February 2012

Jonny White and Nitin’s No.19 Music turns up the heat with a 13-track sampler that could set things alight at this year’s Music Week in Miami. The label needs little introduction at this stage, having risen from obscurity in a few short years to become a key player with some of the hottest producers in dance music. Alongside the records being released, the label has become known for hosting some of the best parties around with recent showcases at the BPM festival in Mexico and at Sankey’s, creating even more buzz around the imprint. 

As we head towards the month of March there’s earnest debate on various noteworthy music sites about Miami WMC 2012, but there can be no doubt that there will be magical moments that will be talked about for months to come. The Bedrock showcase at Cameo (Thursday 22nd March) featuring John Digweed, Hernan Cattaneo, Guy J, Marco Bailey, Omid 16B, Henry Saiz, Denis A and Stelios Vassiloudis, will be a top party, as will John Digweed’s extended set at the Bedrock and Creations party on Saturday 24th at The Vagabond in downtown Miami. 

With the latest schedule changes at Radio 1, although early in the evening, the station at last will have a show playing dance music on a Saturday! Starting from April 7^th, Danny Howard will host his own weekly Dance Anthems show from 4pm-7pm, where he will play a mix of new dance music and current anthems, from the biggest DJs and producers on the planet. 

‘Surreal’ is the new album from the UK soul/funk/jazz band, Incognito, which will be released on April 16th on Dome Records. It’s one of the band’s freshest, most creative albums and sees the addition to their line-up of two outstanding new vocalists in Natalie Williams, UK jazz scene luminary, and 26-year-old German-born singer-songwriter Mo Brandis. The album is a collection of songs over a bed of fluid basslines and drum grooves, and reflects the energy of the band’s live shows, while adding a raw edge to their customary studio production.

Italian label Unrilis returns with a new single from Sasha Carassi featuring a remix from label boss Rino Cerrone. Unrilis and parent label Rilis have been around for 13 years now, releasing techno from label owner Rino Cerrone and his close musical associates. For the imprint’s latest offering Unrilis has turned to Neapolitan DJ/producer Sasha Carassi. Carassi has been producing first rate techno for over a decade now, releasing on labels such as Drumcode, Harthouse and Rekluse to name but a few. 

Do you like house music? Do you love sublime, intelligent and liquid vocals? Are you quite cool? If the answer to any of these three questions is a 'yes’ then we think you are going to love Jean Claude Ades. JCA, as his fans call him, is an internationally renowned DJ, producer, songwriter and remixer originally from Italy, now based in Munich and Ibiza. His beloved label Swings Records has a policy of only bringing you the very best quality original work and his new release, ’We All Are Dancing’, with Daniel Falkenberg featuring vocalist Yoav, fits the bill perfectly. Here he tells us how he acheived worldwide success with Danni Minogue, which DJs he respects the most and why it’s good that Ibiza is changing...

Treasure Fingers first came to the attention of the house faithful with his debut record ‘Cross The Dancefloor’; an inescapably catchy, vocoder-laced gem that two-stepped over genre boundaries and garnered support from A-List DJs around the world such as Pete Tong, Annie Mac, Sinden and Kissy Sell Out. More recently, his strikingly original productions and remixes for the likes of Avicii, Chromeo, Empire Of The Sun, Santogold and Lykke Li have steadily build momentum for what looks to be an exceptional 2012 for the Atlanta producer. Here, we speak to him about the release of ‘Defected In The House Miami ’12’.

This weekend sees the two club nights that have defined Sankeys over the past 15 years going toe to toe. Friday sees Tribal Sessions, the original party to bring back acid house values to club land, squaring off with Kaluki’s Saturday offering in what promises to be a top weekend in Manchester. Tribal Sessions returns with one of the superstars they helped shape; James Zabiela. The authority on Pioneer’s CDJ deck, James was a breakthrough DJ when Tribal Sessions first exploded, gaining exposure on his highly publicised touring with Sasha and his ability to weld breaks, dark techno and ass-shaking house to the progressive sounds he was a part of. 

Gavin Herlihy follows up his well-received releases for Culprit and Crosstown Rebels with the ʻGet Looseʼ EP for Leftroom this March – a four-track release featuring No Regular Play on remix duties. Since leaving his employment as a respected music journalist, Herlihy has ploughed unnerving amounts of effort into his production career and combined with a talent when it comes to musical perversion, the results have been good. Cadenza, Cocoon, Crosstown Rebels and Moodmusic are just some of the labels that have bought into the Irishmanʼs distinct sound and the steady stream of quality isnʼt about to let up.
 

Holland is getting ready for the world premier of Pacha Festival on May 19^th in Amsterdam, where the event is pulling out all the stops to create a true mini-Ibiza on the Java Eiland in the centre of the city. For the main stage, Pacha have already announced the presence of Goldfish-live and a special DVJ set from Sander Kleinenberg, and in addition there will be dedicated areas with Cadenza Vagabundos, Defected in the House, and the recent announcement of Pure Pacha – All Gone Pete Tong!

Pragueʼs Visky Recordings kicked off late last year with a release from French deep houser Boris Hotton and the label now furthers its forays into the deep with the glorious slo-mo house of Paskal & Urban Absolutes.

 German duo Paskal & Urban Absolutes (Alexander Kastner & Adrian Hoffmann) have racked up releases and remixes for Peppermint Jam, Farside, Foul & Sunk and Room With a View since kicking off their production careers in 2009.

Here, they employ soft, creeping melodies drenched in warm delays and reverbs to deliver the mid- tempo beauty that is the lead cut ʻOur Smile In Your Faceʼ. 

In a career that spans five decades, more than 30 recordings as a leader and ten Grammy Awards, NEA Jazz Master, George Benson- a jazz guitarist of unparalleled chops and a vocalist with great emotional range and sophistication will be touring the UK from June 28th 2012- opening with a night at London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall.  

