I’m not talking about herpes, or the time interval between posts here at The Hawt, or the difficulty of my midterms, or … whatever. I’m talking about the DJMag top100 DJs of this year. I was astonished to see how bad this year’s poll is (it’s worse than last year’s!).

I have to admit a few artists deserve their newly acquired spot in the top100 and I congratulate them (I’m talking about Tritonal, Skrillex, Hardwell, Orjan Nilsen, Alesso, AN21, Felguk, Porter Robinson and Sidney Samson), but if you take a look at the top20, you will (most likely) throw up. You will notice that David Guetta is first, beating Armin Van Buuren for the first time. This “tragedy” shows us how the poll is now a huge farce and how getting good rankings just depends on how many Facebook Likes or Twitter Followers you have. I’m sorry David Guetta, but making pop music doesn’t mean you’re a good DJ. I remember hearing him at Bal en Blanc 16 and it was the worst set I’ve heard in my life coming from one of the “greatest DJs in the world”. He may have become better, but from what I know, I still don’t think he deserves his spot.

Also, Deadmau5 keeping his 4th spot helps proving how bad the poll now is. He told DJMag himself that he’s not entirely sure why he’s 4th in that poll, since he never touched a CDJ in his life and doesn’t consider himself a DJ.

To conclude my “raging”, let’s just say that the poll has become too popular and that most people voting don’t really know many DJs and vote for the ones they hear on the radio, like Guetta, Tiesto and Deadmau5 (don’t get me wrong though, I think Tiesto deserves his spot). Check out this video of Sexy chick, definitely the best remix/edit I’ve heard! Hahaha.

On to other things…

Justice just released their newest album Audio, Video, Disco and I’ll be honest with you guys, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the album. It’s a lot less “in yer face” and more of an “old school electro” record. It’s very good music by itself and I love it, but I think their last album was a little bit better when it comes to electro (and their singles/remixes). Justice didn’t bring their style to their album as much as they usually do in their other tracks and I don’t really see their album being played live without being remixed at all, it’s not electro enough. Of course there are a few tracks that are more Justice-y, like Civilization, but there are too many soft tracks in my opinion. It’s a good album, but not what I was expecting from the French duo… but hey, at least they will probably go back on tour! (It’s been 3 years since their last visit to Montreal) I’m sure their live performance is still amazing and I can’t wait for their return. While waiting for their tour, check out their video for the song Audio, Video, Disco(which is kinda awesome to be honest):

In my last post I talked about Tritonal and how they were really good and impressed me at their set. Two weeks ago, they released a club remix of a song I loved called Still With Me (featuring the amazing Cristina Soto). I think you guys should check it out if you didn’t already do so, since it’s really great!

I’ve been listening to dubstep again in the last few weeks, hoping their would be new records that were worth listening to since the last time I really checked into it (like 1 year ago). The style really evolved and is now a lot more “complicated” than it used to be. Let me explain: if you remember, the first time most of us heard about dubstep was when Rusko released his remix of Take Me to the Hospital and at that time, most songs were simply a bass line with simple wobbles, a few random sounds here and there and one or two drops (it was also always at 70 bpm). Now, if you listen to a song from Skrillex or Nero for example, there are a lot of different synths being used, mixed with a lot more samples and it’s not always 70 bpm. Also, moombahton is exploding right now and emos that used to listen to hardcore emo and such (now listening to dubstep) are all changing to half moombah, half dubstep. I like moombahton to be honnest, but it feels really weird to see a girl (non-emo girl) that used to listen to Usher and David Guetta ask me if I know Borgore or Skrillex or even if I know about moombahton. I guess the world is evolving! (Yeah right)

Here are a few links to youtube you should definitely check out if you enjoy dubstep.

Nero – Promises (Skrillex Remix)

Excision and Downlink – The Underground

Josh Money – Let Go With You

Robyn – Call Your Girlfriend (Feed Me Remix)

That’s it for now! Have a great week and may your midterms not suck as much as mine.

POST BY JUSTIN (yes, again. his computer is not working properly for some reason.)

If you live in Canada, you’ve surely heard about the death of New Democratic Party leader, Jack Layton. Good ol’ Jack valiantly fought the nasty cancerous cells which had been plaguing him since early 2010 and surrendered early in the morning of August 22nd. He will be remembered by many as the man who brought the NDP to prominence. However, for those of you who don’t exactly know who he is or are far too immature to care about politics, like me, he will be remembered for the glorious ferret he kept on his upper lip. RIP, Jack. Now back to the music.

