Sunnery & Ryan have made several trips to South Africa over the years. On their journeys, they got to connect with the new wave of often very tribal and rhythmic house music being produced there right now and even met Heavy-K, one of the country’s biggest producers.
You can already guess where this is going; Sunnery, Ryan and Heavy-K struck up a conversation, exchanged ideas and now bring to the table an empowering and hopeful track that speaks of the struggles in South African townships and cries out for change to come: ‘Amanzi‘, featuring South African singer-songwriter Just Bheki.
One of the more delicate cuts in Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano‘s production arsenal, ‘Amanzi‘ ties their knack for tribal beats with a more musical angle that’s bound to tickle many a dance music lover’s taste buds.
Made in tandem with Heavy-K and Just Bheki, this emotive deep house journey shows a new side to Dutch duo’s broad-spectrum artistry, all the while reflecting their determination to raise awareness and positively impact the world.
The seventh edition of the Sea Dance Festival, which will last for four days this year, from 26th to 29th August in the turquoise bay of Buljarica beach in Budva, features a fantastic line-up composed of leading international and regional electronic, rock and trap/hip-hop stars, led by to Boris Brejcha, Maceo Plex, Tale Of Us, Meduza, Satori, Ann Clue, Tijana T, Bajaga i Instruktori, Senidah, Vojko V, Surreal, Fox, Sajsi MC, Z++, Ognjen, Klinac, Muha and hosts Who See.
After a successful launch of the Sunland Festival in Bulgaria, which was attended by more than 15,000 people, almost 200,000 visitors have passed through Exit‘s two festivals this summer. That number is set to increase as the grand finale of the summer season is coming in the form of Sea Dance on the beautiful Adriatic coast.
Sunland Festival – Youngest Member of Exit’s Festival Family
The premiere edition of Sunland, a new festival from the Exit family, was held last weekend in front of 15,000 people on one of the most impressive beaches in Bulgaria — the enchanting Perla near the town of Primorsko. During the three festival nights, the audience had the opportunity to enjoy the performances of Nina Kraviz, IAMDDB, Offenbach, Matador, Tijana T, and many others.
The performers particularly praised Sunland’s location and the complete festival experience, so Nina Kraviz spent three days on the Bulgarian coast, and Offenbach partied with resident DJs until the morning after their performance at the festival.
Security Protocol for Entering the Festival
One of the key conditions for the festival taking place is adherence to security protocols for the organization of mass events, which the EXIT festival applied in Novi Sad, but adapted to the conditions in Montenegro. The festival will be open to anyone who has received at least one dose of the vaccine, anyone who can prove that they have had COVID (with a document no older than 180 days), and anyone who can present a negative PCR or rapid antigen test result.
Tickets
Interest in this year’s Sea Dance Festival is exceptionally high, and tickets are selling out fast. A limited number of tickets for Sea Dance Festival 2021 is currently on sale at a promotional price of £39 | 44 € + b/f, a 40% discount on the final price. One-day tickets are sold at a promo price of 20 € + b/f , also at a 40% discount.
All tickets can be purchased through the Gigstix sales network. More information can be found on the official website of the Sea Dance Festival. All tickets purchased for the 2020 edition are valid for this year’s festival.
In the past six years, the Adriatic coast has echoed with hits from megastars such as The Prodigy, David Guetta, Skrillex, Fatboy Slim, Sven Väth, Nina Kraviz, Alice Merton, Richie Hawtin, Jamiroquai, Underworld, Rudimental, Róisín Murphy, Hurts, Lost Frequencies, John Newman, Sean Paul, Robin Schulz, Nile Rodgers, but also the biggest music stars in the region who have attracted close to 300,000 fans of good music from all meridians to Budva.
Numerous global media, including CNN, New York Times, Guardian, Conde Nast, Metro, Daily Mirror, Daily Express and others, have recommended Sea Dance as one of the world’s best beach festivals and have advised their millions of followers to spend their vacations in Montenegro, establishing Budva and the Montenegrin coast as an exclusive and modern tourist destination. Through its previous six editions, Sea Dance has brought more than 50 million euros to Montenegrin tourism and economy.
First acts revealed | Sea Dance Festival 2021:
Meduza, Satori and Bajaga at the Sea Dance Festival 2021 Opening:
The creators of one of the biggest festivals in Europe are bringing again iconic names for the underground genres of music. Charlotte de Witte, Claptone, Seth Troxler, Caspa, Cellini, Colyn, DJ Snow & MC Agent, and many more are set to perform at the Alchemy, Galaxy, and Fortune stages at the long-anticipated 6th edition of the UNTOLD festival in Cluj-Napoca in Romania.
