Dj Mag Australia 003 by DJ Mag Australia

LIVING & BREATHING DANCE MUSIC! April 2014 ISSUE 003 DJMAG.COM.AU

INSPIRED AND TRASHED ON TOUR WITH:

TOMMY TRASH

DJ MAG’S 2014 TOP 100 CLUBS POLL RESULTS REVEALED KASKADE’S SECRET LOVE FOR DRUM & BASS EXPLORING EUROPE’S TOP DANCE MUSIC FESTIVALS EMBRACING THE SOUND OF SOUL MUSIC IN SYDNEY

SONNY FODERA DANCE MANIA CHICAGO CHICAGO PT1 LOADSTAR STANTON WARRIORS WALKER

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features 26 TOP 100: BEST OF CLUBS

48 TOMMY TRASH 54 KASKADE

58 EUROPEAN FESTIVAL SPECIAL

64 DANCE MANIA CHICAGO

66 SOUNDS OF THE CITY 72 SOUL OF SYDNEY

80 SONNY FODERA

82 DJ MICAH

Contents 80

comin’ up 6

Fred V & Grafix

Take 10 – Groove Armada

60 seconds - with Guy Gerber

Game Changers — Stanton Warriors ‘Praise You’

Fashion

DJ Diary - Tom Piper’s Travel vibes

music 90

Singles

106

Albums

110

Compilations

tech 112

Tech News - Back to the future!

116

Don’t get cross just DJ

117

Sphere of influence

118

Mini music makers

120

Petal to the metal

122

Tech Producer - the psych soundtrack of Tim Paris

14 7 76

124 LUCKY 7

10 54

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DJ Mag Australia Pty Ltd. Suite 308/250 Pitt St, Sydney, NSW 2000

Welcome to the April issue of DJ Mag Australia. As Ultra and Miami Music Week winds down for another successful year, the attention shifts towards other festivals in the United States including Electric Zoo in New York and Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas. Then the focus shifts to European summer festivals with the gigantic Tomorrowland and many other festivals also taking place over the following months. The focus then turns locally in Australia with Stereosonic in November. Then the global yearly festival cycle begins once again. That begs the question that continually surfaces; Are there too many festivals in the world? On the other hand, are there still not enough festivals yet in the market? Who is to know? All we know is that the prospect of so many varied and diversified dance music festivals worldwide leads to an even greater number of memorable experiences for dance music lovers right across the world. In this monthly issue, we speak to internationally recognised Australian artist, Tommy Trash while on tour in Miami. Tommy gave us the low-down from Miami Music week and of course Ultra music festival 2014 and talked to us about his new album ‘Inspired’ and about ‘Trashed’ on tour in Miami. We also highlight the winners in the recent results of DJ Mag’s 2014 Top100 Clubs Poll and congratulate Space Ibiza on taking the top spot in this year’s poll. We sat down with Kaskade during his tour in Australia recently, whilst DJ Mag Australia also caught up with Drum and Bass duo, Fred V & Grafix just before their tour in Australia. On the local front, DJ Mag Australia also caught up with Flume, Sampology and Sonny Fondera. We delved into the happenings at Pacha Sydney during April and Vivid during May in Sydney. We also delved deeper and spoke to some of the unspoken artists in the Australian local electronic dance music scene. For those readers travelling overseas this year, we highlight some of the must-do festivals in Europe and take a further look into the Sounds of the city feature series with the home of house music, Chicago, as an added special tribute to the true house music legend he was, Frankie Knuckles.

DJ MAG AUSTRALIA IS PUBLISHED EVERY MONTH.

STAFF Coming Up Junior Editors: Brad Nash & Michelle RodriguezGanesh   Main Features Junior Editors: Nic Horowitz, Jack Carter, Sumedha Pagadala, Sharif Galal & Michelle Rodriguez-Ganesh  Music Section Editors: Ben Murphy & Adam Saville. Podcasts & Focus ON: Alan Lau.  Web content Junior Editor: Brad Nash, Alan Lau, Michelle Rodriguez-Ganesh & Lewis Griffin.  Tech Editor: Mick Wilson.  Art Editor: Alex Pearson.  Support Art Editor: Samantha Ripper.  Fashion & Lifestyle: Brad Nash & George Polonski. Copy Editor: Sumedha Pagadala. Marketing and Sales Manager: Shall lloyd slloyd@djmag.com.au  NSW sales: Lauren Neko lneko@djmag.com.au  VIC sales: Tania Hawley thawley@djmag.com.au  QLD sales: Adam Roberts aroberts@djmag.com.au  SA sales: James Corbett jcorbett@djmag.com.au

Enjoy all this and more of course, in this month’s online magazine issue of DJ Mag Australia.

Shall Lloyd DJ Mag Australia

DJ Mag Australia is published by IHM Global Media THE VIEWS EXPRESSED HEREIN ARE THOSE OF INDIVIDUALS AND ARE NOT NECESSARILY SHARED BY DJ MAGAZINE

Words: Brad Nash & Michelle Rodriguez

FRED V & GRAFIX Following the release of their debut album ‘Recognise’ that is now available to the public, Fred V & Grafix will be embarking on an Australian and New Zealand tour to promote their new album. Pursuing the rise of their success after being signed to the mighty Hospital Records in late 2011, the duo from Exeter regularly have appearances on BBC Radio 1Xtra and mini mixes on Annie Mac’s show, while also gaining support from heavyweights such as Mistajam, B Traits, Sub Focus and Netsky to name a few. With their string of hits that include ‘Games People Play,’ ‘Just A Thought’ and their recent smash ‘Catch My breath,’ these tunes along with their new tracks featured on their ‘Recognise’ album effortlessly display the duos prodigious mastery of musical composition. With their exceptional productions and lively stage presence, they have established a fervent and devoted fan base deriving on their reverence for their innovation. In preparation for their up coming Australian tour, I got to chat to Josh ‘Grafix’ Jackson in regards to their compositional muse for ‘Reconise,’ the fundamental elements in which their musicality is rooted from while trying to gain a profound understanding on the relationship between the remarkable blokes. Michelle: You guys just recently graduated university studying Creative Music Technology at the Bath Spa University so congratulations on that. By attending the institution, how has it made an impact on your musicality as an artist? Josh: Bathwas a great place to study music, the lecturers had very prolific industry backgrounds that were really inspirational to us and other students. Studying there certainly broadened our minds to other aspects of writing music, and often made us think outside the dance music bubble - it also played a big part in our engineering skills, and taught us some valuable skills in finessing our music sonically. We’d definitely recommend the CMT course at Bath Spa to any musician wanting to go further. Michelle: By watching your performances and webisodes on Youtube, it’s clear that you both have a genuine bromance going on. Can you explain to fans what it is like to work with one another. Josh: We certainly do know how to have a laugh when

touring & playing shows, that’s a pretty valuable asset of working as a duo, if you can’t do that then things will be difficult! Our studio relationship is somewhat different, we both often have different ideas stylistically and this can sometimes cause necessary friction between us - however, the true skill in these moments is sitting aside and realising that the other person may be right in what they are saying, as naturally it’s easy to think whatever you are saying is right! It’s these trials & tribulations in the studio that can create the best music you’ve ever created, and we believe is a very necessary part of our partnership. If we constantly agreed with one another our music would be boring! Michelle: Let’s chat about your new album. An element you guys used in a lot of your tracks featured the guitar. I know Fred V used to play guitar in the band Juggy Murray, have you ever thought of incorporating live instruments to your shows? Josh: The guitar is certainly key to our signature sound - we’ve both come from guitar backgrounds and both share a massive love for guitar-driven music. Incorporating it into some pseudo-live/DJ show is not something we would do, but we both feel strongly that the next step in our careers would be to take our music down the live band route. That’s all we’ll say! Michelle: You guys showcased your versatility as composers with your songs ‘Let Your Guard Down’ with it’s house inspired beat, while ‘Sick Of All Your Secrets’ is a very down tempo track. What made you guys want to experiment with these sounds? Do you think you will continue to explore elements outside of drum and bass when creating music in the future? Josh: Absolutely! These were two of the most exciting tracks to write on the album. We constantly get inspiration to make stuff outside of our drum & bass stable, but not a lot of it gets heard by anyone. So it was interesting to see peoples feedback on these tunes, on the whole people were pleasantly surprised. Michelle: On your new single ‘Recognise,’ the vocals are done by Fred V. What made you guys decide to have him sing on this particular track in comparison to your other tracks.

Josh: This idea came together very quickly and naturally - it basically started with Fred writing a bunch of pad & arp melodies. Once he was happy with these he started hearing a vocal melody playing over & over in his head. When he started it he wrote it in a key that suited his vocal range perfectly, so all the notes he sings are as strong as he could sing. He then passed the idea to me, and I built the drums and mixed the tune down. We certainly would have included more Fred vocals on the album if we had more time before our album deadline, it will certainly be a continued formula we work on for our second album. Michelle: As a result of joining the Hospital Records family and being surrounded by a prodigious amount of talent, what musical elements have you learnt by being signed to the mighty label? Josh: Most of our big improvements in our sound musically, and sonically, have come from being on the road with other producers and learning different tricks. On our 2013 USA/Canada tour we had the pleasure of touring with High Contrast and Camo & Krooked. It was C&K that sat with us and really pointed out some serious flaws to the way we worked, and educated us on a lot of dos & don’ts in production. Also they recommended us some must have studio essentials that we purchased as soon as we returned from that tour, and they played a massive part in the improvement of our music! The main 2 items were Neumann KH310 monitors & the Audeze LCD3 Headphones. Michelle: What can your fans expect from your Australian shows? Josh: A lot of dancing on stage & booze! Michelle: What’s next in store for your fans after the release of ‘Recognise?’ Josh: Stuff we can’t really talk about, but we can say that we are already working on stuff for album 2 and feel that it will be the most important and exciting project to date. Massive love and thanks to everyone that’s supported ‘Recognise’ so far! Check out the dates below to see when Fred V & Grafix are coming to a city near you. May 2nd - Adelaide - HQ Complex May 3rd - Perth - Villa Nightclub May 9th - Sydney - Oxford Arts Factory May 10th - Melbourne - La Di Da May 14th - Auckland - Cassette Nine May 15th - Hamilton - Back Bar May 16th - Wellington - Bodega May 17th - Dunedin - 10 Bar

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LOADSTAR ‘STEPPED OUTSIDE’ To add to Loadstar’s illustrious string of hits, they bring us their latest single ‘Stepped Outside’ to follow the craze of their ‘Future Perfect’ album. The track exclusively teased fans as the mystifying first track featured on Andy C’s Nightlife 6 Green Mix compilation back in November. With the mystery solved as to what the ID is for the track, fans can now exclusively enjoy the tune on April 6th when it comes out. RAM Records most prodigious power duo has always managed to surpass the highest expectations in terms of their compositions to push the boundaries of the ordinary into the realm of extraordinary. With ‘Stepped Outside’ being the first track before another single due in the summer along with a new album towards the end of the year, Loadstar has and will continue to undoubtably produce tracks to create an oasis of infinite bliss. MARASCO

FLUME Since the release of his Debut EP about 18 months ago now, Flume has seen probably more success than any other artist in the Australian dance scene. Just as the hype was beginning to die down, a deluxe version of the EP dropped In September last year, with a wealth of new material and remixes that released to many ears in need of refreshment. NOW, he’s set to release a double LP version of the deluxe album, featuring collaborations with artists such Freddie Gibbs, Ghostface Killah, Autre Ne Veut, Killer Mike, Twin Shadow, How To Dress Well, and Stalley. Perhaps a little excessive? Definitely not for his fans, but we’ll let you guys be the judge. However, this is not the only thing we’ll see from Flume this year, and any word of him perhaps settling down for this year appears to have been well and truly quashed, as he’s announced a brand new world tour over the next 6 months. Beginning in Late march, the tour will see him journey across South America on the Lolapalooza tour, before hitting California for Coachella. After this, he criss-crosses his way across America, finally ending up at the Brooklyn bowl before crossing the Atlantic to descend upon Europe’s summer festival season. As well as solo shows of his own, he’ll play at some of Europe’s biggest gatherings, including Leeds/ Reading festival, Pukkelpop, Rock en Seine and Open Air in Zurich. Needless to say, it’s gonna be a big year for Flume. Again.

Flumes 2xDeluxe LP will drop on April 15th, and is available to pre-order now. For those travelling overseas hoping to catch him on his world tour, the dates are the following. April 15 – Miami, FL @ Grand Central April 16 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s East April 17 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre (SOLD OUT) April 18 – Indio, CA @ Coachella April 19 – Vancouver @ Seasons Festival July 18 – New York @ Terminal 5 July 19 – Toronto @ Time Festival July 20 – Louisville, KY @ Forecastle Festival July 24 – Washington DC @ 9:30 Club July 25 – Philadelphia @ Union Transfer July 29 – Boston @ Royale July 30 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Aug. 1 – Montreal @ Osheaga Festival Aug. 5 – Denver @ Red Rocks Aug. 7 – Brooklyn @ Brooklyn Bowl Aug. 14 – Hasselt, BE @ Pukkelpop Aug. 15 – Biddinghuizen, AN @ Lowlands Aug. 16 – Beaucaire, FR @ Positiv Aug. 17 – Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg, DE @ Dockville Aug. 20 – Nice, FR @ Theatre de Verdure Aug. 21 – Charleville, FR @ Cabaret Vert Festival Aug. 22 - Reading, UK @ Reading Festival Aug. 23 – Paris, FR @ Rock en Seine Aug. 24 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival Aug. 28 – Zurich, CH @ Open Air

California house label Surface has been a pivotal platform for many talented artist since the emergence of the imprint in 2011. Returning favorite Marasco brings us his latest EP on the label entitled ‘The Effect,’ which is a remarkable five track collection. That EP encompasses an multifarious blend of dark suspenseful synths to contrast the cosmic characteristics which is perfect for a late night/early morning drive. In addition to Marasco’s original two tracks, ‘The Effect’ and ‘This is Me,’ the EP also features three remixes for the EP’s titled track that feature Carola Pisaturo and two by G-Man aka Gez Varley which add a lustrous array of groovy vibes that is sure to tickle the fancy of house heads. The Effect EP will be available on April 25th through Surface. MAYA JANE COLES FABRIC 75 To follow her critically acclaimed debut album ‘Comfort,’ the multi-awardwinning Maya Jane Coles will be the talent behind the 75th installment of the famous Fabric mix series. By being donned one of the most influential DJs in dance music with her record breaking Boiler Room sets, her praised Essential Mixes for BBC Radio 1, her noteworthy performances on a global scale and not to mention the prodigious string of remixes and personal compositions under her belt, it’s only fitting to feature such a remarkable artist for such a legendary compilation. By featuring her unreleased ‘Premonition’ along with an eclectic blend of artists including Edu Imbernon, Ripperton, and NT89 to name a few, Coles will guide listeners through her own musical escapade to showcase her musical maturity to reach yet another milestone in her career. Fabric 75 will be released on April 18th through Fabric/Balance Music. Distributed through Universal. djmag.com.au

COMIN’ UP

SAMPOLOGY Renowned for his jaw-dropping AV shows, eclectic track selection and allaround nice-guy persona, Aussie local Sampology has always been a firm favourite here at the DJ Mag offices. Many people around the country flocked to see his AV shows, as he combined music and video to create a visual spectacular which hit some of Australia’s biggest festivals. This also culminated in a tour of India, as well as several shows across the US and Canada last year. He even graced Miami Music Week just last month, playing alongside the likes of Yolanda Be Cool, Cassian, Rufus (Del Sol) and What So Not for Nina Las Vegas’ Sweat It Out show. Now though, his fans are in for a new treat, as he prepares to embark on an Australian DJ tour later on this year upon his return from his overseas travels. Of course, DJing isn’t something new for Sampology, but it often comes as less of a priority in the way he presents himself live. This time however, it’s all about the music, and needless to say it’s a welcome change for him. “I’m not limiting myself to any key group of genres. What I love about doing DJ sets over AV shows is the freedom to play to the room and take the set wherever it needs to go on the fly, so the track selection will differ show to show. That said, there’s been an amazing amount of housey, hiphop-ey, soulful-ey, progressive music I’ve collected recently both online and on vinyl… as well as some of my own remixes, edits and unreleased originals I’m super excited to test out on this tour.” The tour coincides with a new remix of Crooked Colours ‘In Your Bones’ which is coming soon on Sweat It Out. You can catch Sampology on his Australian DJ Tour supported on any of the following dates: Friday, 2 May – Sunshine Coast @ The Factory Saturday, 3 May – Perth @ East End Bar Friday, 16 May – Canberra @ Meche Saturday, 17 May – Wollongong @ Rad Saturday, 24 May – Brisbane @ Bowler Bar Friday, 30 May – Newcastle @ The CBD Hotel Saturday, 1 June – Sydney @ Goodgod Small Club Saturday, 7 June – Adelaide @ Fourwords @ Rhino Room Sunday, 8 June – Melbourne @ Espionage @ Revolt Art Space Head to sampology.com/touring, as well as his Facebook page for info on all of his upcoming shows and releases.

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COMIN’ UP

VIRGIN

Xan Muller

IMS DALTA VILA IMS Dalt Vila may not be one of the most famous festivals in the world, but it certainly is one of the most well-renowned. Every year, thousands of festival goers clime to the top of Dalt Vila to experience some of the world’s finest electronic music, overlooking the iconic location that plays host to the heart and soul of the worldwide dance music scene, Ibiza Town. Before this, The International Music summit, will take place. In the seven years since the IMS was born, the summit has become the principal forum for those in the business of electronica to understand and shape the future of their genre – whilst the weekender that surrounds it has showcased some of the most memorable names in rare and unique performances. The two day event at Dalt Vila is all in aid of closing out the International Music Summit, and as such will feature not only some of the world’s best new DJing talent, but also some of its legends. Day 1 will see Steve Angello take to the decks, fresh off his meteoric rise to prominence in the last few years. He’s backed up by one of Dance music’s biggest names over the last couple of decades and the voice synonymous with Radio 1’s Essential Mix, Pete Tong. Tong’s Radio 1 colleague and one of the first women in Dance music, Annie Mac, will also join them. Day 2 sees the same eclectic mix of veterans and some hot new talent. Jamie Jones is top of the bill, and after being voted DJ of the year by both Mixmag and Resident

Advisor, Seth Troxler is a hot ticket in the dance music world right now, and rightly so he has attained headline status for this year’s event. They’ll be backed up by house heavyweight (pun intended) Eats Everything. Along with this, over the course of the two days live sets will be played by talents including Pretty Lights, Bob Moses and Anabel Englund. Many people descend upon Ibiza in the months just before or after Peak season, and with the recent boom in popularity of mainstream dance music it’s easy to see why. Avoid the crowds, and you still get to see some of the finest shows anywhere in the world. This really is designed to be a summary and a celebration of all that is good in the world of dance music right now, a world that is becoming increasingly more controversial and divided. The full line up you can see here.

“The first gig I ever had was at schoolies on the Gold Coast. A mentor mate of mine had organised an under-age dance party for schoolies who didn’t have access to fake IDs. I had spent the past four weeks preparing a set of original music, and I started to get nervous as more and more alcohol-fuelled schoolies piled into the place. Before I knew it, topless girls and blokes were pretty much hanging off the ceiling of the club like caged monkeys, hollering, bellowing, dancing, falling around. I started to panic as I realised that my debut show was in front of an unplanned crowd of three hundred music-hungry rave-animals. I dropped the first track, and I felt a shiver that people were actually dancing to my music. Second track in, and I knew everything was safe from here. I got through the set, someone handed me a water bottle full of vodka and we partied into the night. Nothing will top my first gig. Xan Müller’s track “Journey In CF Minor” is out now on Surveillance Party www. surveillanceparty.com

22nd May – Steve Angello, Pete Tong, Annie Mac, Pretty Lights (live) and Manu Gonzalez 23rd May – Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler, Eats Everything, George Fitzgerald, Bob Moses (Live), Anabel Englund (Live) and Marino Canal

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COMIN’ UP

Jonny Cade – Already championed by the likes of Sasha, Luciano, Huxley, Pete Tong, Maceo Plex, Nic Fanciulli, Yousef and more, Jonny Cade dropped his latest EP ‘Atrocious Focus’ late last month. Available to listen for free on Soundcloud, it has an amazingly chilled out house vibe which displays a level of musical maturity well beyond the young age of Jonny Cade himself. Check it out now. The Leeds producer’s latest work is available now through Velour Recordings and 2020 Vision.

GROOVE ARMADA

DJ Jean – DJ Jean’s ‘The Launch’ Exploded on to dance floors in the late 90’s, selling over 400,000 copies as the world lead up to the new millennium. Now, it’s been given an official rework by D.O.D. Developed under the wing of Laidback Luke, D.O.D is the latest signing on Jean’s label, and and brings a fresh progressive big room vibe to the classic house track. DJ Jean – ‘The Launch’ (D.O.D Bootleg) is set to drop on April 14th. Avicii’s ‘LE7ELS’ Label has taken on a wealth of new talent in the last year or so, one of the most promising of these being Spencer Brown. Now, his own brand of big room, euphoric house is set to take centre stage as he drops his latest EP ‘Chalice/Double Down’ this month. Described by the label as ‘two tracks of big, euphoric house music. Epic and progressive, yet high energy and anthemic’ we can only hope it avoids the cliché’d big room sound and delivers something worth the hype. Chalice/Double Down will release on LE7ELS on April.

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We’ve got dance music royalty giving us their Take 10 this month. Andy Cato (the taller, fairhaired one) and Tom Findlay, who together comprise Groove Armada, have been one of the most successful dance music duos of modern times. Their debut album ‘Northern Star’, first released 16 years ago on Tim ‘Love’ Lee’s Tummy Touch label before being re-released a year later minus trombone-tastic chillout classic ‘At the River’, was Groove Armada at their most Balearic. Veering between deep French house (‘Dr Eiff’ etc), groovy percussive lysergic funk pieces (‘Captain Sensual’) and what was in those days called trip-hop — a catch-all term for mainly instrumental beatsy stuff — it’s an album that’s stood the test of time, and has indeed just been re-released. Follow-up album ‘Vertigo’ was more commercially-slanted, with its humungous house hits ‘If Everybody Looked the Same’ and ‘I See You Baby’, and by the time of the ‘Goodbye Country, Hello

Nightclub’ and ‘Lovebox’ albums in the early noughties they had morphed into one of the biggest acts around — and become a mean live dance band, too. They co-founded the Londonbased Lovebox festival, which still endures to this day, and as the noughties progressed they toured like crazy and cemented their place in electronic music’s premier league. Latterly concentrating on their DJing and house music productions, their latest EP for an underground label is the ‘Pork Soda EP’ for Moda Black. The three-track EP showcases their love of jackin’ house styles, the title track — with its burbling b-line and itchy tribal tech stylings — leading the charge. As the plethora of albums — and this Take 10 selection — demonstrate, GA have always been eclectic, so here, in their time-honoured tradition, they split everything 50/50 and give us five of their most influential tracks each…

COMIN’ UP ANDY CATO: 01. Chris Rea ‘Josephine (Version Francaise)’ “The original Balearic classic but surprisingly little heard, it’s been the one constant tune in the record box since ‘89. Few tracks can spread the love like this one.” 02. Last Rhythm ‘Last Rhythm’ “Now on every compilation of house classics, but for me a precise moment in time. Walking into a warehouse in Leeds, the big smiley hanging over the booth just about visible through the smoke. The night was at its peak. Then out of nowhere came the opening break of this record. Thousands of arms went in the air.” 03. Bob Dylan ‘Visions of Johanna’ “On the road in the US during the early days, we ended up in a loft party after playing the first night of our residency at the Tunnel. Late morning, there was the view over the Hudson, and New York hipsters draped around the room. Then someone put this record on and turned it into a movie scene. It’s a classic recording. Immediate and uncorrected, it sounds as fresh every time I hear it.” 04. Elton John ‘Rocket Man’ “A tour bus classic and soundtrack to more afterhours euphoria than I’ll ever manage to remember. One moment of clarity to this tune was on the way down from Mount Fuji — the sun hanging over Tokyo, a great gig behind us, and adventures in South America on their way. Things don’t get a lot better.” 05. Chew Lips ‘Gold Key’ “I first heard this tune walking through a tent at the V Festival. From the beginning, I was rooted. I assumed it was a cover, as it felt like I’d heard it before. But instead it was a modern masterpiece that I’d had the good luck to hear live, with Tigs giving it her all. A timeless song that should be played down the ages.” TOM FINDLAY: 06. Richie Havens ‘Going Back To My Roots’ “I still can’t remember the place and time I first heard this record... it’s fair to say it was a while ago in a field outside Cambridge, in the late(ish) ‘90s. I was really into rare groove at the time, so to hear a track with all the best bits about rare groove, but with a rave piano and Richie’s amazing voice — well, it blew me away. We went on to play a version of this track live with Richie Havens at Glastonbury, which is one of the finest moments of our career.” 07. Sterling Void ‘It’s Alright’ “Speaks to me of everything that was great about ‘90s house — the un-self-conscious, slightly daft and totally uplifting vocals. It’s the sort of track that brought people together. I could put ‘Promised Land’ by Joe Smooth in this bracket. Life-affirming house music.” 08. Lucy Pearl ‘Don’t Mess With My Man (Mood II Swing Mix)’ “I’m a soul boy at heart, and this tune is pure soul. It’s soundtracked so many late-night soirees, and is one of those songs that when it’s in, it’s on. A proper party record.” 09. Azari & III ‘Reckless With Your Love’ “When this record dropped a few years ago, it just felt like the kind of house music I loved was back, and I was thinking ‘I’ll have a bit of that’. It’s big, but in a good way. It’s not too clever, just all the things you could ask of an underground house BOMB.” 10. ELO ‘Livin’ Thing’ “I’ve been getting a little bit nostalgic about our days playing live. One of the best tours (and certainly the most fun) was the Black Light tour of Australia back in 2010, and this track was the soundtrack to a

OFFICE TOP 10 1. Frankie Knuckles – Your love 2. Audien - Hindsight 3. Luke Bond feat Roxanne Emery - On Fire (Aly & Fila Remix) 4. Chrome Sparks Goddess 5. Loadstar - Under Pressure 6. Nina Simone Feeling Good (Bassnectar Remix) 7. Fred V & Grafix – Hydra 8. Paul van Dyk Feat. Austin Leeds Parranda 9. Eric Prydz – Liberate 10. Ana Brancaccio & Bishop - You’re So Fine (John Monkman Mix)

stupidly good time.”

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COMIN’ UP

DELTA HEAVY Deriving from the eminent new generation of prodigious artists featured on RAM Records, Delta Heavy have quickly emerged in the sea of fresh artists to become one of the most distinguishable names in the spectrum of bass music. With their remarkable rise from their dance floor anthem ‘Abort’ which was debuted on Viper Recordings Headroom EP, they have received an unanimous praise and appreciation from many heavy hitters in the scene in reflection to their talent. With support from Zane Lowe along with a string of remarkably impressive names that include Andy C, Friction and High Contrast to name a few, they have profoundly created a prodigious repertoire to make a name for themselves. By signing to the mighty Ram Records in 2010, their debut single ‘Space Time / Take The Stairs’ was nominated for Best Track the same year at the Drum and Bass Arena Awards along with getting nominations for Best Producer and Best Newcomer DJ. By gracing the top rankings on a multitude of different platforms during 2010, this catapulted themselves as an innovative act that led them to crate remixes the following year for Chase & Status featuring Tinie Tempah, Avicii and Example. With their extensive knowledge on an array of different genres that range from 110 to 174 bpm, Delta Heavy just released their new drum and bass single ‘The World Is Yours,’ which is

taken from their new ‘Apollo’ album. Deriving from the influence of Giorgio Moroder’s Scarface soundtrack, the predominately drum and bass infused EP encompasses a retrospective 80’s vibe. In addition to it’s techno-influenced sensation, with it’s old analogue synths blended with a mix of uplifting and dark cords, the London duo have created yet another string of hits to add to their celebrated success. It not heavy unless it’s Delta Heavy so to follow the fervent triumph of their eclectic ‘Down The Rabbit Hole’ EP, Delta Heavy will embark on an Australian tour this month to

promote their new album. To experience this bass filled event check below to see if the duo is coming to a city near you. April 17th: Chinese Laundry, Sydney, Australia April18th: HQ Complex, Adelaide, Australia April 19th: Biscuit Factory, Brisbane, Australia April 20th: Villa Nightclub, Perth, Australia

LOADSTAR COMING TO WORLD BAR! The formidable production duo Loadstar made up of Nick Hill and Gavin Harris, respectively known individually as Lomax and Xample, have collectively transcended drum and bass. Initially the two started off as individual acts, but as soon as the power houses came together and created tracks like 2006’s ‘The Latter’ and 2009’s ‘Contra,’ these established productions planted the seed for the duos sprouted success. By gaining the attention of drum and bass spearhead Andy C with tracks that pushed the grass root sound of drum and bass, the prodigious duo individually got signed to the mighty RAM Records. Following their signing to the prominent label, 2010 was a lucrative year for the twosome. By fusing their eclectic knowledge of musical composition, Nick’s melodic touches and Gavin’s technical skills prodigiously complimented each other to create tunes that exudes a balance of dance floor head bangers in addition to melodic tracks. To establish the fundamental bond of their partnership under the Loadstar alias, ‘Link To The Past’ was the promising glue to their musical marriage. With the track being voted ‘Best Single’ at the Drum & Bass Arena Awards during the same year, this showcased their influential predominance in the scene.

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By following the success of their recent album ‘Future Perfect,’ they have just released their new single ‘Stepped Outside’ on April 6th to add to their ever growing string of hits. By blending different style elements into their productions and shows, they have created a foundation for themselves to push the boundaries of bass music. With their world wide success, it’s only fitting that Aussie and Kiwi fans would want to witness these outstanding British blokes. Your wish was their command and with that in mind, to follow the Miami craze of Winter Music Conference, the two illustrious artists will embark on an Australian and

New Zealand tour to satisfy the craving of drum and bass heads needs. Check out the listings of the shows below to see when the duo is coming to a city near you. This show will definitely be one for the books that you do not want to miss out on. Sydney - Wednesday April 9th - The World Bar Melbourne - Friday April 11th - Brown Alley Perth - Saturday April 12th - Villa Nightclub Christchurch - Thursday April 17th - UCSA Auckland - Friday April 18th - INK Bar Wellington - Saturday April 19th - James Smiths Basement

COMIN’ UP

GUY GERBER

1. What was it like growing up in Tel Aviv? I would imagine the most prevalent electronic music genre there would be psy-trance. How did you get into house music? Trance is big outside of Tel Aviv, in Tel Aviv people like more forest and dessert parties. Yet I wasn’t so into the electronic music that most people were into back in the day: Laurent Garnier, Danny Tennaglia; etc. In general at these parties I was into rock music, and in a band, back then electronic music felt more like rock n’ roll to me than any rock shows that were happening at the time. Growing up I was more into rock n’ roll. I got into music because of a girl when I was 15 and it’s been a crazy roller coaster ever since. Techno and trance were popular there in the 90’s. 2. I’ve heard ‘rumours’ that you are starting a new label. Can you tell me a little about this and what you have planned with it? The thing about rumours is, it takes a minute to start one and a lifetime to stop. My new label, Rumors, will be exactly that. I wanted to create something based entirely on talk and word of mouth.

3. After an extremely successful summer in Ibiza with Wisdom of the Glove, you’re starting a residency at Miami’s Story in March. What you can tell me about this residency?

have loads of friends and it’s always a nice experience.

Wisdom of the Glove is a full experience, with the general vibe of being unordinary. From the music to the production to the people. I’m happy to be working with Story because I feel they really understand the vision.

No not a lot. But I’ve been in NYC for the last month working on an album with P. Diddy called 11:11. We started this project not really sure what was going to happen. After a few years of starts and stops, the album is almost finished.

4. What does a ‘live’ Guy Gerber show entail and why were you drawn to performing live rather than DJing?

7. Outside of music, what inspires your productions?

In the past year I actually stopped playing live and I started to remix other people’s tracks as well. I’m always playing four channels at a time and I still manipulate the sounds. The way I look at it is to bring something new out of the track that I’m playing. 5. This will be your third time coming to Australia. How do you find Australian crowds compare to that of overseas crowds?

6. Do you find much time to produce while you’re on the road?

My productions are very surreal. I’d say I’m mostly inspired by my life situations. They are always weird. Sometimes painful or hilarious. 8. What do you have in store for the rest of 2014? 2014 will be filled with Rumors. But definitely the good kind.

Much more beautiful girls. People are chilled. In general I love coming here, I djmag.com.au

COMIN’ UP

PACHA

As Pacha Sydney tries to replicate the incredible success of its counterparts in cities like London and New York, they’ve enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence in the Sydney clubbing scene over the last year or so, to the extent where Pacha is probably the city’s biggest Saturday night club event. Only recently Laidback Luke took to the decks at the Ivy, and the event has also played host to artists along the lines of A-Trak, What So Not, Eric Prydz and Zedd, just to name a few. As such, they’ve released another monster line up in April. First up, SCNDL takes the decks to bring the Melbourne sound to the Sydney masses. Local heavyweight Timmy Trumpet follows him the next week, supported by a wealth of Aussie locals to fashion a proper Aussie Club night. After that, things become decidedly more big-room, as Cedric Gervais takes to the stage, before Mixmash takes over, bringing D.O.D., Uberjak’d and Tigerlily to showcase the best of Australian Electro and Bounce music. Check out the full line up and dates here: Saturday 4th April – SCNDL / Dave Winnel / John Glover / Ben Morris / Fingers / DJ Just 1 / Nicc Johnson / Samrai / NA/ Devola / Heres Trouble / Stu Turner and more Saturday 12th April – TIMMY TRUMPET / Ben Morris / A-Tonez / Baby Gee / Matt Nugent / Spenda C / Fingers / DJ Just 1 / Mike Hyper and more Saturday 19th April – CEDRIC GERVAIS / Ember / John Glover / Matt Nugent / Chris Fraser / Jace Disgrace / Nanna Does Smack and more Sat 26th April – MIXMASH RECORDS PRESENTS D.O.D and UBERJAK’D / Tigerlily / Baby Gee / Nanna Does Smack / Reelax / Fingers / DJ Just 1 / Jace Disgrace / Dylan Sanders and more

S.P.Y With his remarkable rise in the drum and bass spectrum since his exclusive signing to the mighty Hospital Records, Carlos ‘S.P.Y’ Lima has dominated the scene with his ability to skillfully transition between a dark heartfelt melody into a surge of electrifying exuberance. With the reverence he received for his hits ‘By Your Side’ and ‘Last Night,’ along with a ubiquitous praise for his debut solo album ‘What The Future Holds,’ the album and string of hit singles as a collective propitiously sparked the foundation of his placement in the scene to become a bonafide figure in drum and bass. Last month as part of the Street Child World Cup organization to act as an active voice for children living in poverty, S.P.Y along with London Elektricity and Diane Charlemagne created the ‘I Am Somebody’ anthem. With all the proceeds of the song going towards the organization, the funds raised will continue to provide children with the support and resources they need to have a fresh start at life. The project was particularly personal to Carlos since he grew up in Sao Paulo and witnessed the deprivation effects of a third world country. By using his musical platform

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along with the two other Hospital monikers, they accentuated the ‘I Am Somebody’ theme by challenging the stigma linked with the derogatory “street child” term to fight that no child should ever have to live on the street. To swiftly follow the success of the anthem, this month S.P.Y brings fans three beautifully composed pieces of music that will be featured on his ‘Back To Basis’ EP. In collaborations with Total Science, Canadian vocalist and producer Grimm and the legendary Diane Charlemagne, S.P.Y brings fans on a musical retrospective. By encompassing a range of sounds, he intensifies his signature deep core blended with his fresh unparalleled underground tone to present a selection of celestial tracks that reflect his timeless nature. Usually on EPs or albums there is always one track featured that is usually swept under the rug, however ‘Cold Harsh Air,’ ‘Brooklyn Dub’ and ‘Dusty Fingers’ are all prodigiously crafted as a splendid treat for those who fancy drum and bass. ‘Back To Basics’ will be released through Hospital Records on April 7th.

COMINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; UP

VIVID SYDNEY COMES TO LIFE IN MAY!

The countdown has begun and preparations have started once again for Vivid Sydney, one of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest growing tourist attractions. Over the course of late May and early June, the festival will see the inner city of Sydney become a beacon of colour and visual effects that are nearly unrivalled anywhere in the world. National landmarks like the Opera House, Darling Harbour and the Sydney Harbour Bridge are illuminated in a vast array of colour and light. Of course with this audio-visual experience comes the music, and the trend of dance acts gracing the city during Vivid is set to continue this year. Local staples Future Classic and Astral people will be hosting events, Giorgio Moroder is taking the stage at the opera house, and The Presets will of course bring their mesmerising shows. Get down to Sydney at this time if you can, it is truly something amazing!

TECH 100 By celebrating one hundred releases from label bosses Drumsound and Bassline Smith themselves, Technique Recordings has prominently been one of the most influential labels in drum and bass for over the past decade. With a string of legends like Roni Size, J Majik & Wickaman, Friction, DJ SS, Twisted Individual, Crissy Criss and Tantrum Desire to name a few, they have all been featured on the illustrious imprint which created a fervent fan base for the label. The latest release this month is a fortythree track LP that includes remastered classics and exclusive VIP selections from the most prodigious talent in drum and bass. To take fans on a reminiscent journey down memory lane, the label highlights the finest musical selections in which a lot of the tracks featured received cult status amongst the public over the years. TECH 100 Retrospective LP is now available through Technique Recordings.

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COMIN’ UP

STANTON WARRIORS

‘Stanton Sessions Vol 1’ (XL) Both initially from the West Country, Mark Yardley and Dominic Butler, aka the Stanton Warriors, met at the Fifty First State garage label/studio complex in London in the mid-1990s. “A lot of Junior Boys Own stuff was made at Fifty First State, Tuff Jam had a label down there, I was the A&R and Mark was the in-house engineer,” Dominic Butler remembers. “Early UK garage at that time was basically like the dubbier end of American garage, American house sounds of the MK, Kerri Chandler variety — adding UK basslines and stuff to them,” he continues. “I’d been a DJ and promoter in Bristol, did a university music course in London and got the A&R job straight away. One day Mark and I thought, ‘Hang on, I’ve got ideas and you’re an engineer, rather than give said ideas away to other people which you just engineer, why don’t we do a track ourselves on some down-time?’” After about four hours they had a vocal garage track called ‘What You Gonna Do?’, which Dom presented at the next A&R meeting — pretending it was by someone else. “They wanted to sign it, so I admitted it was by us,” says Dom. “They said, ‘What you gonna call yourselves?’We had no idea, but Mark had tripped over a drain cover on Tower Bridge on the way to the studio that day, and cut his knee. It had ‘Stanton Warrior’ written on it, so we thought ‘Yeah, that’ll do’.” The track headed up their debut ‘Headz of State EP’ and got a lot of radio play, and they followed it up with a fresh n’ fly revamp of American DJ/producer DJ Skribble’s ‘Everybody Come On’. “We liked the garage stuff, but after that we did some more diverse stuff, cos we also loved abstract electro stuff and hip-hop and deep house and all these other sounds, and we were determined from the start not to be pigeonholed into one genre,” Dom recalls. They made ‘Da Virus’, populated by tuff beats and a familiar flittering synth that brought it closer to old hardcore, and signed it to Mob Records — a breakbeat label run by DJ Tayo. They followed it up with ‘Da Antidote’, pivoted around a neo-trancey melody, and found that these tracks crossed over assorted other genres. “They were played by not just garage guys, cos they had the bassline and the attitude for them to like it, but also house guys like Sasha and Tom Middleton liked it as well cos it was different,” Dom recalls. “Then yer Pete Tongs liked it as well, and people like Ashley Beedle who were into more leftfield kinda stuff.” They scored remixes off the back of the underground success of this twin pairing of releases, turning Basement Jaxx’s ‘Jump & Shout’ into a ragga-breakbeat thang, and people started asking them what they called their music. “We literally didn’t have an answer, and we didn’t really want to answer it cos we didn’t really want to pigeon-hole ourselves,” says Dom. To answer the question as to what they called their

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music, Dom and Mark got all the tunes they liked from different genres and whacked them into a mix. “Did we do it in one take? Yeah, I think so, cos back then in 2000 there wasn’t Ableton and stuff, and we were proficient mixers so we did a nice clean mix. We might’ve done a couple of takes, but it was done live — you can hear the crackle on the mix. We did it at my home on two decks, using a lot of dubplates.” That mix got heard by someone from XL Recordings, the home of The Prodigy, who wanted to sign it, so it became a compilation — ‘Stanton Sessions Vol 1’. The guys then had to get various tracks cleared, and the variety of tracks from different genres was immediately noticeable. “There were tracks in there by Shut Up & Dance, Layo & Bushwacka!, tech stuff, funk stuff, Groove Chronicles, two-step stuff, even Masters At Work under the name Sole Fusion,” rattles off Dom. “All these different things normally wouldn’t be seen in the same genre, but actually they were linked together by the fact that the beats weren’t 4/4 and had their own kind of attitude. Plus with our own productions, we managed to weave together, inadvertently, our own sound. “One of the mixes on the album was a Busta Rhymes acapella over a ‘Virus’ beat, and that became a song in itself and went Top 20 — it just started off as a live mix,” he continues. “We heard The Streets on a pirate radio station before anyone knew him, got an acapella and put it over an early Zinc breakbeat tune, and that became a tune in itself too.” Dom claims that he thought nobody else would like it apart from them when the mix was finished. “It wasn’t like we were trying to please anybody, we weren’t going ‘Let’s copy Carl Cox, let’s copy Fatboy Slim’ or whatever,” he says. “I think cos we’re from the West Country and Bristol, we had that attitude that people we looked up to like the Wild Bunch and Roni Size had — the attitude of doing your own thing, and not really copying other people. We had, I suppose in a way, that punkish attitude to doing things our own way. We didn’t have that London attitude of ‘You have to be this, that or the other’.”

The comp blew up, and changed everything for the Stantons. “We had everyone knocking on our door, we had a big bidding war by virtually every major label trying to sign us, we had a big manager straight after it — Garry Blackburn, Fatboy Slim’s manager,” Dom says. DJ Mag put the Stantons on the cover just before the comp’s release in 2001 — “breakbeat garage to blow ya head off” was the headline — and it went on to win loads of awards. “Suddenly, from living on £100 a week as studio A&R hustlers, we were DJing all over the world really quickly — and it’s stayed that way for 15 years!” Artists like Groove Armada and Darren Emerson started checking them out, and more recently acts such as Eats Everything and Disclosure have name-checked the Stantons as influences. The comp changed the game for the Stantons, but who else did it change the game for? Well, it certainly re-popularised the trend for re-edits that house playaz like Danny Krivit and Greg Wilson had long been doing, and catalysed a moment in time, post-Millennium, when garage, nu skool breaks, progressive house and what was left of big beat were coalescing and cross-pollinating, throwing out tracks like Zinc’s ‘138 Trek’, Wookie’s ‘Battle’ and Azzido Da Bass’‘Doom’s Night (Timo Maas Remix)’. After the comp came out, the Stantons got a big record deal off the back of it, signing for 679 Records — a subsidiary of Warners — at the same time as The Streets. The deal didn’t work out — “they really wanted Top 10 tunes, or nothing” — and after they parted company the Stantons were able to put out the tunes they wanted to, like booty-shakers ‘Pop Ya Cork’ and ‘Shake It Up’. As the years went on, a Stantons DJ set would continue to be full of re-edits of things like Gorillaz ‘Feel Good Inc’, Claude VonStroke ‘Who’s Afraid of Detroit?’, Alter Ego ‘Rocker’ and so on and so forth. “It’s important to have your own sound,” says Dom, “cos when you travel the world, everyone can get tracks off the internet now, and you can just turn up and play the latest Beatport Top 10 or whatever. We appreciated tunes from other ilks, but you need unique things to play.” CARL LOBEN

21st International Festival of Advanced Music and New Media Art www.sonar.es

Barcelona 12.13.14 June

massive attack, richie hawtin, plastikman, chic feat. nile rodgers, röyksopp & robyn, rudimental, despacio (james murphy + 2manydjs), caribou, woodkid, lykke li, boys noize, bonobo, moderat, four tet, pretty lights, trentemøller, flux pavilion, neneh cherry with rocketnumbernine, todd terje, loco dice, gesaffelstein, i am legion, kid koala vinyl vaudeville 2.0, audion, james holden, dj snake, future brown, matmos, jon hopkins, dj harvey, tiga, yelle, oneohtrix point never, evian christ, dâm-funk, machinedrum, forest swords, ben frost, the martinez brothers, whomadewho, fm belfast, brodinski, paul woolford, ralph lawson, nils frahm, happa, debukas, laurel halo, spoek mathambo, recondite, kaytranada, matthew dear, camo & krooked, daniel miller, uz, jessy lanza, ron morelli, downliners sekt, henry saiz, hucci, alizzz, svengalisghost, nisennenmondai, daito manabe, machine variation, tarek atoui, bflecha, clipping., visionist, copeland, dj nigga fox, majical cloudz, unsound presents oren ambarchi with sinfonietta cracovia + robert piotrowicz, roll the dice, koreless, chris madak aka bee mask, throwing snow, sinjin hawke, t. williams, emufucka, balago, louis baker, trancemicsoul, leo aldrey, astroboyz, harald björk, rudi zygadlo, jolly mare, love cult, desert, de la montagne, suzanne kraft, pau roca, professor angel sound, sibot… www.sonar.es an initiative of

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FASHION

Fashion Essentials. Be ready for anything with knits, pastels, earthy colours, and LIFE! Words: Brad Nash & George Polonski

11. 01. 02.

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1. the patterson jacket industrie.com.au $119.95 2. WRAP MINI SKIRT WITH SIDE BUCKLE French connection.com.au $89.95 3. Montmarte L/S Jacket metalicus.com $99.95 4. ‘Sebastian’ Colourblock Knit jeanswest.com.au $39.99 5. Crop Rib Knit witchery.com.au $129.95

WHAT A SITE!

Stumbleupon www.stumbleupon.com

Now this is a website for websites, and a search engine like no other. Rather than providing page after page of search results, Stumbleupon directs you to one page at a time, depending on your selected preferences. Your thumbs up or down vote then determines future suggestions, and pretty soon you end up with sites that fit your interests perfectly, one after another.

6. Sharp Suede tarocash.com.au $99.99

What Are You Wearing –

7. Global Coat sheike.com.au $189.95

CASENO Exclusive wardrobe access

8. Jatero True Vintage Stretch Straight Jean justjeans.com.au $79.95 9. Camouflage Long Sleeve Shirt saba.com.au $126.75 10. Trost Pant saxony.com.au $38.89 11. Dazzling Blue Snake Clutch jessica-t.com.au $39.95 12. Mermaid Shuffle mimco.com.au $199.00

someecards www.someecards.com Either browse through the thousands of electronic cards created on this site and dispersed throughout the internet, or create your own. The combination of a short phrase of plain text with a retro line drawn image creates the perfect medium to vent your sarcasm, indignation, or whatever you wish at the surrounding internet world. But seriously, nothing channels dry humour better than someecards.

13. Lotus red by Faranzi fswshoes.com.au $59.99

16. Sprayground – Money Stacks Backpack lootandlaw.com.au $69.00 17. Annalynne Day Bag forevernew.com.au $69.99 18. Isabella T-Shirt Jumpsuit portmans.com.au $69.95

What are you wearing right now?

Who is your favourite designer?

Harris: My favourite Tortoise Shell Retro Super Future sunglasses, a basic black Tommy Hilfiger Tee, and dark blue Topman super stretch skinny jeans. Ric: I’m wearing a reversible blue and white striped t-shirt (that’s right reversible)! Shorts that are half brown and half some other colour, and yellowy brown short chucks.

Harris: I love vintage basics but I also think Stüssy are killers at making ugly shirts look great. Ric: If I like something, I will get it. Doesn’t matter when, or where it came from.

How would you describe your style?

14. Ladies Emme Watch jag.com.au $159.00 15. Compass cufflinks tmlewin.com.au $44.95

FASHION

Word Porn Search on Facebook This page even better than it sounds. One of the few things better than learning a life-applicable English word every time you open your news feed is learning one that comes from any of the languages of the planet. There are some ideas that simply cannot be expressed in a word in some languages, but you’ll be grateful for knowing them from their source! Also has a great selection of quotes.

Harris: A mash between basic, psych, mod, with a hint of ugliness. I’m always attracted to items that have an element of ugliness. Ric: I don’t really like over the top too much (unless it’s when I’m playing my bass)! Describe an outfit you remember from as far back into your childhood as possible. Harris: I think my parents thought it would be culturally valuable at 4 years to dress and document me in a traditional Greek military costume. I was hoping for more of a commando get up, but what I got was a white dress, white stockings, red and blue embroidered velour vest and blue slip-on shoes. Ric: I had an obsession with teenage mutant ninja turtles, so I had the most awesome Turtles long sleeve tee I would wear as much as possible with green trousers.

What is your favourite boutique/store?  Harris: I really like Jack London for suits and shirts. They just always look dope and fit me so well. Ric: Have many places I like especially on Chapel street Melbourne eg: Plane, FAT, Nana Judy. What is your most treasured item? Harris: Right now it is this blue bomber jacket that has paisley sleeves. I think I may have a bit of a sub-conscious paisley addiction going on. Ric: If we’re talking clothes it’s my Ksubi sleeveless denim jacket with a hood. What are you currently working on? Harris: Currently I’m recording and finishing a bunch of vocals and music for our debut Caseno album in the near future. Finishing a selection of house releases and collabs under “Harris Robotis.” Ric: Yeah pretty much the same as Harris, writing a whole bunch and finishing off lots of Caseno tracks to put towards our album.

16. djmag.com.au

LIFESTYLE

AN R B E H T BEHIND

Double denim Although this option can be a tricky one at times, the secret is to use different shades so that your denim pieces work together instead of clashing. This is made even easier with the extra layering options made available by this month.

Baxter of California iKOU Two things that you absolutely cannot miss when walking into an iKOU store, are the incredible wafts of aroma that greet you from even before you step in, and their instantly calming but energising effect. Their products are perfect for just about any moment spent at home – why not cherish every moment that you aren’t spending out or at work? iKOU is the master creation of Naomi and Paul Whitfield. Based in the world-heritage listed Blue Mountains, their brand concept stems from global experience of bath and spa culture, and one particular holiday in Ubud, Bali, where they realised “Why is it that on holidays we do all these beautiful things, but when we get home we feel we don’t have the time?” “We decided from that day on, we would make time to create conscious moments of rest and relaxation in our everyday life… lighting a beautiful candle, taking a hot bath, or even just sipping on an uplifting herbal tea. These seemingly small things have made such a big difference to our personal health and happiness, and we wanted to inspire others to do the same.” Since then, iKOU has blossomed into an eclectic mix of 100% organic and naturally sourced skin care products, teas, perfumes, natural candles, bath products and everything in between. The brand currently supplies local and international businesses, from boutique hotels to luxury resorts and spas, while being founded on eco principles and the preservation of animals and the environment. The name itself originates from the Japanese word for relax, rest, and restore. iKOU manages to do just that, and much more besides.

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LESS IS MORE...

