Category: Classic
Throwback Thursday-The Proxy
This week’s Throwback Thursday is about a very underground up and coming Russian producer with multiple stage names all deriving from his main stage name: The Proxy.Evgeny Pozharnov was born in Moscow, Russia, thus has a lot of Eastern European influence in his music. Over the last decade, he has began to collaborate and open concerts for the likes of The Prodigy, Boys Noize, Tiga, Chromeo, and Digitalism just to name a few. The Proxy was signed to a Canadian based recording studio called Turbo Recordings, which was established by Tiga. He released his debut album, Music From The Eastblock Jungles Part 1,on November 6, 2012 with Turbo Recording and Dim Mak Records (Steve Aoki’s recording label). 2 out of the 3 songs featured in this article are also featured in the album, but all 3 songs were singles way back in 2007, making them throwbacks. The names of the 3 songs in this article are ”Dance in the Dark”, “Decoy”, and “Raven”.
Dance in the Dark-
This is one of the very few songs that The Proxy incorporates vocals into. The usage of vocals should never veer the direction of creativity behind a producer, and it is clear that this holds true for The Proxy as the characteristics of the buildup and drop in this song do not drastically differ from his other songs just because this one has vocals in it.
Decoy- https://soundcloud.com/useproxy/proxy-decoy
Most people remember where they are the first time they hear the drop that comes at 00:59 in this song. After that first drop, fast forward to 2:15 to get a proper glimpse of the prolific bass used by the Proxy which will help make most people reading this understand why he is so respected amongst fellow producers. It is also why his live shows are brilliant without the use of any special visual lightshows,which is almost impossible to come by in today’s industry. Macbook speakers will not due this song any justice, so before making a final judgement on it, try listening to it on some heavy duty Bose speakers.
Raven-
This is arguably his most well-recognized song and is nothing short of spectacular to due its ability to yield simplicity and complexion at the same time. The video below of the Proxy performing this song live is the perfect way of showing exactly why this is an absolute banger.
*MUST WATCH* #Raven
Throwback Thursday-Calvin Harris
This week’s Throwback Thursday features one of the most talented artists in all of the music industry today:Calvin Harris.Harris was born Adam Richard Wiles on January 17, 1984 in Dumfries, Scotland. He is a multi-dimensional musician who brings a lot more musical talent than just about every other dj/producer in the music industry. Besides creating original tunes like every other producer in this industry, Calvin Harris is also a gifted singer who delivers jaw dropping vocals to go along with his very catchy and up tempo songs. He has written and produced records for other recording artists including Dizzee Rascal, Cheryl Cole, Example, Rihanna (on the international chart-topper “We Found Love”) and Ke$ha.His first studio album was I Created Disco (2007), followed by Ready for the Weekend (2009), and his latest studio album called 18 Months, which just came out in 2012. The three songs featured in this article are “I’m Not Alone”, “Flashback”, and “You Used to Hold Me”, which can all be heard on Ready for the Weekend.
I’m Not Alone
This is a classic Calvin Harris song as it incorporates vocals which leads to a massive drop which is guaranteed to appeal to just about anybody and everybody listening. This song has been remixed by many big name producers like Deadmau5 and Tiësto which at the time helped catapult Calvin Harris into the limelight as he gained exposure and followers from the Deadmau5 and Tiësto fan bases.
Flashback
Just like the previous track, “Flashback” is the exact style of song Calvin Harris produces which is what fans gravitated towards because this style of EDM is completely original and different from every other top tier producer in the industry. Calvin Harris’s most critically acclaimed productions are the ones that include beautiful vocals sung by him.
You Used To Hold Me
This is another beautiful Calvin Harris production that incorporates a fantastic build up and drop to go along with vocals that you can sing to your boyfriend/girlfriend. 2009 was an amazing year for Harris as he stamped his ticket to the top of the EDM industry.
