Monday, July 23, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Pacha: Above & Beyond Review
Above & Beyond In NYC
Mike Schirtzer
http://trance.nu/v3/news_show.php?id=3759
June 1st 2007 New York City- Above and Beyond came to Pacha New York to celebrate their latest compilation, Anjunabeats Volume 5, and the continued success of their weekly radio show “Trance Around the World”. Made Events (www.madeevents.com) presented this event and has definitely become the premier trance promoter in New York. Usually only two of the three members show up, and this time Tony and Paavo were on the decks. New York’s own Jason Jollins (Acute Recordings) opened up the night, he has also opened up for the likes of Armin Van Buuren and Ferry Corsten in the past, so it was no surprise that his opening set was a great one that had the crowd dancing and clapping along.
Above and Beyond can proudly say that they are trance DJs/producers, while others seem to be bothered when they are called trance DJ’s, A&B seem to relish it. Some criticize the fact that they seem to play only trance tracks, but I believe that’s what the fans come to hear and they never disappoint. A&B also have no problem spinning their own tracks, they spun Air For Life, Can’t Sleep, Razorfish, No One on Earth, among others. While others seem hesitant to play their own “worn out” tracks, A&B understands that there are those that come from all over to see them and enjoy hearing the hits. Not to say they don’t come through with cutting edge stuff, Sander Van Doorn’s latest release of King of the Castle and Cosmic Gate’s Analog Feel were among some of the newer tracks played. Their own vocal tracks as well Luminary’s Amsterdam, had the crowd singing along the whole night.
A&B seem to really embrace their fans, signing autographs, reading the texts on mobile phones that are handed to them, and just seemingly enjoying themselves. They do not have the “look” of the bigger name DJ’s, but that’s what makes them so accessible to the masses. I’ve attended many events across the EDM world, and the guys of A&B always have the energy as if it’s their 1st time in front of a big crowd and appreciate every minute of their success. When the DJ’s are having a good time it’s like a virus that spreads across the club.
The low point of the night was the extreme heat inside the club. The world famous Pacha uses fans as air conditioners and the people at the club had a hard time dealing with the immense heat. With the high drink prices, the least Pacha could do is have their patrons made to be comfortable. The big problem in the EDM scene right now here in NYC is there aren’t many big clubs any more, just a couple of years ago Roxy, Crobar, Spirit, Avalon, and others were fighting for customers. All those named have since closed sown, and Crobar has changed management and owners and is not bringing in the first class DJs anymore, so Pacha is left to dominate the club world here in New York. The lack of completion is not good for the clubbers and opens the door for many problems, let’s hope another super club surfaces soon.
Mike Schirtzer
http://trance.nu/v3/news_show.php?id=3759
June 1st 2007 New York City- Above and Beyond came to Pacha New York to celebrate their latest compilation, Anjunabeats Volume 5, and the continued success of their weekly radio show “Trance Around the World”. Made Events (www.madeevents.com) presented this event and has definitely become the premier trance promoter in New York. Usually only two of the three members show up, and this time Tony and Paavo were on the decks. New York’s own Jason Jollins (Acute Recordings) opened up the night, he has also opened up for the likes of Armin Van Buuren and Ferry Corsten in the past, so it was no surprise that his opening set was a great one that had the crowd dancing and clapping along.
Above and Beyond can proudly say that they are trance DJs/producers, while others seem to be bothered when they are called trance DJ’s, A&B seem to relish it. Some criticize the fact that they seem to play only trance tracks, but I believe that’s what the fans come to hear and they never disappoint. A&B also have no problem spinning their own tracks, they spun Air For Life, Can’t Sleep, Razorfish, No One on Earth, among others. While others seem hesitant to play their own “worn out” tracks, A&B understands that there are those that come from all over to see them and enjoy hearing the hits. Not to say they don’t come through with cutting edge stuff, Sander Van Doorn’s latest release of King of the Castle and Cosmic Gate’s Analog Feel were among some of the newer tracks played. Their own vocal tracks as well Luminary’s Amsterdam, had the crowd singing along the whole night.
A&B seem to really embrace their fans, signing autographs, reading the texts on mobile phones that are handed to them, and just seemingly enjoying themselves. They do not have the “look” of the bigger name DJ’s, but that’s what makes them so accessible to the masses. I’ve attended many events across the EDM world, and the guys of A&B always have the energy as if it’s their 1st time in front of a big crowd and appreciate every minute of their success. When the DJ’s are having a good time it’s like a virus that spreads across the club.
The low point of the night was the extreme heat inside the club. The world famous Pacha uses fans as air conditioners and the people at the club had a hard time dealing with the immense heat. With the high drink prices, the least Pacha could do is have their patrons made to be comfortable. The big problem in the EDM scene right now here in NYC is there aren’t many big clubs any more, just a couple of years ago Roxy, Crobar, Spirit, Avalon, and others were fighting for customers. All those named have since closed sown, and Crobar has changed management and owners and is not bringing in the first class DJs anymore, so Pacha is left to dominate the club world here in New York. The lack of completion is not good for the clubbers and opens the door for many problems, let’s hope another super club surfaces soon.
Above & Beyond Interview
http://trance.nu/v3/interview_show.php?id=261/
Above & Beyond are currently on tour to promote their latest label compilation Anjunabeats Volume Five. This follows the success of their acclaimed artist album Tristate. Tony from Above & Beyond was interviewed about this release.
Anjunabeats Volume Five is available for digital download at I-Tunes and Audiojelly. The CD can be purchased at cdjshop.com
1 How is the tour you’re on right now going?
Tony: Its been great. We've been going to some new places (Puerto Rico, Niagara Falls) and returning to some of our favorite places (Pacha New York, 1015 San Francisco) and the dates have all been really good.
2. To promote Your latest album 'Anjunabeats Volume 5' You're very heavy on the show circuit always doing shows and live performances , when do you have time to listen to new tracks, submit remixes, and program Trance around the world (their weekly radio show) ?
Tony: We have a huge advantage in that there are three of us. We DJ as a duo (there three in the squad, and two in the team!) and so if we're on tour in the week off somewhere long-haul there's always someone at home to take care of TATW and keep the production, label and A&R side moving along. But we listen to new music on the road all the time: the internet doesn't care if you are at home, in the studio or in a hotel room in Mexico - the tracks still keep coming.
3. Please tell us about the new release and what fans can expect from this album
Tony: Anjunabeats Volume Five is a slight departure from earlier "Volume" releases in that its a double CD and, for the most part, forthcoming stuff. So we've been able to give full reign to both the Anjunabeats and Anjunadeep repertoire we've got lined up for release in the coming months.
4. What is the one specific tracks that sticks out in your mind that really represents what the CD and A&B is all about
Tony: I think its the breadth and, hopefully, the quality of stuff on there that represents what we are about rather than one track. We've always played a broad range of music in our DJ sets and now the label is able to attract excellent artists from right across the board of what we play out, which is fantastic.
5. You guys seem to have a real talent for producing successful vocal tracks, why is that?
Tony: I guess because we really like songs and think a lot about lyrics, melody and harmony and how they can best be combined. Between the three of us there is quite a lot of song-writing experience from the bands we used to be in and the music we listen to, which is right across the board from pop to indie to dance.
6. Please tell me more about Your first encounter. How did you all meet up?
Tony: Jono and Paavo met at University and I met Jono through my brother who bought a sample CD that Jono had made. I arranged to meet Jono one night out clubbing with Matt Darey and I then met Paavo for the first time at my flat when Jono and he came round to help me finish the original "Time To Die" Nitromethane mix. Of course we had no idea it would lead to this!
7. How important has MySpace, Last.fm or any of the other top networking websites been in getting your music out and connecting with the fans
Tony: We've always been present on the net and our own website has one of the most loyal and fanatical forum members of any site out there. But MySpace has grown so fast the numbers on there dwarf our own efforts. We have almost 90,000 friends on MySpace now and its growing faster by the day, so that's clearly having a growing influence on our fan-base. Last FM, YouTube and many other sites are also becoming more and more important.
8. What are your strengths individually? Is there one particular technical aspect of music that one of you have greater experience or knowledge in?
Tony: That's so complicated because we all do different things depending on how we feel. There's so much more that comes from how we work together than from being reductionist about us.
Jono has this incredible Juke Box brain and is able to recall chords and sounds from thousands of records, so he's an incredibly fast source of musical ideas. On the other hand he loves the groove part of tracks and would quite happily work on the intro for ever. Paavo is our in house technical genius who could probably build a working satellite out of a beer can, an old radio and some toothpicks, but underneath it all he has a really strong connection with the emotional side of music and so writes the most amazing, sad music. My schtick is songs, really, the delivery of a message with words or musical progression. What the milkman is singing (or whistling) at any point in the track is my thing. But I'm an ex-marketing guy, so I obsess about the visual side of what we do as well. But as I said before, its the combination that really explains it but that's far too complex to explain at 7.00am!
9. Do any of you ever aspire to do more solo projects
Tony: We all have done, and may do again, but right now we're concentrating on A&B in general and the OceanLab album in particular.
10. What does your studio set up consist of?
Tony: A big Mac stuffed with Logic, Ableton and all the best Plug Ins, a raft of synths (Moog, Pro-1, Juno 106 etc), some guitars, some lovely microphones, a Soundcraft Ghost analogue mixing desk and more. You can get a full list at anjunabeats.com.
11. What sort of non-electronic music records or CD's do you own?
Tony: What sort don't we own?!! I think between us we have over 2,000 CD's.
12. Being that you guys travel frequently, what is your favorite place to stay and why?
Tony: Apart from home (!) I was blown away by Buenos Aires: its like Madrid 20 years ago - gorgeous, slightly crumbly Grand European architecture and amazing food.
13. What is the largest audience that you have ever played in front of and where was it
Tony: I guess Trance Energy last year had the biggest indoor crown - 30,000 in one room. But we just played outdoors in Poland and according to the promoter there were 30,000 people there if you include the people outside the fence. And that was our own gig, so that's probably the biggest.
14. The future for Above and Beyond is…
Tony: Definitely unpredictable, er, Orange? Actually, the immediate future is OceanLab!
http://www.anjunabeats.com/
http://www.aboveandbeyond.nu/
Above & Beyond are currently on tour to promote their latest label compilation Anjunabeats Volume Five. This follows the success of their acclaimed artist album Tristate. Tony from Above & Beyond was interviewed about this release.
Anjunabeats Volume Five is available for digital download at I-Tunes and Audiojelly. The CD can be purchased at cdjshop.com
1 How is the tour you’re on right now going?
Tony: Its been great. We've been going to some new places (Puerto Rico, Niagara Falls) and returning to some of our favorite places (Pacha New York, 1015 San Francisco) and the dates have all been really good.
2. To promote Your latest album 'Anjunabeats Volume 5' You're very heavy on the show circuit always doing shows and live performances , when do you have time to listen to new tracks, submit remixes, and program Trance around the world (their weekly radio show) ?
Tony: We have a huge advantage in that there are three of us. We DJ as a duo (there three in the squad, and two in the team!) and so if we're on tour in the week off somewhere long-haul there's always someone at home to take care of TATW and keep the production, label and A&R side moving along. But we listen to new music on the road all the time: the internet doesn't care if you are at home, in the studio or in a hotel room in Mexico - the tracks still keep coming.
3. Please tell us about the new release and what fans can expect from this album
Tony: Anjunabeats Volume Five is a slight departure from earlier "Volume" releases in that its a double CD and, for the most part, forthcoming stuff. So we've been able to give full reign to both the Anjunabeats and Anjunadeep repertoire we've got lined up for release in the coming months.
4. What is the one specific tracks that sticks out in your mind that really represents what the CD and A&B is all about
Tony: I think its the breadth and, hopefully, the quality of stuff on there that represents what we are about rather than one track. We've always played a broad range of music in our DJ sets and now the label is able to attract excellent artists from right across the board of what we play out, which is fantastic.
5. You guys seem to have a real talent for producing successful vocal tracks, why is that?
Tony: I guess because we really like songs and think a lot about lyrics, melody and harmony and how they can best be combined. Between the three of us there is quite a lot of song-writing experience from the bands we used to be in and the music we listen to, which is right across the board from pop to indie to dance.
6. Please tell me more about Your first encounter. How did you all meet up?
Tony: Jono and Paavo met at University and I met Jono through my brother who bought a sample CD that Jono had made. I arranged to meet Jono one night out clubbing with Matt Darey and I then met Paavo for the first time at my flat when Jono and he came round to help me finish the original "Time To Die" Nitromethane mix. Of course we had no idea it would lead to this!
7. How important has MySpace, Last.fm or any of the other top networking websites been in getting your music out and connecting with the fans
Tony: We've always been present on the net and our own website has one of the most loyal and fanatical forum members of any site out there. But MySpace has grown so fast the numbers on there dwarf our own efforts. We have almost 90,000 friends on MySpace now and its growing faster by the day, so that's clearly having a growing influence on our fan-base. Last FM, YouTube and many other sites are also becoming more and more important.
8. What are your strengths individually? Is there one particular technical aspect of music that one of you have greater experience or knowledge in?
Tony: That's so complicated because we all do different things depending on how we feel. There's so much more that comes from how we work together than from being reductionist about us.
Jono has this incredible Juke Box brain and is able to recall chords and sounds from thousands of records, so he's an incredibly fast source of musical ideas. On the other hand he loves the groove part of tracks and would quite happily work on the intro for ever. Paavo is our in house technical genius who could probably build a working satellite out of a beer can, an old radio and some toothpicks, but underneath it all he has a really strong connection with the emotional side of music and so writes the most amazing, sad music. My schtick is songs, really, the delivery of a message with words or musical progression. What the milkman is singing (or whistling) at any point in the track is my thing. But I'm an ex-marketing guy, so I obsess about the visual side of what we do as well. But as I said before, its the combination that really explains it but that's far too complex to explain at 7.00am!
9. Do any of you ever aspire to do more solo projects
Tony: We all have done, and may do again, but right now we're concentrating on A&B in general and the OceanLab album in particular.
10. What does your studio set up consist of?
Tony: A big Mac stuffed with Logic, Ableton and all the best Plug Ins, a raft of synths (Moog, Pro-1, Juno 106 etc), some guitars, some lovely microphones, a Soundcraft Ghost analogue mixing desk and more. You can get a full list at anjunabeats.com.
11. What sort of non-electronic music records or CD's do you own?
Tony: What sort don't we own?!! I think between us we have over 2,000 CD's.
12. Being that you guys travel frequently, what is your favorite place to stay and why?
Tony: Apart from home (!) I was blown away by Buenos Aires: its like Madrid 20 years ago - gorgeous, slightly crumbly Grand European architecture and amazing food.
