: Yeah, to my fans and firends all over the world and to to BEATSELECTOR Magazine readers.

BSM: It’s been a real pleasure speaking with you Harrison and thank you for spending some time with us.

Harrison: Thank you, I appreciate it very much.

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ESSENTIAL HARRISON ON RECORD 2013 David Guetta & Glowinthedark 'Ain't a Party ' (Parlophone) 2015 Hardwell feat. Harrison 'Sally' (Revealed Rec) Dannic & Lucky Date 'Mayday' (Revealed Rec) Thomas Gold & Hilo 'Take Me Home' (Kontor Rec) VINAI 'The Wave' (Spinnin' Rec) Tim Mason & Marrs TV 'Eternity' (Spinnin' Rec) 2016 VINAI 'Sit Down' (Spinnin' Rec) Harrison X Juicy 'L.A. Girls' (Harrison Rec) Kill The Buzz 'Once Upon A Time' (Revealed Rec)

VITALS www.harrisonmusic.co.uk

C/HARRISONMUSICOFFICIAL M/@HARRISONLIVE w/HARRISON! SoundCloud/HARRISON Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 83

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Alle Farben

Music Is My Best Friend ULTRA Records/Sony Music Ent.  Alle Farben means "All Colors" in the Germanic langauge. Frans Zimmer is a man who encapsulates the phrase brilliantly. The Berlin based DJ and Producer's latest fulllength album Music Is My Best Friend and its 14 tracks are colorfully splendid as it is infectious. It is 45 minutes of music that takes the listener on an aural journey through many genres, but not exclusive to just one.

The album opens up with the one minute, fifty-six second 'Intro' and it is super

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trippy. Then comes the album’s first officially released single in 'Please Tell Rosie.' There’s a reason why this track has been nominated for the "Best Single of the Year" by 1Live, it has over 21 million YouTube views, reaching #3 on the German charts and achieving certified Gold status in Austria. And that reason is because it’s a piece of 24 Carat Pop gold. The track features fellow Berlin DJs Younotus, a truly unique vocal delivery, strumming acoustic guitars, deep and low-end strings, electric piano chords, sweeping sound effects and a catchy chorus that will have you singing along with before the end of the song, guaranteed.

Following the success of 'Please Tell Rosie' is the album’s second officially released single, 'Bad Ideas' featuring Topic. The track has a strong melody, great lyrics, horns, thumping beats and a nice array of electronic sound effects. The song’s message of "Bad Ideas make the best memories" further demonstrates the talent of this clever and creative songwriter and lyricist.

'Remember Yesterday,' 'No Ordinary,' and 'Summer Storm' all follow the same equation of sounds. The electronic tip really shines on the track 'Roof Bay' with its looping guitar, electronic drumbeats, low-end bass groove and synths nicely placed in the background. And speaking of low-end bass grooves, the track 'Madison' showcases a rhythmic mastery of Ragga influence. 'Fall Into The Night' is melodic, rhythmic, and features piano and, claps and harmonies and a groovy bass line make up a nice track.

Will 'Be The One' be the next single? Possibly, it has a mysterious, but beautiful melody with a perfectly chosen vocalist. Closing out the album are 'Deep Sea Blue' and 'Metaphysik de Röhren II.' 'Deep Sea Blue' is an instrumental mixture of downtempo groove, housey piano and keyboards, bass and tranquil sound effects that create an atmospheric dream-like state for the listener. 'Metaphysik de Röhren II,' also an instrumental, features synths, shakers, high hat cymbal sounds, snare drums and rib shaking bass, segueing in with a very subtle vocal treatment that sweeps you into a simply awesome soundscape. And lastly, 'Outro,' is a forty-four second tease of hammering sounds, with a 'Please Tell Rosie' muted sound bite.Music Is My Life, for me personally, has been on replay for weeks.

Zimmer has chosen perfect collaborators in Younotus, Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 87

Topic, Michael Schulte, Perttu, Tommy Reilly and Mogli to make such a unique album that is bright, colorful, and full of great songs to behold and celebrate.

—Joseph Wensell

AFFKT Son of a Thousand Sounds (LP) Sincopat  Marc Martinez Nadal, known as AFFKT, released his second LP Son of a Thousand Sounds (Sincopat) on September 23, 2016.

