Tagged: SHM
Sebastian Ingrosso & Axwell Form New Project ‘Departures’; Announce Ibiza Residency
After the grand exit from the monster that was Swedish House Mafia, the inevitable has happened – Axwell & Sebastian Ingrosso have announced their new project “Departures”; a concept that will be put to test at Ushuaïa from 12th June every Wednesday.
Not bound by the grandeur of SHM, this project may give rise to a host of fresh, new tunes; rewind back to 2005 to the release of Together/Re.Mode on Axtone (the acapella of which was used at the monstrous MSG show), a track that is as exciting today. On the flip side, this could be the continuation of the big room sound of SHM, which, frankly, was a sad yet good riddance at UMF. Naturally, they’re one of the biggest acts to hold residency at Ibiza this summer, and honestly, one can only expect them to create some great new tunes for the world to rage to!
Don’t you worry children; we’ll bring you the news as it happens!
News via Ushuaïa
Ultra Music Festival : Miami, Florida
It’s been almost two weeks since Ultra has been over, but the emotions that this festival left on us have still not gone away.
Before getting into the review, we have to start by saluting the team behind making Ultra Music Festival happen this year. The way they matched the expectations of so many people was simply unbelievable.
Here is a quick overview of the bigger picture – Firstly, this was a huge occasion for them as Ultra was turning 15 (yes, that’s right 15!) this March. Then you also had 200 of the world’s top DJ’s and artists performing at such a massive platform. Finally, there was this enormous task of giving over 150,000 fans from across the world a show to remember.
Over the course of three days, we can easily assure everybody that team Ultra put on a show that proved one fact – there can only be one place like Ultra Music Festival!
Day 1 (March 22nd)
Team Bangin Beats arrived at the beautiful location of Bayfront Park where we checked in through the press area. After getting familiar with the layout of the venue, we were very keen to check out the uniqueness of the various Ultra stages. The music is something that surely defines Ultra but the production and the set up are some of the biggest you would ever see at a music festival
Just as we entered, the amazing Live Stage greeted us. This stage had a typical amphitheater look about it. We were impressed by the old school nature of this set up as it literally made the crowd feel like they were right up close to the artist performing.
As soon as we turned to our right and pushed through a crowd of people, we saw the super Afrojack raising the bar while performing at the UMF Radio Stage. Enormous LED’s were spread all across and there was a big UMF Radio box connected on the side. Their job was to ensure the smooth streaming of all the DJ’s set’s being played on their side.
Before we even knew it, the legendary Eric Prydz’s set time was coming up and we rushed our way across to make sure we caught him playing live. The super Swede made his return to Ultra and had the crowd going wild to his tracks. My pick of his set was the crowd repeating “Allein” when he was finishing up his set with this track.
Just as Eric Prydz was finishing up, it was the turn of another Swede sensation to take up the decks in some time. Avicii stepped in to premiere his new album with a very unorthodox performance. Instead of sticking to the conventional style of doing his usual mixing and premiering new tracks, he brought on country artists like Mac Davis, Audra Mae and Dan Tyminski to sing along on a couple of his upcoming tracks as part of this album.
There was some backlash towards this set and Avicii responded by giving in reasons on why he chose to premiere his new album in this manner
The closing act of Day 1 came with the Dutch maestro Tiesto taking over. For someone who has been playing at every Ultra since it’s inception, it was only fitting that Tiesto was given the honor of playing the last set. His set was what a typical Tiesto set is all about – making the crowd jump, amazing visuals and finally his best friends joining him on stage. My pick from Tiesto’s set was his new ID with Dyro, his remix of Zedd’s “Clarity” and finally his remix of Calvin Harris’s “Sweet Nothing”.
We also managed to catch up with Tiesto’s fellow Dutch mates Hardwell, Dannic and Dyro backstage and all of us managed to agree on one thing – Tijs just knows what it takes to get the best of a crowd!
Fireworks light up the sky and with that Day 1 came out to an end
Day 2 (March 23rd)
This day had so many super acts in store for all of us. Deadmau5 would finally be making his return to the Ultra main stage. We also had the likes of Calvin Harris, Carl Cox, 12th Planet, and Krewella taking over on the other stages as well.
We started the day by checking out the Ultra Worldwide stage. This stage had a very unique set up. It came across as a rainbow/semi circle type of a shape and gave the artist performing a pure vertical view of the crowd in front of them. Just as we entered, we saw Bassnectar dropping some solid bass for the crowd. His new upcoming ID with Excision got a super response.
*Watch in 720p*
Next up for us was the Bayfront Stage. This stage had two huge Ultra logos on either side with an elevated stage set up in the middle. I loved the fact that instead of restricting upcoming artists to a smaller set up, team Ultra did the opposite by giving them an opportunity to perform in such a massive setting. The Bayfront Stage had artists like Joris Voorn, Tiga and Robert Dietz bringing in their own style of music to the party that was Ultra 15.