13. What is the largest audience that you have ever played in front of and where was it
Tony: I guess Trance Energy last year had the biggest indoor crown - 30,000 in one room. But we just played outdoors in Poland and according to the promoter there were 30,000 people there if you include the people outside the fence. And that was our own gig, so that's probably the biggest.
14. The future for Above and Beyond is…
Tony: Definitely unpredictable, er, Orange? Actually, the immediate future is OceanLab!
http://www.anjunabeats.com/
http://www.aboveandbeyond.nu/
Sean Tyas Interview
http://trance.nu/v3/interview_show.php?id=260/
Sean Tyas is an American trance producer and DJ who has had many hits including “Lift” and famous remixes of Sander Van Doorn’s Punk’d and Mike Foyle’s Shipwrecked. Tyas most recently appeared on Armin Van Buuren’s 300th episode celebration of the “A State of Trance” weekly radio show, and spun an hour long set. His works can be found on Armin’s Armada label as well as John Askew’s Discover. His latest track Candida is available now on BeatPort.com and Trackitdown.net, coming out in the near future: Drop, Sean Tyas presents Logistic-One More Night, and his remix of Thomas Datt’s 2v2007. Tyas will be appearing at Dance Valley in the Netherlands this summer.
Trance.nu says:
Hello Sean, where are you from and where do you live now
Sean tyas says:
Originally I'm from New York, and now I'm living in St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Trance.nu says:
Why Switzerland?
Sean tyas says:
Well at first it was Cologne, Germany, but had a more stable offer from Moonman Productions here in Switzerland, and since I was already dating my now-wife Mirella, who is Swiss, it seemed a no-brainer to drop everything and just move.
Trance.nu says:
How did you first discover electronic music?
Sean tyas says:
My uncle gave me a cassette tape in 1990 of the various mixes of Apotheosis O'Fortuna. I think there were 3 mixes total. I loved them so much I actually just made another cassette with the 3 mixes and listened over and over to both sides and would literally listen to these mixes all day! Hadn't heard anything like it until then.
Trance.nu says:
First of all would you rather be considered a DJ or producer
Sean tyas says:
Producer more than DJ, though it gets more and more enjoyable to DJ each time.
Trance.nu says:
So how did you take that 1st step from fan to producer?
Sean tyas says:
About 7 years ago I guess, I finally decided to install Cubase VST/24 and buy a Yamaha AN1x . At the time I had limited knowledge about anything, but figured eh, just suck it up and get started. It wasn't too long before I started opening up more credit cards just to feed this growing addiction of gear-whoreishness.
Trance.nu says:
Has having producers like Markus Schulz and Christopher Lawrence from the States, made it easier for you, as an American, to break into the trance scene
Sean tyas says:
Hmm as successful and skilled as they are, America still is really not known as being a trance generating country. I think in any country it's never easy per-se to break into the scene. But like anything in life... You beat on that wall long enough, it's gonna come down.
Trance.nu says:
Was the success of "Lift" surprising for you and how did it change things in terms of your music career
Sean tyas says:
It just brought whatever I was doing at the time directly into the limelight due to the surprisingly amazing play listing it received. That one track basically and oddly began my DJ career.
Trance.nu says:
How can you go from being where you’re at now, to the "star" status of an Armin, Tiesto, etc?
Sean tyas says:
No need, I love where I am now. I just want stability, quality, and consistency and I'm really satisfied.
Trance.nu says:
I was at your show in NYC and I noticed something unusual for our scene, your father was there supporting you, Is your family a big part of your music?
Sean tyas says:
When I'm in New York, both of my brothers and usually both parents are there to support. It's really amazing to even have my parents there; I think they finally see the reason I used to terrorize them by shaking the house all day when I was living home.
Trance.nu says:
Tell us about how important your website and other online networking tools are?
Sean tyas says:
Its a terrific tool for getting correct and official info directly out there. Though it's such a strange phenomenon, MySpace, in that now every artist's MySpace page is essentially more important than their own professionally done websites!! It's just a very positive and good environment
Trance.nu says:
Since I am writing this for trance.nu which is known for its coverage of the entire scene worldwide, but its forums/message boards are big part of the site as well, tell me your feelings about forums
Sean tyas says:
They are different now than 6-7 years ago. I think back then it was very positive because it was filled with people that actually went out and enjoy the clubs, and really just enjoyed the night life by dancing. Now those same people still roam the boards, but they are also filled with many people that forgot that, well, this scene is supposed to be fun, and not to be taken so seriously.
www.seantyasmusic.com
www.myspace.com/seantyas
Sean Tyas is an American trance producer and DJ who has had many hits including “Lift” and famous remixes of Sander Van Doorn’s Punk’d and Mike Foyle’s Shipwrecked. Tyas most recently appeared on Armin Van Buuren’s 300th episode celebration of the “A State of Trance” weekly radio show, and spun an hour long set. His works can be found on Armin’s Armada label as well as John Askew’s Discover. His latest track Candida is available now on BeatPort.com and Trackitdown.net, coming out in the near future: Drop, Sean Tyas presents Logistic-One More Night, and his remix of Thomas Datt’s 2v2007. Tyas will be appearing at Dance Valley in the Netherlands this summer.
Trance.nu says:
Hello Sean, where are you from and where do you live now
Sean tyas says:
Originally I'm from New York, and now I'm living in St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Trance.nu says:
Why Switzerland?
Sean tyas says:
Well at first it was Cologne, Germany, but had a more stable offer from Moonman Productions here in Switzerland, and since I was already dating my now-wife Mirella, who is Swiss, it seemed a no-brainer to drop everything and just move.
Trance.nu says:
How did you first discover electronic music?
Sean tyas says:
My uncle gave me a cassette tape in 1990 of the various mixes of Apotheosis O'Fortuna. I think there were 3 mixes total. I loved them so much I actually just made another cassette with the 3 mixes and listened over and over to both sides and would literally listen to these mixes all day! Hadn't heard anything like it until then.
Trance.nu says:
First of all would you rather be considered a DJ or producer
Sean tyas says:
Producer more than DJ, though it gets more and more enjoyable to DJ each time.
Trance.nu says:
So how did you take that 1st step from fan to producer?
Sean tyas says:
About 7 years ago I guess, I finally decided to install Cubase VST/24 and buy a Yamaha AN1x . At the time I had limited knowledge about anything, but figured eh, just suck it up and get started. It wasn't too long before I started opening up more credit cards just to feed this growing addiction of gear-whoreishness.
Trance.nu says:
Has having producers like Markus Schulz and Christopher Lawrence from the States, made it easier for you, as an American, to break into the trance scene
Sean tyas says:
Hmm as successful and skilled as they are, America still is really not known as being a trance generating country. I think in any country it's never easy per-se to break into the scene. But like anything in life... You beat on that wall long enough, it's gonna come down.
Trance.nu says:
Was the success of "Lift" surprising for you and how did it change things in terms of your music career
Sean tyas says:
It just brought whatever I was doing at the time directly into the limelight due to the surprisingly amazing play listing it received. That one track basically and oddly began my DJ career.
Trance.nu says:
How can you go from being where you’re at now, to the "star" status of an Armin, Tiesto, etc?
Sean tyas says:
No need, I love where I am now. I just want stability, quality, and consistency and I'm really satisfied.
Trance.nu says:
I was at your show in NYC and I noticed something unusual for our scene, your father was there supporting you, Is your family a big part of your music?
Sean tyas says:
When I'm in New York, both of my brothers and usually both parents are there to support. It's really amazing to even have my parents there; I think they finally see the reason I used to terrorize them by shaking the house all day when I was living home.
Trance.nu says:
Tell us about how important your website and other online networking tools are?
Sean tyas says:
Its a terrific tool for getting correct and official info directly out there. Though it's such a strange phenomenon, MySpace, in that now every artist's MySpace page is essentially more important than their own professionally done websites!! It's just a very positive and good environment
Trance.nu says:
Since I am writing this for trance.nu which is known for its coverage of the entire scene worldwide, but its forums/message boards are big part of the site as well, tell me your feelings about forums
Sean tyas says:
They are different now than 6-7 years ago. I think back then it was very positive because it was filled with people that actually went out and enjoy the clubs, and really just enjoyed the night life by dancing. Now those same people still roam the boards, but they are also filled with many people that forgot that, well, this scene is supposed to be fun, and not to be taken so seriously.
www.seantyasmusic.com
www.myspace.com/seantyas
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
JENINEIFER RENE INTERVIEW
Jennifer Rene Interview
http://trance.nu/v3/interview_show.php?id=257
Jennifer Rene "Wouldn't Change a Thing"
Vocalist Jennifer Rene and Jose Amnesia DJ/Producer teamed up for the smash hit "Louder" which was spun by the likes of Paul Van Dyk, Tiesto, and Above & Beyond. Now they are back with their follow-up "Wouldn't Change A Thing", which has already been named a tune of the month in the April'07 issue of MixMag, and will be featured on Armin Van Buuren's new CD "A State Of Trance 2007". We interviewed Ms. Rene about her success and upcoming plans.
Trance.nu says:
First question, how do you pronounce Rene?
Jennifer Rene says:
It sounds like "re - nae"
Trance.nu says:
Ok good now that we set that straight, where are you from and where do you live now?
Jennifer Rene says:
Well I'm happy to be doing this interview first off, so thank you. I was born in Riverside, California and grew up here in Indianapolis, Indiana. Where I live now!!
Trance.nu says:
Wow Indianapolis doesn't exactly sound like the hot-bed of clubbing
Jennifer Rene says:
You're exactly right it's not, you say "I do dance music" and they call it "techno". In fact I did go out last night with some friends and at this club they played "Sandstorm", one of them leaned to me and said "so this is the kind of music you do?" They don't have knowledge as to what dance music is here, that is what Chicago is for and I love going to that city.
Trance.nu says:
When did you start singing?
Jennifer Rene says:
Since I was very young, it's just something that came naturally to me, I sang in churches, at festivals, in choirs. It's always something I loved to do.
Trance.nu says:
When did you first go to a club and hear Electronic music?
Jennifer Rene says:
Actually not until I turned 21, I always felt alone in loving this music so much in Indy because no one listens to it here. Somehow I heard about this club called "Vision" in Chicago and one of my friends took me there. It was a Blank and Jones show and that night I remember standing in the middle of the dance floor clearly thinking "Wow I'm not alone, I'm not the only one that loves this and I want to do this as my life someday."
Trance.nu says:
How did you hook up with Jose Amnesia?
Jennifer Rene says:
Through a mutual friend "Arturo Bonetti", we met through the internet. He had been friends with José Amnesia for a long time. Arturo knew I wanted to sing for this genre and he said "send me your vocals I know a producer who could use them." and that's exactly how it happened,
Trance.nu says:
Some producers like to make music first then put down the vocals, other do vocals first, which way do you prefer to record?
Jennifer Rene says:
I don't have an "official" or preferred way. Sometimes I hear music and write the vocals that come to mind. Sometimes I hear vocals and then later the music is put to it. Sometimes it's a mix of both. "Louder" and "Wouldn't Change a Thing" were both this way. I wrote something and sent it to José. He sent me back his musical ideas, and I in turn wrote more to the original idea. We work really well together creatively. Sometimes its like we can read each others minds musically and with Jonas Steur and "Fall to Pieces" he sent me the music, then I wrote the lyrics over it. It just depends every track is different.
Trance.nu says:
You are signed to Armada, Any plans to do a track with Armin
Jennifer Rene says:
Back in march of this year I was in a studio with him in Washington DC. We recorded two songs there. One I originally wrote and another we wrote together, and we have plans to continue in the near future. I would assume it will still be some time before it gets released. Right now he's busy promoting "A State of Trance 2007" plus his tour schedule is just crazy. When they are finished and ready, I know the wait will have been worth it.
Trance.nu says:
Which DJ's would you like to work with in the future?
Jennifer Rene says:
Well, Armin was a big one, so to say I've gotten that opportunity already, in this very short period of time is amazing. The fact that I've been in this business, is a real blessing. I do however have a few other producers in mind for sure.
Trance.nu says:
The big discussion within the music industry is the importance, or lack thereof, of MySpace, how has it made an impact on your career?
Jennifer Rene says:
I never saw MySpace as a "networking" tool, but a few years ago, a producer told me "you should sign up for MySpace its great for networking". I saw it as "this 30's something DJ uses MySpace for picking up chicks", but once I signed up for it, I realized it's so much more than that. Without MySpace I wouldn't know almost ANY of the artists I know today, possibly not even José. I wouldn't be getting the gigs I'm getting now and couldn't promote my music in the way I'm doing now. Most importantly, I couldn't be connecting with the fans the way I'm doing now. There is nothing in the world that means more to me that reading what fans of my music write to me and replying. I would basically be sitting at home wondering if people are enjoying my voice! I know MySpace isn't everything and it's not the entire world, but it's been very beneficial to me.
Trance.nu says:
Along those lines, what is your involvement with message-boards/forums such as trance.nu?
Jennifer Rene says:
I used to use tranceaddict.com a lot, but, and I know I'm not the first to say this; there is a lot of negativity that comes with these message boards. It's like, some people are just sitting there, ready to pounce on anybody who posts something they disagree to, or to any artist that releases a track or a compilation. Its one thing to post one's opinion, but it's another to attack a person or an artist or their work, but there is a lot of good to the message boards too. I do use them, I don't post as much as I used to, but I read alot.
Trance.nu says:
Which vocalists do you enjoy?
Jennifer Rene says:
Jes, Nadia Ali, Tiff Lacey, Sarah McLachlan, Imogean Heap, Sir Adrian (the vocalist from Ronski Speed's "The Space We Are")
Trance.nu says:
Other than Armin and José, who are your favorite DJ's?
Jennifer Rene says:
Gabriel and Dresden
Trance.nu says:
What is the future for Jennifer Rene?
Jennifer Rene says:
Always singing and writing. José and I have talked about doing an album together. There's even talk of possibly doing an artist album down the line, but I also want to push myself as a DJ too, which not many people know I want to do. I'm going to try to focus on that with radio shows and gigs; also I want to learn to produce for myself down the line. Music, music and lots more music.
Trance.nu says:
What is your ultimate goal, cross-over pop hit, or something else?
Jennifer Rene says:
Cross over dance hit. I want to take the music I do, and make it the "pop" hit, not with the "pop" sound but the popularity of it I mean; I want to change the world with this music. There are still so many people who's ears I haven't had a chance of opening to this. If I can make them dance, then my mission in life is accomplished and I can die happy.
www.myspace.com/jenniferreneb
www.armadamusic.nl/artists/jenniferrene
http://trance.nu/v3/interview_show.php?id=257
Jennifer Rene "Wouldn't Change a Thing"
Vocalist Jennifer Rene and Jose Amnesia DJ/Producer teamed up for the smash hit "Louder" which was spun by the likes of Paul Van Dyk, Tiesto, and Above & Beyond. Now they are back with their follow-up "Wouldn't Change A Thing", which has already been named a tune of the month in the April'07 issue of MixMag, and will be featured on Armin Van Buuren's new CD "A State Of Trance 2007". We interviewed Ms. Rene about her success and upcoming plans.
