Showing posts with label Eric Prydz. Show all posts

We Jelly Bro.

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     Editor Fred is currently spending a semester studying abroad, surely experiencing Europe like the underground electronic music gold mine that it is. I’m not sure what it’s like in France at the moment, but in Montreal we’ve entered that time of the year when everything sucks. Spring Break is ending, the snow is melting, slush is accumulating, hipsters’ scarves don’t make sense anymore, etc. To further twist the knife, Fred just took a trip to Amsterdam, which he described as: “Amazing people, amazing city and well, weed and whores.” We jelly bro.
bringing you down
     Sometimes I wonder how French Express turns a profit. The constant stream of tracks they sell for nothing doesn’t seem conducive to a financially successful label. Added to the group of giveaways this week is Jonas Rathsman’s latest, “Bringing You Down.” First introduced through Rathsman’s and Perseus’s Essential Mix, the track features variations on two brilliant basslines, contortioned vocal cuts and a high sustain soft synth that covers the whole of the song. The sound of wind seems to have an important influence in this piece, as evidenced by the use of cymbals and hi-hats in combination with what sounds like a cabasa, as well as the white noise that punctuates many of the introductory portions of the tune. This unique mix of French, deep and Swedish house is a must-have. Did I mention it’s free?
Jonas Rathsman – Bringing You Down (Original Mix)
Released on March 5th on French Express
FREE DOWNLOAD
Jonas Rathsman - Bringing You Down by FRENCH EXPRESS

     Next up is a remix by German producer Dave DK. Signed to Future Classic, his vocal take on Panama’s maiden release “It’s Not Over” has Balearic qualities coming out of it’s rear end. Apart from pointing out that simple fact, there’s nothing more I can say about this song. This is one of those rare releases towards which it is impossible to take an analytical approach. Every time I try to, my blood pressure lowers, endorphins are released and I drift into a state of relaxation and contentment. It’s aural masturbation, really.

Panama – It’s Not Over (Dave DK Vocal Mix)
Released February 4th on Future Classic
Beatport
Panama - It's Not Over (Dave DK Vocal Remix) by maawill

     The hype surrounding the Pryda Essential Mix has finally settled, but we’re not near ready to stop talking about it. Sure, Eric Prydz displayed his mastery of the decks, but we’ve known he can do that for a long time. The real entertainment came from his literally awesome transitions, his great song choices and the track below. Sandwiched between Pryda’s “Warrior” and “Games” is this beauty, a new ID to add to the vast arsenal of unreleased Pryda tunes. All throughout the mix, when Prydz reached the end of one song, he would tease listeners with a familiar sound, then mix into the song he would actually play. This technique of using interludes is becoming much more prevalent in today’s electronic music circuit. When the track below began playing, I was fully expecting a wholly different tune to follow. Then it dropped and my mind blew.
Eric Prydz Essential Mix 2013 ID


     This past Monday, Broadwalk Records released a long-awaited 2-track EP from teammates Julio Bashmore and Hyetal, who together make up Velour. “Speedway” and “Dial” follow in the footsteps of past Broadwalk tracks; it’s house that doesn’t sound anything like what you’d imagine house to sound like. In other words, it’s creative, out of the box thinking music. I couldn’t choose which of the cuts I liked best so for lack of a tiebreaker, here’s a remix the duo did for BenZel’s “Fallin’ Love.”
BenZel – Fallin’ Love (Velour Remix)
BenZel - Fallin' Love (Velour Remix) by Velour

     A little more music than you’d usually expect from me this week. To cap off my selection of tunes is the latest from Mike Shiver with his contribution to the 10th instalment of Anjunabeats’ flagship compilation series. Amidst the cacophony caused by the rampant trouse on this year’s edition is Shiver’s offering, 7 minutes of veritable delight constructed with muted piano synths and the murmuring vocals informed by the song’s title who both slowly grow and reach maturity in an explosion of sonic beauty. If you only get one song from this year’s compilation, I highly suggest you make it Mike Shiver’s “Ohh. “

Mike Shiver – Ohh (Original Mix)
Released on March 4th on Anjunabeats
Beatport – iTunes
Mike Shiver - Ohh by Anjunabeats

     Finally, here’s is this week’s video, an informative trailer for “Back in the House,” a documentary about house music in NYC expected to be released later this year.

