Hot off the heels of ‘Falling For You’, 80s inspired pop band Camp Kubrick are back with ‘Whatchu Do’ – out now via HEXAGON.
The third single to come from Don Diabloand Denzel Chain’s collaborative project Camp Kubrick, ‘Whatchu Do’ certainly doesn’t disappoint. Another sublime sonic offering, the pair effortlessly encapsulate the retro soundscape for yet another upbeat electronic hit to add to their catalogue.
A departure from the future house sound Don Diablo has become renowned for, Camp Kubrick is a nod to the care-free, fun-loving pop from the past. Seeking inspiration from the music, movies and shows Don grew up with, the dynamic duo are set on bringing the fun, feel-good vibes back to the future.
What began as a challenge to fight creative stagnation, soon grew into a fully-fledged audio-visual project for Belgian DJ, producer and live artist, Biesmans. Setting himself the goal of making three tracks per week for a month, he re-scored ’80s pop culture moments – including films, TV shows and games, resulting in a brilliant 12-track work encompassing electro, synth wave, indie, disco and beyond.
Moving his modular-heavy studio to Berlin in 2014, the ensuring years saw Joris Biesmans drop heat on Correspondent, Disco Halal, AEON, 17 Steps and Future Disco. He’s been a core member of Watergatefamily since his arrival in the capital, working as the club’s sound technician. He made his debut on Watergate Records in 2020 with the well-received ‘Electric Love‘ EP.
The ‘Trains, Planes & Automobiles‘ album took shape in April last year as the lockdown was starting to take grip and Biesmans needed a positive distraction. Ensconced in the music of his childhood and ’80s pop cultural fodder, he locked himself in his studio and set about creating, later digging through archival footage to match the music.
Biesmans, who previously undertook work scoring films, was so absorbed by the process, he’d sometimes do it in reverse; allowing the vintage media be the guide. Throughout the period, the clips were shared each Monday, Wednesday and Friday on his Instagram, building up a firm following from fans, friends and colleagues. And thus, the project found its wings, developing into an album.
Throughout the dozen tracks, highlights are plentiful; from the neon ambience of the Kraftwerk-inspired ‘Cosmic Cruise‘, which later accompanied a smoky scene between Tom Cruise and Rebecca deMornay in ‘Risky Business‘; the sun-soaked, retro-pop title track, which became the album’s first single, and was paired with a jubilant dance scene from the Breakfast Club; ‘Cold Void‘, the album’s second single, which saw Biesmans link up with fellow Belgians Boi Wonder and Tomthe Bomb for a synth wave creation built around a heavy guitar solo and set against a backdrop of Blade Runner clips; and the silky electro funk of ‘Another World’ that soundtracks scenes from Miami Vice.
“I started this as a lockdown challenge, in which I would make three tracks per week for a month, alongside providing video where I re-scored footage of 80s pop culture moments. Inspired by the movie of the same name, I picked the title because it ties to the theme of ‘mobility’. Our society is based upon being mobile and when Corona hit us, we could taste a bit of being immobile.
As an artist that meant, I could focus on making music 100%. No distractions, no weekend gigs, no parties just making music. This new lifestyle resulted in my first album. A journey into the past but looking forward to the future, experimenting with other genres and techniques to make a real album that goes beyond club music.” — Biesmans
Biesmans‘Trains, Planes & Automobiles’ is out 4 June on Watergate Records. Pre-save here.
Martin Garrix and Maejor have signed with STMPD RCRDS/Hollywood Records (Disney Music Group) for their collaborative project AREA21.
The music of AREA21follows a story arc of two alien travelers who are tripping through the cosmos spreading a message of unity and good vibes, when they accidentally come crashing to Earth.
Their adventures are portrayed musically and visually throughout a series of songs and accompanying animated videos, produced by award-winning animation studio Titmouse (Run the Jewels, Dua Lipa,), set to roll out this spring & summer and culminating in an album due out this fall.
AREA21‘s first release, ”La La La”, is out now. The boundary-pushing video for ”La La La” shows the duo traveling through the galaxies, beaming up unhappy people onto their spaceship for an impromptu party, using the universal language of music to unite and uplift their mood. The end of the video sees them come crashing to Earth and that’s when the real adventure begins.
Making the best use of a soundtrack for your film project is one of those things that most individuals, especially those who feel they are well versed in the intricacies of film, think is easier than it seems.
