January 2012

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will release a new single ‘Dream On’ on March 12^th.  The special B-side of the single will be ‘Shoot A Hole Into The Sun’ – the first track to be released from the work Noel has recorded with the Amorphous Androgynous. The critically acclaimed eponymous debut album was released last Autumn and has already sold over 550,000 copies to date, earning the singer songwriter a BRIT award nomination for Best British Male this year.  Noel has also been announced as the winner of NME’s prestigious Godlike Genius Award for 2012.

One of the biggest, most respected and revered names in drum & bass is without doubt Shogun Audio’s head honcho, Friction. 2012 is looking to be a pinnacle year for the DJ/producer as he readies not only his debut artist album but also gets set to take over the most prestigious job in the business; BBC Radio 1’s flagship Drum & Bass Show. His first single of the year is as you’d expect nothing short of mammoth; primed and ready to rock, this is polished D&B of the highest calibre. 

Possibly the World’s Greatest Show on Snow welcomes the Mercury prize winning Dizzee Rascal to its Mayrhofen slopes this year. Dizzee will headline the The party in the Eristoff Forest on Friday night and is no stranger to the mountains, having blown the festival away at Snowbombing ‘09 when he played ‘Bonkers!’ for the first time live and proceeded to shake the snow off the trees! Dizzee said: “I can't wait to get back to Snowbombing, the last time was wicked but this time it will be even better headlining the Forest stage. I've got a few new ones to try out on ya and this time I'm actually going to learn to snowboard!”

Now in its eight year, one of the biggest success stories of 2011, ID&T’s Tomorrowland festival, returns to the stunning De Schorre National Park in Belgium on the 27^th July 2012. Back once more for another three-day bonanza, the event has just announced the return of Swedish DJ/producer Avicii, who headlined the main stage on the Saturday in 2011.

EXIT announced New Order as one of the first headliners for the Main Stage. Formed after the demise of Joy Division, New Order is one of the most critically acclaimed bands of our time and have influenced the music scene for years. Combining rock and pop with electronic and dance music, and the energy of underground clubs, New Order has consistently pushed the boundaries creating a unique sound to lift and inspire. With a string of hits under their belt including ‘Blue Monday’, the best selling 12” vinyl single of all time, New Order’s music never fails to get the party started and their performance on Friday 13^thJuly is sure to a night to remember, being their first time to play at the fortress.



The Cosmic Cowboys’ Back & Forth label welcomes two of the hottest new artists around in the shape of Echonomist & Andrade for an EP of house music backed with remixes from Pol_On and Quell. Following on from a series of superb split artist EPs in 2011, Back & Forth kick off the new year with a release from two new artists who have already been building quite a following with their recordings for the likes of Dessous, Upon You and Poker Flat. 

Iboga Records kicks off 2012, with ‘Everlasting’ a brand new compilation selected by leading light on the international dub and bass scene Gaudi featuring a selection of largely new and unreleased tracks from a selection of artists who have defined their genre. Featuring an impressive tracklisting that includes The Orb, System 7, Trentemoller, Lamb, Eat Static, Shpongle, Mad Professor, Tipper alongside productions from Gaudi himself, this is two-hours of sonic perfection. 

Together, Oscar Gaetan and long-time friend and production partner Ralph Falcon form MURK, one of the most celebrated and accomplished production outfits ever to grace house music. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with seminal artists such as Danny Tenaglia, Junior Vasquez and Blaze to name but a few, MURK soon established a unique sound and have, over the last 20 years, cemented their legacy as producers of the very highest order.

Dirtybird has always been synonymous with sweaty basslines, quirky ideas and bass driven funk. It's only fitting that a label based on a philosophy of bringing smiles to the dance-floor was created by a party, which this year celebrates 10 years of culinary outdoor antics. To mark this anniversary the label bastions and DJ frontline will be performing a nine-date tour throughout the spring, spanning the birthplace of the Dirtybird empire San Francisco, through to New York, Detroit, Miami, LA, Paris, Brighton and London. The London show takes place over the Easter weekend and will be something of a milestone, hosting the biggest Dirtybird line-up ever to be assembled. A completely unique opportunity to have the whole family all in one place, topped off with their signature BBQ. 

Sishi Röschʼs Digital Delight imprint reaches its 10^th release on January 31st with a 13 track compilation featuring the likes of Death on the Balcony, Miguel Puente and Wildkats.
 Rösch has seen recent releases and collaborations for No.19, Lower East and One Records establish his reputation amongst the upper echelons of the house new school and his Barcelona-based label, co-run with Diego Moreno and Miguel Puente, has further cemented it.