Since 1965, Baxter of California has been a staple brand in the grooming routines of men worldwide. Combining the best of nature and science into easy-to-use formulations, men looking to expand on their regular grooming routine should look no further than this L.A. classic. BoC has items to satisfy nearly every need a man could possibly have in looking his finest, featuring simple 1,2,3 kits based around daily skin care and shaving, along with vitamin-infused soaps, deodorant, and haircare lines inspired by the opening of their flagship barber in Los Angeles. Check out their website for how-to’s and essential tips for all-manner of grooming techniques. http://www.baxterofcalifornia.com/

Pastels The calming and soothing effects of pastels are great for filling out a collection that seems to have only bold choices. They can come from any side of the colour wheel.

Earthy colours The go to for this time of the year, try experimenting with interesting greens down to greys. Even the super earthy tones of browns can be turned into an eyebrow raising source of interest. Extras add up Feel free to combine all sorts of accessories for a powerful effect. The opportunities are endless if you think about sets of items rather than individual showpieces.

Oxford Born in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, Oxford opened its first store in Bondi Junction in 1978, with a focus on bridging the gap between designer clothing and the heavily populated middle market at the time. By the nineties, the company had started up another five stores around the city. It earned its distinctive character of being inventive and at times quirky, compared to higher priced labels. Buoyed by success, these metropolitan stores were followed by an additional twenty interstate, in Brisbane, Canberra, and Melbourne. Now, Oxford has developed into a chic and contemporary range for men, and in recent years, women. It continues to uphold its unconventional upbringing, and can provide that elegant but trendy touch to anyone’s wardrobe, from classic articles to casual wear and accessories.

Bold Blue Take charge of your image with strong electric and cobalt blues. Exude confidence while adding a dash of interest to your Autumn wardrobe. Aura of confidence? I think so. Monochrome Make use of any monochrome sets you might have, by mixing it up with something that is decidedly, well, chrome. Patterned motifs and metallic sheens can go a long way. Red Red is the new blue is the new black. At the opposite side of the spectrum to trusty blues, reds like sangria and aurora are perfect for going against one trend, and making it into another. The best choice for bringing some warmth into your outfits.

TOM PIPER’S TRAVEL VIBES

LIFESTYLE

SEOUL

DJ DIARY So last month my first ever travel vibe was published, must have been ok cause I’m back and now we are flying 2 hours to the west of Tokyo. This time welcome to Seoul!

SHOPPING VIBE Geez, where to start?? Seoul has a massive vibe on shopping, there are street markets all over the place, the sort of markets that sell everything … not really my vibe but worth a peep cause its the Korean version of Paddy’s and you might find some cool stuff. The one I have been to a few times is behind a department that is worth checking out called SHINSEGAE. Another massive shopping center / mall to check out is LOTTE, I am pretty sure you cannot miss it if you going to Seoul, it has a theme park and a hotel in it. I could be wrong but I think that maybe MYEONGDONG, is a suburb of JUST shops at least it seemed that way to me. Wander around and get lost in shopping mayhem. Check out KASIMA in NOON SQUARE, it’s a chain around Seoul but there’s a T1 NIKE store next to that one: D Probably the most Korean-style street clothing vibe was A LAND... also heaps of these around Seoul but perhaps the MYEONG-DONG one is the biggest. Shops are open very late there. Grab a cab or subway to HONG-DAE similar to Harajuku for me with cool designer outlets and lots of little one off random shops selling different brands, plus all the regular sickness like KASIMA and that. Cool bars n food places all over too!! There is heaps of shopping basically all over Seoul. You can hit up GANGNAM, ITAEWON, everywhere. The Koreans are all over it!! Check out TECHNOLAND, a big variety store, that’s open 24 hours and sells everything from cat food to Neumann microphones. Crazy. Sick. Love it.

FOOD VIBE There are so much standout Korean specialties, I will not be able to give Korean food slight justice with the space I have but I will mention few things I dug. Will not go on about BULGOGI and DUMPLINGS. I think we’ve got them pretty sorted here at home. KOCHI is my favorite style of food in Korea, I even named a song after it (check it out, Tom Piper & Kid Massive – KOCHI KOCHI). KOCHI comes as fresh platters of skewers with different meats and vegetables that you cook yourself on your own personal mini coals bbq! The main vibe is the marinated lamb with dope dipping spices & sauces on the side. You go to these places with friends, drink beer and sochu until the early morning and cook skewers of maximum vibe as you see fit D BI BIM BAP is a VERY traditional Korean vibe; you will definitely run into it. I quite like it and to be fair it was good everywhere, even on a flight… so just make sure you go in on it at least once! I think there are many different combinations but basically, you get boiled rice, kimchi, meat, maybe an egg, some vegies and Korean chili sauce, mix it all urrpppp and BOOOOOM – BI BIM BAP! Nice.

As you wander around shopping, you will see little food stalls non-stop. I didn’t go in on all these but I can vouch for the EGG ON TOAST ones. Sounds simple, is simple, but tastes sick, specially when your freezing your ass off in winter. Think of it as a Korean version of French toast! If you are after modern-Korean pimp vibes I have to recommend POOM, I have been to a few real good places in Seoul but this was definitely the top vibe! Everything about this place is dope, original menu, amazing vibe, unquestionable service and you look out across Seoul from your table! JUNG SIK DANG was also pretty sick. MAKKOLI is a traditional old-school alcohol that has become real popular again! When I explain this you might be like WTF but please do try it. If I was going to compare the texture, look and taste, it is a cross between Beer & Milk ha-ha. I know that sounds rank but its dope!! It’s cloudy but thin, lightly carbonated, sweet but savory! Lot’s of fun too as you pour bottles of it into a cauldron like thing and use little bucket cups to scoop it up… you have to skull each serving and then wave it over your head to show you finished it. They always serve MAKKOLI with a pancake dish (PAJEON) that works as a perfect partner in crime. Warning: DO NOT PUT SOCHU IN YOUR MAKKOLI CAULDRON, IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME…AND I WAS WARNED BUT THE LAST THING I REMEMBER FROM THAT NIGHT WAS POURING THE SOCHU, THEN NADA! HAHA ARGH.

CLUB VIBE Clubbing is a huge part of youth culture in Korea, and dance music is massive… the main vibe (apart from K-Pop!). There are clubs all over the place, and they are all pretty ridiculous! Hotels such as W or the HYATT also run club-like events! I have played at the W before, was a great show but very surreal as the gig was in the lobby. During the day it is all classy and relaxed, piano player etc. etc., I went up to my room, slept, came back down and it had transformed to a full on club with crazy production, was dope. Actually one of the best gigs I’ve played was in BUSAN (one hour south of Seoul; apparently the Korean version of Miami, or the Gold Coast). Club was called FIX, the first time to shoot a CO2 cannon too! Last time I was in Seoul I think the latest club was SYNDROME. You walk downstairs and it opens up into a swimming pool and VIP area... walk down and just past the pool and you’ll be on the main dance floor, it’s probably about the size of The Met in Brisbane, but with not as high a ceiling (as it’s underground). OCTAGON is another vibe that has a made a very good name for itself as a premier underground spot and definitely worth a peep. Other clubs I have heard of but not been to are ELLUI, EDEN, ANSWER & MASS. If you are going with a group it really might be a good idea to book a table at these places, of course you don’t have to but you might be much more comfortable as the club layouts are a bit different to Australian vibes.

So there’s actually a pretty cool random custom that Korean clubs have called “Booking”. If you are at a club that has tables / table service you can call the waiter and request a “Booking”. He or she will then go over to another table of the opposite sex and bring them over to you for a chat, if you all get along they’ll join your table and party, otherwise they’ll go back to their own table and the night continues, no stress. I guess this can happen here anyway without it being a “thing”… but over there it’s completely normal and expected ha-ha. SHAMELESS PLUG: My friend has a restaurant in Seoul called DE KARMELIET… it’s Korea’s only Belgian restaurant. Amazing vibe and food check it out if you get sick of kimchi! There’s a studio in the bottom floor, so maybe you can convince him to max some tunes after your Pommes Frites & Mussels!

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LIFESTYLE Aztecs 9 April – 10 August A wildly cross cultural exhibition will be taking place in Melbourne Museum this April. See the Aztec civilisation up close as never before, with over 200 sacred cultural objects on display. Various museums in Mexico have donated these artifacts of the daily life, beliefs and sacrificial rituals of this fascinating civilisation. The Aztecs were a powerful Mesoamerican people with a complex culture that took human sacrifice to an entirely new level. The showcase centres around six main themes including the origins and fall of the Aztec Empire, sacred rituals and beliefs, royal and family life, trade, agriculture and war. “The Aztec empire is one of history’s greatest civilisations,” said Dr Patrick Greene, CEO, Museum Victoria. “This is a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors in Australia to learn about Aztec daily life and afterlife through archaeological finds, intricate models and dramatic multimedia.” Highlights of the exhibit include a scale model of the Great Temple that physically and spiritually dominated the Aztecs’ capital city of Tenochtitlán, and sculptures such as those of the god of death Mictlantecuhtli, who stands smiling maniacally with his liver hanging out. Frank Howarth, Director at Australian Museum, said “Aztec civilisation had it all; longevity, noteworthy accomplishments coupled with pioneering education and political structures, before their conquest by the Spanish in 1521. We look forward to sharing with our visitors this dramatic Aztec story told through remarkable objects.”

Sydney Comedy Festival 22 April - 17 May 2014 With over 165 shows over four overflowing weeks, the 10th annual Sydney Comedy Festival will be a hit in over 30 venues in Greater Sydney. Sydney Comedy Festival director Jorge Menidis announced, “From humble beginnings in 2005 with only 22 shows, the Festival has grown into the city’s most-loved annual comedy extravaganza. We feel that the 2014 program is our best yet and we look forward to welcoming an expected 110,000 people to the Festival to help us celebrate ten years of hilarity.” The lineup of international comedy stars will include Stephen K Amos, Paul Foot, David O’Doherty, Julian Clary, Urzila Carlson, and US performers Jeff Dunham, Reginald D Hunter and Dom Irrera. The range of overseas artists is just a fraction of the local Australian talent that will be featured, including new additions, The Axis of Awesome, Joel Creasey, Tom Ballard, and Sarah Kendall. Tying the whole 2014 program together will be the mix of special events not limited to The Gala at the Sydney Opera House, the single biggest night of comedy known as Cracker Night, the Beached Az Film Festival, Frocking Hilarious, the Secret Shows, and The 10th Anniversary Big Birthday Bash hosted by Julia Morris.

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LIFESTYLE

Alliance Française French Film Festival

Perth 18 March – 6 April Adelaide 20 March – 8 April Byron Bay 24 April – 28 April

Running for its 25th consecutive year, the French Film Festival is one of the most highly anticipated cultural events of Australia. Over 130 000 cinema lovers and enthusiasts attend screenings all over the nation of the best new French films. It takes place in a total of seven cities, with the festivities in Perth, Adelaide, and Byron Bay continuing into April. The AFFF is a joint undertaking between the French embassy and six different Alliances Françaises around Australia, and holds the title of the largest French film festival in the world outside of France itself. The Alliance Française is an international not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to spread French language and culture to all corners of the globe. It was first founded in Paris in 1883 by luminaries like the writer Victor Hugo, and the father of microbiology, Louis Pasteur. The Ambassador of France to Australia, Stéphane Romatet, said, “The Alliance Française French Film Festival carries high the colours of French cinema in Australia. It partners a changing industry, one founded on creativity and quality. The Festival bears witness to our strong points - passion serving excellence and diversity. After all, it embodies the richness and depth of the relationship that unites Australia and France.” Comedies, dramas, documentaries and much more are curated by the AFFF, resulting in a vibrant, daring, and sophisticated celebration.

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FOCUS ON

Initially established in 1998 by Steve Pavlovic , Modular Recordings has grown to achieve a ton of success with signings of such names as Wolfmother, Jack Johnson, The Presets, Chromeo, Sneaky Sound System, Tame Impala, Bag Raiders and many more. Moving forward Modular Recordings have created a culture of taking risks and as a result they have found and signed great acts that have helped shape the Australian music industry. With a history that has been etched in time and a keen eye for talent, it is no wonder Modular Recordings are known as one of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest record labels.

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Words: Alan Lau

How was Modular People formed? On a wing and a prayer in the summer of ‘98 in an apartment in Bondi Beach, Australia. Stephen Pavlovic had arrived in Sydney from his native Canberra some years earlier and fallen into concert and tour promotion, putting on shows for the likes of Nirvana, Mudhoney, My Bloody Valentine, The Beastie Boys, Pavement, Fat Boy Slim and so on. As a tour promoter he was often receiving demo tapes by bands that wanted to snag the opening spot on these shows, and one day he received a tape from a band called Quentin’s Brittle Bones that was so excellent, he decided he had to work with the band. They changed their name to The Avalanches, and the rest is history. Where is the label headed? Onwards and upwards. What are you plans for the future? Long and short term? Short term we have a new EP from Movement and are looking to complete an album with those guys this year. An album from Bag Raiders is just around the corner, and there’s more new music from The Presets. The FOR Festival on the island of Hvar in Croatia is full steam ahead, the Modulations part of this year’s Vivid program at Carriageworks is going to be the go to event this Winter, plus there’s some forthcoming singles on our Club Mod imprint to look out for. Bigger picture, there’s a new overall company look coming up. Long term we plan to continue to grow and diversify, and do projects that feel interesting and exciting to us, be they records or otherwise. What are your thoughts on today’s music culture? Do you think it is for the better or for the worse? Both, it can be either completely inspiring or incredibly deflating, depending on how you look at it/what side of the bed you got out of. The underground is getting stronger, more creative and more exciting in so many different directions that it’s impossible to keep up with, even though it’s more accessible than any “underground” ever was in the past. Commercial music is heading towards a place that sometimes feels less and less interesting, and for the most part, the most exciting stuff is out towards the fringes with the freaks. On the rare occasions that those two poles intersect we have our faith in the world restored. When signing a new artist or band, what are the qualities you look for? Something different, something nobody else is offering, a feeling we can’t get elsewhere or a sound we’ve never heard before, or at least not in 20 years. Sharp haircuts, nice shoes. Thank you for the interview, do you have a message for the readers? To borrow from one of our own, “free your mind”.

GLITTER BALL GLORY!

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Montreal has done better than ever this year, but which old gas power station has entered the poll?

The world’s most important poll dedicated to clubs has returned! Which rooms of dance have stolen your hearts most over the past 12 months? Words: ADAM SAVILLE, JOE ROBERTS, BEN MURPHY, CARL LOBEN

J Mag Top 100 Clubs is back! The world’s biggest venue poll has been chosen by you, the ravers of the world, for the fourth time in a row and the results are in (via facebook.com/djmagazine). With over 350,000 votes, this is the ultimate barometer for changing trends and clubbing tastes worldwide. Top 100 Clubs is your chance to assess the ever evolving movements of your favourite industry. With dance music more popular than ever, everyone wants a piece of the pie. House topping the UK charts, EDM still taking over America and other territories — Brazil, South Korea, India — embracing pure dance music at a staggering rate, while cities already established as clubbing meccas — Ibiza, London, Berlin, Amsterdam — also remain strong. Meanwhile, the underground has been bubbling away resolutely, as heads recently switched on by more mainstream sounds have dug deeper. All this is reflected in this year’s poll, as competition drives better sound quality, technological advancement and production standards skyward, rapidly contributing to extreme levels of professional and unprecedented clubbing excellence. Last year, Green Valley sat pretty at the top of this poll. Has this Brazilian colosseum in the middle of the jungle retained its winning position, or has another one trumped it? Are Ibiza’s clubs still the most portentous presence in the world — ranking three in the top 10 last year — or has somewhere else risen to supremacy, suggesting a new region of the world (Brazil? London? Las Vegas?) can boast they are the new clubbing centre of the universe? So many questions, so few answers... not yet! Turn the page, sup on a cuppa and get stuck into Top 100 Clubs 2014! 26 djmag.com djmag.com.au 26

Brazilian clubs make the top 50 of this poll!

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Blimey! One club in Las Vegas has shot in as highest new entry at number 10! Any ideas?

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Who has reached the heady heights of Scotland’s favourite club!?

Ibiza is still bossing it. But one in particular has won the‘Highest Climber’ accolade in 2014... for obvious reasons.

venues from Eastern Europe in the Top 100 this year.

ONE

is the Top 100’s first ever Indian club.

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Which Brazilian club has broken into the Top 40 with its first appearance despite only launching in November 2012?

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The highest climber last year has joined the Top 10 this time. Which club is really doing it Gangnam Style!? djmag.com.au

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ASYLUM AFTERHOURS HONOLULU, HAWAII, US CAPACITY: 175

asylumafterhours.com

HONOLULU might not be renowned worldwide for its underground dance spots, but ask any DJ worth his or her salt why they are travelling to that distant set of islands in the central Pacific Ocean, and chances are they’ll namecheck Asylum. Over the past few months at this snug after-hours den of iniquity — all trippy glow-inthe-dark walls and luminous UV strips — only the most off-the-radar dance talent has been flown in from the US and Europe to keep its switched-on regulars awake until daylight. Matador, Flo and Peri, Nina Kraviz, Lopazz, Jesse Rose and Silky have all joined the beloved residents in Asylum’s booth, while Willis Haltom, the club’s brainchild, has been making in-roads into production via remixes on Dirtybird and Get Physical, no doubt helped by this venue’s massively respected reputation.

TREEHOUSE MIAMI, US

CAPACITY: 800

treehousemiami.com

NEW ENTRY

EGG LDN LONDON, UK

CAPACITY: 900 egglondon.net

NEW ENTRY

FROM sketchy“Breakfasts at Egg”to some of the most impressive line-ups to hit the capital, Egg LDN has managed quite a turnaround over the past 12 or so months. With a tougher door policy, brand new‘Flipside’soundsystem and terrace, Egg’s return to grace has come with all the brilliance of its recently installed LED light set-up. Nights such as Night Train, Paradox (Tuesdays) and Yousef’s Circus, with guest appearances from the likes of Laurent Garnier, Danny Tenaglia and Dennis Ferrer, have provided a much-needed shot to the arm of a club scene stricken with closures in 2013. Raising the reputation of this club — owned by Laurence Malice, the man who brought Trade to Turnmills and worked stints at NY’s Twilo and LA’s Avalon — back to where it should be, Egg’s progress has been justly recognised in this poll.

WHILE South Beach’s hotels buzz with bros and bikini-clad girls during Miami Music Week, this demure alternative can be found, filled with Florida’s coolest club rats, only a few blocks away. And while many of Collins’most popular spots are used for parties only during WMC, Treehouse does its thing all year round. Previously known as Groove Jet, its new(ish) namesake is definitely no coincidence. Opened in 2011, the club’s lounge-like first room is decked out with a cute, domestic motif, with kitsch bric-a-brac like trophies, framed photos and stylish ornaments giving it character, while the wooden panels of the other booming room and an outside bamboo-lined patio space bring home the treehouse vibe. With Link and Simple/Balance — guests such as Tapesh, Alex Niggemann, Kenny Larkin — taking the schedule slots each weekend, and showcases from Visionquest, Get Physical and Guy Gerber’s Rumors during Music Week, Treehouse is one we like to call home...

TABARIN

BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC CAPACITY: 500 tabarin.cz

NAMED after a street frequented by Paris’most famous illusion artists, there’s nothing fake about Tabarin. Emerging shortly after the Velvet Revolution, this single room venue came to light as a dance venue around‘91. Resident and creative director, Mekki Martin, a pioneer of electro, progressive and tech house, since took steps to transform this live music cafe into a centre of EDM activity. Fitted with an OHM soundsystem and enough confetti cannons to bring down a fighter jet, Tabarin — a regular haunt for the likes of Nicky Romero, Tommy Trash and Cedric Gervais — knows which side its beats are buttered on. 28

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XOYO LONDON, UK

CAPACITY: 850 xoyo.co.uk

NEW ENTRY

AS London’s clubs battle against the swell of litigation in the city, XOYO has stood like a bison since opening its doors in 2010. Holding court as the only decent mid-large dance club in Shoreditch, it’s held firm as the surrounding area has succumbed to multiple waves of ladification, balancing the needs of its hipster clientele with bullshit-free dancefloor principles. Eats Everything every week, XOYO Loves — with larger off-shoots at The Coronet — and Bugged Out! all take place in XOYO’s basement. Its newly fitted booth welcomed Horse Meat Disco, TEED, The 2 Bears, Maxxi Soundsystem and Andrew Weatherall b2b with Daniel Avery last month alone, while its second room with a separate door policy, the artfully decorated Shoreditch Butchery, also had its fair share of top quality talent.

KITTY SU DELHI, INDIA CAPACITY: kittysu.com

NEW ENTRY

OPULENCE and extravagance are two words certainly synonymous with Indian high society; however EDM is an acronym that perhaps isn’t. Kitty Su, situated in the heart of New Dehli, is going great lengths to change that by bringing a touch of clubbing finesse to its young, cash-rich population. Decked out more like a top-end hotel foyer than a grimy, liquor-encrusted nightclub, this is a venue that oozes class, and not one to rock up to in tatty jeans and beaten-up Converse. It’s not all champagne booths and artisan décor, though. Within its leather-lined, art-strewn walls, DJs like Andrew Rayel and Mason have been spotted showering Kitty Su’s laserdrome dancefloor with razor-sharp beats in recent months.

STEREO

MONTREAL, CANADA CAPACITY: 1000

STEREO-NIGHTCLUB.COM

EVERY city has an undisputed gem in its clubbing crown, a dark ruby its loyal clubbers covet. For the ravers of Montreal, it’s undoubtedly Stereo. Circus Afterhours might steal the big-room vote, but for those in town who favour more understated forms of house and techno, Stereo — with its slick, jet-black, red-stripped décor — is a cut above the rest. Damian Lazarus, Seth Troxler, Maceo Plex, James Holden and Sasha are just some of the names who played at this classy late hours club in 2013, in a city that keeps on goin’well into the following day.

TRESOR BERLIN, GERMANY

CAPACITY: 1500 - 2000

TRESORBERLIN.COMA17.RU

ARMA 17 MOSCOW, RUSSIA CAPACITY: 1500

ARMA17.RU

PREVIOUSLY housed within an old gas-holding facility (circa 1865), Arma 17 was once one of the world’s most obscurely located premises in this poll. Today, though, it resides in a warehouse in central Moscow after a fire in 2009, but its spirit lives on. Probably the coolest venue in all of Eastern Europe — let alone Russia — this club prides itself on off-the-beaten-track techno bookings like Raresh, Deadbeat and Villalobos to keep its discerning clientele happy, in a country perhaps more associated with trance and hard dance. The main room boasts a monster of a Funktion One system, while its other studio space owns a custom set-up produced by a Russian rocket scientist, proving further there is nothing ordinary about Arma 17.

ORIGINALLY located underneath the remains of what was once Europe’s biggest department store, Tresor is today found — somewhat fittingly — within an old industrial power station after moving in‘07. The closest thing we probably have to a bricks-and-mortar definition of techno, the club emerged in‘91 as a symbol of freedom, a haven for hedonists looking to shake off the shackles of a city divided by Cold War politics. A supporting label — home to cuts from Juan Atkins, Joey Beltram and, more recently, the excellent Kern CD series — as well as a dedication to techno purism via bookings like Octave One, Cari Lekebusch and Peter van Hoesen (last month alone) continue to make Tresor one of danceland’s most important clubs.

HQ CLUB ATLANTIC CITY, US CAPACITY: 1000

REVELNIGHTLIFE.COM

NEW ENTRY

A far cry from the prohibition era depicted on these shores in Boardwalk Empire, HQ Club offers a much more permitting vision of US culture — the EDM dream in all its shimmering glory. Stored within the plush confines of Revel — a multiplex resort containing casinos, hotels and all manner of entertainment — HQ sits at its core as a nucleus of nocturnal activity. A towering stack of hi-tech lasers and booming sound, its bookings are equally impressive, showcasing only the brightest stars of the dance music universe. Steve Aoki, Roger Sanchez and Benny Benassi are just some of those who clogged up the calendar in March alone.

RAINBOW VENUES BIRMINGHAM, UK CAPACITY: 1500

RAINBOWVENUES.CO.UK

SITUATED in the industrial heart of Birmingham, The Rainbow, which started life as an old man’s boozer, today sits as one of Britain’s most respected clubbing spots. Since first opening in 2004, room by room it’s spread, consuming nearby basement, courtyard and warehouse spaces to complete an interconnected series of venues reserved only for good quality house and techno. Home to Face, Adam Shelton’s Below and Shadow City, these venues hosted Circoloco in the Arena twice, while the likes of Gorgon City, Eats Everything and Catz‘N Dogz are all here to celebrate its 10-year milestone this month, when all its rooms combine like the clubbing equivalent of Megazord (yes, that giant robot in Power Rangers).

ELECTRIC PICKLE MIAMI, US

CAPACITY: 250

ELECTRICPICKLEMIAMI.COM

LOCATED off shady backstreets in downtown Miami, Electric Pickle emerged as the perfect foil to the silicone silliness of South Beach when it opened in 2009. Focused only on off-beat bookings, its shadowy brilliance truly comes to light each year during Miami Music Week, when showcases for the likes of Wolf Music, Crosstown Rebels and Born Electric attract a more hip congregation — those interested in deeper, more understated forms of dance music — than most Miami clubs. Shabby, chic and a little bit seedy, The Pickle — with its kitsch glitter-ball and guests like Ben UFO, Maya Jane Coles and Moodymann — is Miami’s worst-kept secret, a little hidden corner of house and techno hedonism difficult not to love.

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REX CLUB

PARIS, FRANCE CAPACITY: 700

NEARLY every city has an institution that serves as its clubbing backbone. London has Fabric, Berliners boast about Berghain/Panorama Bar and in Paris they love Rex Club. Originally opened in 1988 but dedicated to dance music for over 20 years, it’s not only heritage that makes this club France’s crucial pick. Much like other revered establishments across the world, The Rex relies on an excellent stock of residents. The likes of Dyed Soundorom, D’Julz and Jennifer Cardini all made their name here, while Laurent Garnier has had numerous stints as a resident at the club. With recent bookings like Claude VonStroke, Radioslave, Axel Boman and a custom-built soundsystem with 64 speakers lining the ceiling, it’s no surprise at all to see Rex Club once again listed as one of the world’s leading clubs.

rexclub.com

FUSE

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM CAPACITY: 1600

fuse.be

IT’S no wonder that the little nation that birthed new beat, 2manyDJs and The Glimmers has its share of decent clubs. H20 Club, La Rocca and Cafe D’Anvers each have fans in their own right, but it’s Fuse in Brussels that remains in this poll, as others have been forced out by the strengthening of external dynamics outside of their control. Posterity is one reason. Fuse as a dance club came to being in‘94 as Belgium’s first-ever venue dedicated solely to techno, but the musical history of this former cinema dates back further, to its time in the‘70s as a twin ballroom. Another factor is Fuse’s dedication to its cause. Set up by Peter Decuypere, the same man behind I Love Techno, the club’s designated sound still pumps through its veins thanks to bookings like Marcel Dettmann, Loco Dice and Josh Wink.

SET

MIAMI, FL, US

CAPACITY: 500 setmiami.com

A prominent member of the Opium Group, SET comes with all the opulence expected of a conglomerate responsible for scattering South Beach with glitzy hotels, casinos, bars and clubs such as Cameo and Mansion. The antithesis of grotty tattoo parlours and sweaty bar venues found downtown, this former theatre on Collins Ave, laid out in the style of luxury art deco Hollywood homes of the‘40s and‘50s, is EDM’s answer to the Tinseltown era. A decadent display of Pucci-fabric seating, crystal fittings and plasma screen projections, SET, with its many VIP booths and posh private rooms, is a high roller’s wet dream. Of course, you’ll find mainly EDM monoliths here — the likes of AN21, Max Vangeli and Tommy Trash — while the VIP interest in“underground”sounds has seen the likes of The Martinez Brothers skip through the velvet ropes in recent months.

CLUB VIBE CURITIBA, BRAZIL CAPACITY: 350 clubvibe.com.br

RE-ENTRY

D-EDGE and Warung both get all the credit for bringing deeper forms of house and techno to a scene dominated by VIP culture. Often overlooked, however, is Club Vibe. After dropping out the poll last year (it ranked No.76 in 2012), it’s back once again like the Renegade Master it clearly is, spurred by Brazil’s increasing obsession with “deep house” and recent appearances from the likes of Benoit & Sergio, Adriatique, D-Nox, Wildkats and tINI this year alone. Slick, chic and spacey, Vibe is nothing short of iconic. 30

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CORSICA STUDIOS LONDON, UK

CAPACITY: 450 corsicastudios.com

SERVING as a karate dojo, dry cleaners and an illegal gambling den, the set of archways in Elephant & Castle lived a relatively quiet life until opening as Corsica Studios in 2006. It’s been a repeat offender in this poll since 2010, providing a grubbier alternative to the superclub sheen of Ministry of Sound around the corner. Powered by Funktion One rigs the size of Optimus Prime, it provided a home to Boiler Room, while flagship nights like Trouble Vision, Tief, A Love From Outer Space and Jaded are looked upon regularly to bring the most wanted underground DJ talent to the capital every weekend. Its friendly vibe ensures Corsica’s loyal clubbers also come back for more.

DIGITAL BRIGHTON BRIGHTON, UK CAPACITY: 800

YOURFUTUREISDIGITAL.COM

THE sister club to Digital Newcastle in the north-east of England, Digital Brighton on the south coast opened in 2007. Taking over the arches that formerly housed The Zap — the legendary club that played a big part in the early years of the acid house explosion in the late 1980s — Digital Brighton also made sure it was well-equipped with a pukka Funktion One from the off — and great line-ups too. Deadmau5, Skrillex and MGMT played gigs there when they were relatively unknown, and it has been known for Brighton boy Fatboy Slim to rock up there relatively unannounced. Saturdays are the main dance nights, with the likes of Erol Alkan, Skream, MK, Disclosure and Jamie Jones having all played recently, while Stone Love on Fridays — named after recently departed promoter Dave Stone — are the ‘rock & roll’ nights (“the rock and the soul, the punk and the funk”). Steve Lawler, Leftwing & Kody, Amine Edge & DANCE, Cassy and Dan Ghenacia are all playing Digital this month.

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AQUARIUS PAG, CROATIA CAPACITY:

AQUARIUS.HR

NEW ENTRY

OCCUPYING one of the more prominent placements along the strip of Zrce Beach’s many bars, clubs and beach parties, Aquarius is best-known by Brits as one of the stages of Hideout Festival. It’s also one of the most popular among the locals, providing a home for DJ Mag Beach Festival as well as Zrce Spring Break and New Yorker Fresh Island events during a season running from July to August. Joining Papaya in this poll, if quiet time on a secluded beach is more your thing, Aquarius is not really for you. Unless the likes of Markus Schulz, Michael Woods and Orjan Nilsen represent your idea of easy listening.

TIPS HIS TOP CLUB

CONCRETE, PARIS

“I’ve been playing this place since the beginning and just loved it from the off. Amazing residents in the shape of Behzad and Amarou, great guests booked for their DJ skills above all, not because they made one‘hype’record. Insane sound, looooony crowd... it’s not that difficult, really, now is it?”

CIELO’S 11-year legacy is extra impressive given that it opened at a time when New York City clubbers were still licking wounds inflicted by multiple licensing crackdowns. The living-andbreathing embodiment of NY dance culture, this intimate, loungelike club, with a Funktion One set-up, is our most significant link between the ashes of the club kid era of the ‘90s — when venues like Twilo, Limelight and Tunnel ruled the roost — and today’s generation coming through. Resistant to the ongoing wave of EDM crashing over the US, ex-Pacha resident Nicolas Matar’s club has stuck to its roots, regularly hosting François K’s Deep Space parties and other local legends like Louie Vega and Danny Krivit still, while Kevin Saunderson and Robert Babicz visited just last month.

THE ARCHES GLASGOW, SCOTLAND CAPACITY: 2500 THEARCHES.CO.UK

THE big club powering Glasgow’s ever prescient club scene, The Arches prides itself on diversity. Just as likely to host a DJ set from Example or Fedde Le Grand as a live gig from someone like De La Soul, its all encompassing schedule is one respected by everyone from pill-head ravers to arty hipsters. Slam’s Pressure is still going strong, while Love Action has grown so big it’s been allocated a three-day festival during Easter featuring Gorgon City, Eats Everything and John Digweed. Occupying various arches underneath Glasgow Central since 1991, The Arches isn’t just a club, it’s a cultural institution.

OPENED in‘96, Chicago’s Spybar is a clubbing establishment more rooted in house origins than most. Born merely a decade after the conception of house, and in the same city, this snug, sleekly designed basement is worlds apart from the EDM emporiums troubling the other major cities across the States. Still hinged firmly on real house principles, albeit from a modern point of view, The Martinez Brothers, Art Department and Jamie Jones all featured last month, while techno purists got their rocks off to the likes of Adam Beyer, Gaiser and Barem.

SPYBAR CHICAGO, IL, USA CAPACITY: 300

SPYBARCHICAGO.COM

81 79

CIELO

NEW YORK, NY, US CAPACITY: 350

CIELOCLUB.COM

MATRIXX NIJMEGEN, HOLLAND CAPACITY: 2000 MATRIXX.NL

WORTHY of placement in this poll based on its credentials as a club alone, Matrixx is also the force behind multiple Dutch festivals — Emporium, Dreamfields, XXlerator Outdoor, Matrixx at the Park, Matrixx Live aan de Kade — and the owner of a professional basketball team (Matrixx Magixx). Yep, the clubs trade is big business in Holland — the country that generated six of last year’s Top 10 DJs according to our poll — but while Amsterdam tends to generate most of its steam, opened in 2001, this recently souped-up EDM concert hall, kitted with hydraulic DJ booth and LED-lighting system, is more than worthy of a shout, for obvious reasons. As well as putting on gargantuan parties — XXlerator, Exxellent, Pure Pressure — featuring the likes of Steve Aoki, Armin van Buuren, Hardwell and Diplo each week, Matrixx is also credited with the first-ever hardstyle party in Ibiza at Privilege, as well as a party cruise from Stockholm to Riga.

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CACAO BEACH SUNNY BEACH, BULGARIA CAPACITY: 1500

cacaobeach.bg

OWNING everything from sandy beaches to snow-topped mountains, you’ll find all manner of parties in Bulgaria, from urban club haunts to ski-slope rave-ups. However, the parties that, quite literally, float your boat, take place at Cacao Beach — climbing 10 places this year — and it’s easy to see why. The proposal of orange sunsets, classy ashen decking and sun-loungers on the shore in a luxury setting aside, the appearance of DJs like Hot Since 82, Daniel Dexter and Blond:ish continues to win the hearts of Bulgaria’s clued-up clubbers.

MINT CLUB LEEDS, UK

CAPACITY: 550 mintleeds.com

ROBERT JOHNSON CAPACITY: 250 robert-johnson.de

SHARM EL SHIEKH, EGYPT CAPACITY: 3000

pachasharm.com

LEEDS is considered by many to be the UK’s number two spot for clubbing, and Mint Club has a lot to do with that. Canal Mills, Warehouse and Control all add fuel to the roaring flames of this city’s nightlife, but this compact box — with booming sound and LED ceiling inspired by Watergate — helped sow the seeds when it opened in 1998. And today it’s stronger than ever. With Mint Warehouse also close by catering for large-scale events, resident nights like System, Teknicolor and Mint Presents are still among the most attended in town — marquee underground names like Dixon/ Âme, Loco Dice and Hot Since 82 seeing to that — while relative newcomers Set One Twenty and Circular are also relied upon for unrivalled bookings in the city, with Dusky, Will Saul and Roy Davis Jnr packing the place out last month. The official after-party location for Cocoon in the Park, Sven Väth is also a fan. Bringing names big enough to fill a superclub to a classy but diminutive space in the north of England, Mint Club really is mint.

OFFENBACH, GERMANY

PACHA SHARM

DESPITE resting (or not) on opposing sides of the globe, the exchange between Egypt and The White Isle is still going strong, with the Sharm El Sheikh wings of Pacha and Space both in the poll again. Merging the twin cherry magic of its Balearic sister with the North African architecture of its homeland, Pacha Sharm El Sheikh has been a decadent carnival of dance joy ever since it opened in 2004.

FOUNDATION NIGHTCLUB SEATTLE, WA, US CAPACITY: 550

foundation-nightclub.com

CELEBRATING 15 years this year, this pint-sized venue has a place in this poll despite having standing room for only 250 people. Holding ground against far bigger beasts — meaner Goliaths with much more aggressive booking policies — Robert Johnson isn’t where it is today by valuing ticket sales over sophistication. Only top draw subterranean DJs — such as John Talabot, Cosmin TRG and Pachanga Boys — are permitted within this club’s understated booth, more like an Ikea fitting than the hi-tech space-pods found in other clubs, while the club’s diminutive size doesn’t hold it back from drafting in top-tier underground DJs like Magda and Dixon. Also supported by an on-point house and techno label, Robert Johnson is far bigger than its capacity might suggest.

BETA WATERLOO WATERLOO, ONTARIO, CANADA CAPACITY: 640 betawaterloo.ca

DESPITE its location, there’s nothing Abba about Beta Waterloo, where the only dancing queens are those who like their beats meaty and their drops nasty. A walking ground for the noisiest DJs on the planet, this smoky black box of trippy visuals and retina-scarring lasers only holds about 650 clubbers, but that doesn’t stop it booking some of the biggest names in the game. Robbie Rivera, Marcus Schossow and Fedde Le Grand were just a few invited to send this place absolutely bananas recently. 32

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FOUNDATION hasn’t even been open 18 months and already it’s been fitted with a new booth/stage, and earmarked a lighting system redesign this summer. The word ‘perfectionism’ comes to mind, hence its repeat appearance in this poll. Conceived to lead the EDM drive of Washington State, this art deco club — fitted with undulating LED wall and KV2 Audio System — has been bringing a touch of warehouse chic to Seattle since September 2012. But those expecting the punk/DIY ethos synonymous with this North American city, look away now. Above & Beyond, Kaskade and Pete Tong all played recently, with more underground names like Sneak and Sasha also thrown in the mix.

ROXY PRAGUE

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC CAPACITY: 1000 ROXY.CZ

SITUATED in the centre of Prague, a few minutes’ walk from the old town square of Charles Bridge, Roxy is an automatic stop for tourists who like to stay up late. Traditionally favouring the more abrasive sounds of the dance spectrum, the walls of this pre-World War cinema are also well-worn — the chill-out zone occupying a medieval basement. Hospitality, Goldfish and Jack Beats have all been to this sensory-blasting venue, one for picking face-melting basslines over stripped-back beats in recent years, with d&b and dubstep both getting a look in. During the last few months, however, the club has embraced deeper forms of house and techno, with DJ sets from Disclosure and Booka Shade pegging it level with Europe’s big guns.

69 68

THE A CLUB SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA CAPACITY: 1500

NEW ENTRY

THEA.CO.UK

SEOUL’S clubs are no stranger to this poll ever since the far-eastern city that never sleeps caught the EDM bug. Octagon, Ellui and now we have The A. Only launched June last year, already it’s welcomed Boys Noize, Steve Aoki and Laidback Luke into its UFO-shaped, LED-mapped DJ booth, while more off-the-radar talent — for South Korea, at least — has come in the form of B.Traits, DJ Fresh and Will Sparks. A sea of luminous light sabres within a towering box of Funktion One technology — with enough VIP tables to give PSY an erection — this club really has its A game on. IT’S taken less than eight months for Control to make the poll, but it’s no shock. More like a NASA space station than a club, its two arenas, seven bars and mezzanines — spread over 25,000 square feet — are wired with some of the most cutting-edge engineering known to clubland. Home of the first-ever Geodome, a giant overhead vault with hexagonal video mapping, LED walls and wild visuals, it’s dressed head-to-toe with Funktion One technology, while its many steel walkways and upper levels make for the clubbing equivalent of Quasar. Catering for everyone from big room junkies to underground nuts, Jamie Jones, Nervo and Mistajam have all been booked for the first part of 2014. Leed’s Control is a superclub in the truest sense.

CONTROL LEEDS, UK

CACAPITY: 3100

GOTOCONTROL.CO.UK

IL MURETTO VENICE, ITALY

CAPACITY: 4000 ILMURETTO.NET

NEW ENTRY

ITALIANS love techno. And with clubs like Il Muretto, it’s easy to see why. Opened every summer — with the occasional event in-between — as an open-air colosseum of clubbing carnage, this 4000-capacity arena is worlds away from the peaceful gondola romance kilometres away. Situated around the bay from Venice, this club is the jewel of Jesolo and not just because of its jaw-dropping scale. Loco Dice, Ben Klock, Dubfire and Sven Väth are just some of the monolithic names involved over the past six months.

AGEHA TOKYO, JAPAN

CAPACITY: 2400 AGEHA.COM

WHILE Seoul’s clubs have been ricocheting about the Top 100 like pinballs since EDM hit its shores, Japan’s — or more specifically Tokyo’s — clubs have remained as steady as the sashimi chefs often found in their kitchens. Womb has witnessed a slight climb, whereas Ageha has jumped a single place. The reason for such stability is simple. While South Korea enjoys a clubbing curve, for Japan’s culture vultures high-end clubbing is nothing new. Opened in 2002, it bares its techno teeth with a 36-strong stack of speakers across three rooms — a warehouse space (Box), a live venue (Studio Coast) and an outside poolside stage (Water). Its programming is pretty powerful too, with both coveted underground stars and in-demand EDM big guns combining with Ageha’s gadget-savvy residents.

KRUSE & NUERNBERG MAKE THEIR CHOICE

360°, DUBAI “The first time you come to Dubai you have lots of prejudices cos of what you hear in the media. But this is a place which is just like in the adventures of Asterix — a village of Gauls who love house music. The venue is beautiful, the music full-on!”

MANSION MIAMI, FL, US

CAPACITY: 2500

MANSIONMIAMI.COM

MANSION is set in a building first built as the French Casino in 1936. Opening as a nightclub a decade ago in the heart of South Beach on Washington Avenue, its main room has a towering ceiling and LED light capability on every surface. The DJ booth is in the centre of the room, with VIP sections adjoining. It’s these VIP areas that garnered Mansion worldwide headlines a couple of years ago — for the wrong reasons — when the amazing hip-hop pioneer DJ Shadow was booted off the decks for playing “too future” for those buying expensive bottles of booze. Since then, the bookers have pretty much stuck to homebankers, booking principally EDM big-hitters. Flux Pavilion, Ferry Corsten, Skrillex, Zedd, A-Trak, Afrojack, Above & Beyond and Funkagenda all played Mansion last month. djmag.com.au

STEALTH NOTTINGHAM, UK CAPACITY: 660

STEALTHATTACK.CO.UK

LOCATED in Masonic Place, the only illumination here comes via blinding floodlights and a sense of cliquey inclusion garnered by a decade of exceptionally consistent programming. Contrary to the implication of its name, once inside Stealth there is nothing hush-hush about it. Positioned on a clandestine backstreet of Nottingham, this sweat box — large enough for a big-room vibe but not such that it feels impersonal — filled the shoes of The Bomb with ease when it closed during the mid-’00s, spawning a string of genre-defining club nights, the likes of Dollop, Zleep and Detonate, over the years. Based mostly on UK bass principles, it’s veered further into house in recent years, bringing all the garage, d&b and dubstep needed to satisfy its hip, continually spoilt clientele each week.

FOOTWORK TORONTO, CANADA CAPACITY: 300

FOOTWORKBAR.COM

THAT Footwork has once again found a place in this poll despite closing at the end of 2013 is testament to its outstanding contribution to Toronto’s burgeoning club scene during its eight-year tenure. Ranking just 14 spots below neighbouring juggernaut Guvernment last year, what this club lacked in size it made up for with its seriously ambitious booking policy. Dubfire, Green Velvet, Lee Burridge and Jamie Jones all rammed this ex-piano bar/lounge to the rafters before local boys My Favorite Robot helped bring it to a close last year. But don’t be sad. Footwork’s spirit lives on at Coda, Joel Smye and Stephan Philion’s latest cold-as-ice clubbing concept in the very same city.

ELLUI

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA CAPACITY: 4000

FLORENCE, ITALY CAPACITY: 1200 TENAX.ORG

WITH a history tracing back to the origins of electronic music, Tenax’s placement in this poll is as justified as any other. Providing a forum for ideas — a meeting point between new wave, punk and pop — with gigs from New Order, Spandau Ballet and Bauhaus during the ‘80s, this massive warehouse space not far from Florence has also brought

LIV

MIAMI, FL, US

CAPACITY: 1200

LIVNIGHTCLUB.COM

ELLUI.NET

THE buzz surrounding Octagon and The A aside, Ellui was here before both of them and it still hasn’t gone off the boil. Still booking the occasional big name — Bobina and Beltek played recently — the club is more focused on cultivating local talent these days, with the likes of DJ Ahn, Middle Finger and Maximite all having no trouble filling its cavernous vaults in recent months. Drum & bass, psy-trance and hard dance are all catered for within Ellui’s tall, redbrick walls, which have mind-blowing production to match.

ROCKETING in as a new entry, and with Hakkasan, Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub, XS and Surrender/Encore polling well, The Light Nightclub is the latest evidence of Las Vegas as the foundation of the EDM revolution. As the US dance scene continues to grow in strength, this spectacular club is at the centre of it all, as the entertainment centre of the world embraces increasingly extreme versions of the nightlife experience. With eye-boggling video mapping to make a Plastikman show look like a mobile disco, The Light Club is the first-ever clubbing energy source flicked on by the creative minds behind Cirque Du Soleil, residing within Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Don’t expect demure DJs with an underground agenda, though. True to Vegas form, only the most popular names in EDM are invited to play here. Dyro, Krewella and Skrillex all played on the same bill in March, if you catch our drift. These guys really are tripping the light fantastic.

TENAX

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FORMERLY the Tropigala Lounge, which once played host to The Rat Pack’s Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, LIV is today a walking ground for only the most prestigious talent in dance music. Situated within the lavish confines of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach Hotel, with its opulent host of VIP tables, private Skyboxes and enormous LED-lined super-dome, this club is one which only the highest of rollers on South Beach aspire to. With a Dynacord soundsystem and a programme that encompasses only the universe’s shiniest stars — EDM through to r&b/hip-hop and everything in between (aka trap) — they do not come more sensational than LIV.

LIGHT NIGHTCLUB LAS VEGAS, NV, US CAPACITY: 2000

THELIGHTVEGAS.COM

NEW ENTRY

EXCHANGE LOS ANGELES, CA, US

CAPACITY: 1500

EXCHANGELA.COM

IT’S perhaps fitting that, as the EDM bubble continues to inflate, one of the US’ leading clubs can be found inside what used to be the home of the Los Angeles Stock Exchange. And with its opening in 2010 coinciding with the dawn of the US dance explosion, it’s difficult not to look to the four rooms of this sensory-blasting bastion as one of the engines driving an industry that’s become something of a license to print money in recent years. Where fiscal shares once defined this art deco building designed by Samuel Lunden in 1929, we now have superstar DJs like Fedde Le Grand and Paul van Dyk dominating what was once a trading floor. And as the stocks of deeper forms of house and techno have risen across the Atlantic, Seth Troxler, Justin Martin and Eats Everything too have been invited to spin their magic recently, suggesting that even if the EDM balloon does eventually burst, Exchange will be in a position to weather the storm.

THE MID  CHICAGO, IL, US  CAPACITY: 800

THEMIDCHICAGO.COM

CHICAGO as most know is the birthplace of house music. But what of the scene today? The Mid is one of the clubs keeping the fire burning. Nights like their weekly Mayhem are dedicated to bringing the best in dance music across the board, featuring everyone from bassy house boss Duke Dumont to original don MK, via Claude VonStroke and local innovator Cajmere. But The Mid are canny and acknowledge the kings of big room pop house too — and their huge fanbase Stateside — bringing fresh-faced Dutch DJs like Martin Garrix over, and booking homegrown EDM types like Wolfgang Gartner and German trancer Thomas Gold.

THE WAREHOUSE LEEDS, UK

LEEDSWAREHOUSE.CO.UK

SITUATED in the heart of Leeds city centre, a town known for its nightlife, there’s nothing out-of-the-ordinary about this club’s location. A standard white-wash warehouse off a cobbled street, what’s most remarkable about The Warehouse — aside from the fact it’s the UK’s oldest still-standing club — are the high class club activities found within. Now under the auspices of Jim Albentosa, who also opened Control in the city last September, this venue first opened its doors in 1979, hosting gigs from Frankie Goes To Hollywood, The Stone Roses and Sugar Hill Gang. Today, though, since re-opening its doors permanently after a refurbishment in 2010, only top quality house and techno has been on the agenda, with Steve Lawler’s ViVA Warriors stopping regularly alongside heavyweights like Fatboy Slim and 2manyDJs.

CLUB MIDI

TRANSYLVANIA, ROMANIA CAPACITY: 1200 CLUBMIDI.RO

LEECE, ITALY

CAPACITY: 4000

GUENDALINACLUB.COM

MONEY may be able to buy you many things when kitting out a club, but the scenery surrounding Guendalina is priceless. With its open air arena, replete with bars and a pool, surrounded by beautiful Italian countryside, there are few places as exquisite to see the morning break. So it wasn’t hard to persuade the likes of Carl Cox, Luciano, Ricardo Villalobos, Jeff Mills, Kevin Sanderson and Carl Craig to join last year’s season, which runs from May to September. With Sven Väth, Richie Hawtin and Loco Dice all lined up for the peak of the summer this August, 2014 looks set to be just as scorching.

CAPACITY: 800

GUENDALINA

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, US CAPACITY: 5000 XSLASVEGAS.COM

XS is part of the Wynn hotel and entertainment complex in Vegas, conjoined to Surrender/Encore Beach Club, but it’s so palatial that it requires a stand-alone entry of its own. Essentially a massive ballroom with a huge chandelier and mirror-balls hanging from the ceiling, and various chi-chi VIP table areas situated just off the side of the dancefloor, the clue is in the name for clubbers wanting to party here. David Guetta has his exclusive Vegas residency here, playing virtually every week, while Avicii, Martin Solveig and Wolfgang Gartner also play several times every month.

THIS ex-bakery in the heart of mythological Vampire Country opened its doors as a club in November 2007. But before we start with the cheap jokes about‘the stakes are high’ and‘avoiding the sunlight’, Club Midi has very little to associate itself with Bram Stoker’s enduring tale. Its functional minimalist décor — exposed concrete and beams, and enough lasers to blind a vampire bat — make it the antithesis of some of the more opulent clubs in this poll in Vegas or the Far East. The kind of DJ nights it puts on, as well, demonstrate that Club Midi is for the somewhat more discerning dance music fan. The likes of Ricardo Villalobos, Lee Burridge, Nastia, Pan-Pot, Nicole Moudaber, Sasha, Hernan Cattaneo, Steve Lawler, Nina Kraviz and Tania Vulcano have all played in recent months, giving you a good idea of what a night in Transylvania holds for the more underground dance music headz.

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NEW CITY GAS MONTREAL, CANADA CAPACITY: 3500

NEWCITYGAS.COM

NEW ENTRY

52 SLINGSHOTTING into the poll at No.53 as a new entry is a pretty incredible feat, but seeing is believing when it comes to this colossal club. Housed in a listed building bought in 1859, New City Gas was once a power plant that transformed coal into gas to illuminate the streets and buildings of Montreal. These days the chemical reactions inside its tall industrial walls are of a very different kind, but equally — if not more — explosive, while a multi-layered LED wall and state-of-the-art lighting rig offer whole new levels of phosphorescence. A big-room beacon in a city with no shortage of top-end after-hours clubs (two of which have made the poll), NCG opened in May 2012 and is all about the spectacle. As much a live concert hall as it is a hi-tech club, its EDM-crazy crowd has gone ballistic to Guetta, Tiësto, Axwell, Ingrosso and Skrillex over the past 12 months, so you get the picture.