Lana Del Rey, one of the biggest stars on the current pop scene will perform at Sónar Barcelona 2012. The young New Yorker, whose rocketing career has converted her into a global icon, will present her debut album ‘Born To Die’ live, after having topped the charts in north America, the UK and other parts of the world. Lana possesses a carefully groomed style evoking images of the Hollywood hey-day, impeccable videos (‘Video Games’, ‘Born To Die’, ‘Blue Jeans’) have been seen over the internet by thousands of viewers throughout the world in a short space of time and achieving millions of hits. Her songs stand out for their contemporary sound, accurate melodies, high doses of glamour and influences of pop, from the ‘50s to the ‘90s. 

The Neil Cowley Trio debut their second video from their new recording, ‘The Face Of Mount Molehill’.  Described by Uncut as a “pulsating Bond theme”, ‘Fable’ bounds along with manic energy and the quirky video was shot on location in Hackney and Neil’s back garden – a field deep in the surrey countryside - and directed by Jane Gerber, who’s  First Love series for Sky Arts (shortlisted for a Royal Television Society Award) featured a moving appearance by Neil assuring comedienne Sue Perkins that the piano “can love you back”.  

After two great seasons, the Friday Come Together night at Space Ibiza is taking a breather as the team behind the night, Safehouse Management, concentrate on Sands Ibiza, the bar they took over in 2011 with Carl Cox and Jason Bull of Es Vive. Safehouse Management founder Lynn Cosgrave says she is incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make the event a success, including the fans whose energy ignited Fridays at Space during the past two years. "We knew the Come Together concept of a mini-festival night under one roof would change the clubbing landscape,“ explains Cosgrave. “The fact that the parties went so well and we had so many people through the door proves that it was and is such a great concept.”

With her remix of ‘Beautiful World’ released yesterday on Toolroom Records, we catch up with US native Gina Star, the in-demand female DJ and producer who’s Star (geddit?) continuous to rise with numerous releases and remix after remix for some of the biggest DJs in dance music. Her latest one for by Tiesto And Mark Knight, with the vocals of Dino Lenny, is pretty damn good too, so we wanted to find out how Gina was coping with her increasing fame…

Cape Town, without a doubt one of the most interesting and dynamic cities in Africa, is Sónar's first destination on the continent. The city is South Africa's leading tourist destination, and is renowned for its cultural and economic dynamism and its open and cosmopolitan spirit, ideal for the convergence of creativity from all over the world. That is precisely the philosophy of Design Indaba, a multidisciplinary event that has been bringing together leading figures in design, advertising, film, fashion, architecture, the visual arts and, of course, music, in Cape Town since 1995. 

With two colour choices, four channels, one hundred effect combinations and endless creative possibilities, the new DJM-850 could well become the home and mobile DJs’ most sought-after mixer. Primed and ready for plug and play, with preconfigured, studio-quality effects accessible at the touch of a button, the mixer rivals software’s creative possibilities liberating DJs from their laptops and allowing for a more natural DJing experience.

Following releases featuring Tom Ellis, Basic Soul Unit, Kris Wadsworth and Ruthit, Newcastleʼs (UK) Turquoise Blue delivers the ʻSound-byteʼ EP from Dogmatik, Crosstown Rebels and Hot Creations stalwart, Alex Arnout.

 From running underground parties in his native Sheffield to his Dogmatik label (a label which has unearthed many a talent, including Maya Jane Coles), Arnout is a veteran of house music and has pretty much done it all. His productions continually win strong support across those who matter and his engineering/collaborations with the likes of Clive Henry always deliver.

 

London based four-piece Eyes On Film will release their debut EP through MI7 Records on the 7^th May and will play series of live dates supporting Boots Electric on their UK tour. Recorded and produced by band members Joe Leach and Dan Mills and mixed by Teo Miller (Placedbo/Blur/Happy Mondays), this three-track EP unleashes a distorted rush of dirty drum-machine beats slashed with filthy guitar and twisted hushed shy boy vocals. 

It’s 1997 and while the filtered house of the French Touch flounders in its death throes, ‘Paris Acid City' by Black Strobe - a long, meandering acid track, melancholic and laced with poison - helps reintroduce house music into clubs. In just a few years and a handful of tracks, the Black Strobe concept developed by Arnaud Rebotini - post-apocalyptic electronic music - left its mark on dancefloors with the now classics ‘Innerstring’, ‘Me And Madonna’ and ‘Italian Firefly’. 

Melt! Festival recently announced the first wave of international acts that will perform at the festival’s 15th edition from 13th to 15th July 2012. Acts including Gossip, Justice, Two Door Cinema Club, The Whitest Boy Alive, and M83 will perform beneath the iconic giant diggers, Bloc Party will celebrate their reunion with a very special performance and electronic music purveyors Richie Hawtin, Ellen Allien and Modeselektor will curate and host individual stages in co-operation with Melt!

Lukas Greenberg is definitely no newcomer to the electronic music scene. He started his career in the early-90s as a hip hop DJ before shifting to house and techno to play at famous venues like Tresor, 90Grad and KitCat. He launched his own Synphon Records label in the early noughties but it is his work with the legendary Plastic City imprint during the last five years that has really brought him to prominence. His previous artist albums ‘Rhode’Stories’ and ‘Prisoner With A Key’ were critically acclaimed and gave an insight into Greenberg’s broad musical tastes and expansive production repertoire.

‘Brains’ is the first video from the Baltimore-based Lower Dens' forthcoming album ‘Nootropics’. 

The video directed by Tristan Patterson, recognized for his feature length directorial debut 'Dragonslayer' (Grand Jury Prize winner for Best Documentary at SXSW 2011) and featuring band member Jana Hunter, brings to vivid light one of the themes central to ‘Nootropic’s - appreciating our modern society's rampant technological advancements while reconciling its ability to encroach to traumatizing effect. 

Top Space resident Yousef makes another appearance at Liquidcool Soundsytem in Glasgow tomorrow night, Sunday 26^th February. Back by popular demand, this is the second time that Yousef will be jetting into Glasgow for this intimate, high-energy gig. The weekly Liquidcool Soundsystem club-night has been going for over a decade - featuring the top headline DJs from around the world, complimented by Glasgow’s finest residents. Yousef cherry-picks only the best clubs across the globe to perform at and this is your chance to see him up close and personal in Common nightclub in Glasgow!