Calvin Harris Live at Roseland Ballroom 10/30/2010.Photo courtesy of Akshay Bhardwaj
2009 was a huge year for Harris as it was arguably his breakout year and a year in which he stamped his ticket to the top of the EDM industry. Harris was already regarded by many EDM enthusiasts as an up and coming talent that was by far the most unique producer in the business due to his capabilities of delivering vocals to go along with his beats. In Halloween of 2010, Harris opened up for Kaskade and Deadmau5 at Roseland Ballroom which was an absolutely remarkable showcase of three of the best performers in the industry. Tickets for the Halloween show in 2010 cost about $50, but just recently Harris opened up for Swedish House Mafia in which cost at least a couple of hundred dollars which just goes to show how sought out Harris has become as a performer and producer and more importantly it shows the world how mainstream EDM has become over the past couple of years.
Throwback Thursday-Sander Van Doorn
This week’s Throwback Thursday is very special as it delves into the history of Sunburn Festival’s day 1 headliner: Sander Van Doorn! The dutch Dj was born on Febrauary 28,1979, and has been a Trance and Progressive house legend since the very beginning of what has become a very illustrious career. He debuted on the DJ Mag top 100 Dj list in 2006 at #32, and has moved up every year and is currently ranked as the #16 DJ in the world. It is wiser to see where Sander ranks amongst his Trance music peers which means that the Trance Addict top 250 Dj poll in which he ranked 4th in 2011 would be a better poll to see where he truly ranks. Sander hosts a weekly podcast called “Identity” which aires on Sirius XM satellite radio. The 3 Throwback songs in this article are “Daddyrock,” “Intro”, and “What Did I Do?” but due to the fact that Sander will be performing at Sunburn tonight, this article will also feature more recent songs including “Koko” and “Chasin’.”
Daddyrock-
Daddyrock came out in 2010 and immediately received critical acclaim from critics and fellow dj/producers throughout the industry. The song was not only featured in many live sets by djs, but also famous podcasts like Tiesto’s Club Life and Trance Around the World by Above and Beyond dropped this classic. At the time this song dropped, an up and coming artist known as Arty also created a remix of this song which was very well received and helped the young artist make a name for himself.
Intro (XX Booty Mix)-
This song has an absolutely fantastic buildup which is a perfect example of what Sander brings to the table in every song that he produces. Sander ended up dropping the XX Booty Mix in a lot of his 2010 sets but has played it less and less as the song gets older and older.
What Did I Do?
This song came out in 2011 and is still featured in many Sander sets. It is a prime example of a Sander song that features lyrics. The style of this shies away from the classic trance music Sander produces and is more of a big room house banger which he doesn’t usually produce.
Koko-
Like the previous song, “Koko” also came out in 2011. It was the second song on Sander’s second studio album called Eleve11 which came out in September of 2011. “Koko” also happened to be the second single to come out in the album, and was played by virtually every Dj in concerts all over the world after it was released. This song is guaranteed to be dropped at some point by Sander during his set at Sunburn, and will be one of the most bangin drops of the night.
Chasin’
This is not a Throwback by any stretch of the imagination as it just came out in 2012, but due to special circumstances of Sander performing at Sunburn Festival tonight, it is only right to feature his most bangin song (besides Kangaroo) of 2012 for everybody to listen to here.
Throwback Thursday-Dada Life
This week’s Throwback Thursday moves away from American born dj/producers,as it features two Swedish born dj/producers Olle Corneer and Stefan Engblom. This duo has taken the EDM scene by storm by producing big time electro house bangers and throwing the craziest live concerts. Although it seems like there are a myriad amount of Swedish artists in today’s industry that fit that criteria, none have a very legitimate strict set of guidelines pertaining to what is acceptable when it comes to raging at a concert and what is not. Obviously these rules are known as The Rules of the Dada, which also happens to be the name of the studio album which recently just came out by Dada Life. Over the last 3 years this duo has moved up from #89 to #38, and from #38 to #24 in the highly regarded/controversial Dj Mag. The 3 songs featured in this article will be “The Great Fashionista Swindle”,”Dynasty”, and “Unleash the F**king Dada.”