WATERGATE BERLIN, GERMANY CAPACITY: 600

SERIOUS clubbers of the world still look to Berlin for their kicks and this, a permanent fixture of this poll, is one of the main reasons. Raised in 2002, on the banks of The River Spree, professionalism is key for the minds behind Watergate, where class and sophistication are values above all else. Names like Ellen Allien, Tiefschwarz and Kerri Chandler are the norm, while a sound engineer is on hand every month to make sure the sound is constantly crisp. With a label responsible for cuts from Solomun and a CD series to support, Watergate’s output is as iconic as its LED-lined walls.

WOMB TOKYO TOKYO, JAPAN

CAPACITY: 1000  WOMB.CO.JP

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KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA CAPACITY: 2000

ZOUKCLUB.COM.MY

RE-ENTRY

THE sister club to the legendary Zouk Club in Singapore, Zouk Kuala Lumpur has been around for a dozen years and is by far and away the best club in Malaysia for fans of modern electronic music. Armin, Tiësto, Avicii, Guetta, Deadmau5, Hardwell, Dash Berlin, Above & Beyond, Skrillex, Afrojack, Markus Schulz, Gareth Emery, Steve Aoki, Paul van Dyk, Nicky Romero, Ferry Corsten and tons more have all played there in recent times. The DJ booth is really close to the crowd, allowing jocks to really feel that they are right in there amongst it. Located along Jalan Ampang, next to the Malaysian Tourist Centre, Zouk KL sometimes offers free entry to tourists — you have to leave your passport at the door, though — and is a must-see for fans of the global electronic dance sound who happen to be in Malaysia.

CLUB SPACE MIAMI CAPACITY: 2500 MIAMI, FL, US

CLUBSPACE.COM

TOKYO. For those who haven’t been it remains an enigma. A place that occupies a lofty perch in the imagination. For those who have, those visions of a future city of neon and steel aren’t so far from the truth. Its greatest club is also easily one of the best in the world. Though Womb may appear low-key from the outside (indeed the difficulty of finding it lends an illicit thrill of discovery when you do), it lives up to the utopian marvel of expectation. A tall, cylindrical space within, its enveloping central chamber is warm, inviting, with one of the friendliest crowds around. But the lasers and lights are gobsmacking, undulating spotlights creating bioluminescent, organic shimmers on the floor. The mirrorball that descends is gigantic, the Steve Dash soundsystem is wildly good, and the line-ups, the line-ups! From drum & bass to techno and just a touch of EDM, Maya Jane Coles, Metrik, Nina Kraviz and Henrik Schwarz are coming up, which should give you a good idea of where they’re coming from. 36

ZOUK KUALA LUMPUR

WELL over a decade old, Club Space Miami has been an integral part of the city’s club scene, with Murk legend Oscar G a resident in its early days, when it also played host to the likes of Deep Dish and Danny Tenaglia. Helping to rejuvenate downtown Miami, the streets around it are still a little hairy, but it’s worth the journey from South Beach to catch the likes of Camea, Loco Dice and Marco Carola taking it deep and dirty into the daylight, utilising the club’s 24-hour licence. EDM fans are also well catered for, with Paul Oakenfold’s Perfecto label, Markus Schulz and dubstep shock-jock Borgore amongst recent pulls.

STUDIO 80 CAPACITY: 350

AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND STUDIO-80.NL

IT’S not just samples that get recycled in the Dutch capital, Rembrandtplein’s Studio 80 occupying an old national radio studio. A focal point during ADE, it’s also a local favourite amongst Dutch DJs, 2000 and One celebrating his birthday there this year and Boris Werner — following a 10-hour set to celebrate 10 years in the game on 10/10/10 — playing an annual set of 10 hours plus, the club promising to stay open for as long as he can keep going, and even throwing brunch in for late/early arrivals. If that’s not accommodating, we don’t know what is.

DUEL:BEAT NAPLES, ITALY

CAPACITY: 1500

NEW ENTRY

CAPACITY: 5000 MATAHARI.COM.BR

DUELBEAT.IT

SUB CLUB GLASGOW, SCOTLAND CAPACITY: 410 SUBCLUB.CO.UK

DESPITE celebrating its 25th anniversary almost two years ago, Sub Club is showing no sign of ageing. In fact, it’s only getting stronger. The place that until 2010 gave us Optimo and an early home for Slam, before they outgrew its snug confines to start Pressure at The Arches, The Subby’s loyal club nights — Numbers, Subculture, Sensu — are what not only define the identity of this club, but its entire club scene. Any experienced Glaswegian clubber will tell you this is the beating heart of a city that doesn’t know when to stop, and not just for its absorbing soundsystem and Bodysonic dancefloor. DJ Harvey, Mark Henning and Leon Vynehall are just some of the names currently on posters pasted across the street corners of Glasgow, but the real magic is found inside this basement sweatbox that used to be a jazz club.

INDAIAL, BRAZIL

BRAZIL’S many clubs — Sirena and Green Valley for the glamorous, D-Edge and Warung for the heads — are no strangers to this poll. Falling somewhere in-between, Matahari is a new sighting — and a welcome one too. Mostly opting for names known for building a set rather than rolling out a series of big-room bangers, Gui Boratto, Phonique and Miguel Campbell have all been called upon to fill an enormous space underneath these bright white canopies in the heart of Santa Catarina’s jungle since it opened in 2010. True to Brazilian form, though, there’s a place for spectacle too. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Deniz Koyu and Mason have also been spotted dropping bombs through a hail of CO2 and confetti here recently, while local DJs have a field day at themed parties (white, masks) as well as massive events like Matahari Music Festival.

PARTIAL to a bit of proper house and tech? Duel:Beat’s got you covered. The birthplace of pizza also boasts one of the world’s finest clubs. ZIP, Dana Ruh, Kerri Chandler, Steffi, even bass futurist Ben UFO are slated to appear at this space, which debuted in the list for the first time last year. A former cinema, it maintains its function as a cultural hub with exhibitions and art installations, but it’s mostly a beacon that Italian clubbers flock to in order to slake their thirst for underground beats.

MATAHARI

CAPACITY: 1600 CIRCUSHD.COM

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, UK CAPACITY: 2200

YOURFUTUREISDIGITAL.COM

DIGITAL opened in Newcastle a decade ago, and DJ Mag immediately dubbed it“the Fabric of the North”due to its quality underground line-ups. Boasting the UK’s first quadrophonic Funktion One Dancestacks, it helped raise the bar for UK club venues. Situated right on Newcastle’s Times Square in the city centre and owned by Aaron Mellor’s Tokyo Industries, Digital’s nights were promoted by the charismatic Dave Stone for many years until his recent retirement to run a pub in the city. Next month (May) Digital, along with regular night Elektriqa, are staging an external festival in Times Square itself, while recent bookings have included EDM big-hitters such as Martin Garrix, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and Nervo, emerging house acts like Martinez Brothers, Breach and Hot Since 82, and trancers Paul van Dyk and Sander van Doorn. Digital Newcastle has also recently added a new‘room four’, the Think Tank, which has seen acts such as The Orb, Reverend & the Makers and NYC punk-funkers ESG do their live gig thang.

CIRCUS AFTERHOURS MONTREAL, CANADA

DIGITAL NEWCASTLE

CELEBRATING its 10th anniversary in 2014, Circus Afterhours, as the name implies, is a weird world that happens while most people are asleep. A hedonistic haven, filled with fire-breathers, leotard-clad acrobats and burlesque dancers, this cavenous club, with its two wild-as-fuck rooms, is a repeat offender in this poll for obvious reasons. And not just because of well-executed themes and the antics of its performers. James Zabiela, Marco Bailey, Umek, Pleasurekraft and Hernan Cattaneo all commanded Circus’ phat Funktion Ones over the past 12 months, coaxing its obsessive crowds to vote in their droves once again.

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D-EDGE

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL CAPACITY: 900 D-EDGE.COM.BR

STILL flying high as Sao Paulo’s only underground superclub, Renato Ratier’s achingly cool spot for house and techno has a reputation that far precedes it. D-Edge’s three stacked rooms designed by Multi Randolph are some of the most stylish we’ve come across. The jet-black main room, with its flashing floor tiles and sound-sensitive walls, plays host to the highest profile names of their kind — Ellen Allen, M.A.N.D.Y, Soul Clap — while the classiest dance sounds in the city also resonate a slick, laser-stripped middle room and a space-age VIP spot up top. With D-Edge Rio in the offing, residents nights like Moving and Freak Chic, and large-scale parties at Grand Metropole, D-Edge is only getting sharper.

AVALON

LOS ANGELES, CA, US CAPACITY: 1500

AVALONHOLLYWOOD.COM

SHARING the same name as the fabled island of King Arthurian folklore, LA’s Avalon has a legendary history of its own. Situated on the corner of Hollywood and Vine, this 1920s landmark was once a prestigious Tinseltown cinema. Today, however, it’s the iconic centre of a different form of money-spinning show-business in the US, a little something they call “EDM”. Climbing up the poll each year in line with the dance music explosion, Avalon opened in 2003. Merging epic theatrical production with customized EAW super-sound and stellar visuals, it’s a mystical place in its own right, fit for dance music kings. John Digweed, Simon Patterson and Hernan Cattaneo all played here last month.

SKY ROOM RIBEIRÃO PRETO, BRAZIL CAPACITY:

SKYROOM.COM.BR

NEW ENTRY

WOWSAH! What a year for Brazilian clubs. Six in the top 50, two of them new entries, including this one. Sky Room only opened in November 2012, but already it’s catapulted in at No.39, yet more evidence that the glamourous party animals of South America’s economic powerhouse — previously mostly into Brazilian country, rock and pop — are finally going nuts for dance music. Also remarkable about this plush, wood-finished club, with mind-melting lights and video mapping, is just how it’s won the hearts of Ribeirão Preto’s most salubrious by booking mainly Brazil’s biggest DJs. Gui Boratto, Mau Mau, Carlo Dallanese are Sky Room’s names in lights so far, alongside recognized faces on the circuit like Ricardo Menga and Magui.

38 38

THE GUVERNMENT TORONTO, CANADA CAPACITY: 5000

THEGUVERNMENT.COM

djmag.com.au

CASTLE CLUB AYIA NAPA, CYPRUS CAPACITY: 3000

THECASTLECLUB.COM

AYIA NAPA might not be the same dance holiday behemoth it was during the‘90s, but that doesn’t mean visitors on vacation there no longer like to party. Castle Club has appeared in this poll ever since the voting system went public, which goes to show there’s nothing feudal about it — it’s got the democratic vote of the people. Why exactly, you might ask? The superclub standard set-up is one reason. Its silly cartoon castle motif is another. But, even above the calibre of artists it commits to (Paul van Dyk is already confirmed for this summer), it’s the unbridled fun on offer inside its walls. A giant disco ball, poles and podiums galore, Castle Club is a cauldron of clubbing joy... if you like that sort of thing.

LUKE SOLOMON NOMINATES HIS FAVOURITE CLUB

DALSTON SUPERSTORE, LONDON “The clubs that sit well with me, historically, are the ones that I immediately feel at home in. Where I can play what I want, when I want, and people are happy to go on that journey with you. It genuinely has moments of bringing a tear to my eye when filled with the absolute joy of playing the music I love, to people that love it. I had that same feeling with Moxa in Italy where I was resident for seven years — and Chalet in Berlin is slowly starting to grow on me in the same way. “I have only really got that absolute feeling of joy from clubs that I have been able to play at more than once — I think it takes time to settle into a great club such as this.”

SPELLING was never a strong point for Toronto’s largest club, but when you are this powerful you can do what you flippin’ like. Yep, The Guvernment, now 18-years-old, is Canada’s big boy and it makes its own rules. Those looking for underground beats should head to Footwork’s new joint Coda in the city. Part of Kool Haus Entertainment Complex, a multiplex of bars and restaurants, there is nothing subtle about INK Entertainment’s monumental club. Big, bold and in your face, production here — balloons, glitter, streamers, visuals, LEDs, the lot — is second-to-none and the beats, brought by the likes of Steve Angello, Afrojack and Eric Prydz during the last 12 months, are also massive. With several other top-end venues as part of its consortium and a Winter Music Festival in the offing, The Guvernment is taking over.

MR C

SELECTS A FAVE

HARDPOP, MEXICO “Hardpop in Ciudad Juarez Mexico is extremely special. Firstly, there are many DJ‘sin huevos’who are afraid to go there, but they’re truly missing out. Hardpop is a box with an amazing soundsystem and one of the most passionate crowds you will see anywhere in the world.”

MIROIR

RIO DE JANIERO, BRAZIL CAPACITY: 600 MIROIR.COM.BR

ATHENS, GREECE CAPACITY: 1500

VENUE-CLUB.COM.GR

RESIDING in a nation that loves dance music, the Greek capital city has a plethora of low-key spots, but The Venue isn’t one of ‘em. Concerned more with the most astronomic names in the dance stellarsphere than subterranean cool cats, this ginormous cast-iron club has gone ape-shit to Hardwell, Thomas Gold and Deniz Koyu since it re-opened after a three-year refurbishment in 2012. A sleek, space-age display of lasers and luminous strips, this Venue is a bouncing display of madness every time it opens its doors.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, US CAPACITY: 3000

ENCOREBEACHCLUB.COM

SURRENDER and its connecting outside pool party area, Encore Beach Club, has built itself up into one of the principal havens for electronic dance music in Las Vegas. A few years ago, not many people — bar the visionary Paul Oakenfold — could have imagined how dance music would take off in Vegas, but now it’s everywhere — and Surrender/Encore Beach Club has more than played its part. Part of the same complex that houses XS, it now has a number of big names as exclusive residents: Avicii, David Guetta, Diplo, Fedde Le Grand, Martin Solveig and Steve Angello are just some of the names exclusive to the owners, Wynn Las Vegas.

SPACE SHARM CAPACITY: 5000

SHARM EL SHEIKH, EGYPT SPACESHARM.COM

WITH D-Edge poised to bring underground sounds to Rio in the coming months, Miroir is already well-established as its more opulent foil. Mostly interested in drafting in EDM heavyweights like Nicky Romero to satisfy Brazil’s most wealthy, the likes of Phonique and Kolombo have both been involved as deep house sounds continue to catch on within South America’s mainstream clubs. Once a Japanese restaurant, this glitzy room isn’t this poll’s biggest but, with a stunning view of the Christ the Redeemer statue, it’s certainly one of the more impressive — even David Beckham was spotted here recently.

THE VENUE

SURRENDER/ENCORE

PART of Space Ibiza’s global empire, their Egyptian counterpart, the first in the franchise, features three rooms — named directly after the Balearic mothership’s. But their surroundings are totally their own, The Discoteca, Terrace and El Salon looking out over the Red Sea and Sinai Mountains. With a soundtrack ranging from dubstep and hip-hop during Saturday’s Urban Knights to Monday’s self-explanatory Ibiza Sessions, guests such as James Zabiela, Jaguar Skills and Cedric Gervais have all featured alongside domestic talent like Aly & Fila, whose Future Sound Of Egypt takes over three times a year.

PRIVILEGE IBIZA IBIZA, SPAIN

CAPACITY: 10,000

PRIVILEGEIBIZA.COM

BOOTSHAUS COLOGNE, GERMANY CAPACITY: 1200 BOOTSHAUS.TV

BERLIN’S hip all-hours haunts get the most hype, but Germany is far from a one-trick pony when it comes to clubbing. The nation that birthed Kraftwerk and Manuel Göttsching is obsessed with all sorts of electronic noise, especially hardstyle, banging electro and even brostep — this club is proof of it. A new entry last year, the club previously known as Dock 8 has bunny-hopped a fair few places. Celebrating 10 years in 2014, Bootshaus has taken the essence of Kraut-electro and techno and multiplied it by a thousand, taking a fey, tongue-in-cheek approach to futuristic themes with larger-than-life visuals and gimmickry. The sounds are pretty out there too. Modestep, Flux Pavilion and Showtek have been chosen to blow its raucous roof so far in 2014, and a big renovation is planned for the summer.

THE humungous enormodome of Privilege still reigns as the world’s biggest club (and you can check the Guinness Book of Records for proof). A club that packs in 10,000 people, it’s more like a small stadium. Regularly packed out, its fans flock to see the kind of DJs who can fill an auditorium of this magnitude. Tiësto ruled the roost with his mega nights here for a while, but when he departed for Pacha, Armin van Buuren took over as its flagship pull. What might come as a surprise to some is that it’s also got another room with a more underground focus, Vista Club, which in 2013 hosted events by Berlin tech house institution Get Physical and Barcelona’s well-regarded El Row. djmag.com.au

PACHA NY NEW YORK, NY, US CAPACITY: 2400

ORIGINALLY a bottling plant, New York’s wing of Pacha is more about popping bottles these days. The automatic choice for The Big Apple’s club glitterati, this multi-level club has been bringing a touch of double-cherry wildness in the city since 2005. Despite emerging during the aftermath of Mayor Guiliani’s sweep-up — which led to many venue closures — Eddie Dean didn’t hold back when he licensed Ibiza’s world famous brand, going all out to sow the seeds of a clubbing renaissance that is only fully coming to fruition today. Still driving the EDM revolution from the front, with bookings like Laidback Luke, R3hab and Thomas Gold, Pacha NY — still a favourite for Tenaglia, Morillo and Victor Calderone — still represents the roots of its house scene in the same building that once housed the Sound Factory and later Twilo, while entertaining more underground names such as Loco Dice and Adam Beyer. A grubbier, rough-and-ready answer to the silky environs of its Balearic brother, this is Pacha, most definitely — just with New York attitude.

PACHANYC.COM

CASSY CHOOSES ONE

OUTPUT, NY “Output combines and offers what a DJ needs to play a really good set, and get involved with the crowd in a ‘real DJ way’...”

AIR AMSTERDAM AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND CAPACITY: 1200 AIR.NL

MOTION CAPACITY: 1450

BRISTOL, ENGLAND MOTIONBRISTOL.COM

“It’s not the size of the boat,”so the saying goes,“it’s the motion of the ocean.”Which is why Bristol’s Motion has seemed like a veritable wave machine in recent years. From hosting Eats Everything’s breakthrough Essential Mix to putting on jazz-funk legend Roy Ayers or LA hip-hop crew The Pharcyde, the skatepark-cum-club keeps pushing, popping and reaching new heights. In-house night, the nattily named In:Motion, lies at the heart of it all, delivering a sure-fire selection of the great and the good, ranging recently from Rusko and Annie Mac to Seth Troxler and Sven Väth.

PLAYA D’EN BOSSA, IBIZA CAPACITY: 1500 SANKEYSIBIZA.INFO

HIGHEST CLIMBER

OXYGEN gets you high and there’s plenty of it in AIR. Founded four years ago by Sandar Groet, alongside partners Niels de Geus and Sjoerd Wynia, in a city rightfully regarded as one of the world’s clubbing capitals, this is one of the few clubs in this poll constructed entirely from scratch as a dance venue. Previously the grounds of The‘Dam’s famous iT venue during the late‘90s, the building was demolished completely to make way for a club that later became AIR. Hence, these flexible rooms are some of the most modern we’ve ever laid eyes on. Just as capable of creating a steely warehouse vibe as a warm, lounge-like effect, AIR’s three artfully designed spaces have hosted everybody from Matthew Dear to Martin Garrix in recent months, coming alive during ADE with showcases for Defected and All Gone Pete Tong, among many others.

SANKEYS IBIZA

djmag.com.au

STREUTH! Rising a whopping 52 places since entering as a new entry last year, Sankeys Ibiza is this year’s highest climber. It’s not all been plain sailing, though. Opening to stop-start accord in 2011, its mothership in Manchester faced closure toward the end of last year. The Sankeys dynasty has at times looked in danger. Today, however, it hasn’t looked stronger. Sankeys Manchester re-opened its doors at the end of last year and now we have Sankeys New York, but it’s the Ibizan sister that’s causing most ruckus. ViVA Warriors, Hypercolour, Dirtybird, Fuse and Flying Circus all brought a warehouse vibe to the White Isle summer — and it hasn’t looked back.

TROUW CAPACITY 1100

AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND TROUWAMSTERDAM.NL

When Seth Troxler announced that he was restricting his gigs to specific clubs in certain cities, there was obviously no hesitation in picking Trouw from Amsterdam. Set in an old printing warehouse, one of the former newspapers printed there providing the club’s name, Trouw’s club space is just one of its attractions, an art gallery and ‘vegetable restaurant’ticking further boxes on the modern day hipster’s checklist. And, of course, the line-ups are all that, with Blawan, Andrew Weatherall, Dixon, Breach and Kassem Mosse just a few of the acts playing in the coming months.

THE WAREHOUSE PROJECT MANCHESTER, UK CAPACITY: 5000

THEWAREHOUSEPROJECT.COM

MUCH like its music policy, Manchester’s mammoth series of dance events cannot sit still for a second. Starting at Boddington Brewery in 2006, it moved from Store Street car park to Victoria Warehouse in 2012, and recently it’s been throwing occasional one-off events at Manchester’s Albert Hall, featuring Chase & Status, Sasha and Marco Carola. A year-long hiatus from its annual 12-week series in 2014 hasn’t prevented it scoring highly in this poll once again, as its hordes of avid followers reflect on another sequence of sell-out events involving everyone from Adam Beyer to Armin van Buuren at the tail-end of 2013. With rumours of something even bigger in the offing for 2015, you ain’t seen the last of WHP.

YALTA

SOFIA, BULGARIA CAPACITY: 1000

YALTACLUB.COM

THE birthplace of KiNK and home to big dance events like Solar (powered by this very club), Bulgaria is an unlikely source for top-quality dance music. At the centre of it all is Yalta, situated in the capital. A sleek, jet-black box of booming sound, it supplies sounds only for the nation’s most serious clubbers. Nina Kraviz crossed paths with Scuba recently, DJ Hype was here to spin and Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano also did their thing.

CAVO PARADISO MYKONOS, GREECE CAPACITY: 2800

PERCHED on the rocks over Paradise Beach, Cavo Paradiso is a contradiction of sorts. Decked out like a luxury Grecian villa — with whitewashed walls and cast-iron gargoyles — this family-run business resides on an island more popular with cash-rich tycoons than hardcore clubbers. With a custom-built JBL Dance 5/3 and enough CO2 and confetti to rival any in this poll, it’s a blessing for holiday-makers in need of some rave relaxation. The likes of Sven, Villalobos and Marco Carola are just a few that brought the dutty beats last summer.

PAPAYA PAG, CROATIA

CAPACITY: 4500-5000  PAPAYA.COM.HR

CAVOPARADISO.GR

NAMES HERS

STEREO, MONTREAL “My favourite club is Stereo Montreal. The soundsystem is the best one I’ve played on and I have played nearly every club around the world! I get locked in it for 10 hours and could carry on another 10 if I have to. I don’t have to wear my earplugs, because the sound is so clean and crisp... I just don’t want to ever stop. Not to mention, the crowd in Montreal is without a doubt the most clued-up musically and up-for-it in the world!”

FABRIK

CAPACITY: 10,000 MADRID, SPAIN

GRUPO-KAPITAL.COM/FABRIK

SITUATED amongst industrial estates in the dry, scrubby outskirts of Madrid, the main room of Fabrik dwarfs most Ibiza venues, with an array of lasers and ice cannons to match, as does its second room. Outside, meanwhile, features a water-slide and ducks wandering amongst the madness. Then there are the carefully choreographed shows, themed for each party with breath-taking effort and panache. Weave in hard techno from the likes of Chris Liebing and The Advent, courtesy of Code, the poly-sexual pandemonium of SuperMartXe and the relentless groove of Goa and you have yourself one hell of an outfit.

21 THINK it’s just about festivals in Croatia nowadays? Think again. Papaya, situated on Zrce Beach on the island of Pag, is a bona fide Croatian clubbing success story. Each summer season this open-air behemoth in a stunning setting hosts a series of one-off DJ-headlined events. Everyone from Jamie Jones, Sven Väth, Justice and Loco Dice to Hardwell, Nicky Romero and W&W have appeared here, ensuring the underground and more commercial sounds are equally well-represented. Alongside their own series of festivals, including the hip Hideout, Fresh Island and Sonus, there’s our very own DJ Mag Festival, which will be happening again in 2014. All these elements have combined to put Papaya on the map as a global player to be reckoned with.

NICOLE MOUDABER

ANZU CLUB SAO PAULO, BRAZIL CAPACITY: 3000 ANZUCLUB.COM

ON the surface, big room sounds might appear to be the modus operandi of Itu’s gigantic superclub that started out as a Japanese restaurant. W&W, Above & Beyond and Fatboy Slim are just a few who’ve dominated the steely main room of Anzu in recent months. Outside, however, it’s a different story. Converting the bushy smoking area into an open-air spot with a terrace vibe, bravely it’s helped spur Brazil’s deep house and techno revolution with appearances from Solomun, Webbha and Lee Foss, much to the delight of Anzu’s many avid followers.

djmag.com.au

PARADISE CAPACITY: 5000

MYKONOS, GREECE

PARADISECLUBMYKONOS.COM

ANOTHER summer-time mecca whose burgeoning nightlife has been swelled by the ranks of EDM converts, Greek island Mykonos boasts not one, but two Top 100 clubs. Narrowly beating its rival Cavo Paradiso (this year in at No.24), Paradise is an enticing cross between beach bar and open-air terrace, perched on a cliff-top that gives it a stunning view of the Aegean Sea. So it’s small wonder that punters throng there to catch the likes of Avicii, Markus Schulz, Above & Beyond, Afrojack and even DJ Snoopadelic (aka Snoop Dogg in DJ mode), John Digweed and Carl Cox on hand last year for those who prefer their DJs not to simulate one-handed air piano.

COCORICO

RIMINI, ITALY

CAPACITY: 6000

COCORICO.IT

CAMBORIU, BRAZIL CAPACITY: 2500

WASHINGTON DC, US CAPACITY: 3000 ECHOSTAGE.COM

THE humungous Echostage in the American capital of Washington DC has jumped a huge 19 places since its new entry into the chart last year. Started by Panorama Productions owner Antonis Karagounis less than three years ago, the main feature of Echostage is its one gargantuan centre space with various balconies around the side. It’s the ideal place to see big name DJs such as David Guetta, Hardwell, Tiësto, Eric Prydz, Kaskade, Above & Beyond, Dash Berlin and Carl Cox, who have all played Echostage recently. Set-up for big stage shows, Echostage has expanded its booking policy recently to also include big rock and pop gigs, with Ellie Goulding, Cut Copy and Phoenix amongst recent bookings. An ideal place to watch a band as much as a DJ, Echostage was where Markus Schulz and Ferry Corsten birthed their New World Punx project, and it’s received rave reviews from DJs such as Knife Party, BT, Above & Beyond and Wolfgang Gartner amongst many others.“Echostage is my new favourite venue on the east coast. And I’m from the east coast,”said Porter Robinson, gushingly.

RIMINI’S dance history stretches back to the storied Discoteca Paradiso, a dance temple that was instrumental in pushing the sound of Italo disco. Today, its spirit is embodied in the immense Cocorico, a club that sees dedicated revellers flock to the Riccione region to enjoy its diverse line-ups. Probably Italy’s biggest club, it caters as much to the country’s passion for proper techno — featuring the likes of Ricardo Villalobos, Len Faki and Marco Carola on the regular — as it does the big room EDM types, like Sebastian Ingrosso and Steve Aoki. With four mega rooms, one of them shaped like a none-more-cosmic pyramid, Cocorico deserves its ascension to the heights of this list.

WARUNG

ECHOSTAGE

DC10

CAPACITY: 1500 IBIZA, SPAIN

CIRCOLOCOIBIZA.COM

WARUNGCLUB.COM.BR

SITUATED in the same region as last year’s winner Green Valley, Warung couldn’t be further removed from its nearby counterpart. Under the creative direction of D-Edge’s Renato Ratier, this large Bali-themed teepee, with a separate outdoor terrace, shares a music policy much closer to its space-age sister in Sao Paulo; however, its identity is well-and-truly its own. With monster sound and an intense atmosphere like no other, Warung is the intoxicating chalice from which Brazil’s most switched-on clubbers gratefully sup. Innervisions, Marco Carola and Levon Vincent all read well on paper, but it’s not until the sun rears its head during the early hours, shining like a glorious orb over the dancefloor, that Warung’s mystical rising sun motif really makes sense.

D’JULZ

PICKS HIS NUMBER ONE

OUTPUT, NY

“It’s simply the club New York has needed for 10 years. Created by music lovers, its style and philosophy is directly influenced by another favourite club of mine: Panorama Bar. The powerful and perfectly tuned Funktion One soundsystem is close to perfection and the booth must be the most comfortable one there is.”

djmag.com.au

A favourite amongst UK clubbers, who loyally flock to its spectacularly long and jam-packed opening and closing parties, DC10 came into its own during the minimal years, when it helped redefine Ibiza, and hasn’t looked back since. Set away from the bustle of Playa D’en Bossa in the giant confines of an old aircraft hangar, the club still deals in deep, groove-centred house and techno — with recent residents including Kerri Chandler, Shonky and System Of Survival. Over the season, however, expect anybody of note to pass through its doors. While you can now catch Circoloco at most international destinations of note, it comes into its own at DC10, its original Monday afternoon stomping ground, while Jamie Jones’Paradise residency has quickly ensured it’s also unmissable, drawing line-ups from the depths of Hot Natured’s ranks and beyond. So, with 2014’s opening on 26th May, best get on Skyscanner.

15 14

MARQUEE LV  LAS VEGAS, USA  CAPACITY: 3000

ONE of the key venues in the infamous city of sin, Marquee (and its attendant Dayclub and Nightclub) offers state-of-the-art sound and visuals, and the kind of residents guaranteed to get arms aloft and the EDM crowd dancing. Dayclub is poolside and takes full advantage of the blazing desert heat — expect pecs and trim physiques on display. Nightclub is a spectacular, huge space split into three separate areas: The Boom Box Room, Library and Main Room.  In addition to massive trance and stadium house names like Above & Beyond, W&W and Armin van Buuren, they’ve recently branched out into the techno domain, booking Richie Hawtin for a successful event which might signal a change of direction for Vegas, and perhaps even a shift away from more commercial styles in the States in general.

MARQUEELASVEGAS.COM

BERGHAIN/PANORAMA BAR BERLIN, GERMANY CAPACITY: 1500 BERGHAIN.DE

WITH its famously strict door policy and camera ban, you’d be forgiven for assuming that Berlin’s most revered dance institution is most appealing from the outside. But those who do make it past the bouncer contest know that there is nowhere in the world like it. Fittingly housed within what was once a power plant, the cavernous stone-walls of Berghain, with its mind-altering soundsystem, are the home of Ostgut Ton, and the most industrial techno sounds on the planet. Upstairs in Panorama Bar, meanwhile, house heads roam free, getting off on residents like Nick Höppner, Steffi and Tama Sumo, completely unaware whether it’s night or day, until they occasionally flash the blinds.

MINISTRY OF SOUND ELEPHANT & CASTLE, LONDON, UK CAPACITY: 1500

MINISTRYOFSOUND.COM

MINISTRY is still one of the best-known clubs in the world, and should continue to be so for many years to come now that it has been saved from closure. A few months ago there was the danger that a new development of flats near the iconic club could threaten its very being, but fortunately that’s now all resolved. Ministry, of course, opened in 1991“to create London’s version of Paradise Garage NYC”. With its amazing soundsystem, from the off it helped cement international house music in the UK’s consciousness by flying over all the big American house DJs of the time. It soon began launching dance compilation series, and started scoring chart hits on in-house labels like Rulin’and Data. Ministry has had a wee makeover recently, with a new outside bar in the courtyard and a spruce-up of the VIP, and continues to host a plethora of international DJs and top nights — including, as of next month, the quarterly DJ Mag Sessions. Andy C, Basement Jaxx, Bob Sinclar, Dennis Ferrer, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Frankie Knuckles, Kaskade, Laidback Luke, Sasha, Todd Terry and Paul Woolford are just a few of the DJs they’ve hosted — or are about to host — recently.

GUABA BEACH BAR LIMASSOL, CYPRUS CAPACITY: 2500

GUABABEACHBAR.COM

SITUATED in the port of Limassol in southern Cyprus, Guaba Beach Club opened in 2006 “to change the narrow-minded people of the island during that period,” Yiannis from Guaba tells DJ Mag. They were forced to move to a new location in 2009 by the authorities, and are now established as one of the principal beach venues in the world. The Guaba team used to organise festivals and beach parties around the island before Guaba, and say that they may repeat the exercise of staging a festival again like they did in 2010. But for now they’re concentrating on throwing Guaba events: they’ve recently built a new DJ booth, a new VIP balcony, upgraded the soundsystem and added new décor, and are also launching the Guaba Deep House daytime beach parties this summer — on the beach near Guaba itself. Chuckie, Fedde Le Grand, Martin Garrix, Nervo, Gareth Emery and Showtek are just a few big acts to have rocked Guaba recently.

USHUAIA  IBIZA, SPAIN

CAPACITY: 5000

A dramatic leap up the poll for Ushuaia this year means they’ve clearly inveigled their way into your affections. No big surprise, for this world-beating mega venue in Ibiza is equal parts visual bombast and acoustic excellence. They’ve got the huge outdoor stage, enabling them to put on spectacular light shows from the EDM megastars, of the ilk of Guetta and the Swedes. They’ve also got an ear cocked to the underground, with last year’s new event ANTS tilted toward tech house and deeper grooves, and the sterling Loco Dice-helmed Used + Abused promotion also packing in ravers who might perhaps have baulked at the venue’s upper crust vibe in the past. But for those who can afford it, the hotel attached has a health spa, jacuzzis and cabanas if all that sweaty action gets too much. djmag.com.au

HAKKASAN Las Vegas is the highest new entry into the Top 100 Clubs chart this year, an extraordinary debut that’s testimony to the mark this high-end club has made on the global scene this year. They’ve secured some of the biggest DJs on the planet as residents — Calvin Harris, Tiësto, Hardwell, Steve Aoki, Nervo, Afrojack and Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano amongst others, plus reinvigorated Irish hard house DJ Fergie — and with the support of some of these jocks on Twitter, their first-time vote was enormous. “The Las Vegas hotspot prides itself on its ability to create awe-inspiring experiences for club-goers by offering a combination of premier VIP services, state-of-the-art production elements, including choreographed dancers, aerialists and floor-to-ceiling LED screens, as well as an elite roster of talent who man the turntables night after night,”says Maggie Bryant, their PR officer. Will it jump into the top three next year?

HAKKASAN

LOCATION: LAS VEGAS, USA CAPACITY: 3024 HAKKASANLV.COM

HIGHEST NEW ENTRY

08 09

CAPACITY: 5000

MARESIAS, BRAZIL SIRENA.COM/BR

NON-MOVER

OCTAGON SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA CAPACITY: 1000

CLUBOCTAGON.CO.KR

THEY’VE finally done it. Shooting up 86 places as if by some sort of supersonic suction shaft last year, Octagon has broken into the Top 10. Carried in part by a wave of EDM hype currently crashing over South Korea, Octagon’s success is no fluke, generated out of A-grade dedication to supreme clubbing values, running from its Funktion One soundsystem through to its video-mapped visuals, even its gourmet chef who cooks possibly the most tender steak we’ve ever tasted. It’s the closest thing Seoul — or possibly even the Far East — has to Fabric, thanks to its metallic walkways and stoney interior, but also in its commitment to cultivating proper dance music in a city dominated by VIP culture. Octagon’s main room might be used to names like Headhunterz, Deniz Koyu and Alex M.O.R.P.H., but Nic Fanciulli and Coyu have also played there. Meanwhile, tucked away upstairs, with a booth classically backed by house vinyl, you’ll find residents — the likes of Mindbender and Beejay — dropping ace deep cuts in the hope of opening minds. Octagon has its priorities right.

SIRENA

ZOUK SINGAPORE SINGAPORE

CAPACITY: 3000

ZOUKCLUB.COM.MY

djmag.com.au

OPENING back in 1998, Brazil’s Sirena has an impressive pedigree built on its successful formula of big name acts, a chi-chi crowd and unparalleled location. Set in the beautiful beach resort of Maresias, a seemingly unlikely place for such a long-standing and successful venue, most of the club’s patrons make their weekend pilgrimage from nearby Sao Paulo. Check the wall of fame in the club’s VIP dressing room and you’ll see why: Fatboy Slim, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and Steve Aoki recently added to the signed pictures on the wall. The white leather VIP booths in the main room flank a giant dancefloor, where you’re likely to see the night’s biggest act thronged by hard beach bodies, but our highlight every time is the open-air terrace where DJs play well into the light as a frenzied crowd dances around real trees and clamber onto one another’s shoulders. Sirena has to be seen to be believed. ZOUK has more history and heritage than most clubs in existence today. A destination venue for all serious clubbers, it’s been in operation since 1991 and is a bedazzling complex comprising four discrete clubs: Zouk, Phuture, Velvet Underground –—Dance and Velvet Underground — Lounge, and a wine bar to boot.  Zouk itself is arguably the biggie, with its Moorish Spain-styled interior and monster Gary Stewart-designed soundsystem, while Phuture had a major million-dollar refit in 2012, adding an impressive, hypnotic LED wall. But don’t neglect the stunning twin environs of Velvet Underground. Its Dance room is a cool underground club space, with a host of pop art masterpieces on its walls, while Lounge is an opulent VIP bottle service area. There’s also the ZoukOut beach festival and Kuala Lumpur Zouk outpost for those who can’t get enough. And with the original club booking everyone from Laurent Garnier to Hardwell, via Jeff Mills and Gilles Peterson, all tastes are catered to.

DON’T let the appearance of Paris Hilton here last summer fool you, Amnesia is defined by serious clubbing values. The Foam and Diamonds residency came full of VIP glare and drag-queen kitsch, but there is nothing glitzy or brash at the heart of Amnesia’s Terrace. Originally a farm, this old building still bares some of its authentic rustic features, but it’s the essence of its Balearic spirit that’s really captured hearts, scoring a Top 10 placement in this poll six years on the trot. The place where Alfredo was spotted dropping house during the late‘80s, inspiring seminal nights like Shoom and paving the way for Ibiza to become the world-beating centre for clubbing it is today, Sven’s Cocoon, Together, Matinee and Music On were the main occasions to rock Amnesia’s jaw-dropping rooms last season, but it’s at opening and closing that this club really comes into its own. Maya Jane Coles, Adam Beyer, Joris Voorn, Scuba and Kölsch are all confirmed for 31st May for an experience you will never forget.

THERE’S been plenty of debate in the last couple of years over the democratisation of dance music, with self-appointed denizens of dance bitching about shuffling, the co-opting of the phrase ‘deep house’ and the unstoppable juggernaut that is EDM. So quite what they make of BCM, jewel in the crown of Magaluf, is anyone’s guess. Gladly playing up to all preconceptions, the club’s website makes plenty of reference to Shagaluf’s salacious reputation. But while the teenage kicks of booze and bonking are undoubtedly part of BCM’s allure, its subtitle of ‘Planet Dance’ underlies a commitment to attracting world renowned acts. Take a look at their ‘Thank You’ flyer for 2013 and it reads like the line-up for Tomorrowland or EDC, boasting Calvin Harris, Avicii, DJ Fresh, Steve Angello, Porter Robinson and Steve Aoki amongst its recent guests. It’s more Vegas than Ibiza, granted, but it’s these acts who are forging ahead with the kind of main room sound suited to clubs the size of BCM, its Funktion One stacks delivering a sound second-to-none. With Showtek already confirmed for Summer 2014, alongside regular brands such as Cream, you can be sure that — whatever your feeling — BCM will be ‘smashing the granny out of it’ for some time to come.

AMNESIA

BCM

FABRIC LONDON, UK

CAPACITY: 1600

FABRICLONDON.COM

NON-MOVER

IBIZA, SPAIN

CAPACITY: 5000 AMNESIA.ES

MALLORCA, SPAIN CAPACITY: 3000

BCMPLANETDANCE.COM

01 FABRIC cements its place as one of the top clubs in the world by again polling at No.4 this year — and all without compromising its underground dance music vision. Launching right at the end of last century in an old cavernous meat-packing factory in Farringdon, near central London, Fabric laid out its underground credentials from the start. Foregrounding drum & bass from the off, it’s hosted DJ Hype’s Playaz night for the duration and also Andy C’s Ram night on Friday for many years. Saturday is more for house and techno, but of the more discerning variety. Fabric are risk-takers, which is welcome in an ever-evolving scene. They made dubstep dons Caspa & Rusko residents in the mid-noughties when nobody had heard of them, and gave them one of their acclaimed Fabric CDs to mix which helped blow-up dubstep Stateside. They gave nights over to the Stanton Warriors and the Plump DJs to curate in their early years when breakbeat was first blowing up, and recently they’ve given over rooms to people like Rinse and Black Butter who are busting through to the mainstream without‘going EDM’. Maya Jane Coles is the latest DJ to do a prestigious Fabric CD mix — the 75th in the series — while Jack Beats have just done‘Fabric Live 74’. Viva Fabric!

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PACHA IBIZA IBIZA, SPAIN

CAPACITY: 3000 PACHA.COM

NON-MOVER

EDDIE RICHARDS HAS HIS SAY

MONASTERIO, MOSCOW “Picture huge figures of monks overlooking the dark dancefloor which booms with 55-thousand watts of Void Incubus sound. Handmade Electronique Spectacle mixer by Jerome Barbé, and art by Drik The Villain and Dizzy from Berlin on the walls. Monasterio, Moscow — I love it.”

PACHA isn’t just a club. It’s a brand synonymous with glamour and sun-kissed hedonism. But while there are a multitude of other Pacha outposts scattered across the globe in Buenos Aires, Sydney, New York, Sharm el Sheikh and just lately in Poznan, Poland, it’s their Eivissa headquarters that gets all the glory. Although the club’s first manifestation opened in Sitges on the Spanish mainland in 1969, their Ibiza club has since 1973 been one of the key venues on the island — often regarded as the epicentre of dance music culture. The stylish décor and superior sound may please the aesthetes but one of the reasons the club has endured is its ability to subtly morph to suit the times, rather than changing its essential shape. Its biggest promotions today range from the increasingly accessible

GREEN VALLEY CAMBORIU, BRAZIL CAPACITY: 6000

GREENVALLEY.ART.BR

ACCORDING to Sander Kleinenberg,“Green Valley ain’t a club, it’s a mother-freakin’ jungle”. And he’s not wrong. But, as we’re yet to launch a Top 100 Jungles poll (which, of course, this place would win hands down), Brazil’s biggest club is going to have to settle for second place despite finishing top last year — but it’s nought to be ashamed of. Hidden away in the tropical hills of Santa Catarina, a clue is in the title but it’s what goes on underneath those giant canopies that makes this club one of the world’s finest. A favourite among EDM’s biggest hitters, Armin, Angello and Morillo all pick it as their best, calling out gobsmacking production and wild, unbridled energy that is unmatched elsewhere. Party to a lake and a swanky boutique within its lush grounds, this giant playground

forms of deep house played by Solomun at his +1 night to Guy Gerber’s more underground-focused Wisdom Of The Glove, via the OTT EDM antics of Steve Aoki at his new flagship night, Steve Aoki’s Playhouse (new for the 2014 season) and David Guetta’s none-more-massive extravaganza F**k Me I’m Famous. In other words, they manage to cover all bases, shrewdly repositioning their nights to acknowledge the capricious shifts of their clientele’s tastes, and the fickle nature of genre popularity.  If it’s your bag, and you can afford a table, Pacha’s VIP area is the stuff of dreams, while their super-slick Mediterranean/Japanese fusion restaurant is just the thing to set up intrepid clubbers before a night on the tiles, or to revive exhausted, elated dancers after a shimmy on the floor. That double-cherry emblem looks sweeter than ever.

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for adults is one to satisfy both sides of the clubbing dialectic, where Brazil’s achingly pristine rub shoulders with its most adventurous — those unafraid to get sweaty. An explosive cauldron of electronics through a hail of confetti, CO2 and ecstaticallyraised hands, Green Valley is the apex of clubbing style and technology in a country where production standards are literally going through the roof. Warung, D-Edge, Sirena, Matahari and Skybar are all pushing boundaries of what’s capable when it comes to sound, special effects and, most of all, spellbinding dancefloor electricity — and your votes prove it. A lot of this should be traced back to this party emporium in the jungle, which raised the bar to an unprecedented level when it first opened its majestic gates in 2008.

SPACE IBIZA IBIZA, SPAIN

CAPACITY: 7000 SPACEIBIZA.COM

CARL COX “Space represents who I am and what I’m about. Space was the first and at the time, the only place where you could listen to dance music under the sun. It set the precedent for the after-hours club. Before that people just expected a 2am kick-out. Here, you went to the club at 7am! To be there now giving something back is really special to me.”

TWO years on the top spot, Space Ibiza was temporarily de-throned last year, but here it is at the summit of our poll — the people’s choice once again. Despite the emergence of rival clubbing hotspots — Croatia, Las Vegas, Brazil — in recent years, the island that vibrates remains your number one, with voters placing five of its clubs in the top 20 of this list. The zenith of the circuit, despite increasing competition and rising standards, still hasn’t changed in your eyes. Space Ibiza is king, and if you need to be told why it’s because you haven’t been there. A multiplex of the dance world’s most accomplished rooms, each impeccably finished, Space has a distinct identity of its own. Discoteca for astronomical main room madness, a formidable black box that’s all exploding CO2 and cacophonous sound. The Terrace conjures a cosmic world of nocturnal intimacy like no other. Sunset Terrace, now with mesh roofing, still has a unique, sultry Balearic vibe only found in Ibiza and Premier Etage offers a

splash of sunset raving. El Salon, meanwhile, is as warm and cosy as any lounge we’ve ever relaxed in. But it’s for opening and closing, when a ginormous dome structure fit for NASA HQ is fitted in the outside carpark, that Space’s wow factor really comes into its own. Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin and Paco Osuna all launched ballistic missiles through its colossal Funktion One stack (sponsored by Ultra at Space Closing Fiesta last October), while each of those DJs testify The Terrace is like a home from home — their weekly nights places where they as residents are as revered as the marquee names they book. Once a family restaurant, the venue is today held together by a close-knit house of professionals. The baby of Pepe Roselló, who opened his club-owning account in the ‘60s with Playboy in San Antonio, this man has always been providing people an escape, catering for the first wave of hippies from the USA. These days, however, his trophy club is an automatic stop for discerning clubbers from all over the world, those

escaping the nine-to-five drudgery of the world outside the White Isle. It’s not only the state-of-the-art look and feel of this dance institution that pegs it as the people’s favourite, though. Supremely programmed with some of the strongest and most diverse clubbing brands on the planet, We Love continues to select line-ups so brave that its pretenders are left for dust. From Henrik Schwarz to Sasha, they’ve brought some of the most leftfield and audacious dance names to Ibiza, while convincing all and sundry that the best parties still happen on a Sunday. Kehakuma, ENTER. and Cox’s The Revolution are also among today’s most lauded, while misty-eyed memories of Danny Rampling, Alex P and Brandon Block on The Terrace without a roof are not just what laid Ibiza’s foundations, but those of modern clubland as we know it globally. With heritage and modernity perfectly poised, Space Ibiza is a well-deserved winner of this poll once again. And Ibiza is still on top!

RICHIE HAWTIN “When we started talking about a residency on Ibiza, Space seemed like the obvious choice. After walking through the club, the ideas just started to come very quickly and very easily. It was like, ‘OK, let’s do some interactive stuff in this room’, and when I walked into the back room I was like,‘Man, this would be perfect to do a cool, small intimate bar, let’s bring sake in here’. That was really in the first half-hour of walking through Space. After that it was like,‘Oh my God, I think we may actually start to really honestly think about doing our own night in Ibiza’. The main room at Space on Thursdays at ENTER. is really one of my favourite spaces. I’ve helped design the room, I have my entire team with me every week with everything dialled in to create the perfect moments for me, the other performing artists and the audience on the dancefloor!” djmag.com.au

INSPIRED AND TRASHED ON TOUR WITH:

TOMMY TRASH Words: Brad Nash

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It’s a Wednesday morning, and I’m still at home at 9AM. From my recent schedule, this almost feels surreal. However, things are still pretty mundane. I have a shower, have a slice of toast, make a cup of tea and plop myself down on the couch in front of my computer. My phone rings, and I pick it up. Tommy Trash is on the other end of the line, in Miami. In a few days from now, he’ll be taking the stage at Remembrance Festival as well playing club sets over the next week or so to help celebrate one of the biggest party weeks in the world today. He’s also set to release a new compilation on Ministry of Sound. Entitled Inspired, the compilation is basically just that: A collection of tracks and remixes selected and mixed by Tommy himself to produce a piece of work completely personal to him. To get the nod from a group such as Ministry of Sound to do something like is an honour usually reserved for legends. Back in Sydney, I reflect on my position for a moment. I’m still sitting on the couch with my cup of tea. The irony of the current situation

hits me like a ton of bricks. I take a swig, and we get down to chatting music, partying, and turnips. “I’m in Miami, just got in a couple of days ago and doing Miami Music Week Stuff. I’m doing two of my own parties, one with the No Sugar Added guys, and we’re doing Trashed at SET, at SET Nightclub. We’re also doing Remembrance Festival on the Thursday night. Not so many things this year, but we decided to do more of our own parties.”

land where you have a ton of DJs playing at a festival over three days. As far as normal cities go though, this is pretty special. It’s a very special time of year.” Obviously, it hasn’t always been like this. Despite the Chicago house boom in the 80’s and the electro-inspired pop movement of the 90’s, dance music played second fiddle to other genres for decades in America. It’s safe to say that in America that’s well and truly changed. DJ’s now take headline festival headline spots traditionally reserved for the world’s biggest rock bands or hip hop acts, while festivals like Ultra Music and EDC have become household names all over the world. Based in LA for the last couple of years, Tommy has been there to see it all go down. The phrase ‘Land of opportunity has never rung truer.