Retro Raving, Part 1: Sweden Wins at Life

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File:Flag of Sweden.svg
      Dynamite, the Nobel Prize, Vikings, Minecraft, the Pirate Bay, the Millennium Trilogy, Swedish meatballs, and of course, Swedish women. These are only a few elements that make Sweden awesome, music being the important one missing from this short list. Here are a few old tracks from Swedish producers that I’ve been avidly listening to these past few weeks:

Faithless ft. Cass Fox – Music Matters (Axwell Remix)

     Originally released on Sony BMG back in 2007, re-released alongside Rollo & Sister Bliss, Peter Heller and Mark Knight remixes on Toolroom in 2010. I have a soft spot for anything remotely Faithless.

Dada Life – We Meow, You Roar (Original Mix)

     Also from 2007, back when Dada Life wasn’t popular enough to occupy both faces of a vinyl. The A-side of this record is a Rob Mooney track with “We Meow, You Roar” taking the B-side. Sidenote: Dada Life recently announced their new studio album, “Rules of Dada.” Pre-order it here.

Carl B – Social Suicide (Original Mix)

     Profuse records gave life to this old-school big room trance track back in 2006, only Carl’s second release to date. This guy is quite inspiring to young producers, because he was able to break into the dance music scene without any prior music education whatsoever.

Axwell & Sebastian Ingrosso – Together (Original Mix)

     The first release on the now famous Axtone record label, Axwell and Ingrosso’s 2005 collaboration was and is an amazing one. It was subsequently featured on many house compilations, including the soundtrack/compilation to SHM’s documentary, “Take One.”

Eric Prydz – Slammin’ (Extended Mix)

     One of my favorite tracks of all-time is this Eric Prydz classic. Is came out on Feel the Rhythm in 2003 and it was one of the gems that propelled him into the house music spotlight. It still sounds amazing today. Sidenote: He recently did an edit of Adrian Lux’s “Teenage Crime” that I can’t get enough of.

     This Friday, Armin van Buuren and Jochen Miller play a sold-out show at New City Gas which continues into the early hours of Saturday morning, as Miller heads over to Circus Afterhours. On Saturday, you can catch Etienne Ozborne at Circus after you’ve gone to see Sultan & Ned Sheperd play at New City Gas. Sunday is a big one, as the Palais des Congres plays host to another installement of the annual Black & Blue festival. You can also go check out Felix Da Housecat at La Mouche on Sunday. A week later, on Saturday October 13th, it’s Tommy Trash’s turn to play New City Gas and Mr. Jean Louis spins another set at Circus Afterhours. Enjoy your weekend!

Trainspotting is an Art, Tracklists are a Luxury

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     Time is of the essence, so this post will be short and sweet. Instead of featuring a few tracks, I present the mixes that I’ve enjoyed the most during the past 7 days.
     First one comes from Eric Prydz’s protégé, Jeremy Olander. Contractually bound to Pryda Friends, Olander has one release left on the original 3-EP deal that he signed with Prydz back in late 2010. We can assume that some of these will feature on that last package, as his set contained 4 unsigned possible inclusions. Here is his performance from this year’s Creamfields festival in the UK.
Jeremy Olander Live at Creamfields UK 2012-08-25 (BBC Radio 1 Essential Selection) by Jeremy Olander

     Next is a nostalgic one by Gareth Emery. Shown to me by our dear Fred, it showcases the Brit’s 2008 Essential Mix and gives a taste of his old-school, GTR sound. Tracks like “The Saga” makes me long for years past and this mix virtually provides a time machine.
Gareth Emery - BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix (January 12th 2008) by garethemery

     You surely know about my man crush on Eric Prydz by now. I believe the Swede to be the best thing about EDM at the moment, finding balance between commercial and underground sounds in an ever-expanding industry that’s in the market for artistic integrity. After being delayed a whole month, his EPIC Radio podcast is back, with private edits, IDs, mashups and exclusives for our aural pleasure.
Eric Prydz Presents: EPIC Radio 003 by Eric Prydz Official

     Of the myriad sets that appeared online from this past weekend’s Electric Zoo, Gabriel & Dresden’s is one of my favourites. Filling their hour long time slot with mashups, daring remixes and legendary classics, G&D make me re-think my plans for labor day 2013.
Gabriel & Dresden Electric Zoo 2012 full set by Davedresden

     The last mix comes from young Parisian DJ/producer Zimmer. It’s quite different from the others in that it deals with discoey chill out pop in its first part and deeper stuff towards the end: it’s all so very French. He didn’t include the tracklist on his SoundCloud page like the others did, so here it is if you’re curious.
Zimmer - Paris Plage | Summer Tape by Zimmer

     This Saturday, you can catch Sebastian Leger and Riva Starr at Piknic Electronik during the day and finish early enough for Steve Angello at New City Gas. On Sunday, come join me at Muzique for one of Pete Tong’s rare visits. I’ve been told that admission is free with guestlist, so If you feel like arriving 2 hours prior to him going on at 1 AM with your wallet intact, feel free to do so. Next weekend, Aly & Fila, AN21 & Max Vangeli and Oliver$ grace us with their presence on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Hope to see some of you at Muzique and have a great weekend!

