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.

While Ellis was at Electric Zoo with Jon from Circuit 12 and while Justin has gone MIA, I went to Circus Afterhours to listen to Arty and Tritonal’s sets. I have to say, I’m not as jealous anymore for missing Electric Zoo again this year!

Before I start talking about new releases and the show at Circus, let me remind you to check out Circuit 12’s great podcast HERE. It’s a great source of new music and they have great guest mixes! Go check it out, I think they deserve A LOT more fans.

I don’t know when was the last time we didn’t talk about stuff related to Garuda, but the winning streak is not over yet. The compilation The Sound of Garuda: Chapter 2 is finally out and is great! The full versions of the songs Flash (from Ben Gold and Gareth Emery) and Mansion (from Ashley Wallbridge and Gareth Emery) are on the album and I must say, they are great! There are a lot of other tracks from other Garuda artists that are on the album and that are worth listening to, so if you like the genre of tracks Garuda releases, I’d buy the full album either on Beatport or on Itunes ASAP.

On to the show review! You guys will be happy, because after my review of the show, you will find an interview with Chad and Dave from the american duo, Tritonal, who really rocked the place at Circus on Sunday night. Like Gareth Emery would say: it cannot get any fresher than this!

The night started at 2:30 am for us when we actually woke up from a nap and drove all the way to Circus Afterhours. We got there just in time for Arty’s set, which was very good! Arty is known for his unique style, mixing tech and electro sounds with Trance. He played most of his popular tracks like Superman, Around the World and Rebound. He surprised the crowd when he played some bootlegs/mashups/remixes of tracks that we did not expect, like a mix of Nero’s Me & You with Tiesto and Diplo’s C’mon. Ravers do not know how to “dance” to dubstep (dance is a very strong word), but it was still a very good surprise! The energy of the crowd was good and I think everyone enjoyed Arty’s set.

At 5:30am, Tritonal took Arty’s place and started with force, giving a lot of energy to the people there. They played a lot of their own songs, most of them coming from their album Piercing the Quiet, which, by the way, is amazing. The duo kept the crowd dancing through their whole set and beat my expectations by a lot. As much as I was expecting a great set, I was not expecting a set that was this good and it is definitely one of my favourite set of the year until now! I was blown away! Their performance at Circus changed my vision of Dave and Chad from Tritonal, which are now, in my opinion, the DJs to follow through 2012; they release a lot of amazing tracks and are great live and I think they will keep getting better with time! Check their website HERE.

Like I said earlier, I sent them a few questions and here are the answers!

What are your primary inspirations?

Chad - We listen to a lot of alternative music, classical compositions, movie scores and even pop tracks on the radio. We're also carefully tuned to what’s going on in the industry at the moment.

Dave - We're also paying attention to what's out there music wise in video gaming as well. It can reflect what kids are listening to overall because it's such a young community.

What sets you apart from other trance producers?

Chad - Tritonal has a unique sound, catchy melodies and has been known to write some pretty cool vocal tunes. Our bass lines, in combination with vocalists like Cristina Soto have definitely given us our own vibe.

Dave - We also are pretty energetic on stage, I must say. We go all out into our performance as we do our productions; we want to make it about a night to remember instead of just "two dj/producers playing music"

What did both of you do before being full time EDM Producers and DJs?

Dave - Well I was always into computers since I can remember, so I did get into technical support for a bit for my family's company. I was also a student in college at the time as well and really had no day job other than working on my own productions... doing homework as much as I could :P

Chad - I was a student at the University of Texas, graduated with a degree in Business / Economics and minored in Audio Engineering.

What do you like the most from being EDM Producers and DJs?

Chad - The ability to constantly be creative. I love writing tracks early in the morning, with a good cup of coffee and a Logic Pro session.

Dave - You're your own creative boss - you can do whatever the hell you want, the sky is the limit and nobody is there knocking you down saying "no you can't." This isn't a 9 to 5 desk job; I love having a job where I can say "I want to try that" and do it!

You guys had amazing releases this year and we think that they will bring you a lot higher in the DJMag charts. Where do you think you will be this year?

Chad - I honestly don't know, we hope to crack the DJ Poll so just getting in would be amazing!

Dave - haha as Chad said... I don't know either. Last year, we did better than we had expected, but judging from that I can only watch and wait ;)

What are you best known for?

Piercing Quiet & Lifted are probably are biggest tunes as of yet.

Track of the year?

Lifted feat Cristina Soto

Gig of 2011?

Electric Daisy Carnival - Las Vegas (Gig of the Century?!!)

Best end of the night tune?

Still With Me feat Cristina Soto!

Best new club visited this year?

Beta Nightclub - Denver Colorado

Favourite non-dance album of 2011?

Not out yet, but guarantee it will be Mylo Xyloto by Coldplay!

You've travelled a faire amount, where would you say the girls are the most attractive?

Las Vegas, Nevada (and Montreal, of course)

Is there anyone you'd really like to work with in 2012?

Arty / Kyau & Albert

Any plans on returning to Montreal after your set at Circus Afterhours?

Indeed - let’s lock in a date asap!! \o/

What do you think of the Montreal Nightlife?

Amazing, never seen so many people go for it till 7:30am!

What do you think of the crowd in Montreal?

Incredible, can't wait to get back guys, we loved it!

Do you often go to see other DJs play? And which ones are your favourite?

We do watch other DJ's at festivals - Beyond Wonderland, Ultra Music Festival, Electric Zoo, Nocturnal and Electric Daisy are always cool places!

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? :)

They are cool sources of information, interviews, track releases and insights. We follow a few, will definitely subscribe to The Hawt!

Thank you to Dave and Chad from Tritonal and their publicist, Erin, for the great Interview! If you didn’t already vote for the DJmag top100, well, it’s that time of the year again! Go HERE to vote. And if you don’t know who to vote for, check Tritonal’s promotional video, it should help you fill one spot!

Also, check out their newly released remix of Lose Yourself from Emery & Kirsch, it’s very good!

If you still want more (like me), check out their amazing podcast, Air Up in Here, on itunes! For the tracklists go on their website, HERE.

Have a great week and come again in a few days for a new post!

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!