Pretty much anyone who goes to a festival in America will tell you just how much different it is from anywhere else, especially down under. It’s a little daunting to think that we’ve just had our first weekend-long dance festival in Australia, while in Miami they’re preparing to very nearly shut the city down for basically an entire week of partying. Ultra music festival spans two weekends, while the “Everything’s just gotten bigger and better, events of Miami music week bridge the gap you know? There’s still a very strong underin between. ground scene going on, but it’s also just become a lot more mainstream.” “It’s just mayhem here for a week. You have the majority of the biggest DJs in the world “I think just in general there’s a lot more in the one city, partying every night of the awareness about dance music than there week; it is just like take your pick. The vibe was previously. I think that’s a really god here is just incredible. It is a very artificial thing, you know? I mean there is going to be kind of thing because nowhere else in the gigs that are a lot more commercial where world really has that apart from maybe you cannot play as underground music, but Amsterdam, or somewhere like Tomorrowthere is a very strong underground scene

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where a DJ can rather take their pick as to what scene they want to be in and where they want to play. There is a lot opportunity for everyone and anyone. America’s just such a big place man, I really feel like there’s so much opportunity here and I think there’s still a long way for it to go. I don’t think we’ve seen the most of it yet.” Before this, Tommy Trash was synonymous with the Australian clubbing scene, hanging with the Bang Gang crew and pumping out productions and compilations for Ministry of Sound Australia. As is the trend with Australian DJs nowadays, he eventually found himself wanting more, and took off overseas to take that next step. In such an isolated scene like what exists in Australia, he certainly wasn’t the last to want to make his footprint on the international stage, but he was one of the first. “I’ve been in the states now for a little over 2 years, and before that I was living in London for a year. London was kind of… for me that was what changed everything. You know I had a pretty good career in Australia, I was gigging multiple times a week. The career was kind of cool but I couldn’t figure out a way to sort of break out overseas, so that was a little bit frustrating for me because I really wanted to be an international touring DJ. So I just decided to kind of move to London and start from scratch, because I was just like ‘Well you know, maybe the music I’m making isn’t good enough, so maybe I need to focus on the studio for a bit and not gigs. So that’s what I did in London. Anyone who goes to London will tell you that it’s not glitz and glamour, as even less so for a music producer trying to hone their craft into something that will turn heads in an ever-growing, increasingly competitive market. Luckily for Tommy, he was able to shake off his notorious urge to party, and focus. “I just worked 7 days a week, long hours, just making music, not clubbing, not partying, and basically living a very, very boring life for a good year (laughs). I mean like, I did do a lot of studio work back in Australia but I’d still always party with mates, so you’d lose half your week recovering from either partying or gigging. Even if you’re not partying, gigging 3or 4 times a week just kind of eats into your energy and you need that down time to sort of recoup, and before you know it you’ve only got 1 or 2 days a week in the studio before you have to go touring again. It was a very fast decision for me. When I went to the UK, I wasn’t trying to get any gigs, I was just making music, and then I started meeting people there and it all came together pretty quickly.” Last edition, I had a chat to NERVO about why Australian DJs are migrating in such huge masses nowadays, looking to make their mark overseas. Of course I had to ask Tommy the same thing, and he had some truth bombs to drop. “I don’t know actually. I think it’s one of those things where you have to be in it to win it right? So if you’ve surrounded yourself with the right people and the right scene, some of it will hopefully rub off on to you. So if you’re moving to LA you’re meeting all these great people and taking advantage of all these opportunities that come up relatively quickly. I do not think that just because you move, you are going be successful. It’s actually a really hard move. I just think like, speaking to certain DJs who I won’t name, there’s maybe a little

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bit of frustration from these DJs at the Australian scene because they don’t want to play certain styles of Music? (Laughs) Australia can get really, like how do I put this? Like, when Australia grabs on to a style of music, they GO for it. Remember when breaks were big? It was ALL about breaks, just breaks everywhere. Then all of sudden it disappeared and then what was it? Then you had the electro-y, kind of Bang Bang house stuff, and then Dutch house had its fucking time, and then it was the trap shit, and now the Melbourne sound.” “For people who like to play a bit more underground maybe there’s not a lot of venues where you can play that kind of music, so maybe relocating to somewhere like Europe or the States can open up doors for more gigs. Maybe if people think they’ll move to the States, they’ll just get rich! (Laughs) For me personally, moving to the States was never on my radar. It just kind of happened very naturally. Once I hooked up with my management who were based in the States, it all just kind of came together, but that was after 7 or 8 years of plugging away. It wasn’t a quick thing.” Regardless of this, it’s fair to remain optimistic about the future of the Australian dance scene. More than ever our producers are getting noticed on both a local and an international scale. When asked about his thoughts, he was quick to echo these sentiments and express his excitement for what Australia has to offer in the not-todistant future. “What I do know is that there’s a lot of Aussies making a lot of good music at the moment, and finally the world’s taking notice and that’s really exciting. If it’s someone like Flume or someone like Joel Fletcher, or someone like me or Nervo or Knife Party, there’s a lot of people doing some really good stuff internationally. Hopefully that will inspire other Aussie producers to do the same. It would be really nice to see Australia be like how the Dutch are. They really support each other and just basically take over. Australia just has such a handicap in a way, because they’re so far removed from the rest of the world. It really makes it hard for up and coming kids to build a touring career, and that’s why they relocate.” 2014 is looking to be an exciting year for Tommy Trash, even more so by the release of his latest compilation through Ministry of Sound, called Inspired. An exemplary mix of all that’s influenced him in the past, present and future, the idea behind it was to give the listener an idea of what helped shape the name and sound of Tommy Trash into what it is today. “The Ministry of Sound UK just sort of approached my management and said ‘Hey, we’re thinking of starting this new compilation series, and we thought we’d ask Tommy if he wants to do it.’ Basically the whole thing was their concept and it’s something that really resonated with me, because I think it’s really good to show people where you sort of came from musically, and where it’s at now. That’s exactly what this CD does. I’m mean it’s not meant to be in any sort of chronological order or anything like that, but it definitely showcases key music that influenced me and still influences me as a producer. So I was really into the concept and from there we just started putting it all together.” Of course, he’s no stranger to the Ministry of Sound whatsoever. One of the labels most seasoned veterans, Tommy

has given his name to enough compilations that I had to Google it to get an entire list, but highlights include The Annual along editions of both the House AND ElectroHouse Sessions series. Inspired however, has a slightly more personal twist on it. And by slightly, I mean completely.

Sound to give the green light to something so personal. As a result, I had to ask Tommy how it felt to get that call.

“Dude, I was so excited and surprised and flattered, and all of that. I’ve had a really good relationship with Ministry for 7 or so years. It felt like almost the next natural step “This one I had complete artistic control over. in doing compilations for them, because I Whereas other compilations I’ve done for did the Annual, House Sessions, and Electro ministry, maybe I’d get to choose a few of House Sessions, all of those things. For me it the tracks and then label would say ‘well this felt like a natural step, but at the same time track’s got to go on’, and it would end up that a massive privilege to be asked, hopefully maybe 50-75% of the album is already preeveryone likes it!” determined in a way. This one was a blank slate that I could work on. It was really amaz- Despite the compilation release, Tommy ing. It took a lot more work than I thought it remains solely focused on the road ahead. was going to take! That’s the sort of flipside, Unlike a lot of DJ’s nowadays, Good Guy because you don’t have anyone breathing Tommy Trash has managed to actually take down your neck saying ‘you know, this renote of exactly what it is that fans want from cord’s got to go on’, they’re just asking ‘what musicians. Not Deluxe album re-releases, not are you putting on it?’ So I ended up with a world tour after world tour, but good quality, list of probably a couple of hundred tunes, brand spanking new music. This is exactly which I had to cut down to like 15 or 16. That what he plans to deliver over the next 12 was the toughest process. Disc 1 was just months, and he had a few releases coming figuring out what I was going to put on, but up that he was able to let us in on. keep it sounding sort of eclectic and making the mix flow, while trying to tell some kind of “Next 12 months will basically be just releasstory. It was a mammoth task.” ing a lot more club music. I’ll be starting the releases from April, the first one will be The list of artists that Ministry of Sound has called Little Bear which is coming out on approached to do a personal compilation is April 7 through Spinnin’. After that basically an exclusive one to say the least. Normally a we’ll be doing one release every week for task reserved for legends of the dance scene about 6 weeks, so a nice steady flow. I have with careers spanning decades, needless to about twenty-six records that I am finishing say it’s quite the privilege for the Ministry of up now, so there is a lot to choose from and 52

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obviously not everything is going to see the light of day, but there is a nice pool to take from. The focus for me is to get these club mixes out and we have some vocal records, but I am not going to try to recreate a situation like Reload. If it goes well then great, if it doesn’t I’m not too worried. The focus is more just consistent club releases, because I feel like that’s what the fans are really after. They want new content all the time, and the club releases are a way of doing that. Apart from that, just touring all the time. I’ve had a couple of months off for studio time, so the rest of the year is going to be on the road!” And now, for those out of the loop: DJM: Finally, for those in the ‘twitterverse’ that may have just found your profile, please explain “Tommy Turnip” (Laughs) “Oh man, so basically when Turn It Up for What came out, Autoerotique posted a picture of this Turnip, and I was like “oh my god, that’s the greatest thing I’ve ever seen’. So he was like ‘put it as your profile thing’ and put it to his fans saying retweet this if you want him to change his profile. So I was like ‘Fuck it’. There’s no real back story behind it, I just have this weird obsession with this little turnip face and it just kind of hit a chord in me. I’m just going with it dude!” Well, quite. Inspired, the latest compilation from Tommy Trash, released in mid-March through Ministry of Sound.

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kaskade Growing up in Chicago where the roots of house music sprouted from, Ryan “Kaskade” Raddon has been living and breathing house music for a long time. As a result of having the pioneers of the underground as a catalyst, Ryan emerged as one of the most influential figures in dance music. By constantly traveling around the world and trying to squeeze in studio time, this past year Ryan has managed to grab a Grammy nomination for “Best Dance Recording” and “Best Dance/Electronica Album” for his eighth studio album ‘Atmosphere’ on Ultra Music. I had the honor to chat to the man himself while he’s in Australia touring around for Future Music Festival. By touching base on a variety of aspects in his career and personal life, I picked his brain to truly get to know the way this prodigious musical genius works.

Michelle: To start off I would like to talk about your family if that’s ok. By being a pivotal figure in dance music and constantly traveling all over the place, how do you balance having a family with work since you’re away so much? Ryan: How do I make the balance work? By putting the important things first. Is that a good enough answer? Michelle: Well you’re constantly working which pulls you away from your family so that must be a really hard thing to deal with. Ryan: I mean yeah. But I think if that’s in the front of your mind. I mean for me it always works and that’s kind of what I live by, put the important things first. Obviously I love music, I love making music, playing music and playing shows, my career is extremely important to me. But there are more important things and family is only one of them. I think for me there’s a lot of planning

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and strategy that go into spending enough time with my wife and children. The last three years over the summer I did bus tours instead of flying so we could all be together on a bus and that made a difference. Michelle: Well that’s a good way of dealing with it. Ryan: Yeah. If I go someplace where I’m there for an extended period of time I bring my family with me. I used to bring my family with me here to Australia when I’d come for three or four weeks and I based myself in Sydney and played shows. But I haven't done that for a while now. Michelle: Lets talk about your music. A while ago you created a drum and bass remix for Katy Perry’s song ‘Wide Awake’ and mentioned that the last time you did a drum and bass record “Coke was 50 cents in the vending machine.” I’m sure a lot of fans didn’t know you used to make drum and bass so

can you explain your pull to the genre and if can we expect any more drum and bass tracks from you? Because frankly I think you should. Ryan: I’vee always loved drum and bass ever since I got into it in the mid ‘90s. I think ‘95 or ‘96, something like that. I was a huge fan of LTJ Bukem, Moving Shadow and that entire kind of atmospheric drum and bass which was huge. Then I got into Roni Size and jump up and The Ganja Kru stuff. But for me it’s all electronic music. I think right now people are so focused on the individual genres. The atmospheric drum and bass sounds so similar to me to an atmospheric deep house song. I mean they are just different tempos we’ve taken from a similar pallet of sounds. It’s just programming them differently. So I think sometimes people really get hung up on genres when they shouldn’t be and if the music works or not. For me, I put out my first drum and bass record in ‘97, it was

a long time ago but that was just my way of getting into production. I was just messing around and that’s what I came up with. I don’t know, I’m always experimenting. I’m always messing around. My album is all over the place. Michelle: But it’s a good thing because it shows your versatility as an artist and your eclectic knowledge on music in general. Ryan: Yeah! I wouldn’t have it any other way. The reason I did that tempo for that remix was because I really liked the song, the Katy Perry track, but the tempo was that. That was the tempo of the song, I didn’t change the tempo. It was 160. I always hate doing remixes and having to warp the tempo drastically because I feel it changes the overall feeling of the song. Like the vocals were performed at that tempo and it works really well because there is a certain amount of space and air. I thought if I was going to slow it down or speed it up I thought it was going to ruin it. Anyway, it was just one of these things that I just won an award and literally I was just awarded best remix for last year and it was coming off the hot heels of that and I said “Well if they don’t want the remix I don’t really care, this is what I think it should be.” Michelle: Essentially as long as you keep producing music you love then that’s all that matters at the end of the day.

Ryan: I mean yeah I liked it and it was cool to see it be successful so I was really happy about that. Michelle: So I have to ask this question to put the much debated argument to a rest. Can you please address the proper lyrics to Angel On My Shoulder. It’s “I have an angel on my shoulder but a devil in my hand” correct? Ryan: Yes! Michelle: I knew it! Most people and even on websites say it’s “head” so how do you feel about that? Does it bother you that fans think “head” is a better representation of the lyric? Ryan: I prefer “hand.” However, “hand” or “head” they both work. Either way it doesn’t really matter as long as people are singing along and are enjoying the music. That’s more important. This all came into fruition a few years ago when a fan kept really wanting me to retweet her tattoo. Michelle: Yeah I saw that! She had the lyrics tattooed on her but it said “head!” Ryan: Yeah and I didn’t retweet it because I felt bad because the lyric was wrong. She kept tweeting me for months and months and I finally tweeted her and said “Hey! Its beautiful, but just so you know the lyric is “hand” so some people might come after you because the lyric is wrong.” But it doesn’t

matter. If you’re singing “head” or “hand” I mean they are similar ideas. I actually did this song with Tamra Keenan and she wrote those beautiful lyrics. The hand references a drug connotation and that’s what the devil is. But it doesn’t matter because the devil could also be in your head. Michelle: I guess that’s one of the effects your music has on people because it could be interpreted in many different ways. Ryan: My lyrics are not very literal. “Im happy and Im walking down the street.” Happy, that’s not me, that’s Pharrell. It’s someone else. Michelle: In regards to Atmosphere, the album is a very personal representation of your life. Can you further explain what particular elements of your life you used as inspiration for this sensational album. Ryan: I think lyrically it’s more representation. Production wise, it’s a little all over the place from down tempo to deep house to more dance tracks. I think the reason that when I said that long ago when I was doing press before the album came out, and how it is a look into my life, I was referencing the track ‘Atmosphere’ itself. I wrote a song lyrically talking about the same subject matter and it’s called ‘Stars Aline.’ I always regretted that I didn’t sing on it because it’s a very personal song too and so when I sat down and and co-wrote this song with a couple

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of friends, it was basically take two of ‘Stars Aline.’ Just a more current version. I was like “Im going to try and sing this.” Anytime you put yourself more out there it becomes more personal. Theres more of you for people to like or dislike. So automatically even beyond the lyrical content, you can be like “Oh I hate this voice or I like this voice. Oh his voice doesn’t make me feel anything.” It just becomes more personal putting yourself more out there. Michelle: In addition to singing for the first time for Atmosphere, did you also do the vocals for Take Your Mind Off It? Ryan: Yeah I did. Michelle: For Move For Me with Deadmau5 I know you two were never in the studio together since it was more a virtual collaboration. Was that kind of how your collaboration with Project 46 panned out as well for ‘Last Chance’? Ryan: Yes it definitely did. They sent me the song and they had everything but had a loose idea production wise of how they wanted to take it. The lyrics and melody were written and recorded already and I really loved them. I think they knew that I was really going to love it and that it was targeted towards me. Michelle: They have been taking the scene by a storm so it’s nice to see you collaborate with different artist.

dance music when I was involved for over two decades. I feel this is the most musical it’s ever been. I mean you have to understand, years ago most I would say 95% of the dance music that was out there was instrumental. It wasn’t musical, it was just mostly drum programming and we were relying so heavily on sampling and drum machines. It was very rhythmic based for a very long time. Now there’s for better or for worse, I mean that’s debatable, it’s more musical than it’s ever been. Michelle: So moving along and to get a bit more personal. You’re are basically perfect in every single way. Ryan: Awe, thank you! Michelle: So I would like to talk to you for a second about your foundation of youth. What are your secrets to looking so handsome? Do you do anything in particular to look youthful? Ryan: I have a very good Photoshop person. Michelle: Oh c’mon, don’t be so modest. Ryan: Clean living. I’ve basically lived in a nightclub for the last twenty years but I’ve never had a drink of alcohol or done any drugs. It’s always been about the music for me. I think taking care of myself on the road and living clean really helps.

Ryan: Yeah it’s awesome! It’s awesome to see Michelle: Do you use Cascade soap to wash it out there. But it’s also weird; I think I’m get- your dishes? ting more of that around me lately. It’s just awesome to see and think because my music isn’t necessarily hard to stick, like it’s not a sound per say where I think when you hear a Deadmau5 track you think, “Man that sounds like a Deadmau5 track! It’s so beautiful, how did he come up with those chords?” My thing is that I’vee always been so song based that it’s more about the lyrics and the melody and the vocal presentation. Michelle: And your songs evoke a lot of emotions as well so it brings a huge emotional aspect to your productions. Ryan: Yes exactly! So I find it’s hard to imitate. So when people now are realizing that and when Project 46 would send me stuff I was like, “Man this sounds like something I would write!” And I love her voice so I don’t get that a lot and so I told them that I would love to set the track up together and that I got some good ideas for some accompaniment and the arrangements. But yeah, I’ve never really had that in my career. I feel like right now dance music is the most musical it’s ever been. I know recently Avicii was saying the complete opposite, which is funny because he’s a young guy and I don’t feel he’s lived through much of

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Ryan: I most definitely do. And you know what that’s a good Instagram photo. I need to take a picture of that. Such a good idea, thank you! Michelle: There’s actually a bunch of gifs and memes on Tumblr about you using Cascade products. Ryan: Yeah I’ve seen a few of them. Michelle: So to wrap things up, what are your plans for 2014 and also in regards to Late Night Alumni? Ryan: Lots of new music! I will have a 4 track Redux EP coming out hopefully in the next six weeks. I’m just finalizing it right now and wrapping it up. There’s a lot of new music on the way for this year. Michelle: What about for Late Night Alumni? Ryan: For Late Night Alumni I think I might officially leave the band just because they are really starting to become their own thing which is awesome and I just do not have the time. I imagine I’ll join them in the studio. I know they’re working on new music and I was always an integral part of that process but I just don’t have the time to do everything anymore. Michelle: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us. Ryan: My pleasure. Thank you for having me.

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DJ Mag Australia’s Top 20 Best European Summer Festivals – 2014 Edition Sumedha Pagadala

1. TOMORROWLAND Main line up: Armin Van Buuren, Carl Cox, Afrojack, Alesso, Hardwell, Tiësto, Krewella, Dave Clarke, Above and Beyond, Laid Back Luke, and MANY MORE. Location: Boom, Belgium When: 18th-20th, July; 25th-27th July, 2014 Website: http://www.tomorrowland.com/en/ Avid dance music pilgrims from the world over will amass in the small but aptly-named area of Boom in Belgium, as the iconic festival celebrates its 10th Anniversary, with a line-up that is cure to set off sparks. And this year’s attendance is set to be off the charts with some estimating it at 500,000 music revellers. Over two epic long weekends, the crème de la crème of DJs will come together to showcase some of their best current and upcoming rhythms and beats. For those lucky enough to have snapped up tickets, this event is going to be one for the ages.

2. CREAMFIELDS

Main line up: Dimitri Vegas, Steve Aoki, Like Mike, Deadmau5, Avicii, Martin Garrix, Armin Van Buuren, Afrojack, Steve Angello, Hardwell, and MANY MORE. Location: Daresbury, England When: 22nd to 24th August, 2014 (Bank Holiday Weekend) Tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/creamfields2014 Price: General tickets start from £132 Website: http://www.creamfields.com/

Main line up: Afrojack, Armin Van Buuren, Carl Cox, David Guetta, Hardwell, Tiesto (Phase 1); Phase 2 yet to be confirmed. Location: Split, Croatia When: 11th-13th July, 2014 Tickets: http://www.ultraeurope.com/tickets Price: General tickets are quickly running out. Get them for €129 (approx. AU$197) Website: http://www.ultraeurope.com/

This year Creamfields will be running into its 15th year as one of the most important music festivals for dance music – certainly in the UK where it all began. Having become a global phenomenon since its inception, showcasing a whopping 12 stages with their own colourful personalities and themes, the English countryside will be brought to life.

ULTRA EUROPE FESTIVAL

For this year’s Round 2 for Ultra Europe, the festival has selected some of the best acts that have been international EDM charts all over the world. Its sure to draw in the more than initial the festival with 103,000 ardent summer music lovers amassing in Split from near and far. Afrojack, Armin Van Buuren, Carl Cox, David Guetta, Hardwell, and Tiesto will be headlining Phase 1 of this incredible musical affair presenting a cornucopia of their lates and greatest sounds, and maybe a few future hits. This will be the second running of Ultra Europe, and after last year’s line-up and high level production ability, we can’t wait to see what this year has in store. Keep checking the website for details on the eagerly awaited Phase 2 line-up. Tickets are already selling fast.

The long-awaited Friday line-up will showcase the likes of the electric duo of Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, alongside Steve Aoki who will be introducing an equally impressive line-up including Sander Van Doorn and Bassjackers. Saturday will see the likes of Avicii and Armin Van Buuren lead their respective stages. And Sunday will wrap up with the epic Tiesto, Calvin Harris and Australia’s own Dirty South playing futuristic sets.

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HIDEOUT FESTIVAL

Main line up: Disclosure, Rudimental, Jamie Jones, Loco Dice, Solomun, Maceo Plex, Sasha Location: Novalja, Croatia When: 30th June, 2014 Tickets: http://www.hideoutfestival.com/ Price: Standard tickets start at £129.00 Its seeming more and more apparent that Croatia will be in the limelight for dance music this summer in Europe. And its no wonder, as Hideout, like many of the other festivals going on in Croatia, have an impressive record of incredibly talented line-ups supported by amazing production and tech, as well as the crowds. The headliners will be the electronic duo Disclosure and quartet Rudimental will take to the stage to each play a full set of their best pieces for the audience. This will be followed by the likes of Jamie Jones, Loco Dice, Solomun, Maceo Plex and, Sasha. This festival may be a hideout by name but is certainly not so in character.

OUTLOOK FESTIVAL

Main line up: Ms. Lauryn Hill, Busta Rhymes, Barrington Levy, DJ Premier, Andy C, and more. Location: Pula, Croatia When: 3rd-7th September, 2014 Tickets/ Website: http://www.outlookfestival.com/, Standard tickets start from £150.00. Another crowd pleaser to be held in Croatia: Outlook Festival has a history within the bass music scene as well as EDM. Its the largest festival that caters to bass music and culture, including dubstep, techno, reggae, garage and more. It also hosts its events at incredibly scenic stages, as 2014 is no different. Coming to its 7th annual run, Outlook will showcasing some well-known names such as Busta Rhymes, but playing homage to many iconic figures in the growing underground movement. Tickets are going sell fast.

5. MYSTERYLAND Main line up: Steve Aoki, Nicky Romero, Showtek, Nervo, Fedde Le Grand, Dyro, Sultan + Ned Shepard, and Sick Individuals, Oliver Heldens, Amtrac, MC Lex, Empress, PLUS MORE. Location: Bethel Woods, New York When: 23rd-26th May, 2014 Tickets/ Website: http://www.mysteryland.us/en/ tickets/. Standard tickets start from US$199. Mysteryland is known the world over within the EDM scene for its amazing line-ups and out-ofthis-world design sets and stages, embodying the fantastical dimensions of colour and rhythm dance music brings to life. This year’s gathering will be particularly historic with the famous festival heading for the first time to the US. Specifically Bethel Woods (NY), considered sacred grounds for many music lovers, as the home of the 1969 Woodstock Festival: a cultural and musical phenomenon in its own right. Steve Aoki, Nicky Romero, Showtek, and Nervo will be heading to the main stage where their beats are sure to further immerse the eclectic cultural engagement of Mysteryland.

GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL

Main line up: Arcade Fire, Dolly Parton, Lily Allen, Disclosure, Blondie, AND MORE Location: Worthy Farm, Pilton UK When: 25th-29th June, 2014 Tickets and Website: Prices start from £165.00, check out: http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/ An eclectic mixture of some of the best that many genres have to offer besides EDM; such as country and indie, Glastonbury is a cultural phenomenon in its own right. And the festival grounds stretch so far that some have labelled it a “mini-state under canvas”. Headliners such as Dolly Parton, Arcade Fire, Lily Allen and Disclosure will be making an appearance and showcasing some their best hits. With such incredible picks from so many categories, Glastonbury is certainly the calibre of a performing arts festival. Tickets have already sold out, but keep an eye out for resale of cancelled tickets. djmag.com.au

SONAR FESTIVAL

Main line up: Massive Attack, Richie Hawtin, Plastikman, Chic feat. Despacio (Jame Murphy + 2manyDJs), Rudimental, Caribou, Bonobo, Loco Dice; and MANY MORE Location: Barcelona, Spain When: 12th-14th June, 2014 Tickets: Starts at €48, depending on duration of festival stay Website: http://sonar.es/en/2014/ Another high calibre celebration of music and performance art belongs to this famous music festival, which only just celebrated its incredibly successful 20-year long run as the foremost dance music festival in Spain. 2014 will be the 10th Anniversary of Sonar’s collaboration with Red Bull Music Academy. It is loved by music fans for its constant endeavour to provide the most eclectic mix of popular, upcoming, and often tastefully experimental tunes from the most unique artists in the global music culture. The dream is to always pair originality with technology to provide audiences with a taste of the present, as well as what the future has to offer. Audiences will be treated to the works of Massive Attack, Richie Hawtin, Plastikman, Chic feat. Despacio (Jame Murphy + 2manyDJs), Rudimental, Caribou, Bonobo, Loco Dice over 3 days. Expect the stage to be lit up with the scintillating beats and mixes from the most original local and international artists on the scene right now.

9. BESTIVAL

10.

Main line up: Outkast, Chic feat. Nile Rodgers, Foals, Beck, Busta Rhymes, Disclosure; DJ sets from Sven Vath, Annie Mac, Gorgon City, and MORE Location: Robin Hill, Isle of Wight When: 4th-7th June, 2014 Tickets: Adult Tickets start from £195 Website: http://2014.bestival.net/

Main line up: Adam Beyer, Ben Klock, Bjorn Hummerich, Bunte Bummler, Carl Cox, Chris Liebing, Chris Wood & Meat, Daniel Schlender, Dubfire and MORE Location: Mannheim, Germany When: April 5th, 2014 Tickets: Standard tickets start from €71.50 Website: http://www.time-warp.de/

This year’s Bestival shall be set against the beautiful lush countryside in the Isle of Wight; a serene backdrop against which the eclectic music of the festival is will be brought to life. But there’s more to the Bestival than a pretty backdrop. Due to top quality management and showcasing the crème-de-la-crème of musical acts locally and globally, the festival has a score of UK awards to its name. These include: Best Major Festival 2012 ‘Fans’ Favourite Festival’ 2011, ‘Best Major Festival’ 2010, and ‘Best Medium-Sized Festival’ 2009, 2007, 2006 & 2005. There’ll be live music from Outkast, Disclosure and Paloma Faith, and DJ sets from Sven Vath, Annie Mac and more. With a bit of everything –from both the music and ‘non-music’ categories on schedule, it’s obvious why this ‘Best’-ival is worth checking out for dance fans.

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TIME WARP

Another top-tier music festival that will be celebrating a 20-year run will be Time Warp – Germany’s great EDM festival that continues to draw with thousands of music lovers attending every year. Featuring some of Germany’s –and the world’s best acts, revellers can look forward to sets by the likes of Carl Cox, Dubfire, and Chris Liebing will be bringing the electronica movement to the centre stage with everything from house to pure techno. Definitely a must-see.

11.

MONEGROS DESERT FESTIVAL

Main line up: Yet to be announced, keep an eye out on their website Location: Fraga, Spain When: July 19th - 20th, 2014 Tickets: http://www.monegrosfestival.com/ In what appears to be a global celebration of EDM since it burst out onto the global scene in the 90’s, Monegros will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary as one of the world’s premier festival destinations, and Spain’s biggest rave hotspot. Monegros is also current holder of 3 consecutive wins of the Vicious Music Awards Best Festival from 2011-13. Pulling in an average of 40,000 of the Spain’s most devout movers and shakers, this anniversary year could easily bring in double the amount. Though the official line-up has not been released, if 2013 was anything to go by, expect to find favourites like The Prodigy, Richie Hawtin and 2 Many DJs gracing the stage together with some local and international talent in the mix.

13.

NUITS SONORES

Main line up: 2 Boules Vanille, Abschaum, Nina Kraviz, The Rosy Crucifixion, Aether, Agoria, Andy Votel, Apollonia, Location: Lyon, France When: 28th May-1st June, 2014 Tickets: One Day tickets start from €20, for other tickets, see website for more. Website: http://www.nuits-sonores.com/en/

12.

PRIMAVERA SOUND

2014 will see the 12th run of France’s popular ‘Nights of Sound’. It is an experience and phenomenon unlike any other. The festival showcases a multidimensional involvement in independent, electronica and digital music and is the creative brainchildren of some of the best musical artist collaborations. Following the footsteps of many major music festivals today, the vibe is one that is truly accepting of musical experimentation as a means of progress to greater heights. This year’s headliners include Abschaum, Nina Kraviz, The Rosy Crucifixion, Aether, Agoria – a testament to the vibe that revelers are bound to experience: transcendental.

Main line up: Arcade Fire, Kendrick Lamar, The National, Nine Inch Nails, Pixies, Queens of the Stone Age and MORE Location: Barcelona, Spain When: 28th-31st May, 2014 Tickets: Quickly running out, some still available for €195 Website: http://www.primaverasound.es/?lang=en Another iconic Spanish music festival, Primavera Sound is set to continue its strong tradition of showcasing the most diverse and avant-garde independent music acts imaginable. Headliners for the show include Arcade Fire, Kendrick Lamar, The National, Future, Islands, FKA Twigs, Girl Band, and a plethora of dance legends. A heads up on accommodation however, try and book at a hotel nearby as there are no camping grounds. Another significant aspect of the festival besides the top quality production and live sets, would have to be their commitment to reducing their carbon output, having won 2012’s A Greener Festival Award 2012.

14.

OPENER FESTIVAL

Main line up: Banks, Bastille, Ben Howard, Bokka, Darkside, Daughter, Foster the People, and MORE Location: Gdynia, Poland When: 2nd-5th July, 2014 Tickets: Start from €48, depending on length of festival stay. See website. Website: http://opener.pl/en One of the most popular music festivals in Eastern Europe that pulls in some of the biggest names in the industry, with a production quality to match: Open’er took in at least 60,000 music lovers in 2013, and this year it’s only set to get bigger. Get ready for the likes of Bastille, Daughter, Ben Howard and many more play across 4 different stages, with their own musical vibes. Open’er also joins several premier festivals in its commitment to reducing carbon footprint. Tickets are selling fast.

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15.

LOVE SAVES THE DAY

Main line up: Annie Mac, SBTRKT, Bodhi, Gentlemen’s Dub Club, Jamie XX, Cyril Hahn, and MORE Location: Bristol, UK When: 24th -25th May, 2014 (Spring Bank Holiday) Tickets: 3rd and 4th tier tickets still available, starting at £35. Check website. Website: http://lovesavestheday.org/ Love Saves the Day is very much the result of many years of collaboration with the local EDM scene and artists, to provide partygoers from all over the world a very unique handpicked selection of UK best; coupled with some of the best international acts. And it definitely shows, with throngs of young things bound to flock to this idyllic park to celebrate some of most scintillating and experimental beats in the entire music scene at the moment.

17.

SOUTH WEST FOUR WEEKENDER

Main line up: Above & Beyond, Alesso, Deadmau5, Eric Prydz, Arty, Andy C, and MANY MORE Location: London, UK When: 23rd-24th August, 2014 (Summer Bank Holiday) Tickets: Start from £52.50, check website for more details Website: http://www.southwestfour.com/ Joining the ranks of music festivals having celebrated their anniversary, is London’s South West Four Weekender just recently having gone past its 10-year milestone as a foremost destination for some of the UK’s best local and international acts. Over 2 intense days of electronica and house, listen to the likes of Above & Beyond, Alesso, Deadmau5, Eric Prydz and others play some of their best work in the heart of the London metropolis and watch the city come alive.

Headliners such as Annie Mac, SBTRKT, Bodhi, and Gentlemen’s Dub Club have all brought forth some incredible mixes in the past, and are bound to bring some of their top beats to save the day!

16.

MAYDAY FESTIVAL

Main line up: Fedde Le Grand, Paul van Dyk, Sven Väth, Moonbootica, Sander van Doorn, Chris Liebing, Cosmic Gate, Danny Avila, and MANY MORE Location: Dortmund, Germany When: 30th April, 2014 Tickets: €63.80 (incl. VAT charges). See website for details. Website: http://www.nature-one.de/veranstaltungen/mayday/ This is Germany’s electronica and trance hotspot that first hit the big time during the early years of dance music. Since then, it has exponentially grown to be a premier destination. It is also synonymous with many of the top internationally ranked DJs, pulling in a minimum 25,000 ravers every year since its inception without fail. MAYDAY showcases an incredible 15-hour musical odyssey that puts some of the national favourites against well-known international names. Together with incredible tech display and production, ravers will be transported to a whole other musical dimension. Fedde Le Grand, Paul van Dyk, Sven Väth, and Moonbootica are slotted to headline as main acts, each will be bringing in their own unique flavour to this international mix, sure to do MAYDAY justice.

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18.

EXIT FESTIVAL

Main line up: Queens of the Stone Age, Damon Albran, Carl Cox vs. Danny Tenaglia, Disclosure (live set), Rudimental (live set), Skrillex, Sub Focus and MORE. Location: Novi Sad, Serbia When: 10th-13th July, 2014 Tickets: “Exit Package” available incl. of transfer, accommodation, and tickets at £115 Website: http://www.exitfest.org/en EXIT is a vibrant summer music festival par-excellence, which is only preceded by its history as a student movement to spread peace and democracy through Eastern Europe, and now – the world. The festival’s existentialist philosophy, and not-for-profit roots is perhaps one the most poignant facets of its creation. This is one of the reasons it’s so popular with youths and top-tier international DJs and artists who come back again, and again, to spread the good vibes, with previous artists like Snoop Dogg gracing the stage. This year’s headliners will definitely not disappoint with the likes of Queens of the Stone Age, Carl Cox, Danny Tenaglia, Disclosure and Skrillex each having high calibre of uniqueness in musical beats and rhythms. It’s no wonder why EXIT was honoured with the title of Best Major European Festival earlier this year.

19.

DIMENSIONS FESTIVAL

Main line up: Darkside, Caribou, Jon Hopkins, Roy Ayers, Moodymann, Theo Parrish, and MORE Location: Pula, Croatia When: 28th-31st August, 2014 Tickets: Standard tickets still available from £150. See website for more. Website: http://www.dimensionsfestival.com/ This festival is certainly Croatia’s largest multidimensional festival, as the name suggests: featuring over 200 artists playing across 11 arenas and stages, featuring 30 boat parties for carousers; and all against the nostalgic backdrop of a 2000 year old amphitheatre. Dimensions has got all the bases covered. Darkside, Nils Frahm, and Caribou will get playing rights for the Opening Concert; with the likes of Move D, Jon Hopkins, and Underground Resistance to playing sparkling rhythms featuring all the best aspects that the underground scene has on offer.

20.

THE GARDEN FESTIVAL

Main line up: Crazy P Sound System, Genius of Time, Kink, Paqua, Aartekt, Adam Aalias, Adam Shelton, and MORE. Location: Tisno, Croatia When: 2nd-9th July, 2014 Tickets: Day Passes start from £15. See website for more details. Website: http://www.thegardenfestival.eu/ Set in an idyllic location, right beside a glittering beach and into its 8th year, The Garden Festival is known as Croatia’s inaugural musical event. And continues to commemorate and showcase the best live acts and DJs that Croatia and the world has to offer. It joins the list in our Top 20 as yet another Croatian Festival that continues to put Eastern Europe on the map for its drawing capacity. Get into the mix and listen to the likes of Crazy P Sound System, Genius of Time, Aartekt, and Adam Aalias, you will literally dance until the sun comes up. Tickets are obviously, selling fast.

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DJ Funk

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Rude, lewd and dressed to sweat, Dance Mania transformed Chicago house from its ‘80s roots to a rough, raw, x-rated version that banged harder than anyone else. Now, after 13 years’ absence, the label is back by popular demand alongside a new Strut compilation that reminds the world just how influential it still is...

Words: JOE ROBERTS PICS: RYAN LOWRY, WILLIE BARNEY

f Live Nation, SFX and Beatport owner Robert Sillerman is hoping to monopolise the world of dance, then he may just be copying Daft Punk, who’ve already monopolised the answer to the question, “Who was your influence in getting into electronic music?”Today’s fresh-faced stars might consider the robot-headed duo as the ground zero of dance music, but Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo were once excited teenagers themselves. And so far, it seems, there hasn’t been very much digging into what it was that set them off on the road to becoming global superstars. Fortunately, you don’t need to look far. ‘Teachers’, the squelchy roll call of Daft Punk’s musical mentors, on their 1997 debut album ‘Homework’, laid down the bricks and mortar from which their house — or, more specifically, house music — was built. It touches on Detroit techno, New York house legends, Dr Dre and Beach Boy Brian Wilson, but most of all it highlights their obsession with Chicago and the sound of one label, Dance Mania. Paul Johnson, DJ Funk, DJ Rush, Wax Master, Jammin Gerald, Lil Louis, DJ Deeon, DJ Milton, DJ Slugo, Parris Mitchell and Robert Armani, all artists name-checked in ‘Teachers’ — itself a homage to Parris Mitchell’s 1995 track ‘Ghetto Shout Out’, featuring the vocals of Wax Master. They’re also all Dance Mania regulars whose rough, raw, and often rude take on house music — dubbed ghetto house — is again bubbling in the underground, thanks to the relaunch of Dance Mania and the respect of labels such as Clone’s Jack For Daze, 64

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Night Slugs and L.A. Club Resources. “I would say 95% of people are back on board,” says Ray Barney, label head and lynchpin, when we reach him over Skype to discuss its return following 2000’s closure alongside Barney’s Records, the shop and wholesale distribution business that Ray inherited from his father, which was the central point that focused all Dance Mania’s energies. “We were not a label where we had any kind of conflict with artists,” he adds with obvious sincerity. “I mean, we were like family. I had a big brother/little brother relationship with all the guys.” The family are back together, minus a few stragglers, for ‘Hardcore Traxx: Dance Mania Records 1986-1997’, a compilation which whittles the label’s 300-plus releases into 24 stone-cold classics (out now on Strut). Starting with Hercules’ ‘7 Ways’, a sexually charged track by Chicago early house royalty Marshall Jefferson, and culminating with the frenetic and obscene dressto-sweat antics of ‘Work Out’ by Top Cat, it traces Dance Mania’s evolution from challenger to DJ International and Trax Records, Chicago’s first two house labels which scored huge international hits, to a totally different animal altogether. It’s encapsulated in standouts such as the anthemic ‘House Nation’ by The House Master Boyz & the Rude Boy of House, and ever-fresh party banger ‘Feel My MF Bass’ by Paul Johnson, whose illustrious career includes chart hit ‘Get Get Down’ and Duane & Co’s ‘J B Traxx’. The latter, a raging whirlwind of claps and sampled exhortations, written by Duane Burford, provided

the label with its first track as well as its name when Burford offered Dance Mania, something he’d previously used for a self-released single. “I was like, why not?” remembers Ray off-handedly, “it sounded like an appropriate name.” Most prominently featured, however, is Victor Parris Mitchell, who appears as Victor Romeo for the soulful vocal ride of ‘Love Will Find A Way’ (featuring Letreece Brown) and the rolling, breakbeat-filled ‘Ride the Ride Rhythm’, as Rhythm II Rhythm for the smoother ‘A Touch of Jazz’, and as Parris Mitchell, his current moniker, for the seminal ‘Ghetto Shout Out’.

Far-Reaching

Introduced to Ray Barney in 1987 by Vince Lawrence, co-author of Jesse Saunders’‘On and On’, widely considered the first-ever house track, Victor’s first experience wasn’t exactly the stuff that dreams are made on. “At that time Ray said he wasn’t looking for anything new but give him a call later,” chuckles Victor, who switched back to making R&B, which he’d been doing previously, having been learning guitar since age 12. Having tried, and failed, to make a deal with Larry Sherman of Trax Records, and having met with Rocky Jones and realised that DJ International’s roster was too crowded, Victor and Ray’s paths eventually crossed again, with Ray releasing Victor Romeo ‘You Can’t Fight My Love’ on Bright Star Records, another of his labels. It was distributing records from DJ International and Trax Records that had originally turned Ray onto the new sound coming from his native city. “I would imagine there were no hit records that

Ray Barney

Barney’s Records

Parris Mitchell happened in Chicago and didn’t come through our store,” he says proudly, but Dance Mania’s output, which leant toward a harder sound for dancers, rather than the radio, meant that it acquired an underdog status whose influence wasn’t immediately apparent. “I knew we were doing good music, I knew we were doing music that was popular in the clubs, was popular in the underground scene — I did not know the farreaching effects at the time that we were doing it. It was for parties in the neighbourhood.” Central to this was a club called The Factory, which was located at 4711 West Madison Street until it burned down in 1994, originally manned by DJs Quick Mix Claude and Greg the Master but sometime home to growing Dance Mania stars. “I think what came out of that was the younger generation, and what grew out of that was that the tempos got a little faster throughout the years,” explains Victor on the pumped tracks that characterised Dance Mania’s breakaway from its ‘80s roots, bpms rising to 140 to lay the ground for juke then footwork. “Jammin Gerald came out of that, DJ Funk came out of that, some of the other guys.” “I think I noticed the transition coming along,” adds Victor on this change, which had previously seen DJs pitching records up as far as possible and even modifying turntables to play faster than their intended speed. “Because the label was what it was, if you listen back to Lil Louis, from his earlier tracks, even Marshall Jefferson, a lot of their stuff was a lot rawer than the stuff that you’d hear on DJ International. Then Robert Armani came along and his tracks were really stripped down. Their tracks were bridging the barrier and it evolved from that sound.”

Explicit

Coming to be labelled “ghetto house,” a term attributed to DJ Funk, tracks like DJ Deeon’s ‘Da Bomb’, Jammin Gerald’s ‘Black Women (Club)’, and Traxmen & Eric Martin’s ‘Hit It From the Back’, all revolve around the explicit concerns of its audience, namely sex, drugs and partying. “Where music was at that time, if you listened to a lot of Schooly D and NWA, all that stuff, that’s what was happening in society,” says Victor. “There was this big thing about having explicit lyrics stickers at the time and they were censoring records, so everybody was like, screw the censorship.” Yet by the time Daft Punk came knocking, Victor had moved on to working with artists on Death Row Records and doing remixes for mainstream stars like Janet Jackson (“It took me years to catch

up to that, I did not know,” he laughs on the French duo visiting Chicago) and by 2000 both the shop and label closed. “It was pretty sad when it closed but at the time you had so much going on with the market changing,” Victor reminisces. “I remember Ray saying, ‘Hey man, pretty soon they’re not going to even need record stores’. He predicted it.” What they didn’t predict was the enduring popularity of Dance Mania or the return of record buying. With online marketplaces like Discogs providing an international forum to buy and sell records, EPs such as Paul Johnson ‘11 P.M. Music/2 A.M. Music’ currently sell for over $100. Having moved into real estate, for a while Victor had completely given up on music, while after what he calls some “soul searching”, Ray was working in his family’s health food store. But then in 2009 Victor started up a Parris Mitchell Facebook page. “I didn’t really pay much attention to it but I noticed that I had a couple messages on there from a gentleman named Jamie Fry.” The man behind Berlin label Deep Moves, this led to the release of ‘Juke Joints Vol. One’, featuring tracks taken from his ‘94 Dance Mania album ‘Life in the Underground’, while more recently the EP was remixed by Fort Romeau, Cassy and Ryan Elliott, and ‘Juke Joints Vol. Two’ presented three brand-new tracks shot through with Dance Mania energy. In 2010 Berliner Bakey Ustl also sampled Parris Mitchell’s ‘All Night Long’ for his track ‘Tender Places’, reviving its joyous piano chords and lewd and live chorus of “Clap your hands if you wanna fuck, stomp your feet if you wanna suck”. The track, which Victor wryly notes was “totally unnoticed”, after its original 1995 release (“it went right over people’s heads”), was then reissued in 2012 by Ukrainian label Wicked Bass, a remix from Night Slugs boss Bok Bok relinking Parris to the current wave of underground talent and splashing his name across blogs worldwide. “I wasn’t really thrilled about doing it at first,” says Ray on Victor gradually wearing him down to restart the label, “I was feeling my life had taken another turn, I was into other things. But what I wanted to do was set the record straight.”

Dance Mania artists Da Posse

Marshall Jefferson at Last Dance Studio

Reissuing classic releases, with exclusive new tracks and mixes, before concentrating on original work, so far the vaults have been opened to unleash sought-after productions from Robert Armani and Steve Pointdexter, while fresh cuts have already dropped from footwork pioneer Traxman. New tracks are also in the works from Jammin Gerald and Parris Mitchell himself, who is also working with Nina Kraviz, remixing Radio Slave for Rekids and looking to collaborate with Actress, who he met at a Red Bull Music Academy party in Chicago. “We still underdogs here in Chicago,” laughs Victor, his reintroduction to the world still more likely to get him a show in New York, or even Europe, than his home city. But the ball is rolling and the history books are being rewritten, obscenities and all. djmag.com 65 djmag.com.au 65

Words: Ben Long 66

Sounds

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of the

City

As we established in the last installment of Sounds of the City, my guided tour of the six most important cities in the evolution of dance music, New York City was very much the starting point. The birthplace of the DJ and nightclubs as we know them today, the Big Apple also gave rise to genres such as hip-hop and disco during a huge boom in creativity and expression over the course of the 1970s. It was, however, other, smaller American cities that took on the baton from New York in the 1980s, as dance music sought to redefine itself once again.

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Chicago

Part 1

Chicago, Illinois, the third most populous city in the US, has a rich musical history. One of the prominent cities in the progression of blues and jazz music, Chicago was home to greats such as Muddy Waters and Nat King Cole in the 1950s. The city’s musical tradition can be traced back to the “Great Migration”, an exodus of 6 million African Americans between 1910 and 1930, away from the rural South and into the industrial cities of the Northeast, Midwest and West. The Southern influence was resonant, not only in the blues and jazz eras, but continued to be heard as Chicago became a centre for gospel infused R&B and soul music throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The city was the birthplace of many renowned soul performers, such as Curtis Mayfield and Chaka Khan, and was also home to significant record labels of the period, such as Brunswick, Vee-Jay, Chess Records and later Curtom. When disco music, originating from New York City, became a global phenomenon, many Americans grew tired of the grating nature of cheap and trashy commercial productions. Saturday Night Fever, the Village People, Studio 54 and various other factors had contributed to disco becoming something of a parody of itself, and a far, far cry from its origins, on the dark, sweaty dancefloors of underground nightspots and gay bathhouses. The national backlash which grew among many fans of rock music, came to a head in Chicago at the end of the decade. On July 12, 1979, Chicago-based radio DJ and long time anti-disco campaigner Steve Dahl, with the aid of baseball team Chicago White Sox’s owners, organised Disco Demoliton Night. The idea was that all those attending the baseball game would

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be granted access for a mere 98 cents, providing they brought with them at least one disco record. At the end of the game a crate was filled with all the disco records, and detonated. It is said that at least 50,000 people were at the stadium, 35,000 more than normal, almost all of whom were more interested in the ‘Disco Sucks’ campaign, than the sporting occasion. When the tens of thousands of records were blown up a chant of ‘Disco Sucks’ rang out around the stadium, and many rock fans stormed the pitch, later having to be dispersed by riot police. The event was deemed to mark the death of disco, and the figures agree: At the time of Disco Demolition Night, every one of the top six records in the US charts were disco tracks. Just two months later there wasn’t a single disco record in the Top 10. Disco was declared dead, and rock had returned.

Chicago is widely accepted as the birthplace of house music, yet doubts remain over its true origins and founders. The term is said to derive from the music that Frankie Knuckles played at Chicago club The Warehouse. After the workers at local record store Imports ETC had enough of constantly directing people towards “the music Frankie played at the Warehouse”-basically noncommercial, beat driven disco records, they decided to dedicate a specific section to these records, and placed them under the label, ‘Warehouse Music’- which was later abbreviated to ‘House Music’. While the term house music was already in existence at the beginning of the 1980s, the music which it referred to had little connection to the more original music to come out of Chicago from the middle of the decade. The genre we know today as house music in fact stems from the pioneering work of engineers and researchers, and the equipment that they developed throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, as they brought a series of synthesizers, drum machines and sequencers to the market.

Although German group Kraftwerk, and Italian producer Giorgio Moroder had been experimenting with Robert Moog’s polyphonic modular synthesizers throughout the 1970s, American dance acts had persisted with live instruments and studio musicians during the disco boom. The major breakthrough in the progression of electronic dance music came with the 1980 release of Roland’s TR-808- a drum machine

offering just sixteen different drum sounds. What made the 808 unique was its capability of tweaking these sounds with rotary controls. The machine’s potential was first realised on Afrika Bambaataa’s 1982 single Planet Rock, on Tommy Boy Records. The 808 was soon followed by Roger Linn’s LM-1 drum machine, which differed from the Roland in that its sounds were samplebased, thus recreated live drums, as opposed to the purely analogue sounds of the 808. Before long these machines were being used throughout the music industry, as artists such as Prince, Stevie Wonder, Depeche Mode and the Human League sought to introduce ‘electro’ beats to their music. Then, in 1983, Roland released the TR-909, the first drum machine to integrate both analogue and sampled sounds. This was followed by the TR-707, and then Yamaha’s DX7, the world’s first entirely digital synthesizer. All of a sudden the market was awash with these new boxes, and it was their availability that allowed young DJs to start making music themselves at home, as opposed to having to rent expensive studios like before. Some Chicago-based DJs started using these machines whilst DJing. Kenny Jason was supposedly the first DJ to play on a drum machine ‘live’, and Jesse Saunders was wiring up his TR-808 to the turntables from the summer of 1983. Saunders is also credited with having the first Chicago house record released. His track ‘On and On’, was

put out on Jes Say Records in January 1984. This was not, however, the first Chicago house track made, nor was it the first to be played out in the clubs, it was simply the first to be pressed onto vinyl and commercially released. Many other young DJs had already made tracks in 1983 and were taking them on reel-to-reel tapes to the DJs at the big clubs to play. One such track was ‘Your Love’ by Jamie Principle, another native of Chicago and avid fan of new-wave from England, as well as more dance driven US sounds from artists such a Prince. Though ‘Your Love’ is the far more memorable track, both were equally important in the evolution of this genre; where ‘Your Love’ opened up a whole world of possibilities in sound and mood, ‘On and On’ gave the young DJs the inspiration to produce, as it showed them that simply playing around with these machines could lead to having your records released and played in the clubs. Another key difference between this young, rapidly emerging Chicago scene, and the big business of disco in the 70s was that here in Chicago it was the DJs who held all the power. Where back in New York it had been the record label bosses, in Chicago those labels just didn’t exist yet, and so the producers would take their tapes to the DJs, and it would be them who made the tracks know. The two most important figures of the time were unquestionably Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy.

the sheer height and inaccessibility of the DJ booth itself, meant that Knuckles missed out on many of the young Chicago artists and their reel-to-reel tapes containing this new stripped down sound. After the original Warehouse had closed, Robert Williams moved location and set up a new club, again the Warehouse. Though the sound system was considerable, the club failed to attract big numbers. Williams had booked little-know DJ Ron Hardy as the resident, who was unable to compete with Knuckles, whose fans had followed him to his new home at the Power Plant. Realising that the Warehouse wouldn’t be the same, Williams closed the venue for a short time and changed its name to the Music Box. He knew that he had lost the core of dancers from years gone by, a crowd made up of largely black and gay men, and instead tried to attract a mainly straight crowd. Hardy began to gather a following, thanks in part to his wild, energetic style, and also to his openness and approachability when it came to playing out the new Chicago house sound of unknown producers. Where Knuckles favoured a smoother, more conservative style, Hardy was willing to try anything, and it was this audacity that made Ron Hardy the true innovator of the mid ‘80s house sound.

