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Returning to Partying in a Post Pandemic World

By
Alex Gelevski
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When coronavirus first reared its ugly head in the US this year, we all thought it would be contained within a few months and then it’d be back to business as usual. Little did we know that 9 months later there’d still be no end in sight, with many businesses still closed and cities across the country in varying states of lockdown.

One of the hardest hit industries has been nightlife and festivals. Both these involve hundreds to hundreds of thousands of people cramped together in tight quarters, which would likely lead to significant outbreaks.

Clubs, festivals, and concerts in America have been put on hold through the rest of 2020 and early 2021, with no salvation in sight until a vaccine is released. Ultra and EDC are scheduled for the spring but there’s a good chance they will be pushed to the fall.

There have been some signs of life here and there – some nightclubs have opened up outdoor areas with socially distant seating. Some pool parties and clubs in Las Vegas have reopened with bottle service only. In some states with more lax restrictions like Georgia and Texas, indoor venues have reopened for business. Insomniac has started hosting “park n raves” where up to 5 guests can park in designated circles and dance around their vehicles, separated from other cars.

EDC Las Vegas photo by
Marc Van Der Aa

Despite these reopenings, the nightlife industry in many cities is on life support. There hasn’t been much government financial support for nightlife and events. Most clubs don’t have a significant amount of cash reserves and many have already closed permanently. Regardless, nightlife will always have a place in human society.

Social interaction is a fundamental human need, and nightclubs and concerts will eventually return once the pandemic has passed. In Asian countries where COVID is under control, we’ve already seen a strong resurgence in nightlife.

Nightclubs are back in full force in Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong. Ultra Taiwan is scheduled for mid November. Huge pool parties with thousands of people are taking place in Wuhan – the original epicenter of the outbreak.

ULTRA Taiwan

Luckily there are technology platforms like Discotech. These guys have created a COVID nightlife reopening tracker that makes it easy to see what clubs and concert venues are reopening in cities across the US.

Currently, the cities with the most venues open are Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Phoenix/Scottsdale. Discotech allows users to discover events, see where your favorite DJs and artists are performing, book bottle service, buy tickets, and get on free guest lists for over 1400 clubs and venues across the world. In addition to the COVID reopening calendar, you can also filter for outdoor and open air events.

Discotech is free to download on the iOS App store and the Google Play store and features over 8000 reviews and a 4.9 star rating. Discotech’s concierge is also available 7 days a week to answer any questions you may have.

With both customers and club owners / event organizers ready to return to the party, it’s certain that there will be plenty of action to be had in 2021. In order to return successfully though, we’ll all need to work together to bring COVID under control.

AMF presents Top 100 DJs Awards 2020 and delivers record-breaking edition

By
Marco Di
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On Saturday 7th November, fans from all across the globe tuned into the virtual event of the year – AMF presents Top 100 DJs Awards 2020. Dance music fans witnessed a truly stunning edition of the massive Dutch festival; one of the biggest events in the music calendar. Amsterdam Music Festival and DJ Mag combined forces once again to deliver the massive virtual event from the world capital of dance music.

The 2020 edition was a celebration of dance music with the most unique AMF venue to date. The city of Amsterdam served as a picturesque backdrop to multiple performances from superstar DJs, as more than 7 million fans tuned into the event from over 120 countries via AMF.TV, DJMag.tv and other channels.

This year’s edition marked yet another highlight in the long-running partnership between AMF and DJ Mag and AMF hosting the DJ Mag Top 100 Awards ceremony. The event also witnessed the crowning of the winner of this year’s edition of DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs poll. French legend David Guetta scooped the hugely sought-after No.1 DJ award, dethroning previous winners Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike in the process. The title was the second of his career, following his previous victory almost a decade ago in 2011.