EPIC is Eric Prydz in Concert

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Prydz Arena 1
      Image via Thorium Photography
 
     Eric Prydz has always been somewhat of a mystery to Americans, or for that matter, any non-European. While his productions travel to the far reaches of the globe, he does not, thanks to a bad case of aerophobia. Last week’s post’s highlight of his production talents left out those he has as a performer, a muscle he’s been flexing recently. On April 2nd of 2011, Prydz unveiled his new live performance concept named EPIC, or “Eric Prydz in Concert,” to a sold-out crowd at the Brixton Academy in London. The audio-visual showcase included both mobile and static structures, 3D animation, films and holograms, a combination that is pushing the bar for the next generation of  dance music production. Good news for Europeans, irrelevant for everyone else, or so I thought.
 
Prydz Arena 2
      Image via Thorium Photography
 
     It had been 4 years since Prydz last conquered his fear of flying, crossed the Atlantic and hallowed French-Canadian soil. Thrilled, jubilant, ecstatic, rapturous, overjoyed, elated, blissful, euphoric and down as fuck (props to my thesaurus) I was when I discovered he was to grace Arena Montreal with his presence on Sunday, July 22nd. While this wasn’t a formal EPIC show—he keeps those stocked for venues like the Brixton Academy—I was simply happy to have him play a regular set. You may think it sad for a handsome 21-year old guy to attend such a spectacle alone. Frankly, I’m the one who pities all those who missed the Swedish house master. My midnight arrival downtown gave me the 30 minutes I needed to judge my surroundings. Arena is a respectable club with a modern setting that unfortunately clashes with the exposed pipe that lines its ceiling. The area reserved for the DJ booth is backed by a large screen while a series of lights and a high output fog machine is set overhead. These elements were a welcome complement from the get-go, as the light changes went perfectly with the darker, techier tracks that Prydz opened his set with. The start of his show seemed to better fit Stereo Nightclub as he pulled out many new tracks from his Cirez D alias. In fact, the Mouseville insignia was shown on screen in between shots of Prydz’s usual split face logo.
 
prydz split
     Apart from “On Off” and an acapella from Danny Tenaglia’s “Music is the Answer,” I can’t say I recognized any of the tracks. Then he completely changed gears. Progressing masterfully from a tech house ID to his Pryda alias’ “M.S.B.O.Y.,” Prydz’s looped the early, genre ambiguous portion of the track and decided to give it vocals from Florence and the Machine’s “You Got the Love,” loosening a few of my screws in the process. A few more marbles were lost during the meshing of his “2Night” with vocals from Underworld’s “Two Months Off,” but the track that really threw me off my rocker was “Boothaus ID.” That isn’t the actual name of the track—it is currently untitled—but rather what it’s come to be known by after it was first played during Eric’s EPIC show at the Boothaus Nightclub in Germany. It’s been updated since the YouTube clip below, but the lead synth and vocals are intact.
 


     I was zonked out of my mind for the rest of the night. I’ve never taken any drugs at a live event, one of the reasons being that I don’t think anything can beat such a strong, natural high. And boy, was I up there. I’m pretty sure I found Amelia Earhart gyrating to Prydz’s remix of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus.” I really hope someone gets that reference. What ensued was a proper display of how to use crowd reactions to select what tracks to play, his classic “Pjanoo,” continuous encore screams that extended the set 40 minutes past Arena’s closing time, a mashup of Everything but the Girl’s “Missing” and Pryda’s “Europa” that nearly brought me to tears, a random facial laceration that didn’t keep me from dancing and a presentation of his album that included both singles, along with Eric’s personal favorite, “Leja.” At that point, the night was nearing its end, so the crowd didn’t mind the funky, groovy vibe and noticeably slower tempo of the track. The soiree was capped off by an impromptu autograph session, while everyone turned into a douchebag by wearing the glasses the attendants at Arena had given us at the door.
 