The 12 song album features Sutja Gutierrez on three tracks, 'The Show,' 'Flashcrash' and 'Someone in the Sky.' Also on the date is Upercent on 'Boira' and Piek on 'Esclafit.' The Spaniard, from Valencia, is described as a "sound shape shifter" in the way he transforms and incorporates elements of Techno, House, Pop, and Electronica, blending a cornucopia of sounds that appeal to fans of dance music, as well as those that are into Indie and Pop music.

Right off the bat, 'Dreamback' sets

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the tone of what to expect on the album, heavy on electronics, driving drum rhythms, excellent bass and counter-melodies all behind a beautifully crafted and fresh electro sound. 'Oxi,' the second track, seamlessly transitions into deeper techno beats with looping vocals while keeping to a theme as demonstrated on 'Dreamback.'

On 'San Diego' (radio edit) you’ll hear 80s new wave influences, but in a modern vein with a little touch of chaos. On the track, AFFKT stretches out and it's pretty damn impressive. 'Between Us' brings to the listener some great imagination that is more inline for a serious ears. Sutja Gutierrez makes his first appearance on the album's first single 'The Show' and it’s a freakin’ great track. It’s full of groove and noise with such a unique sound and it is a standout cut.

'Ikigai' stays within the boundaries of the album's overall theme, but it’s different, in that it has a slower tempo, yet heavy on the electronics, coupled with a mystical vibe all of its own. 'FlashCrash' comes back strong with Gutierrez on the track. A return to the driving beats with repetitive house and techno sound effects. 'Boira''s snare drum brush work and syncopated keyboard sounds and chords transforms into booming bass sounds and synth goodness, and if you pay attention, you’ll hear some crafty guitar work in there too, as well as featuring Upercent on the track, keeping it interesing as it develops.

'Someone in the Sky' features Gutierrez once again on the vocals. Out front, you'll dig the bass line and the strong voice presence proving that it’s no wonder that this track has been released as the second single.

'Marany' brings back into the fold the deep house sound and 'Ceniza' represents a more adventurous sound with a slight downtempo groove and a beautifully crafted,

but subtle, melody behind a lot of noise.

Closing out this brilliant second effort is 'Escalift' featuring Piek. The track provides the perfect ending, showcasing imaginative composing that expertly encapsulates everything heard on the previous tracks.

Son of a Thousand Sounds is just that, a thousand sounds that definitely should appeal to Techno geeks, House lovers, Indies and club goers everywhere.

—Catherine Strickland

intriguing samples is something you’ll want to hear. It’s definitely not typical ambient music, in the truest form of the genre, but it will impress. The young artist's latest offering is deserving of a listen, that’s for sure.

Youth Sessions' nine-track collection is for serious fans and it takes you to places in sound design that is trippy, experimental, bold, and beautiful. As you go from track to track, some of which have really odd time signatures and interesting rhythms, there's something for everyone who appreciates good composition, good song structure and good sound design. Highlights of the album include 'The Chase/Holding On,' 'Ann' and 'Your Beautiful Look Is Looping'.

—Catherine Strickland

Cass.

Youth Sessions (LP) Emotional Response  Niklas Rehme-Schülter aka Cass. has released a series of projects with Schleißen and most recently with Wolf Müller for International Feel. After multiple cassette releases, he's back with a solo effort titled Youth Sessions on the label Emotional Response. For those that follow Ambient music, this collection of songs, recorded with "field sounds," percussion loops, and

DINKY VALOR (LP) Crosstown Rebels  Before I dig in to the music, you need to know the back story behind Alejandra Iglesias, also known as Dinky, and her sixth Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 89

full-length album Valor on Damian Lazarus' label Crosstown Rebels. For ten years, she held down a residency at Berlin's infamous Panorama Bar and has previously recorded for labels such as Cocoon and Visionquest.

Originally from Chile, the Berlin based DJ and producer is an accomplished classically trained guitarist, vocalist, pianist, and composer as you'll hear on this ninetrack album. The title, Valor, is attributed to the first letters of her sons Valentin and Orlando and also holds true to the meaning of the word, courage, as it is known in the Spanish language. The songs on the album are a personal reflection of the difficult trials and tribulations that were laid out before for her during her pregnancy with her second son, those being bed-ridden for three months, depression, and fear.

Inspiration would come from making the decision to channel her energies in writing and with help from her husband, a make-shift studio was built in their bedroom as was the creation of the beautiful and deeply personal album.