David Guetta

Saturday evening’s celebration was kicked off by a unique moment, a strong message of unity by several artists like Armin van Buuren, David Guetta, Afrojack, Vini Vici, Nicky Romero and industry leaders such as both the CEO of Insomniac, Pasquale Rotella and the CEO of ALDA, Allan Hardenberg, followed by an emotional and touching performance by Dutch breakout talent Avalan from an empty Johan Cruijff ArenA.

The powerful performance marked a tribute to the fans who were unable to party in the iconic venue due to the circumstances that the world has found itself in during recent times. The beautiful melodies and inspiring lyrics lifted the spirits of fans who tuned in worldwide.

The positive energy continued with the pioneer of the future house movement – Hexagonian leader Don Diablo, who delivered an electric set from the stunning rooftop of the Nhow RAI hotel in Amsterdam.

The evening progressed to the hugely popular and revolutionary concept that AMF is known for – the long-anticipated reveal of this year’s Two Is One (II=I). Dutch house icon Afrojack and progressive maestro Nicky Romero were revealed as the dynamic duo to form the II=I, and their set from the Skylounge Amsterdam rooftop terrace was a testament to the music chemistry between the two. The Dutch DJs kept the biggest surprise for the end of their set to reveal that they will be the II=I at AMF 2021!

With the atmosphere reaching fever-pitch levels of excitement, it was time for Dutch dance titan Armin van Buuren to send the crowd into a state of trance with a hypnotic set from the CM.com Circuit Zandvoort. The performance marked a rare set for the Dutch music giant this year.

The evening was rounded off by the newly crowned No.1 DJ of 2020 – French dance legend David Guetta. With a career that has spanned the best part of two decades, the iconic DJ and producer delivered a rapturous set from the visually stunning Capital C rooftop in the heart of Amsterdam. The set was filled with high-energy hits, massive classics, as well as some hot Future Rave, sounds that he has explored in recent times.

This year’s AMF presents Top 100 DJs Awards 2020 will go down in history as a virtual event that has truly cemented its reputation as a must-see for any electronic music fan. Regardless of the obstacles faced worldwide, AMF delivered an inspiring and entertaining show packed with incredible music. With the dance music community from all over the world tuning in and uniting for this celebration of music, this year’s edition will be remembered as the most unique AMF to date.

Here’s what Allan Hardenberg, CEO of ALDA had to say about this year’s edition:

“AMF presents Top 100 DJs Awards 2020 was our opportunity to connect and unite in our love for music in this challenging year and it was a pleasure to share it with all of our fans around the world. We are proud to have organized a virtual event with the hard work and dedication of our team, artists and sponsors and we look forward to reuniting on the dancefloor soon. ”

Watch the official AMF Top100 DJs Awards 2020 Recap Video below.

Benny Benassi and Jeremih team up for a brand new uplifting track ‘LOVELIFE’

By
Alex Gelevski
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House legend, Benny Benassi and R&B singer, Jeremih are rounding off summer with the ultimate uplifting track, LOVELIFE – out on all DSP’s now.

For what’s already been a busy year filled with stellar collaborations including CeCe Rogers, Burak Yeter and BB Team, Benny Benassi’s ability to lend his hand to a multitude of genres continues to position him as an esteemed producer.

From his debut track Satisfaction receiving a #1 across the world and his Grammy awards for Public Enemy’s Bring The Noise and Skrillex‘s remix of Cinema, Benny’s accolades are endless for an array of audiences.

Discussing the pairs joint venture Benny Benassi explained:

“We knew something was missing once we (BB Team) had finished the electronic side of the track and were honoured that Jermih wanted to be a part of this. I love his personal interpretation. He really lights it up and this felt important to us during these times.”

Now tapping into the electronic world via Ultra Records, Jeremih partners with dance producer, Benny Benassi for LOVELIFE. With the aim of lifting spirits , LOVELIFE and it’s partnered lyric video aims to help people ‘love life.’ Featuring Benny’s impeccable production skills and groovy rhythms, Jeremih‘s addictive vocal chops compliment for the ultimate crossover weapon..

Listen to the track below.