On March 3^rd Hardwell premiers his highly anticipated new Visual Concept Show at Energy, the ID&T event that takes place for 20,000 clubbers at The Jaarbeurs in Utrecht/The Netherlands. His live show goes beyond the music and into the realm of spectacle, where stunning visuals are a key component of a successful performance of this nature. For this, he has recruited the talents of Ruud de Wild, a videographer with a background in fine art and graphic design, who has constructed some bold, striking set pieces tailored to Hardwell’s trademark high-energy style. 

Featured on the new ‘Toolroom Miami’ compilation, check out the Gina Star remix of the Tiesto and Mark Knight anthem ‘Beautiful World’. Gina continues to release quality productions and remixes, so it’s good to see her remix one for two of the biggest stars in dance music. Out on Sunday on Toolroom Records, click ‘read more’ to have a listen to the Soundcloud link.

With a colourful career that’s taken him from Bologna to London, with pit stops in some great locations around the world, we catch up with DJ and producer Mowgli, to find out more about his latest release on Defected Records. Featuring the vocals of Amber Jolene, ‘Back In The Day’ is a deep slice of vocal house where Mowgli was determined to show house’s real vibe, and not the commercial R&B/pop hijacked 4/4 that’s dominating charts just now…

Courtesy of the folks behind Ibiza Rocks, a brand new night is about to hit the Balearics. WE ARE ROCKSTARS (W.A.R!) is the new electronic fuelled, DJ led night that will see a mix of the most influential and exciting names in electronic music take over the famous outdoor ‘Rocks’ stage - Mallorca Rocks Hotel (Thursdays) and Ibiza Rocks Hotel (Fridays) for 16 weeks straight from June through to September 2012. The electric, early evening, outdoor shows will welcome regular exclusive appearances by internationally renowned producer phenomenon Mark Ronson and Ibiza Rock’s Music Director and the UK’s biggest tastemaker Zane Lowe.  The DJ duo will lead a line-up that also includes the first lady of Radio 1, Annie Mac, who will be joined on one of her two exclusive ‘We Are Rockstars’ shows in Mallorca by the pioneers of British dubstep Magnetic Man.

Sashaʼs Last Night On Earth imprint returns this March with the ʻBring on The Nightʼ collaboration between the man himself and hotly tipped Canadian James Teej, backed with a remix from the irrepressible M.A.N.D.Y..

 Thereʼs little that can or needs to be said about Sasha, a DJ/producer who has seen and done it all while constantly keeping his finger firmly on the pulse of electronic music. James Teej, while a relative newcomer compared to his partner for ʻBring On The Nightʼ, Teej is no rookie and has an impeccable pedigree himself. 

A big collaboration to start off Critical’s 2012 season from the hugely lauded Sabre, who returns after a long break since his debut album of 2010. Their first track, ‘Oblique’, kicks off with a delicate but tough break that cuts through the mix as gentle pads wash over the soundscape to a breakdown that oozes class and a deft touch. Smooth keys then drop, light strings and the arrival of a deep soul vocal that carries us through into a midst of aural ear-pleasing - subtle to the end this is a serious piece of music. 

The Japanese Popstars announced that they will be providing the ‘official soundtrack’ to Caterham F1 Team’s 2012 season. Caterham F1 will be providing the band with visuals for their videos and use of their cars for promotional purposes and the band and F1 team will also be working together on official After-Race Events at key races during the season.  This is new concept for a Formula 1 Team and a first in the music industry. 

Look out for the new Paul Oakenfold music channel, courtesy of joost.com. The channel features exclusive videos of Oakenfold’s performances from around the world, including videos of his current world tour. But, it gets better, just click ‘read more’ for a fantastic all expenses paid competition to see Paul Oakenfold live. 

In one of the most anticipated announcements of the year, T in the Park finally announced the acts that will be headlining this year’s festival with The Stone Roses. The additional two headliners for the weekend are Snow Patrol and Kasabian, in what promises to be another weekend of musical madness.

For a third consecutive year, Space Ibiza is making its way back over the Atlantic to hook up with the crew at Ultra Music Festival - a three-day event held in Miami from the 23^rd of March. As the grand finale on the 25th, Space Ibiza will be taking to the stage and unleashing its vast array of goodies to represent Ibiza and this year, Space is showcasing some classic, dance music heroes with a roster of time-served "Ibiza" artists including John Digweed, Steve Lawler, Adam Beyer, Joris Voorn, Nic Fanciulli, Umek, Layo & Bushwacka!, Popof, Remo, Renato Ratier and RioTGeaR. 

Berlin based Brit Ed Davenport has announced his debut LP, ‘Counterchange’, will be released on NRK in March 2012.

 Having slowly but assuredly emerged through the mire of house producers in the last five or so years, Ed Davenport now potentially cuts it with the best of them.  A steady stream of singles, EPs and remixes have come on labels like liebe*detail, Falkplatz and Pooled Music in recent times, but arguably it’s the Salisbury born man’s work for Bristol’s NRK which has found him really finding his feet.  

After hearing its first play on Zane Lowe’s Radio 1 show at 7.30pm on Tuesday night, The Enemy released their new single ‘Gimme The Sign’ as a free download to fans through their Facebook and website. Premiered at their homecoming gig in Coventry last Thursday night, ‘Gimme The Sign’ is a taste of what is to come from the band’s new album ‘Streets In The Sky’ released this Spring. Produced by The Bronx’s Joby J. Ford, ‘Gimme The Sign’ is much heavier than The Enemy’s earlier sound whilst also leaning towards the anthemic sound of their first album ‘We’ll Live And Die in These Towns’.

Tijuana’s Vicario Musique offers up a new EP from Spanish DJ/producer Alex Kaddour with collaborations and remixes from his musical friends. Alex hails from Spain’s Canary Islands where he cut his teeth as a DJ during the ‘90s and developed the talent that has seen him rise to prominence over the last few years. His DJing has taken him to Europe’s leading clubs and his production work has seen him releasing for respected labels such as Berlin’s Lucidflow and Piekup Records. Now he has joined forces with Vicario Musique and a host of friends for a brand new EP of house music.