Since the end of the Ibiza season crosses paths with the opening of the DJ Mag top 100 poll, lots of DJs/producers are hard-pressed to spit out new tracks and leave a lasting impression before the general public goes back to work/school. I’m relatively certain that’s what Alesso and Sebastian Ingrosso had in mind when collaborating on their new track, “Calling.” Set for release on Ingrosso’s Refune Records on August 31st, this Progressive House bomb perfectly melds the distinct styles of both the veteran and his young protégé. A beautiful loop of chopped up vocals gets the tune underway, flowing into the short breakdown and introducing the simple, yet catchy melody. Then comes a vital part of the tune, the bassline. It oscillates in and out of audible volume and slowly rises from low to high pitch. It somewhat resembles the cuts in Alesso’s remix of Pressure, making me think the loop comes from him. It adds a magnificent contrast to the lead synth and truly makes “Calling” what it is. The only drawback I have to this collaboration is the way the volume of the different layers is distributed. All previous previews of this track came from live performances with loud bass, completely overshadowing the bassline and diminishing my enjoyment. I’d have to hear it live myself to properly judge, but still a great song to have on your iPod.

Sebastian Ingrosso & Alesso – Calling (Original Mix)

Released on August 31st on Refune Records

In lieu of recent events, I find it hard to believe that computer software and an idiotic arsonist come before British producing partners when you search “Nero” on Google. The duo of Daniel Stephens and Joe Ray has got to be the hottest act in the Dubstep and Drum ‘N Bass worlds right now. With the emerging popularity of Nero’s collaborative remix with Skrillex of their own “Promises” and last week’s massive release of their debut artist album, “Welcome Reality,” it seems like the group has set a nearly insurmountable bar for any of the subgenres’ other artists. Their productions have reached the far corners of the EDM universe, turning Trance, House and Techno enthusiasts, as well as far too many critics, into huge fans. Needless to say, I’m a big supporter and their latest remix of Calvin Harris’ “Feel So Close” does nothing but strengthen my love for these two geniuses. In this reworking, they keep the vocals intact and precisely incorporate quick stabbing drum sounds that go great with the inevitable wobbles of Dubstep. To top it all off, the remix is outfitted with a brilliant, fast-paced melody that, combined with the lyrics, give the song a satirical feeling of sinister comfort. Give it a listen, there’s an open spot next to me on the Nero bandwagon.

Calvin Harris – Feel So Close (Nero Remix)

Released on August 22nd on Ultra Records

Beatport – iTunes

As if listening to their music wasn’t fun enough, Nero designed their very own Facebook-integrated arcade game, in which you can sample 6 tracks from “Welcome Reality.” Take control of Daniel, Joe or Alana (vocalist on most of their tracks, although not technically a part of the group) and go postal as street thugs attack from all sides. The more points you have, the more tracks you unlock. Play the game here or check out the whole album here.

Diplo’s history as a collaborator leaves little doubt that he is more than just your average DJ/producer. Unbeknownst to the majority of the public, the Philadelphia native is partly responsible for massive chart topping hits, such as M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes,” Beyonce’s “Rule The World (Girls),” Snoop Dogg and Kid Cudi’s “That Tree,” Chris Brown, Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne’s “Look At Me Now” and an immeasurable quantity of other wildly popular tracks. His latest team effort, a Dubstep/Electronica track with Datsik and vocalist Kay, surpasses almost all of his previous work, as far as the dance floor is concerned. The track starts with a comical manipulation of Kay’s voice, making her sound like a husky rapper with throat cancer. This paves the way for the breakdown, which is characterized by scattered kick drums, a nagging wind sound, bits of vocals and an awkward melody, all building up to a veritable “calm before the storm” moment. Where Stoneface & Terminal succeed in Trance, Diplo and Datsik do in Dubstep; the drop is the offspring of Hurricane Katrina and Mount Vesuvius. It’s jumping off the Empire State Building and having God turn up the effects of gravity tenfold. The drop is so hard, it makes diamonds feel like sponge cake. Strong, heavy synths and Datsik’s signature “Transformers” sound crowd the meaty part as the title of the track, “Pick Your Poison,” is repeated amidst the bass-heavy and undeniably massive sound. This song is a must-have for all Dubstep fans and will surely be played for a long time.