Trance.nu says:
First question, how do you pronounce Rene?
Jennifer Rene says:
It sounds like "re - nae"
Trance.nu says:
Ok good now that we set that straight, where are you from and where do you live now?
Jennifer Rene says:
Well I'm happy to be doing this interview first off, so thank you. I was born in Riverside, California and grew up here in Indianapolis, Indiana. Where I live now!!
Trance.nu says:
Wow Indianapolis doesn't exactly sound like the hot-bed of clubbing
Jennifer Rene says:
You're exactly right it's not, you say "I do dance music" and they call it "techno". In fact I did go out last night with some friends and at this club they played "Sandstorm", one of them leaned to me and said "so this is the kind of music you do?" They don't have knowledge as to what dance music is here, that is what Chicago is for and I love going to that city.
Trance.nu says:
When did you start singing?
Jennifer Rene says:
Since I was very young, it's just something that came naturally to me, I sang in churches, at festivals, in choirs. It's always something I loved to do.
Trance.nu says:
When did you first go to a club and hear Electronic music?
Jennifer Rene says:
Actually not until I turned 21, I always felt alone in loving this music so much in Indy because no one listens to it here. Somehow I heard about this club called "Vision" in Chicago and one of my friends took me there. It was a Blank and Jones show and that night I remember standing in the middle of the dance floor clearly thinking "Wow I'm not alone, I'm not the only one that loves this and I want to do this as my life someday."
Trance.nu says:
How did you hook up with Jose Amnesia?
Jennifer Rene says:
Through a mutual friend "Arturo Bonetti", we met through the internet. He had been friends with José Amnesia for a long time. Arturo knew I wanted to sing for this genre and he said "send me your vocals I know a producer who could use them." and that's exactly how it happened,
Trance.nu says:
Some producers like to make music first then put down the vocals, other do vocals first, which way do you prefer to record?
Jennifer Rene says:
I don't have an "official" or preferred way. Sometimes I hear music and write the vocals that come to mind. Sometimes I hear vocals and then later the music is put to it. Sometimes it's a mix of both. "Louder" and "Wouldn't Change a Thing" were both this way. I wrote something and sent it to José. He sent me back his musical ideas, and I in turn wrote more to the original idea. We work really well together creatively. Sometimes its like we can read each others minds musically and with Jonas Steur and "Fall to Pieces" he sent me the music, then I wrote the lyrics over it. It just depends every track is different.
Trance.nu says:
You are signed to Armada, Any plans to do a track with Armin
Jennifer Rene says:
Back in march of this year I was in a studio with him in Washington DC. We recorded two songs there. One I originally wrote and another we wrote together, and we have plans to continue in the near future. I would assume it will still be some time before it gets released. Right now he's busy promoting "A State of Trance 2007" plus his tour schedule is just crazy. When they are finished and ready, I know the wait will have been worth it.
Trance.nu says:
Which DJ's would you like to work with in the future?
Jennifer Rene says:
Well, Armin was a big one, so to say I've gotten that opportunity already, in this very short period of time is amazing. The fact that I've been in this business, is a real blessing. I do however have a few other producers in mind for sure.
Trance.nu says:
The big discussion within the music industry is the importance, or lack thereof, of MySpace, how has it made an impact on your career?
Jennifer Rene says:
I never saw MySpace as a "networking" tool, but a few years ago, a producer told me "you should sign up for MySpace its great for networking". I saw it as "this 30's something DJ uses MySpace for picking up chicks", but once I signed up for it, I realized it's so much more than that. Without MySpace I wouldn't know almost ANY of the artists I know today, possibly not even José. I wouldn't be getting the gigs I'm getting now and couldn't promote my music in the way I'm doing now. Most importantly, I couldn't be connecting with the fans the way I'm doing now. There is nothing in the world that means more to me that reading what fans of my music write to me and replying. I would basically be sitting at home wondering if people are enjoying my voice! I know MySpace isn't everything and it's not the entire world, but it's been very beneficial to me.
Trance.nu says:
Along those lines, what is your involvement with message-boards/forums such as trance.nu?
Jennifer Rene says:
I used to use tranceaddict.com a lot, but, and I know I'm not the first to say this; there is a lot of negativity that comes with these message boards. It's like, some people are just sitting there, ready to pounce on anybody who posts something they disagree to, or to any artist that releases a track or a compilation. Its one thing to post one's opinion, but it's another to attack a person or an artist or their work, but there is a lot of good to the message boards too. I do use them, I don't post as much as I used to, but I read alot.
Trance.nu says:
Which vocalists do you enjoy?
Jennifer Rene says:
Jes, Nadia Ali, Tiff Lacey, Sarah McLachlan, Imogean Heap, Sir Adrian (the vocalist from Ronski Speed's "The Space We Are")
Trance.nu says:
Other than Armin and José, who are your favorite DJ's?
Jennifer Rene says:
Gabriel and Dresden
Trance.nu says:
What is the future for Jennifer Rene?
Jennifer Rene says:
Always singing and writing. José and I have talked about doing an album together. There's even talk of possibly doing an artist album down the line, but I also want to push myself as a DJ too, which not many people know I want to do. I'm going to try to focus on that with radio shows and gigs; also I want to learn to produce for myself down the line. Music, music and lots more music.
Trance.nu says:
What is your ultimate goal, cross-over pop hit, or something else?
Jennifer Rene says:
Cross over dance hit. I want to take the music I do, and make it the "pop" hit, not with the "pop" sound but the popularity of it I mean; I want to change the world with this music. There are still so many people who's ears I haven't had a chance of opening to this. If I can make them dance, then my mission in life is accomplished and I can die happy.
www.myspace.com/jenniferreneb
www.armadamusic.nl/artists/jenniferrene
THANK YOU MR. BLAIR
The loss of Mr. Tony Blair will not only be devestating for the United Kingdom, but the free world as well. He was a liberal in the true sense of the word, where as he understood the threat to democracies everywhere that is coming from radical Islam spread all over the world, and in his own city of London. As the Mayor Livingston stands with the followers of Wahabism, freedom is disappearing, and Mr. Blair has not only understood this, but has been able to put into words more elequently than his colleagues. John Howard, Blair, and dear I say George W Bush, maybe remebered by history, the way Churchill is now. In the 1930's the western world was moving to isolationism, asking to be left alone, appeasing the enemies, Churchill asked, but did not receive, the expansion and technological advance of His Majesty's military, because he saw the writing on the wall, he knew then, what our leaders know noe, that the enemy is not rational and has no sense of morals.. This foresight continued with the likes of Truman, JFK, Reagan, and Thatcher. What they had in common was being able to see the enemy standing at the door and take it on. The UK, USA, Australia, Israel, Poland,Ukraine, Denmark and many of the other former Eastern Block countries understand not only the threat of fanatic Islam at their doorstep, but freedoms being removed by the far right governments of Putin and the far left like Chavez. While those in our country who claim to be liberals support these regimes and those of Castro, they fail to realize the peoples of those lands cannot simply write as I do and speak out against their government. The left in the USA and UK pretend to look out for the little guy, yet they endanger our freedoms by reaching out to those governments that deprive their people on a daily basis. Thank you Mr. Blair for standing tall as your people and my fellow citizens close their eyes and face the wall, we hope those eyes will be opened before its too late..again!
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Jennifer Rene Interverview
Jennifer Rene Interview
http://trance.nu/v3/interview_show.php?id=257
Jennifer Rene "Wouldn't Change a Thing"
By Mike Schirtzer
Vocalist Jennifer Rene and Jose Amnesia DJ/Producer teamed up for the smash hit "Louder" which was spun by the likes of Paul Van Dyk, Tiesto, and Above & Beyond. Now they are back with their follow-up "Wouldn't Change A Thing", which has already been named a tune of the month in the April'07 issue of MixMag, and will be featured on Armin Van Buuren's new CD "A State Of Trance 2007". We interviewed Ms. Rene about her success and upcoming plans.
Trance.nu says:
First question, how do you pronounce Rene?
Jennifer Rene says:
It sounds like "re - nae"
Trance.nu says:
Ok good now that we set that straight, where are you from and where do you live now?
Jennifer Rene says:
Well I'm happy to be doing this interview first off, so thank you. I was born in Riverside, California and grew up here in Indianapolis, Indiana. Where I live now!!
Trance.nu says:
Wow Indianapolis doesn't exactly sound like the hot-bed of clubbing
Jennifer Rene says:
You're exactly right it's not, you say "I do dance music" and they call it "techno". In fact I did go out last night with some friends and at this club they played "Sandstorm", one of them leaned to me and said "so this is the kind of music you do?" They don't have knowledge as to what dance music is here, that is what Chicago is for and I love going to that city.
Trance.nu says:
When did you start singing?
Jennifer Rene says:
Since I was very young, it's just something that came naturally to me, I sang in churches, at festivals, in choirs. It's always something I loved to do.
Trance.nu says:
When did you first go to a club and hear Electronic music?
Jennifer Rene says:
Actually not until I turned 21, I always felt alone in loving this music so much in Indy because no one listens to it here. Somehow I heard about this club called "Vision" in Chicago and one of my friends took me there. It was a Blank and Jones show and that night I remember standing in the middle of the dance floor clearly thinking "Wow I'm not alone, I'm not the only one that loves this and I want to do this as my life someday."
Trance.nu says:
How did you hook up with Jose Amnesia?
Jennifer Rene says:
Through a mutual friend "Arturo Bonetti", we met through the internet. He had been friends with José Amnesia for a long time. Arturo knew I wanted to sing for this genre and he said "send me your vocals I know a producer who could use them." and that's exactly how it happened,
Trance.nu says:
Some producers like to make music first then put down the vocals, other do vocals first, which way do you prefer to record?
Jennifer Rene says:
I don't have an "official" or preferred way. Sometimes I hear music and write the vocals that come to mind. Sometimes I hear vocals and then later the music is put to it. Sometimes it's a mix of both. "Louder" and "Wouldn't Change a Thing" were both this way. I wrote something and sent it to José. He sent me back his musical ideas, and I in turn wrote more to the original idea. We work really well together creatively. Sometimes its like we can read each others minds musically and with Jonas Steur and "Fall to Pieces" he sent me the music, then I wrote the lyrics over it. It just depends every track is different.
Trance.nu says:
You are signed to Armada, Any plans to do a track with Armin
Jennifer Rene says:
Back in march of this year I was in a studio with him in Washington DC. We recorded two songs there. One I originally wrote and another we wrote together, and we have plans to continue in the near future. I would assume it will still be some time before it gets released. Right now he's busy promoting "A State of Trance 2007" plus his tour schedule is just crazy. When they are finished and ready, I know the wait will have been worth it.
Trance.nu says:
Which DJ's would you like to work with in the future?
Jennifer Rene says:
Well, Armin was a big one, so to say I've gotten that opportunity already, in this very short period of time is amazing. The fact that I've been in this business, is a real blessing. I do however have a few other producers in mind for sure.
Trance.nu says:
The big discussion within the music industry is the importance, or lack thereof, of MySpace, how has it made an impact on your career?
Jennifer Rene says:
I never saw MySpace as a "networking" tool, but a few years ago, a producer told me "you should sign up for MySpace its great for networking". I saw it as "this 30's something DJ uses MySpace for picking up chicks", but once I signed up for it, I realized it's so much more than that. Without MySpace I wouldn't know almost ANY of the artists I know today, possibly not even José. I wouldn't be getting the gigs I'm getting now and couldn't promote my music in the way I'm doing now. Most importantly, I couldn't be connecting with the fans the way I'm doing now. There is nothing in the world that means more to me that reading what fans of my music write to me and replying. I would basically be sitting at home wondering if people are enjoying my voice! I know MySpace isn't everything and it's not the entire world, but it's been very beneficial to me.
Trance.nu says:
Along those lines, what is your involvement with message-boards/forums such as trance.nu?
Jennifer Rene says:
I used to use tranceaddict.com a lot, but, and I know I'm not the first to say this; there is a lot of negativity that comes with these message boards. It's like, some people are just sitting there, ready to pounce on anybody who posts something they disagree to, or to any artist that releases a track or a compilation. Its one thing to post one's opinion, but it's another to attack a person or an artist or their work, but there is a lot of good to the message boards too. I do use them, I don't post as much as I used to, but I read alot.
Trance.nu says:
Which vocalists do you enjoy?
Jennifer Rene says:
Jes, Nadia Ali, Tiff Lacey, Sarah McLachlan, Imogean Heap, Sir Adrian (the vocalist from Ronski Speed's "The Space We Are")
Trance.nu says:
Other than Armin and José, who are your favorite DJ's?
Jennifer Rene says:
Gabriel and Dresden
Trance.nu says:
What is the future for Jennifer Rene?
Jennifer Rene says:
Always singing and writing. José and I have talked about doing an album together. There's even talk of possibly doing an artist album down the line, but I also want to push myself as a DJ too, which not many people know I want to do. I'm going to try to focus on that with radio shows and gigs; also I want to learn to produce for myself down the line. Music, music and lots more music.
Trance.nu says:
What is your ultimate goal, cross-over pop hit, or something else?
Jennifer Rene says:
Cross over dance hit. I want to take the music I do, and make it the "pop" hit, not with the "pop" sound but the popularity of it I mean; I want to change the world with this music. There are still so many people who's ears I haven't had a chance of opening to this. If I can make them dance, then my mission in life is accomplished and I can die happy.
www.myspace.com/jenniferreneb
www.armadamusic.nl/artists/jenniferrene
http://trance.nu/v3/interview_show.php?id=257
Jennifer Rene "Wouldn't Change a Thing"
By Mike Schirtzer
Vocalist Jennifer Rene and Jose Amnesia DJ/Producer teamed up for the smash hit "Louder" which was spun by the likes of Paul Van Dyk, Tiesto, and Above & Beyond. Now they are back with their follow-up "Wouldn't Change A Thing", which has already been named a tune of the month in the April'07 issue of MixMag, and will be featured on Armin Van Buuren's new CD "A State Of Trance 2007". We interviewed Ms. Rene about her success and upcoming plans.
Trance.nu says:
First question, how do you pronounce Rene?
Jennifer Rene says:
It sounds like "re - nae"
Trance.nu says:
Ok good now that we set that straight, where are you from and where do you live now?
Jennifer Rene says:
Well I'm happy to be doing this interview first off, so thank you. I was born in Riverside, California and grew up here in Indianapolis, Indiana. Where I live now!!