Now, to the music. Uniquely beautiful, layered, exciting, moving and captivating are what best describes the 56 minutes throughout. The first song to highlight is the album's opener 'Casa.' It builds with funky bass lines into a real groove in front of soft keyboard sounds and melodies behind sweeping chords way back in the background with the harmonized vocals delivered deep in mysticism. It instantly grabs the attention of the listener. On 'Shooting Bodies (Acid),' the fifth track, get ready to be put into a eight-minute trance like state. The layering of voice(s) against deep bass, claps, imaginative keyboard effects along with tambourine and other shaker sounds and thumping beats get you there. A Saxophone sample, some subtle

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percussion and clap rhythms, a simple piano melody backed by chords, deep bass and abstract synthesizer effects and the gorgeous voice are what makes 'Slowly' stand out as one of most imaginative and unique tracks on the record. And finally, I have to mention 'Wakame,' a real testament to dance oriented groove with electric piano, disco rhythms infused with house beat electronics all blended to perfection.

All in all Valor is 56 minutes of pure music heaven that hooks you in and makes you want more.

—Joseph Arthur

José Manuel Excursion Africanism (LP) Music for Dreams  José Manuel began spinning records as a DJ in Italy at the age of 16. He's recorded for Eskimo Recordings, Kill The DJ, among others and for his own label Black Pepper Records.

Adding to the list of labels is Kenneth Bager’s Music for Dreams, from which comes

comes a brand new concept album in Excursion Africanism. Manuel is known for churning disco oriented tracks in the past, but make no mistake, this not what his fans would expect. This piece of music will appeal to fans of African and Tribal music. It is exquisite with its heavy usage of traditional African percussion instruments and rhythms, alternating vocals, including chants, and various sound effects derived from the voices of both sexes, all combined with spacey electronic sound effects and subtle Balearic ingredients. Manuel has really stepped outside of the box with the sounds he’s recorded for this album. It is adventurous and risky, and with all honesty, I’ve not heard any music that compares with what he’s put forth with this effort. And that is not a bad thing. Is the music something that you would hear in clubs? Probably not, but that doesn't mean that it should not be in your library of music. On the contrary, the musicianship and utilization of the African sounds and rhythms is beautifully crafted and that is what makes it so appealing and interesting. Highlights include the singles 'Bilimbosa' and 'Babylon' both featuring vocalist Babacar.

—Joseph Arthur

Misanthrop Misanthrop (LP) Neosignal Records  For ten years, Misanthrop has been behind the scenes producing kick ass Drum and Bass music with long time Neosignal label partner Phace.

One can ask, why has it taken so long for the prolific German producer to release a project of his own? Well, the wait is over, Misanthrop dropped a self-titled 14 track LP on September 30, 2016.

What does Misanthrop have to say about the music on the LP? He says "My selftitled album Misanthrop has been a labor of love, in the making for past one and half years.

I’ve taken my trademark dark, edgy sound and tried to combine with more of my musical, more experimental tastes that an album allows you to do."

For those that are familiar with Misanthrop and his past productions, and those that aren't, but love hard-core Drum and Bass music, you’ll love this collection of adrenaline inducing and body shaking music. There is not one single track that disappoints. It’s aggressive, with drops so gigantic it’s sick and right on point in regards to what he envisioned to put forth. And, aptly, his choice of song titles fits perfectly with the music represented in them. Titles like 'Antimachine,' 'Minimalinski,' 'Trashriot' and 'Malfunction' are just four of the fourteen massive tracks that describe a wide array of exciting Drum and Bass sounds from the highly talented imagination of this artist.

Take note and beware, while you listen, be ready to be shaken to the core, some will startle you, but ultimately it will definitely amaze you. Let all hope and pray that it won't be another ten years for the follow up of this awesome album.

—Leo Weaver Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 91

Soul Clap Soul Clap (LP) !K7/Crew Love  Charlie Levine and Eli Goldstein make up Soul Clap, an act that we have been following and writing about for some time.

Coming out of Boston, Massachusetts and four years in the making, the electro funk duo are back with their second album, Soul Clap. For the album, they worked out of studios up and down the U.S. east coast, including George Clinton’s famed Clinton’s What?, Red Bull Studios Manhattan, Midnight Magic and Charlie Levine's Rad Pad is where the craftiness and funk goodness all came about to fill up this 11 song offering.