Moving along and on our way to the Eco Village stage we stopped by the artist lounge where we bumped into our friends – Sick Individuals. The boys decided to join us as we reached the Eco Village stage just in time for Nari and Milani to take over. Some tracks will always be special at festivals and their track “Atom” is right up there in this list. The atmosphere around the stage was simply special when they dropped it.
A couple of other acts took place during the day that simply blew us away. Laidback Luke on the main stage was brilliant. The dynamic duo of Dmitri Vegas and Like Mike joined him on stage to premiere their new collaboration as well.
Calvin Harris started the evening session with a bang. All of his monster hits like “We Found Love”, “Sweet Nothing” and “Feel So Close” gave the crowd exactly what they wanted – to sing and to dance.
Finally, the mighty Deadmau5 stepped in to close out Day 2 with his amazing cube all lit up. Sticking to his own tracks only, Joel brought back the sweet memories by playing “Raise Your Weapon”, “Some Chords” and “Ghosts N Stuff”. My pick of the entire set or in fact the entire day was when the last track “The Veldt” was played.
The view of the entire crowd bowing down and acknowledging this true EDM genius was superb!
Joel took of his helmet and came down to thank the crowd for coming in. Day 2 came to an end and boy we couldn’t wait for Day3!
Day 3 (March 24th)
Here it is then. It all comes down to this. As Axwell would say about 8 hours later, it felt like the “last day of school”.
Just as we entered Day 3 of this festival there was a mixed feeling in the air. Some were just so excited about A State Of Trance 600. Then there were those who felt nostalgic on seeing the last ever show of the Swedish House Mafia.
First up we checked out the massive Mega Structure that was hosting the Episode 600 of A State of Trance. After the main stage, this stage could easily be considered the best in terms of it’s entire set up. The solid stage structure makes you feel that you are part of a different festival all together. Huge blocks in the roof that resemble a honeybee cave are filled with amazing LED screens.
The response for ASOT 600 in India was excellent so naturally our excitement for the Miami Episode was really high. Overall, Armin and his team did a fantastic job in terms of both the production and the quality of music.
Our pick of the lot was Above and Beyond who were simply exceptional. The crowd thoroughly enjoyed some of their classics like “Alchemy”, “Thing Called Love” and “Sun and Moon”. The boys laid a perfect foundation for Armin who simply blew the crowd over.
Next up for us with the super main stage. Unlike in the previous years, Team Ultra reinvented the look of the stage with a big “U” from the Ultra logo hanging in the middle and giving the stage a triangular shape overall. Another interesting thing to note in the main stage were the revolving robotic hands on either side of the DJ console. They essentially kept moving upwards, downwards and sideways in the middle of the DJ’s sets.
We entered just at the right time when the young Swedish superstar Alesso was taking over the main stage. Once again, being one of the favorites of the Swedish House Mafia, it was also fitting that Alesso got the opportunity to play just before their last ever show. In an interview with Billboard recently, he admitted that there is a little bit of pressure on him to perform since technically this is his first UMF (he had being playing at Masquerade Motel with the SHM team for all these years)
All in all, he did bring on one hell of a show. Alesso’s set was full of his typical progressive house sounds and with a touch of some excellent mash-ups blended in as well. My pick of his set goes to his mix of “Sweet Nothing” and “Superlove”. He finished up his set by premiering his remix of One Republic’s “If I Lose Myself” to the Miami crowd.
After Alesso, it was the turn of the Swedish House Mafia to say a final good bye to all of their fans. As they walked up to their elevated booth, the legendary Pete Tong walked out to the front of the stage and made a short thank you speech to the crowd.
What followed after that was one and a half hours of some of the best music we have heard from these three Swedes. Leaving aside the usual, there were three moments during their set that will always be special for me.
The first one being when they made the Miami crowd sing “Miami To Ibiza” together with them. The second one being the last ever Swedish House Mafia sit down while playing “Don’t You Worry Child”. Finally, the moment that perhaps we would all cherish – Axwell asking the crowd “Can we save the world for one last time?” and bringing out John Martin to sing “Save The World” with the entire crowd.
Fireworks were up again and with that note the Swedish House Mafia team thanked everyone for making this trip to Ultra Music Festival!
Overall, the 15th edition of Ultra gave us a show that we will remember for a long time. There were new tracks, album releases, unbelievable sound and lighting.
Not only is UMF the first biggest festival of the year in terms of music but essentially it is an amalgamation of dance music in its purest form. I say this only because there has to be some valid reason when you have the biggest and the best names in dance music come together for all the fans.
To finish things up, I leave you with my top three tracks that dominated almost every DJ’s set on this amazing weekend. You could easily hear them being played on every stage.