Trance.nu says:
Wow Indianapolis doesn't exactly sound like the hot-bed of clubbing
Jennifer Rene says:
You're exactly right it's not, you say "I do dance music" and they call it "techno". In fact I did go out last night with some friends and at this club they played "Sandstorm", one of them leaned to me and said "so this is the kind of music you do?" They don't have knowledge as to what dance music is here, that is what Chicago is for and I love going to that city.
Trance.nu says:
When did you start singing?
Jennifer Rene says:
Since I was very young, it's just something that came naturally to me, I sang in churches, at festivals, in choirs. It's always something I loved to do.
Trance.nu says:
When did you first go to a club and hear Electronic music?
Jennifer Rene says:
Actually not until I turned 21, I always felt alone in loving this music so much in Indy because no one listens to it here. Somehow I heard about this club called "Vision" in Chicago and one of my friends took me there. It was a Blank and Jones show and that night I remember standing in the middle of the dance floor clearly thinking "Wow I'm not alone, I'm not the only one that loves this and I want to do this as my life someday."
Trance.nu says:
How did you hook up with Jose Amnesia?
Jennifer Rene says:
Through a mutual friend "Arturo Bonetti", we met through the internet. He had been friends with José Amnesia for a long time. Arturo knew I wanted to sing for this genre and he said "send me your vocals I know a producer who could use them." and that's exactly how it happened,
Trance.nu says:
Some producers like to make music first then put down the vocals, other do vocals first, which way do you prefer to record?
Jennifer Rene says:
I don't have an "official" or preferred way. Sometimes I hear music and write the vocals that come to mind. Sometimes I hear vocals and then later the music is put to it. Sometimes it's a mix of both. "Louder" and "Wouldn't Change a Thing" were both this way. I wrote something and sent it to José. He sent me back his musical ideas, and I in turn wrote more to the original idea. We work really well together creatively. Sometimes its like we can read each others minds musically and with Jonas Steur and "Fall to Pieces" he sent me the music, then I wrote the lyrics over it. It just depends every track is different.
Trance.nu says:
You are signed to Armada, Any plans to do a track with Armin
Jennifer Rene says:
Back in march of this year I was in a studio with him in Washington DC. We recorded two songs there. One I originally wrote and another we wrote together, and we have plans to continue in the near future. I would assume it will still be some time before it gets released. Right now he's busy promoting "A State of Trance 2007" plus his tour schedule is just crazy. When they are finished and ready, I know the wait will have been worth it.
Trance.nu says:
Which DJ's would you like to work with in the future?
Jennifer Rene says:
Well, Armin was a big one, so to say I've gotten that opportunity already, in this very short period of time is amazing. The fact that I've been in this business, is a real blessing. I do however have a few other producers in mind for sure.
Trance.nu says:
The big discussion within the music industry is the importance, or lack thereof, of MySpace, how has it made an impact on your career?
Jennifer Rene says:
I never saw MySpace as a "networking" tool, but a few years ago, a producer told me "you should sign up for MySpace its great for networking". I saw it as "this 30's something DJ uses MySpace for picking up chicks", but once I signed up for it, I realized it's so much more than that. Without MySpace I wouldn't know almost ANY of the artists I know today, possibly not even José. I wouldn't be getting the gigs I'm getting now and couldn't promote my music in the way I'm doing now. Most importantly, I couldn't be connecting with the fans the way I'm doing now. There is nothing in the world that means more to me that reading what fans of my music write to me and replying. I would basically be sitting at home wondering if people are enjoying my voice! I know MySpace isn't everything and it's not the entire world, but it's been very beneficial to me.
Trance.nu says:
Along those lines, what is your involvement with message-boards/forums such as trance.nu?
Jennifer Rene says:
I used to use tranceaddict.com a lot, but, and I know I'm not the first to say this; there is a lot of negativity that comes with these message boards. It's like, some people are just sitting there, ready to pounce on anybody who posts something they disagree to, or to any artist that releases a track or a compilation. Its one thing to post one's opinion, but it's another to attack a person or an artist or their work, but there is a lot of good to the message boards too. I do use them, I don't post as much as I used to, but I read alot.
Trance.nu says:
Which vocalists do you enjoy?
Jennifer Rene says:
Jes, Nadia Ali, Tiff Lacey, Sarah McLachlan, Imogean Heap, Sir Adrian (the vocalist from Ronski Speed's "The Space We Are")
Trance.nu says:
Other than Armin and José, who are your favorite DJ's?
Jennifer Rene says:
Gabriel and Dresden
Trance.nu says:
What is the future for Jennifer Rene?
Jennifer Rene says:
Always singing and writing. José and I have talked about doing an album together. There's even talk of possibly doing an artist album down the line, but I also want to push myself as a DJ too, which not many people know I want to do. I'm going to try to focus on that with radio shows and gigs; also I want to learn to produce for myself down the line. Music, music and lots more music.
Trance.nu says:
What is your ultimate goal, cross-over pop hit, or something else?
Jennifer Rene says:
Cross over dance hit. I want to take the music I do, and make it the "pop" hit, not with the "pop" sound but the popularity of it I mean; I want to change the world with this music. There are still so many people who's ears I haven't had a chance of opening to this. If I can make them dance, then my mission in life is accomplished and I can die happy.
www.myspace.com/jenniferreneb
www.armadamusic.nl/artists/jenniferrene
Friday, May 11, 2007
PAUL VAN DYK INTERVIEW
http://www.trancesound.net/forum/index.php/topic,10846.0.html
PVD Interview
By Mike Schirtzer
Paul Van Dyk, an artist who needs no introduction, sat down with us for an interview the day before his performance at Ultra Music Festival, during Miami’s annual Winter Music Conference. He is about to release his newest artist album, expected out this summer.
Q: The big debate right now is how important the Miami Winter Music Conference is, with the emergence of the internet as a networking tool, how do you feel about its impact?
A: When I think of the Music Conference, it becomes more and more important because of all the digital distribution of music, it’s even more important to connect with people, to talk to people, to come up with – like, interesting ideas and projects, as well as on the technology side, , it’s like developing so fast, in order to catch up with things it’s really good to go to a convention like this, see what’s new, what’s the next tool, what’s the next big thing in terms of studio equipment it’s definitely very important
Q. How do you feel about playing Ultra Music Festival?
Ultra of course, one of the best festivals is when it comes to the electronic music, even, you know, don’t get me wrong I am a big fan of The Cure, I don’t really get how they fit into the concept of electronic music, but you know somehow it works and you know, people love the idea of having them there too and I’m very excited to be part of it and the finale of Ultra Music Fest.
Writers Note: The headliner of the 1st day of Ultra was The Cure; the 2nd day has PVD as the last performer.
Q: In Europe your radio show is Fritz Soundgarden, and in the USA we have Vonyc Sessions, is there a difference between the two?
A: You know the Fritz Show, most of the time is actually a live show, and I’m actually in the studio talking, eating, so it’s a really different thing so therefore the track list is of course is changing. And with the VonNYC Sessions, I’m trying to play the best tracks that came in, you know, in the time frame of that week, and also the stuff that feel really cool and some classic sometimes.
Q: Could you tell us about where you are going with this album, you said there are 28 tracks on this album.
A: The whole project itself includes 28 tracks, there are not going to be more than 12, 13 or 14 on the album because there is basically no more space on the disc.
Q: Do you have a name for the album?
A: It’s going to be called “In Between”.
Q: Is this going to be a typical PVD Trance release or are you going for a different style?
A: I don’t think this album is really there to be pigeon-holed it is electronic music but it really ranges. It starts with a lush break beat with vocals, ends with very banging stuff where vocals wouldn’t really fit. It’s kind of everything that you experience in the 6 hour set, there somehow together and it has pop elements, because I love good POP music as well and you know the thing with it always has…the rules of that music are always so deeply in the clubs, they fit in the club world and nowhere else. Even if I was to make a proper POP song, it has the clubby feeling to it because that’s just where I’m from and how I make my music and you can find all of that on the album.
Q: Tell us about remixing Justin Timberlake’s “What Goes Around”, how did you get involved in that? Is this your first time remixing in a long time?
A: No, it was not, actually the remix was just like a month before I did for Depeche Mode, it was quite a gap between the one before and Depeche Mode, that’s true. But well, the management from Justin Timberlake contacted me and I got the track, I was listening to it and checked to see what I could do with it and well, I started working on it, and apparently Justin really liked it and it was all good.
Q: Are there any artists that we may not know who are on the rise that you really like?
A: From around this area (Miami) as much as I don’t live around here anymore, Austin Leeds and Nick Terranova who are two guys doing amazing stuff. Filo and Peri, I really like them, and definitely two guys who got a bright future in front of them, Steve Porter has great potential to grow.
Q: Tell us about the Love Parade, you’re considered the God Father of this parade. Why is not happening this year?
A: As much as I grew The Love Parade grew as well. The thing is because of my charity involvement, I also have lot of contact to politicians and people who decided if something will happen or not. Basically all I did was raise my voice with the Berlin Mayor, for example and set up a few meetings to make sure that the Love Parade was happening and things like that. Apparently something changed in the ownership/trademark of the Love Parade and the whole approach towards it was really different, so therefore the authorities in Berlin said “Oh wait a minute” and that’s all I know for now. I still think the Love Parade is a really good idea, but it has to be based around the vibe of electronic music, anything else would just be a carnival.
PVD Interview
By Mike Schirtzer
Paul Van Dyk, an artist who needs no introduction, sat down with us for an interview the day before his performance at Ultra Music Festival, during Miami’s annual Winter Music Conference. He is about to release his newest artist album, expected out this summer.
Q: The big debate right now is how important the Miami Winter Music Conference is, with the emergence of the internet as a networking tool, how do you feel about its impact?
A: When I think of the Music Conference, it becomes more and more important because of all the digital distribution of music, it’s even more important to connect with people, to talk to people, to come up with – like, interesting ideas and projects, as well as on the technology side, , it’s like developing so fast, in order to catch up with things it’s really good to go to a convention like this, see what’s new, what’s the next tool, what’s the next big thing in terms of studio equipment it’s definitely very important
Q. How do you feel about playing Ultra Music Festival?
Ultra of course, one of the best festivals is when it comes to the electronic music, even, you know, don’t get me wrong I am a big fan of The Cure, I don’t really get how they fit into the concept of electronic music, but you know somehow it works and you know, people love the idea of having them there too and I’m very excited to be part of it and the finale of Ultra Music Fest.
Writers Note: The headliner of the 1st day of Ultra was The Cure; the 2nd day has PVD as the last performer.
Q: In Europe your radio show is Fritz Soundgarden, and in the USA we have Vonyc Sessions, is there a difference between the two?
A: You know the Fritz Show, most of the time is actually a live show, and I’m actually in the studio talking, eating, so it’s a really different thing so therefore the track list is of course is changing. And with the VonNYC Sessions, I’m trying to play the best tracks that came in, you know, in the time frame of that week, and also the stuff that feel really cool and some classic sometimes.
Q: Could you tell us about where you are going with this album, you said there are 28 tracks on this album.
A: The whole project itself includes 28 tracks, there are not going to be more than 12, 13 or 14 on the album because there is basically no more space on the disc.
Q: Do you have a name for the album?
A: It’s going to be called “In Between”.
Q: Is this going to be a typical PVD Trance release or are you going for a different style?
A: I don’t think this album is really there to be pigeon-holed it is electronic music but it really ranges. It starts with a lush break beat with vocals, ends with very banging stuff where vocals wouldn’t really fit. It’s kind of everything that you experience in the 6 hour set, there somehow together and it has pop elements, because I love good POP music as well and you know the thing with it always has…the rules of that music are always so deeply in the clubs, they fit in the club world and nowhere else. Even if I was to make a proper POP song, it has the clubby feeling to it because that’s just where I’m from and how I make my music and you can find all of that on the album.
Q: Tell us about remixing Justin Timberlake’s “What Goes Around”, how did you get involved in that? Is this your first time remixing in a long time?
A: No, it was not, actually the remix was just like a month before I did for Depeche Mode, it was quite a gap between the one before and Depeche Mode, that’s true. But well, the management from Justin Timberlake contacted me and I got the track, I was listening to it and checked to see what I could do with it and well, I started working on it, and apparently Justin really liked it and it was all good.
Q: Are there any artists that we may not know who are on the rise that you really like?
A: From around this area (Miami) as much as I don’t live around here anymore, Austin Leeds and Nick Terranova who are two guys doing amazing stuff. Filo and Peri, I really like them, and definitely two guys who got a bright future in front of them, Steve Porter has great potential to grow.
Q: Tell us about the Love Parade, you’re considered the God Father of this parade. Why is not happening this year?
A: As much as I grew The Love Parade grew as well. The thing is because of my charity involvement, I also have lot of contact to politicians and people who decided if something will happen or not. Basically all I did was raise my voice with the Berlin Mayor, for example and set up a few meetings to make sure that the Love Parade was happening and things like that. Apparently something changed in the ownership/trademark of the Love Parade and the whole approach towards it was really different, so therefore the authorities in Berlin said “Oh wait a minute” and that’s all I know for now. I still think the Love Parade is a really good idea, but it has to be based around the vibe of electronic music, anything else would just be a carnival.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
THE FUTRE IS NOW....JOOP INTERVIEW
Joop, The Future of Trance
By Mike Schirtzer
http://www.trancesound.net/divershtml/news/news/2007/interview_with_joop.html
http://www.last.fm/group/TranceSound.net
Joop is an artist and producer who has been making records for many years, his big break-through came with his track “The Future” becoming the theme of 2007’s Trance Energy. This is an interview we had with him following his performance.
TranceSound
Who are your influences?
JOOP
That would be jean Michel Jarred, Sven Vath, Tiesto, Ferry
TranceSound
Who are some names we may have not heard yet, that are up and coming
JOOP
Antiphus, Jonas Steur, Sied Van Riel and of course Leon Bolier are the new generation and some others
TranceSound
How did "the future" end up becoming Trance Energy’s anthem and what has it meant for you
JOOP
When we finished the track we sent it over to Dick de Groot (Head of A&R, Be Yourself Music) and he signed the track. Soon after that some underground rumours from the Be Yourself Music and ID&T headquarters reached us, stating that 'The Future' might be the new Trance Energy anthem. A couple of months ago we received the message that the track would be the official anthem indeed! No need to say we were very pleased to hear that!!
TranceSound
How has that made a difference in your career?