There is a reason that major productions hire entire staff devoted to getting this right and it’s very common for filmmakers to either badly match their musical choice to a scene or simply be guilty of copying common tropes or making stereotypical selections that are tired or lazy.
Matching Soundtracks to Genres
When it comes to using the genre of your film as the driving force for your soundtrack, try to be less obvious and try to ignore convention. A cleverly chosen track that seemingly doesn’t ‘fit’ the narrative or style, can work very effectively.
A horror movie will usually employ a soundtrack that is deliberately edgy, silent and eerie in some instances and then aggressive, heavy and biting in others. But throwing a good track out of leftfield into the mix, you can disarm the viewer in a positive way, and if planned and executed well, can bring a whole new dimension to the proceedings.
One good example of this is the opening to Marvel blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy, which opens with something of a standard action sequence which is immediately changed in tone when the lead character starts to sing along to the 70s classic Comeand Get Your Love by Redbone.
Fight Sequences
Another common asset of most thrillers and dramas, and of course the raft of superhero movies that crowd the cinematic universe right now, are fight sequences. Finding the right music to help bring the visceral feeling of the action to the viewers and it’s a fine balancing act in selecting a soundtrack that works for a specific moment. I.e there is no one size fits all strategy here.
Even if the fight scene isn’t particularly serious, say for instance in a comedy such as Don’t Mess With the Zohan, the high adrenaline boost you might get from a piece of music will give the action an added kick (no pun intended).
With this particular film the use of electronic dance duo Infected Mushroom was key in making a stand out scene become almost iconic.
Chase Scenes
In recent years there hasn’t been a better example of a soundtrack ideally suiting a chase sequence than those selected for Edgar Wright’s excellent Baby Driver. Here the director has explicitly matched the beat to actions on screen, from the drumbeat indicating the shutting of a car door, the race of a guitar solo to a speeding vehicle.
In this instance, it literally made the movie what it is, the perfect marrying of music and film to create a three-dimensional character of its own. In other words, music, and film, one wouldn’t work without the other.
Many other films with effective chase sequences, especially involving cars and other vehicles, have elected to use dance music, hip hop or other forms of electronic music to turn up the ambiance. An example of this would be DJ Shadow’s work in the Fast and Furious franchise.
Scoring Romantic Sequences
Finding the right music isn’t just relevant for action movies, it’s also very useful for scoring romantic movies and sequences. Clearly, in our minds, we’ll always associate a certain style of low-level, cutesy music with heartfelt romantic sequences, but again here you don’t have to be too obvious in your choices.
Take as an example the excellent La La Land, which attempted to match styles and ambiance of musical tracks in quite a literal sense. In certain scenes, the music was paired with visuals and action sequences (involving dancing while in midair or crowds of extras taking over an entire highway) in a way that worked superbly.
In this instance, you saw just how crucial musical selection can be, not just when it comes to underscoring a scene but in this example, it became far more than that.
The Overall Impact of a Film Score Should Not Be Underestimated
The selection of the appropriate musical soundtrack is paramount in many ways and has become an ever more crucial part of the overall production. Soundtracks, and sound effects for movies, should always be more than an afterthought. This is as true of big-budget blockbusters as it is for a low-budget horror movie.
When you are mapping out scenes and themes, and the set-up for shots and sequences, ideally you are already thinking about what music will overlay the visuals. It should be front and center of the production process and a lot of care and attention should be taken to make sure everything fits into place musically as much as visually.
Exploding into the lockdown airwaves is established UK soul and funk artist Dina Vass with her danceable new single, ‘Give You My Love’ – delivering classic Balearic House vibes.
With Spanish guitars and tropical flavour, the soulful funky house single was inspired by Dina‘s personal experience of being in a complicated relationship with someone insecure, which makes them possessive and controlling.
Lyrically, she explores her feelings about their behaviour – and makes it clear that although she loves them, she’s pushing back.
Dina Vass recently commented: “I’m compassionate about their insecurity, but at the same time, I make it clear that I won’t take any more hurtful behaviour. I explain in an honest, loving way so they can understand what they’re doing. Whether I’m happy or down, I use my music as an outlet – a kind of therapy to release and let go of that chapter, especially in troubled times. I’ll get a melody floating around in my head, and it has to be recorded, even if it’s 3am!”
The majority of Dina‘s upcoming new music, in fact, is inspired by relatable situations in life and love experienced by the soulful artist, who finds that making music therapeutic.