The Great Fashionista Swindle
The first song of the article is always the oldest song because it helps the reader hear how the producers change their style throughout the years so that they can establish some longevity in the industry. The Great Fashionista Swindle was released way back in 2007 which seems like ages ago. One can clearly hear how much they have changed from 2007 to 2011 by listening to this song and then hearing “Unleash the F**cking Dada.”
Dynasty (Dada Life Remix)
It is hard to remix a Kaskade song and make it better, but Dada Life pretty much accomplished that as a couple of weeks after their remix of “Dynasty” was released, Kaskade was dropping it in every show he performed at for the rest of the year. The drop of this song is what a typical Dada Life drop is like, as it can be classified as very heavy electro consisting of heavy bass synths which is guaranteed to make the dance floor uncontrollably shake and wobble.
Unleash the F**cking Dada
This song can be considered as part of the start of the new era of Dada Life bangers which captivated the EDM industry in 2011. The music video has a lot of bananas and champagne which is exactly what one would find at a Dada Life concert. It is not recommended to watch this music video before going to sleep because it is rather disturbing yet it somehow embodies and represents what Dada Life is all about.
If you enjoyed the songs in this article, check out Dada Life’s latest album called The Rules of Dada, which was released on October 16, 2012. Dada Life will be performing with Deniz Koyu and Bassjackers on New Years Eve in Brooklyn, New York. You can get tickets to the New Years Eve show and other information about Dada Life at http://www.dadalife.com
Throwback Thursday-Bassnectar
This week’s Throwback Thursday features another American born dj/producer Lorin Ashton, better known by many as the dubstep legend Bassnectar. Bassnectar has been at the forefront of the EDM movement for a very long time as he has garnered the respect of his fellow producers. Lorin has also accumulated a mass following of “bass heads” who live for his ultra heavy drops.
The 3 songs featured in this article are “Bass Head”, “Wildstyle Method”, and Bassnectar’s remix of “Lights”.
Bass Head -
Continuing the Throwback Thursday tradition, the first song of the article is usually one of the first productions that helped catapult the artist’s career into the limelight. Bass Head is a Bassnectar song that does the perfect job of showing a listener what his music is all about. Unlike a lot of other artist’s music, it is absolutely essential for a listener of Bassnectar to listen on a legit set of speakers instead of iPhone headphones to fully appreciate his music. His music incorporates about 100-120 BPM (beats per minute) unlike classic house tracks which are usually around 140-160 bpm. The slowed down tempo of beats accompany very distinguishable “womps”, which is an EDM slang term for a heavy melodic sound intertwined with a fat bass. This song came out on his EP named “Timestretch” which came out in March of 2010.
Wildstyle Method -
Wildstyle Method helped cap off Bassnectar’s amazing 2010 year, as it was apart of his album called “Wildstyle” which came out in October of 2010. It was truly a prolific year for Lorin, as he accompanied the releases of both “Timestretch” and “Wildstyle” by touring through a myriad of cities worldwide which helped garner the respect of a lot of his fans that still adore him like no other dj/producer to this day.
Lights (Bassnectar Remix) -
This is easily one of the greatest remixes ever done by any musician on any song. Scientific studies have shown that goosebumps on a human being do not lie, meaning that a person cannot produce goosebumps unless he/she has true feelings of euphoria. This song embodies what goosebumps are meant for, as it is a true masterpiece done with the collaborative efforts of the talented Ellie Goulding, who sings these beautiful vocals, and Bassnectar, who remixed the original song but succeeded in his efforts by making it better than the original which is what every artist strives for when they remix a song.
Bassnectar performing on April 20,2012.Photo courtesy of Akshay Bhardwaj.