JOOP
Don’t know yet....I have played for over 13 years now....so i will see what going to happen...but now already there are a lot of bookings options
TranceSound
Describe the Trance Energy experience
JOOP
HUGE!, FELT GOOD, GREAT ATMOSPHERE!, During my set on the future stage Paul Oakenfold came especially to me to hear me out....he stayed for like 30 min and told me that i have a really refreshing sound and that he really liked my style .....also spoke some words with my mate Markus....i did not spend time on the VIP stage....because it's all going down on the floor with the people
TranceSound
The Dutch Trance scene is legendary, Does that help as an artist or does it make your emergence harder
JOOP
yes it does.......but im not only playing trance, real trance...I combine them with techno and progressive.....but if your from Holland then it definitely helps
TranceSound
Last but not least what can we expect in "The Future" from Joop, productions, events so on..
JOOP
We have a couple out as we speak.....Lyra and Canis Major are tracks of Leon Bolier and mine but they are under Leon’s name....the new Joop is coming up and a lot of new remixes coming out also...already done and pressed as we speak further more I hope to play on the famous island one day.....and the foreign bookings are going great like China Los Angeles etc etc...Im really happy to be a part of this scene
By Mike Schirtzer
http://www.trancesound.net/divershtml/news/news/2007/interview_with_joop.html
http://www.last.fm/group/TranceSound.net
Joop is an artist and producer who has been making records for many years, his big break-through came with his track “The Future” becoming the theme of 2007’s Trance Energy. This is an interview we had with him following his performance.
TranceSound
Who are your influences?
JOOP
That would be jean Michel Jarred, Sven Vath, Tiesto, Ferry
TranceSound
Who are some names we may have not heard yet, that are up and coming
JOOP
Antiphus, Jonas Steur, Sied Van Riel and of course Leon Bolier are the new generation and some others
TranceSound
How did "the future" end up becoming Trance Energy’s anthem and what has it meant for you
JOOP
When we finished the track we sent it over to Dick de Groot (Head of A&R, Be Yourself Music) and he signed the track. Soon after that some underground rumours from the Be Yourself Music and ID&T headquarters reached us, stating that 'The Future' might be the new Trance Energy anthem. A couple of months ago we received the message that the track would be the official anthem indeed! No need to say we were very pleased to hear that!!
TranceSound
How has that made a difference in your career?
JOOP
Don’t know yet....I have played for over 13 years now....so i will see what going to happen...but now already there are a lot of bookings options
TranceSound
Describe the Trance Energy experience
JOOP
HUGE!, FELT GOOD, GREAT ATMOSPHERE!, During my set on the future stage Paul Oakenfold came especially to me to hear me out....he stayed for like 30 min and told me that i have a really refreshing sound and that he really liked my style .....also spoke some words with my mate Markus....i did not spend time on the VIP stage....because it's all going down on the floor with the people
TranceSound
The Dutch Trance scene is legendary, Does that help as an artist or does it make your emergence harder
JOOP
yes it does.......but im not only playing trance, real trance...I combine them with techno and progressive.....but if your from Holland then it definitely helps
TranceSound
Last but not least what can we expect in "The Future" from Joop, productions, events so on..
JOOP
We have a couple out as we speak.....Lyra and Canis Major are tracks of Leon Bolier and mine but they are under Leon’s name....the new Joop is coming up and a lot of new remixes coming out also...already done and pressed as we speak further more I hope to play on the famous island one day.....and the foreign bookings are going great like China Los Angeles etc etc...Im really happy to be a part of this scene
Friday, April 20, 2007
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
LINKS TO TRANCE.NU
These articles were published by Trance.nu, the top site for the trance scene across the world and supported by artists such as Armin Van Buuren and Above & Beyond
http://trance.nu/v3/article_show.php?id=215http://trance.nu/v3/article_show.php?id=216http://trance.nu/v3/article_show.php?id=217
http://trance.nu/v3/article_show.php?id=215http://trance.nu/v3/article_show.php?id=216http://trance.nu/v3/article_show.php?id=217
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Ultra Music Fest Review
The annual Ultra Music Festival, wrapped up Miami’s Winter Music Conference, and this year it was spread among 2 days. It had a diverse line-up that was made up of some of the world’s best talent from all genres of the electronic music scene. There were a couple of problems with some of the acts that did not seem to blend in with the whole dance scene and the terrible rain on day 2 did put a damper on some performances, but the fest did have its strong parts including some great performances by DJs we all love.
Last year Ultra brought in The Killers and Hard-Fi to give a rock edge to the festival with bands that seem to have a dance audience, and it worked well, with The Killers drawing as big an audience as Paul van Dyk and Carl Cox. This year the big non-dance draw was The Cure, and it did not blend well at all. It was overly depressing and brought down the crowd and poor Fedde Le Grand had the task of bringing back the energy in a set that was cut short because The Cure went on to long. As in every rock concert it took to long for them to set up then come out and when they did the crowd was just brought to a low by their goth/emo sounds. If Ultra wanted rock bands that can be combined with our scene they could have gone with Depeche Mode or even Snow Patrol, whose songs are being remixed by everyone. One can even argue that Ultra does not need the rock acts and should just stick to DJ’s who are desperately in need of exposure in North America anyhow. There was a lot of talent in South Beach this past week not invited to the event including: Frankie Knuckles, David Morales, Robbie Rivera, Axwell, and Above & Beyond, that were more deserving of a spot than Shiny Toy Guns and The Cure. North America deserves an outdoor event that maintains its focus on dance music and Ultra has to do a better job of holding this torch, I understand selling tickets is the main idea, but this can be done by just filling the bill with top electronic acts with some fresh faces like the names above.
Day 1 was highlighted by the reunited Deep Dish who do not play together as much as they used to with their solo careers taking off. The set had a more hard hitting edge than Dish fans may be used to, but “Proper Education’ definitely had the crowd rocking. They built an electro set over some banging minimal beats, which had everyone dancing with the backdrop of a Miami sunset over the clear blue ocean.
The main problem with the first day was not only The Cure, but the fact that fans had to choose between Sander Kleinenberg, who had the anthem of last years conference with “This Is Not Miami” and Tiesto, who returned to Ultra after a 1 year hiatus. Ultra should have had Sander open up for Tiesto instead of Fedde Le Grand and put The Cure on a separate stage so fans would not have to choose between the Dutch trance stars. Tiesto played one of his better sets, featuring tracks off his upcoming release “Elements of Life”. He also spun some classics, ‘Lethal industry” and “Flight 643” and a wicked mix of Prodigy’s “Smack My Bitch Up”.
Day 2 can be summed in three words, Fat Boy Slim; he killed the Carl Cox and friends tent. At first glance I was shocked that he was not playing the main stage or the house stage, but being inside the tent worked so well, it had the feel of a club with a big disco ball, lasers, and video screens, and everyone jumping up and down together with Norman Cook. He could have easily headlined one of the main stages, but his energy really translated well inside those friendly confines. There’s a reason he could sell 20,000 tickets in England, and he put it on display at Ultra. Forget about the music, Fat Boy throwing things around, using tape to close his own mouth, and bringing his own air horns, was what had the tent bouncing.
Other performances that kicked some ass belong to Danny Tenaglia, who brought the techno and tribal fusion to the masses and David Guetta gave the house stage crowd a lesson on why the “F*ck Me I’m Famous” parties have Paris and Ibiza clubbers fighting to get in, he dropped a remix of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” which had the American crowd dancing and singing along even with the raindrops falling. One of the emerging Dutch trance stars, Sander Van Doorn, gave the main stage a taste of why his tech-trance style is fast becoming one of the top acts on the trance scene. Ibiza favorites- Erick Morillo and Roger Sanchez lost most of their crowds due to the 2 hour down pour of rain, that at first had the Sanchez crowd moving, but eventually people had to find cover. When Morillo took the main stage all the videos and lights had to be put out because of electrical problems which left him to spin in front of thousands of people in the dark, which was a throwback to the days before the technology really hit the scene, and was kind of nice.
Ultra could have survived on one day of a line-up filled with just dance acts. The addition of a second day proved to be unnecessary and the weather posed problems that no one could do anything about. Ultra Music Festival is still the premier event in North America, the Sates or Canada do not, and can not, provide a better line-up, ever. The promoters could do some good by adding acts that deserve the exposure of an event like this and leaving rock to the many outdoor festivals they already have.
Last year Ultra brought in The Killers and Hard-Fi to give a rock edge to the festival with bands that seem to have a dance audience, and it worked well, with The Killers drawing as big an audience as Paul van Dyk and Carl Cox. This year the big non-dance draw was The Cure, and it did not blend well at all. It was overly depressing and brought down the crowd and poor Fedde Le Grand had the task of bringing back the energy in a set that was cut short because The Cure went on to long. As in every rock concert it took to long for them to set up then come out and when they did the crowd was just brought to a low by their goth/emo sounds. If Ultra wanted rock bands that can be combined with our scene they could have gone with Depeche Mode or even Snow Patrol, whose songs are being remixed by everyone. One can even argue that Ultra does not need the rock acts and should just stick to DJ’s who are desperately in need of exposure in North America anyhow. There was a lot of talent in South Beach this past week not invited to the event including: Frankie Knuckles, David Morales, Robbie Rivera, Axwell, and Above & Beyond, that were more deserving of a spot than Shiny Toy Guns and The Cure. North America deserves an outdoor event that maintains its focus on dance music and Ultra has to do a better job of holding this torch, I understand selling tickets is the main idea, but this can be done by just filling the bill with top electronic acts with some fresh faces like the names above.
Day 1 was highlighted by the reunited Deep Dish who do not play together as much as they used to with their solo careers taking off. The set had a more hard hitting edge than Dish fans may be used to, but “Proper Education’ definitely had the crowd rocking. They built an electro set over some banging minimal beats, which had everyone dancing with the backdrop of a Miami sunset over the clear blue ocean.
The main problem with the first day was not only The Cure, but the fact that fans had to choose between Sander Kleinenberg, who had the anthem of last years conference with “This Is Not Miami” and Tiesto, who returned to Ultra after a 1 year hiatus. Ultra should have had Sander open up for Tiesto instead of Fedde Le Grand and put The Cure on a separate stage so fans would not have to choose between the Dutch trance stars. Tiesto played one of his better sets, featuring tracks off his upcoming release “Elements of Life”. He also spun some classics, ‘Lethal industry” and “Flight 643” and a wicked mix of Prodigy’s “Smack My Bitch Up”.
Day 2 can be summed in three words, Fat Boy Slim; he killed the Carl Cox and friends tent. At first glance I was shocked that he was not playing the main stage or the house stage, but being inside the tent worked so well, it had the feel of a club with a big disco ball, lasers, and video screens, and everyone jumping up and down together with Norman Cook. He could have easily headlined one of the main stages, but his energy really translated well inside those friendly confines. There’s a reason he could sell 20,000 tickets in England, and he put it on display at Ultra. Forget about the music, Fat Boy throwing things around, using tape to close his own mouth, and bringing his own air horns, was what had the tent bouncing.
Other performances that kicked some ass belong to Danny Tenaglia, who brought the techno and tribal fusion to the masses and David Guetta gave the house stage crowd a lesson on why the “F*ck Me I’m Famous” parties have Paris and Ibiza clubbers fighting to get in, he dropped a remix of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” which had the American crowd dancing and singing along even with the raindrops falling. One of the emerging Dutch trance stars, Sander Van Doorn, gave the main stage a taste of why his tech-trance style is fast becoming one of the top acts on the trance scene. Ibiza favorites- Erick Morillo and Roger Sanchez lost most of their crowds due to the 2 hour down pour of rain, that at first had the Sanchez crowd moving, but eventually people had to find cover. When Morillo took the main stage all the videos and lights had to be put out because of electrical problems which left him to spin in front of thousands of people in the dark, which was a throwback to the days before the technology really hit the scene, and was kind of nice.
Ultra could have survived on one day of a line-up filled with just dance acts. The addition of a second day proved to be unnecessary and the weather posed problems that no one could do anything about. Ultra Music Festival is still the premier event in North America, the Sates or Canada do not, and can not, provide a better line-up, ever. The promoters could do some good by adding acts that deserve the exposure of an event like this and leaving rock to the many outdoor festivals they already have.
Trance Takes Miami
Miami’s annual Winter Music Conference descended upon a rainy, cool South beach again this year, but the biggest difference was the amount of trance acts performing at different places through out the week. For years Miami and WMC has been considered a house event, even though Paul Van Dyk is the “God-father” of the Ultra Music Festival. Well what happened to change all this you ask, simple, the promoters had their ‘ear to the ground’, reading forums from this site and others, looking at the popular electronic dance tracks, and looking at the popularity of trance DJs on Myspace and various magazine polls. Made Events is the perfect example of this, they are one of the more interactive promoters, and always bring to New York the trance acts the fans want to see. They were the first ones to bring Sander Van Doorn to New York City, and now they have taken over the conference with their legendary parties, including the techno/minimal Sunday School for Degenerates, which after only its second year, is a must attend event.
Here is a rundown of some of this year’ best acts, venues and promoters.
Wet Grooves- They are one of the promoters that really takes part in message boards and did a great job of securing top trance acts from around the world. They hosted daytime parties at Nikki beach and The Shelbourne poolside and night time at venues such as Ink.. Some of their DJs included George Acosta, Cosmic Gate Blank & Jones, Andy Moor, Paul Oakenfold, Filo & Perry and L.A.’s own Christopher Lawrence. The problem with Wet Grooves is they focus in too much on cheesy lines like” bigger, better, wetter”, and girls with bikinis (which I am not complaining about), if some work would have went into the outdoor sound system at Nikki beach, which was a setp down from my car radio, they would have been alright.
Ultra Music Festival- 2 days instead of 1, and the return of Tiesto, Ferry Corsten, and Sasha & Digweed, who all were not part of last year’s fest, marked the return of a strong trance presence to the annual outdoor event. Ferry and Lawrence on Day 2 playing back to back was great for the trance heads, Tiesto dropped many of new tracks off of the forth coming “Elements of Life”, opening with Ten Seconds Before Sunrise, but the biggest reactions came from his older tracks “Lethal Industry” and Flight 643, a great mix of Prodigy’s “Smack My Bitch Up” and of course Joop’s “The Future”. The main problem with this set is not Tiesto it’s the fact that he was up against Sander Kleinenberg who was on the other stage playing exactly opposite Tiesto on Day 1, this makes little sense, since they share similar audiences, it would have made more sense for Sander to open up, rather than Fedde Le Grand. Day 2 was highlighted by Sander Van Doorn’s set which came after a rain drenched set by Erick Morillo, when the stage lights and video screens stopped working and Morillo was left with a sparse crowd due to torrential down pours.
Sander followed that with his typical tech-trance banging set, one of the opening tracks was “Black is The Colour” and then ripped it from there, coming before Rabbit In the Moon, and just as the rain swept way, was the perfect time for Van Doorn to get maximum exposure to a crowd who may have not been familiar with him, and he seized the opportunity bringing great energy back to Ultra’s main stage and showing why he is the new Dutch Trance star.