Diplo & Datsik – Pick Your Poison (Original Mix)

Released on August 2nd on Mad Decent

Beatport – iTunes

It’s been over a year since the first Sound of Garuda album was released. The 2-disc compilation brought us tracks like Ben Gold’s “Sunstroke” and was also the platform for the original release of Gareth Emery’s incredible re-edit of “Lethal Stadium Four.” This time around, Garuda is going with a single-disc, 12 track compilation with all exclusive tunes. Taking tracks and artist from a multitude of labels, Emery seems to have chosen songs that best reflect and hone the Garuda sound, hence the name of the compilation series. The Sound of Garuda: Chapter 2 will feature exclusive tracks and mixes from Garuda veterans, such as M.I.K.E. and Mark Eteson, as well as newcomers Craig Connelly and Michael Jay Parker, Triarchy’s first original production and of course, two tracks from the leader of the label himself.

The Sound of Garuda: Chapter 2

Released on Garuda on September 5th

(If the soundcloud doesn’t work go HERE or HERE if the first option doesn’t work either)

Now a quick event update. If you won’t be going to New York for Electric Zoo or Toronto for Labour of Love, then its no sweat off your back. That’s right, Montreal finally decided to plan a few big events for labour day weekend. Fei-Fei gets the weekend started on Friday at Circus Afterhours, with a big chunk of that night’s proceeds going to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. On Saturday, September 3rd, Sebastian Ingrosso makes an appearance at Metropolis for a solo show. If you leave as soon as it’s over, you might be able to scurry over to Circus in time for the start of John Digweed’s set. If you read this blog, you probably aren’t a Techno fan, but you still might want to get your ticket for the legendary Carl Cox at Stereo. Physically and musically, the man is a tank. He’ll have some tough competition with Umek, Arty and Tritonal all playing at Circus on the same night. My pick: Circus with the superstar trio. It’s half the price of Carl Cox’s show and features 3 artist instead of one. Have a great Labour Day weekend!

Alright so last Saturday was I went to see Wolfgang Gartner and, like it seems to have become a common occurrence in the past couple of months, I was alone for most of the night. Didn’t really matter because it was awesome. Felt kinda stupid though, it completely slipped my mind that it was a White Party, so like a retard, I’m dressed in yellow and grey… For once, the opening Djs were really good, playing crazy dubstep and electro all night. For some reason, I couldn’t find out who they were and no one seemed to know really, I even went to ask the lighting technician and he had no clue either. Damn shame, also didn't know most of the songs they played but here’s a couple of songs in that same style.

Cracks (Flux Pavilion Remix) - Freestylers

Bring Back Boogie – Alex Mind vs Far Too Loud

And obviously when Wolfgang came on, he brought it to a new level.   You might remember that back in 2009, Fred called that he was going to be big and damn he was right!

Space Junk – Wolfgang Gartner

Music Sounds Better With You – Stardust                                            Track like this always makes a set that much better

Aight so I’ve been listening to a lot of electro recently and Dirtyloud are definitely one of my favourites at the moment.

Breakdown (Dirtyloud Remix) – Cold Blank

Let You Go (Nero Remix) – Chase & Status

And lastly, here are a couple of badass tracks from Tiësto’s Clublife who’s really been on fire recently with his podcast in my opinion.

Across the Light – Swanky Tunes

One Hot Pleasure (Sultan & Ned Sheppard Remix) – Erika Jayne      Dirtyloud also has a nice remix of this.

Think About the Way 2010 (Instrumental) – Virtual Vault feat. Ice MC

And there you go, I believe this goes down as my first trance-less post. Enjoy.

Hey guys, it's been a while, but I've got lots of wisdom to impart. This past weekend was a big one for the performing arts in the city of Montreal. First off, the Osheaga Music Festival returned for its 2010 edition, thus welcoming various artists to Jean-Drapeau Park. The 2 day ordeal lived up to its hype, attracting over 50 000 indie music lovers to see headlining bands such as Arcade Fire, Weezer, Metric and Snoop Dogg. Major Lazer played on the second day, playing one of their awesome mixes consisting of Pon de Floor and The Bloody Beetroots' Warp. Deadmau5 was scheduled to play a set, but was unable to attend. The mau5's July 30th D.C. show was cut short when the Canadian DJ collapsed due to exhaustion. He was violently vomiting and was escorted offstage by medics. His poor health forced him to cancel his next 9 tour dates, including Osheaga.

The second event worth mentioning is a free downtown show called Divers/Cite. Attendees were encouraged to donate 2$, a measly fee used to keep the yearly event going. Emilie-Gamelin Park played host to many trance fans who had come to see DJ Insomnia, DJ Wizz, Sied van Riel and headliners Cosmic Gate. Sied van Riel sounded great, but Cosmic Gate stole the show. Their live set showed exactly why they belong in DJ Mag's top 100. In fact, they were so entertaining that some fans followed to Laval to watch their after hours performance at RedLite. The whole night was somewhat instructive as it displayed the acoustical differences between indoor and outdoor shows. Nevertheless, they were great in both settings. Here is a track from their July chart.