Copacabana Club is made up of two guys and two girls from Curitiba, Brazil, featuring beautiful lead singer Caca V. The acoustic section is made up of Claudia Bukowski on drums plus Andre Franca and Carlos Junior on guitar duty.  The songs are cheeky, sexy and direct, all laid over a backdrop of quick kicking beats and immense guitar riffs, making this a band that you could want to see live.  

2011 saw the first ever New York Bakery Breakfast Club featuring a 20-minute performance of the much-loved American high-school musical Grease.  This year to bring a taste of the Big Apple to the UK, New York Bakery Co has signed up New York band The Drums to treat you to an exclusive early morning gig, featuring some of their best known songs, over a bagel breakfast. 

Olugbenga continues his new year quest for global domination, with a studio gift that offers an insight in to what’s to come in 2012. In between touring with Metronomy, the coming months will see Olugbenga locked away in the studio to focus on new solo material. His first unofficial remixes have received support already on 6 Music from Lauren Laverne plus DJ related features with Huw Stevens and Annie Mac on Radio 1 alongside press articles in Clash Magazine and The Independent. 

This year Outlook Festival packs its bags with some of their favorite artists and will be hitting a city near you! With numerous launches planned across major cities in the UK Outlook will also reach out to the bustling scenes across Europe… heading to France, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Denmark and Germany to name a few. Outlook Festival, which runs from 30^th August – 3^rd September is set in Istria, Croatia in an abandoned fort. Located on a peninsula surrounded by crystal clear Adriatic waters, Outlook combines sun soaked beach parties by day and all night raving up at the fort when the sun sets! And, the Outlook boat parties will also be setting sail with some of the most exciting artists, labels and promoters in music.

Despite their name, Soap Dodgers are one the freshest dubstep UK bass duos to have emerged from the scene in recent times. Picked up early on by the mighty N-Type, their music has been gracing the Rinse FM and Radio 1 airwaves ever since with big support coming from the likes of Youngsta, Skream, Mistajam, Hatcha, 16Bit, The Others and of course Wheel & Deal label boss, N-Type. 

One of our favourite labels, Toolroom, presents 'Toolroom Records Miami 2012', its essential soundtrack to the biggest highlight in the dance music calendar, the Miami Winter Music Conference. Showcasing over 40 of the hottest tracks, including 25 new and exclusive offerings from label boss Mark Knight, Umek, Rene Amesz, Funkagenda, Alex Kenji, D.Ramirez, Dirty South, Joris Voorn, Nicole Moudaber & many more, its three full length DJ mixes reflect the different shades of house, blending the grooves and anthems alike to complete this top compilation.

Simian Mobile Disco announced the release of their brand new album ‘Unpatterns’ on May 14 via Wichita Recordings. It’s a record full of love, dedication, hard-earned experience, obvious understanding of decades of electronic music from across scenes and styles, and huge fun. It’s completely of the now, showing a band as familiar with Blawan and Lone as they are with Silver Apples and Phuture, but never jumping on bandwagons.

International superstar DJ Eddie Halliwell has just announced a first… a summer residency at Club Papaya, on the party island of Pag, in Croatia!  Under his infamous ‘Fire It Up’ brand, Eddie will play five nights supported by Fired Up friends, which will be announced soon! Club Papaya, Croatia’s leading club, has seen a meteoric rise over the last few years, not only serving as a spectacular beach club but also as a festival venue, resulting in Papaya being ranked in the top three Mediterranean summer destinations.

Parov Stelar, the pioneer-come-king of Electro-Swing music and quite possibly the hippest man on the scene right now, has just revealed that on the 31^st May 2012 he’ll be descending upon London with his full live band, to move, groove and shake what is, unequivocally, one of the coolest venues in the Capital – Camden’s KOKO! Having played proud and worthy host to some of the biggest names in music over the decades – Coldplay, Madonna, Prince, The Clash and Tina Turner to name just a few – KOKO is literally dripping in both history and prestige, and will provide the setting for Parov to showcase his unique brand of eclectic, fun-fuelled grooves to an audience of 1,500 hungry swingsters.

Stockholm musical heavyweight, Tiger Stripes tips his hat to early blues legend Robert Johnson with this cover of the classic ‘Cross Road Blues’ backed with remixes from the excellent Phonogenic. Mikael Nordgren launched his Tiger Stripes project back in 2004, taking inspiration from his hometown of Stockholm, Sweden and unleashing a torrent of exceptional electronic music on the world. In the intervening years he has recorded for labels such as Get Physical, Nite Grooves, Liebe*detail and Toolroom and established himself as a key producer with both his original productions and remixes. 

The Farm have reformed to perform their seminal No.1 album ‘Spartacus’ 21 years from its release from start to finish on an intimate 11 date UK tour this spring. The tour starts at Edinburgh Liquid Rooms on 28th April and culminates at Manchester’s Club Academy on 25th May. After enjoying performing live once more with Mick Jones on the recent Justice Tonight tour, The Farm have decided to reform and embark on a UK tour due to popular demand. 

After six successful albums with Supergrass (including the #1 debut ‘I Should Coco’), Gaz Coombes will release his debut solo album ‘Gaz Coombes Presents… Here Come The Bombs’ on May 21^st through Hot Fruit Recordings and EMI Label Services. Produced alongside Sam Williams, with whom Coombes first worked with on ‘I Should Coco’, ‘Here Come The Bombs’ represents a continuation of his day-to-day life in music. Recorded at Coombes’ home studio and at Williams’s Temple Studio, both in Oxford, the album explores the unexpected whilst maintaining the famous love of melody that marked some of Supergrass’ finest moments.

Laura Marling will be releasing ‘All My Rage’ through Virgin Records on April 2^nd. This single is taken from her gold selling third album ‘A Creature I Don’t Know’. Laura’s third album follows the success of her sophomore record 'I Speak Because I Can' - both that and her debut 'Alas I Cannot Swim' were Mercury nominated, and last February she won the Best British Female Solo Artist prize at the Brit Awards, and best solo artist at the NME awards. She was also been nominated at this year’s Brit awards as Best Female Artist. 