Charlotte de Witte will make her first appearance at the UNTOLD festival, just for your listening pleasure. Winner of the Alternative Top 100 DJs in 2020 and entitled “Techno’s next-gen superstar” back in 2017, Charlotte de Witte has quickly established herself as one of the most impressive and visible artists in the global world of techno.
Also, for the first time at the UNTOLD festival comes the multi-talented Dutch DJ and producer, Colyn who will transform the mesmerizing Galaxy Stage into a place where time and space don’t matter anymore because that’s what his music sounds like. Thanks to his euphoric synths and grooves, Colyn, who started producing at the age of 9, became a well-recognized character after the release of “Amor”, a track that Tale of Us used constantly in their live appearances. Colyn’s productions have entered the DJ sets of the most famous tech and techno DJs worldwide such as Joris Voorn, Kölsch, Rüfüs Du Sol, Adriatique, Artbat, Stephan Bodzin and Solomun.
Claptone, is also preparing a very special show for the lucky attendees at UNTOLD, at the magical Galaxy stage. It is possible that his true identity will never be revealed, being protected, at every live appearance, by the famous golden mask, but one thing is certain about Claptone: He never disappoints and is always ready and more than capable to set the party on fire!
His re-work version for “Liquid Spirit” (Gregory Porter) entered the list of best-selling songs on the Beatport platform, and “Cream”, “Good To You” and “No Eyes” (feat. JAW) are considered as some of the greatest productions in the history of deep house music. Claptone also has two record sales albums in his portfolio, “Charmer” (2015) and “Fantast” (2018), which include the super hits “Heartbeat” and “Under The Moon”, songs he worked on with the soloist Nathan Nicholson, but also “The Music Got Me” and “In The Night”, where on the vocal line he co-opted Ben Duffy. For 4 years in a row, Claptone was voted “The highest house DJ” in DJ Mag Top 100.
Master Seth Troxler completes the new phase of artists for the Galaxy scene, among Cellini and Yaya. This year, in the UNTOLD Galaxy league, are playing Paul Kalkbrenner Live, Amelie Lens, Jamie Jones B2B Loco Dice, Nina Kraviz, Pan-Pot, Raresh, Rhadoo, and Tale of Us.
UNTOLD Galaxy stage 2021
The Alchemy stage this September will be bigger than ever! Caspa will come back in true style with his very unique sounds. DJ Snow & MC Agent, two artists who generate buzz in drum & bass, will play a dynamic and versatile mix for the fans.
The line-up for the Alchemy Stage is completed by the most famous Romanian names in hip-hop and trap including Grassu XXL, ȘATRA BENZ, Spike, Parasites, Deliric X Silent Strike, Killa Fonic, DOC, Amuly, Macanache, Nane, Bruja, and Culese din Cartier.
UNTOLD Alchemy Stage 2021
Aly & Fila, Andrew Rayel, Cosmic Gate, Emma Hewitt, Giuseppe Ottaviani, John O’Callaghan, Markus Schulz are some of the best trance artists at the moment and are all coming to the Fortune stage for this year’s edition.
Trance music fans will also be able to enjoy the performances of Alex M.O.R.P.H, Allen Watts, Billy Gillies, Bogdan VIX, Bryan Kearney, Corti Organ, Craig Connelly, DRYM, Exolight, Factor B, Gardenstate, Jordan Suckley, MEN-D, Nikolauss, Paul Thomas, Ram & Susana Pres. Tales Of Life, Richard Durand, Roman Messer, Ruben De Ronde, Sneijder, Solarstone, Starpicker, Suncatcher, Super8 & Tab, The Real Experience, The WLT, and Will Atkinson.
UNTOLD Fortune 2021 stage
The hard-working organizers of the UNTOLD festival say that they will soon reveal a new wave of artists and DJs who are looking forward to performing this year in Cluj-Napoca. So far, the world’s first DJs have been announced: David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Steve Aoki, Alok, Afrojack, DJ Snake, Lost Frequencies, Benny Benassi, and Martin Solveig.
The Script, Parov Stelar, and the American rapper TYGA, who’ll make his debut at UNTOLD this year, complete the live acts for the festival.
UNTOLD 2021 takes place between 9 and 12 September. The event is open to
vaccinated fans (for whom have passed 10 days since the completion of the complete
vaccination schedule), tested (antigen or PCR) or those who have gone through the disease
(and are in the period between 15th and 180th days after confirmation of SARS-VOC-2
infection).
For more details visit their official website untold.com.
Esteemed electronic dance music talent Sander van Doorn returns to the release radar as Purple Haze with ‘Faces’, a hard-hitting techno masterpiece that directly follows his late April-released remix of Above & Beyond and Armin van Buuren’s 2019 hit single ‘Show Me Love’.
It also serves as a follow-up to Doorn’s ‘What You Want‘, the last groundbreaking techno gem to come from the venerated DJ/producer earlier in the year, as well as ‘Jonson’s Play‘, the recent monumental collaboration between Sanderand Armin van Buuren. Out now on Armind, ‘Faces‘ is available to listen to across all streaming platforms.