Throwback Thursday-Wolfgang Gartner
This week’s Throwback Thursday features the 30 year old American born producer Wolfgang Gartner. Gartner is another person who produces original sounds and samples which differs from traditional/mainstream house music. Gartner found immediate success in the EDM industry and has had 8 of his songs hold the #1 spot on the Beatport top 10 charts. The four songs that will be featured in this article are “I Will Be Here”,”Wolfgang’s 5th Symphony”,”Conscindo”,and “Undertaker” .
I Will Be Here (Wolfgang Gartner Remix)
As it has been stated in previous Throwback Thursday articles, it is tough for a remix to be better than the original, especially when the original was created by the masterful legend Tiesto. The first song in the article also tends to be one of the artists’ first productions which helped boost his career into the limelight. The perfect adjective to describe this tune is “Summer Anthem” as the lyrics beautifully accompany the beat.
Wolfgang’s 5th Symphony
This song is one of Wolfgang’s first produced songs which assisted in his ascension to stardom. It is also very clever of Gartner to use a sample from another famous musician who’s first name started with Wolfgang. The sample is of course taken from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 5th symphony.
Conscindo
This track is a perfect example of how Wolfgang has a wide variety of skills in regards to being able to produce different genres within Electronic Dance Music.This song can be considered as a deep house track, as there really is no big drop in this song but more of a mellow and progressive drop. Wolfgang collaborated with Mark Knight on this song. Knight will be featured in a future Throwback Thursday article as he too is talented in producing in a myriad of sub genres in the EDM scene.
Undertaker
Besides Illmerica, Space Junk, and some other tunes, “Undertaker” has to be one of Wolfgang Gartner’s most popular songs and is a Bangin Beats favorite. This song is the perfect example of his bread and butter style of music which is very unique and different from almost every other producer in the industry. There are many exclusive and different samples that are used in many of Wolfgang Gartner’s music, and “Undertaker” is the perfect song to show listeners most of those unique samples.
Wolfgang Gartner is the forerunner of “fidget-step” or “complextro” which is the style of music he produces (Ex:Undertaker). Both terms mean the same thing, as the term “complextro” was recently coined by Porter Robinson who’s musical style is also similar to Wolfgang Gartner’s. There aren’t that many people that have the ability or creativeness to produce these kinds of unique sounds like Wolfgang Gartner, thus giving him a cult like following from the masses and making him one of the most sought out dj’s to perform worldwide whether it is at major festivals or marquee clubs.
Throwback Thursday-Boys Noize
Closing Sunday of Electric Zoo 2011 at the Hilltop Arena. Photo courtesy of Akshay Bhardwaj.
This week’s Throwback Thursday features one of the most well-respected producer/disc jockey in the industry while somehow remaining more underground than other artists even though he is just as prolific or even more prolific than them. Boys Noize is the stage name of the Berlin based musician Alex Ridha. Ridha was born in 1982 in Hamburg, Germany, and began creating music at a young age dubbing him as a prodigy with amazing potential. He has a refreshing approach: not afraid to break new grounds, beaming a myriad of influences from hip-hop and disco which helps create very unique sounds. The four songs to be featured in this article are “Starter”,”Yeah”, “& Down”,and “Jeffer.”
Starter -
The only reason “Starter” is the first song of the article is because of how fitting a name it is.This song is from his second studio album named Power, which was released under his own record label (Boys Noize Records) in October of 2009.
Yeah (St. Beethoven Remix)-
This remix is very well put together and catchy but only has a little over 100,000 views on Youtube while the original has over 1,000,000 views. If you like this remix, you should also give the original a chance because it is just as good and even better than this remix depending on who you ask.
& Down-
This is one of the most classic Boys Noize songs and is still featured in his live sets from time to time. The style of this song is very comparable to that of Daft Punk and anybody who is mentioned in the same sentence as Daft Punk is clearly doing something right.
Jeffer-
This is another song from the album “Power” and is a groovy song with a disco feel that reflects his style perfectly. There are a myriad different sounds and beats throughout the build up and drop, thus making every second a special one.