Charles Levine, one half of the duo explains, "it digs deep into our funky souls and turns our wildest dreams into sound. If ‘EFUNK’ [their first album] was an attempt to create a blueprint using our past inspirations, then “Soul Clap” is the beautiful skyscraper, standing tall as it looks to the future."

Contributing to the album is the original Funkadelic bassist Billy "Bass" Nelson on two tracks, 'Future 4 Love' with Nick Monaco

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and the album's closer 'Funk Bomb.' On 'Future 4 Love,' the cut features Nelson's classic low-end dope and gnarly bass lines, real nice guitar licks, jazzy infused electric piano and keyboards, rhythmic drums and percussion that lay down the disco rhythms.

Everybody has heard LaBelle’s classic 'Lady Marmalade,' right? If not, climb out from the rock you’ve been living under.

Nona Hendrix, one of the founding members of LaBelle, lends her vocal skills on the album’s first single 'Shine On' and it is spectacular! It has killer synthesizers, a phat bass groove, horns, winds and strings with Nona's exquisite soulful voice bringing the late 70s disco sound into the 21st century.

Other favorites of mine are the tracks 'Synthesizer Girlfriend' featuring Ntem HazMat and Talkbox, 'F#@K Sorrow' which goes on a P-Funk trip, and the appropriately named 'Dirty Leslie' featuring Wolf + Lamb.

This is an album for those that want to take a trip back to the good old days of cutting edge funk. However, you’ll get more than that. It gives the listener a futuristic look into the newly interpreted genre and separates Soul Clap from the rest out there that infuse Funk and Soul into their music creations.

They've done it masterfully with the help of those mentioned above, and from the contributions of Ebony Houston, Ricky Tan, Dayonne Rollins, Freeky Neek, and Phil Celeste.

And in the words of Goldstein, “We are children of the 80’s and 90’s, so funk and hiphop were our early influences, but discovering the rave and being led into house and disco, these genres feel very organic and homegrown to us. We carry these influences in our attitudes and beings. Music has the incredible power to shape a personality and it has molded us into the artists we have become.”

—Joseph Wensell

URBANDAWN Gothenburg Cluster (LP) Hospital Records  Out of São Paulo, Brazil and with two previous EPs on Hospital Records comes Urbandawn. This Drum and Bass producer has a background in audio engineering and draws his influence from the sounds coming out of Brazil, as well as the niche Rock, Metal, and Folk bands from Sweden’s 90s music scene that represent 17 new songs on the brand new album Gothenburg Cluster.

The album opens up with the title track, a gorgeous soundscape of sweeping orchestral electronic sounds climaxing and transforming into a frenzy of lightning quick drumbeats and noisy bass effects. The fiveminute, seven-second tune is hot, chaotic, and full of utter brilliance. 'Ok' is heavy duty Drum and Bass, fast paced drums for body moving, and is really showcasing his choices of wild sound effects, electric guitar, distorted bass, and crash cymbals accompaniment. Percussion and low-end sounds, shakers and keyboards unleash the track of 'Moonlight Lullaby' delivering

a slower paced cut that eventually features some very fine synthesizer and guitar work, but here’s the kicker, he brings in some very powerful vocals giving the track a dark and mysterious feel. Mixing up tempos seem to be his forte as 'Foley Funk' returns to the sounds of 100 MPH beats, industrial style vocals and nobs/buttons wizardry that is certainly something to behold. A third of the way through the album, Urbandawn fires up the set with 'Power Schemes', 'Messiah Complex,' and 'Babylon Prepare' with some awesome vocal samples, dark bass tones and changing time signatures that move your body like the crazy dancing of Elaine Benes of TV’s Seinfeld fame.

The surprise of the album comes with 'Black Notes' featuring Daniel Baeder. It features jazz piano, complete with improv licks, and a rhythm section of bass and drums segueing into a blistering pace fueled by electronic undertones and real cool vocal sample. The next two cuts, 'Pavlov’s Dog' and 'Prime Expansion' show some good imagination and variance in rhythms and pacing. Vocalist Inja joins in on the track 'Ground Zero' with some social commentary with rolling deep drums that drop you into bottom out killer groove. Label mate Keeno contributes on 'Still Breathing,' a fresh epic and beautiful track while staying true to traditional DnB. Rounding out the album is 'Quid Pro Quo,' 'They Told Me' featuring Thomas Oliver, who delivers a great vocal performance behind a dreamy orchestrated backdrop of beautiful sounds, the slow and atmospheric tilted 'Redemption' and the closer 'Torus Part II' with acoustic guitar, orchestral strings and Contrabasse featured in a dramatic departure from anything else heard on the album, Bravo!