Hardy continued to break new artists when the Music Box relocated to a new location at the R2 Underground. His style was said to become even more adventurous after the relocation, as the sound system and Hardy’s Knuckles was already a big name in the city following continued to grow. One of many from his tenure at gay club the Warehouse, young producers who was given his big yet when, in June 1983, he and business break by Hardy was Marshall Jefferson. When partner Robert Williams went their separate Jefferson’s friend Sleezy had been impressed ways, Knuckles opened his new club the Power Plant later the same year. Although the with what he’d heard of Jefferson’s music, club was a huge success, there was not much he asked for a tape and took the tape to Ron Hardy at the Music Box. Hardy played the musical progression or experimentation track almost immediately. Sleezy then took at this time. Followed by much the same more of Jefferson’s music to the club, and crowd as would worship him weekly at the before long Hardy was playing fifteen of his Warehouse, Knuckles continued to play tracks during one set! Other artists to have many of the disco records he’d become their music broken at the Music Box include associated with. He favoured records with Larry Heard, Adonis and Chip E. high production values, and didn’t venture too far away from what he knew worked with Hardy would take tapes from everyone, no ‘his’ crowd. A combination of stubbornness matter if he knew them or not, and if he liked of both the DJ and dancefloor, along with

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them, he’d play them, a stark contrast to the more egotistical Knuckles. Around this time DJ Pierre, along with Herb and Spanky, had made a squelching type acid track on their Roland TB 303 and also taken it to the Music Box. Again Hardy played the track straight away, and the dancefloor was cleared. He played the track three more times, and by the last time it had the audience going crazy. The track was ‘Acid Tracks’, and the collective named themselves Phuture. This is widely considered to be the birth of acid house. Another phenomenon that gained momentum at this time was that of Jackin’- a dance moved heavily favoured by Hardy’s fans on the dancefloor of the Music Box. The move involved thrusting the torso forward and backward in a rippling motion, like a wave, and influenced many Chicago producers to incorporate the term on their records. (Chip E- ‘Time to Jack’ and Steve Hurley- ‘Jack Your Body’) The deluge of new music coming out of Chicago, and tapes being passed around meant that the record industry had money to make, and someone had to tap into this new market. Larry Sherman, owner of the only pressing plant in Chicago decided to set up his own house music label, which he named Precision Records. Then, at the beginning of 1985 he set up another label, this time with Jesse Saunders, and they named it Trax Records. Over the course of the next 5 years the label released some of the most important and long-lasting tracks in the history of dance music. Many of the tracks released in this period are today seen as all-time classics, and the Trax Records catalogue contains Jamie Principle and Frankie Knuckles- ‘Your Love’, Adonis- ‘No Way Back’, Mr Fingers (Larry Heard)- ‘Can You Feel It’ and Marshall Jefferson- ‘Move Your Body’, as well as many, many others. By the end of the ‘80s Chicago house had grown and amassed an international following. The genre itself began to divide into various subcategories, such as acid house and deep house. Many of the key DJs and producers involved in the formation of house music had moved away. In 1987, a ruling was passed in Chicago forcing nightclubs to close at the same time as bars, this effectively put an end to the hedonistic party days of the last 10 years. When Ron Hardy tragically passed away in 1992, the Chicago scene seemed to have gone with him. There was, however, a revival of the Chicago dance scene in the 1990s as a new crop of producers, including Cajmere, Roy Davis Jnr., Ron Trent and DJ Sneak, came to the fore, but the city’s club scene could never emulate the glory days of the Warehouse, the Power Plant and, of course, the Music Box. Though we may never again experience such a surge in innovation and creativity, as the one that materialised through the mid ‘80s in Chicago, the city’s place in the history of dance music has most certainly been cemented.

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Top 10

Chicago House Classics

1. Mr. Fingers ‘Can You Feel It’ Trax Records 1986 2. Adonis ‘No Way Back’ Trax Records 1986 3. Phuture ‘Acid Tracks’ Trax Records 1987 4. Farley Jackmaster Funk and Jessie Saunders ‘Love Can’t Turn Around’ House Records 1986 5. Steve Silk Hurley ‘Jack Your Body’ Underground 1986 6. Marshall Jefferson ‘ The House Music Anthem’ Trax Records 1986 7. Jamie Principle ‘Baby Wants To Ride’ FFRR 1987 8. Robert Owens ‘Bring Down The Walls’ Trax Records 1987 9. Frankie Knuckles ‘Your Love’ Trax Records 1987 10. Ten City ‘That’s The Way Love Is’ Atlantic Records 1989

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NSW

Soul Of Sydney Soul Of Sydney is a collective of like minded lovers of music that covers the Soul, Funk, Disco, Boogie, and Hip Hop genres. They include your average everyday music fan to DJs, Musicians, Artists and Breakers. As a collective the music and the party is what matters, and over the years the parties have became known for the passion that they bring along with the awesome vibe that seems to be lacking at the more mainstream events. The smiles at Soul Of Sydney events are infectious as is the energy that the crowd brings with them. One of it’s organisers, Sam Taouk, spoke to us on behalf of the collective, and as he represents the collective he preferred to have photos of the event instead of himself. Words: Sharif Galal 1) What inspired you to start Soul of Sydney? Soul of Sydney the blog started in 2009 as a New Year’s resolution between Friends who all shared a love for Soul & Funk based music. Frustrated with the state of music in Sydney we knew we needed to do something to start to promote and support the sound we loved. The Soul of Sydney Block Party events kicked off a few years later in Nov. 2011 after DJ Ph-il Toke went to NYC on DJing holiday, he came back pretty inspired and when I

mentioned the idea of a Sunday afternoon Soul & Funk picnic he jumped and the idea and we put our heads together to work on making it happen. We had always been pretty inspired by what we seen and heard about events overseas. David Mancuo’s ideas about music and what he did at The Loft always stuck with me, I loved the idea of a private warehouse party strictly for music lovers there to dance. The ideas behind parti-es like Body & Soul NYC & Kool Hercs Block Parties also played a pretty big part in shaping the kind of vibe we always wanted to see here in Sydney. Around the time we kicked off in 2011 a stack of our favorite venues were shutting down, venues like TONE, MELT & TONIC were some of the only places in Sydney you could go andhear the sounds we loved and they all closed right after each other. The time felt right to start to put some of our musical ideas into a party situation. We wanted to get music out of the usual bar and club situation into an environment where DJ’s have the freedom to play anything they want, not just typical banging club sets. We wanted to give DJ’s the freedom to play more of the sounds that inspired them to become DJ’s, the sounds they grew up on, music they sampled.

2) The location of your events isn’t known until the day before, why? And why do you change venues?  We started doing that because we did a lot of open air events in parks, laneways, rooftops; etc., so we really needed to know what the weather was going to be like before we announced the locations, if it looked like it was going to rain we would use back up indoor spaces so we didn’t have to cancel the parties. 3) What was the first track that got you into Soul, Funk or Disco? Can you remember where and when you heard it? That is a hard one to pinpoint, but I would say the seeds were probably layed back when I was a kid in primary school, my brother used to own a record store in the 80’s and after it closed I basically inherited a whole shop full of wax that I listened to all through high school. I wasn’t really into the sounds back then, but it really opened me up and planted the seed for when I started to hear Funk and Disco in a dance floors. I remember Little Louie Vega playing once and he played Taana Gardner - When You Touch Me & just seeing the place go up a notch when that bass kicked in always stuck with me as special. Also hearing Derrick May once light up a nightclub on a Wednesday night with Sylvester - You make me feel (Mighty Real) in the middle of a Detroit techno set blew my head, that piano was just so bright it lit the place up and there was a cue to get downstairs to get onto the dance floor.

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NSW 4) What are your favourite all time tracks? This list can probably go for days, for a dancefloor I would have to say James Brown - Superbad is about as electric as it gets, so raw and the kind of funk power that just works anywhere. • Kool and the Gang - Summer Madness • De La Soul - Saturday 5) What was your first memorable party? Was it a particular DJ that did for you or was it the whole event? My favorite Soul of Sydney party is a hard one; the first party we did was a sentimental favorite, throwing it down in a dilapidated industrial brick shelter while it stormed outside was special. One that really came together for us was the NYD rooftop party we did in 2013. It was in the middle of the CBD on a roof that fit about 500 people, the weather was perfect & everyone was on a high because it was a new year. It was a kid friendly event and some of the parents who used to always come down to the events got together and organized blowup pool for all the kids on the edge of the dance-floor. It was boiling and we were all on a rooftop with no shade so people were just jumping in pool fully clothed and then getting back on the dance-floor in blazing heat to dry up. It was amazing to watch & such a memorable day seeing everyone getting down in the sunshine all day. As for DJ’s we have been so blessed with the international guests DJ’s we have had play and they have all been very special I was very impressed with DJ DP ONE doing his thing in October, I knew he was an amazing scratch DJ but really had no idea he could

rock a party set so well. He was just so busy behind the decks scratching, juggling, doing mad body tricks, he got into some dope bboy breaks, funk, hip hop and even got into the nicest Afro-Latin house to close out the party, it was such an an amazing and unexpected set, you could see people blown away by h is how tight he was and how well he rocked the party. If i had to pick a favorite local set I would say that would go to DJ SAY WHUT’s set on the NYD 2013 rooftop party, he was absolutely killing it in the blaring sun. He was dropping everything from latin-heat, funk, disco, at one stage I looked up and seen he had half the crowd just salsa dancing on the rooftop. And you could really see he was buzzing too. 6) Soul Of Sydney has been an all DJ affair so far, but you are finally going to include a band, Watussi. What made you change course? We are DJ’s & naturally always looking for new ways to get a dance-floor moving we though its a natural progression to start to book some of the local bands we respect

& know have the right kind of energy for the parties. Watussi are perfect, they only make dancefloor music. I have been lucky enough to see WATUSSI a couple of times at festivals and their infectious rhythms and energy was great to witness live and always stuck with me as something very special. 7) If you can invite anyone from anytime and any place for a dinner party, who would you invite? David Mancuso, a lot of other DJ’s around that disco era get props, but for me its his ideas that really stand out, I don’t think his story has been told and would love to hear what he has to say about music. 8) Dream line up for Soul of Sydney if money was not a factor and you can choose anyone dead or alive, bands and DJs? Kenny Dope & Louie Vega! Master At Work back-to-back playing on 4 turntables and two mixers one a rotary mixer & maybe a one with a cross fader for Kenny in case he wants to scratch. I would just get them to play all day and all night, at an afternoon party out in the sun and into the night, it would be a dream to hear that happen. No need for any warm up DJ’s just get them to play all day and all night with no musical limits, anything they want play.

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VIC

Don Nadi DJ Mag Australia: Don, give us a history lesson on yourself in regards to what have you done in your career? Don Nadi: Music has been a primary preoccupation with me ever since I can remember. I’ve played guitar since I was 7 years old and I started working professionally as a musician when I was about 16. I am also a classically trained pianist as well as having spent many years playing live Jazz round Melbourne pubs and bars. I’ve done it all: weddings, bar gigs, functions and studio session work (when it came up), but in order to survive (and not have to compromise my music) I had to do all sorts of odds jobs, including play piano in strip clubs, pull coffees, bar work, give private music lessons and whatever else it took to get by. Eventually I saved up and built and ran my own recording studio (World Recording Studios) producing 100’s of artists over a 7 year period in the mid 90’s. After years of playing in live bands, it became increasingly harder to make a living as a live musician in Melbourne; the clock on the wall said that’s all (I never did have the stomach to compromise or ‘sell out’ like so many others had to, resorting to playing cheesy covers for a living). Eventually I washed my hands of Melbourne’s ‘cut throat’ live band scene and decided to shift my focus to running my own recording studio, programming and producing literally 100’s of sessions. It was during that time that I started my Djing career. My first gig was in Melbourne’s now infamous Snake Pit Bar in Fitzroy Street St Kilda. It was a small ‘below street level’ basement bar that ended up being one of the coolest little bars in Melbourne (run by Maurice Terzini who is now owner/operator of Sydney’s world famous Icebergs Restaurant in Bondi). To score that gig I straight up lied and said that I could Dj “no problems” (I had no experience whatsoever of course, but I did have a grip on my music and how to work a crowd, from all the time I spent playing in live bands). Within 3 weeks the venue went from turning over 80 people a night to 600 people a night with a line going down the street. I started off playing old skool, Disco, P‐Funk, Salsa, classic Hip‐Hop, World Music and some very Deep French House that I had a real weakness for. It truly was a mash up of genres that just seemed to work at that particular time. That gig started it all off for me. Eventually I went on to play some of the more underground bars and clubs in Melbourne. I never did belong to any clique in Melbourne’s club scene at the time (and still don’t). As a Musical Director I worked on a couple of Musicals for the Victorian Arts centre, I programmed music for Melbourne Fashion week and wrote and produced scores of jingles and TV adverts. In late 1998 wasI invited to come to the Gold Coast and help launch a new bar in Surfers Paradise called Berlin Bar. I did and had a great time. After 3 week of that I went back to my life in Melbourne. A month or so later I got a call from the owner asking me to consider moving up to the coast to be the club’s resident. After some back n forth we came to an agreement. I ended up doing a 4 years stint there, playing 6hr sets on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. In

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VIC retrospect I was pretty lucky; I never got hassled as to what to play by management. They left it up to me. That’s the time I also started my weekly Radio show (Radio Metro)that ran for almost 5 years. During my time at Berlin Bar I acquired a staggering resume, working alongside some of the biggest names in Dance Music, including Bob Sinclar (Paris), Derrick Carter (US), Derrick May (US), Dimitri From Paris (Paris) , Chicken Lips (UK), Dj Pierre (US), Dj Rasoul (US), Hipp‐E (US), Dj Falcon (Paris), Freq Nasty (NZ), Jon Creamer (US), Kenny Dope Gonzalez (Masters at Work ‐ US), Jonny G, Junior Sanchez (US), Lee Burridge (UK), Little Louie Vega (Masters at Work ‐ US), Mateo & Matos (US), Miguel Miggs (US), Pnau (Aust), Sandy Rivera (US) and Roger Sanchez (US) as well as many others. After 4 amazing years at the Berlin Bar I went on to hold residencies at other notable Queensland Venues such as Elsewhere (GC), Isobar (GC), Mybar (GC), (the new) Berlin Lounge (GC), Lala Land (Byron Bay) and Sunbar (Brisbane) as well as performing at national music festivals Two Tribes, Summerfieldayze, Big Day Out and Good Vibrations, getting to play the main stages alongside music legends like Snoop Dogg and The Beastie Boys. In 2006 I started my new position with (the new) Berlin Lounge. I took on the roles of creative director, artist bookings, graphic designer, promoter and resident Dj as well as continuing my weekly radio show. I managed to secure exclusively the whole Ed Banger Records roster (French Label headed by Daft Punk’s management), including Justice, Busy P, Uffie, Feadz, SebatsiAn and Kavinsky (Daft Punk world tour Djs). Doing the same with Sydney’s Modular Records artists Van She, Midnight Juggernauts, Riot In Belgium, K.I.M. (The Presets), Bang Gang, The Valentinos and Pnau. Plus New York’s DFA Records superstars The Juan Maclean, Tim

Sweeney, Holy Ghost! and Matt Saffer (The Rapture). Other notable bookings featured M.A.N.D.Y. (Berlin), DjT (Berlin,) Steve Bug (Berlin), Maurice Fulton (US), Swayzak (UK), Tim Paris (Paris), Radio Slave (UK) and Para One (Paris). After leaving the Berlin Lounge in 2007, I started my own club brand: Huge In Japan, concentrating only ‘the cream’ of contemporary dance artists like Dj Mehdi (Paris), Surkin (Paris), Franz & Shape (Italy), Cut Copy, Knife Machine (Aust), Headman (Berlin), Knightlife, Bag Raiders (Aust), D.I.M. (Hamburg) and Mr C (UK) just to name a few. Most recently I’ve been lucky enough to share the stage with DFA’s LCD Soundsytem (US), Idjut Boys (UK), Andrew Weatherall (UK), Greg Wilson (UK) and MSTRKRFT (US) as well as being asked to play at The Big Day Out, Stereosonic and Creamfields Festivals. DJ Mag Australia: What are the core values of Don Nadi in regards to quality in music? Don Nadi: ‘Organic’ is a big one with me. The less contrived, over‐produced or ‘flavour of the month’ it is the better. I can listen to anything and do. I love electronic music but not necessarily first and foremost. The more water under the bridge, the more open minded and uninhibited one’s tastes get. The handful of musical influences for me would be: (in no particular order), Johan Sebastian Bach, David Sylvian, Moddymann, Bill Evens, Shirley Horn, I:Cube, Jamie XX, Bob Marley, Arnold Shoenberg, Pat Metheney, Robag Wruhme, Thelonious Monk, Pepe Bradock, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin and Charles Mingus. DJ Mag Australia: Who are a few DJs around Melbourne you value having a professional relationship?

Don Nadi: The Melbourne Djs that I admire and like listening to are Phil K, J’nette, Tornado Wallace, Eddie Mac, Brock Ferrar, Mike Steva, Boogs, Luke McD and Paul Main. (but always there’s a lot of great new young talent out there that is just sprouting up and would be worth of a mention but they’re just not on my radar yet). DJ Mag Australia: What is fresh music wise in the world of Don Nadi? Don Nadi: At the moment I’m listening to Robag Wruhme, Gregory Porter, Dj Koze, Pachanga Boys, Caribou (Daphni), Jamie X and most recently Clandestine (AR). DJ Mag Australia: How important is culture in the club scene to you and elaborate on what culture in music and the club scene stands for to you? Don Nadi: (Club) Culture is everything to me. It’s all about the people and always has been. But for me the catch is they have to be a ‘smart crowd’ otherwise I have no interest whatsoever in pandering to a pre-programmed, mainstream mentality that only want to hear ‘what they know’. There are plenty of unimaginative wanabe Djs out there who are more than capable of dropping ‘the hits’ all night long (and they do). I have a theory that the decline of credible club culture (generally speaking) began with the advent of social media. Almost overnight, mediocrity found a way of elbowing the credible, creative and pioneering Djs out of its way. Mr Joe average realized that if he built up a data base via Facebook (or Myspace) that he could secure gigs for himself. Club owners wet themselves believing that all their prayers had been answered, when in fact it turned out to be a ‘pyramid scheme’ with a use by date at best. Now Facebook has reversed that ability and all the backyard promoter/wanabe Djs are left out in the rain and our once credible club culture has been raped of all its goodness and nutrients. The real music and culture is to be found in the blogosphere these days. It’s a parallel universe the clutches of mainstream corporations cannot get their hands on. DJ Mag Australia: The Melbourne area, what are you up to event and gig wise and what are you recommendations for venues and DJs to go see? Don Nadi: Melbourne like many other Australian cities has its moments of greatness when the city shines. But these days it’s usually events, (touring Djs), underground one‐of parties and private home parties where you can here fresh sounds. But having said that Revolver, New Guernica, The Toff, Mu Aeon and Killing Time are where one can usually hear uncensored sounds. Gig‐wise I’m very, very selective when and where I work these days. Still trying to keep it real after all.

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QLD

Walker Words: Adam Roberts DJ Mag Australia: Your name is on the lips of the majority of the whose who in the Queensland underground industry as you really making a lasting impression on them. Was is your vision in a perfect world for the Queensland club scene? Walker: My vision for the Queensland club scene as a whole is to keep offering unique clubbing and event experiences, through innovation and progressively developing the house & techno scene by exposing it to the younger generation who will drive interest and sustain this interest over the next 5+ years. My personal goal is simply to do the best I possibly can to represent our local area in terms of helping expose our talent to the country, and even beyond into the worldwide market. Gold Coast & Brisbane scenes are both harbouring some insanely talented young DJ/Producer personalities right now, and the world needs to hear about them! For me though, that is simply just one ingredient as to what is needed to help boost the overall clubbing experience for both the DJ’s, and the crowd here in Queensland. There is a lot of hard work currently being done by quite a few key crews in both Brisbane and Gold Coast to ensure that there is the progression of excitement still alive in our entertainment industry. Key crews such as Elsewhere, Auditree, Subtrakt, Kana, Delight and Buxton Records are really thinking outside the box in terms of quality delivered, and the unique package that they are delivering it in. The most important point about these mentioned crews is that they all offer a unique experience, and have great attention to detail in offering a very special event consistently. I believe that (in a perfect world) for the Queensland club to continue to grow there should really be more of an emphasis back on everyone enjoying the party, instead of feeling the need to create one yourself.

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I think that focussing on yourself and developing your own identity that is unique is super important, and then by doing so it gives you the ability to lead by example. If I am ever lucky enough to become even the smallest figure of influence on any fresh face to the scene, I strongly believe that leading by example is the purest way for change to be implemented. I have such an amazing crew of younger keen clubbers around me at the moment, that are not only really knowledgeable and actively search out new and interesting music, but are really interested in building and helping develop our local clubbing interests. To have this kind of crew on the Gold Coast is really quite special, and if you search hard and enough and put your true self and true interests out there for long enough, the universe responds. I never thought I would hear a group of 19-20 year old Gold Coast boys requesting Pure Disco and Acid House at a gig in our local environment, and that is a true testament to the hard work that we have been putting in down here over the past 2 years in ensuring that our crowd is educated in the purest forms of music. On a personal note, if it weren’t for the young crew of club go-ers like Hamish Beckham, Beaudene

Crawford, Waka Stratton, Lance Tito, Lara Koskela, Aladdin Matthews etc that are staples of everyone’s weekly clubbing experience, we wouldn’t be at the level of excitement that we are at today. Be professional, enjoy what you do, celebrate the success and talent of those around you, do it for the right reasons and be certain that a rising tide lifts all boats. DJ Mag Australia: What’s the background story on you deciding to enter the word of production and wanting to become a DJ? Walker: My background story really is all about natural progression of interest. I spent my very early teens in my school symphony orchestra, playing the Double Bass, Piano and Violin. I think that because the interest was quite high and I had no interest in sports and was really quite a loner, I was lucky enough to have amazing parents that allowed me to continue my music study/practice even though it meant loud music until all hours in the morning. I had an extremely limited demo version of a drum program on my windows 95 computer, and would record terrible quality distorted heavy metal guitar riffs through my pea shooter microphone and piece them together in Acid Pro (software), and would just experiment recording

QLD

with different items and instruments in my rooms along with my voice. Listening back to that material now I cringe, but in hind-sight being such a weird kid really allowed me to develop some interesting methods of putting together music to which I am so grateful I explored those methods from an early age regardless of how against the grain my peers thought I was at the time being surrounded by Punk and Metal enthusiasts (as I was at the time as well). I have always been a song-writer at heart and always will be all about making my own music and experimenting, and I found that DJ’ing was a really good outlet to be able to experiment these studio created sounds to a large mass of people at once, I fell in love instantly. I actually purchased my first & only set of Stanton str8-150’s back in April 2005, after attending my first rave at The Arena in Fortitude Valley (Brisbane). My brother (Scott Walker) invited me up to watch him play a set, after he had recently discovered that I had such a big interest in electronic music and clubbing. To this day that was the life changing experience that I had been patiently waiting for, I had finally found an environment for the music that I had brewing up in my head all of these years, and as I looked around I saw people from all ages & backgrounds enjoying the same experience… differences relating to sexuality, social stature and race were seemingly put to the peripheral and became just as unnoticed as the gurners on the lounge doing poppers in full view of security. The event was headlined by a DJ by the name of John ‘00’ Fleming (and also included my first experience of a Tranceducer closing set, easily the best progressive/trance/psy DJ in Brisbane), and when I arrived to Brisbane my brother picked me up and said we had to take the Headline act from the event to dinner. I didn’t realise it at the time but looking back it was a really cool experience to kick start this journey of mine. Not only were I able to see my brother in his element (his infamous “DROP” crew had their own side room which was rocking from the get go), but being able to share a meal with one of the most beautifully creative minds in this

industry (John 00 Fleming) and then to see the general networking community. The professionalkind of energy and atmosphere that he brought ism is unlike any other business that I have been a to the Arena later on in that night was out of this part of. The Walker legacy has been engraved into world. So many individual moments that I can only the club’s walls since the early days (my brother, hold fate responsible for happened during this Mark being one of the early day regulars-turnedwild night that I travelled solo to Brisbane for….… staff and my other brother Scott being a regular It was my initiation into Rave… and it’s power and guest DJ travelling down from Brisbane), and to be purpose resonated through me instantly. able to confidently carry on the name in the club is such an honour. To say that it is a humbling experiDJ Mag Australia: On the production front, what ence every time that I walk into the establishment are recent developments for you? as a customer is an understatement, so you can really begin to understand that heightened level Walker: Recently I have been experimenting with of emotion that I put myself through every time different sounds, and more importantly different that I play… and to me, the feeling alone that this methods of song writing in terms of achieving club’s reputation has in its walls and vibe that rubs detailed character in the track to produce a paroff onto me is the intangible that allows me to ticular feeling/thought, most of my time is spent perform at my very best. exploring my own thoughts and feelings and building upon them, although sometimes I tend to Elsewhere will continue to be a sacred place for focus on a close friend’s life experience and really many of us, and has already played a huge role in put myself in their shoes and spend a very large shaping me as a musician and networker. I thank amount of time investing my own emotion in that Benny, Simone, Stretch, Audun & Giv eternally for feeling.. I do this whilst I am in the studio about to their friendship & professional guidance. lay down the melodies. I have also been opening my mind in many different ways lately, and have DJ Mag Australia: Who are some of the labels noticed a large positive impact on my song writyou’ve been signed to so far and name a few you’d ing. I am currently working on some down tempo be proud to be on in the future? & electronica pieces for an EP, or perhaps an album further down the track.. but at the moment I am Walker: I am currently releasing music on Buxton really focussing my time in the studio on writing Records (Australia), Maintain Replay Records my follow up Buxton Records EP, and further developing my current sound which is a cool mixture of vintage & italo disco, minimal techno & includes some psychedelic elements. Hopefully I will have a few of these ones out over the next few months. DJ Mag Australia: You just joined the Iconic venue Elsewhere on the Gold Coast in Queensland as a resident. What’s the experience been like so far at Elsewhere and how is it different to other clubs you played at before? Walker: For me, the complete Elsewhere journey & experience is almost unexplainable in words. The social club is now into its 11th year, and still to this day I fully appreciate what this club offers to the Gold Coast entertainment scene. Not only for entertainment though, it is such an amazing hub for creative minds, musicians, artists and the djmag.com.au

QLD (Portugal), 12-3 Records (Sweden), Analog Records (Australia) and From A Jar Records (Italy/Australia). I feel that these 5 labels are allowing me to branch out a mixture of my different sounds perfectly, and all of them are a pleasure to deal with. My future ultimate labels that I am working towards are Sincopat, Desolat, Little Helpers & 8bit… they are my long term goal and I am working hard at achieving the profile & individual style needed to have an opportunity with them. DJ Mag Australia: What to you are the most important ingredients to providing a positive experience for people coming to catch you behind the decks? Walker: For me, I really like to make sure that i personally invite interesting people from a vast range of groups to the club at all times, but especially when I am playing. Its all about the vibe and energy that is slowly built through the night. I like to arrive early and make sure everyone is enjoying themselves, it really is simple. The main ingredient is the people in the club, and as the club comes alive it allows you more creative freedom to takes things in the direction you want, but as long as you have the respect from the crowd first. DJ’ing, to me is as much about being the perfect party host, as it is providing the music. Mix those two elements, and the ability to communicate this mixture of elements pre & post party and you will see a huge difference in the events that you are apart of, I promise you. DJ Mag Australia: Your peers have nothing but praise for your sets. Who are some Queensland based DJs that really impress you? Walker: There are a number of DJs that continually Impress me. Names like Tiafau, Bryce Davis, Audun, Stretch and Sessionkatz are essential to see if you are at Elsewhere on any given night... It is truly an extremely talented group of artists that delve deep for you on a nightly basis. One up-and-comer that i have been spending a lot of time with recently in the studio is Lyndon Kidd. He made his return to Elsewhere recently which i see as a vital peice of the puzzle for this guy, and we will have a release or two coming out this year. His energy, passion, enthusiasm, “Do whatever makes you feel good” mentality, and generally approach to producing is really refreshing and i am excited to see what the rest of 2014 brings him. The underground event series, “Sookyfuq”, which i created late 2013 (but have now since left managment to focus on my production and current residency) harbours some of the best underground djs on the gold coast and they have a ton of momentum at the moment. Lottnic, Chris Cuthbert & Christian Kerr always continue to excite me when they are playing, and their passion for further developing unique party options for our local area is amazing. The Impact crew are also providing some cool parties, mainly with their upcoming event series in Bali, crossed with a big name from CLR they have booked with Lets Get Minimal coming up in the next few months, which I am totally excited for before my trip! There is always the Delight crew, who I always visit in Brisbane when they are throwing a party. Jay Berry, Papa K, Jason Rascal & Jengis Kose (also Elsewhere resident) are consistent.. And if you love your rolling house & techno grooves these are the boys for you. I can’t really mention everyone here as i could be

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here all night!! But I cant leave out the unrivalled ability of deep house afficianados Adam Swain & Rikki Newton (Subtrakt events)... Consistency and passion. These 2 guys are the business of you dig pure deep house that takes you on a journey. DJ Mag Australia: What release of yours are you most proud of to date? Walker: 100% my Buxton Records release that came out in January. That took me about 9 months to put together... The process was such an eye opener and the experience of having Adam Swain (Buxton records owner) providing constant feedback and helping navigate my creative process really developed a cool EP of what is my best music to date that has been released. I tell Adam this constantly.. That EP changed the way I write music, and has been my most valuable experience in recent years. Our New Years Day EP launch party was amazing as well, Little Fritter tore the place apart! DJ Mag Australia: Which producers are the most influential factors in regards to your current sound in your DJ sets? Walker: I have really been enjoying a lot of German Brigante and AFFKT’s work recently, along with some classic Fritz Zander, Dionigi, D’Julz, Cajmere, anything from the Little Helpers Label, Tripmastaz, Patryk Molinari, and The Martinez Brothers. I have been digging through a lot of Steve Lawler’s productions at the moment from his back catalogue and finding some really good gems that are working a treat. To be honest, anything with that driving Nu Disco edge is working a treat at Elsewhere, along with that deep groovy house & techno as well as some really cool acid house tunes that i have been giving a crack. As long as its fun, slightly quirky, locks the dance floor into a groove and has heavy raw/vintage disco elements, i am loving it. Generally speaking, I use a lot of

loops and homemade DJ tools in my sets to give it that extra element of surprise, not to give too much away but i tend to loop a lot, and add in my own build ups and breakdowns when needed, and am starting to fully utilize the 3rd and 4th CDJ. It really adds that extra buzz and energy needed for those late shifts. DJ Mag Australia: Your future is blindly bright, what goals have you set yourself for the remainder of 2014 as a DJ and producer? Thank you, I really appreciate that comment! I did actually have a list of goals and a plan, which is super important to stay on track, but recently I decided to strip it all back and condense it into: Networking overseas, write some out there music, sell everything and go on an international adventure. In a few months I’ll be in Berlin to reside over the summer, and I’ll be experiencing Ibiza (dc10 in particular) for the very first time. I am not planning any other details; I am just going with the flow but ensuring I make the most of this adventure. Wish me luck!

050 djmag.com

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SA Words: Sharif Galal

Sonny Fodera Sonny Fodera is one of House music’s most prolific producers, with a distinct style that has earned him the respect of many of the scene’s veteran DJs, including the Godfather of House himself, Frankie Knuckles, may he rest in peace. He has releases on all of House music’s reputable labels, and Cajmere was so impressed he signed him to his legendary label, Cajual Records, where he released his full length album ‘Moving Forward’, last year. Less than a year has passed and Sonny has released his second album ‘After Parties and Aeroplanes’. He’s also busy with his own label, Beatdown, as well as being a gifted DJ playing all around the world. He’s been returning to Australia regularly, and we took the opportunity to ask him a few questions on his last visit here. 1) You’ve just released your 2nd album ‘After Parties & Aeroplanes’ almost a year to the day since you released your debut album ‘Moving Forward’. How did this come about so quickly? Can we expect a new album from you once a year now? I heard that you’re a very quick producer.

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about 10 months. This year I really want to focus more on solo stuff and working with vocalists. 2) You’ve collaborated with so many different people on your new album, yet it still has your signature sound. What do your collaborators add to your tracks, apart from vocals if they are vocalists? I like working with different producers, using different programs and plug ins. I think it makes a big difference to some tracks, creates something special in my opinion. It’s great for learning different tricks and techniques too and bouncing vibes to one another, making you think outside the square. 3) Amongst your collaborators on your new album are two Australians, Natalie Conway and Juliet Fox. Were you actively seeking other Australians to collaborate with?

I guess it came about so quickly with the amount of collaborations on there. Tracks generally move very quickly when you are working with other producers. There were 11 collabs on there in total. I don’t know about doing an album once a year haha, see what happens, I had a month off and really got down to it. A lot of the tracks were previous releases, It was actually in the making for

I was, but the timing didn’t really work! I would love to do a track with Motez, I think he is doing some great stuff at the moment and really flying the flag for Australian producers. I also really like what Lewie Day aka Tornado Wallace and Mic Newman are doing, really cool deep sounds. 4) Do you think your early hip hop roots have affected the way you approach producing house music?

I think so, not as much as it used too. I really do want to bring back a little bit of that flavour though, I love hip hop and r&b and really like to incorporate it with my music. I would still love to do a downtempo album, something similar to Mark Farina’s mushroom jazz, something for the Sunday when your chilling in the sun. 5) You’ve been living overseas for a few years now, have you noticed a change in the Australian dance music scene? Would you think about moving back, or do you find it more inspiring living and working o/s? I have noticed a massive change! House music is really happening in Australia which is so refreshing to see, there is a new generation of house music listeners coming through! It was great to come back on my last tour in February to see how much it is popping off. I would love to move back at some stage, probably to Melbourne again as I have a lot of good connections and friends down there, I really do love Sydney too , but with these new laws I am really curious to see how the club scene goes. 6) You seem to be on everyone’s list of favourite house music dj/producer, who are you getting into musically these days? Who do you think we should look out for? Really? that means a lot. I am really getting

into guys like Dusky, Huxley, Breach, Sidney Charles all the stuff coming out on the Life & Death label. Really loving the UK sound right now, labels like Defected, Hotflush, Aus Music and then the German labels like Life & Death & Innervisions. Oh and everything coming out on Cajual ha!

would you pick as your crew? Keeping in mind you’ll probably have to spend an eternity with them. Natalie Portman, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz and Bootsy Collins.

7) You’ve just released a new EP on your own label Beatdown. What do you have planned for your label? Well I recently appointed a new label manager, so we are full steam ahead. I will be doing regular podcasts and releases while also doing parties in the UK, Australia and US. I have a solo EP coming out soon on the label and well as new stuff from Cause & Affect, Juliet Fox and Gene Farris. I really want to step it up this year as it will be 5 years of Beatdown this year! Exciting times. 8) What are the 5 records that don’t leave your box/ cd wallet/ usb stick? Doorly & Green Velvet - Money Josh Butler - No Frills Dub Oliver $ - Pushing On Route 94 ft. Jess Glyne - My Love (Low Steppa remix) Tapesh & KANT - Dangerous 9) If you were the Captain of a Starship travelling through space and time, who djmag.com.au

WA Words: Sharif Galal

DJ Micah He’s one of Perth’s hardest working DJs, and also one of it’s most loved. His enthusiasm behind the decks is infectious and gets any party, venue or festival rocking hard. He would be easily the hardest working person in the dance music scene when you consider his non-DJ work. DJ Micah, or sometimes now referred to as Micah Black, books and runs three of Perth’s best venues; Ambar, Villa and the recently opened Parker. He also books and curates the legendary Breakfest festival, and helps the Fuzzy guys with the Perth leg of ‘Listen Out’ suggesting the local talent. He presents a show on local radio station RTR FM every Monday from 3 to 5pm, called ‘Inbetween The Beats’ as part of Full Frequency, and is busy with his production work, either solo, or as part of the dynamic duo of ‘Black & Blunt’ with DJ Philly Blunt. Together they’ve managed to score a ‘Breakbeat tune of the Month’ with Mixmag early last year, and they’ve managed it again this year in the upcoming issue of Mixmag. They even managed to get a Xmas number 1 on the Beatport Breakbeat Chart. You can imagine life is running at full speed at the moment for one of the scene’s most humble DJs, voted Best Breaks DJ at every Perth Dance Music Award from 2003 till 2012, that’s ten years straight. I know Micah well, we did a night together which we called ‘Beat Suite”(that I still remember fondly, it was my favourite night of the week), when I lived in Perth, which was my home for almost 9 years, so I still keenly follow the news of the dance scene there. Last years big shock announcement was that Ambar (winner of Best Venue at the PDMA every year since 2002) will have to close or move, because of renovations to the building where it is housed. In the end, it didn’t and it reopened it’s doors last month again. I thought I’d start out by asking Micah what happened there? “It’s been 12 months of stress that ended in the best possible way, but it was 12 months of stress nonetheless. It didn’t by ant means kill our momentum but it rocked it, that’s for sure. Ambar has sort of been the stalwart for Perth for a decade and after August or June when we announced that we were going to have to move the market didn’t really know what to make of it. We tried to communicate with everyone what was going on, but people thought we were closed, people thought we had move, people thought we had shut down and never to open up again. In the end what happened was the building didn’t go ahead with its renovation so we re-signed a lease and we’re back up in the same place. We shut for 6 weeks and renovated, a surface renovation, we re-did the bathrooms, the walls, and took care of some issues. The DJ booth is in the same spot, the bar is in the same spot, essentially it’s the same club, the same DJs, the same people running it. We’re moving forward into new territories with new crews pushing new sounds and that sort of stuff, the same way we always have. We’re still at the alley way, we’re still underground, we’re still the home of Breakbeat, we’re still pushing broken beat sounds, even though broken beat sounds are very varied these days.” While things were up in the air regarding Ambar, Boomtick, which runs Ambar, and the organisation that Micah works for, opened a new club called Parker, so I asked Micah if they will

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continue to run it. “Parker is a completely different model. Essentially Parker is your big room EDM club. As much as we all dislike using the term EDM it’s become part of the vernacular of club music now, and Parker really caters to that market. It’s not your inner city low ceiling dirty nightclub, it’s a lot nicer, you can get bottle service, there’s a VIP area up stairs, you can hire booths and buy bottles of vodka, champagne and that sort of stuff. There’s a champagne bar, a cocktail bar, there are little pockets around the venue that are a lot nicer. The music that is played is big room house and EDM on Saturdays, Fridays we are still working on. We have a few outside promoters doing stuff in there, but it’s definitely a lot more accessible and commercial. So while Ambar is a lot more underground, Parker is more commercial. Having another room is the biggest benefit to Perth in general, run by people who know what they’re doing when it comes to clubs. As you know Perth has always had a shortage of rooms, and nightclubs with 5am late closing licenses so to have another room for different events is really good. And it’s freed up some room at Ambar where we can now push some events over to Parker that weren’t really right for Ambar.” So where does Villa fit in? “Villa is more the event room. We’ve been using it a lot more as a venue for hire which is what we’ve always wanted to do. We don’t want to try and fill in that venue week in week out. We’ve got a bunch of promoters that do the monthlies or the fortnightly events. It’s been predominately DJ based because there’s been more demand from that segment of the market, so the biggest nights have been the Drum n’ Bass nights, Dubstep nights and R n’ B nights. That more heritage old school

R n’ B nights have been really popular there, but they are all outside promoters. We do our big nights in there that work for us like Krafty Kuts and Stanton Warriors, and any time we have some one we deem to be big enough to get in there we’d put in there, and side shows for festivals and that sort of stuff. There’s been a couple of crews, like the Metric guys, that have been trying to do live music in there. It works sometimes if the bands are in the right place at the right time, very specific triple j focused bands, but again those promoters have been leaning more and more towards DJs. It’s cheaper and easier to manage than tour bands. We’re trying to push more live music, like a bit of hip hop, has also been working in there, but the stuff that has really been working is the DJ stuff.” Running 3 venues, as well as DJing and doing a radio would be extremely time consuming, so I ask him, “When do you have time for the studio and producing music?” “I have 2 days a week dedicated to production work, 1 of those days is dedicated to Black & Blunt, and the other day is either dedicated to….”, he thinks for a few seconds before finally saying with a bit of a laugh, “doing my washing, in between trying to write music. I’ve been trying to do more nights and the occasional weekends. I’m definitely writing more music and being more productive producing than I ever have been though. It would be great to be doing nothing other than writing music but at the same time I really enjoy being involved and engaged in all facets of the music industry. I find that I draw a lot of inspiration from that sort of stuff. I’ve been writing a lot of house music lately.” I’m surprised, I’ve known Micah for years and I know he was never really fond of House music, so it comes out quickly with a bit of disbelief, “House music?.” “Yeah man, I’ve about

WA 4 house tracks that are almost finished, well, 1 is completely finished and the other 3 are maybe 60 to 70% done. I might try and put that into a package and see where that goes. I’m just loving house music right now, I’m liking the smoother sounds. I still like the uptempo stuff and all the Deep House, which sounds like Garage to me that was around in the 90s. And the G House stuff, all that kind of Disco, Kolombo and Sharam Jey and all those kind of guys, those kind of sounds are what’s really doing it for me. And then all the kind of Future Beats. I don’t know if you can call it Future, it’s sort of Melodic Trap, it’s sort of 140 to 150 bpm very pretty, beautiful and melodic and not very heavy and screaming and yelling. The stuff that I write on my own, well I found that writing House music comes easily for me, more than any other music that I’ve written, so I thought let’s get on that tip. I’m still doing my Black and Blunt thing with Phil, and that’s going really well. We’ve had some real good successes over the last 12 months, and we can kind of flex the peak time slamming Broken Beats, lots of builds, lots of drops, kind of energy, and really get into that, which we both really enjoy doing together. It makes sense at the moment you know. And having a day a week means that we are not terribly quick at getting stuff completed, but we do have 2 people we can go through things back and forwards between us. We haven’t been able to get into the studio together much lately but we use Dropbox and each one works on it a little bit, so we get it done separately, and then come together and spend half a day or a day in the studio trying to finish it off and get the thing completed. It’s been difficult and busy for the the 2 of us to get together but at the same time we’ve been pretty productive” It seemed like the perfect moment to ask him about his Beatport Breakbeat number 1, and I also wanted to know if the Breakbeat he is playing today is similar to what we were playing almost a decade ago, or if it has changed.

breaks are getting re-used but they are being given a different name, and I think that’s the future of Breaks. Every generation needs it’s sound and I think every generation wants to own something, it wants to own their sound, this generation of kids don’t want to own Breakbeat and they don’t own Breakbeat because it is something that happened in the 2000s, and it’s 2014 now not 2004, they want to own their music so I think that’s why these new genres are coming out like Trap and like Dubstep, a few years ago, so now you have Jersey club. The kids want to own something they want it to be theirs, and with dance music the cycles are so quick in genres, they become big and then move on, and then become big and then move on. The generational cycles are quick that theres a hunger for new kinds of music and new names keep popping up.” I was curious to hear Micah talk about moving away from the old Breakbeat, while at the same time reviving ‘Breakaholics Anonymous’ (BAA) a Breakbeat night that I remember going to at Ambar. So I brought it up, and the fact that he posted a mix for the night that was all mixed off wax, how did that fit in with his new direction? “Breakaholics was an act, it was Ben Mac, Fdel and myself and occasionally Tone or FMT or someone like that would get involved. Breakaholics has developed into more of a brand and it’s now the Amabr heritage Breakbeat night and now we’ve made BAA an all vinyl night, the only guys that can play are the guys that have vinyl, and obviously they are not making vinyl anymore so we are playing music from 2000 to 2007/8, so we are playing all that old stuff. We did one at the end of last month, it was the second Friday we had Ambar re-open after the renovation. I really wanted to bless the room with vinyl and have a night where we all played vinyl and get that energy in the

space so we don’t forget where we come from and how important records are. Maybe that’s just me being nostalgic but people appreciated it, we had a really big night, heaps of old school heads came out. Lots people put their kids in with their grandparents and come out because they haven’t been out in 6 or 12 months or something like that. There is still a lot of love for break beat in Perth, it’s a sound that is part of Perth clubbing history, and we don’t let go of things pretty easily in Perth you know. I think that’s why Drum n’ Bass has been so popular and been vehemently held onto and Breakbeat is the same thing. Having something like Ambar and having something like Breakfest still pushing the sound, still caring about it and supporting it. People out there haven’t been so fickle about it, they care about it. That mix that I posted was a Beat Suite mix from 2004, and I wrote in the liner notes ‘back when the beats were suite, and we’d go from Beat Suite to Ambar’. That 2004 mix was when Beat Suite was in it’s heyday, and you and I were playing All Good Funk Alliance, Fort Knox Five and all those kind of jams, and that mix I think got almost 700 plays in less than a month and people are so excited to hear that music again. I got a lot of comments from people saying ‘I remember those days’, when I posted it up on Facebook, people were really excited because they haven’t disconnected from the music and they still really love Breakbeat, but the BAA nights have become our heritage Breaks night. They not only pull an older crew but the young crew also come out because they want to see people mixing off wax, you know, there is no flashing lights, we turn the cd players off! And remove them, and all that is there is just 2 turntables and a mixer and it was heaps of fun to be able to get on there and be able to mix all that music again. It’s always a really happy vibey night, people are smiling, people are happy and they are nostalgic remembering those good days that they had. The music wasn’t

“We wrote that with Deekline in the middle of last year and then it took a bunch of months to finish it off. That was a very traditional Breakbeat with a booty bass vibe to it. It went to number 1 on Xmas eve, so I rang my mum and said ‘Mum we got a Xmas number 1’ , but the Breaks that Phil and I have been writing is not terribly like that, and the Breaks that we are liking are not very traditional, no, it’s not your traditional kick snare kick kick snare kind of beat rhythm, that standard Breakbeat beat. We’ve been trying to break out of that mould, we’re not terribly inspired by that sort of stuff. We’re still in love with a good Breakbeat tune when a good Breakbeat tune happens. When we wrote that we were like ‘Yep, that’s really solid it’s really really good’ but then there’s another track, our original track that’s on that EP called ‘East Coast West Coast’, which is more in line with the stuff that we’re writing, it’s very off beat breaks, it’s still a broken beat but it’s not a traditional pattern, that’s the stuff that we’re enjoying. I think if Breakbeat as a genre is going to progress, which it already is but it’s not being called Breaks, so if you look at Jersey club which is probably the most popular genre of what I would call Breakbeat at the moment, but everyone is calling it Jersey club, it’s kind of like Baltimore meets Trap, but it’s a broken beat, and people are still using breaks samples which is what Breaks is built upon. You know, sampling the drum beats from the guys in the 70s and that sort of stuff, like Lyn Collins, James Brown and you know all those kind of djmag.com.au

WA so serious, you know, funk still existed. It seems like funk has been having a dark night of the soul in the last 5 or 6 years I think, since about 2008 it’s all been about melodic and serious and deep, and the sort of funky and jacking sort of stuff has gone away, like Finger Lickin’ Records and that funky sort of stuff. It doesn’t seem to have a presence in the music at the moment but that will change, give it a couple of years and stuff will turn over and it will come back again and it will be a new form of something else. I think house is bringing it back in the form of disco and boogie which is bringing it all back.” As he brings the conversation back to House music, I ask him if that’s the direction he’ll be taking from now on? “It’s all I want to play at the moment, House music, the kind of driving Garage sort of House, the Deeper House into the more Jackin’ and dirty sort of House sound, that they are calling G house and Disco, the slower sort of stuff around 120 bpm. It’s a little bit more kind of chuggy and dirty with pitched down vocals. I’m really liking that you know. I’ve always played different kinds of stuff depending on the time of night, the venue, you know whatever is suitable. I’m still playing a lot of broken beat. The music I’m playing at Ambar I’m playing late at night, but I’ve got to admit the House stuff, I’m just loving it and I don’t know if it’s just an age thing or I’m just following my taste and my heart, and if I don’t feel like playing banging Breakbeat at 3 am then I’m going to play something else that fits the time slot.” I then decide to tease him, and ask him if he’s just going back to his four four roots, when he started DJing playing Trance. He laughs and says, “Only people like you who have known me for this long would know shit like that. My four four origins in Trance were closer aligned to slamming Breakbeat as the Trance was more slamming and full on and arrrgghhh. I used to hate House music! I used to think that is was

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just soft and I wanted to rave out really hard, and now I’m playing 120 bpm groovy music, but I’ve got Breakbeat to thank for that because it opened my eyes and I took my blinkers off. In my early to mid 20s I got over my one eyed youthful years and started to embrace more music through different friends and gigs like the Beat Suite, where all of a sudden I had an outlet to explore different music, and to flex that muscle. As a DJ if you are just getting booked to play Ambar at 2 in the morning, then your musical tastes are going to be focused towards Ambar at 2 in the morning, but when you are given the opportunity to play more groovy stuff and you are influenced by friends that would say hey check this out and listen to this, this is cool, you all of a sudden have an outlet to start purchasing music that is more suited to other gigs. It’s nice to be a lot more broad, in the styles of music and the sounds that you want to play. It makes it more fun. It makes it expensive! You remember what it was like when we had to spend hundreds of dollars a week on records. The desire we had for new music. It’s great now how everything is digital and I can spend $50 a month and have more new music than I can possibly play. It’s also hard today to keep up with everything. I have kids these days coming up and schooling me on stuff, and I’m like ‘Damn!’, ‘What do you mean you don’t have this remix of this track by this guy? It came out 2 days ago man!’, ‘I’m sorry I didn’t check soundcloud in the last 48 hours.’” We’re both laughing as he is saying this, because at once stage we were these young kids harassing the DJ and telling him that he’s not up to date with the latest music. “And I’m listening to kids who have been mixing for 25 minutes and I’m trainspotting their music, ‘Damn, that’s a good tune what’s that, and what’s that?’. Because there is so much out there and I’m trying to be across, 6 to 8 different genres and also I’m booking venues. I’m booking EDM venues so I have to be across music that I normally wouldn’t pay any attention to, because I don’t play it, I don’t love it but I need to know it so I can fugue out

what’s going to fit in that venue. I also need to be across Drum n’ Bass and the Deep house sort of stuff, the Breaks and the Hip Hop. I need to listen to triple j so I know what’s trending and popular and I need to know what the Australian sound is. I have music running continuously and I’m trying to be across everything as much as I possibly can. I’m not across everything but I try and be pretty broad. How do you keep up with all the music then? “I listen to a lot of other DJs mixes, as I’m getting mixes from DJs wanting to do gigs at our clubs. I find myself listening to a lot of other people’s mixes, and I spend a lot of time in front of my laptop. And I don’t know what I’d do without soundcloud now. Being able to like things and then be spoon feed a little bit. I kind of hate the spoon feededness of the music culture these days, you know we had to dig in our days. We kind of had to fight at Mills Records for that white label promo and really research everything and that sort of stuff. You still have to do that, you still have to dig, but now there are different ways, you jump on soundcloud and check your stream. You’re following all your favourite artists and you can follow artists that they follow and weed your way through the internet to kind of find this music, and then if your stuck for something you just jump on to your stream and you go through there, and there is aggregate soundclouds, people that are aggregating stuff down so they are kind of like your local record store going, ‘here you go listen to this, and listen to this and listen to this’ and you can plough through that. Soundcloud is an amazing resource. I’m not a big blogger, I don’t follow many blogs, but I listen to a lot of mixes and Shazam tracks and find out what they are. Also as soon as anybody puts a tune out it goes to soundcloud first, and they put it up as a promo and you can see promos that they’ve got or little previews and you can have it in your head, ‘that’s right so and so will be having a record coming in out in a week or 2’. It’s a resource in a world with so much noise you kind of have to find a way to filter out the noise.”