 The labelʼs strength has been to release tracks that display a myriad of influences and the ʻXʼ compilation celebrates the joyous filtering of everything electro, funk, soul, hip-hop and disco to create something fresh and new.

Andrew W.K. has announced a tour celebrating his debut’s 10th anniversary. When his ‘I Get Wet’ album first exploded onto an unsuspecting public one decade ago, it quickly polarized audiences with an intense sound and even more intense front man. Ten years later, Andrew has decided to do put on a special show in honour of his origins. The band will perform every song from his groundbreaking release, in album order, every night of the tour, including appearances at the Austin, Texas, South By Southwest Festival in March.

David's Lyre have announced the release of their debut album 'Picture Of Our Youth' on a pay-what you-want basis exclusively from Bandcamp. The album will be available from February 20th and will be the only offering from singer/writer/producer Paul Dixon's latest project. Working with the critically acclaimed 'In Arms' EP producer, Luke Smith (Foals, Slow Club), as well as calling upon the up and coming Tom Fuller (Patrick Wolf), Dixon co-produced throughout. Mixed by Gareth Jones (Grizzly Bear, These New Puritans), 'Picture Of Our Youth' was recorded over a 12-month period in London.

‘Kudi’ (‘Girl’) is the first release from Tigerstyle's forthcoming new album titled ‘Digi-Bhang’. Tigerstyle's new material showcases the unique direction they are taking, by making use of electronic and synthetic sounds but always fusing with Bhangra, international elements and plenty of bass. The track features the vocals of highly acclaimed female Punjabi singer Rani Randeep and comes with a bunch of intense genre jumping remixes, pure ammunition for all dancefloors. 

New York City dance music institutions Nervous Records and Cielo unite once again with the March 6 release of ‘Cielo Sunrise’ – mixed by Nicolas Matar. This compilation arrives as Cielo celebrates nine great years in NYC's Meatpacking District. Over the years, the club has defined itself as a global dance music brand with a successful compilation series, dedication to quality music programming and superior Funktion One sound in an intimate club setting. In 2011, Cielo also became home to Nervous Records own branded music events, which take place on the first Tuesday of each month.         

The modern German musical landscape has seen many groundbreaking artists spanning a variety of genres breakthrough to international markets. Initiative Musik is the funding agency set up by the German federal government to help promote the German music industry and will be sponsoring five German artists at SXSW 2012—Apparat Band, Bonaparte, Dillon, Fenster and Touchy Mob. Held in Austin, Texas, the artists and 41 exhibitors from Germany will be available to meet the international music community at the Wunderbar-Lunch SXSW networking event on Thursday, March 15 at the The Parkside Restaurant. Initiative Musik is also set to host a boat party on Friday, March 16 featuring acoustic sets by several of the artists.

Following on from the success of ‘Inside Out’ in 2011, Shake Aletti have been busying themselves over the winter months creating their much anticipated debut album for release later in 2012. To show everyone what the guys are up too, here’s their new single ‘Lights & Sparks’ that they’re giving away completely free from their Facebook page. 

Berlin’s Out-Er label marks its forth colour coded release with a package from London based Italian producer Luciano Esse. Out-Er are a relatively new outfit, this being just their fourth release, however they are already shaping up to be an essential imprint, as they proved with their recent single from Analogue Cops. Support from the likes of Steffi, Ed Davenport, Felix Martin (Hot chip) etc has leant the label an instant credibility and this latest release from much lauded techno producer Luciano Sambati AKA Luciano Esse is set to further cement their reputation.

UK music festival RockNess has unveiled many of the acts set to grace its stages at the event in June, including Biffy Clyro, Deadmau5, Ed Sheeran, Justice, Metronomy and Noah and the Whale. Situated in the Highlands of Scotland and named as the Best Small Festival at the NME Awards 2011, the festival takes place from June 10th-12 at its traditional home of Dores near Inverness, with tickets going on sale from today.

Germany’s Oliver Lieb and USA’s Jimmy Van M have come together as The Audible Suspects to launch ‘Collaborations’, a new creative platform for Bedrock in 2012. This project is the culmination of a journey over many years, through Jimmy’s pursuit of Oliver’s music, resulting in their friendship and now this collaboration. Many years ago Jimmy was among the first people to bring Oliver to the USA to play and was the first to arrange a tour for him to perform live and now the time is right for The Audible Suspects to be born.