Boys Noize headlining Webster Hall in April 2011. Photo courtesy of Akshay Bhardwaj
Just like the uniqueness in his productions, Boys Noize delivers fresh and different sets for every audience he performs in front off. His music and dj sets are equally uplifting and he’s regarded by many as one of the world’s best DJs, not only technically but also as a showman. He doesn’t use any special light shows to go along with his songs which means that none of his sets are prerecorded like other big time dj’s. Boys Noize will be performing at Roseland Ballroom in New York City this Friday, November 30 and you can get your tickets by clicking here.
Throwback Thursday-Eric Prydz
We hope that you have a very happy and safe Thanksgiving. Everyday you should take a moment to give thanks for everything you have and to count your blessings. There is nothing more precious than to have loving and supportive family and friends.
This week’s Throwback Thursday is a special one as the legend Eric Prydz (formally known as Eric Pryda) is the topic of discussion in honor of his massive upcoming show in New York City this Saturday at Roseland Ballroom. Prydz, the 36 years old Swedish born DJ/Producer that is based in the UK is famous for his fear of flying, making any tour overseas a special must see event because of the uncertainty that he will ever return overseas. Pryda has become a genre-defining staple and is one of the most successful and influential EDM producer in the industry right now. Prydz announced that his first studio album would be released sometime in 2008, but after facing many setbacks his first album finally released in 2012, meaning that none of those songs can be considered “Throwbacks” thus half the songs in this article are remixes by him and the other are big time house banging singles.
Pjanoo-
Every Throwback Thursday starts off with one of the producer’s first hit single that helped catapult his career into the limelight of the EDM scene. “Pjanoo” which came out in 2008 saw a lot of critical success, as it peaked at number 2 on the UK dance music charts and at number 6 in his home country Sweden. The song is appropriately named because of his use of a keyboard as his main instrument in this song. The use of a piano always allows for a more up beat melody in any genre of music, and it is exactly the same case in this classic chart topper.
Flashback (Eric Prydz Remix)-
This song is a remix of the Calvin Harris tune named “Flashback.” Calvin Harris has a very special talent in which he provides the beautifully sung vocals for each of his own songs, and in a future Throwback Thursday article focussing on Mr. Harris, you will get a chance to to hear more vocals which really allows for his music to standout from other producers. Prydz puts his own spin on this song which you will have to listen to for yourself.
Niton-
Niton, which came out in 2010, is a typical Prydz big room banger. He is masterful in his craft of producing songs with many different elements setting him far apart from other producers who try to imitate his abilities of making the dance floor go nuts. What makes Prydz special is that he has always stayed true to what got him here in the first place, ever since he started producing he has used a lot of the same elements which are demonstrated in this song, including vocals to accompany a very catchy beat and even catchier big time drop at the climax of the song.
Personal Jesus (Eric Prydz Remix)-
Although this remix came out in 2011, it has been heavily played by a myriad amount of big time acts over the course of the 2012 calendar year. Avicii, Armin Van Buuren, and Above&Beyond just to name a few dj’s dropped this remix of Personal Jesus which was originally made by Depeche Mode way back in 1989. The second drop of this song is sure to have you raging with your friends and jumping uncontrollably yelling “Reach out, touch faith!!!”
If you enjoyed these tracks and are interested in seeing Prydz live this weekend at Roseland Ballroom, you can purchase tickets on ticket master by clicking here. As stated before he has a fear of flying, thus every opportunity of seeing him is a special opportunity because nobody knows if it will be his last time performing in the respective location.
Throwback Thursday
I hope you guys enjoyed last week’s article which featured Pendulum and Knife Party. This week has been quite an exciting week as I have been trying to figure out what songs I want to share with you guys regarding the French superduo named Justice. Unlike most French people, Justice is loved internationally and always put on one hell of a show. Their music consists of rock and indie influences which helps captivate a larger and more unique following compared to other EDM acts. 3 out of the 4 songs that I post in this article are from their first studio album, known as† (alternatively referred to as “Cross”). The 3 songs are “Genesis”, “D.A.N.C.E.”, and “Waters of Nazareth”, while the 4th song is a song that has been remixed by every DJ and his mother, named “We are Your Friends.”
