Thanks to social networking, Miami Music Week can be experienced, up to a certain extent, all around the world. Past years have seen the biggest names in Electronic music put on a show for tens of thousands at the Ultra Music Festival and side shows in and around Miami. The week is designed to regroup the cream of the crop and give DJs a chance to roadtest their new tracks. This is also the case for the last few shows leading up to Miami, as Fred, Ellis and I learned 2 Fridays ago, on the 19th of March.

Life is good if you’re Nick van de Wall. In addition to winning a Grammy for his remix of Madonna’s “Revolver” with David Guetta, the 23-year old, better known as Afrojack, also pocketed 2 of this year’s IDMAs for “Best Remixer” and “Breakthrough DJ.” The Dutch House prodigy, co-producer of Chris Brown’s latest track, currently in first place on Billboard’s R&B chart, has recently hashed out a tune with Pitbull & Nayer which is getting loads of airtime on the radio. To top it all off, he released a massive tune yesterday (see below) that is sure to climb the Beatport charts in a hurry. You can understand our excitement when we learned that he would be coming to Montreal. Unfortunately, Afrojack spun his set at La Folie. At the risk of reiterating the Dash Berlin show, La Folie is the crab apple in the beautiful orchard that is Montreal. Since euphoria can make you forget about your surroundings, we decided to go anyways.

Afrojack’s set was exactly as we had prophesized: high energy, wildly entertaining, heavy on the bass and eclectic. Amidst the amazing manipulations of “Bangduck”, “Pacha On Acid” and “Replica” were lots of new unknown tracks. Some were tailored to his usual style, but others had more of a techy, artistic-feel to them. Although not very rave-oriented, these songs were a clear sign of the Dutchman’s musical range that he failed to show in the past. They were also the first look at his new alias, Shermanology. Unlike other DJs who smile into the masses with a blank stare, Mr. van de Wall often had his head thrown back and looked to be entranced by his own sound, a true testament to his passion for House music. The rest of the night was devoted to destroying the club and sending the crowd home satisfied by using remixes of “Hide and Seek,” “Louder Than Words” and a special mashup of Steve Angello & Laidback Luke’s “Be” and Afrojack’s “Pacha On Acid.”

Afrojack vs Steve Angello & Laidback Luke – Be Pacha (Andrew Dee & Joker Inc Bootleg)

Yesterday, Afrojack released the first of his post-Miami tunes. This song is a true beauty, something we have all come to expect from him. The Dutch influence, ever so present, appears in the form of Electronic wailing and is isolated near the first drop. Sub bass leaves a deep imprint in this tune and hints towards big room allure. The melody comprises most of the build-ups and lingers throughout the track, only to join the Dutch sound in a climactic ending which creates a dazzling hybrid between commercial interest, club appeal and artistic integrity.

Afrojack – Doing It Right (Original Mix) Beatport

“Doing It Right” wasn’t the only release on Spinnin’ Records yesterday. Swedish duo Olle Corneer and Stefan Engblom, better known as Dada Life, presented a track of their own called “Fight Club Is Closed (It’s Time For Rock ‘N’ Roll).” This is a typical Dada Life tune, relying heavily on the Electro tendencies and perfect for playing out. The calmer portions of the song seem rather boring and sometimes annoying as the vocals feel displaced and are repeated a little too often. However, the drop is completely worth the wait. As Stefan explains, “[…] other producers’ plugins go to 10. Ours go to 11.” This is yet another hard-hitting, quality tune from Dada Life which is certain to induce a party atmosphere.

Dada Life – Fight Club Is Closed (It’s Time For Rock ‘N’ Roll) Beatport

Onto the Trance side of things.

This past Sunday, Ultra gave Armin van Buuren his very own stage to perform the second leg of his podcast’s 500th milestone anniversary. The massive show was conducted by some of the biggest members of the Trance family: Markus Schossow, Alex M.O.R.P.H., Cosmic Gate, Gareth Emery, Ferry Corsten, Armin himself, ATB and Sander van Doorn joined forces in that precise order to deliver 12 straight hours of pleasure. The show was available for live streaming on the internet and Fred, his brother, and I were tuned in for the marathon radio show. It became quite clear that the entire world was listening when MORPHgasms and Gareth Emery both momentarily became trending topics on Twitter. Some of the highlights were M.O.R.P.H.’s remix of Triple A’s “Winter Stayed,” an ID remix of Gareth Emery and Mark Frisch’s “Into The Light” and when Ferry played Maarten de Jong’s bootleg of Coldplay’s “The Scientist.” Above all these was a track played by Andre Tanneberger, a.k.a. ATB, who wowed the crowd with another unknown marvel. Dash Berlin revealed the song’s identity today. The track, dubbed “Apollo Road,” is a collaboration between the two men. Using ATB’s wealth of experience and Dash’s fresh take on today’s Trance, the guys have managed to create a unique piece which seems to gather from trends old and new.