Swedish House Mafia has some of the best fans in the world and they’ve spoken loudly by selling out all 10,000 tickets to the Friday, March 23rd Masquerade Motel Miami event. What’s amazing is that news of the Masquerade Motel Miami on-sale date came just 48 hours earlier when Swedish House Mafia announced it via Facebook and Twitter. A lesson in the power of social media and Swedish House Mafia’s connection with their fans, the news of the event spread rapidly throughout the world and once again made Masquerade Motel Miami one of the most coveted tickets of Miami Music Week. 

For their last February show before the big birthday double whammy, Chibuku Shake Shake welcomes back a very old friend this Friday, one of the first guests they ever booked and someone who defines in many ways Buku’s own inspired genre-busting eclecticism… Mr Scruff. A lot of things have happened since a young Andy Carthy started answering to the name Mr Scruff - making a name for himself under the shadow Manchester's mid-90s club scene. Not only has he released three critically acclaimed albums, including 1999's monstrous 'Keep It Unreal' and 2002’s ‘Trouser Jazz’, but with countless tours and club events he has cemented his 'legendary' DJ status.

As a teaser for T in the Park fans anticipating the big reveal of this year’s line up on Thursday 23^rd February, festival organisers DF Concerts and founding partner Tennent’s Lager gave a small taster of what’s to come by revealing that Florence + the Machine and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds have been added to the 2012 line-up. The Vaccines, The Maccabees, Two Door Cinema Club, Frank Turner, Miles Kane, The Horrors and Maverick Sabre are also amongst the first wave of acts to be announced. Festival organisers DF Concerts and founding partner Tennent’s Lager will unveil the two Main Stage headline acts that will join The Stone Roses as well as other top acts on Thursday 23^rd February.

Having already seen a remix by London DJ Jamie Jones earlier in the year, Pete Tong hit the mixing desk again for his own house-fuelled remix on EJ’s soulful track ‘Mama, I’m Gonna Sing’.  The debut track has already made its mark all over the Internet amongst bloggers and tastemakers alike. Pete Tong is renowned across the globe for his sets worldwide, most notably at the clubbing institution, Pacha in Ibiza and he has taken EJ’s soul infused teaser track and has put his own minimal twist on it.  

Simon Baker’s debut album ‘Traces’ saw the London based producer record a superb, honest reflection of his influences and took his deep house sound into a long playing format that was critically acclaimed across the board. ‘Let Me In’ was one of two tracks that featured vocals from Debukas that were highlights of the album, and it returns in original album version and with an excellent remix from Lee Curtiss. 

Bristol’s Phantom Limb will release their new single, the stirring ‘Gravy Train’, on March 12^th, via Naim Edge Records.  Having just released their sophomore album ‘The Pines’ the band are also currently on a nationwide UK tour. 
‘Gravy Train’ is taken from The Pines, which was in part conceived on the road, then in rural France, before being produced by Marc Ford (The Black Crowes) in Signal Hill; the oil capital of California. All proved to be conducive settings for an album largely written about escape.  

London club night This Feeling, a favourite with Kasabian, Noel Gallagher, Noel Fielding and many more, has been flying the flag for guitar music over the last five years, earning a reputation as one of the best places in the capital to see some huge bands play intimate one-off shows or bands on the cusp of greatness. Now, it’s set to branch out nationwide throughout February, March and April, hitting London, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Dunfermline with monthly nights to be added in Brighton, Birmingham and Edinburgh later in the year. 

James is set to return to North America for a West Coast run of dates around their performances at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, before heading off to Mexico and South America. Returning again with their original line-up, the UK band recently toured the UK’s most beautiful and premier classical venues playing songs from their vast catalogue with a new spin--performing with a full orchestra and choir in tow. James received critical praise for their 2010 US tour and two-disc CD ‘The Morning After The Night Before’ and are writing music for their follow-up album. 

Zurichʼs Hive Club celebrates its sixth birthday with a compilation of exclusive tracks via its Hive Audio imprint this spring.
 Taking in tracks from the likes of Luna City Express, Matthias Meyer, Sis, David Keno, and Animal Trainer (who run both the club and label). ʻ6 Years Hiveʼ is a package of sleek, modern house music that reflects both the label and the clubʼs reputation. 

SubBerlin is the story of one of the world’s most legendary clubs retold by its protagonists: Jeff Mills, Juan Atkins, Blake Baxter, Mr. C, DJ Rush, Mark Reeder, Dr. Motte, Josh Wink, Chris Liebing, Regina Baer, Johnnie Stieler, Sven Vath and of course club-founder Dimitri Hegemann, as well as countless other regulars, DJs and clubbers alike. Gripping images and authentic voices entangled to retell this breathtaking story, combined with the frantic sounds of a restless youth finding itself in a state of newfound freedom.  

Fuse Londonʼs resident Enzo Siragusa delivers the second release for his label this spring, ʻAs We Areʼ – backed with remixes from Fuse alumni Seb Zito and Rich NxT.

 Siragusa is a self-made man in terms of music, having musically guided the weekly Fuse parties in London to success over the last few years. As a DJ he rarely puts a foot wrong and his transition to producer/A&R isnʼt falling short of the mark.

 Sleek, deep, punch and modern house is what Enzo Siragusa is all about and his DJ sets and small but perfectly formed production catalogue reflect that perfectly, so much so that he has recently been asked by Locodice to be resident for the London leg of his resident-focused 300 tour. 

After storming the scene with 'High And Dry' and 'Shaken Not Stirred' DJ Mikas And DJ Sage recently released their long awaited debut on Black Hole Recordings, the label founded by Tiësto. Whereas 'Shaken Not Stirred' proved a true Balearic trance anthem and 'High And Dry' caused havoc on both progressive and electro dancefloors, the ‘Eternal EP’ lays down a solid and consistent tech-groove with a touch of electro. 

Italyʼs Doomwork prepare for the summer release of their debut LP on Street King with ʻClub Abduction, The Singlesʼ this spring.

 With a list of supporters that take in 2000 And One, Pete Tong, Radio Slave, Loco Dice and Carl Cox, Doomwork have carved out a weighty reputation in just a few years and this, Part One of ʻClub Abduction, The Singlesʼ, is a taster of things of things to come.