Cosmic Gate - Barra (Extended Mix)

So the annual DJ Mag rankings are going to be coming out pretty soon. Voting has begun and various DJs are preparing themselves. To my knowledge, the list will be released mid-September, which is why Armin van Buuren coordinated the release of his new album with the results. Mirage is set for an early September arrival. Full Focus, Armin's latest leaked tune, will surely be featured on the album. Here's a pretty decent remix.

Armin van Buuren - Full Focus (Ummet Ozcan Remix)

You will definitely hear these next 2 if you decide to go to a nightclub anytime soon. They have both been moving up and down beatport's top 10 most downloaded list for some time. I have no idea who Mark Knight is, but Wolfgang Gartner is always great and when it comes to House, Steve Angello is too.

Mark Knight & Wolfgang Gartner - Conscindo (Original Club Mix)
Steve Angello - KNAS (Original Mix)

It seems that every time we apologize for long post pauses, we end up slacking and even more time passes between the next 2. So instead of apologizing, I'm just going to make up for it by giving you guys some extra tracks. I don't usually like Techno or Tech House, but this next track is very entertaining. Viscosity is very popular in the Techno world, and so is Josh Gabriel. This is my favorite remix of his song.

Josh Gabriel - Viscosity (David Call Remix)


I was asked if I knew about this next song a short while ago. I did and I always thought it was a great song, which made me wonder why it has not been featured on the blog. Nero, a Drum and Bass duo from UK, has grown significantly over the past few months, owing much of its success to the following.

Nero (UK) - Innocence (Original Mix)

Was I the only one under the impression that Deadmau5 was the only musician who released tracks on mau5trap? Apparently, another artist named Moguai does as well. Unlike Deadmau5 who plays around with different styles, Moguai focuses on progressive house. His music makes me think of the softer Deadmau5 stuff, but slightly better suited for a club. European clubs though; not enough North Americans know what good dance music is.

Moguai - Oyster (Michael Woods Remix)
Big World ft. Markus Binapfl - Quadrillion (Moguai Remix)

And of course, no post of mine would be complete without dubstep. Here's another Doctor P remix, along with a new release from Datsik, the filth master.

Datsik - Hydraulic
Caspa - Marmite (Doctor P Remix)

He looks dirty in person too.

Hullo people. It’s finally march break… that means we have a week to sleep, eat fast food and party. Or if your name starts with W, you may go to Vancouver. OH BY THE WAY, Will is gone to Vancouver to see the Olympic games so when he comes back, yell at him and tell him he’s a lucky son of a bitch. GO CANADA GO…

Many events have been confirmed last week/lately and it seems like there will be many fun stuff happening this spring. (To see what was already confirmed, check THIS post) First thing happening is the ILOVENEON & HIGH FOOD Festival from March 25th to March 27th. The line-up is pretty neat on the first and third day (the second day is not as interesting for the price). Here are the line-ups for the 3 days:

1st day: Benga, Flying Lotus, Lazer Sword + MORE.

2nd day: Duchess Says, Joakim, Le Matos, Why Alex Why + MORE

3rd day: PROXY, FAKEBLOOD, BOY 8-BIT, Jordan Dare, Thomas Von Party + MORE (this is a fucking MASSIVE LINE-UP)

Like you can see, the important names are in red. The first day is going to be a lot of bass (Benga’s dubstep is really sick), but beside Benga, I don’t know the others very well. The second day is a little expensive for the DJs in my opinion (same price as the other days) and isn’t as interesting, I’ll probably sleep to get ready for… THE THIRD AND LAST DAY IS GOING TO BE FUCKING INSANE, THIS LINE-UP IS FAWKING MASSIVVEEEE. Proxy, Fake Blood and Boy 8-Bit are all amazing, really. Jordan dare is also really fun and listening to Tiga’s younger brother Thomas won’t be too bad either! 1 day is 25$ and after that if you take the 2day or 3day pass, it’s 20$/night. I’m pretty sure I’ll go to the third day, it’ll be INSANE.

I’m not done.

On April 10th, there will be JFK (from MSTRKRFT), Jordan Dare (again..) and St Mandrew. The price isn’t confirmed yet, but It’ll be around 20$ I think, I’ll keep you guys posted. This ought to be a fun night, JFK is awesome. I miss MSTRKRFT; last year’s show was super cool.

Guess what? I’M STILL NOT DONE. Holy shit this spring will be fun!