Armin van Buuren secures 20th consecutive ranking in DJ Mag Top 100 with #4 spot

By
Andry Bosk
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So much time has passed since Trance legend Armin van Buuren first entered the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs poll at #27 in 2001. Then mostly renowned for genre-shaping Trance tracks such as ‘Blue Fear’ and ‘Communication’, the now five-time #1 DJ in the world went on to become one of the most reputable and consistent individuals to have ever graced the electronic music space.

Throughout his twenty-plus-year career, he managed to embrace new sounds, developments, directions and tastes without straying too far from his roots. This tireless dedication has more than paid off; the DJ Mag Top 100 results of 2020 slotted the Dutchman in at #4 as the highest-ranking Trance DJ, his twentieth consecutive ranking and nineteenth consecutive Top 5 spot in DJ Magazine’s long-running popularity contest. This year’s Top 100 DJs was unveiled earlier this evening through a special livestream from Circuit Zandvoort, hosted by AMF (Amsterdam Music Festival).

Armin van Buuren: “It feels a bit unreal to be honest. It’s a bit of a cliché, but the thought of ranking in the DJ Mag Top 100 for twenty years in a row never even crossed my mind when I was first included in the Top 100 about twenty years ago, not even as a bucket list wish.

I’m of course thankful for the fact that I’m still here doing what I love after all this time, but above all else, I’m beyond grateful for the unwavering support from my fans. The way I see it, this is as much their achievement as it is mine. Maybe even more so.”

His latest single, ‘Feel Something‘ featuring Dutch EuroVision Song Contest 2019 winner Duncan Laurence, is a perfect example of how Armin van Buuren continues to innovate and stay ahead of the curve. Reflecting on the pain of heartbreak on a backdrop of gritty beats and touches of synth pop, ‘Feel Something‘ is designed to tick the boxes of every single dance music lover out there.

The single also puts additional emphasis on Armin van Buuren‘s versality as a passionate creator. In between his recent dance-pop releases, his techno-tinged collabs with rising star AVIRA and his genre-defying work as one half of GAIA, the electronic music flagbearer stays mindful of his roots by continuing to cultivate a massive global following through his weekly A State Of Trance radio show, event series and album series, just like he did when he first started his journey over two decades back.

The radio show is rapidly approaching the incredible milestone of 1000 episodes as well, symbolizing the unparalleled devotion he has shown to his craft and his legions of loyal fans. Armin van Buuren evidently stands tall as a true electronic music giant, and his twentieth consecutive ranking in the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs poll is testament to that.

Listen to his latest track “Feel Something” below!

David Guetta has been crowned as The World’s No.1 DJ

By
Metodi Gogovski
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David Guetta has been crowned as The World’s No.1 DJ, after winning DJ Mag’s annual Top 100 DJs poll for the second time – almost a decade after he first took the No.1 spot in 2011.

The French superstar DJ and world-renowned music producer was presented his award during AMF Presents Top 100 DJs, a virtual awards show in Amsterdam that was broadcast to the world.

On his landmark win, David had this to say:

“Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me. To think it is 40 years since I first played in a club, and 10 years since I last won this award makes me quite emotional. When I first won 9 years ago I got a lot of hate for merging dance music with mainstream and pop and looking back now and seeing how it has shaped the industry and made it evolve is absolutely crazy.

Winning now after I’ve gone back to what I did originally and releasing more underground music with my friend MORTEN and Future Rave, and with Jack Back, makes it even more special. I owe everything to my fans and whatever the future brings, I’ll be there, ready to soundtrack the party, and I hope you will too.”

Despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, dance music fans came out in force to support their favourite DJs in 2020’s Top 100 DJs poll. Almost 1.3 million votes were cast from just about every country on earth, demonstrating that while many people were stuck at home, their appetite for DJ culture remained strong.