Originally recorded and produced in 2004, the single was written, arranged and engineered by Dina herself, with Spanish guitar riffs played by session musician Mark Johns. The song was recently reworked and remixed by Dina at her pro home studio.
Signalling the re-emergence of Dina Vass onto the modern dance landscape – stay tuned, as ‘Give You My Love‘ lights up in the coming weeks.
With the music industry experiencing over an entire year of global lockdown, music fans are eager to go back to the dancefloor this summer. SAGA Festival is making its debut in 2021 with a highly anticipated 3-day weekend of revelry at an exciting new city for dance music.
SAGA Festival is set to take place on new dates between 10-12 September 2021 at Bucharest’s picturesque Izvor Park location. The lively city will bring together music fans from over 40 countries and 6 continents to share a weekend filled with music, love, unity and respect.
This unique festival is the result of a collaborative effort between organizers ALDA (AMF) and Insomniac(EDC), and promises the beginning of an extraordinary new chapter for the festival circuit. ALDA has earned its steadfast reputation as one of the music industry’s leading event organisers having organized 350 shows for more than 30 brands and playing host to millions of visitors worldwide. Joining forces with worldwide event trailblazers Insomniac, who are responsible for many of the world’s leading events including EDC, these two industry giants are behind this pioneering festival that will change the face of the music industry.
To accompany this poignant milestone, SAGA founders ALDA & Insomniac have now revealed the superstar names set to perform at the Romanian festival, which already promises to be one of the highlights of 2021.
The lineup will see a glittering ensemble of over 50 names from house, techno and progressive, head to Romania between 10-12 September 2021.
SAGA Festival 2021 lineup
Fronted by a special performance by GRAMMY-winning DJ and producer Tiësto, the mainstage will feature some of the biggest and best names in electronic music. Alongside Tiësto, Alan Walker will dazzle fans with an unmissable performance. British electronic GRAMMY-winning band Clean Bandit will perform an electric DJ set packed with their greatest hits, alongside future house pioneer Don Diablo.
Co-founder of the massively popular Future Rave movement, MORTEN is sure to be one of the most talked about acts of the weekend along with dynamic sister duo NERVO. Salvatore Ganacci joins the SAGA celebration to elevate the energy, and Sigala makes his Romanian debut.
Australia’s Timmy Trumpet will electrify the stage with his beloved trumpet and a set designed to entertain. World renowned duos Vini Vici and W&W will be on hand to deliver top notch performances to Izvor Park. Rounding up this stellar mainstage lineup is the renowned Regard, chart topper John Newman, Dutch prodigy Mike Williams, and Germany’s very own Topic. Partygoers will be on hand to experience the beginning of a brand-new era for the Romanian festival scene, with superstar artists performing across multiple stages during the weekend.
In addition to the mainstage lineup, the billing for its inaugural edition will cater to a wide spectrum of tastes within the dance music world including a massive house and techno lineup. Bringing in some of the leading names, it all starts with Drumcode head AdamBeyer, whose expansive discography will set the stage alight. Amelie Lens makes her Romanian debut at SAGA, where she will perform a set fit for this momentous occasion. The Netherlands’ very own ADIN will be joined by one of Brazil’s finest exports, ANNA.
Multi-faceted duo ARTBAT are set for a performance promising to be one for the books. Baggi joins the legendary Carl Cox, Chris Liebing and Deborah De Luca who will join Glasgow’s Denis Sulta to bring their unique sound to Bucharest. As one half of the GRAMMY winning duo Deep Dish, Dubfire is guaranteed to bring top tier tracks. The artist responsible for huge music collaborations, Eli Brown will be bringing them to life, along with talented techno producer Enrico Sangiuliano.
Bringing his addictive energy to the stage, Fisher joins the SAGA excitement, alongside Franky Rizardo and Hot Since 82. Joris Voorn will provide an unmissable set, much like Joyhauser and Danish star Kölsch.
Mix master Maceo Plex will take fans on a journey through impressive sounds from multiple aliases spanning many years. Mathame will join the SAGA celebration with their unique sounds, as well as one of the most talked about trios in recent history, Meduza who will be making their anticipated Bucharest debut.
German techno DJ Monika Kruse joins Reinier Zonneveld who will be performing a very special LIVE show. Mancunian duo Solardo and Sonny Fodera will perform sets not to be missed, and Spartaque and Umek round off this spectacular, world-renowned techno and house lineup. In addition to this huge ensemble of world class names, SAGA partygoers will witness a stellar cast of local talent, showcasing the best of what Romania has to offer.