Prydz facial lacerations
 
     Eric Prydz is a special DJ. I may be saying this because I’m a huge fan, or because he never comes to Montreal, but it’s true. Throughout my love affair with EDM, I’ve never seen a better progression through a set than I did watching Prydz perform. It’s hard to believe how you can go from a bass-heavy tech house tune and end up with a funky, 119 bpm ballad without playing one or two songs that just seem out of place. Yet somehow he did it. His consideration of harmonic keys when he mixes, something few DJs seem to worry about, helps smooth the transition to the next track without displacing the vibe given by the last and puts him far ahead of others performers. Finally, the passion he has for his fans, while maybe not as overt as others, is extremely powerful and truly embodies the link a DJ is supposed to establish between himself and the crowd on a nightly basis. Do yourself a favor, if Eric Prydz ever comes back to Montreal, don’t miss out. Here’s where I plug our friend Samson over at Montreal-Nightclubs.com without whom, I would not have heard of Eric’s once in a lifetime trip to Montreal.
 

Eric Prydz Presents: EPIC Radio 002 by Eric Prydz Official

     Ok, so I might have been talking a lot about him during the past 2 weeks, but I promise the subject will be changed for next week’s post. Until then, have a listen to Prydz’s new podcast, EPIC Radio,  and have a great weekend!

Anachronisms Galore

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jesus
     As a former Christian, I’ve always held in favour the idea of resurrection. There’s no denying the fact that, over the past year, the Hawt’s writers have had varying levels of involvement with the blog and have struggled to keep it in existence. In fact, the past 4 months spawned a policy of laissez faire as exams were written, “trips” were taken and very few fucks were given. So here we are, apologizing for yet another prolonged hiatus and hoping that what follows will somehow convince you to place us back into your good graces: we’ve returned. The rock’s been moved, the tomb’s been emptied, Scotty’s beamed us up and we’re ready to begin anew and establish a fresh set of guidelines, or a new Hawt, if you will. The blog will now feature a post every Thursday which will highlight that week’s notable releases, any tracks we may be feeling at the moment and any snippets of information we find interesting enough to share. Those mainstays will be coupled with our usual ‘post when you want to’ attitude, which will provide a slightly more active website than before. To top it all off, I’m certain you noticed the  different reading pane with enlarged writing we’ve chosen to cater to our older, visually impaired audience. Having said this, I’d like to personally welcome you all back to the Hawt!
chicane

     I was ashamed to admit I did not know who Chicane was. Despite my adoration for trance, the identity of said artist remained a mystery to me. It was early last year that Ellis chose to post “Saltwater,” a golden oldie revered by all EDM veterans. At that point in my musical education, I was apprehensive about delving into the annals of Trance, since the epic climaxes that first drew me in seemed to be absent in older tracks. Later that year, when Above & Beyond played “Saltwater” during their weekly radio show, I reconsidered, did some research and greatly regretted the high school years plagued with mainstream music. I can picture the now 41-year old Nick Bracegirdle looking down on me and shaking his head as I bop mine to some Fallout Boy. Bracegirdle has been actively making tunes since 1994, his first notable success coming under the guise of Disco Citizens with the track “Right Here, Right Now,” an unadulterated old-school melding of trance and house. 1996 saw the arrival of the Chicane alias and the release of “Offshore,” the soothing Balearic chill out classic, known to have given Bracegirdle the title, ‘godfather of the Ibiza anthem.’ It’s in 1997 that Chicane’s first studio album, “Far from the Maddening Crowds,” was released, appearing on the UK Albums Chart for a week and peaking at number 49. After licensing issues with the record label rescinded the release for a full 5 years, the album became a hot commodity and its popularity soared, turning the simple compositions into an extremely influential vehicle for the evolution of dance music.
thousand mile stare deluxe

     15 years later, in April 2012, Chicane brought forth “Thousand Mile Stare.” The 12 track album, his fifth so far, is a veritable piece of art and very unlike any other I’ve listened to in the recent past. This isn’t a release to sift through, pick and choose favourites and discard the rest. Within the spectrum of progressive trance and chill out subgenres, “Thousand Mile Stare” hits every point of interest and all different tastes, resulting in an album that, while regrouping tunes that all sound so unique with regards to one another, all share a universal likeness to the genre which they come from. In simpler terms, every song shares certain aspects from all subgenres within its genre, regardless of the prevailing genre it is attributed. Although it can be argued that all albums do the same, there is an important nuance to be observed. Listen to the album, you’ll know what I mean. Below are 2 tracks that best communicate what precedes and happen to be my favourites from “Thousand Mile Stare.” First is “The Nothing Song,” a beautiful progressive trance track that borders on progressive house, followed by “Windbreaks,” a more upbeat song that masterfully joins the piano with numerous different percussion instruments and background vocals.
Chicane – The Nothing Song (Original Mix)
Taken from “Thousand Mile Stare”
Released on April 16th on Armada
Beatport – iTunes