Genesis -
Genesis is the first song of their first album, so naturally it is the first song of this article. It has an epic introduction which is followed by a catchy,semi-repetitive, Justice-esque drop.
D.A.N.C.E. -
This song is legendary and needs no explanation. Personally, my favorite remix is the one done by MSTRKRFT so check that out if you haven’t already.
Waters of Nazareth -
This is one of my favorite Justice tracks, as it has all the components of what Justice is all about. It has heavy electro synths (better known as a fat bass) throughout the song with a twist of disco-funk, and a bridge towards the end of the song which is typical of Justice’s style, which is so unique and special that it makes it borderline impossible to describe.
We Are Your Friends -
I chose this specific youtube video because the top comment is exactly the way I would describe this tune and Justice in general: Epic. There are infinite remixes of this song so go out there and find the one you love!
Throwback Thursday
In this week’s Throwback Thursday, we’ll be talking about the former band known as Pendulum. Pendulum is very unique and not your typical EDM group.The group started up focussing on Drum and Bass as their main genre, but since then have experimented with more electronic beats and even dubstep (dubstep is in fact not a band but a sub genre of the EDM movement). The members of Pendulum include Rob Swire (vocals/synth/producer), Gareth McGrillen (bass guitar/DJ), Peredur ap Gwynedd (guitar), Paul ‘El Hornet’ Harding (DJ), KJ Sawka (drums), and Verse (MC). Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen are the two members who form Knife Party. The 4 pendulum songs we are going to hear in this week’s article is “The Island Part 1&2,” “Set Me on Fire,”and “Propane Nightmares.” Since Knife Party is relatively young I can’t quite call any of their songs “Throwbacks,” but will post two remixes my good friend Ari Choogs showed me which are lesser known tunes that they usually feature in their live sets.
The Island Part 1(Dawn) and The Island Part II (Dusk)
These are two separate songs called “The Island Part I (Dawn)” and “The Island Part II (Dusk)” but I wanted to share it with you guys in one link and thought whoever made this video did a good job of transitioning the first part into the second part which happens around the 5:30 mark. Both these songs overall have gotten very positive feedback and there was a myriad amount of remixes made for The Island part I. This is personally my 2 favorite Pendulum songs and if you have never heard it you should 100% give it a try because they are true masterpieces in their own unique ways. The Island Part I has vocals which you can sing along to while Part II features very fast paced bumping beats.
Set Me on Fire -
As I stated in the introduction, Pendulum started out as a drum and bass act but in their last album named “Immersion”, they started to experiment with different genres including dubstep. I would consider this song dubstep more than anything else but you can listen to it and decide for yourself.
Propane Nightmares -
Propane Nightmares is another song that my friend Ari Choogs showed me way back when I experimented with listening to different genres of music not named Rap/Hip Hop. This song appealed to me because it not only had a catchy beat, but vocals to accompany it which is always a plus in my opinion.
Unison(Knife Party Remix) -
This remix of Unison came out on Porter Robinson’s album which was released about a year ago called “Spitfire”. I usually don’t find too many remixes to be better than the original, but this is one of those songs that can be classified as such.
Last Time (Knife Party Remix) -
This song which was originally created by Labrinth is remixed perfectly by Knife Party (perfectly meaning that the drop is Knife Party’s typical style for all their music). They’re songs have buildups which leads to a hard hitting electro drop that is different from Pendulum’s drum and bass style. It is that unique style that has captivated the EDM community to the point that this side project has now become the main and only project for these two young men. If you like remix, you should check out both Knife Party Ep’s called “100% No Modern Talking” and “Rage Valley.”
As always, I highly recommend you listen to these songs on quality speakers and not your Macbook Pro speakers. Next week I am very pleased to announce that I will delve into the past of the sensational French Dj/Producers JUSTICE.