Made Events- If you just spent the week attending their parties, you would have walked away more than happy. The 6 hour Armin Van Buuren at pawn Shop was the highlight of their schedule, because not only was it just Armin, but the venue itself, which is simple and plain, let the clubbers and the DJ supply the vibe, and they did times a thousand. The next night Made presented Armada with Armin, Markus Shulz, and Rank 1, most of the crowd had just spent the day soaked at Ultra and yet they found the spirit to party some more. Armin’s track of the night was “Mindcircus” when club went nuts. Above & beyond at Club BED was perfect, unlike some producers, they are not afraid to drop their own hits, and when “Alone Tonight” came on everyone rushed to the stage to sing along with the most beautiful vocals. The surprise of the conference was how well Gabriel Dresden did, they are well known for their trance and house remixes, and commercial production, but their events were packed and their mixing, almost a lost art in today’s electronic world, was totally on point. They mixed trance right on top of some ringing minimal beats which had the crowds bouncing.
Club Space- The problem every year seems to be the disorganization, this year was a little better, but not by much. This event can be summed up like this, at an Apple demonstration of Logic Paul Van Dyk was the narrater, after he was done he took questions fro the audience, the last one was from a younger fan who said “Paul can you put me on the list for Space tonight”, PVD responded “ I can’ event get my wife in”! That says it all, people who went to see Kleinenberg on the terrace could not evn get upstairs.
Motion @ Karu- The flyer listed Sander Van Doorn, Above & Beyond, Blank & Jones, and a special appearance by “The King”, by now you may have heard that was the “trance-God’ himself, Tiesto, who followed his own party at Mansion with an appearance at this fantastic line-up. The venue was small and had an intimate feeling because they did not promote until way past everyone was already going to Armada at Twilo. If they had given a little more advance notice and promoted some more, this could have been one of the more exciting conference evnts. Sander spinning “Grasshopper’ and Control Freak, made the crowd move, and when “ The King” dropped by he spun some of his vocal tacks form the upcoming album.
Miami finally gave Trance the spotlight it deserves, and Sander Van Doorn and Above & Beyond really took the torch and showed why they will be moving up on the DJ polls while other DJs: Ferry Corsten, Cosmic Gate, and Rank 1 reminded the fans why they love them in the first place.
Here is a rundown of some of this year’ best acts, venues and promoters.
Wet Grooves- They are one of the promoters that really takes part in message boards and did a great job of securing top trance acts from around the world. They hosted daytime parties at Nikki beach and The Shelbourne poolside and night time at venues such as Ink.. Some of their DJs included George Acosta, Cosmic Gate Blank & Jones, Andy Moor, Paul Oakenfold, Filo & Perry and L.A.’s own Christopher Lawrence. The problem with Wet Grooves is they focus in too much on cheesy lines like” bigger, better, wetter”, and girls with bikinis (which I am not complaining about), if some work would have went into the outdoor sound system at Nikki beach, which was a setp down from my car radio, they would have been alright.
Ultra Music Festival- 2 days instead of 1, and the return of Tiesto, Ferry Corsten, and Sasha & Digweed, who all were not part of last year’s fest, marked the return of a strong trance presence to the annual outdoor event. Ferry and Lawrence on Day 2 playing back to back was great for the trance heads, Tiesto dropped many of new tracks off of the forth coming “Elements of Life”, opening with Ten Seconds Before Sunrise, but the biggest reactions came from his older tracks “Lethal Industry” and Flight 643, a great mix of Prodigy’s “Smack My Bitch Up” and of course Joop’s “The Future”. The main problem with this set is not Tiesto it’s the fact that he was up against Sander Kleinenberg who was on the other stage playing exactly opposite Tiesto on Day 1, this makes little sense, since they share similar audiences, it would have made more sense for Sander to open up, rather than Fedde Le Grand. Day 2 was highlighted by Sander Van Doorn’s set which came after a rain drenched set by Erick Morillo, when the stage lights and video screens stopped working and Morillo was left with a sparse crowd due to torrential down pours.
Sander followed that with his typical tech-trance banging set, one of the opening tracks was “Black is The Colour” and then ripped it from there, coming before Rabbit In the Moon, and just as the rain swept way, was the perfect time for Van Doorn to get maximum exposure to a crowd who may have not been familiar with him, and he seized the opportunity bringing great energy back to Ultra’s main stage and showing why he is the new Dutch Trance star.
Made Events- If you just spent the week attending their parties, you would have walked away more than happy. The 6 hour Armin Van Buuren at pawn Shop was the highlight of their schedule, because not only was it just Armin, but the venue itself, which is simple and plain, let the clubbers and the DJ supply the vibe, and they did times a thousand. The next night Made presented Armada with Armin, Markus Shulz, and Rank 1, most of the crowd had just spent the day soaked at Ultra and yet they found the spirit to party some more. Armin’s track of the night was “Mindcircus” when club went nuts. Above & beyond at Club BED was perfect, unlike some producers, they are not afraid to drop their own hits, and when “Alone Tonight” came on everyone rushed to the stage to sing along with the most beautiful vocals. The surprise of the conference was how well Gabriel Dresden did, they are well known for their trance and house remixes, and commercial production, but their events were packed and their mixing, almost a lost art in today’s electronic world, was totally on point. They mixed trance right on top of some ringing minimal beats which had the crowds bouncing.
Club Space- The problem every year seems to be the disorganization, this year was a little better, but not by much. This event can be summed up like this, at an Apple demonstration of Logic Paul Van Dyk was the narrater, after he was done he took questions fro the audience, the last one was from a younger fan who said “Paul can you put me on the list for Space tonight”, PVD responded “ I can’ event get my wife in”! That says it all, people who went to see Kleinenberg on the terrace could not evn get upstairs.
Motion @ Karu- The flyer listed Sander Van Doorn, Above & Beyond, Blank & Jones, and a special appearance by “The King”, by now you may have heard that was the “trance-God’ himself, Tiesto, who followed his own party at Mansion with an appearance at this fantastic line-up. The venue was small and had an intimate feeling because they did not promote until way past everyone was already going to Armada at Twilo. If they had given a little more advance notice and promoted some more, this could have been one of the more exciting conference evnts. Sander spinning “Grasshopper’ and Control Freak, made the crowd move, and when “ The King” dropped by he spun some of his vocal tacks form the upcoming album.
Miami finally gave Trance the spotlight it deserves, and Sander Van Doorn and Above & Beyond really took the torch and showed why they will be moving up on the DJ polls while other DJs: Ferry Corsten, Cosmic Gate, and Rank 1 reminded the fans why they love them in the first place.
Miami’s Ups & Downs
The 2007 edition of Miami’s Winter Music Conference was plagued by rain and cooler than usual temperatures, so much for global warming, and too many parties that had the feel of just being put together, rather than the actual months it took to plan. Disorganized lines, over aggressive security and sound systems that might be worse than my stereo did not completely ruin the conference, many DJs still brought the energy and there was plenty of great music to be heard where ever you may have went. All the negatives that can be said still do not take away from the fact that all the top names from electronic music were in one place for one week, and the parties had line-ups that were strong top to bottom.
Break-Through DJs
James Zabiela and NicFanculli- They hosted their own event together as one+one and also played sets on their own, either way they had the sounds of the conference. It has been described form everything to tech house, minimal, and acid, but what it really is, is the future of dance music. They are young and just starting to build names for themselves across the continents and in Ibiza.
Steve Porter- His eclectic mix of house grooves was unmatched at any conference event. His biggest endorsement came for Paul Van Dyk, when asked who are some of the DJs we should be hearing a lot more about, his answer was “Porter definitely has the biggest potential right now”, what more need to be said.
The Unpredictable
Fire marshals shutting down clubs because they were beyond capacity, occurred at a couple of places, most notoriously The Juicy Beach event at Nikki Beach, which was closed to any new entrances for more then 2 hours, even if you had tickets and the music also had to be stopped for a while as the inspection lasted an hour.
Rain- Pool parties, Ultra Music Fest, outdoor cafes, everyone was feeling the torture of terrible weather and this one can’t be blamed on anyone.
The Predictable
Lines, lines, everywhere, didn’t matter if you already had tickets in hand or just wanted to buy them on the spot, unless you were purchasing table service which came with a price in thousands or came to the club 2 hours early, you could expect to do a lot of waiting. Club Space was the perfect example of this, especially for PVD and Morillo.
#1 Promoter of the Conference
Made Events- If you just went to Miami to attend only their parties you would have left completely happy. No drama, great sound, lighting, and line-ups that had to be simply amazing. The Armada event at Twilo and Pawn Shop gave trance fans the music they have been missing for years at the conference, while Sunday School for Degenerates brought the week to a close with only the best minimal/techno tunes. At each event the vibe was great and things done properly. Hawtin, Howells and Loco Dice were also part of the week of just legendary fun. Made Events showed why they are taking over WMC>
Only Venue for Proper Partying
Pawn Shop-Yes it’s housed in a former pawn shop and has a plain concrete backyard, and that the fun of going here. This place is all about the clubbers and DJ bringing the vibe and energy, no theatrics from the club. The highlight of the week was Armin Van Buuren playing on top of a truck in front and back of the club.
Avoid this Place
Nikki Beach- Promoters Juicy Music and Wet Grooves brought top names to what is supposed to be the top beach club in South Beach, for a self proclaimed luxurious venue they had a sound system which can only be described as crap. The place was too packed and lacked any sensible organization.
Return of The DJs-Old Names That Ripped Up South Beach
David Guetta- Fuck Me I’m Famous at Cameo (formerly Crobar) and his performance at Ultra gave American dance fans a reason to get up and move. His tack selections are meant to bring the party on hard and that they did.
Gabriel and Dresden- House, electro, commercial, trance, they have mixed and produced it all, but there sets are a true journey starting from the build up to the middle, they drop vocals on top of minimal and then throw trance right into commercial, their mixing in from one track to the next is flawless, which is almost a lost art on the electronic scene.
Miami’s Best Performance
Fat Boy Slim- The top of the tent at Ultra Music Festival just about fell off because of everyone including Norman, bouncing up and down non-stop, I’m not sure if it was the tracks being spun or his antics on stage, but he brought the crowd with him the whole time. Easily the best show of the entire conference and sure to bring him some new fans in the USA.
And The Worst
The Cure- I was around in the 80’s and didn’t get it then and now at Ultra I still don’t get it. Yes some of their songs are popish, but who the hell wants to go to a dance event to be depressed. Leave the sadness home next time.
Best Free Party
Beatport at The Remix Hotel-With names like James Zabiela, Dubfire, and Richie Hawtin, spinning poolside, in the afternoons, this was the place to be. Inside The National Hotel; Apple presented remixing demonstartions with numerous DJs and producers, including Paul Van Dy, and other big mames like Pioneer and Microsoft set up exhibits as well, no need to pay for a WMC badge, when you got more for nothing over at The Remix.
Most Overrated Party
AM Only@ Nocturnal- Waiting for hours to get in to a place that was not even packed, is this really necessary, I don’t care how good the DJs are, there is no excuse for bull shit.
Most Underrated Party
Cielo@ The Raleigh Hotel- If you were looking for the pulse of New York and the sounds of Iberia, you should have come to this party. A nice laid back feeling mixed with the regulars of Cielo, New York’s best dance club, provided for a day of sunny, house beats by the pool.
Break-Through DJs
James Zabiela and NicFanculli- They hosted their own event together as one+one and also played sets on their own, either way they had the sounds of the conference. It has been described form everything to tech house, minimal, and acid, but what it really is, is the future of dance music. They are young and just starting to build names for themselves across the continents and in Ibiza.
Steve Porter- His eclectic mix of house grooves was unmatched at any conference event. His biggest endorsement came for Paul Van Dyk, when asked who are some of the DJs we should be hearing a lot more about, his answer was “Porter definitely has the biggest potential right now”, what more need to be said.
The Unpredictable
Fire marshals shutting down clubs because they were beyond capacity, occurred at a couple of places, most notoriously The Juicy Beach event at Nikki Beach, which was closed to any new entrances for more then 2 hours, even if you had tickets and the music also had to be stopped for a while as the inspection lasted an hour.
Rain- Pool parties, Ultra Music Fest, outdoor cafes, everyone was feeling the torture of terrible weather and this one can’t be blamed on anyone.
The Predictable
Lines, lines, everywhere, didn’t matter if you already had tickets in hand or just wanted to buy them on the spot, unless you were purchasing table service which came with a price in thousands or came to the club 2 hours early, you could expect to do a lot of waiting. Club Space was the perfect example of this, especially for PVD and Morillo.
#1 Promoter of the Conference
Made Events- If you just went to Miami to attend only their parties you would have left completely happy. No drama, great sound, lighting, and line-ups that had to be simply amazing. The Armada event at Twilo and Pawn Shop gave trance fans the music they have been missing for years at the conference, while Sunday School for Degenerates brought the week to a close with only the best minimal/techno tunes. At each event the vibe was great and things done properly. Hawtin, Howells and Loco Dice were also part of the week of just legendary fun. Made Events showed why they are taking over WMC>
Only Venue for Proper Partying
Pawn Shop-Yes it’s housed in a former pawn shop and has a plain concrete backyard, and that the fun of going here. This place is all about the clubbers and DJ bringing the vibe and energy, no theatrics from the club. The highlight of the week was Armin Van Buuren playing on top of a truck in front and back of the club.
Avoid this Place
Nikki Beach- Promoters Juicy Music and Wet Grooves brought top names to what is supposed to be the top beach club in South Beach, for a self proclaimed luxurious venue they had a sound system which can only be described as crap. The place was too packed and lacked any sensible organization.
Return of The DJs-Old Names That Ripped Up South Beach
David Guetta- Fuck Me I’m Famous at Cameo (formerly Crobar) and his performance at Ultra gave American dance fans a reason to get up and move. His tack selections are meant to bring the party on hard and that they did.
Gabriel and Dresden- House, electro, commercial, trance, they have mixed and produced it all, but there sets are a true journey starting from the build up to the middle, they drop vocals on top of minimal and then throw trance right into commercial, their mixing in from one track to the next is flawless, which is almost a lost art on the electronic scene.
Miami’s Best Performance
Fat Boy Slim- The top of the tent at Ultra Music Festival just about fell off because of everyone including Norman, bouncing up and down non-stop, I’m not sure if it was the tracks being spun or his antics on stage, but he brought the crowd with him the whole time. Easily the best show of the entire conference and sure to bring him some new fans in the USA.
And The Worst
The Cure- I was around in the 80’s and didn’t get it then and now at Ultra I still don’t get it. Yes some of their songs are popish, but who the hell wants to go to a dance event to be depressed. Leave the sadness home next time.
