I adore electronic dance music. I usually write some snazzy introduction, somehow tying together the tracks I choose to feature. However, the past seven days have been filled with some of the best music I’ve heard in a very long time and it’s an absolute pleasure to be able to share these with all of you. Consequently, I think it more appropriate to simply express the amount of affection I have for my beloved musical genre.  The next time someone asks me if I’ve ever been in love, all I can answer is “yes.”

     Despite his place amongst trance’s elite, I’ve never been a Simon Patterson fan. It always seems that he gets carried away with his melodies, producing overly elaborate leads that don’t translate well to ear buds or speakers. In addition, his build-ups normally remind me of those in an Axwell set, in that they are extremely lengthy and teasing: the musical equivalent of blue balls. It may work in a live setting, but it’s annoying elsewhere. His latest release on Night Vision, however, is different. Obviously distancing itself from the negatives I presented, “Here & Now” is a perfect example of how vocals can enhance an instrumental. Equipping the track with his usual attention-grabbing bassline, Patterson adds a growing white noise to nearly every section, making the track seem constantly on the rise. The tune hits its high point when the breakdown arrives to eliminate all sounds but that of a lone piano, a faint wind and Sarah Howells’ majestic voice. Patterson then gives a taste of the melody, and brings the shorter than usual build-up, transitioning well into the drop and the reverberating electro lead. A change of pace from his different stuff, Patterson succeeds in turning a few more critics into fans.

Simon Patterson ft. Sarah Howells – Here & Now (Original Mix)
Released on August 27th on Night Vision
Beatport

Simon Patterson Feat Sarah Howells "Here & Now" by SimonPatterson

     If you follow our blog at all, you’ve certainly noticed that we’ve slowly started moving towards a calmer, more progressive sound over the past few weeks. We are always looking to diversify our tastes and tracks like Beckwith’s “Craymal” make it very easy to do so.
         
     Originally from Lincoln, Nebraska, Paul Beckwith first fell in love with house music after attending a Red Barn party in Kansas City. Subsequently picking up DJing, ‘DJ Paul Wicked’ started spinning in and around town, later playing out of state parties in St. Louis and Chicago. After a 4-year residency at the Empire Room, he moved to Boston to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music where he met Anjunadeep regulars Andrew Bayer and Matt Lange. Years later, these friendships seem to still be intact, as Matt and Andrew both promoted Paul’s next track on their Facebook pages. Upcoming on Septmeber 10th, “Craymal” is the title track of a 3-piece EP also including “Birds” and “All I Need.” Typical of an Anjunadeep release, none of the clips play hero to the song, instead coalescing beautifully with their counterparts, as it seems that they are inherently complimentary. The melody/bassline and the clap, that Martin Roth-sounding synth and the sparse vocals, the resounding kick drum and the background synth that joins the fray at the end: these all intertwine to produce a faint modern disco vibe, a soothing end of summer feel and certainly, another Anjunadeep classic.

Beckwith – Craymal (Original Mix)
Released on September 10th on Anjunadeep

     It may simply be my personality, but I believe Madeon’s music to be quite polarizing. I warmed quickly to the French 18-year old’s remix of Martin Solveig’s “The Night Out,” but despised his follow-up single, “Finale.” “The City,” however, has swayed me back towards the positive. Released on his own Popcultur imprint, Madeon delivers another modern, yet retro fixing tuned to his unique brand of disco, french house and electro pop. Aided by vocals from Zak Waters and Cass Lowe, the fast-paced track features a prominent kick drum and a powerful bassline lined by a barely audible buzzing electro sound. In addition to the erratic melody introduced at the very beginning of the track, Madeon inserts what I like to conceptualize as structural chaos turned aural pleasure. It’s those few stretches where the song’s framework is thrown aside to make room for the overwhelming sounds that emerge from every which way and somehow deliver a nice result. If it wasn’t already apparent beforehand, Madeon is insanely talented and “The City” will do nothing but convince naysayers of his future in EDM.

Madeon – The City (Original Mix)
Released on August 27th on Popcultur in the US / Everywhere else on October 8th
iTunes

     This week’s last track is a remix from Sebastian Weikum. The aptly named “Astro Ibiza” makes me feel like I’m staring out into the Mediterranean from the shores of the White Isle. Populated by a number of soft synths, the body of the track is highlighted by a chord and flute hybrid, with a short attack and decay, rapidly moving from one note to the other. The melody is superbly complimented by a flurry of Latin percussion instruments, such as maracas and what sounds like a small cabasa, altogether succeeding in giving the track a sort of calming tribal vibe. Released back on June 25th alongside the original mix, Sebastian Weikum’s edit of “Astro Ibiza” is perfect for a last trip to the beach during the dwindling days of summer.

Gregory Esayan & Shinobi – Astro Ibiza (Sebastian Weikum Edit)

Released on June 25th on Colorize
Beatport – iTunes

     Finally, here is the current events schedule through the month of September. Make sure you take advantage of your free time this weekend, as Piknic Electronik hosts some of this year’s marquee shows, Circus Afterhours hosts Subculture and Coldharbour nights and the Produktworld festival finally begins (set times for the latter below).

August 30th – Maya Jane Coles @ SAT, $20
                    – Martin Solveig @ New City Gas, $20
August 31st – John O’Callaghan, Beat Service and Sneijder @ Circus Afterhours, $20
                    – Alesso, Mark Knight, Cogorock and Jaytech @ New City Gas, $30
September 1st – Dirty South, BT and Lazy Rich @ New City Gas, $20
September 2nd – Misstress Barbara @ Piknic Electronik, $12
                         – Markus Schulz and KhoMha @ BeachClub, $15
                         – Axwell, Stefano Noferini and Max Graham @ New City Gas, $30
                         – KhoMha and Mr. Pit @ CIrcus Afterhours, $20
September 3rd – Claude VonStroke @ Piknic Electronik, $12
September 8th – Sebastian Leger and Riva Starr @ Piknic Electronik, $12
                        – Steve Angello @ New City Gas, $30
September 14th – Aly & Fila @ Circus Afterhours, $20
September 15th – AN21 & Max Vangeli @ New City Gas, $15
September 16th – Oliver$ @ Piknic Electronik, $12
September 20th – Albin Myers @ Underworld, $25
September 21st – Max Graham and Protoculture @ CIrcus Afterhours, $20
September 22nd – Thomas Gold @ New City Gas, $15
September 29th – Joachim Garraud @ New City Gas, $15

Have a great weekend!