Last but not the least – It’s been an honor to represent The Bangin Beats at by far the best music festival in the world!
Swedish House Mafia display colours of Swedish Flag on Empire State Building in New York City for Black Tie Rave
The Swedish trio – Axwell, Ingrosso & Angello arrive into NYC for yet another leg of their ongoing One Last Tour, before they head to LA & Miami to wrap up the same in the United States of America. Better known as “Swedish House Mafia”, the trio will throw a “Black Tie Rave” tomorrow night at Hammerstein Ballroom, their charitable benefit concert with an elegant dress code. Before they go to Madison Square Garden, and to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center for a tripple header, The Empire State Building will be lit up with Sweden’s colours – blue and yellow, for the event.
When taking a stroll in the streets of Manhattan tomorrow night, dont forget to look up in the sky to see some of the magic the mafia is creating. Also remember to attend the event while you’re at it – after all, this is the last time you can see Swedish House Mafia in NYC!
www.blacktierave.com
Swedish House Mafia: Black Tie Rave : New York, NY : February 28th, 2013
Perhaps one of the most compassionate decisions we could have ever seen from a music group. After realizing that New York City has played such a massive part in the career of all three of them and together with their group Swedish House Mafia. The entire SHM team has decided to host a first of its kind “Black Tie Rave” dedicated towards raising money for all those affected by the after math of Hurricane Sandy.
The show will take place at the iconic Hammerstein Ballroom on February 28th, 2012 and all profits raised will go directly to the Mayor’s Fund To Advance New York City and The Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief fund.
The tickets will be put into a three unique 72 hour auction processes. Auction 1 with one third of the tickets in it will start at 10 am EST on December 14, 2012. The ticket links will appear on the site – http://www.blacktierave.com/ before hand.
Dress code is strictly black with black ties for the men and ball gowns for the women.
The Black Tie Rave event will be followed by another 4 shows in New York by the group that will have them take over Madison Square Garden the next night which will be followed by three nights at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
New York. Let’s do this.
Alesso – Clash (Original Mix)
“Clash” perfectly sums up what has already been a massive year for this young Swede. After giving us two smashing tracks in “Years” and “City of Dreams” earlier this year, Alesso has finally released his highly anticipated single.
It was first thrown out there during Alesso’s BBC Radio One Essential Mix back in March and is now going to see daylight after months of being played at so many gigs and festivals.
The track is actually little bit different from the sweet melodic tunes we have seen from him of late. “Clash” has actually a darker tone towards it. Alesso’s use of a sophisticated correction of grinding chords as well as a high-end lead play from the outset has turned “Clash” into a contender for one of the tracks of the year.
Personally speaking, I feel that through this track, Alesso has shown his raw talent and versatility after being heavily criticized for producing music that sounded the same. Let’s also not forget that this is the same guy who gave us “Calling” and “Pressure” in 2011 that were definitely amongst the top tracks of last year.
“Clash” is a perfect example to show how experimenting with new sounds is not always a bad option. Unless you venture out in new territories and come out of your comfort zone, you will never get the recognition of being a true gifted performer. This is where I feel that 2013 will be a strong year for Alesso where not only we will see some of his original flair but also some fresh sounds come through.
The US and Europe have already seen his magic but India is still waiting for it’s turn. If Alesso does make that trip then make sure you are there to hear his music!
“Clash” is released under Sebastian Ingrosso’s label Refune Records. You can buy it on Beatport by clicking here
Swedish House Mafia’s ‘Until Now’ minimix video
Days before they went on their last-massive tour, the Swede trio of Axwell, Angello & Ingrosso, better known as ‘Swedish House Mafia’ asked fans to send in photo’s resembling the iconic three dots logo. From eggs and topless pictures to bottle caps and nail paint, the clicks are in and have been featured in a quick ‘minimix’ of the upcoming final album “Until Now” that releases next monday!
Tracklist
0:00 SHM – Greyhound
0:23 Hard Rock Sofa – Here We Go
0:39 In My Mind (Axwell Mix)
0:54 Alesso & Sebastian Ingrosso - Calling
1:10 Nari & Milani – Atom
1:25 SHM & Knife Party – Antidote
1:40 Resurrection (Axwell Cut)
1:54 The Wave (Thomas Gold Remix)
2:10 Ladi Dadi (Tommy Trash Remix)
2:32 Angello & Third Party – Lights
2:48 Alesso – Raise Your Head
3:03 Hardwell – Three Triangles (Original Mix)
3:19 Sebastian Ingrosso & Tommy Trash – Reload vs Teenage Crime
3:32 Usher – Euphoria
3:49 SHM – Dont You Worry Child
4:03 Beating Of My Heart (Matisse & Sadko Remix)
4:18 Every Tear Drop Is A Water Fall (Swedish House Mafia Remix)
4:34 You’ve Got The Love (Mark Knight Remix)
4:48 Save The World (Knife Party Remix)
Watch it Now!