This record was a delight to hear and while many of the 17 tracks are fast, noisy and fit in the DnB fold, there are truly some surprise that showcase Urbandawn as a first rate composer. I highly recommend it.

—Leo Weaver Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 93

and bringing the Piano more out front, all without losing the original feel of the orginal cut.

—Joseph Arthur

The Chainsmokers All We Know feat. Phoebe Ryan Conro Remix (Single) Columbia Records  The Chainsmokers and their music have been been setting the world on fire over the last couple of years. "The proof is in the pudding" as the phrase goes. Billboard Magazine, the Teen Choice Awards, MTV, NRJ, iHeartRadio and AMA (American Music Awards) are just a few organizations that have put the duo on their respective radars with a multitude of nominations and awards.

The latest single offering All We Need featuring Phoebe Ryan pulls at your heart strings lyrically and musically. Andrew Taggert and Phoebe Ryan sing in tandum delivering a beautiful, melancholic, reflective story of the feelings of breaking up with a loved one and the yearning of reconciliation.

Rising star Canadian DJ and producer, Conro, interprets the song with his remix in a more dramatic fashion, creating an epic, leaning more towards dance floors with its heavier use of electronics, accelerated beats,

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Computer Magic Obscure But Visible (EP) P-Vine Records  Danielle "Danz" Johnson aka Computer Magic hails from Brooklyn, New York. She's an artist that has earned a big following in Japan, thanks to composing commercial jingles for the country's iconic brands Panasonic and QP, as well as releasing several LPs and EPs for Tugboat Records and P-Vine Records.

Following up the 2015 LP release of Davos comes the brand new, five-track EP, Obscure But Visible. "Danz" makes music that has been described as cosmic pop and the self-taught musician has produced a doozy of an EP. She has created a brilliantly colorful collection of songs that compliments her vocal talents and mastery of electronic instrumentation that fit like a hand in a glove.

The opening track, 'Dimensions,' proves it. Dreamy layers of electonic keyboard melodies, electronic drums, high hat cymbal rhythms and adding in expressive lyrics and soft vocals make the track stellar. 'Lonely Like We Are' is nice and easy to fall in love with.

On the track 'New Generation' the direction of sound goes off in an entirely different direction. Still, you hear her great electronic sensibilities, however, it drives with a faster beat and the duration is about half as long, and then it leads to 'Gone For The Weekend' which is features the cosmic popish sounds, but the drums are more prominent and there's some electric guitar in there too that helps move the song forward.

Closing up the EP is 'Been Waiting' which throws you back to 80s new wave. "Danz" has put forth a buzz worthy collection here with Obscure But Visible. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Coyu has a terrific 2016 so far. His label, Suara was named Label of the Year at this year's DJ Awards, he's opened up a retail shop in Barcelona, been on the road, and has been producing and releasing projects.

Now comes a coolaboration with longtime friend and felloz proudcer Ramiro Lopez. These Spaniards have a long history together and with this new single, Clap Your Hands on Drumcode, you can hear the creative synergy the two share on the date. 'Clap Your Hands is over eight minutes of hard hitting, drum and metallic banging techno with a splash of industrial styled distorted vocals. It's a banger and that builds tension to glorious heights. For those that are familiar with Coyu and Lopez's previous collaborations, this one will not disappoint.

—Catherine Strickland

—Catherine Strickland

Coyu & Ramiro Lopez Clap Your Hands (Single) Drumcode 

Few Nolder Ace of Space (EP) Sodai  Take note and mark your calendar, on December 16, 2016, Linas Strockis, known Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 95

as Few Nolder, drops his second EP, Ace of Space, on Sodai.

The EP features three tracks beginning with 'Balance.' Staccatto synthesizer and percussion rhythms rules the day on the track backed by very gnarly and rolling bass sound effects and spacey layers of hypnotic sounds. 'Teaser,' the second track, contains many of the same sounds and effects, but adds banging Cow Bells and repeating melody that builds with the assistance of electronic drums and programming turning it into a real cool track. 'Ace of Space,' the third cut on the EP further portrays the artist as a master of spaced-out sound effects, blending abstract noises and beats with lush soundscapes and a throbbing rhythm.