SAGA will provide a long-awaited festival experience in summer 2021, as Bucharest prepares to welcome visitors from throughout Romania and beyond. With state-of-the-art visuals, phenomenal pyrotechnics and breath-taking stage designs, SAGA Festival will mark an unmissable immersive music experience that will push the boundaries of the events industry.
‘The story of SAGA‘ will begin in 2021 and will provide visitors with a true celebration of music and culture that will attract attendees from all corners of the globe. With 20,000 weekend tickets already sold, the demand for this event will prove insatiable. Tickets for the 3-day festival experience are now on sale with a limited number of tickets available at a special price until 12PM CET on Friday 23 April. Tickets can be purchased here and ticket payment plans are available, starting at 79 RON (€15) deposit.
“The world is opening up again and I am counting the days until we can celebrate in the best way by welcoming everybody to the extraordinary debut of SAGA festival. What we have in store is ground-breaking – from the amazing lineup to the immersive music experience and so much more. This will be a truly special celebration of music. Hope to see everybody at this first edition of SAGA in the heart of Bucharest. Let’s celebrate freedom together!” – Allan Hardenberg, CEO, ALDA
“This year’s EXIT will be a symbol of Serbia’s victory over the pandemic” Mayor Vučević, who is also a member of the National Health Committee Fighting Against Pandemic, said adding that entry to the festival will be allowed to all those who have been vaccinated and those with antibodies.
To make the festival accessible to all, everyone else will be able to take a rapid antigen test, which will be provided at low prices, in a specially made area near the festival gates. Tourists can already travel to Serbia with a negative PCR test and it is expected that testing to enter the country will no longer be a requirement by June.
The mayor’s long-awaited statement confirms that the 20th anniversary of EXITwill be celebrated according to the original plans, from 8th to 11th July at the Petrovaradin Fortress.
An all-star line-up with major headliners is also confirmed, including David Guetta, DJ Snake, Tyga, Eric Prydz b2b Four Tet, Paul Kalkbrenner, Nina Kraviz, Boris Brejcha, Sheck Wes, Solomun, Paul van Dyk, Sepultura, Metronomy, Honey Dijon and many others. It is not yet clear if there will be any limitations to the capacity of the festival, as this will be decided in the next few weeks.
“We are very excited about this news and the opportunity to finally celebrate life together with our audience from the whole world! Considering all the difficulties we have been facing for over a year, we already feel that the Big bang of positive energy will create new dimension of the festival experience and make this year’s EXIT unique in the history of the festival.
However, we must remain responsible in the coming months and we’re calling for all of our visitors who have the opportunity to get vaccinated before the festival, as no matter what, the health and safety of all visitors, artists and the crew is our top priority” said Dušan Kovačević, founder and CEO of the EXIT festival.
Serbia is currently one of the leading European countries when it comes to mass vaccination with highest percentage in Europe when it comes to people who have had both shots. Serbia has also been praised as the only country in the world where its citizens can choose between the different vaccine manufacturers from around the world and it’s the only country where non-residents can apply for vaccination.
So far, Serbia has vaccinated tens of thousands of foreigners from all over Europe for free and they will continue with this practice. “We will also assist all our visitors who don’t have the opportunity to get vaccinated soon in their home countries, if they wish to apply for vaccination in Serbia. We will announce more information about that in the upcoming period”, concluded Kovačević.
All of this will enable the grand celebration of EXIT’s 20th anniversary to take place from 8th to 11th July 2021. The venue is once again the world-famous Petrovaradin Fortress, one of the largest medieval fortresses in Europe with a unique view of the river Danube and city of Novi Sad. The Exit team will reveal new acts confirmed for the line up next week, who will find their place over 40 stages and zones all over the fortress.
On April 29th, 24 hours before the release of her new Formula EP, Belgian techno titan Charlotte de Witte is to headline a historic live stream. ‘New Form’ IV: Formula is presented by Formula 1®, Beatport and KNTXT at the world-famous track owned by Ferrari, the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello in Tuscany, Italy.
Despite the global pandemic, Charlottehas not let up. Her label continued to serve up techno from the cutting edge, she held down various high profile streams during lockdown and also got voted as the World’s Number 1 DJ by DJ Mag’s Alternative Top 100 poll. She ended the year with a spectacular set on the virtual MainStage of Tomorrowland on New Year’s Eve and now races out of the blocks with yet another landmark stream and exciting new EP.