The atmospherically entrancing techno tune immediately kicks off with a pulsating kick drum alongside propelling hi-hats and a heady, filtered vocal cut. The pace gradually begins to slow, leaving enough room for the listener’s mind to wander throughout the dusky sonic space.
A rising tension is introduced, quickly followed by the return of the energetically commanding ambiance present throughout the first half. In all, the nearly six-minute masterpiece is a testament to Doorn‘s sheer production prowess, as well as his laudable versatility as an inimitable creative force in the electronic dance music landscape.
A prominently illustrious musician, Sander van Doorn has taken EDM by storm over the course of the last seventeen-plus years. Highly established in all regards, his infectious, high-octane take on the genre has seen him release groundbreaking hit-after-hit on a slew of eminent imprints such as Toolroom Records, Spinnin’ Records, Ultra Records, Armada Music, as well as his very-own DOORN Records, which was founded by the artist in 2007.
Over time, he has released three acclaimed studio albums and has performed at notable events and venues around the world such as Miami’s Ultra Music Festival, Las Vegas’s Electric Daisy Carnival, London’s Ministry of Sound, Belgium’s Tomorrowland Festival, and the Netherlands’ Mysteryland Festival, to name a few. As of recent, his Purple Haze moniker has seen him release edgier sounds that are sure to have cavernous, techno-fueled dancefloors around the world ablaze with energy.
Doorn‘s remix of Above & Beyond and Armin van Buuren‘s ‘Show Me Love‘ has already reached over 13 million Spotify streams since its initial release, and ‘Jonson’s Play‘ has impressively garnered over 1.2 million Spotify streams, as well. Both tracks effortlessly set a wholly exciting precedent as for what to expect from the DJ/producer with his latest four-on-the-floor techno offering, ‘Faces‘.
Jax Jones international DJ, writer, producer and remixer who soared to fame when featuring on Duke Dumont’s no.1 hit, I Got You and has since become one of clublands hottest properties with a stream of floor fillers like You Don’t Know Me and All Day And Night has remixed disco icon Diana Ross’ new single ‘Thank You’.
The dance-infused flip of Diana’s latest, boasts elements of Jax Jones’ trademark house beats, perfectly blended with Diana Ross’ epic vocal delivery. Destined to spice up the party on this Summers festival circuit, the single drops ahead of Diana’s forthcoming album release of the same name.
A powerful album that heralds a beautiful message of love and togetherness, a perfect sentiment for 2021 out on Decca Records this autumn.
“Diana has played such a big part of my music education, from listening to her growing up, to the influence she’s had on other legends I’ve looked up to. You can hear references to her everywhere, and so I was hyped to be able to contribute to her latest record after 15 years away. It’s such an uplifting track, bringing people together with some of that joy that we’ve all been missing!” – Jax Jones
Marking the third installment of Dharma Worldwide’s Sounds of Summer series, a compilation of both fresh faces and label mainstays grace the tracklist of the bright, driving and eclectic releases’ 14 cuts. Curated by label head and founder KSHMR, Dharma: Sounds of Summer, Vol. III is sure to soundtrack reunions on dance floors throughout the rest of the season.
KSHMR explains, “The Dharma Sounds of Summer is a compilation to put all the great music we’ve received from producers this year in one place“.
With label devotees eagerly anticipating the release of the latest volume, fans will see familiar names of Zafrir, Dronark, The MVI, STUBBVRN, MOOVS and AUDIOMiLF return with contributions to the compilation.
Creating a space to highlight the works of emerging talent of the dance and electro-house scene we see Adam Ferello, NO QVLT, Christopher Damas, Thomas Irwin, SM1LO, twoD, Marnage, H4rley, Brais, DJ Frog and 9tySlac comprise the eleven artists new to Dharma Worldwide making warmly welcomed contributions to Sounds of Summer Vol. III.
Kicking off the compilation, a triumphant collaboration between KSHMR himself and Zafrir aptly titled ‘Winners Anthem‘ sets the tone for the remainder of the volume. With Zafrir having made prior appearances on Dharma, their latest endeavor builds upon the synergy felt previously in their production alongside Timmy Trumpet, ‘The Prayer‘. Having been a longstanding ID prominent in both of their sets, fans can now rejoice to the track included on Dharma: Sounds of Summer Vol. III.
“Zafrir and I have been friends ever since Alok introduced us so I’m really excited for our song to finally be out. Zafrir is an absolute master at bringing vocalists and instruments from all over the world together” notes KSHMR.
The remainder of the compilation takes listeners on a journey through a hand picked assortment of the finest material from the aforementioned artists, curating a thoughtfully arranged listening experience of the summer sounds of DharmaWorldwide.