On May 8th, there will be the Ed Banger Party (without Justice…). The present line-up is Busy P and SO ME, but more DJs will be added soon so I’ll keep you up to date with that also. If you like what Justice plays, you can’t miss this event (they all play the same tracks… or almost), I’ll probably go also (unless I have finals to study that week…). Like the 2 other events, this will be happening at SAT, but this one could be costing a little more since Ed Banger Crew is very… J… I mean… greedy.   (:

Other shows are happening, but I don’t personally think they’re worth mentioning. I’m not saying they’ll be boring, I’m just saying that they’re not as awesome as m… I mean, the other shows. If I had more money I would go to most of them even though I didn’t mention them here. Check iloveneon.ca for info on the other shows.

Of course a post without music is really bad and anyways, I downloaded about 300 amazing songs in 10 days so I have a lot for you. Don’t forget this is my March Break Special.

Like some of you know, Rusko joined Diplo’s (WOOOO.) label, MADDECENT and just released (officially…) Woo Boost yesterday, so now I can post it without having MADDECENT on my ass. Rusko played it at Igloofest if you wanted to know. I won’t talk about the other tracks too much since I’m posting 11… Read the comments in purple if you want a brief description. I would download all of them if I were you though.

Rusko – Woo Boost (Wobble Wobble)

Afrojack – Pacha On Acid (Thanks to Gottadancedirty for this one)

Afrojack – Bangduk (I don’t like posting set rips, but this one is worth it)

Afrojack, Bobby Burns – Ghettoblaster (Yes, Afrojack again. He’s on fire lately, releasing A LOT of awesome tracks)

Tocadisco feat. Nadia Ali – Better Run (Afrojack Remix) (This track is really, really sick. Afrojacked, again.)

Jason Derulo - Whatcha Say (Afrojack Mix) (Another rip from a set, this one is really awesome and is probably one of the best remixes of Whatcha Say)

Switch – Grace (Laidback Luke Edit) (This song is sick. Seriously.)

L-Vis 1990 - United Groove (MJ Cole Remix) (Thanks again to Gottadancedirty for this one. This song is DIRTY, VERY FUCKING DIRTY)

Robbie Rivera, Dero - 1980 - Maurizio Gubellini Insane Mix (BLEEP BLEEEEP. This track sounds more professional, but still dirty.)

Booty Luv - Say It (Nero Remix) (Very good dubstep track, but not dirty at all, even your mom could love it! cough cough “it”)

Excision ft. Datsik - Retreat (Original Mix) (WHAT THE FUCK. If you don’t know what these guys make… this is some massive bass/darkstep. It’s sick.)

Have a nice March Break and enjoy these tracks, they’re all awesome.

If you’re from Montreal and want me to buy your tickets, here is my policy: No refund and no tickets before I get the cash. I don’t buy more than ONE batch of tickets so once I bought mine, if you forgot to ask, you need to buy it yourself. Also, if it’s 34.01$, I ask for 35$. I’m J… I mean… greedy.

Late information: If you like “chill” dubstep like the song Say it (posted above) or Starry Eyed (Jakwob remix) (posted somewhere on the blog, be the first one to use the search feature!), Luvstep is for you. It’s an hour mix with all very good dubstep songs and it was posted for Valentine’s Day (I know this is a late info). For more info on DJs and the tracklisting + download link go to luvstep.com. This would deserve a full post talking about how awesome the mix is, but heh, I already have enough stuff to post right now.

I realize that I haven't posted anything for a while, and excuse myself sincerely but fuck it, I've been busy.

Do you guys know who Bob Marley is?...Of course you do. Well, my old friend Bob had a couple of kids. His youngest son, Damian, followed the same steps as his dad. One thing he didn't know was that his voice would be used to complement some sickass beats.

It Was Written - Damian Marley (Chasing Shadows Remix)

I also went to igloofest twice this year (the two most awesome nights of the year)! Ever since Noisia, I've been craving me some D & B. Here's a sick version of Sweat Dreams (to be played EXTREMELY loud!).

Sweat Dreams - Eurythmics (Noisia Remix)

Do you remember Contact - Foreign Beggars (ft. Noisia)? Well Noisia and Foreign Beggars have been working together again to make this awesome new song. I rarely laugh when listening to music, but the lyrics you're about to hear made me crack out in the bus on my way home. The old couple and random lesbo sitting next to me got the shit scared out of them. I enjoyed the whole situation very much.

Shake It - Foreign Beggars (ft. Noisia)

To top it all off, some calmer music that'll make you feel better on a rainy day. Enjoy!

Blinded By The Lights - The Streets (Nero Remix)