Indeed, the views that the Top 100 DJs Virtual Festival series received — 8.3 million during the Top 100 DJs voting period, from 95 different DJ sets, alongside almost £9,000 in Unicef donations — suggest that the appetite for performances from many of the world’s top DJs remains undiminished.

Winning Top 100 DJs caps a huge year for David Guetta, during which he has reconnected with DJ culture in a big way. As he states in his cover interview, which will feature in the next edition of DJ Mag, the Frenchman credits this win with renewed focus on dance tracks rather than pop hits. He hopes that his #FutureRave sound will ignite dancefloors once the world is allowed to rave again, and his determination to unite the disparate, under-fire international scene until that time is to be applauded.

He helped to raise over $1.5 million for COVID-19 relief efforts through his United At Home live stream events, watched by over 50 million viewers in addition to headlining Tomorrowland Around The World digital festival in July and achieving record-breaking views during DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs Virtual Festival series.

During his acceptance speech in Amsterdam, David Guetta drew attention to the fact that the electronic music industry has been hit hard by the pandemic. As a firm believer that culture can not be put on the back burner, Guetta made a rallying call to Governments the world over:

“It is not just the artists but also the hard working local residents, security teams, promoters and technicians around the world who have made dance music such a huge and thriving industry that demands respect on all levels.

But right now, more needs to be done. Our industry has been hit extremely hard this year. Millions have lost work, and governments around the world have failed to acknowledge the importance of the music and entertainment industries. They require support just like any other. Culture cannot be put on the back burner. Governments need to take action.”

Prior to the pandemic, the Top 100 DJs Awards Ceremony was due to return to the main stage of AMF, at Amsterdam’s Johan Cruijff ArenA, where the No.1 DJ is typically crowned in front of 40,000 dance music fans. Naturally a virtual solution had to be found, for the safety of the fans and staff alike. Renewing a decade-long collaboration, DJ Mag teamed up with AMF to produce the Top 100 DJs Awards show – a celebration of electronic music in Amsterdam, the city that has been host to Top 100 DJs since 2011. The show connected performances from David Guetta, Don Diablo, Afrojack, Nicky Romero, Armin Van Buuren and more across landmark locations across Amsterdam.

David Guetta presented the future of DJing with a full set entirely produced or remix by him. His performance featured a combination of live music and DJing as David Guetta played each song as an original version made by him in his Future Rave sound.

In an innovative new partnership with Snapchat, dance music fans were able to celebrate David Guetta‘s crowning in augmented reality (AR) thanks to the release of two exclusive Snapchat Lenses. The first – a Landmarker Lens, creates a special moment in the city that has been home to Top 100 DJs since 2011. Launched exclusively during the awards show, the Lens reveals the No.1 DJ in augmented reality on Amsterdam’s iconic Royal Palace, turning the building into a speaker-covered stage set with David Guetta performing on top.

The second – a globally available Sky Lens projects David Guetta into the sky using Snapchat’s augmented reality technology. Snapchat users can bring the No.1 DJ experience to their phones by opening up the Snapchat camera and selecting the sky Lens on the carousel.

Also new for 2020, Top 100 DJs announced an official partnership with VirtualDJ. With more than a hundred million downloads, VirtualDJ is by far the most-used DJ software on the market, and has a recognized history of technical innovations that have shaped digital DJing for the past 20 years.

This year, VirtualDJ is the talk of the industry for introducing a game-changing technology, real-time stem separation, in their DJ software. This new technology is opening a new frontier for DJing that will deeply impact how DJs can mix in the years to come, and felt like the natural companion this year to the world’s leading DJ poll. Throughout 2020’s Top 100 DJs campaign, DJ Mag has produced a series of videos featuring leading artists from the poll, getting hands-on with this game-changing technology.