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MUSIC SINGLES

This month’s dance music magic. p. 90

NATURAL GIFT

Dana Ruh drops ‘Naturally’ onto Underground Quality. p. 106

BASE IN THE PLACE

Suburban Base Records raid the archives. p. 110

It’s Album Time Todd Terje gets weird on his debut Album. p. 106

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The Hacker THE test of a truly crucial artist is endurance, especially in the fleeting world of dance music. Electroclash may have faded along with the onset of Ed Banger, then later minimal, but key artists involved have mobilised to survive. The likes of Vitalic, Miss Kittin and, of course, The Hacker are still working the scene, pushing into new territory while staying true to their roots. Industrial, gothic and tough, The Hacker aka Michel Amato is no stranger to gritty, warehouse-primed techno. Inspired as much by the likes of New Order and Depeche Mode as he is LFO and Aphex Twin, his unique sound — still characterised by his fey, new wave vocals — is as dark as they come. The first part of a new album, released over two EPs, hits Zone this April, and it’s guaranteed to please existing fans of The Hacker, while drawing applause from purist techno heads too. We asked Michel to wax lyrical... Tell us about your first-ever rave experience... “It was in ‘93, a small town called Aix les Bains. It’s in The Alps, not far from where I live. It was a life-changing experience, after that, for me it was clear that I wanted to make techno music. The DJ played hardcore stuff all night long, and I was like, ‘Where does this music come from?’. It was not easy to find records at that time. Miss Kittin was here also I remember, but we didn’t know each other very much at that time, actually I met a ton of people at this rave, and today, I still hang out with the same people, 20 years later!” What is the most crucial record of alltime? “Very hard to pick one, but I would say ‘Computer World’ by Kraftwerk. For me, this record is musical perfection. So many people were inspired by this record (including me). You have almost everything in it: the beginning of techno, electro pop and new wave, and of course ‘electro’. With a track like ‘Numbers’, they created a musical genre. It’s very rare to have an artist creating a whole genre, and here you have it! The American electro movement in the early ‘80s (Afrika Bambaataa, Man Parrish, etc) took its ideas from this Kraftwerk album. It has also been sampled millions of times!”

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Name three tunes that never leave your ‘bag’. “‘Blue Monday’ by New Order, ‘Polygon Window’ by Aphex Twin and ‘Los Ninos del Parque’ by Liaisons Dangereuses. I know some of my friends make fun of me, like, ‘When will you stop playing Blue Monday?’ But, I can’t, this track is an absolute classic, it was so ahead of its time. Aphex Twin and Liaison Dangereuses are more personal favourites, they are not as popular as ‘Blue Monday’, but they are essential to me, they influenced a lot of my music, and they remind me of great clubbing times.” What technology do you use to DJ? “Now I use USB sticks, with CDJ2000s. I know that some purists criticise that, but for me the music is important, not the medium. I carried 25kg of records every weekend for nearly 15 years and I ruined my back because of that!” What’s your lights-up, end-of-the-night tune? “‘Blue Monday’ from New Order or ‘LFO’ by LFO. ‘LFO’ is one of the first techno records I bought, and I remember thinking, ‘This is what Kraftwerk should do today’. This track is very simple, but it’s so powerful, the sub-bass is incredible, it still sounds as good as when it came out back in ‘91. The whole LFO first album is a timeless classic anyway.” If you could meet anyone — alive or dead — who would it be? “I’d like to meet Ralph Hutter from Kraftwerk. I’m such a big fan of this band, they are so important for electronic music, and there is such a mystery around them, I’m sure I’ll have millions of questions to ask, and I will certainly be extremely boring for him! (laughs)” Imagine the world is going to end tomorrow. What are you going to do tonight? “There are two options: stay close to the people I love, or do all the things I never dare to do.” Give us three words to describe clubbing in the year 3000... “Everything is virtual.”

When you absolutely, positively must decimate the dancefloor, these are the tunes you need…

Kornel Kovacs

Gamertag

Studio Barnhus

All City

‘Szikra’

soundcloud.com/kornel ONE of the label bosses alongside the inimitable Axel Boman and Petar Nordkvist, Kornel’s new tune sounds like in Sweden they’re already enjoying high summer. With skippy garage percussion, tough 4/4 kicks and dreamy floating synths, supported by rolling waves of heavy sub bass, this bright, chirpy, baked beaut, with a rap sample about the joys of smoking the finest, will be in the sets of all the discerning Croatia-bound DJs this season, and beyond.

allcityrecordlabel.com ANOTHER wicked dancefloor-geared release from Dublin label All City after the brilliance of their last EP from Buz Ludzha. Not sure who Gamertag is, but ‘Find Your Pulse’ has fluttering almost Balearic key riffs not a million miles from ‘E2 E4’, switching from dubstep halftime into numinous house and back again. ‘Hundert’ is sample-chopped 4/4 reminiscent of The Field, while ‘Maze Impact’ is a snake-hipped piano-laden house beauty. Get to know.

Nachtbraker

Blackhall & Bookless

Heist Recordings

Tough Luck

‘Gute Laune EP’

Josh Wink STONE COLD KILLER — track of the month

‘Are You There (Ben Klock Remix)’ Ovum

ovumrecordings.com You know those moments in a track when it switches up and you suddenly find yourself completely bowled over? When a new layer of drums hit, an unexpected riff rises from the murk, or the tempo changes, knocking you off-balance? Those what-thefuck-just-happened bits? Those are what dance music thrives on. Moments of arms-aloft, chills-down-spine ecstasy, or heads-down, teeth-gnashing intensity. Ben Klock’s remix of Josh Wink’s classic 1996-issued ‘Are You There’, released as part of a brace of reworks to celebrate the Ovum label’s 20th anniversary, is one of them. Originally custom-made for Ben Klock’s ‘Fabric 66’, it was cleared for use on the comp on the proviso that the label could possibly release it later, when the time was right. That day has

happily come. Beginning with a thumping obsidian technoid kick, with the kind of cavernous industrial atmosphere you might expect from Berghain resident Klock, a cascading of tough breakbeat polyrhythms charge through, followed by a stampede of acid bleeps, before a timestretched vocal — the answer machine message of “are you there?” — signals a blast of Amen breaks. Guaranteed to have the right dancefloors in paroxysms of rapture, it’s a wicked combination of techno hammering and funkier breakbeat clatter that should appeal far beyond the fanbase of either Wink or Klock on their own. There are further quality mixes from Harry Romero and Benny Rodrigues, but the Klock version owns it.

‘You Don’t Know Me EP’

‘Therapy EP’

heistrecordings.com DUTCH for ‘Night Hawk’, Nachtbraker really is a high-flying nocturnal creature. His latest, the fourth for release on Detroit Swindle’s Heist label, proves it. ‘Gute Laune’ is a swaying bumper with airy chords and oodles of squidgy funk that winds and drops like a jackhammer. ‘Bluebottle’ is a smooth house ride that jolts with turbulence while ‘Xantippe’ is a dark, tweaky jazz-techno freak-out. Shapeshifting without distracting from any shape-cutting, this EP is an off-kilter treat.

toughluckrecords.com THOSE fed up with the UK house revolution, look no further. These two Geordie lads are readdressing the balance back to more authentic deep house styles on home soil. ‘Therapy’ is a lushly layered glider with robust percussion, a slight garage skip and a meaty off-beat groove. ‘Bleep’ is chunkier, with cowbells, NY funk but with a techy edge. Decent remixes from Ed Davenport and The Jaydes cater for pure techno heads to complete an excellent package.

DJ Richard

Mark Barrott

White Material

International Feel

‘Nailed To The Floor’ soundcloud.com/white-material-records DESPITE the minimal fuss monikers, New York’s White Material crew continue to make big noises. With its intimation of rootedness to the dancefloor, DJ Richard’s title track is a thumping techno jacker filled with discombobulating percussion and effects, the motif of this 12”. ‘Richardplatz (NJ Storm Drain Mix)’ has the nimble fearlessness of a cornered sewer rat, and ‘Benzos’ sketches out to an interplay of Levon Vincent-esque dubby chords. Darkest though is ‘Freydis’, a rattling, haunted house cut where epic strings somehow melt into spiky no-wave guitar.

‘Sketches From An Island 2’ soundcloud.com/international-feel THESE five Balearic gems — in the true sense, since they were recorded in Ibiza — come courtesy of ex-Future Loop Foundation man Mark Barrott, aka International Feel’s boss. Dropping the loops in favour of live guitar, percussion and loose, airy melodies, it’s inspired in part by Cafe Del Mar’s original resident Jose Padilla, resulting in the kind of sound you’re more likely to hear in the depths of the island’s north side, rather than the watering holes of Playa D’en Bossa — resulting in good vibrations all the way.

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HOUSE REVIEWS on Ripperton's Perspectiv (with the fabulous 'Innerplace') and Jennifer Cardini's Correspondant. His ear for a mournful melody presents itself on 'Life's Ether', a quite glorious thing. 'Coral Caves' is a little more chipper, but still with that jones for an angular, robotic synth line. 'Pure Maths' is mildly spooky and unsettling, with a slightly Arabesque feel to the pulsing, ghostly disco.

Harry Romero We Get Deep Ovum

7.5

Simian Mobile Disco & Roman Flugel Hachinoko/Ikizukuri Delicacies

9.0 SMD have been spreading their love around a fair bit of late, through their own Delicacies imprint. First it was the Bicep boys, and then a hook-up with Romanian powerhouse Cosmin TRG. Arguably the best yet, this latest sees them in the lab with the inimitable Roman Flugel, stripping things way, way back. The results, as one might expect, are stunning. 'Hachinoko' has all the drama and building layers. The stunner is 'Ikizukuri', however. It's simplicity itself; sparse percussion and arpeggios occasionally bursting loose. It's minimal, yet totally captivating. Superb.

Life Recorder/Semerka Toms of Times/Kandinsky Bokhari

9.0

Marseille's Life Recorder must be in love. You don't create this kind of lush, moving house music without your heart being full to the brim. 'Toms of Times' has you floating on a layer of pads, enveloping you like a sumptuous duvet. Mr Larry Heard is evoked. 'Track Mood' too is quietly masterful. On the flip newcomer from Russia Semerka syncopates and adds a little acid to his equally wonderful 'Kandinsky'. Remixing, Edinburgh's Fudge Fingas first breaks up the beat and then drops pianos like it's 1989. So very good.

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Butane & Andras Toth Elements of Truth EP Alphahouse

8.0

There's something about Alphahouse boss man Butane, from St Louis. His productions always appear to have that 'hitting the ground running' quality, in that you're helplessly locked in almost instantaneously. Here he hooks up with Hungarian Andras Toth with most captivating results. 'Truth' wears its groove with pride, dropping spoken word over a pulsing synth. The ‘Soul of Beauty Edit’ adds mournful guitars. 'Elements', meanwhile, busts its groove out, then doesn't quit for nearly eight minutes. Brilliant.

Takuya Matsumoto Ram EP

Meda Fury Records

8.0

Happening upon genuinely original house music can be an uphill task. Japanese producer Takyua Matsumoto could be a bit of a mould-breaker. It sounds like house, feels like house, and damnit, it is house, but there's something unruly, and really quite thrilling about it. Only the second release from Meda Fury, this guy's a keeper, in our humble opinion. 'Ram' is, frankly, all over the place — Rhodes pianos are swirling around your head. 'Camouflaged Letter' is similarly hard to nail down. Just bask in the warm glow and enjoy the ride.

Nhar

Life's Ether EP

My Favorite Robot

8.5

Frenchman Nhar turns out for Canada's My Favorite Robot, a most pleasing 'synergy', as they say, following his recent outings

Celebrating 20 years in the house music business this year, Josh Wink's Ovum enlists New Jersey don Harry Romero to pitch in with the celebrations. 'Get Deep' does as advertised, a hypnotic, slightly unsettling groove intended to delight and disorientate. It achieves both. Over, you have 'Not Yet', which pitched up 20 bpm or so would grace the boxes of any self-respecting techno head. Pitched as intended, and it's an inky-black, slinky floor filler. Finally, 'Casino' maintains the pressure admirably. Handle with care.

QUICKIES Terrence Parker When Love's the Feeling

Walter Jones

Balanced Sounds EP

Whiskey Pickle

7.5

Black Label

7.0

Detroit ledge Terrence Parker slices and dices Candido's Paradise Garage classic 'Dancin' and Prancin', and the results are, well, classic. Stick with the unreleased mix.

This from DFA alumnus Walter Jones is an EP of two halves. The first has a spacey, Balearic vibe to it, while the latter busts out bumpy, hip-swivelling, synth-stabbing garage. Bravo!

Mr Tophat & Art Alfie

Ida Engberg

Karlovak

Undeniable firmness here from Swede Ida Engberg for Crosstown. An acidic driver, with a predictably brilliant remix from the inimitable Mr G, and another from her countryman Adam Beyer.

The Best Sense is the Nonsense

7.5

Swedes Mr Tophat and Art Alfie continue to hog the release schedule for their Karlovak imprint. And with material like this, frankly, they’ve every bloody right to.

Devil Dance

Crosstown Rebels

7.5

Hufschlag & Braun Money

Popcorn Records

7.5

While Cologne's Carlos Hufschlag and Patrick Braun might look like they have a combined age of about 20, the pair's sound betrays an inner maturity. 'Money', penned for Parisian imprint Popcorn Records, is a truly lovely thing, laden with gorgeous enveloping pads, delightfully skippy percussion and a thumb-slapped bassline that sits just on the right side of 'jazz house'. And there was you thinking there was no right side. Tsk. Ye of little faith. Most encouraging.

Luke Solomon Lost Channels Local Talk

8.0

AGORIA INFINÉ 01. PSYCHEMAGIK ‘Triumph of the Gods’ Phonica

“I guess working on a soundtrack makes me love orchestral tunes. ‘Le Triomphe des Dieux’ is as magical as ‘La Ritournelle’ by Sebastien Tellier.”

02. RECONDITE ‘Fiery’ Innervisions

“I would eat my hat if this wasn’t one of the most played tracks this year.”

GENTS OF TIME ‘Polina’ Correspondant Classic's Luke Solomon doesn't put 03. A “Every month Jennifer Cardini’ s label Correspondant delivers not a killer tune

out for just anyone, and seemingly the chaps at Stockholm's Local Talk (Mad Mats and Tooli) were tickled pink when he got in touch to ask if he could knock something up for them. Rightly so. At a lively 130bpm, 'Lost Channels' is a panel-beating piano anthem from the New York school, raw, rude and raw. That's right, raw. Friend of the Local Talk family Wil Maddams pitches in, hefting 808 percussion on top like it's going out of fashion, even though it really isn’t. Yessir.

but a monster tune.”

04. AVALON EMERSON ‘Synagogue of Soma’ Spring Theory “Best house tune this month. Close your eyes. You’re dancin’ in Africa.”

05. JONO MCCLEERY ‘Ballade (Djrum Remix)’ Ninja Tune

“Who would believe I playlist a Ninja Tune track? This remix is a masterpiece.”

06. SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO & ROMAN FLUGEL ‘Ikizukuri’ Delicacies

“When an association reveals the best of each part.”

07. VONDELPARK ‘California Analog Dream (Factory Floor Remix)’ R&S

“It sweats, it smokes, it’s acid.”

08. KLEMENT BONELLI & ANGEL KAREL ‘Stella’ Krome

“Underestimated French producer Klement shows his ability and knowing about what house music means.”

09. SANTIAGO SALAZAR ‘Departure (SFO 2 LAX Mix)’ Fanzine “Classic deep house at its best.”

10. MANO LE TOUGH ‘Return to Yoz’ Maeve

“Future hero of the club scene, Mano is establishing his label as a serious player.”

DISCO REVIEWS

JONATHAN BURNIP jonathanburnip@gmail.

QUICKIES Sleazy McQueen You Know How EP CVMR

7.0

Fat Freddy’s Drop The It

Donnie (Ron Hardy Mix) DJ International

New one on Mexicobased imprint CVMR from Sleazy McQueen. Features a brace of techy disco interpretations from Century and Kasper Bjorke.

Reissue of this classic Larry Heard and Chip E production from '86, with Robert Owens on vocals. Features the essential Ron Hardy remix!

Debukas

PBR Streetgang

2020 Vision

Throne of Blood

I Am Machinery

9.0

Big remix EP featuring house, disco and acid versions from Tuff City Kids, DJ Nature and Acid Mondays. But head straight to Optimo's industrial/ new-wave fix of 'Shake'.

Achilles

8.5

Established already on labels such as 2020 Vision, Future Boogie, Hot Creations and Hypercolour, PBR Streetgang drop a weighty disco throb for Throne of Blood. Includes a monster remix from Iron Galaxy.

Mother Mother/Never Never (Remixes) The Drop

8.0

Antipodean heavy-soul troupe get the even heavier disco treatment from Ashley Beedle, Cosmo and Yamwho? Producing here together, Cosmo and Yamwho? tackle ‘Mother Mother’ and work out a solid, tech-disco remix, keeping the vocal fully intact. Flipside, Ashley Beedle teams up with Darren Morris as the production unit, Afrikanz On Marz. They add some snappy, broken beats beneath catchy marimba hits and woozy vocal touches.

Proviant Audio How Does It Feel? Paper Disco

7.0

Pumped indie-disco outing on Paper Disco that shares production similarities with the likes of Fred Falke, Kris Menace et al. This latest from Mathias Stubo aka Proviant Audio, in its original form, is lacking the personality to make it stand out from the current heap of overproduced pop/disco. However, it's saved by a much more appropriate remix from able nu-disco stalwart, Pete Herbert, who lets in some necessary Balearic touches.

The Emperor Machine RMI Is All I Want Southern Fried

8.5

DAVE JARVIS & TERRY CHILDS EAT THE BEAT 01. ALIEN ALIEN ‘One by One (Radion Mix)’ Meant “Radion create an epic haunted dancefloor moment.”

02. DEMIAN ‘With Love and Voodoo (Original Mix)’ Clouded Vision

“Something new on Matt Walsh’s label that sends the crowd a bit giddy.”

03. ORINN ‘A Man Was Had’ Restless Soul

“Gets in your head and sticks like glue! Works a treat!”

04. DJ ROCCO/CHRIS MASSEY ‘Drug Chug (Craig Bratley Remix)’ El Diablos Social Club

“Some special sonic shuffle from the northern territories.”

05. DAMON JEE ‘Bad Preacher (Vocal Mix)’ Days of Being Wild “Synth-based religious house music from a label that can do no wrong.”

06. SIMON BAKER ‘Arpy 1’ No Fit State

“Quality update on that real progressive house sound.”

07. AFRICAINE 808 ‘Lagos New York’ Golf Channel

“Another WOW winner from a label that grows and grows...”

08. COTTAM ‘Harsh Side Effects’ Machine Records Inc.

“Back-to-back rolling acid house all over again! Both sides — check!”

09. WE LOVE JAPAN ‘Brothers Ninja’ Magic Wand Series

“Pure Balearic magic from Leo Mas and Fabrice bringing this to life. Ace!”

10. HEIM ‘Freaky Nights (The Gemini Bros. Twin Freaks Edit)’ Nang

“Plenty of slo-mo disco here! One to blow a few nights away for sure — love!”

Just before a new The Emperor Machine album drops, Andy Meecham reminds us of what we've missed since last year's 'Hey' single. As usual, Meecham's dizzying analogue signature is here, with disorientating disco effects and patch-bay basslines rumbling over a galloping motorik beat. To accompany, Erol Alkan edits an extended version with added 8-bit chirps and newcomer, Dimitri Veimar, wields a loose, mid-tempo mix with acid squelches and extra chug.

disco cliché; and to be honest, I was completely sucked in by those noir-ish touches. Conclusion: the whole of the EP is a little over-the-top, but if you're a hopeless romantic retro-futurist, this is the ultimate wet dream.

Various

Plant Music: Love Me Too Plant Music

8.5

Kim and Buran

Woozy disco-nouveau from the NY party collective/label, entering 2014 with this fivetrack EP. 100% Silk alumni, EZLV, drop a robust disco-tech number with a vocal appearance from George Azzi. This sits next to the EP's highlight from Son of Sound, whose encouraging 'Floor's Yours' is a haunting, sprung reverb loop with a provocative hook.Elsewhere, Whatever/Whatever, Sonns and the hopeful Allies For Everyone wrap up a quality EP.

Nang

Tronik Youth

Fly To Sea EP

8.5

The folks at Nang maintain a steady output with a new one from Russian duo Kim and Buran. Employing familiar progressions, the duo wrangle an ardent, almost overemotional production, but their command of melody and dazzling arrangements keep things on the correct side of

Pain Relief Nein

9.0

Weatherall approved, this recent A Love From Outer Space anthem finally sees a release and is bolstered by an impressive roll call of production talent to remix. This chugging, dark-wave behemoth gets a makeover from ALFOS resident,

Nancy Whang & Audiojack Like an Eagle Gomma

8.5 Stepping out from what was once LCD Soundsystem, their long-serving keyboard player, Nancy Whang, has been chalking up some studio time with Yorkshire pair, Audiojack. This being the first of four singles, covering selected late '70s disco classics. This popular DJ Harvey spin — performed by late ‘adult entertainer’, Dennis Parker — is a rousing disco affair with soaring strings and gorgeous choral segments; now getting a robust discohouse makeover that treads respectfully on the right side of good taste. Includes a remix by Black Loops and Maik Yells, who completely flip the mood with their dubbed-out, mid-tempo house version. Sean Johnston, who has been fashioning deadly, mid-tempo club weapons as The Hardway Bros. He throws in some '92 style progressive touches for good measure. Next up, new Bugged Out! resident Kiwi throws down another slo-mo electro fix while Ben Macklin, DJ Steef and Gameboyz do similar for an EP that "never knowingly" passes the 120 bpm mark. djmag.com.au

ELECTRO REVIEWS

DAVID MCCARTHY electrodjmag@davidmccarthy.com running through it like a super coolant in a CERN-sized atom smasher. Mikron No Correlation Zone

8.0

Australian brothers Ciaran and Michael Corcoran follow up last year's ‘Sink’ EP with their second outing on Zone. There's a thoughtfulness and attention to detail at work here, and the result is a cold-but-clever set of five tracks that bring to mind classic Kraftwerk as much as they do label co-runner Gesaffelstein's own output. Certainly not dancefloor material, but electronic music that pushes at the edges can occupy many spaces.

QUICKIES DJ Licious People

Can You Feel It Records

6.0

Simple housey 'people at the back'-type rabble-rouser that's got a good little groove and a ‘less is more’ approach that stops it overstaying its welcome.

The Raver

Protohype Records

6.0

a fairly trad electrohouse vein this issue, but does so with a nice ‘early doors’ result.

Ooberfuse

March Of The Downtrodden

Peakflow Records

6.0

Lots of remixes in this package but it's the original from south London electronica duo Hal St John and Cherrie Anderson that shows quirky promise.

The fifth release on Protohype Records is another one mining

Rubix

Get Up On Me White Horse

7.0

Beady Eye

Soul Love (Trevor Jackson Heavy Dub) Limited Bonus CD

9.0 Trevor Jackson's understanding of the way drums and basslines work together is second to none. From early Underdog days through to the acclaimed Playgroup releases, his body of work means he should occupy a far higher profile in the echelons of UK dance music than he is given credit for. This track leads a limited edition third CD that's part of the recent 'Playgroup Reproductions Volume 2' release, which is an essential purchase.

Berlin label's ethos. For anyone looking for a little taste of a possible future.

Akka

Amazigh EP

Rwina Records

8.0

Part of the joy of reviewing new tracks is finding things that might otherwise have passed you by and then getting the chance to pass them on and share them with others. A lot of this page is dedicated to music that gets crowds large or small dancing, but there's also the chance to feature more thoughtful and atmospheric sounds. The music is constructed from field recordings from Morocco's Rif mountains and the Amazigh/ Berber culture there.

Escor Krist

Louisahhh!!! & Maelstrom

BNR

Bromance

Kult Street

8.0

7.0

It seems like it's been a quiet start to the year in the world of BNR but things are starting to kick up again with this debut proper from LA resident Escor Krist. Having raised a few eyebrows with his free giveaway 'Who The Fuck Is EK' set at the end of 2013, his mix of minimalist jacknoise and breaky ravecore fits in perfectly with the 92

Traces

djmag.com.au

If you're a fan of the classic cold and icy female vocal over a dark and edgy electro backing then this is definitely one for you. If you loved Brodinski's 'Let The Beat Control Your Body' as much as I did then you'll already be familiar with Louisahhh's style and it's put to great effect on 'Night Clubbing' with a similarly electronic European vibe

Rubix has appeared on this page with a number of different approaches over the past year or two, and each one has been a well-worked dancefloor weapon. Here he aims firmly at the airwaves with the kind of poppy groove that would buy Calvin Harris another swimming pool, except that this happens to be catchy and clever and so totally opposed to Harris' dour cynical drivel. Lokka from South Africa provides the upbeat vocals and airplay is a cert.

Nightwave Fire Hoes Heka Trax

UNITED SOUNDS OF EUROPE CORSAIR RECORDS

Aiming to sound like a cross between "Chicago’s Southside, a Glasgow after-party and a hallucinated game of Tetris", Slovenia-born Glasgow resident Maya Medvesek delivers her new EP as Nightwave. 'Fire Hoes' sounds like it would easily fit in with the output of Bad Life whilst her previous experience of R1 daytime airplay and serious specialist support as vocalist on Rustie’s single ‘Surph’ means she could potentially have all the bases covered.

01. FRICK’N’FRAK ‘Fracalicious’ Legendary Records

7.0

“A jumpy breakbeat underpins this slow-burner big roomer which really works a dancefloor of any size.”

02. JOSE PALERMO ‘Blanco Illumino’ Dia Dos Mortas

“Mi compardre Jose kicks off his new label with this thumping electrohouse monster that should be THE track of the summer in Ibiza.”

03. UNITED SOUNDS OF EUROPE ‘Superconscious’ Corsair Records

“Zombie Nation said he liked my new single, so that’s one ambition ticked off the list!”

04. DANTON EEPROM ‘Biscotto and Chimpanzee’ Infine “Beautiful radio-style dance music.”

05. DEBBIE DOODAH ‘Orange Square’ CDR

“Sadly the world of dance is still heavily weighted towards the male of the species but here Debbie could have something of a game-changer in the offing.”

06. 2K SUBS ‘Disco Damnation’ Corsair Records

“Truly ‘right now’ house music that deserves your attention!”

07. ESCOR KRIST ‘Kult Street EP’ BNR

“A new name on BNR and one for all those who put down the EDM explosion in the USA — it’s going to lead to guys like this picking up the reins, man!”

08. SISKO ELECTROFANATIK ‘On (Original Mix)’ Gain Records “Simple and direct but still rockin’ my USB stick.”

09. PAUL ESTERHOUSE ‘Take Me (Chainsmokers Remix)’ Gather Recs

“Paul’s sets are legendary in my hometown and his productions capture all the energy and love he shares each time he gets behind the decks.”

10. RAT N FRIKK ‘Yes Sensei’ Heroic

“I’m not a big fan of the Dutch style of ‘going large’ on everything, but these guys have a dubtastic twist to the usual lowlands take on things.”

TECHNO REVIEWS

RICHARD BROPHY, richardbrophy@gmail.com

QUICKIES

Delroy Edwards Teenage Tapes

The Death of Rave

Habits of Hate

Trus’Me

Electronic Explorations

Prime Numbers

EE:V:003

7.5

The latest release on Rob Booth’s label sees young guns Happa and Manni Dee exploring the excesses of early '90s dance. ‘Limelight Roles’ is built on distorted drums, screeching riffs and deranged robot noises, while ‘A Rebel From the Waist Down’ is populated by crazy rave riffs.

R-Zone 09

R-Zone

7.0

The Creme spin-off label delivers its grungiest — and most unpredictable — release so far; ‘Down You Go’ moves from chiming, evocative sounds into hammering, distorted acid. Meanwhile ‘VHC Beats’ is driven by rough, unquantised beats and fuzzy bursts of noise.

PN25

8.5

The UK producer gets the remix treatment from two impressive acts. Swedish duo Skudge blend soaring synths with acidic licks and vocal snippets on their version of ‘Moonlight Kiss’, while the Marcelus version of ‘Hindsight’ is a more heads-down affair, populated by drones and bleeps.

Having released two of the most coveted underground techno records of recent years for L.I.E.S and his own LA Club Resource label, Delroy Edwards makes a sideways, unexpected move. ‘Tapes’ consists of eight untitled cuts and will come as a shock to fans of his previous releases. Moving from synapse-shattering distortion into Gothic gloom, ‘Tapes’ also features electro jams played out on live drums and the grittiest, most primal take on acid since Ron Hardy’s reign — this is an inspirational release.

Sanys

Various

Downfall Theory

Photic Fields

8.0

Dominance EP

7.5

Like previous Sanys releases, ‘Dominance’ is based on robust drums and creaky analogue rhythms, but it’s not another heads-down release. The title track is awash with atmospheric synths, while 'My Concern' is an insistent pulsing groove.

Field of Light

8.5

To date Photic has focused on esoteric dance music and 'Field' suggests that this approach is set to continue. Bringing together producers from across Europe, this split release sees Aroy Dee and Perseus Traxx in more mellow form than usual, the former favouring a housey groove and the latter putting his love of 303s on hold to combine sleek synths with his trademark tumbling drums. The low-slung Chicago groove of Lerosa’s ‘Be My Woman’ and deep techno tracks from BNJMN and Irish act Tr-One round out the release and consolidate Photic’s good reputation.

Paul Birken

Acid Youth of Malibu (Remixes) Earwiggle

8.0

SANYS DOWNFALL THEORY 01. SANYS ‘Dominance (Eomac Remix)’ Downfall Theory “Brilliant breakbeat rework from one half of Lakker.”

02. RE\\LC ‘Six Headed Laser System’ Brothers “Crispy head-nodding mover.”

03. CHARLTON ‘If They Don’t Realise’ Krill “Straightforward pure techno.”

04. PLANETARY ASSAULT SYSTEMS ‘Future Modular’ Mote Evolver

“Luke Slater in his best form.”

05. SANYS ‘Seizure (Clouds Remix)’ Downfall Theory

“I’m quite blown away by this remix, looking forward to seeing it out.”

06. YAN COOK ‘Suspense’ Ann Aimee “New Ann Aimee, rather good.”

07. ALEXEY VOLKOV ‘Stigmata’ Planete Rouge “Dark big room sound.”

08. VEREKER ‘Slain’ The Trilogy Tapes

“Twisted distorted unit from outer space.”

09. ANTIGONE ‘The Fugitive’ Construct Re-Form “Effective DJ tool.”

10. ANSWER CODE REQUEST ‘The 4th Verdict’ Ostgut Ton “Crafty Berlin techno.”

‘Youth’ was one of last year’s techno highlights, a pacey 303 number from the low-key Birken. It’s testament to its popularity and the respect that Sunil Sharpe's label commands that Truss and Blawan have been tapped to provide remixes. Truss’ take is a slamming, peak-time afair with the acid line reduced to a malevolent squiggle, while Blawan’s version focuses on flailing, crashing drums and industrial riffs. Birken’s own remix is a pounding analogue workout, but best of all, Bas Mooy’s interpretation recalls the hard, storming acid techno of classic Djax releases.

SHXCXCHCXSH Avian 013 Avian

8.0

The impossible to pronounce Swedish act delivers more sledgehammer gear for Avian.

The Exaltics

Some Other Place Volume 1

Clone West Coast Series

9.0

'VVVLLLLVVV' is a chugging, growling groove, its creepy synth line supported by lumbering claps. 'MRRRWRRRDS' sees the duo deploy pummelling broken beats to spectacular effect, but it merely sets the scene for 'MRRRCHNNNN'. This is the kind of grisly, grinding techno that SHXCXCHCXSH have become synonymous with and its distorted rhythm and the sound of sheet metal on metal is not for the faint-hearted.

Peter Van Hoesen

The West Coast Series is home to Versatile’s pensive electro, so it’s no surprise that The Exaltics feel at home here. With the exception of the barnstorming, buzzsaw bass of ‘Walking Through the Stratosphere’, this release focuses on atmospheric, esoteric sounds. Widescreen soundtracks like ‘Thrown Away’ and ‘One More Day’ combine layered ambience with just the right dose of eerieness, while the title track is a sublime affair, its shimmering synths and woozy bass sounding like Drexciya at their most reflective. best of all ‘Panic’ is a string-filled dubbed-out affair.

Outlands EP Curle

8.0

Belgian producer Peter Van Hoesen took some time off to focus on abstract electronic music, but ‘Outlands’ puts him right back in the warehouse. The title track is a perfect example of what he does best, with moody pulses supporting droning noises and outer space tones. 'Three Circles' sees Van Hoesen strip his sound right back, the minimal rhythm building and building in intensity before imploding in a cacophony of glitchy noise.

Planetary Assault Systems Future Modular Mote Evolver

8.0

Dark Arts

There’s one thing you can say with certainty about Luke Slater — he never fails to surprise. Following his LB Dub Corp album, the UK producer delivers the banging ‘Future Modular’. Noisy acid lines spew out like over-active geysers as metal bar beats deliver killer blow after blow. By contrast, ‘Riot in Silo 12’ is understated, but its hypnotic bleeps and purring sub-bass still ensure that it doesn’t lack dancefloor impact.

Dark Arts

Various

7.5 The Dark Arts series reaches its fourth installment with more subtle DJ tools. ‘Ricochet’ and ‘Downstream’ are sure to find favour wth existing Dark Arts supporters like Norman Nodge. The former track is a wiry minimal track in the Rob Hood vein, while ‘Downstream’ is reminiscent of Oliver Ho’s layered, percussive tribal techno. When the release strays from well-known approaches, it yields the most rewarding results. ‘Point Blank’ is led by stacatto drums and eerie chords and

Tape Sampler 02 Tape

8.5

Last year, Amsterdam label Tape launched its ‘sampler’ series. Judging by this follow-up release, there is no shortage of talented, upcoming artists in the Dutch city. Interstellar Funk delivers the bass-heavy electro of ‘1999’, while Deniro’s ‘Bobcat’ is an engaging analogue groove. The most impressive track is Mark Du Mosch’s ‘Soulsearch’. Its spine-chilling keys are reminiscent of '70s horror movie soundtracks. djmag.com djmag.com.au

DRUM & BASS REVIEWS

WHISKY KICKS whiskykicks@live.co.uk its dancefloor depth. It's a track of two halves, with a light, clean and calming backdrop, but a gritty bassline, which leads to a great balance of style and substance. 'Rudeboy VIP' works as a mouthpiece for Sigma’s experience as a producer and demonstrates an amazing use of understated layering.

N3gus feat Jakes Walk The Walk PowerOf3

9.0

Ahhh, the unmistakable musical brilliance of Bristol: uplifting, characterful and ram-jammed full of talent. The culturally diverse nature of the city pours out of this track, with its jazzy drums, syncopated beats and its screwfaced bassline. Jake’s distinctive vocal pushes positivity through his cheekychappy, happy-go-lucky lyrical style. Full of energy and fun, you’d be hard-pushed not to bounce along to this one, definite party track for the summer playlist.

10 Nitri remixed by Calibre? We all know where this is going; stunningly soulful, beautifully breathtaking, absolute art. Nitri leaves very little room for improvement on his tracks, but this reworking glistens with the seductive shimmer that only the infamous Irishman can delicately dust over his work. This is a smooth and delicate roller, and sees Grimm’s vocals take centre stage again over a classic Calibre ensemble of refined musicality and accomplished instrumentation.

Fre4knc Tellurain

Samurai Music

7.0

This is a deep and gutsy atmospheric track with one heck of a pair of weighty balls. The Dutch producer returns to Samurai Music after his 2013 smash with another dark destroyer. Following suit with the ever-increasingly favoured tribal drum pattern, Fre4knc 94

djmag.com.au

paints a powerful backdrop of synthesised nature, with lowblown gusts of bass and a sub which is reminiscent of a robotic antelope, dying on the savannah as it cries out of the darkness in desperation.

Joe Ford Neon

Shogun

8.0

This diverse debut EP shows Joe Ford slipping into Shogun effortlessly. With an A-side which showcases his ability to cater for the dancefloor, it’s really the flip 'Neon' which glows here. Soft and bouncy yet cleverly still maintaining a vast amount of energy, it's whirling with tech-infused bites and is slightly blackened with understated twisted basslines. This is a track with a different and distinctive taste, leaving us salivating for what the new kid will produce next.

Sigma feat Doctor Rudeboy VIP

Life Recordings

8.0

The intro immediately ensures you take a bite of its catchy vocal hook, and reels you into

C4C Recordings

Technique Recordings

7.0

Superstar

7.0

This one is quirky, dark, eerie and itchy, and has gained support from the scene's biggest DJs. The track feels huge and spacious, and is a great mid-set filler for when the crowd is already in a state of submission. Nothing too adventurous here, but there’s a couple of bangers at the tail-end of the EP.

The voice of 1xtra’s drum & bass show releases his first EP in two years, and has produced something with a decidedly odd vibe. This one's a bit of a grower, drawing on many tried-and-tested tricks of the trade — a crazysounding track that will certainly have the floor going off.

Danny Rich feat G.L.B

Pale Blue Dot

The Prototypes Viper Recordings

Something Sinister

7.0

Digital 101

Not-so-silently lurking just beneath the labels' noses on the internet, London-based newcomer Fliwo has been racking up millions of views on YouTube channels such as Liquicity, and has since been snapped up by Audioporn for his debut release. 'Never Divide' is smooth and enchanting, with orchestral synths, warm pads, elevating strings and an echoing female vocal. We can expect some great things as this producer grows and develops.

TAXMAN PLAYAZ RECORDINGS

7.5

Horizons

Crissy Cris

Wasted

AudioPorn Records

Never Divide

Lies (Calibre Remix)

Mob Tactics

Giving us a glimpse of 7.5 what we can expect People love to complain from their anticipated album, The Prototypes about genre pigeonare pulling out the laser holing, but sometimes your bored speakers may beams and hitting us with every sci-fi sound effect just be crying out for some pure unadulterated, they’ve got stored. Good track, but the space vibe unapologetic jump-up. seems a little bit done This noisy vocal, despite its sinister lyrical content is now. upbeat and quite light.

Fliwo feat Charlotte Haining

Nitri & Level 2 feat Grimm

QUICKIES

Major Look

Kid$ Of 2moro

Nation Of Shopkeepers

7.0

Stapleton takes his MC skills to different levels as part of Major Look, showcasing a talent for story-telling colloquialism. Big stepping beats combined with powerful synths and an underlying warped bassline, all wrapped up with a little humour. Need For Mirrors take the reins on one remix of the MC-led track, with bouncy bass and computer game-style shooting sfx, while P.E.S.T opt for a halftime stepper.

01. TAXMAN ‘Falling Down’ Playaz Recordings

“This mixes nice with a lot of other tunes I like playing. And it’s mine, ha!”

02. ORIGINAL SIN ‘Running Man feat Koo’ Playaz Recordings “High energy disco vibes with a sick vocal. Love it.”

03. KOBE ‘Gobber’ MTA

“Fat future funk with quality production. It reminds me of ‘Brand New Funk’... only on steroids. Yes please mate.”

04. DJ HAZARD ‘Mark Q’ Playaz Recordings

“Instant dancefloor riddim and instantly recognisable.”

05. TAXMAN FEAT DIANE CHARLEMAGNE ‘Rebirth’ Playaz Recordings

“Been playing the ‘Club Mix’ for nearly a year. Always creates a vibe with the intro.”

06. HARVEST ‘Mind Master’ Dub

“I don’t think it was ever released, which is a shame as it’s very original, great production.”

07. DECIMAL BASS ‘Near Me’ Playaz Recordings

“For me, this is Mike’s best tune yet. Excellent vibes. Riddim.”

08. TAXMAN ‘No More Anthems’ Playaz Recordings “’Reece’ and distorted 808s. How it used to be...”

09. HEIST ‘Flannel Chat’ Sumo Beats

“Big jazzy roller from Heist. Always goes down well.”

10. TAXMAN ‘Judgement’ Playaz Recordings “Something for the weekend, sir?”

BREAKBEAT/BASS MUSIC REVIEWS

CARL LOBEN, carlloben@hotmail.com

QUICKIES Krafty Kuts feat Dynamite MC

Pounding (Dodge & Fuski Remix) Instant Vibes

8.5

Smash Hi-Fi Feel It EP

RadioKillaZ vs Fleetwood Mac Oh Well

free download

8.0

The glitch supremos dissect Krafty’s jaunty ‘Pounding’, warping it into a 110bpm glitch-hop piece to get low down and dirty to. Powerful beats, a gremlin wubwub b-line and a sloweddown Dynamite drive this home.

Couldn’t bloody download their new single ‘Ghetto Yoot’ when it came to lastminute reviews time, so here’s a quick plug for RadioKillaZ’s quirky Fleetwood Mac boot, showing how outsidethe-box these cats continue to think.

A9ent 0ran9e

Joe Blow

Bubble & Squeak free download

7.5

The mysterious A9ent 0ran9e starts off with sprung breaks and floaty neo-trance synths before a gurgling bassline leads to an uncurling of deep psy goodness. Not quite chemical warfare, but nice warm-up gear nevertheless.

Bass N Bars (Terry Hooligan & Zombie Robot Remix) 119 Sounds

7.5

The Welsh hip-hop dude has firecrackers placed up his rhymes by Terry Hooligan and pal Zombie Robot in the form of trap stylings, compressed glitchy beats and whooshy atmospherics. Bossrevamp.

PLUMP DJS GRAND HOTEL 01. PLUMP DJS ‘Skylon’ Grand Hotel Records

“We feel this is innovative, emotive and compelling — we’ve decided to set it free. Some people have said that we have created a ‘Jekyll & Hyde’-style dance track. You decide!”

02. KEYS & KRATES ‘Treat Me Right (Grand Theft Remix)’ Dim Mak

“The full energy and emotion of the original female vocal and instrumentation is retained, then all hell breaks loose on the drop. Using a familiar old skool bass sound, GT lets us fly with his mix.”

03. DOC TRASHZ ‘Everybody Loves Acid’ Grand Hotel Records “This young Sicilian electro-bass producer is seriously good, the energy here is sustained and the drops are crisp.”

04. PLUMP DJS ‘Roll Dope Rhymes’ Grand Hotel Records

“The vocal hooks stick and stay, you find yourself continuing to rejoice in every drop as the record weaves its way into your everyday life.”

05. DOG BLOOD ‘Chella Ride’ Boysnoize Records

“Skrillex & Boys Noize’s production output is oddly low, but no-one cares when the releases are this good. A techno-breaks masterpiece.”

06. OLIVER & A-TRAK ‘Zamboni’ Fools Gold Records

“A high-energy piece of electro from two of the world’s foremost dance music producers. It manages to retain a repetitive nature without becoming tiresome.”

07. NOM DE STRIP ‘Seesaw’ Mau5trap

“Anthemic techno-breaks record from an act we have supported for years now. We play this record every set, and love its raw energy and emotion.”

08. PLUMP DJS ‘Hammerhouse’ Grand Hotel Records

“We made this Moroder-inspired recording in a day, and it is unfortunately flawed. However, sometimes you get ‘the fizz’ when you are in a studio and this was one of those occasions.”

09. BASKERVILLE ‘Checker’ Boysnoize Records

“An electrical atmosphere is created in the disco the moment this tune drops. Frenetic bass and vocal chops keep the energy high.”

10. PAUL OAKENFOLD ‘Ready Steady Go (Plump DJs Remix)’ Perfecto

“Many of you will know this breakbeat classic from the excellent Bourne Identity movie series. It’s the perfect chase scene record, with rolling beats and atmospheric pads. We have given this record the once over, with all due respect.”

Instant Vibes

9.0

The first few bars of ‘Feel It’ recall Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ — ha, only kidding guys! — but the surprise here is the tempo of the piece. Pitched around the 100bpm mark, it’s a scratchadelic glitch-hop thang that’s populated by strangulated female cries and brittle synth work. Leeroy Thornhill and Marten Hörger’s enduring Smash Hi-Fi partnership is throwing up some great out-of-the-box moments of late, and this track seems tailor-made for label boss Krafty Kuts to drop. ‘Ready For This’ is more straightforward breaks tempo, and actually drops to glistening, arpeggiated neo-trance in the run-off before building into a glitchy electro-breaks burner. Snake charmer. Reach for the lasers.

Jem Haynes & Mike Peters Hang Heels EP Colour Series

9.0

Originally a drum & bass DJ who basically discovered Boymerang, Jem Haynes then joined the Precision Cuts breakbeat triumvirate for a bit before scooting off to Ibiza to become a We Love resident. He mainly plays and makes bassy house now, although he’s an amazingly versatile DJ (as a We Love resident, he needs to be), and the proggy ‘Hang Heels’ here has got a deep, burrowing linear bassline that indeed doffs its cap to Boymerang, or at least Paul Jackson’s ‘The Push’ on Underwater. ‘Bring It’, meanwhile, is tribal bass tech with some faint hardcore stabs and a submarine-pulse bassline buried in the mix.

Odeed & Wish Infinity

Top Drawer Digital

8.0

Beginning with a few snippets of acid guru Timothy Leary talking about the space time continuum (or something), ‘Infinity’ straight away tips into dreamy future breakbeat mode. Utilising an old skool break and glinting, glistening Orbitalesque stabs, snippets of Leary’s treatise on infinity are peppered throughout its languid discourse. Top Drawer Digital is usually a future jungle label, but this track from the American pairing is definitely more on an artcore breakbeat tip. Think: Foul Play meet Introspective.

Plump DJs

Roll Dope Rhymes Grand Hotel

9.0

The Plumps are so talented it hurts, and they have such wide musical

tastes that they’re able to never repeat themselves musically. They’re also constantly stretching themselves, trying new things, and here they draw on a hip-house male rapped vocal and place it over a zippy electro ghetto-funk cut. So well produced this, it’s hard to categorise — which is one reason they kinda left the breakbeat scene behind a few years ago. The Plumps traverse scenes, and they’re as potent as they’ve ever been.

K-Aze

Future Primitives/Warrior Groove Gutterfunk

9.0

K-Aze, the artist formerly known as junglist Lemon D, has been deconstructing his sound of late and marrying it with juke/ footwork — to great effect. ‘Future Primitives’ has a dramatic church organ intro and blaxploitation flick samples before the polyrhythmic mayhem starts to ensue. You dance to the bass more than the breaks in footwork, although limbs may flail and flap accordingly, and this slab of fractured sci-fi future-funk is about as forward-thinking as non4/4 music can get. ‘Warrior Groove’ morphs Morse code bleeps, skittery riddims and a growly pitcheddown male vocal growl into a freewheeling slice of bone-rattling juke. Superb: both tracks.

Sparki Dee

The Hollywood EP Hardcore Lives

8.0

With the amazing new Suburban Base comp receiving a lot of love, and output from Vinyl Junkie, RadioKillaz and the like tearing up the parties, it seems that OLD SKOOL HARDCORE IS BACK! Not that it ever totally went away... The hyper-kinetic breaks and buzzsaw synth on ‘Energize 92’ here recall a Krome & Time piece, while the title track has a gorgeous E-motive synthy breakdown to have you lost in the moment. Not sure about the vocal on it, but ‘Sun Daze’

King Yoof

Soundboy Love EP feat Rony Blue & Mr Williamz Sub Slayers

10 King Yoof has really nailed his style in the last couple of years — reggae/ragga-infused dancehall breakbeat extraordinaire. ‘Soundboy Love’ sounds like another skanking winner that’ll be crossing over to the various pirates, as well as traversing scenes like a rabbit hopping ditches. In fact, all the ingredients are here, this should be a SUMMER HIT! Come on Zane Lowe, you dozy c***, jump on this! Gold Dubs & Nushu turn in a 4/4 electro reworking, Toronto Is Broken turns it drum & bass and Capital 1212 makes it buzzin’ bassy house, but it’s all about the original really. Love it. makes amends with some ‘Sweet Harmony’ breaks, piano heaven keys and a snaking topline. ‘Your My Desire’ [sic] has hardcore keys and screaming hoovers over a chuffing, hyped-up 4/4.

Josh Wink

Are You There? (Ben Klock Remix) Ovum

9.0

It’s the 20th anniversary of Josh Wink’s Ovum Records, and to mark it the Philly-based DJ/producer has commissioned a load of remixes of some of his early stuff. So what, I hear you ask? Well, the Ben Klock remix of ‘Are You There?’ is FUCKING AMAZING! A dull techno thud and an other-worldly “Are you there?” sample (left on Wink’s ansaphone, apparently) are soon joined by some loose-limbed breakbeats that throw this futuristic piece into another dimension. If only there would be more breakbeats in techno, then we’d have ‘breakbeat techno’ and the whole cycle would start all over again. djmag.com.au

BASS REVIEWS

OLI MARLOW, info@sonicrouter.com it because it challenges me”. Like, it’s definitely not the most constructive feedback but then yyu’s debut two-tracker on Ramp Recordings isn’t the most upfront or straightforward thing in the world. One side confused, confounding sound art meets thin drum line and the other Birdengine-like introspective folk music. Its real appeal lies on the B-side which lands so very far from the dancefloor.

Gamertag

You Don’t Know Me All City

7.0

Woef

Rwina

9.0

Dutch producers Jameszoo (pictured) and Y’skid’s collaboration as Titts is undoubtedly a bit of an overstatement. The duo’s purposely obtuse melodies definitely work in the TNGHT mode of tongue-in-cheek gargantuan hooks but there’s a coy non-conformist side to their song structure that makes their tracks delightfully unpredictable. ‘Woef’ manages to personify that with its initial ear-worm melody dissipating into stuttered vocal manipulation and heavy, club-destroying boom bap.

Asusu

Velez (A Made Up Sound Remixes) Livity Sound

8.5

Dave Huismans is probably one of the techno world’s best bets as a remixer. His original work as 2562 and A Made Up Sound are rhythmically diverse and travel completely different strains to each other, and that definitely shows on his duo of remixes for Asusu on Livity Sound. Picking up on different strands of percussion, Huismans weaves his drums in interesting ways but it’s most potent on the B-side, with its dubstep harking third beat snare.

Strict Face

Fountains/Highbury Skyline Gobstopper

8.0

With Mr Mitch holding down a pretty pensive position with his last 'Room Where I Belong' EP, it’s not all that surprising that his Gobstopper label’s following release would be just as buoyantly ambient. 96

djmag.com.au

The highlight, Strict Face’s ‘Fountains,’ is basically just layers of hollow synths cascading over each other while a weird, almost drum track jitters along in the background. It manages to sound like a lot of emotions all at once, simultaneously uplifting and provoking.

Jonas Kopp 55 Dias

Ilian Tape

7.5

The oft-overlooked Ilian Tape label, who admittedly should at this point be much better known for releasing platters of tough functional techno, cut a duo of ambient tracks from Jonas Kopp with a Kowton remix of ’55 Dias’. What’s really most striking is the way the source material works with someone like Kowton’s hard line approach to drum programming; it’s like the airy top layers leave so much frequencial space to be filled out beneath them.