Here are a few dates to look forward to:

Friday April 1st – Size Matters w/ Steve Angello, Max Vangeli & AN21 @ Metropolis

Friday April 8th – Umek, tyDi and Ali Wilson @ Circus Afterhours

Saturday April 9th – Felix Da Housecat @ Circus Afterhours

Friday April 15th – Blake Jarrell @ Circus Afterhours [UPDATE]

Sunday April 17th – Sander Kleinenberg @ Imperial Room

Friday April 22nd – Myon & Shane 54 @ Imperial Room, Marcel Woods and John Askew @ Circus Afterhours [UPDATE]

Saturday April 23rd – Wolfgang Gartner @ Club Soda, Kaskade @ La Mouche [UPDATE]

Sunday April 24th – Rusko @ Metropolis [UPDATE]

Sunday April 24th – Bal En Blanc 17 @ Palais des Congrès

Friday May 20th M.I.K.E. and Mr.Pit @ Circus Afterhours

Saturday May 21st – Andy Moor and Stoneface & Terminal @ Circus Afterhours

Sunday May 22nd – Armin van Buuren @ Beachclub

Friday June 3rd – Axwell @ La Folie [UPDATE]

Friday June 10th – Leon Bolier @ Circus Afterhours

Thursday June 23rd – Tytanium Sessions 100 with Sean Tyas, Arnej, Simon Patterson & Raneem @ Circus Afterhours [UPDATE]

 

To finish, I promise that my post will include the Super 8 & Tab interview. Our technical advisor has been hard at work and has delivered a great looking video. All we’re waiting for is the ok from Anjunabeats!

Few artists have as distinct a sound as The Bloody Beetroots. Their stage name, pluralized, may cause confusion. Although the live shows sport more than one member, the production side of things is undertaken solely by Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo. After emerging onto the scene in 2007, he has managed to vault The Bloody Beetroots to the height of EDM in a mere 3 years. Gathering influences from Electro, Indie, Punk, Acid and a multitude of other sources, Bob has been able to create a unique style which escapes categorization. Characterized by an overwhelming energy, a thirst for audible exhaustion and a sonic representation of chaos, his tunes have been accepted across the world as soundtracks to numerous lavish parties, as shown in the music video for his song “Cornelius.”

The pair included in the video is comprised of Sir Bob, along with his partner in crime, DJ Tommy Tea. The live shows are unlike any other. Electronic music duos usually imply two people behind the decks, with one DJing and the other pumping up the crowd. The Bloody Beetroots’ are similar to Pendulum’s: they incorporate real instruments and vocals, which ties a closer bond to the audience. With Bob’s unorthodox style in the studio, his partnership with Tommy onstage and the sinister Venom masks they both wear, it wasn't long before the rest of the world took notice. Steve Aoki, owner of Dim Mak Records, welcomed Sir Bob to his prestigious label in 2008 with the release of Rombo EP. Being such a diverse production, Beatport was unable to qualify the songs and simply put it in the Indie/Nu Disco category, the spot where all of the indefinable tracks are put. In fact, nearly all of his releases are qualified as such, thus strengthening their uniqueness. Then came Warp.

The success of the track alone would probably have been enough to launch The Bloody Beetroots into stardom. The song was a monster hit the instant it was heard, garnishing support from DJs across the globe. Featuring a newly acquired friend, none other than Steve Aoki, the song was accepted by an unimaginable number of fans ranging through all popular genres. It is a perfect choice to do exactly what Bob’s intends his sets to do: connect with his audience through an artistic experiment with chaos. Still today, nearly 3 years after its release, crowds go insane at the sound of it. The tune blends Electro trends with those of Punk, creating a hardcore and digitized atmosphere. Like his previous work, Warp adds to the distance Bob tries to put between himself and mainstream trends.

In an attempt to demystify The Bloody Beetroots’ persona, The Hawt reached out to Sir Bob, who was kind enough to provide a short interview:

“What are some of your earliest inspirations? 

- Punk 77, Classical Music, Old School Electro

What sets you apart from other Electro House producers? (Was trying to figure out the genre. Took a shot.)

- Schizophrenia

We’ve come up with 2 theories: either you’ve got a Spiderman fetish or you’re terribly ugly. Why the masks?

- I have a postmodern conception of the commedia dell'arte

What are some of your favourite producers and what makes their releases so great?

- Rick Rubin – it’s his touch

To which track would you attribute your breakthrough onto the EDM scene?

- The Whip “Muzzle No.1” Bloody Beetroots Rmx

Which song(s) has gotten you the best crowd reaction so far in 2011?

- No songs, I bet on the strength of chaos

You've traveled a fair amount. In which part of the world are the hottest girls?

- Iceland

We know you love coming to Montreal. How would you describe our city’s nightlife?

- Alcoholic

New tracks, remixes, world tours, collaborations; what can we expect from The Bloody Beetroots in 2011?

- Chaos theory becomes reality

What do you think about music blogs? In your opinion, are they helping or hurting artists? Do you follow any blogs? Will you read The Hawt?

- I can't generalize. They help and they don’t; freedom of information often becomes misinformation. Everyone should be able to discern. Yes, I read The Hawt.”

Evidently, Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo is a man of very few words. Although not all of Bob’s interviews are as short and sweet, they are straight to the point and this exchange still tells lots about him. Behind the well thought out speech and the onstage binge drinking is a man who is very comfortable with his inability to be read.

During the most recent tours, the usual name was dropped for Death Crew 77, a group consisting of Bob, Tommy and a drummer named  Edward Grinch. With the added dimension of rhythmic prowess, it’s safe to say that The Bloody Beetroots offer one of the most complete live EDM experiences.

Apart from trying to realize chaos theory, Sir Bob started 2011 with the release of a compilation containing his most popular remixes. This one is also under Beatport’s Indie/Nu Disco spell and carries the very simplistic name: “Best of…Remixes.” Feel free to sample the tracks through the link below.

The Bloody Beetroots – Best Of…Remixes                                Released on Beatport on January 15th

Beatport

Have a great week and stay tuned to The Hawt for the Super8 & Tab interview which should be up anytime soon.

Photos courtesy of Nacho Alvarez Nabscab