As the title states, this three-track collection demonstrates that Strockis is "the ace of space."

—Joseph Arthur

Giorgio Moroder is back! Still trailblazing forward and making killer dance songs that remains very relevant in today’s music world as a whole. This time around, he's working with England's Karen Harding. A budding star in her own right with a powerful voice, she fits the mold of past Moroder guest vocalists with Good For Me. It's a project that should and will elevate her to new heights.

Moroder brings his classic vision to the track with his name brand disco inflections that continue to place him at the top of dance music producers. Full of bright electronics, groovy distorted bass, a catchy melody, a sing along chorus, claps and climaxing bridges make 'Good For Me' good for everybody. Thank you Mr. Moroder and Ms. Harding for giving the world this tasty cut.

—Catherine Strickland

Giorgio Moroder feat. Karen Harding Good For Me (Single) Casablanca Records 

Jem Haynes & SOAME Bossa (EP) Colour Series 

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Jem Haynes and SOAME are no strangers

to the pages of BEATSELECTOR Magazine as we've reviewed the duo's previous releases and always look forward to what's next from them on the Colour Series label. This time around they give us four new tracks, three of which are original cuts. The namesake of the EP, 'Bossa,' is a hot multi-percussion rhythm with crash cymbals, gritty and thumping electro beats and a looping vocal sample "boogie just a little bit." Smalltown Collective gets in the game with a really nice remix of the cut, giving it a little more color, expanding the usage of sweeping and sonic electronic sound effects that give it a deeper house feel, utilizing the vocal sample more and adding the sexy feminine touch with additional female vocals. On 'Wanted,' get ready to move courtesy of the hypnotic bass and percussion grooves, plus it's sweet with dope keyboard strokes that reverberate throughout and has a splash of echoing vocals. It’s a recipe for dance floor mayhem.

Finally, the last track ‘Move,’ it’s a real burner, more echoing vocal treatments hand in hand with shuffling drum beats and steady cymbal sounds that will take you on a sonic ride. Good stuff and it is what we’ve come to expect from the duo.

Sam Allan Paradis (Single) Self Released  Sam Allan continues to impress with his deep house productions. His latest single, Paradis, out now as free download, brings euphoric feelings of being enveloped in a paradise setting as you listen to its lush and heavenly orchestrations. Allan has created an epic track with gorgeous layers of sweeping and escalating brilliance to go along with a very sweet melody, using heavy piano and an absolutely perfect usage of electronics, bass, and drums. If this track doesn't make you take notice of the masterful talents he exhibits, I personally, do not know what else he could do to make you a fan. As a fan myself, I look forward to the day when he unleashes a full album so that we can enjoy his creativeness to the fullest. What do you say Sam? —Catherine Strickland

—Catherine Strickland

Read more reviews at beatselectormagazine.com

Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 97

Simon Patterson feat. Dave Wright Vapour Trails (Single) Insomniac Records  Simon Patterson has the "Midas Touch," every piece of music the Trance maestro puts out is gold and the staggering 21 times his music has hit the number 1 spot on Beatport’s charts proves it. On November 4, 2016, Patterson released a new single, Vapour Trails with acclaimed singer Dave Wright, on Insomniac Records. The new release marks the first single with vocals since his January 2016, 'Now I Can Breathe Again' with Lucy Pullin, incidentally, a #1 charter as well. The Press Release for the single states: "It’s anthemic, it’s infectious, it’s seductive and hedonistic! It’s a genuine sing-along anthem fused with tough club techno. A brave fusion to attempt – but if anyone can – it’s Psymon.

Pristine production, heartbreakingly beautiful lyrics and a chorus the size of Saturn – this is without question Simon Patterson at his alltime best."

Music, good music that is, is supposed to

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invoke feeling. 'Vapour Trails" does just that in epic proportions. The song begins with a pulsating bass-line, sweeping and enormous electronic layers, Dave Wright’s silky smooth vocal delivery and driving drums escalating into a massive sonic canvas on which Patterson colors in with his compositional skills and mastery of the tools he uses.

As you listen to the track more and more, the more magical it becomes, especially with the chorus, harmonious glory and instantly gratifying. So, will this single follow suit of previous #1 songs for Patterson? IMO, it certainly will.