‘Falling Star’ is the first release from Kris Menace´s forthcoming Album ‘Electric Horizon’. The fêted producer’s debut single for 2012, sees the German house meister back in regal form. ‘Falling Star’, crash lands this spring on Menace’s own label Compuphonic and is a precursor for what could be one of the most hotly tipped future house albums this year.  Kris explains: “Listening to this track is like being pulled through the stars by your heart with your eyes closed. I wanted to create a space odyssey, opening your mind and taking you far away into another world.” Menace has also roped in legendary London based visual DJ dons, Hexstatic, to put together a live visual video for a truly out of the world experience.

With the immersion of YouTube, musicians have found new forms of marketing. The ability to post live videos of songs and interviews on the web has revolutionized the music industry. Not only are bands using this resource to find new members, but fans are able to find new music. There are literally millions of talented music acts uploading content for fans daily and among them lies, The Rising Son.

Yan Stricker returns on his !Organism label with a brand new EP featuring two new cuts of pulsing minimal techno and an epic remix from the excellent Heron. Yan’s !Organism imprint has gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2008, releasing records from some of Switzerland’s hottest producers as well as key international talent. At the heart of the label’s success has been Stricker himself, a DJ/producer/promoter who has distilled his years in the music scene into a string of outstanding singles for !Organism. His previous releases have seen the label’s profile skyrocket and have garnered support from the likes of Adam Beyer, The Advent, Christian Smith and Joel Mull etc.

Following on from their recent win as the ‘Best Medium Sized Festival’ at the Festival Awards Europe, OFF Festival is excited to announce their first confirmed acts for 2012 including the godfather of punk and his band, Iggy And The Stooges, cult bands Suicide and Death in Vegas and Danish punk rockers Iceage.
 Taking place in the beautiful green oasis of the 'Three Lake Valley' in Katowice from 3rd to 5th August, OFF is a boutique music festival with an ethos of supporting art and music.



Garbage recently announced the launch of their record label, STUNVOLUME. The band will self-release their highly anticipated upcoming studio album later this spring. STUNVOLUME will be licensed by Cooperative Music in the UK and the rest of Europe, Asia and Latin America, Liberator Music/The Mushroom Group in Australia and New Zealand, Sony in Japan and Universal Canada in Canada. The album will be distributed by Fontana in the United States. 

Following the success of Lifelike’s free remix album, ‘Remix Machine’ and protégé, Roman D’Amour’s debut single, ‘Make Love Tonight’ released on his own Computer Science imprint early this year, Lifelike is now giving away a special ‘Lifelike DJ Set 2012’ Mixtape for free. Featuring up front, rave-tastic tracks mixed together in the imitable Lifelike way, Januarys never seemed so dull. For the full tracklisting and download link, read more!

Last year Solarstone's third longplayer put the proverbial torch to perceptions of what an EDM album should be. Through tracks like 'Intravenous', 'The Best Way', 'Electric Love', 'Twisted Wing' and its title track, Richard Mowatt displayed an ever-expanded artistic range. Erasing established genre lines it travelled across previously unmapped musical terrain. Now, a year on, it’s time to revisit that music. 

On the 12^th March, Young Astronaut will release their entre debut album, ‘Fawn’, as a free download. The band originated in the suburbs of the New Forest as brothers Chris and Pete Boakes in 2007 and whilst at different universities, they’d return home for the holidays and spend their time experimenting with their harmonious and considered blend of music that is the foundation of the band’s delicate tonality. In early 2011, the melodic explorations of the acoustic ideas and lyrics were refined and evolved until ten tracks were formed, creating the basis for ‘Fawn’. 

Murs and Guerilla Union announced additional performers confirmed to appear at the seventh installment of the PAID DUES INDEPENDENT HIP HOP FESTIVAL today. Line-up additions included Living Legends, Hieroglyphics, Kendrick Lamar, DJ Quik, Psycho Realm and Dilated Peoples. Also set to join previously announced headliners Wu-Tang Clan and Odd Future is Dipset (Cam’ron + Jim Jones + Juelz Santana + Freeky Zekey), who will be performing together at Paid Dues for their first ever West Coast performance. Look for additional performers to be announced soon.

Delicate Steve continues to tour behind breakthrough 2011 album ‘Wondervisions’ (Luaka Bop) as he finishes up work on his sophomore album, due out later this year. The New Jersey-based band just announced a number of shows around SXSW and will be joined by Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang as direct support on most dates. Before then, he will play a couple of shows with Cults, including one tonight at New York’s Webster Hall.

Matt Tolfreyʼs Leftroom continues its run of form with ʻFreeze Trackʼ from Sam Russo, a four track EP featuring a rare remix from Jay Hazeʼs Fuckpony project. While Leftroom ended 2011 with the Beatport No.1 Maceo Plex remix of Laura Jones, rounding off an impressive run of releases that caught the ear of just about every DJ ʻnameʼ there is, Sam Russo has been no slouch either. Cementing his reputation as an accomplished and open-minded DJ, Russo warmed up at Londonʼs Fabric more than any other non-resident in 2011 as well as playing his brand of house across Europe. 