Swedish House Mafia ONE LAST TOUR dates and cities
Its finally up, the moment all us die hard EDM fans have been waiting for. Swedish House Mafia have led the way since they got together in providing absolute monster tracks and shows for all of us to rage to. No need to say much for this, they are coming to a city near you. Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Here is the complete schedule:
NOV 16: WORLD TRADE CENTRE – DUBAI, U.A.E
NOV 17: SUN ARENA POLO GROUND – MUMBAI, IN
NOV 18: UNITECH GOLF COURSE – DELHI, IN
NOV 22: FRIENDS ARENA – STOCKHOLM, SE
NOV 23: FRIENDS ARENA – STOCKHOLM, SE
NOV 24: FRIENDS ARENA – STOCKHOLM, SE
NOV 26: FORUM – COPENHAGEN, DK
NOV 29: O2 ARENA – PRAGUE, CZ
NOV 30: WM PARK PLANAI – SCHLADMING, AT
DEC 01: SPORTPALEIS – ANTWERP, BE
DEC 06: FESTHALLE – FRANKFURT, DE
DEC 07: ZIGGO DOME – AMSTERDAM, NL
DEC 08: BERCY – PARIS, FR
DEC 15: STADIUM LIVE – MOSCOW, RU
DEC 18: PAVILHAO ATLANTICO – LISBON, PT
DEC 22: TELENOR ARENA – OSLO, NO
JAN 25: WILD WATERS – JOHANNESBURG, ZA
JAN 26: WILD WATERS – JOHANNESBURG, ZA
JAN 27: LOURENSFORD WINE ESTATE – CAPE TOWN, ZA
FEB 16: BILL GRAHAM CIVIC – SAN FRANCISCO, USA
FEB 20: UNITED CENTRE – CHICAGO, USA
FEB 23: ROGERS CENTRE – TORONTO, CA
FEB 27: BELL CENTRE – MONTREAL, CA
MAR 01: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN – NEW YORK, USA
MAR 02: BARCLAY CENTER – NEW YORK, USA
MAR 09: LA HISTORIC PARK – LOS ANGELES, USA
Tickets are expected to be available on Friday, September 28th.
LOG ON TO WWW.ONELASTTOUR.COM FOR FURTHER DETAILS
Kaskade mashup rant
Kaskade has decided to chime in to the mashup discussion that was sparked after Hardwell uploaded some and got an earful (or eyeful in this case) on twitter from Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso for doing it for Facebook likes. Through a post on his tumblr, Kaskade talks about how the essence of being a DJ is brought out through mashups using the DNA of other originals and creating something new.
“Use the tools of songs to create something new. This is the essence of DJing, after all.”
In an industry where it is has been very difficult to get the audience to actually purchase the product through Beatport and iTunes, mash-ups have been seen as a catalyst in the piracy problem. Not only being a problem in EDM, Kaskade uses the example of Hip-hop where samples from older songs have been used for years with new verses and drums perhaps to create new (not technically, lets say tweaked) songs. In most forms of art, there has always been the question of plagiarism and how it is described. Words like influence, inspiration and adaptation are used to justify using elements of other creations in their own. What it boils down to according to Kaskade, is really the intentions and motives behind these mashups and remixes that are released for free.
“But the devil is in the details, and comes down to intent.
It’s different for everyone. I speak for only myself when I say the mashups I put up are strictly for pleasure. I’m not looking for likes or dollars with these pieces. Usually they are a combination of songs that have been washed, rinsed and repeated enough that they’d be in the DNR pile for most DJ’s. When I bring them out, I’m certainly not claiming that they are my brainchild alone and in fact always give credit to every artist involved”
Although the discussion only started when big name Hardwell uploaded a mashup, it raises questions as to how else newcomers can get recognition for their skills. They don’t have the backing of record labels with deep pockets that can be dug for marketing and promoting of tracks and gigs. There seems to be a set method and outlined process for an upcoming artist in the electronic music world to be seen. You start from DJ-ing for small gigs and gatherings, move up as your talent gets recognized while developing more skills in the art and eventually try your hand at production. Of course there are many that start from production with professional training and such. But most producers have adapted from passionate Djs mixing tracks in their homes or on the floor. The audience actually getting to hear your sound is what is essential to getting the recognition any body would want to achieve. Putting up remixes and mashups for free that people can download and listen to wherever and whenever gives them that push to like you even more. But again, this view of intent can be skewed and everybody has their opinion on how to use social media portals to market themselves.
Be a part of the discussion and drop us a line below
Here are some of Kaskades most heard mashups