ANALYSING 2020’S TOP 100 DJS RESULTS

Elsewhere in the top poll, last year’s winners Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike are the Highest Group at No.2, Armin van Buuren is again Highest Trance (unchanged at No.4), and Don Diablo is again Highest Future House DJ (No.6). The big news is Brazilian hotshot ALOK busting in at No.5, effectively switching places with Marshmello who slides down to No.11. Aoki and Afrojack are both slightly up, while Tiesto slides out of the top ten for the first time in 20 years. The trumpet-toting Timmy Trumpet, meanwhile, tiptoes into the top ten for the first time.

The 11-20 segment of the chart hasn’t changed that much from last year, although KSHMR, R3hab, W&W, Skrillex, Calvin Harris and Above & Beyond are all up. NERVO have jumped four places to No.20 and remain the highest placing female act in the Top 100. Will this still be the case next year, though, as Charlotte de Witte has leapt a whopping-great 42 places this year, making her both the Highest Climber and the Highest Techno DJ in the poll? Charlotte has also overtaken Carl Cox at the apex of the Alternative Top 100 DJs poll.

Masked marauder Claptone is again the Highest House DJ this year, up a healthy 12 places to No.41. And Canadian prodigy Rezz is the Highest New Entry, in at No.57. She’s closely followed by other high house and techno new entries — Amelie Lens (in at No.59), Jamie Jones (in at No.68) and Nora En Pure (No.73). There are 18 new entries into the Top 100 in total this year, including for DJs you might’ve assumed had been in it already such as Green Velvet and Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano.

Despite dropping a few places, Angerfist regains the Highest Hard DJ award by virtue of 2019’s winner Headhunterz sliding 17 places. Hardstyle can be such a visceral, in-the-flesh experience that it wouldn’t be surprising to hear that all hard DJs dropped places in a fallow year where there weren’t really any live shows. But Radical Redemption and Brennan Heart have bucked that notion — the two hardstyle jocks are the only two re-entries into the Top 100 for 2020.

This edition of the Top 100 DJs is the most diverse for many years — ever since the 1990s, when a swathe of foundation house and techno DJs would make the chart, and/or a load of drum & bass spinners. Before casting votes this year, DJ Mag actively encouraged people to think both about the diverse roots of our scene and how female and Black DJs have long been under-represented in the poll. And the results have borne out their stated desire for the scene’s diversity to be better reflected.

Sixteen Black/POC DJs have charted in the Top 100 this year, the highest proportion for well over 20 years. And there are thirteen female DJs in the Top 100 this year (up from ten last year), which is the highest percentage number ever. These figures, coupled with clear statements from most DJs in their Top 100 profile about how unacceptable racism is in the global scene, and commitments to increase diversity through their own actions, indicates that the direction of travel is definitely moving the right way.

Votes came from 232 different countries, including principalities and islands. As an indication of how truly global the poll is, the figures include 50 votes from Greenland, 52 votes from San Marino, 924 from Syria, and one vote from the Vatican City! Europe and the United States pulled in the most votes, closely followed by Latin American countries, specifically Brazil and Mexico but also Argentina, Ecuador, Peru and Guatemala.

In Asia, India was again the largest voting country but, following the launch of a dedicated China voting site (djmagvote.cn), votes from China were up by 480% this year. Other major Asian markets driving votes include Vietnam, Japan, South Korea and Myanmar. Votes came in from almost every single African nation, but the continent’s most northerly and southerly points (Morocco and South Africa) shared the majority of the votes.

Armin van Buuren links up with Duncan Laurence on ‘Feel Something’

By
Metodi Gogovski
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Armin van Buuren has been stringing quite a few surprising collaborations in the past few years, and today’s single marks another addition to that list. This time, the five-time #1 DJ in the world teamed up with fellow-Dutchman and singer-songwriter Duncan Laurence on ‘Feel Something’, a pop-dance track that’s bound to resonate strongly with all who listen.

Reflecting on the pain of heartbreak on a backdrop of gritty beats and touches of synth pop, ‘Feel Something‘ came together after Armin and Duncan Laurence decided to hit the studio together following a first meet-up at the Top 40 Awards in Amsterdam.