Chicane – Windbreaks (Original Mix)
Taken from “Thousand Mile Stare”
Released on April 16th on Armada
Beatport – iTunes




     Chicane wasn’t the only old-school trance heavyweight to release an album this year. Richard Mowatt, better known as Solarstone, came out with “Pure,” a 13 track offering that put an ear to ear smile on all the lovers of old-school trance. For a while now, there has been a divide between trance fans young and old. Those who have been around for a while have seen the evolution of the genre and despise the housier direction in which it is heading. Some of the more hardcore fans even think that today’s trance shouldn’t identify itself as such. Solarstone’s put a muzzle on all such claims. “Pure” is filled with sweeping synths, complex melodies and meaningful vocals; all characteristics of trance from back in the day. Although there is an obvious influence from current tendencies, Solarstone does a great job to satisfy his long-standing fans while still being relevant in today’s EDM. In my opinion, there is one track that stands out from Mowatt’s 3rd studio album. It’s a collaboration with Aly & Fila called “Fireisland,” a beautiful mix of both producers’ styles. The speedy 136 beats per minute and powerful bassline, obviously tied to the Aly & Fila sound, go splendidly with the Balearic vibes and elaborate breakdown Solarstone is known for.
Solarstone with Aly & Fila – Fireisland (Original Mix)
Taken from “Pure”
Released on May 21st on Black Hole Recordings




     On June 23rd of this year, the super group known as Swedish House Mafia announced that they would disband, leaving little doubt as to who would succeed them on the throne of Swedish dance music. Eric Prydz, the architect behind such monstrous hits as “Pjanoo” and “On Off,” is the obvious replacement choice. Arguably the most consistent producer in EDM today, Prydz has established himself as one of the crown jewels of House music, succeeding throughout his career in finding the ever elusive balance between mainstream and underground culture. The origin of his production career can be traced back to an 8-year old Eric convincing his parents to buy him a keyboard. He joined a synth band named Enemy Alliance at 18, spending lots of time tinkering with their minuscule studio set up and crafting his own techno-funk tracks whenever the opportunity would arise. His first solo release would come 6 years later, when one of his demo tapes found its way into the offices of EMI’s New Religion label. Prydz went on to contribute another 3 releases to New Religion, culminating in EP3 and its smash-hit “Slammin’.” Then came the fireworks. Utilizing a slightly modified vocal sample from Steve Winwood’s “Valerie,” the young Swede unleashed “Call On Me” on Ministry of Sound’s Data Records. The single was extremely well-received, opening on both German and Irish charts at number one and topping the UK Singles chart for a full 5 weeks while giving birth to the now infamous music video, widely criticized for being overtly lewd and sexually suggestive.


     In 2004, Prydz’s own name saw a diminution in use, which led to the conception of the Cirez D and Pryda pseudonyms along with their respective labels, Mouseville (techno and tech house) and Pryda Recordings (progressive house). Over the past years, Prydz has gone back and forth, releasing almost as many tracks on both labels, as well as the rare remixes he uses his own name for. Interesting segue about how he’s never come out with an album. On May 22nd, Prydz released his debut album, “Eric Prydz Presents Pryda,” on Virgin UK. The 3 discs regroup 11 brand new Pryda tracks, 2 tweaks on existing ones and a 2 part retrospective mix which includes 24 previously released songs, some of Eric’s biggest and most successful to date. I could keep writing and tell you about the album, or I could let Eric Prydz tell you about it himself. Lets go with the latter.
Eric Prydz Presents Pryda - Track by Track Interview by Eric Prydz Official

pryda album

     It’s very difficult to single out any tracks from this album, because they’re all so very good. As biased as that statement may be (I’m a HUGE Eric Prydz fan), there’s no denying the brilliant care Prydz put into the production quality of his debut artist album. This is however, a blog and I know that very few of you will actually listen to the entire album. That soundcloud clip doesn’t do it justice. So here are, almost chosen at random, two of my favorite songs from the album.
Pryda – You (Original Mix)
Taken from “Eric Prydz Presents Pryda”
Released on May 22nd on Virgin UK
Beatport – iTunes



Pryda – Sunburst (Original Mix)
Taken from “Eric Prydz Presents Pryda”
Released on May 22nd on Virgin UK
Beatport – iTunes


     Come back next week for more Eric Prydz, as we give you a thorough review of his show at Arena. Not any big events to mention this weekend, so until next Thursday, have a great one!

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