Charlotte has long been a lover of adrenaline sports, something she got to enjoy in real life when she attended the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix in 2019.
Speaking about the much-anticipated stream, Charlotte says:
“After re-discovering DJ Visage’s Schumacher track, I was inspired to use unconventional racing sounds and incorporate them in my productions. I’ve always been a huge fan of adrenaline and speed.
Whether it’s driving motorcycles or downhill skiing, the thrill-seeking aspect of these activities have always captivated me. It’s the same thrill that drives me in my performances to massive audiences. As a Belgian, F1 holds a special significance in our culture, with the iconic annual Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix.”
Meanwhile, her new Formula EP is available to pre-order digitally on Beatport ahead of release on April 30th. The EP is just as thrilling and intense as F1® itself. It starts with ‘Doppler‘, a heavyweight techno weapon with shuffling drums and urgent alarm-like synths shooting over the bulky groove. It’s one to keep you on edge as the strobes flash on a vast dance floor.
‘RPM‘ ups the ante further with blistering acid lines flashing about the mix. Rooted drums roll on in unrelenting fashion and a lead synth takes you down a deep, dark rabbit hole. ‘Formula‘ then rounds out in urgent fashion with the sound of revving engines, hammering hits and haunting melodic loops all making for a vast and vital wall of techno sound.
The tracks of the KNTXT010 EP will be exclusively available to purchase on Beatport from the start of the livestream. The official release will be the next day on April 30 on her very own imprint and becomes available via all channels. Charlotte de Witte and KNTXT will also be dropping exclusive merchandise during the livestream that will remain available for 7 days only.
With this arresting and powerful new EP and huge live stream, Charlotte de Witte once again remains in techno’s pole position.
Charlotte de Witte ‘New Form’ IV: Formula – presented by Formula 1®, Mugello Circuit, Beatport and KNTXT
Broadcast – 29/04/2021 at 19:00 CEST Location – Circuit Mugello
After a hiatus of 15 months, Renaissance’s The ReMix Collection makes a highly anticipated return as Yotto steps up to take on the Shakra Mix of Power Circle’s ‘Garden Of Peace’, backed by a Raphael Mader remix, released on 16 April.
Originally released in 1993, ‘Garden Of Peace’ was an immediate Renaissance anthem, finding favour with all their key DJs. However, it became synonymous with one man in particular, namely, John Digweed, who cemented the track’s legendary status when he included it on his ‘Journeys by DJ’ compilation the following year.
Even today, he has been known to slide it into the mix, most recently Episode 10 of his legendary Bunker streams. And the track has other contemporary fans too; a certain Maceo Plex was heard dropping it in 2020. In short, it’s one of those records that has stood the test of time and grown in stature year on year. Now, its evolution takes yet another step as it joins the ranks of Renaissance’ flagship ReMix Collection series.
Yotto’s modern interpretation is a high-octane juxtaposition of thunderous bass, rising pads and THAT vocal.
”Garden Of Peace is a record I missed first time around as a kid and had only heard on a mix, never knowing what it was, so when Renaissance approached me about a remix there was a strange sense of familiarity,” he explains, “The original is full of classic progressive house mystery and, while I took the whole thing apart, I wanted to keep that emotion with my interpretation.”
Lastly, fast-rising star Raphael Mader provides a radically different take, offering a deeper mix for the earlier hours or, perhaps, a sunrise or sunset moment.
A rising name and an artist to watch within the global electronic landscape, Korean-American DJ, producer and vocalist SOHMI emerged onto the scene in 2020 with releases via the likes of Danny Howard’s Nothing Else Matters and leading imprint Astralwerks.
With a brand-new EP on Anjunadeep star Yotto‘s new imprint Odd One Out, plus her standout collaboration ‘Sunday Sunset’ with Josh Butler on ORIGINS RCRDS, the Sound (LA) resident now combines with legendary electronic music duo Booka Shade for the very first time as the German pairing invite her to Blaufield Music to deliver the entrancing ‘Small Talk (Okay)’.
Combining SOHMI’s infectious, distinct vocals with Booka Shade’s expertly refined song-craft, resonant synths and bubbling bass patterns, ‘Small Talk (Okay)’ welcomes a rich and vibrant production oozing with energy from the first melody and offers yet another quality collaboration via their ever-impressing Blaufield Music imprint in the process.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