Know V.A

O Horizon EP Lowriders

7.5

Considering that the current boom in instrumental grime has never been central to one particular postcode (cheers, internet), it’s intriguing to see how its poise is being rolled into other styles. Know V.A’s new EP for Lowriders — a release that seems to want to try its hand at absolutely everything — seems to hijack some of the spatial awareness of grime on tracks like ‘Gum’, but ‘Donkey Kong’ is probably the most outspoken tribute to that classic gully gully.

yyu

Kiss As We Walk Ramp Recordings

6.5

Sometimes the best criticism you can level at music is “I like

Thankfully the title of Gamertag’s four-track 12” for All City doesn’t really have a deeper meaning, it’s just a title under which the anonymous producer closes the label’s latest trio series of house-focused 12”s. It’s the B-side that really shines out with ‘Maze Impact’ sprawling from early 2562-style drum binges into drops of orchestral disco and the galloping dialup modem awkwardness of ‘Syskreem’ dissipating into those drawn-out digital chords.

Fantastic Mr Fox On My Own Black Acre

6.5

What at first might sound like a rare misstep from Fantastic Mr Fox on the title track eventually seems to blossom into something emotively serene. Gone are the delightfully flatedged kick-drums and quirky sense of dancefloor melody, and in is a full vocal collaboration with Denai Moore. It actually sounds like heartbreak feels and FMF honestly doesn’t do much, seemingly content to back off and let the mood drive itself.

Kloke

Sea Levels

Styles Upon Styles

8.0

Veering away from the polish slightly, Kloke’s latest EP — a six-tracker for the Styles Upon Styles label — finds time to dwell in the more minute things. Rather than big pronounced come-at-me chords, the producer focuses on the little dawdling half hooks that sound great when riddled with flange and chorus. It’s covered in that analogue static too which gives it all a grandiose sense of texture. A particularly dense release that’ll warrant extended listens.

QUICKIES Habits of Hate

Claus Voigtmann

Electronic Explorations

Yumé

Habits of Hate EP

8.0

The Good Ones Go

8.0

Rob Booth loves techno. Dude talks about it all the time and he’s finally followed that through with the third release on his Electronic Explorations imprint: a hard stomping collaboration between young talents Happa and Manni Dee.

The blossoming Yumé imprint returns with a duo of cuts from Claus Voigtmann backed with a Craig Richards remix, but the power of the whole thing lies at 2:48 into ‘The Good Ones Go’, when the staccato chords meet that upright bassline.

Neando

Numberuma

Your Sketch

Samuel BRSTL

7.0

Astro:Dynamics

8.0

These seven tracks of slow broiling fragility and manipulated field recordings from Astro:Dynamics’ latest signing, Russian producer Rasul Gafarov on Your Sketch continues the label’s run of sterling releases quite perfectly, all heady wooze and clicky percussion.

Another vowel-less transmission from the South West stronghold label, though this time with two cuts from Samuel whose functional take on the house music form is best defined by the perky percussive rolls of the A-side ‘Numberuma’.

DOWNLINERS SEKT INFINÉ 01. ADESSE VERSIONS ‘Pressured’ Make Love in Public Spaces “Making love in public spaces to our ears with this track.”

02. MIDLAND ‘Drum Track’ Graded

“Quite obsessed with the obscurity of this artifact.”

03. BODDIKA & JOY O ‘More Maim’ Sunklo “Just because...”

04. OS KORIMBAS ‘Sémba Braguez’ Analog Africa “The sound of the percussion is just mad.”

05. NEHUEN & NICK HOOK ‘How Y’all Feeling (Cardopusher E.Rave 93 Mix)’ Classicworks

“93: the year l’OM won the Champions League.”

06. 0KALAMBYA BOYS ‘Kivelenge (The Busy Twist Remix)’ Soundway

“This is Kenya special.”

07. MARK IMPERIAL ‘She Ain’t Nothin’ But A Hoe (Acid Dub)’ House Nation

“(Old) school daze (on acid).”

08. MUTYA KEISHA SIOBHAN ‘Lay Down In Swimming Pools’ Unreleased

“Brings the Kendrick Lamar tune to the next level.”

09. BFLECHA ‘Reflejos’ Arkestra

“For night drives to a better version of Spain.”

10. MAURIZIO ‘MO6A (Edit)’ MCD

“Love how the kick and snare interact and how just a short reverb makes it even better.”

DUBSTEP REVIEWS

MARKLE markgurney@gmail.com

QUICKIES Perc

The Power and the Glory Remixed Perc Trax

8.0

Three rather insane remixes from Tessela, Untold and Clouds, each with a track from Perc’s recent album. Insanity abounds, but Untold takes the white jacket, fuckin’ bonkers!

District

Roy's Theme Chestplate

8.0

Ital Tek

Mega City Industry

lament 'Roy's Theme' eschewing the grot for a piercing lead guitar melody and a beautifully harmonised bassline. Refreshing!

Civil Music

8.5 After three albums for Planet Mu, Mr Tek continues his new relationship with Civil with this EP of multi-dimensional electronica, taking inspiration from Chicago’s footwork scene, along with his usual penchant for genre blurring. And it’s a killer; a superrich and textured palette rounded out with ungodly bass power for four tracks that oscillate and challenge with style and impact.

Delinquent Duo Off The Grid EP Dubstar

5.0

Channelling the Coki side-chain spirits of yesteryear, The Delinquent Duo string out a four-track EP of darkside wobble and bass.

A big melancholic triplet here from District, with the

Varsity Grunt

Terrorhythm

8.0

A/T/O/S DEEP MEDI

Two absolute darkside smashers from Terrorhythm here, and boy it’s great to hear some darker, fresher riddims coming from Plastician’s label, this one from LA crew Team Supreme member Colta, who teams up with Patrick Brian to conspire as Varsity. ‘Grunt’ is a syncopated, futuregazing rolling number, whilst ‘Lingerer Dub’ barely conceals the shanks and leng, getting all up in yo face like a Limehouse vs Bow E3 beef battle.

01. ACTRESS ‘Rule’ Werkdiscs

Thing

02. DJ KOZE ‘My Plans feat Matthew Dear’ Pampa Records

Thirty One Records

“The whole album is great but this track is the standout for me.”

“The album is from 2013 but this track is still on repeat over and over. I love the vocals and this goes down for sure in the club.”

Future Roots

7.5

07. BANKS ‘This Is What It Feels Like’ Harvest Records

Stripped-back d&b with more than a hint of dubstep texture in there — think Distance on his deeper flex. ‘Future Roots’ is full of those haunting electronic noises somewhere between Vangelis and a rusty canning factory. ‘Untitled Render’ is a tight techy roller, with crisp detailed percussion, a lolloping bounce and a subtle midrange growl. 'Untouched' is a heads-down hypno-beast. A tidy three-track EP.

08. COMMODO ‘Querky’ Untitled

Neuropol

03. DJ GRAZZHOPPA ‘After Laughter’ Cheebawax “Great way to end the album, try not to laugh!”

04. ROCKETNUMBERNINE & FOUR TET ‘Roseland’ Text Records

“Great vibe… would be nice to hear an even longer version than it already is.”

05. A/T/O/S ‘What I Need (Internal Sun Remix/Quest’s Live Your Life Remix)’ Deep Medi

“Both remixes are completely different than the original and sound fresh. Internal Sun worked with us on the album for a few songs and Quest is from the MEDi stable too, so it’s a family thing!”

06. GORGON CITY ‘I’m Ready For Your Love’ Black Butter “Simple but beautiful.”

“Hypnotic singer on raw shit.”

“Simply — this is really good!”

09. DJ RASHAD ‘I Don’t Give A Fuck’ Juke Trax and Databass Records

“So Goddamn cool!”

10. APHEX TWIN ‘Window Licker’ Warp “I just got to know this song and I love it!”

Warning Sgn:Ltd

6.0

Shogun Audio’s sister label, which kick-started the careers of Spectrasoul and Alix Perez among others since 2006, has

had a brand refresher in 2012 and continues to push the more soulful elements of the sound. Which includes this four-track release from the Bristolian newcomer Neuropol, that mixes up the tempos with fluidity. ‘Warning’ is the stand-out track, which combines female vocals with restrained mid-range dubstep oscillation at 170bpm.

Ghost Writerz Rumours Unit 137

8.0

A big dollop of revival magic a gwan here from the Unit 137 crew, with Ghost Writerz and Reggae Roast’s Adam Prescott both updating Gregory Isaac’s classic 'Rumours' tune. Where Prescott pays due respect to the riddim, giving it a tasteful polish with plenty of his own trademark production value, the GW duo add bags of dancefloor fun with elements of dub, dancehall and jungle in the mix.

Various

Black Label Vol.1 (parts 1&2) Never Say Die Records

1.0

Touted as some retrospective jaunt into the good ole days of dubstep with its weighty bass and atmospherics, erm, correctly suggesting that the tat that’s labelled dubstep these days is just a bunch of wank, listening to the tracks from Bar9, Megalodon & D-Jahsta, Trampa and LZRZ, I’m not sure they have the right reference points for the “classic origins of dubstep”,

sounding more like the cartoon style that flooded the scene after Coki’s 'Spongebob' rather than classics from the likes of Mala, Pinch, Skream and Loefah circa 2005/6.

Vondelpark

Seabed (Remixes) R&S

5.0

A kaleidoscopic package of remixes from Vondelpark’s debut album, 'Seabed', a handsome eight in total, ranging from the sublime to the beige. ‘California Analog Dream’ was a popular choice with four remixes in total, Factory Floor mopping up the competition with their acid-inflected number. Otherwise the output strays too close to the original album’s warm and woozy style to really inspire.

Fantastic Mr Fox

On My Own feat Denai Moore Black Acre

7.0 Ole Foxy has never been prodigious in his output. With a steady two releases a year, the Manchester reynard is slow but steady, and returns with a neat little single. ‘On My Own’ features the folk tones of Denai Moore, providing an accessible, slo-mo poppy number with a suitably contemporary electronic twang, whilst ‘Broke’ is a nagging, repetitive and ultimately catchy little dancer.

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TRANCE REVIEWS

TIM STARK PO Box 272, Oxford, OX3

QUICKIES

Bluefire

Superphysics

Suspect 44

Lost Language

Enhanced Progressive

Coheena

7.5

Pondering, glacially chiming and micro-progish in places, in content ‘Coheena’ is both pretty and minimal. With lots of exaggerated delay about its parts, it’s also not short of atmosphere.

Paul Oakenfold Café del Mar

Perfecto Fluoro

8.0

Faithful in parts, divergent (mainly in the Goa/ psy direction) in others, Oakenfold rocks his interpretation of ‘Café’. Fine excursions on the version too from Peetu S, Activa and Angry Man.

Fragments

Dreamnasia (Photographer Remix) Breathe Music

8.0

Progressive house’s first and second incarnations finally collide on ‘Fragments’. Most elements work (most notably the echoed vocal hook), but the big stabby riff might be a step too far in V2's direction for some.

For me Photographer was trance's Rookie of the Year in 2013, for (among others) his ‘This Is Upstep’ release on Digitized. That track's stamp — swift pace, curling acid lines, uplifting, sincere euphorics and organic, played-from-the-heart note-lines are all over his remix of Bluefire's ‘Dreamnasia'. Bridgehead firmly established, a Photographer breakthrough cannot be far away.

Kris Maydak

Eddie Bitar

Always Alive

VANDIT Records

6.5

Parthenope

7.5

More considered than a lot of Always Alive’s recent (excellent) stock, thus this needs more spins to land. ‘Parthenope’s more complex melodies will have their way with you in the end, though.

Metal Mouth/Meloque

8.0

If tech-trance with a side of psy is your cup of tea, 'Metal Mouth' might well find its way into your cart this month. Gnarly, snarly and a wee bit dangerous to know as Eddie’s ‘Mouth’ is, 'Meloque' (produced alongside Paul Webster), might just be the primer piece. Cut from much the same stylistic cloth, the gradient of its leadline's introduction and supporting melodic elements are that much smoother.

Lisa Lashes Virus

Fraction Records

7.0

ADAM ELLIS KEARNAGE/SUBCULTURE 01. CHRIS METCALFE ‘Curveball’ Subculture

“I first heard John O’ Callaghan play this in Cream, Amnesia a few years ago and I have been hooked ever since. This is trance!”

02. SAM JONES & WILL REES ‘Fire Drill’ Damaged

“Two of my favourite producers team up for a hard-hitting slice of trance on Jordan Suckley’s new label. Watch out for these two.”

03. ADAM ELLIS ‘Velocity In French’ Monster Tunes

“My brand-new single which offers something for both uplifting and tech trance fans. Armin van Buuren approved!”

04. ATLANTIS VS AVATAR ‘Fiji (Lange Remix)’ Inferno

“An oldie, but a goodie. I cannot stop playing this classic lately.”

05. NEPTUNE PROJECT ‘Lost In My Tears’ FOSE

“At last, the Neptune Project are back and they have a barrage of new material coming out in 2014. Be sure to look out for our collab ‘Pandora’s Box’ coming later this year.”

06. MENNO DE JONG FEAT NOIRE LEE ‘Creatures of the Night (Adam Ellis Remix)’ ITWT

“It was an honour to be asked to remix for Menno and my remix has been received well. It was even featured on ASOT twice.”

07. ALAN MORROW ‘Why We Do This’ Extrema Global Music

“Another quality uplifting track by Allan. Allan is a class act who is sure to breakthrough in 2014.”

08. GIUSEPPE OTTAVIANI FEAT ALANA ALDEA ‘Heal This Empty Heart (John O’ Callaghan Remix)’ Black Hole Recordings

“Powerful beats, an uplifting breakdown with voluptuous vocals and a hard-hitting drop. Love it…”

09. TONY DE VIT ‘The Dawn (Bryan Kearney Remix)’ Tidy Trax

“What a stomper from Bryan. I am always playing this one out in my sets. It’s a dancefloor destroyer.”

10. SECOND SINE ‘Ipanema Girls’ Vendence

“I have caned this lately. Such a unique tune with a brilliant track title to match. It always brings a smile to my face.”

Squawky electronica frequencies and a bassline whose LFO will put the wind up the hardiest of speakers mark out the intro to Lashes’ latest. Throw in some dubby metallic kettle drum FX and an inexorable pitch bend, pressure cook for 90 seconds and release. The result, as you can probably imagine, is volatile. The cleaner cut, marginally more linear remix from Christopher Lawrence is mighty fine too.

Peetu S

Mirage/Lost In A Better World Perfecto Fluoro

8.5

Somewhat incredibly Perfecto Fluoro 2.0 has become an even more dependable label than its mid-'90s incarnation. This release from Peetu S is but another example. Getting the balance between trance propulsion and steamy Goan equatorial atmosphere cock on, both ‘Mirage’ and ‘Lost In A Better World’ burn from first beat through last.

Above & Beyond Hello

Anjunabeats

9.0

A&B’s canon was small but impeccably formed in 2013. With ‘Walter White’ and ‘Marianna Trench’ they also palpably developed

a new track dynamic. Devoutly non-trance at the frontend, they merged into high harmonics in the break. Following that groove ‘Hello’ rolls out, combining EDM stomp and electro frisson. It finally succumbs to ‘Café del Mar'-esque pads, fluttering FX and piano lines so fine, they’ll cook a goosebump or 20 in seconds.

Adam Kancerski & High 5 Divine

Infra Progressive

8.0

It’s all about the titles with Kancerski. After the woeful ‘Mosquito’ comes the divinity of ‘Divine’. Uplifting, with nary a whiff of cheese, it's only missing a vocal hook to make its success an unqualified one.

Andrew Bayer Once Lydian Anjunabeats

8.0

Restored to high health of late, Anjunabeats are currently turning one trump card release after another. The tempo might be low (ish), but Andrew Bayer’s latest is never short of thrills. Steely, grinding electro lines fire the intro sequence, which segues into a harmonically, celestially toned drop. Its ascension back out the other side brings wholehearted atmospheric uplift, additionally and brilliantly punctuated by elevating FX.

Rank 1 & Dennis Shepherd Freudenrausch

High Contrast Recordings

9.0 Rank 1 kick out their first of the year, opposite Dennis Shepherd. What in essence you have is a rarely-if-ever previously brewed concoction. Spiky electro sub-riffs, faintly 'Da Funk'-ish filterizations, tech FX and a tubthumper of an M1 piano payoff are all rendered through profoundly trancey note arrangements. It ain’t your average, but the protagonists are all past masters at throwing curveballs for the big win.

Hujaboy

Whisper EP TIP Records

8.0

New three-ply EP from TIP mainstay Hujaboy. “Should we fear the robot of the future?” asks ‘A.I. Psychology’. On this boomy, delightfully doomy evidence, probably. More lifty and propulsive is ‘Imaginary Time’, which is coupled to the obligatory (but nonetheless welcome) fringe scientist spoken vocal/sermon. Wigging out good and proper, ‘TIPnosis’ is the most minimal (relatively speaking) and ties up a great EP.

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HARD DANCE / HARDCORE REVIEWS

DJ KUTSKI kutski@mac.com

QUICKIES

Gunz For Hire Swagger

Ultraviolence & Hardforce

Scantraxx

10 The original hardstyle mobsters are back with their trademark rough and raw sound. 'Swagger' is an awesome balance of purist beats, with catchy melodies and hip-hop vocal hooks that make the track instantly identifiable to all ravers. These guys are the perfect example of an underground act who are able to have huge worldwide success whilst still maintaining 100% credibility in the scene and with the continued quality of their productions, we can only expect bigger and better things to come.

B Front & Frequencerz feat MC Nolz One Of A Kind Fusion

7.5

Both these acts are hot property in the Benelux at the moment, doing the raw-style circuit, packing out events every weekend. This is, as you would expect, raw, nasty and sinister, with heavy kicks, distorted synth lines on the drops and well laiddown rhymes by MC Nolz.

Organ Donors Scarface

Audio Surgery

9.0

South-west brothers the Organ Donors are back producing on their Audio Surgery imprint after some time away, releasing on big trance and house labels including Black Hole and Armada, doing the hard scene proud, pushing boundaries. Showcasing their hard-edged sound, they take influences from the movie theme tune of Scarface with big chord melodies in the epic breakdowns before dropping with a ferocious bassline. Keeping the BPMs low but the power into overdrive.

Frontliner

Open Your Eyes Keep It Up

9.0

The melody man is back with another dancefloor killer. Attention to detail was the first thing that hit me about this track. It's a prime showcase of why hardstyle has become so influential to producers of other styles. Perfectly-placed glitches, 100 djmag.com.au

T.E.A.R.S (DJ W Remix) Ultraviolet Recordings

6.5

Big room European hard trance here from Australian label Ultraviolet, featuring a pounding Germanstyle remix from DJ W which ticks all the right boxes for this genre — although a bit generic in arrangement and sounds.

Activator

Greta Is Great

Activator Digital

7.5

edits and stabs accompany the pounding kick in the mid intro, before the trademark powerful melody hits you in the main break. I don’t think Frontliner has it in him to make an average track.

A-Lusion

Are You Ready? Lussive Music

9.0

A-lusion is a long-time player in hardstyle, and this latest production shows he can go toe-to-toe with the new wonder-kids exploding into the scene at the moment. 'Are You Ready?' ticks just about every box you need to make a dancefloor slammer. Punchy “hype” vocal, ultra-catchy melody and of course that pounding bass kick to punch a hole through any raver that may happen to be standing too close to the speakers when the beat drops. The strongest production I’ve heard from A-Lusion in a while.

Krewella

We Go Down (Darren Styles Remix) Columbia

8.5

It’s always great to see the biggest commercial acts in dance music coming to our underground corner of the scene to commission remixes. On this occasion Krewella have drafted in UK legend Darren Styles for a hardcore workout. All the elements for the original are screaming for that UK happy hardcore injection, and Darren delivers perfectly. Accessible enough to be appreciated by the mainstream, whilst remaining perfectly in tune with what is happening on the UK

hardcore scene of 2014.

Ran D & Hard Driver Animals

Scantraxx

8.0

Italian hardstyle release from Activator which is a twisted take on a fairytale, but certainly

not a bed-time story for children, as this would give them nightmares after the main drop with the nasty raw sounds!

Da Tweekaz & MC V Zero Fucks Given Dirtyworkz

8.5

Aside from the consistent dancefloor bangers, the thing I love the most about Da Tweekaz is their joyful approach to what is predominantly a chinstrokers' scene. This latest track emphasises the point with the track name alone.

The hottest hardstyle breakthrough act of 2013, Hard Driver teams up with raw-style legend and pioneer Ran D for this masterpiece, with an infectious male vocal. Ticking all the boxes here with nasty drops, dark-yet-simplistic subtle melodies in the main breakdown and well overlaid vocals, expect big plays on this and keep your eyes on Hard Driver this year, one of our tips for the top in 2014.

Max Mozart

Military Zone feat Farisha Ideal

7.5

Hard house’s newest and hottest act Max Mozart is back with a new solo single after his anthem of 2013, ‘Live Again’ with Technikal. This track pushes hard house into 2014 taking big influences from the current progressive house sounds, with big room trance riffs and a female vocal hook, but keeping elements of hard house and hard trance on the drops making this a great sing-along dancefloor hit.

Mad Dog & AniMe Bassdrum Music Traxxstorm

9.0

This third EP from Mad Dog’s ‘Rudeness’ album sees him team up with Italian hardcore queen AniMe for an explosive full-on hardcore track, featuring relentless beats and wellconstructed vocals — this duo have certainly delivered!

MISS K8 MASTERS OF HARDCORE 01. MISS K8 ‘Breathless’ Masters of Hardcore

“My latest track, which was released on Masters of Hardcore Records.”

02. UNEXIST ‘Power of Underground’ TBC

“Jappo knows how to create musical mayhem! I really like the melody and of course the Unexist trademark: ruthless kicks.”

03. BODYSHOCK ‘Search & Destroy’ Masters of Hardcore

“One of my absolute favourites of the moment. Great and powerful track by newcomer Bodyshock at Masters of Hardcore Records!”

04. ENDYMION ‘Punk-Ass’ Neophyte

“Great vocals and a kick that blasts out the speakers. It has an original vibe to it that stands out from other recent hardcore tracks.”

05. ANGERFIST ‘Close To You (Wasted Mind Remix)’ Masters of Hardcore

“’Close To You’ is one of my personal favourites from Angerfist. I love the original version and it’s nice to hear this new remix from Spanish artist Wasted Mind.”

06. TIEUM ‘Night Rider’ TBC

“One of my favourite artists. Super hard kick and wrecking samples.”

08. TIEUM & ANGERFIST ‘Dirty Man’ Masters of Hardcore

“These two guys are always a great combination. Since I got this track from them it has been one of my favourite tunes to play. “

09. DJ MAD DOG & UNEXIST ‘Disproving God’ Traxxtorm

“Nice new collaboration by these two Italian guys. Rude and aggressive. Can’t wait to test it on the dancefloor.”

10. DROKZ & PARTYRAISER ‘Hardcore, Bitches, 40s and Blunts’ Rige

“Hard and banging track by two of Holland’s hardest artists. I like the flowing vocals of this track and that the kicks switch around so much, which keeps it interesting. One of my favourite tracks to finish my set with.”

djmag.com

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101

HIP-HOP REVIEWS

NEIL KULKARNI, 81 Crosbie Road, Coventry, CV5 8FX timeless), more that the way Dooley & Blacastan deliver the rhymes is instantly revealing of how few fucks were given that day, how great rap can be when it sounds like it's sure of its abilities. A great one to have tucked in your bag.

Swamp Thing Elephant Man Urbnet Records

8.5

Swamp Thing are a Toronto three-piece crew based around the axis of Timbuktu, Chokeules and Savilion, but what got me checking out 'Elephant Man' was the fact that Ghettosocks was involved — he adds customarily mindblowing vocals to the tuff post-punk funk laid down by Timbu here, and the other tracks I've heard (in particular the superbly aggressive psyche-funk of 'Raw Minded') hint that the album 'Firedogs' might have to get got as soon as possible. Will report back, in the meantime seek 'em out and enjoy.

Upfront

Not All Bad

Split Prophets/Bandcamp

9.5 Beautifully balanced track from Split Prophets renegade Upfront from his soon-drop album 'Upfront & Personal'. Blank produces a beautifully measured perfect storm of rock-hard beats and sumptuous jazzy production, vocals and trumpet echoed and blended like Teo did to Miles. Upfront's rhymes are hugely engaging, a statement of positivity but not a mindless one, a statement aware of the tough times and the pressures but still emerging totally triumphant with its head proudly up. Gorgeous cuts from DJ Sammy B-Side as well. One of the clearest instant classics I've heard thus far in 2014. The Split Prophet camp just can't stop dropping brilliance into your day. Get with their programme.

Step Brothers

Mums In The Garage Rhymesayers

9.0

One of the wackiest, wildest, most delicious highlights from the stunning 'Lord Steppington' LP that might just be the finest thing Evidence & Alchemist have ever given us. Love this for the lunging bass (very Erick & Parrish), the bustling, buzzing frantic peripheries (very Edan) and for the guest verses from the mighty Action Bronson. On the flip, dig the dank and dark 'Swimteam Rastas' for 102 djmag.com.au

QUICKIES Schoolboy Q feat A$AP Rocky Californication

Top Dawg/Interscope

7.5

Bonus cut from the engrossing 'Oxymoron' LP sees the light of day and Schoolboy Q might've found his finest rapping partner yet. Nice ruff beats as well, ruff and electrolaced like something offa Big Dada. SQ remains a compelling voice and presence.

Prodigy & Alchemist

banger, squelchy with '70s blaxploitation textures and running you all the way out to the badlands with a bag of lime in the boot. As ever with Alchemist, essential.

Joell Ortiz Bars

Sarom Soundz

7.5

Noisy, pell-mell, fast, radgy — all the things hip-hop's in danger of forgetting it can do this well. Addictive aggravation.

Murder Goes Down Infamous

7.0

From 'Albert Einstein Part 2' and a natty little

Shinobi Stalin feat Roc Marciano Granite some of the noisiest chug-alug dementedness this side of Death Grips or Boot Records. Superb.

Dag Savage F.U.P.M

Dirty Science

8.5

Johaz of Deep Rooted and Exile of Emanon make up Dag Savage — this is the first thing I've heard from them since their collaboration with Blu and what a weird, warped little slice of freakiness it is. Think early Outkast in terms of the fuggy derangement of sound, think :Brownstudy in terms of the infection of sources until they're diffracted and druggedup, think again of Outkast for the woozy but beautifully harmonised vocals. And what the hell, think Joe Motherfuckin' Meek for the gorgeous little twist of backwards keyboards that seals this into your skull. Curious and brilliant.

Dooley-O feat Blacastan Hip-Hop Warriors Sleediz Records

8.0

Best hip-hop track to mention squirrels since Ice Cube's 'Giving Up The Nappy Dug Out' and the most relaxed, confident thing I've ever heard from Dooley-O. It's not that the sound is retro (it's too sparsely populated yet warm to be anything other than

Fly Definition Records

9.0

Goodness gracious me, a thousand apologies but how the fuck could I have been sleeping on this one? What a monster — fantastic rolling beat, swirling vintage strings, Hollywood soundstage vocals tremoloed and phased right to the outer edges of your mind's eye, stupendously good rhymes from Roc & Shinobi. Two-yearsold but only now getting the attention it deserved at the time, including from this slack bastard. Essential.

King Grubb

Big Baby Buddha Blah Records

7.5

Lifted offa King Grubb's new album 'Droopy Eyed Vegas', this is a near-somnambulent aquatic slipstream of the finest herb-headed hippy shit — production v. reminiscent of Outkast or Boogiemonsters at their most oceanic, rhymes hitting that perfect mid-point 'tween paranoid agitation (“the finest white cider”) and weed-hibernation lassitude. One thing that always amazes me about vids these days is just HOW MUCH weed these people have knocking around their domiciles. How can they afford it? Oh right... remember kids, always get high on your own supply. Excellent stuff.

GAVLYN ORGANIZED THREAT 01. BEYONCÉ ‘Blow’ Columbia

“The reason why is because I love the ‘70s take on it, the lyrical context, and she hit some old school high notes on that one. I never heard Beyoncé on that tip before.”

02. YUNG THUG ‘Danny Glover’ Brick Squad

“That song has so much energy. I just came across Yung Thug through a friend. His chops on that track are super tight. Definitly haven’t heard a flow like his before. Very refreshing.”

03. SCHOOLBOY Q FEAT KENDRICK LAMAR ‘Collard Greens’ Top Dawg/Interscope

“I loooove this track, the beat always gets me hype, it’s a dope party track.”

04. DRAKE ‘Worst Behaviour’ OVO Sound

“I know lots of fans might be a little upset by this but I can’t front — that beat is so good! I think Drake did his thang on that track.”

05. ICONA POP ‘I Love It’ Ten Records

“I love this song. It always makes me wanna jump, plus my friends get so annoyed everytime I sing it.”

06. JAY-Z FEAT RICK ROSS ‘Fuck With Me You Know I Got It’ Roc-A-Fella

“I just heard this song on my last summer tour. The beat is solid and it fitted my mindstate perfectly at the time.”

07. ACTION BRONSON FEAT RIFF RAFF ‘Bird On The Wire’ Fool’s Gold

“This track is so smooth. I think Riff Raff & Action Bronson sound so good together. I love how the beat has an old school vibe to it.”

08. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE FEAT JAY-Z ‘Suit and Tie’ RCA

“Justin Timberlake has always been one of my favourites. Love the classy sound to this track.”

09. DAM FUNK & SNOOPZILLA ‘7 Days Of Funk’ Stones Throw “Snoop sounds his best on funk and Dam-Funk is a beast as well — perfect combo. I grew up with funk music.”

10. JUICY J FEAT THE WEEKND ‘One Of Those Nights’ Taylor Gang/Columbia

“The concept is really good and every time Juicy J and The Weeknd work together it’s always tight. Never fails, plus the video for the track is awesome.”

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103

LEFTFIELD REVIEWS

FOUND SOUNDS, PO Box 20437, London,

QUICKIES Mr Scruff

Chet Faker

Ninja Tune

Future Classic/Downtown Records

Render Me feat Denis Jones

7.5

A more contemplative outing from Scruff that manages to creep under the skin after a few listens. Strings, beats and vocals. Simple and effective.

Whilst

Everything That Was There

Kalbata & Mixmonster

Optimo Music

9.0 Making a pleasant change, there’s scant personnel detail behind Optimo’s next foray into the world of ‘free’ music. Other than that, they have a name and like to jam. And quite frankly it’s a rather pleasant and competent jam that takes influence from every boot sale find, charity shop gem and eBay-winning prize possession record that all of these guys (and gals) undoubtedly own. Beautiful bizarre freak beat from Scotland.

Trees

Rootwork EP Love Monk

8.0

Love Monk have certainly come up trumps with their latest signing Trees, a man who has already recorded for label luminaries such as Ghostly and Moodgadget and will no doubt court more attention with this EP. Mixing up all manner of ‘credible’ influences, from Afrobeat to krautrock and utilising live players amidst raw sampling and programming (there’s a penchant for occasional 303s), it’s a classy affair that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Laurent Garnier A13

Musique Large

9.0

Ever the man of conceptual music-making, Garnier reflects his legendary ‘transitional’ DJ sets with this year's production idea; "five releases, five styles, five different labels". After the first release on Chicago’s Still Music, it’s the turn of Musique Large to get in on the act. And Garnier doesn’t disappoint. Check ‘The Rise & Fall Of The Donkey’ for bass-led, speakershaking emphatic evidence that he still has it. In spades. 104 djmag.com.au

Magic Drum Orchestra MDO Sessions 1 Tru Thoughts

7.5

Karl Hector & The Malcouns Coomassi EP Now Again

8.5

Glyn ‘Bigga’ Bush returns to form again, this time with cohort Ralph Cree and their 20-strong percussion ensemble MDO. Covering similar ground in part to The Hot 8 Brass Band, it's more a samba and Afrobeat approach that gets the raw appeal going. ‘Drop It Like It's Hot’ receives the South American touch with as much bounce as the original Pharrell production. Putting more fun(k) back into genuine musicality.

Very rarely putting a foot wrong, the ever dependable Stones Throw offshoot come up with the goods yet again in the shape of this new EP from (Poets Of Rhythm and Whitfield Brothers maestro) Jay Whitfield’s psych funk ensemble Karl Hector & the Malcouns. In terms of content, expect the expected with the usual scorching cross-pollination of breaks-laden psych, soul, funk, Afro and jazz!

Arctic Monkeys

Polar Bear

Domino

The Leaf Label

Arabella

8.5

Alex Turner may be an arrogant and conceited little so and so, but as much as his childish and ultimately misguided antics may put you off, it’s hard to find fault with the Arctic Monkeys' music. Full of swagger, attitude and old school vigour, ‘Arabella’ is a masterfully produced example of three-and-a-half-minute rock & roll perfection. A class act!

Because Music

daMON fROST

It’s unlikely, but just in case you’d forgotten about this lot, a little word of warning… they are back! Hitting the ground running, ‘Klapp Klapp’ is like an unstoppable, incoming missive.0-20 seconds, urgent Northern soul-style drums and Reprazent-style double bass snap you to attention. 20-40 seconds, thunderous bass rumbling and Nagano’s unmistakable vocals grab you by the short and curlies. The rest is a mere formality as they crank up the dial, delivering all manner of shape-shifting treats.

7.5

Head directly to Kutiman’s alternative version that adds some organ spice to a genuine lover's rock selection. A great story behind the project too.

Quantic

Duvido (feat Pongo Love) Tru Thoughts

8.0

“Quantic has produced, in one decade, a genrespanning body of work most others couldn’t in a lifetime.” So says Bonobo. Can’t say fairer than that!

8.0

Little Dragon 8.0

Freestyle Records

7.5

Rhodes-soaked electronic futuresoul from everyone’s favourite Aussie export Chet Faker. File next to Frank Ocean, James Blake, Jai Paul and Ben Kahn.

Be Free

To many an ear, jazz is a dirty word. And there are times when I can understand why. Overly complex, esoteric and self-congratulatory jazz is sometimes enough to push the door closed on even the most open of musical minds. There is something about Polar Bear, however, that manages to stay just the right side of all that… err…jazz. ‘Be Free’ shows why. Nice work, gents!

Klapp Klapp

Prisoner In Love

Talk Is Cheap

Explain My Drive EP Accidental Records

7.5

This dude certainly ain’t pulling any punches. He sure as hell isn’t dumbing anything down either. Hence here we have four non-compromising tracks of simultaneously brutal and beautiful electronic music from this professional dancer, producer, and part-time rapper (remember Swedish hip-hop duo Hearin’ Aid on Raw Fusion?) Damon Frost. Check the résumé. It's an interesting read!

PYRAMID VRITRA STONES THROW 01. CHICO DEBARGE ‘Love Still Good’ Universal

“Hard to pick a favourite from this album, but from the moment it starts, the vibe is perfect, there’s not too much going on, neither is it too empty.”

02. ROISIN MURPHY ‘If We’re In Love’ Echo/Play It Again Sam

“I think I had a different version of this song in my collection at some point, but whatever, the horns. That is all.”

03. D’ANGELO ‘Send it On’ Virgin

“That bassline and those horns from the moment it drops. All of ‘Voodoo’ was hard, big influence.”

04. MOONRAKER ‘Night With You’ White

“I would listen to this album almost every night alone in college and play Skate 2 on this shitty TV they gave us in the dorms. This song is perfect from start to finish.”

05. MACHINEDRUM ‘Hello My Future (T Stewart Remix)’ Merck

“Machinedrum has always been a big influence, but after I heard this song, the drum patterns, chord progressions and transitions... genius. And he remixed himself.”

06. GONJASUFI ‘Sheep’ Warp

“Perfect. Not much else to say, the singing sample, the bass, the vocals, everything fits perfectly and it’s nothing more than it needs to be.”

07. BJORK ‘Venus As A Boy’ One Little Indian

“Everything from the way this song is sung, to the lyrics. Classic album, classic song.”

08. CLIPSE ‘Gangsta Lean’ StarTrak

“I remember hearing this for the first time on a camping trip with a friend from scouts in like third or fourth grade, that’s how you open an album.”

09. KELIS ‘Get Along With You/Good Stuff’ StarTrak

“The bassline on ‘Good Stuff’ and the structure and progressions in ‘Get Along With You’ — can’t go wrong with old Kelis and the Neptunes.”

10. ANDRE 3000 ‘Pink and Blue/Prototype’ Arista

“One of the albums that got me really into creating music, both songs are beautiful. The orchestration and minimalism of ‘Pink and Blue’ and the atmospheric bliss that ‘Prototype’ is. How can you not like that song?”

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105

ALBUM REVIEWS Dana Ruh Naturally

Underground Quality

8.5

Diving into the deep There’s a lot of kerfuffle regarding what really constitutes deep house. Everyone’s got their own ideas about what exactly it is, whether it’s the “real shit” as made by the likes of Chez Damier or Larry Heard in the ‘90s, the fullfathom-five submersible disco of Theo Parrish or perhaps the garage-y accessible stuff that’s infiltrating the charts right now, that’s guaranteed to induce a sneer from the purists at 20 paces.  Another thing that could make the selfappointed guardians of the faith sniffy is the infiltration of a supposed outsider in the realm they consider sacred. But to us, the arrival of Dana Ruh on Jus-Ed’s Underground Quality — a beacon of NYC-stamped unimpeachable cool — is a hugely welcome surprise.  While Dana’s material with frequent collaborator Andre Galluzzi was often steely, mechanistic techy gear, targeted at the floor, now she’s going it alone she’s revealed a very different side of her musical persona. Emotive, airy, with bubbling analogue synths providing the low-end groove, the piano riffs, skippy drums and devotional atmospheres are geared to the head ‘n’ heart but always keep the feet moving. Very much beholden to the classic New York blueprint as

pioneered by labels like Prescription, Wave and in places Strictly Rhythm, Dana continues a fine tradition with a clear passion and knowledge it’s impossible not to appreciate. ‘Just Don’t’ might not be original but its classic piano figure and unstoppable rhythm section satisfy in all the right ways. ‘Dirty Egg’ is a spacier diversion into dubby techno, but the skippy hats keep the beat in perpetual motion even while our minds are sent

8.0

9.0

astral by the galactic strafing synths. ‘My Cave’ is stripped to the bone, a bustle of crisp percussion and lowdown electroid bass, before the jazzy keys emerge to illuminate the skeletal funk. A lush listen from start to end, Dana Ruh’s UQ debut is a minor deep house classic — and even the purists won’t baulk at this one.  Ben Murphy

9.0

Todd Terje

Leon Vynehall

Mental Overdrive

Efdemin

Olsen Records

3024

Love OD

Dial

It’s Album Time

Music For The Uninvited

Everything is Connected

Decay

Get your Roxy off

Get it on Vynehall

Overdrive but under-appreciated

Attack, sustained, released...

Writing Robbie Williams tunes, spinning the Bee Gees, that moustache — Todd Terje pulls off things that would have most other DJs pelted with rare techno 12”s until they admitted the error of their ways. Hell, on his debut album the Norwegian manages to get away with a cover of Robert Palmer’s ‘Johnny and Mary’ sung by crooner Bryan Ferry that doesn’t sound like a nightmare brought on by too much Radio 2. That’s far from the weirdest moment here either — check the chipmunks-in-a-cocktail bar vibes of ‘Svenk Saas’ or the fact that ‘Alfonso Muskedunder’ sounds a bit like Giorgio Moroder trying to make drum & bass for a Disney movie — but Terje also manages to keep his tongue mostly away from his cheek on house and cosmic disco tracks like ‘Strandbar’ and his already classic ‘Inspector Norse’, which are as shiny as one of Mr. Ferry’s suits. Paul Clarke

Inspired by lifts to school in his mum’s car, Leon Vynehall’s mini-LP for Martyn’s 3024 label pays homage to a forgotten time when music was listened to patiently and albums were always listened to in full. ‘MftU’ flows more like a piece of classical music than a DJ set, each track fitting into the overall movement of the composition, serving to conjure a particular setting or specific emotion. ‘Inside the Deku Tree’, named after a level on Zelda, featuring strings from Eagles For Hands and trumpet from Rob Flynn, is, as you’d expect, pure nostalgia. ‘Goodthing’, with its stopstart jazz and synth double bass, is blues-y house at its most liquid, while ‘Be Brave, Clench Fists’ lives almost as a reprise of Pepe Bradock’s classic ‘Deep Burnt’. With Mr Scruff and Aim tapes getting outings on the car stereo, it’s no wonder this masterpiece — actually recorded to cassette — is closer to Four Tet than Fleetwood Mac. And it’s stunning. Adam Saville

Just a month or so after his last fulllength, ‘CYCLS’, end-of-the-world obsessed sonic doom-monger, sound designer and film scorer Per Martinsen releases a follow-up collection of recent, more danceable material and bonus tracks. For different reasons, it’s an album that’s just as interesting as its predecessor. In place of dense and frosty experiments are surfing technoid tracks with Vangelis-style melodies smeared across vast open skies. Or robo-disco jams with hummable melodies, or skittish machine-made jams that spit out raw snares and sound like Pearson Sound caught in a snowstorm. Despite the incredible breadth and depth to the tracks included here, Martinsen never comes up short, instead hitting his intended mark each and every time. This is hard to categorise but truly titillating music from start to finish. Kristan J Caryl

Phillip Sollmann’s third LP as Efdemin was written in his Berlin studio, but came to fruition during a three-month artist residency in Kyoto, Japan. The result meshes his signature sound with reoccurring themes of nature, alienation, and ageing... hence, ‘Decay’. Musically this is an album that, much like Sollmann’s DJ style, touches on many branches of electronic music. There’s the freeform frenzy of ‘Parallaxi’, field-recording-steeped temple drones on ‘Ohara’, a hint of German proto-minimalism in ‘The Meadow’, and the deeply soulful ‘Track 93’. To be all this and avoid the pitfalls of being annoyingly pastiche or unfocused is only testament that this is the producer’s finest work to date. Zara Wladawsky

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ALBUM REVIEWS

9.0

7.5

8.0

7.5

Max Cooper

Detroit Swindle

Faze Action

Chopstick & Jonjon

Fields

Dirt Crew Recordings

Far

Suol

Human

Boxed Out

Refreshing escapist electronica

Motor City Dutch ensemble

It’s galling how much we pine for a coherent dance album. Yet saddening how few are born each year. Max Cooper however has delivered a balanced classic. ‘Human’ is a cyclic journey of Yin to Yang that hurls us from scathing to seductive and back again across three distinct acts. As the stark space of ‘Adrift’ melts towards the jacking ‘Supine’ we feel Cooper’s journey take hold. ‘Seething’ drops us back into slippery distortion and droning shards of sound before we’re whipped back into a steep climb with the clubby ‘Numb’; a dreamy monster that triangulates the warm bass growl of Laurent Garnier, Agoria and Stephan Bodzin. Cooper’s conclusion arrives calm. Propulsive and melodic; he dumps our sated spirits back to shore, bathed in a light only valued after a storm. ‘Human’ achieves the rare goal of creating a meaningful musical narrative away from the norm. Matthew Bennett

In the space of a couple of years, Detroit Swindle — actually two chaps from Amsterdam, Lars Dales and Maarten Smeets — have established themselves as some of the go-to guys for straight-up, vintage-leaning garage. Dirt Crew, who have snagged them for a clutch of singles so far, have bagged this debut album from under the noses of Huxley’s Saints & Sonnets and Freerange, who have also spotted and unleashed the pair’s productions. And pleasingly there’s not too much of that tendency to go for concept over the meat and potatoes business, with the bulk of this aiming directly for the discotheque. No shame in that. Bumpy opener ‘B.Y.O.’ says it all, a solid loop layered with toasty-warm organs. The final third is where it really heats up, with ‘The Fat Rat’, ‘Huh’, ‘What!’ and the excellent ‘F6’ taking no prisoners. Most promising. Ben Arnold

Body of One

Twelve

Disco voyeurs fall deeper into their groove An incalculable amount of occurrences have exploded since 1997. But one factual rock amongst the torrent of history is that Faze Action have quietly continued to improve and thrive. Now selfreleasing their 10th album, the Lee brothers present an album thrumming with disco as a powerful engine but creating a litany of polished songs that reflect the light from punk funk, ‘80s boogie, Balearic, Latin and soul. ‘Body of One’ oozes confidence. It is warm, percussive and familiar. An early peak ‘Echoes of Your Mind’ is so nostalgic that it sounds like a cover you can’t quite place. ‘Body of One’ quickly follows, which suggests the bold strings of the ghost of Arthur Russell with Zimbabwean singing drummer Zeke Manyika of Orange Juice fame ringing in the beats. Modern disco certainly does not suck; since Faze Action are craftsmen at the peak of their wistful powers. Matthew Bennett

On the Jonjon Vietnamese-Canadian Chopstick, aka Chi-Thien Nguyen and John Muder have been ploughing a distinctive furrow with their Suol label for a few years now, pulling together a blazing roster and a cohesive aesthetic around them. It’s impressive, as is the fact they’ve managed to find time away from their prolific A&Ring to make their debut album. ‘Twelve’ is it, and it’s clear that it’s not been thrown together in airports between gigs (well, maybe some of it has, but that’s just good time management). Utilising the vocals of Chris James from Stateless, it’s a deep and unctuous selection, but with the bite of percussion that often typifies their style, like on the flowing ‘Silent Sea’ and the analogue groove ‘I Will Follow’. ‘The Pining Moon’ is wonderfully (and probably knowingly) Balearic. They’ve arguably gone a tad overboard with James’s vocals, featuring him on most tracks, but that’s a Champagne problem. Ben Arnold

Max Graef

Rivers of the Red Planet Tartelet

8.5 Flooding the market Max Graef is enjoying a purple patch. Since we first encountered his jazzy angular styles on ‘Am Fenster’ in March 2013, he’s unleashed a cascade of music onto a range of labels, including Detroit Swindle’s Heist label, Brandt Brauer Frick’s The Gym and Odd Socks, all in the space of six or so months — and already we have his debut full-length. His dusty, well-worn approach to house music has appeared as something of a panacea to DJs tired of the tawdry residue rising to the top of the ‘90s house revival. Somewhere between the angular, avant garde funk of Funkineven and the robust disco-informed house of MCDE, ‘Rivers of the Red Planet’ brings disquieting touches of disco, jazz and Y3K soul in slamming house form, all via a lo-fi crackle of vinyl. ‘Itzehoe’ is a slab of dirty funk with an offbeat bottom line and swinging chords, while

‘Running’, featuring vocals from Wayne Snow, offers a rare glimpse of elastic r&b, not far from Floating Points. ‘Tamoule Fudgemunk’ is robust, shuffling house uniquely characterised by him on ‘Bummse’ (The Gym) and ‘Ignorance Is Bliss’ (Heist). ‘Drums of Death’ echoes the raw, percussive reedits of Larry Levan; however, ‘Vino Rosetto’ could

be found on Prime Numbers. As much a celebration of vintage sounds as it is a searching exploration of those still to come, ‘ROTRP’ is a rhapsody of ideas that wrestles restlessly with the listener throughout. Max Graef simply cannot be contained. Adam Saville

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ALBUM REVIEWS

QUICKIES

7.5

6.0

Downliners Sekt

Sian

In Fine

Octopus Records

PillowTalk Je Ne Sais Quoi

2 Meters Above Midnight

Silent Ascent

Sektual healing

Wolf + Lamb

Plastic Records

Hazy, dubby electronica with a dark, urban edge, Barcelona duo Downliners Sekt draw as much influence from Burial as they do from Autechre and Aphex Twin. The title track is early Mount Kimbie heard through an electronic field, whereas ‘The American Life’ is more house-y, dark like ‘Hazyville’-era Actress, echoing the sort of starry-eyed call to action Four Tet is best known for. While it hardly reinvents the wheel, ‘Silent Ascent’ is an emotive and engaging listen filled with murky, cavernous textures, grainy colouration and lively, static frequencies. Drifting into the ether, it pulls you back throughout into capacious fields of magnetism with skilful shifts in tempo or hypnotic, subtly deployed samples. Falling short of dancefloor energy, but too slow and dreary for the after-party, this one is for long, dark coach rides. Adam Saville

7.0

Much like Italians go bat-shit crazy for washed-out tech house, many Spaniards’ chosen electronic tipple seems to be dry, sweeping minimal techno. The latest torchbearer for such sounds is Sian and his Octopus label. Born in Dublin but raised in southern Spain, he has become a big name in big room techno circles thanks to releases on well-established outlets like Soma, Pokerflat, and Sci+Tec but here serves up a sophomore LP on his own label, 12 years after his full-length debut. Recorded in the last year and inspired by life on the road, this is a tooth-clenching techno opus aimed squarely at the floor. It’s shiny, metallic, white noise-laced stuff that, although packed with “original field recordings and cult ‘80s samples” is firmly entrenched in marching, strobe-lit frosty loops and rigid beat cycles. Kristan J Caryl

De Lux

Mogi Grumbles

Innovative Leisure

Moodgadget

Voyage

I heard You were Dead

Catchy

Snake bite

De Lux have a clear case of the discopunk shakes: the twitchy basslines and disco fever also displayed by the likes of Talking Heads and LCD Soundsystem. The Los Angeles duo have clearly been within sneezing distance of their forefathers’ records too — their vocals sound so much like David Byrne on ‘It All Works All the Time’ that De Lux could have spent most of their twenty-something years snogging him. Influences that could sound tired, but their relative youthfulness mean tracks like ‘Better At Making Time’ explode with the innocent excitement of someone discovering those influences for the first time. It also means that they sound far too cuddly to be punk when they start squeaking “fuck you!” on ‘Sometimes Your Friends Are Not Your Friends’, but it also makes the softer likes of ‘On the Day’ sound as sweet as labelmates Classixx, and just as infectious. Paul Clarkehas plenty of texture to keep keen listeners involved. Adam Saville

Alex Taam out of Ann Arbor, Michigan has crafted this twisted electronic tribute to John Carpenter’s cult movie Escape From New York. Re-imagining the soundtrack as a dark odyssey into off-colour ‘80s analogue synth-funk, it may be a hackneyed idea — that of the recalibrated film score — but the execution is anything but. As much as ‘I Heard You Were Dead’, a question posed to the hero of the movie Snake Plissken, employs the mouldy vintage synths authentic to the film’s early ‘80s heyday, it’s a picture of the past through a contemporary vision, arranging a fresh narrative with the benefit of hindsight. Like Carpenter’s own disco lick ‘The End’, these are beatdriven, creepy machine grooves with a celluloid feel, subtly soaked in the last 30 or so years of dance music. Picture Carpenter himself jamming with Com Truise, Kuedo and the Italians Do It Better fam and you’re in the zone. Dramatic and bad-ass. Ben Murphy

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6.5

Esoteric space bass

‘Frisco three-piece PillowTalk won’t be categorised, though you could perhaps suggest that this debut is very Wolf + Lamb. There’s sounds of frisky, bordering ghetto-tech R&B on the excellent ‘4 Walls’, acoustic house on ‘Meet Me in the Dark’ and ‘The Outcast’, with DJ Tennis, and jazzy soul on ‘LA To the Boy’. Ben Arnold

Patience pays. And it may be an essential ally when traversing Amos and Truenyo’s sprawling but sparse electronic landscapes. Deep Medi’s first album in 2014 takes its time. Oscillating between terse hip-hop beats and truculent bass grooves, 15 tracks pair silky vocals with an almost horizontal approach to beat delivery. Slick, if a tad esoteric. Matthew Bennett

Christian Prommer Ubermood

Shades of Gray Unlock the Rythm

8.0

DEEP MEDI

French Kiss

Compost Black Label

7.0

A/T/O/S A/T/O/S

Uber-Prommer! Munich-based, yet America-born Christian Prommer has always approached music by constantly ricocheting between the organic worlds of classical and jazz and the electronic realm of dance music. His debut solo album, ‘Ubermood’, is an amalgamation of all these things and more over 16 largely improvised and highly unique tracks composed on a myriad of international instruments and machines. Zara Wladawsky

Vermont Vermont Kompakt

8.0 Musical maple syrup It’s not surprising that this collaboration between Innervision’s Marcus Worgull and the Motor City Drum Ensemble himself, Danilo Plessow is quite good, but the actual character and content of the music is somewhat unexpected. The duo draw from a burbling Kosmiche palette of atmospheric analogue bleeps over the course of this non-dancefloor, and even largely beatless, LP. Zara Wladawsky

Beef Records

6.5 Meat and potatoes Coming a sturdy three years after their debut long-player ‘Soul Machine’ comes ‘Unlock the Rhythm’ from Czech Michal Ruzicka and Aussie Nick West. ‘Night At the Spice Cellar’, which displays not a little deep disco spice, and the hypnotic, late-night groove ‘What’s Your Vice’ are the pick of the bunch. Ben Arnold

REPEAT THE LPS WE CAN’T LEAVE ALONE...