Best Free Party
Beatport at The Remix Hotel-With names like James Zabiela, Dubfire, and Richie Hawtin, spinning poolside, in the afternoons, this was the place to be. Inside The National Hotel; Apple presented remixing demonstartions with numerous DJs and producers, including Paul Van Dy, and other big mames like Pioneer and Microsoft set up exhibits as well, no need to pay for a WMC badge, when you got more for nothing over at The Remix.
Most Overrated Party
AM Only@ Nocturnal- Waiting for hours to get in to a place that was not even packed, is this really necessary, I don’t care how good the DJs are, there is no excuse for bull shit.
Most Underrated Party
Cielo@ The Raleigh Hotel- If you were looking for the pulse of New York and the sounds of Iberia, you should have come to this party. A nice laid back feeling mixed with the regulars of Cielo, New York’s best dance club, provided for a day of sunny, house beats by the pool.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Miami WMC Preview
Your flight is booked, hotel plans made, and sun-tan lotion ready. Before leaving for this year’s Winter Music Conference you made sure to check Ibiza-Voice.com, to see the full calendar of events, so now you know where to go and when. The only thing is your overwhelmed by the amount of parties going on, no problem, here’s of list of what you should hit and what you should avoid:
The Hits
If You Can Only Make It To One Party… - Juicy Beach@NikkiBeach.March22
Robbie Rivera, Swedish House Mafia, Bob Sinclair bring you hard hitting house. Hot Women, Buff Men, and Mojitos flowing all over the place. What else do you need!
Techno and House Collide in South Beach- Mishap@ Nocturnal March 21
Misstress Barbara, Herman Cattaneo, and Marco Carola will make this night a great substitute for all those who miss “Meganite”, which won’t be happening this year
You Are Now In A State of Trance- Made Events present Armada@ Twilo- March 24
Armin Van Buuren and Markus Schulz who host two of the best progressive/trance radio shows and are joined by trance legend Rank 1 for this Ibiza imported event.
Thou Shall Honor Thy Fathers- Ultra Music Festival@ Bicentennial Park- March 24
Legends of the electronic scene, Carl Cox, Danny Tenaglia, Paul Van Dyk, and Mauro Picotto, make Day 2 of this annual outdoor event a must hit event.
Your Mates Who Are Wankers Will be Here- Radio 1@ Surfcomber Hotel- March 23
Yes this legendary party is back, featuring Frankie Knuckles and Erick Morillo, and the great voice of Pete Tong, but it’s not free and not at Nikki Beach this time around.
Another Trance Sensation From Holland- Sander Van Doorn@ The Fifth March 21
Expect to hear a new, more edgy style by this latest Dutch DJ. His style is more electro/tech-trance than some of his predecessors. Miami’s own Edgar V opens up.
Where’s The Cutting Edge House At WMC?- Porterhouse@ The Fifth March 22
Steve Porter will be celebrating his new release, and you will get to hear some of the best underground house here in this intimate gathering joined by Eli Winkie
Last Night I Spent All My Money- Remix Hotel@ The National Hotel March 22-25
When Apple and Beatport compete for your attention, and the price is free, than you’ve come to the right place. Poolside performances by top DJs and new products on display.
House Music All Night Long- Def Mix@ Shine in The Shelborne Hotel March 22
David Morales, Hector Romero, and Satoshi Tomei will bring only the finest house tunes representing the Def Mix label, in this most impressive venue.
The Misses
Bring A Chair, or Maybe A Mattress - Paul Van Dyk@ Club Space March 2
We Love Space, PVD, and Sander Kleinenberg who will be on the terrace, but we HATE waiting and the lines for this will stretch from downtown Miami to downtown New York.
If You’re Here, You May Have Had One Too Many- DJ AM &@ Cameo March 23
The best talent from all over the world will be in South Beach for just one week, and you would go to this, why, please tell me…and he doesn’t even date Nichole anymore!
This Is Will All The Spring Breakers Will Be- Various Events@ The Clevelander
You said to us, what should we do to avoid the beer guzzling, noisy, college crowd, we told you to stay away from , we have now given you fair warning. Don’t blame us.
Tell Me Again How Much This Is, I Must Be Drunk Tiesto@ Mansion March 24
Yes the over commercialized, “God of Trance” will once again descend on Miami and bring with him a Presale price of $75 for the privilege of watching the great one spin.
It’s Official, They Are Playing Every Party- Fedde Le Grand & Benny Benassi
It seems as though every event we look at, one or both are playing. Although it may seem impossible, our sources have confirmed that in fact they have both been cloned.
The Worst Party Promotions This Year- Wet Grooves@ Various Venues March 21-23
With phrases like “bigger, better, wetter”, girls in bikinis kissing on the flyers, and Myspace vixens hosting, what could be more cheesy and otherwise ruins a strong lineup.
Beware Of The Angry Bouncers, They Beat UP DJs -AM Only@ Nocturnal March 24
This is the infamous party where the best story of last year’s WMC occurred, Techno star Richie Hawtin was assaulted by the security when he tried to enter for his own gig.
Does Anybody Care About Award’s Shows- IDMA’s@ Miami Beach Resort March 22
Whether we like it or not, the only award that matters on our scene is the winner of the annual Mix-Mag DJ poll, all others just do not mean anything to anyone.
I’m Embarrassed To Be From New York- Jonathan Peters@ Club Space March 22
Yes it will be my neighbors with JP tattoos and 5 year old Sound-Factory panties, I’m sorry, it’s not my fault they travel 3 hours by plane to see the DJ they see every Saturday.
The Hits
If You Can Only Make It To One Party… - Juicy Beach@NikkiBeach.March22
Robbie Rivera, Swedish House Mafia, Bob Sinclair bring you hard hitting house. Hot Women, Buff Men, and Mojitos flowing all over the place. What else do you need!
Techno and House Collide in South Beach- Mishap@ Nocturnal March 21
Misstress Barbara, Herman Cattaneo, and Marco Carola will make this night a great substitute for all those who miss “Meganite”, which won’t be happening this year
You Are Now In A State of Trance- Made Events present Armada@ Twilo- March 24
Armin Van Buuren and Markus Schulz who host two of the best progressive/trance radio shows and are joined by trance legend Rank 1 for this Ibiza imported event.
Thou Shall Honor Thy Fathers- Ultra Music Festival@ Bicentennial Park- March 24
Legends of the electronic scene, Carl Cox, Danny Tenaglia, Paul Van Dyk, and Mauro Picotto, make Day 2 of this annual outdoor event a must hit event.
Your Mates Who Are Wankers Will be Here- Radio 1@ Surfcomber Hotel- March 23
Yes this legendary party is back, featuring Frankie Knuckles and Erick Morillo, and the great voice of Pete Tong, but it’s not free and not at Nikki Beach this time around.
Another Trance Sensation From Holland- Sander Van Doorn@ The Fifth March 21
Expect to hear a new, more edgy style by this latest Dutch DJ. His style is more electro/tech-trance than some of his predecessors. Miami’s own Edgar V opens up.
Where’s The Cutting Edge House At WMC?- Porterhouse@ The Fifth March 22
Steve Porter will be celebrating his new release, and you will get to hear some of the best underground house here in this intimate gathering joined by Eli Winkie
Last Night I Spent All My Money- Remix Hotel@ The National Hotel March 22-25
When Apple and Beatport compete for your attention, and the price is free, than you’ve come to the right place. Poolside performances by top DJs and new products on display.
House Music All Night Long- Def Mix@ Shine in The Shelborne Hotel March 22
David Morales, Hector Romero, and Satoshi Tomei will bring only the finest house tunes representing the Def Mix label, in this most impressive venue.
The Misses
Bring A Chair, or Maybe A Mattress - Paul Van Dyk@ Club Space March 2
We Love Space, PVD, and Sander Kleinenberg who will be on the terrace, but we HATE waiting and the lines for this will stretch from downtown Miami to downtown New York.
If You’re Here, You May Have Had One Too Many- DJ AM &@ Cameo March 23
The best talent from all over the world will be in South Beach for just one week, and you would go to this, why, please tell me…and he doesn’t even date Nichole anymore!
This Is Will All The Spring Breakers Will Be- Various Events@ The Clevelander
You said to us, what should we do to avoid the beer guzzling, noisy, college crowd, we told you to stay away from , we have now given you fair warning. Don’t blame us.
Tell Me Again How Much This Is, I Must Be Drunk Tiesto@ Mansion March 24
Yes the over commercialized, “God of Trance” will once again descend on Miami and bring with him a Presale price of $75 for the privilege of watching the great one spin.
It’s Official, They Are Playing Every Party- Fedde Le Grand & Benny Benassi
It seems as though every event we look at, one or both are playing. Although it may seem impossible, our sources have confirmed that in fact they have both been cloned.
The Worst Party Promotions This Year- Wet Grooves@ Various Venues March 21-23
With phrases like “bigger, better, wetter”, girls in bikinis kissing on the flyers, and Myspace vixens hosting, what could be more cheesy and otherwise ruins a strong lineup.
Beware Of The Angry Bouncers, They Beat UP DJs -AM Only@ Nocturnal March 24
This is the infamous party where the best story of last year’s WMC occurred, Techno star Richie Hawtin was assaulted by the security when he tried to enter for his own gig.
Does Anybody Care About Award’s Shows- IDMA’s@ Miami Beach Resort March 22
Whether we like it or not, the only award that matters on our scene is the winner of the annual Mix-Mag DJ poll, all others just do not mean anything to anyone.
I’m Embarrassed To Be From New York- Jonathan Peters@ Club Space March 22
Yes it will be my neighbors with JP tattoos and 5 year old Sound-Factory panties, I’m sorry, it’s not my fault they travel 3 hours by plane to see the DJ they see every Saturday.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
GUETTA BLASTS INTO NEW YORK
If there was anybody left in bed in the city that never sleeps, then David Guetta made sure to wake them up with his world renowned house tunes. The king of Paris’s club scene came to New York City to celebrate his forthcoming release from Ultra Records, “Guetta Blaster”, available on March 20th. Club Cielo, in the trendy meatpacking district was the venue for this special night’s event.
Those of you who attend Guetta’s legendary “F*ck Me I’m Famous” parties in Ibiza, Paris, Miami, or around the world, already know that the event gets everyone, and mean everyone, from the bartenders to security, up and moving with his banging beats and unmatched enthusiasm. Last year at Holland’s annual Sensation White arena festival, which is considered to be the premier trance event, Guetta blew the trance fans away with his magnetic mix of commercial and deep house hits.
The only thing you can expect from the world famous DJ/producer’s track selection at his live events is the unexpected. He drops everything from his own chart topping hits such as Love Don’t Let Me Go, to other top house hits from Fedde Le Grand’s Put Your Hand Up for Detroit, to Eric Prydz’s Proper Education, which had all dancing and singing along. As for the unpredictable, how about Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Otherside, this combination of non-stop hits and Guetta’s mixing makes for a night full of energy.
As for the CD, I listened to the advance copy; I can tell you that it is exactly what you would expect from Guetta, which is great news for all those looking for music they can dance to. It you looking for his most famous hits and some new house tunes that are sure to be heard during the upcoming WMC, you will definitely want to pick up this release. “Guetta Blaster” is all the spirit that he provides during his live sets, packaged in CD form!
Many tracks feature the soulful vocalist Chris Willis, who lent his voice to one of Guetta’s classic hits, Just A Little More Love which is on this CD. The standout track on this release, which I would expect to get major airplay, is; Open Your Eyes, where the singing of the Stereo MC’s on top of Guettas fierce production provides for a tune that is simply addicting. Following that track is Last Train where the gospel inspired voice of Miss Thing delivers the album’s deepest, dirtiest tune. The entire CD is full of songs that can all become chart toppers in Europe.
What this release is not, is part of the electro/tech movement that seems to be sweeping electronic music today. The minimal sounds that swept the UK and Ibiza the last couple of summers will not be found on “Guetta Blaster”. These tracks are meant to for you to Get Up, as the title of one of the new tracks suggest. This is not an album that will revolutionize house music, but it does take some experimental chances, and come up more than successful, as in Paul Oakenfold’s mix of The World Is Mine. When one of the hardest trance producers teams up with one of the hardest house producers, you would not expect this unbelievable mix that reminds you of the chill music found playing at Ibiza’s hottest cafés and clubs.
David Guetta has been the pioneer of the house movement in France; his newest release will give his older listeners memories of the music they have heard on the dance floors around the globe. As for his newer fans this CD will give you an excuse to turn you house into your own personal club. Overall this is a fantastic release that will provide some more notoriety for a DJ that well deserves it.
Those of you who attend Guetta’s legendary “F*ck Me I’m Famous” parties in Ibiza, Paris, Miami, or around the world, already know that the event gets everyone, and mean everyone, from the bartenders to security, up and moving with his banging beats and unmatched enthusiasm. Last year at Holland’s annual Sensation White arena festival, which is considered to be the premier trance event, Guetta blew the trance fans away with his magnetic mix of commercial and deep house hits.
The only thing you can expect from the world famous DJ/producer’s track selection at his live events is the unexpected. He drops everything from his own chart topping hits such as Love Don’t Let Me Go, to other top house hits from Fedde Le Grand’s Put Your Hand Up for Detroit, to Eric Prydz’s Proper Education, which had all dancing and singing along. As for the unpredictable, how about Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Otherside, this combination of non-stop hits and Guetta’s mixing makes for a night full of energy.
As for the CD, I listened to the advance copy; I can tell you that it is exactly what you would expect from Guetta, which is great news for all those looking for music they can dance to. It you looking for his most famous hits and some new house tunes that are sure to be heard during the upcoming WMC, you will definitely want to pick up this release. “Guetta Blaster” is all the spirit that he provides during his live sets, packaged in CD form!
Many tracks feature the soulful vocalist Chris Willis, who lent his voice to one of Guetta’s classic hits, Just A Little More Love which is on this CD. The standout track on this release, which I would expect to get major airplay, is; Open Your Eyes, where the singing of the Stereo MC’s on top of Guettas fierce production provides for a tune that is simply addicting. Following that track is Last Train where the gospel inspired voice of Miss Thing delivers the album’s deepest, dirtiest tune. The entire CD is full of songs that can all become chart toppers in Europe.
What this release is not, is part of the electro/tech movement that seems to be sweeping electronic music today. The minimal sounds that swept the UK and Ibiza the last couple of summers will not be found on “Guetta Blaster”. These tracks are meant to for you to Get Up, as the title of one of the new tracks suggest. This is not an album that will revolutionize house music, but it does take some experimental chances, and come up more than successful, as in Paul Oakenfold’s mix of The World Is Mine. When one of the hardest trance producers teams up with one of the hardest house producers, you would not expect this unbelievable mix that reminds you of the chill music found playing at Ibiza’s hottest cafés and clubs.