 Fresh from a Beatport tech-house number one (‘Cowabunga’ on Christian Smithʼs Tronic imprint), the Italian duo unleashes one of their housiest works yet in ʻThisʼ while Dirtybirdʼs Solo provides the remix.



The management of Dutch DJ and producer Nicky Romero announced that Nicky has signed with David Guetta. David Guetta is one of the music industry's most sought-after producers, and at the forefront of the urban dance explosion, he has worked with a host of big names including Usher, Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, Kelly Rowland, Taio Cruz and Flo Rida. Guetta is credited with creating the urban dance sound that now dominates charts across the globe. He has sold more than five million albums worldwide since his 2001 debut. 

The Pluginboutique (www.pluginboutique.com) is a brand new venture from the team at Loopmasters (www.loopmasters.com) which is dedicated to selling instruments, effects and studio tools from leading music software companies worldwide. The website was designed from the ground up to provide a custom solution to sell downloadable products such as Soft Synths, Music Plugins, Studio Effects and Synth Presets – and launches with some great names already involved including Fxpansion, Ohm Force, Flux, PSP, D16, Sinevibes, Waves, Sonic Charge and G-Sonique alongside many others.

As summer seems to be getting nearer and nearer by the day, the award-winning Creamfields, one of the best festivals in the UK, will announce the line-up for this year’s festival exclusively on BBC Radio 1 from 7pm on Friday 2^nd March.  The event, which has sold out over the last three years also scooped the award for ‘Best Dance Event’ for the third year running in the UK Festival Awards. 

Following two intriguing white label 12” EPs for the label, the mysterious Arctic producer known only as Ukkonen delivers his stunning debut album on Uncharted Audio on 23^rd April. His credentials are clear, even if his origins aren't – apparently a background steeped in classical composition in a remote area of Finland and 'pretty much zero interest in dance music' somehow led to the production of his ‘Erriapo’ and 'Spatia' 12”s, which were charted and supported by the likes of Agoria, Ame, Colin Dale, Norman Nodge (Berghain/Ostgut Ton), Terry Mitchell and Vince Watson - and left critics comparing his unique non-linear grooves to the likes of Gas, The Sight Below, Mark E, Aphex Twin, Brian Eno, Carl Craig, Mika Vainio and Isolee. 

Azealia Banks is to release her debut ‘212’ EP on Polydor Records, on March 25^th. The EP will feature the title track plus previously unreleased track ‘Liquorice’ and a selection of brand new remixes. Banks is currently performing on the sold out 2012 NME Awards UK tour alongside Two Door Cinema Club, Metronomy and Tribes and she will play her own sold out headline show at Heaven in London on Monday 27^th February. 

Italian dub techno producer Decoside compiles his ‘Reload’ singles project into a stunning double CD release featuring a host of respected remixers. His ‘Reload’ project began in 2008 with the first of three vinyl releases that were to explore the deeper, dub infused end of techno. The releases were mastered by Eclipse crew’s good friend, the late Aaron Carl and provided a musical link between the classic sounds of Berlin’s dub techno and the new wave in deep experimental techno. Now Decoside and Italian label Eclipse Music have worked together to compile a double CD album release featuring all of the original tracks from the vinyl releases, plus unreleased material and a host of outstanding remixes from some of the best names in techno.

This brand new project from Bass United label boss Dory Kahalé and Minneapolis singer Sophia Shorai sees the pair deliver a superb cover of this 1978 underground French disco classic. DJ, producer and label owner Dory Kahalé has been a key part of the US electronic music scene for the last two decades recording under a host of names and working with numerous labels. He may have been best known for his acid techno recordings as DJ Apollo in the ‘90s but in recent years it’s his work under the Dirty McKenzie moniker that has been gaining him support, particularly from the Nu-Disco and house scene.

Check the new video for the upcoming Catz ‘N’ Dogz track ‘Mass Confusion’. The tracks features on the Polish duo's new ‘Lenonki’ EP on their own Pets Recordings and is due for release on March 5^th. Both ‘Mass Confusion’ and ‘Professor Nice Love’ are already picking up fantastic support from the likes of Claude VonStroke, M.A.N.D.Y., Adam Port, Lee Curtiss, James Zabiela, Ryan Crosson, dOP, Robert Dietz, Sebo K, Breach, Ellen Allien, Groove Armada, Fritz Zander and more...

Check out the new video from Thomas White, entitled ‘King Of The Kingdom’, taken from his third album ‘Yalla!’, which is out March 19^th on Bleeding Heart Recordings. Inspired by his time out in Egypt after the passing of his mum and break up from a five-year relationship with his then girlfriend, it’s a good album with contrasting emotions of home (his beloved Brighton) and the desert heat of Dahab. For more on Tom, click the link and to see the video, just click ‘read more’.

http://www.myspace.com/thethomaswhite 

Mexican Summer announced the release of Light Asylum’s self-titled debut LP, which will be release on May 1, 2012. The debut full-length album by Light Asylum has been a long time coming, as their self-released ‘In Tension’ EP circulated and resonated with new listeners worldwide, the reputation of duo Shannon Funchess and Bruno Coviello has steadily sweltered via their intense live show, collaborations and remixes. Light Asylum marks Funchess’ and Coviello’s return to the recorded fray with renewed intent, emotion and visceral energy, all to powerful effect. 

Starting at the tail end of the last century, Jacques lu Cont aka the Thin White Duke (or plain old Stuart Price to his mum) revolutionised both DJing and dance music production. Already the genius behind ‘80s revivalist Les Rhythms Digitales, he made a series of killer remixes and productions, made Madonna dancefloor friendly again and released, arguably, one of dance music’s most influential mix CDs ever; ‘FabricLive 09’. After a triumphant return to DJing last year, and on the back of his epochal new single ‘Church’, JLC returns to Bugged Out and Sankeys in Manchester tomorrow night, headlining with Ed Banger Records’ Busy P. This one is big!