“Whenever I’m writing a song, I try to draw from the most recognizable life-altering events around me and find the little things that suddenly feel so different because of it“, Duncan Laurence explains when asked about the inspiration for the song.

“The vacant chair on the other side of the kitchen table, the empty half of a double bed, that kind of stuff. Even though it hurts, it’s also a memory of something beautiful. And that’s what ‘Feel Something’ is about. I wrote it together with Leland (Brett McLaughlin, known for songs from the likes of Troye Sivan and Selena Gomez), and it’s about rather feeling something than nothing at all, even though it may cause that gut-wrenching feeling in the pit of the stomach or a tear on the cheek. At least you ‘Feel Something’. I’m very happy that the message of this song gets to see the light of day, and I am super proud that I got to do this with someone like Armin.”

“I always feel blessed working with very talented singer-songwriters“, Armin van Buuren adds.

“Not only because they love music just as much as I do, but also because it reminds me that I am so lucky to be able to create music with other people and do this for a living. If you’ve ever heard Duncan Laurence perform live: that voice… what a gift!

Working together with him was an absolute blessing and I am very proud of the result. It’s fresh and new, and we put a lot of love in it. We intended to let listeners ‘Feel Something’, and that’s exactly what this record does.”

Listen to the song below.

Tujamo drops high-energy track ‘Enough of You’

By
Alex Gelevski
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Tujamo

World-renowned DJ and producer Tujamo has received massive recognition lately with a handful of dynamic singles. Returning to the release radar, Tujamo reveals his new single ‘Enough Of You’.

The initially dark atmosphere of the song contrasts with the raw nature of the emotional lyrics as the intense soundscape slowly builds up to be an exceptional dance track. ‘Enough Of You’ is available now across streaming platforms via Universal Music counterpart Virgin Records.

The nearly two-and-a-half minute musical endeavor immediately begins with a rich, textured vocal cut alongside a steadily building tension. The infectious rhythm begins to take up much of the sonic space, with the catchy beat and hefty bass drops following not too far behind. The propelling, four-on-the-floor track is a certified dance music hit, a primed dancefloor heater that’s sure to have anyone on their feet in no time.

So far, Tujamo has had a very successful start to the new decade with a string of releases already under his belt. The release of his collaborative track ‘Lonely’ with VIZE and MAJAN went on to gain over 30 million streams on Spotify and was followed by his groundbreaking track ‘Taking You Home’, featuring Kelvyn Colt.

Continuing this sharp upward momentum into 2021, ‘Enough of You’ serves as a prime look into what’s to come from the esteemed DJ and producer.

Listen to the track below.

KAS:ST announce their second album on Afterlife ‘A MAGIC WORLD’

By
Marco Di
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Parisian live act, production duo and DJ outfit KAS:ST today announce their second album, ‘A MAGIC WORLD’. Set for release on December 11th via Tale Of Us’ record label Afterlife, the first single and accompanying music video for ‘VTOPIA’ is out now.

Like a vast proportion of like-minded artists from varying fields, close friends and intrinsically synced creatives Carol and Manuel, better known as KAS:ST have taken advantage of global confinement to push the limits of their musical output.

Behind closed doors and simmered over the course of 6 months, it was here that the journey for their new studio album began to take form. With a natural desire to explore, develop and broaden the musical silhouettes which KAS:ST have become championed for, the inaugural taster of ‘A MAGIC WORLD‘ arrives today in a highly visual form.

‘VTOPIA‘, is the self-directed, cinematic video and KAS:ST‘s strikingly violent metaphorical commentary on the current age. Filmed between Paris and Barcelona, ‘VTOPIA’ is centred around a dark reality which intertwines with modern society.

A continuation from the 2019 video ‘HELL ON EARTH‘ (3.2M plays) ‘VTOPIA‘ follows the narrative of two main protagonists who only have their own dreams to escape.