—Catherine Strickland

TEAMWORX & Thomas Feelman Whisper (Single) FONK Recordings  "Amazing, Dope, Israeli Pride, Thomas has been putting in the work, Sick, The Drop is on fire, Special, Love the Feelman riser." These are just a few of the comments swirling around the world wide web about the brand new Progressive House banger

Whisper created by the Israeli duo Teamworx and Frenchman Thomas Feelman on Dannic’s burgeoning label FONK Recordings.

'Whisper,' I must say, is an interesting title choice because I associate whisper with something that is soft and easy. To the contrary, what you get right out of the gate is a super sonic blast of a high powered intro with an immediate drop about 30 seconds in. As it heats up, about a minute later, you get beautifully orchestrated layers of synths against sweet piano chords, fast paced electronic drum rhythms, vocals and other wild sound effects that rise and rise until it drops again into a frenzy of high energetic dance music. This is a track that should garner support from DJs spinning in clubs and will undoubtedly fill dance floors everywhere.

—Joseph Arthur

Ténèbre Territory 1 (EP) Ténèbre Audio  Ténèbre, a Frenchman currently living in Seoul, Korea, constructs Techno music

influenced by his surroundings, accenting and communicating the human dimension through his music and exposing the urbanism and social problems of major global cities. Territory 1, out on December 2, 2016, marks the first EP release of a series, based on these themes. Territory 1 features four tracks, 'Khanate,' 'Grid Expansion,' 'Of Rust,' and 'Return At Point Zero.'

'Khanate' opens the EP with a very dark industrial styled sound with heart beat drum rhythms, attention grabbing trumpet and low brass blasts, in the sense of an alarm, and colossal electronic sound effects. This particular piece of music is bold!

'Grid Expansion' drives and thumps with loud rib shaking bass drum kicks, nightmare inducing electronics and shakers.

As the tension builds, bringing you to the point where the abstract melody takes over and the electronics get a lot more weird and chaotic, the bass drum comes back to the front closing it out a high fashion. Wow! The third track, 'Of Rust' has the trademark heavy drums, only this time, the electronics and sound effects are even grittier. While the usage of underlying synthesizer layers is a nice touch, it doesn’t take away the overall effects of the idea the artist is communicating.

Wrapping up the EP is 'Return At Point Zero,' a little less abstract in sound and a tad bit more dance oriented. Head bopping drums and cymbals and wild melody with subtle time/tempo changes are guaranteed to get you moving.

This EP is not for the light hearted. Diehard Industrial/Techno fans will appreciate the vision and execution of the wares and tools Ténèbre uses on the recording and I look forward to what the second installment will be like.

—Joseph Arthur Beatselector Magazine | Issue N° 7 | 99

The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk Starboy (Single) Republic Records 

Wolfgang Gartner feat. John Oates Baby Be Real (Single) Kindergarten Records 

The Weeknd's Official Video for Starboy featuring Daft Punk has an astronomical number of video views currently standing at over 208 million. Needless to say, this is a tremendously successful collaboration for the Canadian Singer/Songwriter. Abęl Makkonen Tesfaye (The Weeknd) skillfully delivers vocals something that is somewhere between spoken word and actual singing.

It is a creative departure from previous songs we’ve heard from Tesfaye, and that is not necessarily a bad thing because he is stepping outside of his previous creative box and we should welcome it. The single also does not sound like Daft Punk songs of past, it’s not disco tilted or heavy with their trademark sound. Again, let’s keep in mind that Tesfaye deserves the attention here, Starboy is good tune, and although one can expect, through working with Daft Punk, an instant classic, it simply isn’t, but it’s worth a listen and a good first effort in diving in to dance music genre.

—Catherine Strickland

Wolfgang Gartner traditionally has released multi-genre House during his entire career. You can find his recordings on his Kindergarten label, Ultra, Ministry of Sound and Om Records. You've probably heard his music on TV’s Grey’s Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother, and Arrow to name a few.

On November 11, 2016, he officially released a new single. Traveling back to the glory days of Disco, a genre of music that has always played a big part of his musical output is evident on Baby Be Real featuring John Oates of Rock and Roll Hall Famers Hall & Oates. The track drips of sexy and sweaty dance grooves with a funky bass line, keyboard and electronic wizardry and the vocals and masterful guitar licks of John Oates. For a more electro feel, check out the hot 360 Club Mix. I bet that this rendition of the song will be a DJ favorite in the clubs this winter, guaranteed to heat up the dance floor on cold nights.

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—Joseph Arthur

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