Moodymann Moodymann KDJ

10 Massively hyped self-titled LP from Kenny Dixon Jnr’s Moodymann alias.

Kris Wadsworth Popularity

Hypercolour

9.0 There’s nothing poppy about Kris Wadsworth’s gritty new album for Hypercolour. Glaswegian way.

Mo Kolours Mo Kolours

One-Handed Music

9.0 Joseph Deenmamode makes colourful hiphop that’s part London, part Mauritius.

ALBUM REVIEWS

OUT NOW

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COMPILATION REVIEWS

7.0 Various

Eskimo Recordings Presents: The Blue Collection Eskimo Recordings

A disco jacuzzi for tired ears

The History of Hardcore, Jungle & Drum & Bass: 1991-1997

Whilst nu-disco remains a vulgar term, one of its most refined expounders, Eskimo Recordings, would struggle to be any more dapper. After 15 years of timeless music from The Glimmers, Todd Terje, Aeroplane and Chromeo — they now bathe our ears with more panEuropean sexed up splendour. These Ghent-based retro-activists have a delicious disregard for geography, proven in their stateless A&R as they draft Volta Cab from the Ukraine, NTEIBINT from Athens and Deadbots from Vancouver and Dublin. This diversity gifts ‘Blue’ with a depth absent from more niche sounds. It’s an opulent collection of tracks that relishes rubbing our noses in fresh faces as Blamma! Blamma!’s ‘Zsa Zsa’ appears in all its glory before Eelke Kleijn’s heart-breaking string and marimba opus of ‘A Tale Of Two Lovers’ slays us with a truly fresh yet forlorn outro. Deep, emotive and dripping with style. Matthew Bennett

8.0 Various

Correspondant 02 Correspondant

Leftfield correspondence Since its birth in 2011, the Kompaktaffiliated Correspondant (the creation of French-born, Cologne-based producer Jennifer Cardini, named after her longrunning residency at Paris’ Rex Club) has quietly established itself as a prime portal for spacey, ‘80s-leaning electro, disco and oddball house. And while there may be a good few leftfield labels that follow a similar path, none are quite as clever, selective or sexy with it as Correspondant. As such, this second label compilation is a delightfully wonky goldmine. The analogue aesthetic explored throughout moves from icy synth-sculpting (Parisian duo Hofbahn’s ‘Decay’) to melted 303 funk (‘Dogs Of BKK’) to glitchy keta-disco (from eccentric Spanish producer Carreno Is LB) and plenty more irreverent directions that only the most dedicated and talented of synth-fetishists could dream up. Eccentric and essential stuff. Tristan Parker

Suburban Base

9.0

Rave revival WE are, it would seem, in the midst of a full-scale early-’90s-rave revival. In truth, the sound never really went away — in the era of YouTubed nostalgia and SoundClouded old skool sets, no scene is ever truly forgotten. But this ever-present revivalism has moved beyond DJs ending their sets with some roaring ‘91 banger, and is now firmly asserting itself in contemporary productions. Breakbeats, hoovers and helium vocals are everywhere right now, from the stadium-rave of Rudimental to the cerebral brutalism of Paul Woolford’s Special Request project. It’s disorientating to consider that many of the young upstarts currently cranking out these retro-fitted productions weren’t even born when the likes of ‘Infiltrate 202’, ‘Sweet Harmony’ and ‘Compnded’ were ruling the pirate airwaves. With interest in the more roughneck sounds of the ’90s now peaking, there’s never been a better moment for the legendary Suburban Base imprint to return to the fray and cash in on its 110 djmag.com.au

peerless back catalogue. In business from 1991 to 1997, Suburban Base was a key label (alongside Reinforced, Production House and Moving Shadow) in terms of driving the extraordinary evolution of UK rave music: it was there as ’ardcore morphed into darkcore, then jungle techno, then jungle and drum & bass. Suburban Base remained so on-point throughout its existence that you can gain a solid overview of the early-tomid-’90s rave scene solely by listening to this three-CD round-up of the label’s prolific output. From the rolling 135bpm pianos of Sonz Of A Loop Da Loop Era’s ‘Far Out’, past the chilling rumble of Boogie Times Tribe’s ‘The Dark Stranger’, through to the demented drum science of Remarc’s ‘In Da Hood’, you can actually hear the scene advancing and accelerating before your very ears — and 20 years on, these tracks have lost none of their power to shock, thunder and adrenalise. Joe Madden

7.5

6.0

Various

Paper Disco

Fabric

Trash The Wax Vol. 1

Fabric Live 74: Jack Beats

Wax on, wax off

Slack beats?

The reinvigorated Manchester institution Paper Recordings launched its disco diffusion label Paper Disco at the back end of 2013, and thus far it’s served as a platform for Norwegian disco devastator Proviant Audio. ‘Trash The Wax’ is its first anthology, and shows that it’s got considerably more to offer. Disco, as you might have surmised, is the order of the day and if you think there’s something familiar about the excellent ‘Howard’s Hardware’ from Chris Massey, it’s because it’s a cunning reworking of ‘Big Bad Wolf’ by Bunny and the Wolf Sisters from the Teenwolf soundtrack. Don’t think we didn’t notice. Australia’s Late Nite Tuff Guy drops sterling boogie business with ‘I’ve Been Thinkin’ Bout U’, borrowing from Evelyn Champagne King’s 1981 classic ‘I’m In Love’. 2 Billion Beats turn in lush Nordic slo-mo with ‘See Us Through’, alongside fine work from Fingerman, Leon Sweet and fellow Manc, Daco. Wallop. Ben Arnold

Previously known as DJ Plus One of The Scratch Perverts and Beni G of the Mixologists, former turntablists Niall Dailly and Ben Geffin now operate as Jack Beats, doubtless the most technically gifted DJ duo on the planet. Theirs is a meticulously ‘now’ sound, a perfect storm of blog-friendly elements and zeitgeisty influences: old-skool rave stabs, trap-style rap snippets, massive bwarping basslines and d&b-style drum-rolls and drops, all served up at 135bpm with production so digitally pristine you could eat your dinner off it. There’s no denying, then, that this is an effective entry in the ‘Fabric Live’ series, bristling with energy and mixed like a dream. Buuut... as with so much post-Diplo, post-brostep dancefloor music, there’s not much to grab onto here beyond catchy hooks and sick drops. While that’s all very well off your chonk and throwing shapes at 4am, it perhaps doesn’t make for a mix that you’re going to want to reach for again and again. Joe Madden

COMPILATION REVIEWS

QUICKIES 7.0

7.0

Various

Catwash

Cocoon

Catwash Beats Vol. 3

Neun Mixed by Chris Tietjen

Cat... in the bag

Joey Negro Remixed With Love Z Records

The beast rolls on

9.0

Solid, functional and percussive are words used to describe DJ W!LD’s music and his Catwash imprint. What’s often overlooked, though, is the groove underlying almost every track, and the variety of them too. The third ‘Catwash Beats’ comp has yet again proved it. Opening with Belfie & Alex Tee (Chicago Stories), ‘What Can You Do For Me’ is filtered French house with a Chi-Town vibe and a crisp, chunky underbelly. Sinewy tech-funk appears in the form of Adam Shelton’s ‘Control’ and ‘Acid Tambourine (Tamba Dub Mix)’ by James Barnlsey is taut, dark house bumping with acidic industrial pipes. Then you’ve got a juicy disco groover from M.A.M (the Spanish DJ, not MAM — Miguel Campbell and his mate) and James Winer’s booty disco groove (‘Only One’), before wintry AFX melodica from Luca Bortolo (‘Raw 03’), with (you guessed it) plenty of DJ tools in-between. Plenty here to enliven any tech house set. Adam Saville

Oddly enough, Chris Tietjen has only ever released his own music once on the all-conquering Cocoon label. Instead, he’s been Papa Sven’s go-to DJ for mixing up an annual selection of the Frankfurt label’s best bets. This 15-track mix is his ninth and it encompasses all aspects of Cocoon, from stripped-back minimalism to explosive main room offerings. Sure, the label hasn’t been at the cutting edge of techno for a while, but there’s still enough nuance here to again ensure that Amnesia will be packed out each Monday this summer. Artists old and new help make up the journey, with label regular Matt John opening the mix in supremely widescreen style. Santé & Frank Lorber’s ‘All About’ probably gives the best snapshot of where the label is today: house-leaning deep techno with libidinous female coos and a nagging synth line, all in all coming over as a perfect soundtrack for the party-loving people of Cocoon. Kristan J Caryl

Noah Pred

Einmusika Recordings

Thoughtless Music

10 Years

Third Culture (Remixed)

A decade of delicate dance

Reinvention remixes

Celebrating 10 years in the game, German producer Einmusik has taken the unusual step of releasing a compilation of his own tracks from the past decade, plus three new offerings. It’s a solid representation of his techy, tribal house, finding its groove from repetitive, bouncy hooks that gradually draw you in and grip hard. Obvious candidates from Einmusik’s back catalogue burn brightest, such as the fittingly titled, deep, aquatic journey of ‘Ocean’s Bottom’ (complete with oboes) and the quietly mesmerising lift of ‘Silk N’ Saw’. It should be said that if slow-burning, stripped-back and drawnout are terms that make you grimace, this isn’t really for you. But if you’re a patient type who derives joy from the long journey, Einmusik will push a lot of your buttons in a very agreeable way. But then you probably knew that already. Tristan Parker

Noah Pred, as well as the Thoughtless imprint he founded, have been a major force in Canadian underground techno over the past decade. Now based in Berlin, the producer released ‘Third Culture’ to wide acclaim last year and cemented himself as an international force in the scene. His latest release sees his magnum opus revisited by a slew of heavy-hitters spanning the house, tech house and techno spectrums. Steven Tang offers up gossamer deepness and fluid bass on his remix whilst Alixander III (of Azari & III) stays in the realm of jacking house with wonky, melting overtones. Zigon’s skittering grooves and splattered melodic stabs prove to be one of the LP’s highlights, and the techy percussion on Butane’s rework has all the makings of a big room floor-filler with its simplicity and loopy spoken vocal. Zara Wladawsky

Ministry Of Sound

6.5 Talking Trash

The product of a painstaking search for original master tapes, ‘Remixed With Love’ sees Dave Lee deliver his unique touch to stone-cold disco classics from Phreek, Patrice Rushen and Loleatta Holloway, while Roxy Music, Princess Freesia and Roy Ayers also get revisited. There’s no doubting the coffers of this gilded glitter-ball archive. Adam Saville

You can take footwork out of Chicago, but you can’t take Chicago out of the footwork. Chrissy Murderbot returns with another comp showcasing post-footwork talent from outside its birthplace. Leatherface, Celco, DLX and many more bring pummelling sub-bass to rapid-fire beats, while elements of house, dancehall and trap all get a look in too. Adam Saville

Aussie monolith Tommy Trash has proved something we already knew; that stadium EDM is borne from the sorta electro/techno that was cool in 2004. Tiga, Chicken Lips, Vitalic and Alter Ego all namechecked on disc one, whereas the second is awash with hard trance bootlegs of Dave Spoon, Empire Of The Sun and The Aston Shuffle. Adam

Various Caspa Presents Dubstep Sesssions 2014

Various Tabu Records Box Set

Various Rhythm Distrikt 06

No-so-friendly

Einmusik

7.0

Hip to be Squares

6.0

8.0

Loose Squares

Tommy Trash Inspired

Glitter-ball glory

New State Music

7.0

Various Escape From Chicago 2

For better or worse, you know what to expect: lairy, gurning tracks with names like ‘Noize’, ‘Get Twisted’ and ‘Madman’, with every bassline more vast and ridiculous than the last. The daft end of dubstep may now be a pariah sound for some, but it’s still undeniably fun in small doses. Joe Madden

Tabu/Demon

7.0

Toolroom Records

Slick soul revue

7.0 Tops off, gurns on

Tabu’s a funk and soul label that had its peak in the ‘80s with slick crooners like Alexander O’Neal and soulstress Cherelle, the latter’s ‘I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On’ a purple boogie hit in the vein of Prince, and included here. But there’s also the p-funkstyled Zapp goodness of General Caine’s ‘Girls’ and plenty more. Ben Murphy

The Rhythm Distrikt series aims to showcase the darker, underground side of the normally clean(ish)-cut Toolroom Records. Instalment six doesn’t disappoint – it’s full of rougher, tougher tech-house, laden with jagged hooks and jittered beats, but still robust and rhythmical enough for the (grimier) dancefloor. Tristan Parker

REPEATTHE LPS WE CAN’T LEAVE ALONE...

Move D Fabric 74 Fabric

9.0 Move D is an absolute master. This Fabric selection proves it.

Various Critical Music presents Underground Sonics

Critical Condition

9.0 The darkest corners of d&b explored.

Various Message In The Music: The Ashley Beedle Re-edits

Harmless

9.0 Vintage gold given a spit-shine by the (e) X-Press 2 man.

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words: MICK WILSON

TECHNEWS MINI MUSIC MAKERS

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IN THE STUDIO WITH... JESSE ROSE

12 tracks in 12 months plus a host of remixes — welcome to the crazy world of Jesse Rose....

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The Android revolution marches on with Mix Vibes’ Cross DJ app for all Android-enabled devices.

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SPHERE OF INFLUENCE

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TECH PRODUCER

Assorted tips and tricks to help your productions on their way.

p.152

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BACK TO THE FUTURE

Roland go ‘back to the future’ and unleash an out-of-this-world assault on the DJ and production scene with their all-singing and dancing Aira range, with more than a nod to their classic legendary synths…

hile this main news section is usually dedicated to breaking the latest and greatest DJ equipment, occasionally a product comes along that is just too good to ignore. When that product is something that has not only been a part of the fabric of dance music and clubbing culture since it began but is also a range of four to-die-for pieces of music production and performance equipment, we tend to break the rules. Roland’s new Aira range has been hugely hyped and eagerly awaited, taking some of their most loved and sought-after analogue dance music production machines and dragging them kicking and screaming into the 21st century. They provide stunningly accurate reproduction of the original sounds of the TR-808, TR-909, TB-303 as well as a range of other Roland synth legends such as the SH-101, and throw in some incredible new features along the way — thanks to the all-digital architecture of the Aira range. With these updates of their classic kit, Roland are targeting the new breed of DJ/producer. They see Aira as a complete performance system that further blurs the line between DJing and live performance, as well as being a killer production tool in the studio. The Aria range consists of four products: namely, the TR-8 drum machine which models both the legendary TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines that have been heard and used on countless tracks over the last two decades; the TB-3 which models Roland’s famous silver box the TB-303, which now comes equipped with a snazzy touchscreen; the VT-3 vocal transformer which is based on the lesser known VT-1; and the piece-deresistance, the System-1 synthesiser that bears more than a little resemblance to the SH-101. The latter is

capable of modelling that synthesiser to perfection, along with a whole range of other Roland synthesisers, thanks to their brand-new ‘Plug-Out’ technology. While all of these synthesisers are purely digital thanks to an innovation in physical modelling called Analogue Circuit Behaviour (ACB), the sound of these shiny new boxes of tricks is exactly the same as the original machines they are based on. The attention to detail that has gone into the creation of the Aira range is nothing short of obsessive. To make sure that the sound that’s achieved from the new versions of these classic synths are as authentic as possible, Roland — using the Analogue Circuit Behaviour process — take every circuit and component from the original synthesiser and model their behaviours individually, rather than just copying the output behaviour. The TB-3 was developed with the assistance of the original TB-303 designers, along with the original circuit diagrams as well as using original TB-303 units to produce the ACB modelling. The ACB process takes every tiny detail of the original synthesiser and brings it into the digital domain to give stunningly accurate sound reproduction, along with a host of fancy new features made possible by using digital technology. Legendary New York producer Arthur Baker described the TR-808 as an ‘Alien Sound Machine’ and that title is most fitting for the Aira range too, thanks to the ultra high-tech styling, complete with green edge lighting and back-lit controls. The build quality is also nothing short of stunning, with each of the models in the Aira range sharing the same knobs and faders to ensure consistent touch and feel. They also have aluminium faceplates as well as simple things like quality feet to

TECH NEWS

S T U D I O

STUDIOESSENTIALS In our new column we get the lowdown on the studio essentials of some of the world’s biggest DJs and producers...

GLOBAL HEADSPACE Sennheiser have led the pack in terms of headphones, with the HD25s being a staple piece of DJ equipment the world over. However, the 25s were not originally intended for the DJ market, unlike the two new additions that Sennheiser have just released. The HD7 and HD8 headphones have been specifically made for DJs — with cool indestructible styling and top-notch sound delivery, the superstar DJ pricetags can be forgiven. £249 - £299 sennheiser.com

Tobias Freund’s newest release, ‘A Series of Shocks’ is a techno tour de force that’s out now on Berghain’s Ostgut Ton Records. Here are five of his studio essentials... 01. Roland TR 808 “I bought this machine in the‘80s when house or techno music hadn’t been invented. I’ve used it ever since, and I never get tired of the sound. This machine fits so many different styles of music; you can produce a hard techno song as well as a smooth ballad. The TR-909 is more single-minded for my taste. I used this 808 on almost every song on‘A Series of Shocks’and I always take it with me to play my live gigs.”

02. Korg MS 20

ensure they don’t slide around during use. These machines really are a testament to the creative genius and stunning attention to detail that Roland are capable of, and manage to pay homage to their ancestors without looking dated or clichéd. They also totally celebrate the Roland heritage which has driven club culture and even helped to spawn many genres in the dance music scene — anyone for ACID? While the TR-3 and TR-8 are likely to be the first to draw crowds of drooling DJs and synthesiser fetishists for obvious reasons, the most tech-savvy of the hardcore knob-twiddlers will be heading straight towards the System-1 synthesiser — drawn by the smell of the fresh new ‘Plug-Out’ technology hidden deep inside the circuitry. The System-1 has a rather awesome sound engine and a set of features that make it more than desirable when compared with the competition. And the sheer wow factor doesn’t stop there because not only can the System-1 be used as a controller for various VST plug-in versions of Roland’s classic synthesisers — which are due for release in the coming months (with the SH-101 being the first one off the production line) — but the VSTs can also be hosted within the System-1. This enables it to be completely disconnected from a computer and used exactly like the original synthesiser that it is emulating, with the ability to swap between the internal System-1 sound engine and the hosted VST soft-synth engines. To add icing onto an already decadent cake, when hosting Roland’s VSTs or used as a controller, only the parameters that are available for that particular synthesiser are lit up on the control surface — giving ultimate tweakability in the most user friendly way imaginable. Each of the machines in the Aira range are must-have items. We advise DJs and producers to get their hands on these machines as soon as they can. roland.co.uk

NEW BEGINNINGS Casio have launched a new DJ controller, the XW-J1, for iPhone and iPad users. The XW-J1 controller is designed to work natively with Algoriddim’s Djay2 software and is aimed more at the consumer market than the pro end of the scene. Designed in collaboration with Vestax, this is Casio’s first foray into the DJ controller market. casio-europe.com HARD CASE UDG’s new Creator Digi Hardcase is ideal for harddrives and smaller essentials. Made from a durable lightweight EVA material, the Digi Hardcase will keep gear safe from harm. However, the ace in the pack is the (included) seven port-powered USB hub with (included) international plug adaptors for use in any country. udggear.com

“This was my first synthesiser and I still use it a lot, especially using the external signal in connection to filter different audio sources. Essential and beautiful.”

03. ADT ToolMod Mixing Console “This is the centre of my studio. Everything is connected to this mixer — synths, drum machines, effects and the soundcard. The dynamic range, warmth and clarity of the mixer is exactly what I need for my productions.”

04. AMS DMX 15-80 Harmonizer/Delay “In my day job as a sound engineer we always use the AMS DMX 15-80, a machine that was built in the late ‘70s and was used on countless productions. There is no machine like this harmonizer, which people use to treat vocals as well as drums and percussion instruments. Six years ago I finally found a unit on eBay that was formerly used by Eric Stewart from 10CC. It’s a pleasure to use this particular unit for my productions.”

05. Logic Pro “My first computer-based sequencer was Cubase, but soon I switched over to Logic just because we used it in the studio I was working in at the time. I used Logic before there was audio recording implemented, so handling MIDI, dumping sounds and editing synths from the computer was easy and effective. Nowadays I use Logic more like an extended tape recorder. Almost every instrument is recorded throughout the entire song, similar to a recording on tape.”

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TECH NEWS

APP REVIEW APP NAME : GADGET DEVELOPER : KORG FORMAT : IPAD PRICE : £17.49

RUSS YALLOP

CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT… SPL’S TRANSIENT DESIGNER Russ Yallop’s ‘Journey EP’ is out now on Crosstown Rebels. Here’s a piece of kit that Russ can’t live without in the studio… “Small, simple, but pure genius — SPL’s Transient Designer is a piece of kit I really couldn’t do without. Since discovering this cheeky chappy and understanding its power I pretty much use it on every channel, especially for percussion and short attack sounds. What does it do? Well unlike it says on the virtual tin, it doesn’t really design transients. Rather it gives you the power to manipulate the transient and the tail of your sounds, i.e. the attack and the sustain/release. In basic speak the start bit and the end bit. “And what? Well and a lot actually, since a large amount of a sound’s character and how we hear it is in its transient, the first few milliseconds of its start. This plug-in allows you to control the volume of only this section. A lot of percussion sounds have unnecessarily loud, sharp and spiky transients that have no affect on how we hear the sound but create a lot of graft for your poor overburdened mix compressor or limiter. This baby nips the problem in the bud. It can be used more creatively too — got an acapella with an unwelcome clap or hat? Insert one or two instances of our friend with a heavy setting and it can pretty much remove the short attacked offender whilst leaving the long attacked vocal virtually unaffected. On the sustain/ release side of things i.e. the tail end of the sound this is where you hear reverb, so if a sound has too much, just adjust the sustain setting and voila wet becomes dry.”

Not only do Korg know a thing or two about making great hardware synths but they also know how to make great iPad apps too. This is a point that has been well and truly proven by their rather excellent iELECTRIBE, which has stayed at the forefront of mobile music apps since its release in 2010. Korg’s latest treat for iPad owners is Gadget, which is a veritable Swiss army knife of tools for music makers. Korg’s Gadget contains 15 compact synthesisers and drum machines each with its own distinctive flavour and presence. Each of these modules, or ‘Gadgets’, can be run alongside other Gadgets with the amount limited only by the iPad’s hardware. An iPad Air is capable of running more than 20 Gadgets at the same time, plus there is an uber-handy function that allows instruments to be frozen when the iPad eventually runs out of steam.

A built-in sequencer will record compositions and allows editing via a slick and user-friendly interface. A lovely mixer is also included as part of Gadget, complete with large stereo level meters on each channel. Seasoned producers and musicians will take to Gadget like a duck to water as it makes a fantastic portable DAW, and new musicians will have just as much fun thanks to the incredibly user-friendly design of Gadget and features like the scale keyboard, which make the music creation process easy and fun. Gadget is a must-have VERDICT for musicallyinclined iPad owners.

TO PROTECT AND SERVE One way to protect your beautiful Maschine Studio from dust, spillages and the rigours of life on the road is to invest in Decksaver’s handy protective cover. The Decksaver Maschine cover is tailor-made from a tough-as-nails polycarbonate material and designed to fit like a glove. It’ll keep your prized possession safe from harm, whilst preserving the good looks and the life-span of this rather expensive piece of studio equipment. decksaver.co.uk

9/10

FINGER ON THE TRIGGER M-Audio were showing off their new updated version of their popular Trigger Finger groove box at this year’s NAMM Convention. The Trigger Finger Pro now includes an aluminium faceplate and a removable metal stand that can be positioned in a variety of ways to suit gigging set-ups. The Trigger Finger Pro is a 16-pad performance instrument and software control station that is perfectly at home in the studio as a production tool, or out on the road. £240

Essentially it allows you to fine tune the amplitude envelope of any sound you please, audio or midi!

BREAKING BEATS

SLIM TOUCH Gemini continue with their relentless drive on the consumer side of the DJ market with the announcement of two new controllers — the Slate 4 and the Slate 2. As the names suggest, the new controllers offer four- or two-deck configurations, both coming in at the sub-£200 price range. These pair of DJ delights look nice for the price and are fully specced with lots of cool features and a very slim, compact build — ideal for the travelling DJ who is conscious of size and weight. geminisound.com

Izotope have teamed up again with their favourite studio guru, BT, to release a new performance-style beat mangler — the Break Tweaker. The Break Tweaker is a new virtual instrument/FX unit that allows DJs and producers to rip apart grooves and beats and create new rhythms, loops and drum patterns, creating those intricate beat sounds that have become signatures in BT’s productions all directly from one single piece of software. £120 izotope.com

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TECH NEWS

A MOMENT OF YOUR TIME MAHER DANIEL MAHER DANIEL has been blazing ahead in the scene in recent times. His residency at Montreal’s Stereo Club was a stepping stone to bigger and better things that now sees him DJing all around the world. Currently relocated to Barcelona, Maher has found new inspiration from “one of the most beautiful cities in the world”, where he is finding time to record his new album as well as running No.19 for Art Department’s Jonny White and Lee Burrige’s All Day I Dream record labels... You’re a very busy man running various labels as well as DJing and producing, how do you find time to fit everything in? “I’m extremely organised and like to be ahead with everything, so I try to get all the label work set up and placed with PR/distribution. Once all of that is pencilled in and scheduled, everything after that is easy. I have always enjoyed this side of the business, the back end, the people who put everything together to get the music out there. For me it was some-

thing I’ve always wanted to do — to explore these opportunities.” What’s a typical day in the studio like for you? “I just start recording, jamming out, putting ideas together and develop it from there. A big part of how I produce or what I record is also how I feel musically.” What’s your current studio set-up like? “I am currently running on Protools, and recently started using Ableton Live 9 to sketch ideas while I’m on the road. I have a few synths: Korg MS 2000, Sequential Circuits Prelude, Roland JX307 as my MIDI controller and also a Moog Voyager. I’m also running a few soft synths with Native Instruments Maschine/Kontakt and Heavyocity. To be honest, I really like using my outboard gear more than anything; it’s a lot more organic sounding and lush, you can’t really compare analogue-based gear with digital sound stuff. But as previously mentioned, I also like what Heavyoc-

ity have been doing as well, the Aeon series has been a good part of my workflow recently.” What influences you when it comes to making music? “My surroundings, the people around me, the kind of emotions I’m going through and inspiration from recent trips. My musical influence is wide and I don’t really take on specific influences to write music, it’s more about feeling. My sound evolves around emotion. I’m very musical and love progressions and evolution in music, so I have really stepped out of my techno and tech house foundation and I am pushing a more musical touch.” You are now DJing and collaborating with Eric Volta on a lot of stuff, how did you guys get together? “We’ve known each other for a while, so it was inevitable that this was going to happen. In fact we were both pretty sure we crossed paths in Dubai when we were in the same school, when we were kids.”

wanted to move forward with the software. I’m on USB sticks and vinyl. I think it’s really important for me to still play records as it keeps me on my toes when playing out and mixing. Also, there are just records that you can’t find digitally that are a must on vinyl.” What are your plans for the next few months? “There is a lot going on at the moment, lots of gigs and label work. I have my release schedule set up till the summertime with releases on Leftroom and No.19, but as for production a big part of the focus will be on my album. I really want to pay more attention to my album, I need to take a little step back so I can concentrate on this.” Final words of wisdom? “Yeah, stay focused, believe in what you are doing and never give up. It does not happen overnight, so patience and dedication play a huge role. Believe in yourself and all will be fine.”

Have you embraced technology in your DJ sets? “Nah, I like to keep it original and play with CDJs and turntables. I never djmag.com.au 115

TECH Mixvibes Cross DJ Android App words: MICK WILSON

DON’T GET CROSS JUST DJ! The Android revolution marches on with Mix Vibes’ Cross DJ app for all Android-enabled devices...

Pad and iPhone owners have had it pretty much their own way when it comes to DJ apps. However the times they are a-changing, as Mixvibes continue their David and Goliath charge to be in there up amongst the big boys with their new Cross DJ for Android devices. Billed as the first pro DJing app for the Android platform, Cross DJ comes as an eagerly-awaited and anticipated release. For our testing purposes we loaded it up onto the HTC One, to really see if we could take the party to the streets with this happy combo. The HTC One is basically the Android version of the iPhone. Some would say it’s more apt for music because of one simplistic-but-clever design feature — and that is to put the speakers at each end and on the front of the phone. Not the back but the front, the same way as setting up any hi-fi listening system. The other ace in the pack is the fact that the sound engine on the HTC One has been tuned by Beats and uses a separate chip to power the sound, meaning that just on the phone’s inbuilt speakers alone this little thing sounds far better than any of its rivals. So down to the task in hand. The HTC One coupled with Mixvibes Cross DJ is the perfect combination for a spot of impromptu DJ entertainment.

PURE SIMPLICITY

The graphic interface of Cross DJ is pure simplicity, just the way it should be; however it holds a lot of feature-rich elements that can be delved into, which really start to make this app a cool piece of work. Now if DJ Mag’s sounding like Mixvibes has reinvented the wheel then you’d be right, as other DJ apps for the Android system definitely fall short and haven’t really offered users anything tangible to operate in a professional environment, meaning that Cross DJ is a welcome addition. So how does it work? Simply choose a track from a stored library, let Cross DJ do some behind-the-scenes magic analysis and the track will be BPM ready — handy for the auto sync function that enables ultrasmooth mixing and mix transitions. Of course, this feature can be turned off, so DJs can opt to use their well practiced mixing skills, but when it comes to apps like these auto BPM detection 116 djmag.com.au

and syncing is the way to go, as it frees the user up to be able to employ loop, EQ and FX features, which Cross DJ implements very well. Once again the emphasis being on simple and easy modes of use. Once the tracks of choice have been loaded, by tapping on the turntable graphics or the song markers at the top of the screen, users are ready to go. Cross DJ is set up like the traditional and conventional DJ set-up: two decks and a central mixer with a cross-fader making up the main viewing screen with cue, play and sync buttons under each deck section. At the top of the viewing screen is the linear track graphic that expands to show detailed audio waveform graphics when the DJ starts manipulating the jog-wheels, incidentally of which, the feel is so responsive, accurate and sharp that scratching and other turntable wizardry can easily be performed.

VERSATILE

In the middle of the view screen are the VU meters that show an accurate representation of how loud the audio is. Above this are three mode buttons: one for the looper and slip mode functions; the second for more detailed volume control and EQ features (of which each deck has the usual low, mid and hi frequency controls); the third button is for the FX section which opens up the FX view screen and two XY pads for each deck. DJs can scrub their fingers over the pads to initiate the actual effect, while there are two effect modes, locked and free. In locked, the FX can be locked so when a finger is lifted, the effect will remain in the last position, whilst in free mode, when a finger is removed, the effect will return to its initial starting point. There are currently 15 different FX types that can be chosen by the user. There is an advance settings button for fine-tuning of the Cross DJ app, output modes, master gains, support and tutorials, which show DJs how to use the app as they play with it — a cool learning function. Mixvibes Cross DJ app for Android is a true bit of digital DJing software that bridges the gap on other apps that are widely available for iPad and iOS users.

VERDICT BUILD QUALITY 9.0 EASE OF USE 9.0 FEATURES 9.0 VALUE FOR MONEY 9.0 SOUND QUALITY 9.0

HYPE

A real pro DJ solution for Android users that is feature-rich and easy to use.

GRIPE

Why it’s taken so long for the big hitters of the DDJ software scene to see Android users as equal to their iPhone and iPad cousins. A great app from an established DJ company that now gives Android users a viable option for digital DJing from their smartphone or tablet devices.

9/10 PRICE

£6.99

CONTACT

mixvibes.com

TECH VERDICT

Alphasphere Controller

words: ALEX BLANCO

BUILD QUALITY 9.0 EASE OF USE 7.0 FEATURES 8.0 VALUE FOR MONEY 5.5 SOUND QUALITY N/A

HYPE

Unique, innovative, multi-channel MIDI control never looked so striking or felt so naughty.

GRIPE

More expensive than most holidays, too large for most wrestlers’ hands and more niche than a bizarre sexual fetish.

PRICE

Nexus £678 Elite £1000 CONTACT

alphasphere.com

Lovely idea and loads of love behind it but will only appeal to a very special few.

7.4/10

SPHERE OF INFLUENCE Is Nu Desine’s Alphasphere, a new take on the humble DJ/performance controller, a golden ball?

hen Robert Clivilles and the late David Cole released their seminal hit ‘Things That Make You Go Hmmm’, they could never know that the title would become a catchphrase for all that is bizarre and unexpected. Well, “Hmmm” is exactly what DJ Mag said when we first laid hands on Alphasphere, a unique take on the DJ/performance controller. What is the Alphasphere? At its spherical core, it is a MIDI controller capable of acting as a musical note interface, MIDI performance controller — or a combination of the two. It looks weird, feels weird and is... well... weird. But so was Roland’s TB-303 when it first appeared. Let’s look at the Alphasphere with an open mind. It’s considerably larger than a full-sized football and, frankly, that makes it a bit big and slightly awkward for transporting to gigs. Saying that, you can get Alphasphere accessories direct from the Nu Desine website to aid in this pursuit. Getting started with the installation stage is fairly easy. Alphasphere comes with its own bespoke software to allow users to assign controls and MIDI assignments to the pads that make up this ball-shaped controller. The software and library come on a supplied disk so there’s no messing around with downloads, and the Alphasphere is USB-powered, so it can be ready to go in 10 minutes. After getting it all up-and-running, things take a bit of a turn, as this is where DJ Mag had a slight problem with the Alphasphere — and that’s in using it. It’s just too large and dare we say it, awkward to be easy to play, especially if you’re used to the conventional DJ or even Launchpad-style controllers on the market.

AWKWARD

The Alphasphere is made up of 48 pressure-sensitive pads. Each pad consists of a quite kinky-feeling rubber skin, stretched over a plastic drum with a foam inner, allowing for incredible after-touch and modulation

control across multiple pads (particularly with physical modelling instruments). Users can really achieve a level of expression far beyond that of conventional pianostyle keyboards, pads or modulation wheels, and it can sound great for things like dubstep/EDM basslines with filter cut-off assigned to the aftertouch. However, it simply does not feel natural or comfortable. Could DJs and performers adjust to the way the Alphasphere works? Of course, but is it something that would be actively pursued? That depends on whether DJs really want to use the Alphasphere as their controller of choice. Don’t get us wrong — there is a vast level of control available with the pads, and the ability to customise the pad assignments is very impressive. It’s unclear whether the designers deliberately chose different-sized pads to make navigation easier and offer differing levels of control, or whether they had to choose different sizes to make them fit into the spherical design, but as a result it is very hard to move quickly between the pads, and the larger ones have so much give that users really have to push hard to depress them all the way. It feels like the wrong balance of control and ease of play.

GOING DEEP

In use, DJ Mag must admit we looked like a fortunetelling hipster on a crystal ball (the pads generate multi-colour LEDs inside the structure, by the way). The Alphasphere has a deep level of customisation and control, but we just can’t see too many people wanting to have that level of detail over every individual note as they play. To make the most of the Alphasphere requires an extreme level of devotion. Whilst we have our doubts on how useable the Alphasphere really is for most of the clubbing DJs and performers in the scene, there are positive points. The included mapping software makes a very painstaking and fiddly process as simple as it can be and there is true multi-channel MIDI assignment, so Alphasphere can control multiple VSTs and DAWs simultaneously

— but it’s just not easy and the results, for most of us, probably won’t be worth the effort. It is obvious a huge amount of time and love has gone into the Alphasphere, and that’s why we are convinced a small number of people will love it to bits. As DJ Mag said from the start, Alphasphere is weird. It’s not for everyone but like many esoteric products it will probably gain a loyal band of followers. We can’t recommend it wholeheartedly as, for most of us, it is simply the wrong product at the wrong end of the price scale. The Elite version which has some extra knobs, MIDI connectivity and comes in sexy black is even more money! Still, if you are one of the few for whom it appeals, then you will enjoy the attention to detail, the passion and the fabulous customer support. djmag.com.au 117

TECH Novation Mini Controllers words: LUKE PEPPER

MINI MUSIC MAKERS Novation’s Mini Controllers may be small in size, but they’re big on features...

echnology has become such an inherent part of our lives both inside and outside of the DJ booth and studio that it has begun to mimic fashion, with new styles coming and going. But despite the breakneck speed of advancement when it comes to both making music and DJing, some things never change, and even with touch-screen technology at one’s fingertips nothing quite replaces the experience of using buttons, knobs and sliders. What has changed, of course, is the size and flexibility of equipment, and what would once have filled the back of a semi trailer and required a team of roadies and engineers to unpack then set up can now fit in a backpack, and won’t cost a king’s ransom to purchase. Novation is a company that has been around since the beginning of the dance music revolution and are a company that continues to keep pace with the demands of modern music-makers and performers. It is this ethos that has given birth to their portable controller range, consisting of the Launchpad Mini, Launchcontrol and Launchkey Mini controllers. With laptops becoming standard equipment in DJ booths thanks largely to DDJ systems such as Traktor and Serato, and the iPad maturing to become a bona-fide piece of professional music-making equipment — thanks to some incredible apps — the demand for high-quality portable controllers has mushroomed. Novation have all the bases covered. 118 djmag.com.au

All of the controllers in Novation’s portable range are compatible with both PC and Mac computers as well as iOS and can be powered via the iPad’s USB connector or a laptop, making them extremely flexible as well as super-portable. The build quality is excellent with a rugged all-plastic construction, which keeps the weight down while maintaining good durability. A rubberised bottom makes them very stable, with good grip possible even on angled surfaces. Given the tiny size that Novation have managed to shrink these controllers down to, it would be perfectly possible to set up all of these controllers at the same time along with a

laptop and iPad, even in a cramped DJ booth, and the combined weight would still be easily within airline hand-luggage allowances.

GOOD BALANCE

The Launchpad Mini is designed to get users making music in no time at all and comes complete with a suite of software, including Ableton Live Lite for the Mac and PC along with the Launchpad app for iPad. Those familiar with Ableton Live will instantly see the potential the Launchpad has, both in DJ sets as well as in the studio, as this controller is perfect for triggering loops and makes the perfect companion

TECH

knob caps and a lovely action. The pad buttons have good tactile feedback to let users know a button has been pushed, and are of a decent size and spaced well enough apart to avoid accidental slips of the finger. To further add to the usefulness of the Launch Control, eight factory and eight user templates allow up to 448 controls to be saved to instantly take control of multiple instruments and effects without remapping, no matter what software is being used. This controller is perfect for a range of uses on a whole host of software, and will perform just as well, tweaking volume and effect parameters in Ableton as it will in Serato or Traktor, not to mention the potential uses when connected to an iPad. Launch Control also includes an extensive Loopmasters sample pack and Ableton Live Lite as part of the package, making it an even more tempting choice for DJs wanting to take their sets to the next level.

FORGIVABLE MISFIRE

on the road. The Launchpad app turns the iPad into a performance machine complete with its own sound bank, and the ability to import and export new sounds as well as offering a range of filters and DJ effects. As the Launchpad is fully MIDI compatible, via its mini USB port, it can also be used to control a plethora of other software with Traktor, Serato, Cubase, Logic and Fruityloops being the obvious choices — but the possibilities are almost limitless. The size and weight of the Launchpad make it almost unnoticeable in a backpack and despite the diminutive dimensions, the amount of multi-coloured backlit pads on offer is an astounding 64, plus a further 16 buttons surrounding the banks of pads. While the pads are small, they manage to strike a good balance between size and usability and feel great, with performance to match as long as a little precision is used during operation. Launch Control is a small-but-perfectly-formed compact controller with 16 assignable knobs and eight multi-colour back-lit pads, plus a further six navigation buttons. While Launch Control makes the perfect partner to the Launchpad or Launchpad Mini, it can be put to just as good use on its own, giving hands-on control of the mixer, instrument and effect parameters. The build quality is excellent and this controller will perform for many years to come thanks to the rugged construction. The rubberised bottom makes it perfect for use in a DJ booth without worrying about the unit slipping. The layout of the control surface is nicely spaced without feeling too cramped, and despite the small footprint of the Launch Control, the knobs have a quality feel to them with rubberised

Launchkey Mini rounds out the Novation portable family perfectly, providing a controller keyboard that manages to pack a whole lot of features into a very small footprint. In addition to a velocity-sensitive 25-note keyboard, the Launchkey Mini has 16 multi-colour velocity-sensitive trigger-style pads as well as eight control knobs. A further nine buttons used for octave, track and other controls round off a feature-packed control surface. While the keyboard and trigger pads manage to get the balancing act between size and quantity right, the action of the keyboard isn’t fantastic and the short size of the control knobs combined with their tight spacing mean they are functional but not outstanding to use. Given the size and compact nature of the Launchkey it is easy to forgive these small misfires in an otherwise awesome compact controller keyboard, and even more so given the free Launchpad and Launchkey apps for use with this micro-beast, that come complete with sample libraries and synthesiser engines and can be synced together for simultaneous use. Novation’s portable controllers manage to get the balance between size and the amount of controls just right, and not just for life on the road. The size of these controllers makes them perfect for making music at home or in small studio spaces, as they take up minimal amounts of room and can easily be stored away ready for use at a moment’s notice, thanks to the single USB lead that is needed for operation. With the lines between DJing and live performance being blurred ever more with each day that passes, it is obvious portable controllers like this are going to become an ever-increasingly common sight. DJs and musicians would be wise to have a close look at these controllers and think of the potential they offer in the studio, DJ booth, on stage and even in hotel rooms and aeroplanes.

PRICE

£79 each CONTACT

uk.novationmusic.com

VERDICT BUILD QUALITY 8.0 EASE OF USE 9.0 FEATURES 9.0 VALUE FOR MONEY 8.0 SOUND QUALITY 8.0

HYPE

Fully featured controllers that cover all the bases in the DJ booth and studio, that are super-portable thanks to their lightweight and rugged construction, with a small price to match.

GRIPE

While the Launchpad Mini and the Launch Control manage to get the balance between size and functionality exactly right, the Launchkey Mini suffers a little thanks to stiff keys and fiddly knobs. Novation’s range of portable controllers make the perfect companions for DJs, producers and musicians on the road as well as in the studio or at home.

9/10 djmag.com.au 119

TECH In The Studio with Jesse Rose

Words: MICK WILSON Pics: MICHAEL MELWANI

PETAL TO THE METAL! 12 tracks in 12 months, plus a host of remixes — welcome to the crazy world of Jesse Rose...

ecording and releasing 12 tracks over a year — one each month — might seem like a sure-fire way to hit that creative wall, but house DJ/producer Jesse Rose, known for massive bumpy-grooved cuts like ‘You’re All Over My Head’ and ‘Sleepless (Night One)’, and labels like Front Room Recordings and Made To Play, managed to do just that. DJ Mag spoke to Jesse about the pressure of releasing to such a tight deadline and how he kept the creative juices flowing… How did you come up with the ‘12x12’ concept? “I always come up with ideas that in my head seem much easier than they actually are. It seemed like something that was manageable, but then it took over my life. You know, when you put out one record and it does really well, you want your next release to match it, which resulted in me being in the studio every day that I wasn’t on tour. It definitely pushed me to work harder and better. “When I came up with the idea for ‘12x12’ in October of 2012, I had already collated a few tracks and thought that I wouldn’t have the pressure to submit something every month. We got everything done in time and the releases were never late but I definitely felt the pressure of getting everything done! Most of the time labels push release dates because something or other is delayed, but that really wasn’t an option here, so as much as the pressure was on, it felt

120 djmag.com.au

great to have something ready to go every month that was not a filler.” How did you manage to keep the creativity flowing? “I think it just comes down to the fact that I love what I do. The day it feels like a job I guess I’ll stop doing it. I’m inspired by so many things around me, from so many different types of music and the fact I don’t have to write in the same style every time. If I want to go deep I’ll go deep, if I want to write a banger for the club I’ll do that. From very early on I decided I never wanted to be stuck in one place, although 99% is house or techno, that is a massive playground for me to go to many different places.” You are currently living in LA. Did the move from Berlin to LA help you to fine-tune your sound? “I moved to Los Angeles nearly three years ago now. I just felt like I needed a change from the cold. I actually came over for a three-month trial and after a week decided I needed to live here. It’s really hard for me to judge my own sound in that way but I guess I’ve worked with so many different people since I moved here. This album has a lot more vocals and a lot less samples than my last, so that must be an obvious change I guess.” How do you work when it comes to recording and producing in the studio?

“I generally have two ways of working; I either come up with an idea in my head and take it to the studio, or just go into the studio and jam. The studio is built into my house so whenever I’m ready, and I have an idea, I can literally just walk in and get involved. I’ve got the freedom to just walk in or out whenever I like. I guess if you drive to your studio then you feel like you’ve got to make something happen. For me the studio should never feel like a job. Of course, finishing an album can be tough but I always want to keep that feeling of just having fun. There are

TECH

always people over at the house, so that often sparks a session, in the last year I’ve had an array of different people over from Todd Edwards to Chuck Inglish (Cool Kids), Amanda Blank to Seth Troxler. It’s almost like a retreat because there is nothing really close by.” What’s your current studio set-up like? “I’m currently working off an Apple Mac Pro running Logic, I’ve used Logic from when it first arrived. I’ve got a pair of ADAM S3A Active Monitor Speakers, Sterling Audio ST69 Tube Mic, and some nice-sounding synths — Oberheim OB-XA, Dave Smith TETRA, Moog Minitaur, Teenage Engineering OP1 and the Apogee Duet Soundcard.” That’s a nice collection of synths. I take it you are a fan of analogue hardware gear? “In the last few years I have definitely got a lot more into analogue gear again. I started off as a teenager

on a lot of analogue stuff. The studio set-up was an Atari ST, Genelec Mixer, Akai sampler, 808, 909 that sort of stuff, but then the laptop arrived and it felt like I had more freedom using that. But after 15 years I got that feeling I needed to go back and mix the two together a little bit more. So lately I’ve been using a lot of Roland gear like the classic 808, 909, 707, 303 and going into the studio with people like Nick Hook and Jamie Anderson (O&A) and doing analogueonly sessions. After the session with Nick I realised that I needed a Linn Drum Machine pretty bad, also an organ Fela Kuti used by Farfisa.” What is it that attracts you to these bits of gear? “Definitely not ease of use, I spent a whole day last week trying to program a 303 directly from the box. It’s a nightmare. Yeah, as much as we’ve tried to emulate the sounds of these machines, you really can’t beat the sound that comes directly from the box.” In terms of DJing, are you using technology to blur the lines between ‘live’ and DJ shows? “For DJing I use USB sticks just for ease. Yeah no extras from me, I try and let the music tell the story. If the decks around the world were still in great shape I think I would play a lot more vinyl again. I really

love vinyl, I feel like you go to places you don’t with digital.” How do you find the time to do everything? “Well as a documented fact, I really don’t sleep as much as I would like to. I feel like there are too many things I want to do, to get involved in, to find out about. I’m working every day but still have projects that will take me years to get to. This year I managed to make one of those dreams come true when I recorded with Leon Ware [funk/soul legend who produced the likes of Marvin Gaye and the Jackson 5], it took me nearly two years to get that project from my mind to reality, but it was for sure worth the wait. I think if you love what you do, and are thankful for the chances, you will find you really can’t let yourself sleep that much.” Any tips for the next brace of producers? “You have to just keep going; it took me 10 years to be an ‘overnight success’. You need to get your tracks to the standard of the best tracks out there and then flip them, mess around, make mistakes, you’ll find something brand-new.”

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words: MICK WILSON

TECHPRODUCER We reveal some handy tips and tricks to help you on the road to wicked productions...

DS KILLER SOUfreNshe st sounds How to create the on the dancefloor...

THE PSYCH SOUNDTRACK VIBES OF TIM PARIS

TIM PARIS is currently best known as one half of It’s a Fine Line with Ivan Smagghe. Here he tells DJ Mag how he got the Killer Sounds on his new solo album ‘Dancers’... “Each track on ‘Dancers’ has its own story. For instance ‘Outback, Stones and Vinyl’ is inspired by Wake In Fright, a pretty obscure Australian movie from the ‘70s. I loved it so much I had to compose a new soundtrack with my own sounds and vision. “The film tells the story of a schoolteacher who gets lost in the Outback during a few days. The heat and sleep deprivation lead him to lose control of his life and he finds himself in the most insane situation. The track had to reflect these ideas and create conditions for some oneiric hallucinated journey. “The structure of the tune isn’t really relevant with the movie narrative as it’s my personal understanding of the story that is developed. I believe my song is more optimistic than the film. The slow building at the beginning of the track renders that feeling of exhaustion, the heat is already hitting the hero and when the beat and bass

come in, the journey has started. “To convey that organic dry feeling I used samples from stones for percussion, without adding too much reverb so they remained quite natural. I used Logic on my computer to write the music, but most of the sounds here are recorded live from analogue

synthesisers. On this occasion I used vintage gear like the Oberheim Matrix 1000 as well as the PPG Wave. These synth lines then go through software amplifiers, and the final sound is very close to real guitars and bass.”

SAMPLETANK: NICHE AUDIO‘DEEP TONE’ NICHE AUDIO is a new label offering boutique sound design for producers who are after a specific style of sample library — one that caters precisely for their needs and the style of music that they are producing. The new packs are aimed at Maschine and Ableton Live users and come in the format of expansion packs that users simply load into their systems, and get the benefit of custom-built kits from the one-shot samples that are at the source of the packs. The sample content of the packs can still be used in other sampler formats, so users are not locked down to Maschine or Live. ‘Deep Tone’ is one of the new packs that has just been launched, featuring a fresh and track-inspiring collection of 15 authentic deep house kits inspired by the classic and current deep house scene. Producers who are inspired by the sounds and styles of artists like Dusky, Groove Armada, Joris Voorn, Detroit Swindle, Hot Since 82 and classic deep house artists from the ‘90s will find this pack invaluable.

The pack is made up of 15 kits with 16 samples in each kit, with drums, percussion, pads, chords, glitched vocals, FX and deep speaker-shattering bass. Whilst there are no loops involved in these sample packs, there are project files that include MIDI patterns that can be loaded into host programs, that showcase some of the combinations of sounds that can be achieved from the pack. ‘Deep Tone’ is worth a look for producers who want to get a little bit more involved in creating their own groove tracks for their productions.

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