An exploration of ambient electronic sounds, techno, rap, classical music and pop, KAS:ST welcome for the first time a host of multi-genre vocalists across the forthcoming album. A vision which moves towards a sound reminiscent of a darker musical tone of the likes of Four Tet, Bicep, James Blake and Floating Points, KAS:ST are no strangers to collaborating with seminal names from within the underground electronic scene including Tale Of Us, Kerri Chandler and many more.

Challenging themselves to innovate and elevate from the realms of techno which they believe not to be evolving, ‘A MAGIC WORLD‘ is in KAS:ST‘s sense, a tribute to differences and diversity across both life and music.

Here’s what KAS:ST had to say about their upcoming album on Afterlife.

“Our upcoming album is a much broader, artistic exploration for us and one which we feel demonstrates our many different musical influences. ‘A MAGIC WORLD’ is our vehicle to showcase a blend of electronic, rap, pop and classical influences, all the whilst remaining true to the sounds of techno”

Whether it be productions via their own label Flyance Records or remarkably performed live and DJ sets, KAS:ST have consistently crafted an atypical and avant-garde blend of electronic music.

With an impressive and famed discography which was first marked by 2016’s double EP ‘Dysphoria I Euphoria‘, since then, each track released is a journey fusing together dark and melancholic emotions without ever losing touch of the clubbing aspect of techno.

Following releases across renowned labels including Afterlife Recordings, Concrete Music and Materia, it was 2019 which saw the introduction of KAS:ST‘s debut LP, ‘Road To Nowhere‘. The album captured and synthesized the duo’s vast creative range, touching upon industrial techno, drum and bass, trap and symphonic tracks – A milestone in the ever-evolving story of one of electronic music’s most intriguing acts, ‘Road To Nowhere‘ was extremely well received – streamed over 14 million times in the opening months.

The first full EP on Tale Of Us‘ Afterlife followed in December 2019, which continued to showcase KAS:ST‘s undeniable momentum in becoming a new musical discovery outlet for both industry heads and fans alike. ‘Hold Me To The Light‘, one of the flagship tracks of the EP, once again emphasized the duo’s will to re-write techno formula by collaborating with the London based singer, Be No Rain.

Tale Of Us themselves remixed the track and in turn, became one of the anthems of the Afterlife Recordings label during 2019. As profile, industry respect and fanbase continued to build, it was perhaps an unexpected yet expectational collaboration with house music pioneer Kerri Chandler, which made the Parisian act one of the new decade’s unquestionably unignorable forces in electronic music.

Continuing their cross over from the underground, KAS:ST have a string of new releases scheduled for 2021, highlighted by an official remix for Moby. No strangers to gracing the stages of the world’s most sought after clubs and festivals including Berghain – Panaroma, KAS:ST are currently in the process of developing a new live show – Set to marry state of the art audio and video technology with the more traditionally focused implementation of live vocalists and instruments.

Listen to the track below.

Mathame collaborator Lyke signs with Armada and drops debut single ‘AROSE’

By
Andry Bosk
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Following a surge of success with his and Mathame’s 2018 single ‘Nothing Around Us’, Italian vocalist and producer Lyke is taking the next step in his already fruitful career. Today, the new-gen Deep House/Melodic Techno act officially signed with leading dance music label Armada Music and delivered his first single to the Armada Electronic Elements label: ‘AROSE’.

Blossoming into a world of color in a matter of seconds, Lyke‘s debut record on Armada Electronic Elements is a delicate as it is strong and alluring. From the petaled bass steps to the melodic touches that soar along the beat-driven stem, ‘AROSE‘ perfectly reflects on the better moments of life.

Lyke: “‘Arose’ is my first single where my voice is a supporting element of the song. I made it in Bergamo just after the lockdown and I remember it all being a bit unreal. It changed everything, but I think that the single best expresses the hope I had and wanted to share with the world in that moment.

The sound for me was very natural to pull out, and I didn’t want to limit myself during the creative process of the song. I thank Armada for having faith in this project and for the chance to get this single out together.”