2011 marked a pivotal point in the electronic dance music landscape, and Sander van Doorn‘s monumental masterpiece ‘Drink To Get Drunk’ served as the main anthem for the genre for quite some time.
Ten years later, the smash hit has already received the remix treatment from London-based techno duo Eli & Fur. This time around, Doorn has enlisted remix duties from fellow Dutch talents, the DJ/production duo Avao and Laura van Dam. Out now via DOORN Records, their propulsively driving remixes of ‘Drink To Get Drunk‘ are available to listen to across all streaming platforms.
Kicking things off with a sonic punch, Avao‘s rework immediately begins with atmospherically entrancing soundscapes, luring the listener in with its audibly unique, enticing ambiance.
The beat is quickly introduced into the space, and is characterized by its propelling nature and hard-hitting intensity. A festival-ready hit, their new take on the classic single transforms it into a high-octane, big room-leaning offering that is primed and perfectly fit for 2021’s mainstages the world over.
Laura van Dam takes the reins next, and effectively instills her powerfully profound signature production elements throughout her reinterpretation. Throughout the entirety of its runtime, one can clearly hear that the track sounds like quintessential van Dam at her finest, while also harkening back to its source material in all the best ways.
Adding edgy sensibilities from start-to-finish, she also provides a newfound bouncy flair that is maintained with ease through several buildups and bass drops.
Dutch dance titan Ferry Corsten’s name is synonymous with pristine productions, and his long-standing career is exemplified by a passion for music that continues to push the boundaries. Revisiting an iconic and globally adored hit, Inner City’s ‘Good Life’, Ferry treats the legendary track to a masterful makeover in ‘Lemme Take You’.
Transporting listeners on a sonic voyage throughout a variety of musical eras, Ferry‘s ‘Lemme Take You‘ blends classic and contemporary elements to achieve a truly monumental edit.
Drawing inspiration from all kinds of flavors and influences, ‘Lemme Take You‘ is a hybrid floor filler that beckons listeners to get up and dance. Premiered at Tomorrowland in 2019, this greatly anticipated cut will inject energy and good vibes wherever it is played, and serves as a timeless addition to Ferry‘s outstanding back catalogue.
Ferry Corsten: “It is always amazing to see a creation you make just for your sets turn into an official release. I have always loved ‘Good Life’ by Inner City so I’m glad that the original artists granted me permission to use this vocal chop, which is the cherry on top for this record. I hope that this track will bring a lot of joy to many people this summer.”
After the soaring release of ‘Balearic Mornings’ which has already amassed over 400.000 streams in just a week since its release, Reinier Zonneveld and HI-LO are back with the second and final single of their EP, ‘Existencia’.
The Dutch techno artists found the perfect synergy in the studio when they met for the first time amidst the pandemic, the fruits of their labour are sending immaculate vibes across dancefloors worldwide as DJs finally return to touring.
The ‘Balearic Mornings‘ EP was inspired by the beauty of Ibiza and dancing from dusk to dawn as the sun rises for another day. ‘Existencia‘ is a driving, rolling track with big drums, euphoric chords and a real sense of powerful forward motion. Of course, some textbook acid also arrives to race along next to the bass and ensure maximum dance effort impact.
It’s the 99th EP on Reinier Zonneveld‘s iconic Filth on Acid label and fans can’t get enough of inimitable sounds the newly found pair continue to deliver. Their recent ‘Saw of Olympus‘ remains the most streamed techno track on Spotify since its release, and after only a handful of studio sessions, the two crazy-talented producers have plenty more gems on the way.
Following the release of her new “Skyscrapers” single, Nina Kraviz shares the official music video.
The “Skyscrapers” music video follows Nina on an exploration through Dubai as she embraces her different surroundings. Through the juxtaposition of captivating city-life imagery and her melancholic lyrics, Kraviz gives a visual to a love song that incorporates her pop-leaning sound while transcending into new creative territory.
“When I started writing “Skyscrapers” I was in the middle of a love story that wasn’t going particularly smooth. This song is about love for another person, the kind of love that is strong and painful but also makes you feel alive.
One night I packed my bag and went to Dubai. When I arrived and saw all these fantastic skyscrapers I realized that I had to film a music video for my new song here and not in Moscow how I planned it at first – with a proper crew and an actual script. After some phone calls I managed to find a camera man. Everything was so last minute and did not have any particular plan. It gave me a right amount of excitement.
Instead of writing a script I would just tell the camera man where we were going, what we would be doing and he would then follow and film me. It was so spontaneous. It was a very interesting experience. The trip ended being a real adventure full of unexpected turns and provided me with a lot of footage to take home. Eventually I cut the footage into a little report with a a little bit of that “lost in translation” vibe.. so I guess you can call me a director here :)” – Nina Kraviz