David Guetta has been the pioneer of the house movement in France; his newest release will give his older listeners memories of the music they have heard on the dance floors around the globe. As for his newer fans this CD will give you an excuse to turn you house into your own personal club. Overall this is a fantastic release that will provide some more notoriety for a DJ that well deserves it.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Death of Dance Radio
Death of Dance Radio!
By Mike Schirtzer
“You pay for Radio”?, my Swedish friend says to me in the café overlooking a snowy Stockholm, and I explained that in the United Sates we have the option of having over 170 channels with the purchase of a satellite receiver and a $13 monthly subscription, same as people pay for TV. I than went on to tell my friend the only way to listen to trance, electro, or deep house on the radio is through my pay service. He thinks I’m crazy and I’ll explain that later.
XM Satellite Radio and Sirius are the two companies that offer this service is the USA and Canada, and now want to merge. Both broadcast their own dance channels and do not share programming, although the content is very similar. Each one has a: mainstream/commercial, trance/progressive, house, and chill channel. Sirius also carries BBC’s Radio 1 which is home to many shows devoted to electronic music. Both companies carry DJ exclusive shows: XM offers Armin Van Buuren’s “A State of Trance” and Junior Vasquez’s house show, where as Sirius carries programs by Paul Van Dyk and Paul Oakenfold.
For years, dance fans such as me could only expect to hear Madonna or a mix of Coldplay on our local commercial radio station. In most major cities on Saturday night at 11:00pm the stations would play true electronic dance music and shows with famous DJ’s, but most of us would already be out at the club or sleeping. Stations that brand themselves as “dance” might occasionally play a hit by Dirty Vegas or a vocal track by Tiesto, but that’s as deep as it gets.
With the pending merger of these pay radio services, what will this mean for dance music fans who subscribe? These companies do not releases ratings, so we will never know how popular the electronic stations are, we can definitely expect that the stations will be combined. It could be a good thing since now the one service can carry all the shows that have been split between the two, but realistically costs will have to be cut, as with all mergers, and that will mean less content for the paying customer.
I know, by this point you are telling me radio is old fashioned, it’s ridiculous to pay for it, as my Swedish friend told me. He thinks I’m nuts because of all the other options; internet radio stations such as DI.FM, pod-casts by famous artists such as Roger Sanchez and sites like this one, and mp-3 players where I can make my own play list, has done away with need for traditional radio. I still enjoy the unpredictability of radio, hearing a new song or a DJ say what’s hot is the fun part of being a music fan.
XM and Sirius have provided a place for true electronic dance music fans to go and hear the latest tracks, and the classic hits, and not have to rely on my local station to provide us with one house song a week. This maybe coming to an end or it maybe beneficial we may not know until next Christmas, but until then I will continue to pay for my radio.
By Mike Schirtzer
“You pay for Radio”?, my Swedish friend says to me in the café overlooking a snowy Stockholm, and I explained that in the United Sates we have the option of having over 170 channels with the purchase of a satellite receiver and a $13 monthly subscription, same as people pay for TV. I than went on to tell my friend the only way to listen to trance, electro, or deep house on the radio is through my pay service. He thinks I’m crazy and I’ll explain that later.
XM Satellite Radio and Sirius are the two companies that offer this service is the USA and Canada, and now want to merge. Both broadcast their own dance channels and do not share programming, although the content is very similar. Each one has a: mainstream/commercial, trance/progressive, house, and chill channel. Sirius also carries BBC’s Radio 1 which is home to many shows devoted to electronic music. Both companies carry DJ exclusive shows: XM offers Armin Van Buuren’s “A State of Trance” and Junior Vasquez’s house show, where as Sirius carries programs by Paul Van Dyk and Paul Oakenfold.
For years, dance fans such as me could only expect to hear Madonna or a mix of Coldplay on our local commercial radio station. In most major cities on Saturday night at 11:00pm the stations would play true electronic dance music and shows with famous DJ’s, but most of us would already be out at the club or sleeping. Stations that brand themselves as “dance” might occasionally play a hit by Dirty Vegas or a vocal track by Tiesto, but that’s as deep as it gets.
With the pending merger of these pay radio services, what will this mean for dance music fans who subscribe? These companies do not releases ratings, so we will never know how popular the electronic stations are, we can definitely expect that the stations will be combined. It could be a good thing since now the one service can carry all the shows that have been split between the two, but realistically costs will have to be cut, as with all mergers, and that will mean less content for the paying customer.
I know, by this point you are telling me radio is old fashioned, it’s ridiculous to pay for it, as my Swedish friend told me. He thinks I’m nuts because of all the other options; internet radio stations such as DI.FM, pod-casts by famous artists such as Roger Sanchez and sites like this one, and mp-3 players where I can make my own play list, has done away with need for traditional radio. I still enjoy the unpredictability of radio, hearing a new song or a DJ say what’s hot is the fun part of being a music fan.
XM and Sirius have provided a place for true electronic dance music fans to go and hear the latest tracks, and the classic hits, and not have to rely on my local station to provide us with one house song a week. This maybe coming to an end or it maybe beneficial we may not know until next Christmas, but until then I will continue to pay for my radio.
Miami Will Be Ultra Hot
Miami Will Be Ultra Hot
By Mike Schirtzer
Winter Music Conference (WMC) is fast approaching, and the closest thing that America has to Ibiza will be even better this year. What keeps regulars like me coming back year after year, and new faces sacrificing their first born to get the money they need for a chance to party in South Beach, always something new and cutting edge is on the horizon for WMC.
Ultra Music Festival, the annual main attraction during the conference has reinvented itself this year. It will now be a two day event, and one of the headliners will be The Cure, who are no strangers to having the top spot, but not on a dance music lineup. Ultra has also brought in some new talent this year; Sander Van Doorn who has been burning up the trance scene will be on the main stage, along with Fedde Le Grand a new star in house music.
Some European promoters such as Defected and BBC’s Radio One are no longer involved in the week long activities, but bigger and better promoters have taken their place. Madeevents, Wetgrooves, and Club Space will all be presenting some unbelievable talent this year. Juicy Music will be presenting their annual Robbie Rivera and Friends party which will be bigger and longer this year. What makes them cutting edge is that they no longer just give you a night of one genre, their lineups have trance, techno, and house: new and older DJ’s alike. Fans of some, fans of all, and people who just want to dance their good looking asses off to anything, mix and mingle together, which gives Miami some of the best crowds in North America.
Like everything in the States, money is the driving force, and that’s a good thing. The newer venues such as Twilo, Nocturnal, and Cameo (a refurbished Crobar), of course want you to come their club so they hook up with the best promoters that offer the greatest lineups. The fierce competition has only strengthened the parties, the ones during the day at Nikki Beach, Opium, and poolside events at top hotels such as The Shelbourne, rival many top festivals in Europe.
Yes this is an expensive trip, but for our European friends the exchange rate has turned so much in their favor that the price has actually decreased. As for everyone else, where else, other than Ibiza, will you be able to party 24/7, in a tropical setting, with great looking people, and the top DJ’s in the world, so go ahead and sell your house and come with me to South Beach for another year of sleep deprivation!
By Mike Schirtzer
Winter Music Conference (WMC) is fast approaching, and the closest thing that America has to Ibiza will be even better this year. What keeps regulars like me coming back year after year, and new faces sacrificing their first born to get the money they need for a chance to party in South Beach, always something new and cutting edge is on the horizon for WMC.
Ultra Music Festival, the annual main attraction during the conference has reinvented itself this year. It will now be a two day event, and one of the headliners will be The Cure, who are no strangers to having the top spot, but not on a dance music lineup. Ultra has also brought in some new talent this year; Sander Van Doorn who has been burning up the trance scene will be on the main stage, along with Fedde Le Grand a new star in house music.
Some European promoters such as Defected and BBC’s Radio One are no longer involved in the week long activities, but bigger and better promoters have taken their place. Madeevents, Wetgrooves, and Club Space will all be presenting some unbelievable talent this year. Juicy Music will be presenting their annual Robbie Rivera and Friends party which will be bigger and longer this year. What makes them cutting edge is that they no longer just give you a night of one genre, their lineups have trance, techno, and house: new and older DJ’s alike. Fans of some, fans of all, and people who just want to dance their good looking asses off to anything, mix and mingle together, which gives Miami some of the best crowds in North America.
Like everything in the States, money is the driving force, and that’s a good thing. The newer venues such as Twilo, Nocturnal, and Cameo (a refurbished Crobar), of course want you to come their club so they hook up with the best promoters that offer the greatest lineups. The fierce competition has only strengthened the parties, the ones during the day at Nikki Beach, Opium, and poolside events at top hotels such as The Shelbourne, rival many top festivals in Europe.
Yes this is an expensive trip, but for our European friends the exchange rate has turned so much in their favor that the price has actually decreased. As for everyone else, where else, other than Ibiza, will you be able to party 24/7, in a tropical setting, with great looking people, and the top DJ’s in the world, so go ahead and sell your house and come with me to South Beach for another year of sleep deprivation!
PVD REVIEW
PVD Hits NYC
By Mike Schirtzer
http://www.ibiza-voice.com/news/news.php?id=1011
New York, February 16th 2007- When the #1 DJ in the world comes to the biggest city in the world, a special night is expected, and it was that and more. Crobar, the venue that is currently undergoing name and management changes, hosted the night, and experienced a few of it’s own problems, but the music and vibe was right on point.
Steve Porter, who is famous in his own right for his PorterHouse CD’s and parties, opened up the night with a 3 hour set. Although it seemed strange to see the pairing of such different styles, Porter and his eclectic mix of funky and hard house, opening up for arguably the most famous trance DJ, it actually worked. Porter did a great job of setting the stage for an epic night; he started with some smooth house and built the crowd up with some banging beats. Porter, who is no stranger to headlining his own events here in New York, proved once again dance music fans just want some great tunes, no matter what genre it falls into.
Paul Van Dyke, who is now in his second year of being voted the top DJ, according to MixMag, played a set that was flawless from beginning to end. He seemed to go back to his trance roots, some of his sets of late has been more electro and progressive, probably a result of a lot of the music he’s spinning on his radio shows; Soundgarden @ Radio Fritz in Europe and Vonyc Sessions here in the states. This night was filled with old trance hits from Fred Baker, Nu-NRG, and the highlight of the night for many, as seen by the crowd’s reaction, Way Out West-Mindcircus. He also played a new song that is starting to appear in many trance sets, Filo & Peri- The Anthem, they also happen to be on PVD’s Vandit label, but none the less the song is starting to find some poularity.
When Tiesto and Armin Van Buuren emerged on the scene, they were famous not only for their spinning and productions, but also by the way they played along to the crowd, jumping and smiling, looking really happy to be there. The criticism of PVD was that he was too “robotic”, just concentrating on his computer set up. Well, things have changed, PVD seems to be enjoying his reign on top, and is not afraid to show his emotions. He was dancing and clapping along with the crowd, his ability to interact with the fans has definitely become one of his strong points.
Crobar, which will soon be known as Studio Mezmor, since they and Crobar Miami (to be known as Cameo), will no longer be affiliated with the original in Chicago, should change more than just it’s name. When you are supposed to be one of the top “super-clubs” in New York City, hosting top talent of the electronic dance music world, your sound and lighting systems have to equal that talent, and they do not. Studio and Pacha NYC are not only competing for local crowds, but also for visitors for other North American cities and international tourist as well. Studio’s lighting was elementary at best, and the sound system is at times too low, sometime seems as though it does not even offer the full range of bass that is necessary for a top flight venue. New York clubs have to raise their levels to that of their UK and Ibiza counterparts by not only focusing on the
DJ’s, but also on the equipment, so the fans can get the full affect they of what they deserve and paid for.
Overall it was a great night for trance and house fans who wanted to warm up on what a chilly winter’s night in the Big Apple. PVD once again showed why he is loved world-wide and Porter gave us a set that displayed why his popularity is on the rise too.
By Mike Schirtzer
http://www.ibiza-voice.com/news/news.php?id=1011
New York, February 16th 2007- When the #1 DJ in the world comes to the biggest city in the world, a special night is expected, and it was that and more. Crobar, the venue that is currently undergoing name and management changes, hosted the night, and experienced a few of it’s own problems, but the music and vibe was right on point.
Steve Porter, who is famous in his own right for his PorterHouse CD’s and parties, opened up the night with a 3 hour set. Although it seemed strange to see the pairing of such different styles, Porter and his eclectic mix of funky and hard house, opening up for arguably the most famous trance DJ, it actually worked. Porter did a great job of setting the stage for an epic night; he started with some smooth house and built the crowd up with some banging beats. Porter, who is no stranger to headlining his own events here in New York, proved once again dance music fans just want some great tunes, no matter what genre it falls into.
Paul Van Dyke, who is now in his second year of being voted the top DJ, according to MixMag, played a set that was flawless from beginning to end. He seemed to go back to his trance roots, some of his sets of late has been more electro and progressive, probably a result of a lot of the music he’s spinning on his radio shows; Soundgarden @ Radio Fritz in Europe and Vonyc Sessions here in the states. This night was filled with old trance hits from Fred Baker, Nu-NRG, and the highlight of the night for many, as seen by the crowd’s reaction, Way Out West-Mindcircus. He also played a new song that is starting to appear in many trance sets, Filo & Peri- The Anthem, they also happen to be on PVD’s Vandit label, but none the less the song is starting to find some poularity.
When Tiesto and Armin Van Buuren emerged on the scene, they were famous not only for their spinning and productions, but also by the way they played along to the crowd, jumping and smiling, looking really happy to be there. The criticism of PVD was that he was too “robotic”, just concentrating on his computer set up. Well, things have changed, PVD seems to be enjoying his reign on top, and is not afraid to show his emotions. He was dancing and clapping along with the crowd, his ability to interact with the fans has definitely become one of his strong points.
Crobar, which will soon be known as Studio Mezmor, since they and Crobar Miami (to be known as Cameo), will no longer be affiliated with the original in Chicago, should change more than just it’s name. When you are supposed to be one of the top “super-clubs” in New York City, hosting top talent of the electronic dance music world, your sound and lighting systems have to equal that talent, and they do not. Studio and Pacha NYC are not only competing for local crowds, but also for visitors for other North American cities and international tourist as well. Studio’s lighting was elementary at best, and the sound system is at times too low, sometime seems as though it does not even offer the full range of bass that is necessary for a top flight venue. New York clubs have to raise their levels to that of their UK and Ibiza counterparts by not only focusing on the
DJ’s, but also on the equipment, so the fans can get the full affect they of what they deserve and paid for.
Overall it was a great night for trance and house fans who wanted to warm up on what a chilly winter’s night in the Big Apple. PVD once again showed why he is loved world-wide and Porter gave us a set that displayed why his popularity is on the rise too.
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