Born in Italy at the turn of the millennium, singer and producer Luca Piantanida (Lyke) has been gaining plaudits across the music scene due to the sheer authenticity of music. Characterized by his distinctive voice and synths that bear tinges of techno and other electronic influences, his trademark sound first popped up in many a dance music fan’s radar through the 2018 release of ‘Nothing Around Us‘, the international hit from Mathame he created the cyber vocal for.

Fast forward to 2020 and Lyke is one of the youngest producers to have ever collaboration with labels such as Afterlife and Drumcode. He is constantly pushing himself and his internationally acclaimed sound out there, and that’s exactly what brought him to Armada Music to release the first single of his forthcoming EP: ‘AROSE‘.

Listen to the track below.

Oliver Heldens launches new label OH2 with gorgeous Party Pupils collab ‘Set Me Free’

By
Metodi Gogovski
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Oliver Heldens

A prolific producer like Oliver Heldens can’t be held down to just one label, or one alias, or one style. That’s why he’s launching another label within the Heldeep Family called OH2 Records, catering to the more commercial leaning, streaming focused productions — with Heldeep releasing the taste maker club and house records.

OH2 Records launches on November 6 with the release of the joyous new single ‘Set Me Free‘: a collaboration with acclaimed duo Party Pupils, who found fame covering ’90s R&B classics in a modern dance style and features the luscious vocals of MAX.

Sweet synth chord stabs kick the track off as MAX‘s soulful performance set the tone. Brooding low end energy hovers in the distance, the drop arrives with punchy beats and rubbery bass to allow the glorious refrain to explode into life.

Lush vocal harmonies deck out the break as the track strips down to its bones, reaching us to an exuberant climax where MAX‘s falsetto vocal takes the track up another notch. It’s a masterclass in pure dance pop perfection, with plenty of that distinctive Heldens energy in its engine.

Here’s what Oliver Heldens had to say about his brand new label OH2:

“With Heldeep I’ve always been very focused on expanding the horizons of more club-oriented sounds. Since launching the label a little over 5 years ago we’ve had so many highlights and become a very versatile label in that space, which I’m really pleased about. A typical example for this in 2020 was our success with Moguai & Kai Tracid’s ‘DT64’, which became a big hit in the Techno world, something I didn’t expect to accomplish with the Heldeep label when I started it in 2015.

However, I haven’t really been able to focus on the more Dance/Pop side of things with Heldeep (with the exception of a couple of my own tracks) so my team and I decided to expand the Heldeep Label group and launch ‘OH2 Records’ which will focus on the more melodic and Dance/Pop leaning music.

‘Set Me Free’ feels like the perfect record to me to kickstart OH2 – It just has this nicely balanced blend of Dance/Pop, Disco and Future House elements. Party Pupils and I have been wanting to do something together for a while, because we thought it would be really interesting to combine our styles, and we’re super happy how this turned out. Also a big shout out to MAX who really nailed the vocals on this one! I hope you also like it 🙂”

Oliver Heldens – Set Me Free OH2

Party Pupils went viral in 2016 with their covers of OutKast ‘Ms. Jackson‘ and Ginuwine’s ‘Pony‘ before soon branching out into some magnificent original material. Their debut album ‘Neon From Now On‘ has been one of the standout dance albums of 2020, and after being on Heldens‘ radar for a while, this perfect partnership has finally come to fruition. It’s been truly worth the wait.

It’s been a huge year for Oliver with recent releases including ‘Somebody‘, ‘Kronos‘ (HI-LO), groovy remix of Solardo & Paul Woolford‘s ‘Tear It Up‘, ‘Break This Habit‘ with Kiko Bun, ‘Rave Machine’, ‘Details’, ‘Take A Chance’, ‘The G.O.A.T’, LAZORZX999 and his remix for Justin Timberlake and SZA’s hit single, ‘The Other Side‘.

Listen to the track HERE!

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