Anyone who's enjoyed a snow sports holiday knows the quality of après ski or activities off the piste are as important as the quality of snow on it. For the more socially adventurous, bar culture in the Alps of Europe or the Rocky Mountains of North America is as established a part of the overall snow sports experience as hurtling down an icy black run or twisting red, but within the last 10 years the emergence of genuine nightclubs and dance music festivals has brought quality clubbing to higher altitudes. Towns like Verbier in Switzerland with its Farm Club or Casbah, Mayrhofen in Austria, Meribel and Val d'Isere in France and Whistler in Canada have become as synonymous with partying as they are with world-class skiing conditions and snowboarding terrain. 

Swings Records re-launches itself this year with Jean Claude Ades & Daniel Falkenberg Pres Yoav’s ‘We Are All Dancing’. Jean Claude Ades or JCA, as his loyal supporters call him, is an established house producer originally from Italy, now based in Munich and Ibiza. His work has achieved the rare feet of crossing over into pop culture while also maintaining his underground house credibility after scoring major success with ‘I Begin To Wonder’, featuring Dannii Minogue. He has also remixed many artists from pop royalty The Pussycat Dolls to Deadmau5. To date he has sold over one million records and has released on majors like Sony, Warner, BMG and Virgin as well as cool independents such as Nervous and Great Stuff.

Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano are the dynamic DJ duo who have been nurtured by the Dirty Dutch family since the beginning, and for the third year running they present their own concept at the Heineken Music Hall – Amazone Project. In February 2010, Sunnery and Ryan launched their ‘Amazone Project’ event in the Heineken Music Hall Amsterdam. 5,500 fans came to join them and witnessed an exclusive five-hour-set. The ‘Amazone Project’ compilation landed on the #2 spot in the Dutch charts. ‘Varied, surprising and innovative’ is how the pair describe their own unique musical concept.

Having recently wowed fans and critics alike, with top feedback on their recent sell-out dates where Feeder gave fans the chance to preview tracks from their forthcoming album ‘Generation Freakshow’, the band have announced another four shows. Fans in different locations now have the chance to enjoy the same thing - new music (plus a few massive anthems from the back catalogue), in venues far more intimate than those usually associated with the band. 

MOTOR are about to release another album, which opens a new chapter in the history of the band. After completing three massively successful and critically acclaimed techno albums, Bryan Black and Oly Grasset, who together form the duo MOTOR, have shifted gears and recorded a song-based vocal album by the name of ‘Man Made Machine’. The album was conceived during their world tour with Depeche Mode in 2009 when Dave Gahan fell ill and the band found themselves in a hotel in Berlin with time on their hands. It features the vocalists Martin L. Gore (Depeche Mode), Gary Numan, Billie Ray Martin (S'Express, Electribe 101) and Motown's rising new star Reni Lane. 

The musical freight train that is My Favorite Robot Records rolls on, picking up Anglo/French producer Tim Paris for some stripped electronic house music, backed with a remix from Hiem. Tim Paris has been around in dance music circles for some time now, cutting his DJ teeth on the Parisian club scene alongside the likes of Chloe, Ivan Smagghe and Alex Kid before helping set up the acclaimed Crack & Speed label with Jef K and later his own Marketing imprint after relocating to London. As well as recording for his own labels he has released on Ralph Lawson’s 20:20 Vision and Tiefschwarz’s Souvenir and remixed for the likes of Ewan Pearson, Phonique, Lindstrom. 

Arthur Oskan’s debut album ‘A Little More Than Everything’ has been nominated for a Juno Award in the Best Electronic Album category. Released on Thoughtless Music, The Juno Awards are essentially Canada's answer to the Grammys: the highest official industry recognition a Canadian artist could receive. The Best Electronic Album category was created just last year, when it was won by Caribou for ‘Swim’. Arthur Oskan is nominated for this year's award along with Austra, Azari & III, Junior Boys and Tim Hecker.

Cr2 Records announced their 2012 Miami WMC compilation release – ‘Miami 2012 – Mixed by MYNC And Nicky Romero’. Launched in 2007, Cr2 Live & Direct compilations have regularly showcased cutting edge house music from some of the world’s leading DJ/producers including Dirty South, Micky Slim, Oscar G, Harry 'Choo Choo' Romero & Jose Nunez, Arno Cost & Norman Doray, Danny Rampling and MYNC. This year Cr2 bring together two names to come ‘Back 2 Back’ to mix up a selection of some of the current big-room club sounds rocking clubs around the world as well as showcasing over 15 brand new, unreleased tracks. 

Tune of the Day - 16 February. In the space of 12 months, Maya Jane Coles has blossomed from an underground favourite of house music aficionados into one of the most widely lauded DJs and producers in the world. Counting DJ Mag’s Producer of the Year and Time Out London’s Number One DJ for 2012 among her many accolades, the 24-year-old East Londoner’s stature is set to spiral yet further with her wholly diverse instalment of !K7’s illustrious ‘DJ-Kicks’ series, the first commercially available mix she has released.

Mighty Mouse announced the release of ‘Disco Circus (Volume 3)’, the third installment of the DJ mix compilation series through Bears Eat Fish Records, and is also giving away an unreleased track, ‘Smiling Faces’, which is taken from the compilation. In only a short time this disco loving psychedelic Mouse from space has notched up and impressive CV, remixing the likes of Gorrilaz, Robbie Williams, Ali Love, Bent, Fenech-Solar, Shy Child, Robortom feat. Au Revoir Simone, Shades Of Rhythm and Roy Davis Jnr.

Headmanʼs Relish Recordings blasts into 2012 with ʻAirstrikeʼ from Daniel Avery (Stopmakingme) backed with remixes from Tom Furse (The Horrors) and Remain.

 Having had a superb start to his DJ/production career as Stopmakingme, winning attention from his eclectic heroes like Ewan Pearson, Erol Alkan, Optimo and Andrew Weatherall, Daniel Avery now reverts to his birth name to deliver thee outstanding slices of modern, original electro for the label. 

ʻAirstrikeʼ is the first of three original tracks from Avery on his ʻAirstrikeʼ EP. Nagging, undulating synth bass, brutally chopped samples and the occasional bit of rhythmic hesitance is all Avery needs to create a compelling track which oozes a mixture of controlled energy and warmth.


