I’ve got little to nothing going on in my life and I still always wait until the last possible second to write these weekly updates. In a feeble attempt to fight procrastination, posts will come on Thursdays, before 5PM ET. So there’s that. Also, Summer is ending and the awe-inspiring seasonal experience known to all as Autumn is here for a few months. Why is Fall the best time of the year? Apart from the obvious (NFL, foliage, new TV, Movember) this is the period where festivals have passed. In others words, the anthemic mainstream crap is replaced by more artistic efforts. Oh and I’m going to assume, what with the single comment that was left on the last post, that you guys don’t know how to leave one. It’s real simple: click where it says ‘0 comments’ right below the title and it should take you straight to the form (you can also click the post title and scroll to the bottom of the page). That being said, please join me on this week’s journey through EDM.

     I’ve always been a little critical of the following adage: “Good things come in threes.” After all, regular three-leaf clovers ain’t lucky, the Redskins’ three RBs annihilate fantasy football, NBC fired Dan Harmon after the 3rd season of Community and the digit itself birthed the most overused, annoying, gag-inducing emoticon that exists today: ‘<3.’ However, this skepticism is easily turned around by a recent 3-person collaboration on Armada’s Armind imprint.

     What do you get when you cross a seasoned veteran, a burgeoning youngster and an enchanting vocalist? An instant classic, that’s what. Comfortably sitting atop Beatport’s trance chart is “Must Be the Love,” a collaborative effort between Arty, Nadia Ali and BT. It’s always fun to pick out which part of a collaboration comes from whom, but in this track, those distinctions are quite blurred. The soothing piano loops, the strings and xylophone in the breakdown and the indescribably epic lead all seem to be hybrids of Arty, Ali and BT’s styles. These sort of team efforts are always the best; instead of each member bringing forward their usual tendencies, a whole new style is born. Whether you’re a producer, an EDM fan, a casual listener or a genuine newcomer, this track is a must-have.

Arty, Nadia Ali & BT – Must Be the Love (Original Mix)
Released on September 17th on Armind
Beatport

     The number of times I collectively listen to, think about and write about Eric Prydz and his friends’ music is so substantial that I’m pretty sure it borders on obsession. That’s saying something, considering my currently school-less mind is as empty and needy as a slutty orifice, utterly open to any sort of pseudo-phallus necessary to fill the void. What have I used to please my figurative schmegina, you ask? Look no further than Jeremy Olander’s first release on Cr2 records.

     Featured in his Creamfields set that I posted a couple of weeks back, “Rorschach” and “The Rose Law” are some of the best progressive tunes to come out in a while. Rorschach is named after the character from the Watchmen (I asked Olander) which frankly makes me like Jeremy even more. The Rose Law is a mystery to me, but if you google it, you get a big law firm in Arkansas. I’m lazy and I have to leave for work, that’s how I’m describing these ones. Don’t let my silence fool you; they be goood.

Jeremy Olander – Rorschach / The Rose Law
Released on September 17th on Cr2 Records
Beatport

     On almost every occasion, when I fall hard for a track, I need to temper how much I listen to it, lest I start to hate it instead. During the infamous Super8 & Tab interview that we never actually posted to the blog, we asked the Finnish duo if they ever got tired of hearing their songs over and over again. “Tell me about it,” was the answer we got, without the guys missing a beat. It’s too bad they don’t play progressive, because I’d love to see how long they’d keep this one in their sets.

     I’ve been constantly listening to Guy J’s PM mix of Gill Norris’ “Forme” for a little over two weeks and I’m still in love with it. It’s one of those tracks that you trick yourself into thinking you’ve heard before because of the original’s widespread acceptance as a classic and its presence on James Holden’s famous Balance 005 mix compilation. Guy J’s 2012 interpretation of the tune is really more of a updating than a remix; the lasting elements are almost identical to those on Gill Norris’ masterpiece. The modern spin the percussion receives and the companion the melody is introduced with both do their job of giving the PM mix more of a club feel. Guy J does a heads-up job of keeping the original’s lead synth and melody intact, as this is the heart of the song. The bassline is also slightly tweaked, as it becomes something a little smoother, less prominent and less in line with the mains, thus pushing the track’s eerie demeanor to the next level. For fear of over-selling and/or misrepresenting this fantastic piece of music, I’ll stop describing and simply let you have a listen.

Gill Norris – Forme (Guy J PM Mix)
Released on August 24th on Subtract Music
Beatport – iTunes

     Another gig-packed couple of weeks upcoming in Montreal. Tonight, both Underworld and the Telus Theater are booked for AutoÉrotique and Cazzette, respectively. Friday night belongs to our city’s elite clubs; Stereo hosts Subb-an and Circus welcomes Max Graham and Protoculture. Prolific German DJ/producer Thomas Gold is here on Saturday, as he spins a set at New City Gas, after which Montreal’s own Mr. Jean Louis takes over our favorite Afterhours club. Next week’s notable events all take place on Saturday. French keytarist Joachim Garraud’s solo show at New CIty Gas is followed by Chus & Ceballos’ return to Stereo and Etienne Ozborne’s set at Circus. Have a great weekend!