James Morrison releases his new single ‘One Life’ on March 26. The track is the third to be taken from his platinum selling album ‘The Awakening’. James has been nominated for Best British Male at the 2012 BRIT awards, an accolade he has been nominated for twice before, and won in 2007. ‘The Awakening’ was number one for two weeks when it was released last year. It also contains the singles ‘I Won’t Let You Go’ and the stunning duet with Jessie J ‘Up’ – which have sold over 300k copies.

Rebecca Ferguson begins her first ever tour on Monday, at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall. The tour reaches London on March 13, where Rebecca plays a prestigious date at the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane. The full dates are below, many of them are sold out. Review tickets are available. Rebecca's new single 'Too Good To Lose' is released on March 4th. 

Morecambe four-piece The Heartbreaks will release new single ‘Delay, Delay’ on April 30^th followed by their eagerly awaited debut album ‘Funtimes’ on May 7^th, both released on Nusic Sounds. The band are also giving fans a free download of album track ‘Winter Gardens’ exclusively through their Facebook page and website to download now. Since the release of their last single ‘Jealous, Don’t You Know’, The Heartbreaks have packed a great deal into a short space of time. Newly signed to emerging independent label Nusic Sounds, along with recording their debut album in London and playing at summer festivals, The Heartbreaks supported both Morrissey and Hurts across Europe playing to arena and theatre filled crowds of more than 200,000 people in total and picking up many new fans along the way.

Axtone Records founder and Grammy-nominated Swedish House Mafia member Axwell has announced his plans for Miami Music Week 2012. In a week of special events Axwell brings together some of the world’s finest talent for two parties that bookend the week-long celebration of dance music. Kicking off on the evening of Wednesday, March 21 at Amnesia, Axtone presents a line-up consisting of Axwell, Jacques Lu Cont, Thomas Gold and NO_ID. Then, the label is back with a pool party at the Surfcomber on Sunday, March 25 featuring Axwell, Arty, Calvin Harris, Funkagenda, NO_ID and Thomas Gold. 

The buzz around John Digweed and Nick Muir’s ‘30 Northeast’ was intense last summer when it was released on Bedrock. In its original form it was a spine-tingling, fizzing, spiralling, big-room monster that seemed to cause a commotion in clubs around the world. Now, John has brought in rising star of French techno, Julian Jeweil, to remix the track.

With her debut album hitting the #1 spot in the UK in its release week (whilst outselling the rest of the top 5) Lana Del Rey is off to a flying start this year. ‘Born To Die’, the opening song to the album, has already made its mark all over the internet with its stunning video, directed by Yoann Lemoine, which features tigers, fire and blood.  The single is about to take a darker turn with the latest remix by I Am A Camera. 

For Toronto-based bass music sensation Zeds Dead, the “dead” of winter marks the best time to launch their biggest tour to date… and this time their bringing friends along for the ride. Beginning on February 19 in Vancouver and running through to the end of April, the Living Dead Tour see’s Zeds Dead, Omar Linx, Araabmuzik + other guests travel across North America by bus. With over 70+ shows already confirmed – including spots at the Ultra Music Festival, SXSW and Coachella – there’s a good chance The Living Dead Tour is coming to a town near you.  

Ahead of his debut LP, ʻAdventures Of Tazzʼ, the Toronto-based producer drops a four-track sampler of outstanding house music for Londonʼs Tsuba imprint.

 After debuting on Tsuba in 2011 with the superb ʻUndergroundʼand ʻWelcome To Dubʼ EPs and having spent the previous year releasing two singles for Jus Edʼs Underground Quality, Tazz is already hotly tipped for his fresh outlook on house.

 The ʻAdventures Of Tazzʼ LP sampler comprises four cuts from the forthcoming album that see the producer deliver synth heavy, emotive and raw vibes in a distinctly Detroit influenced style.



London quintet Billy Vincent recently showcased their new video for ‘Bottle Top’ online. Taken from their forthcoming debut album ‘She’ on Something Nothing Records, ‘Bottle Top’ sees the band slow down their brand of skuzzy Americana folk for a tender and heartfelt indie rock number. Last Friday the band headed out on tour in support of Danny And The Champions Of The World on their ‘Pub Rock’ tour. Taking in eight dates across the country, the band will be showcasing tracks from the forthcoming album, which will be released on 30^th April. 

UK based producer [Aura] drops his latest release the ʻSplitting Atomsʼ EP on Argentinian imprint Rationalism.

 Already finding favour with Chicago Damn, Ethyl, Cottam, Ryan Ellitott and Nicholas, ʻSplitting Atomsʼ comes in the form of one original and remixes from both Justin Drake and Detroit Techno legend Terrence Dixon aka Population One (Metroplex, Tresor).



Absolutely gutted about the weekend’s sad news about the death of Whitney Houston - another legendary soul singer taken from us far too early. Whitney’s voice was one of the best we’ve ever heard and her recent demise and troubles over the years was heartbreaking to watch. But, her legacy lives on, as it does with all great singers and actors who are now sadly gone. Although we only have a very small cog in the massive wheel of music entertainment, we can’t think of a better tribute than to keep her music as tune of the day. RIP Whitney Houston, we’re blasting out your collection just now and you affected us, our friends and colleagues in so many different ways – all of them good. We will always love you…

ID&T’s festival Tomorrowland have linked up with renowned social networking giant and artistic competition platform Talenthouse for the contest of a lifetime! This great opportunity, which invites photographers from across the world to deliver up to three photographic representations of the event, will see one deserving artist crowned “official photographer” for the 180,000 person, three-day Belgian festival. Not only will their credited photos be published on all Tomorrowland social media channels, they will also appear across a whole range of top-end media publications worldwide, as part of the post-festival press pack. Flights, four nights hotel accommodation and AAA passes have been thrown in for good measure! 

Caveat has officially made his debut in the EDM scene and while some may refer to him as a prodigy, the humble DJ/producer from San Diego is a self-proclaimed "16 year old with too much time on his hands." Now, he’s offering everyone the chance to download one of his tracks for free, all you have to do is like his Facebook page and you get access to the track. It’s good though, and if you want to hear it first, check the YouTube link at the bottom.