Preparing to see in 2012 with a biggie, Wheel And Deal starts the year with dubstep scene stalwart N-Type pulling the strings. Always with a bag brimming with fresh dubplates on his Rinse FM show it seems he has his pick of some of the most exciting and most forward-thinking dubstep and bass music in the game. With this in mind we welcome relative new-comer to the scene, Surge. 

‘Between The Lines’ – title and content have seldom harmonized better than on Nick Curly's debut album. With a lot of soul, empathy and musical subtlety, the Mannheim native is making his way from the dancefloors of this world into the ranks of timeless house producers à la Moodyman, Move D or Larry Heard. ‘Between The Lines’ is an album that wants to be heard and not just praised.

British DJ and producer Paul Oakenfold has announced a brand new tour and album concept. Each quarter of the year will bring a new seasonal compilation from ‘The Four Seasons’ series. Starting with ‘Winter’, which will be released on February 17^th. Accompanied with a live show that will travel the length and breadth of the world (excluding N. & S. America) the three time Grammy nominated electronic music pioneer is ready and poised to kick off 2012 with a cutting edge tour, visual and album concept.

 

With legendary Skunk Anansie singer Skin taking control of the vocal line, and the undisputable touch of label boss Erick Morillo and regular partner in crime Eddie Thoneick on production duty, Subliminal’s springtime big hitter ‘If This Ain’t Love’ receives its official release – rather appropriately – on Valentine’s Day. A heady combination of dance floor dynamite and raunchy, sex infused rock, the track continues the winning pairing of Morillo and Thoneick, whose previous collaborations ‘Live Your Life’ and ‘Stronger’ dominated global airwaves and taste-maker charts across 2010 and 2011.

With Above & Beyond's Saturday 7^th April show at O₂ Academy Brixton selling out in record time, the Anjunabeats trio have responded to huge demand from fans by adding a second Brixton date on Sunday 8th April to create a ‘Group Therapy Easter Weekender.’ Following last month’s additions of Arty and Jaytech to the line up for the first Brixton show, Sander van Doorn and Mat Zo, two of the most pioneering forces in electronic music right now, will be joining Jono, Paavo and Tony in Brixton on Sunday 8^th April.  

Like the deferred medical student from Alford, Aberdeen, Emeli’s debut album, ‘Our Version Of Events’, is warm, wise, frank, funny, thoughtful and as inimitable as her vertical shock of blond hair and the Frida Kahlo tattoo that takes up most of her right arm. Released on 13^th February, it reflects the fears, thoughts, heartbreak and hopes of a young women, the record effortlessly appeals to anyone with a love of imagery, imagination and, ultimately, great songs. 

With an insatiable appetite for serving up huge melodic anthems and an undeniable talent for delivering world class DJ sets that combine impeccable music selection with exceptional mixing skills, John Dahlbäck is one of the most revered names in dance music. His ‘Toolroom Knights’ is testament to this young Swede’s talent, weaving his way through various styles with a number of his own exclusive productions, 38 carefully selected tracks alongside two superb mixes. 

‘Natives’ is the debut album from Bright Moments (formerly Team B), out February 21 on Luaka Bop. Recorded in a New York City apartment, stitched together at night during the winter of 2010, Bright Moments offer nine songs soaked in exquisite detail.

Ribbon Music recently announced the long-awaited second album from Baltimore’s Lower Dens, ‘Nootropics’ (pronounced No-eh-tro-pics) will be released on May 1st, 2012 (North America) and April 30th, 2012 (rest of world). Lower Dens released their beguiling debut album ‘Twin-Hand Movement’ in July 2010 and where that album was about community, using the band's native Baltimore scene as a springboard and inspiration, ‘Nootropics’ is the next step.

Bristol-based A Sagittariun's follows up its debut release 'The Circle Stops Somewhere' with a five-track EP entitled 'Carina' this coming February on Elastic Dreams.
 'The Circle Stops Somewhere' received an incredible amount of DJ Support, with venerable jocks like Lawrence, Craig Richards, Peter Van Hoesen and Gilb'R all chiming in with plaudits well beyond the usual 'support' nonsense.

 

‘I've Been Lost’ is You Can't Win, Charlie Brown's second single from the album ‘Chromatic’. The song shows the pop side from this Portuguese band, who have been able to capture the attention of audiences and media outside of their own country. The Lisbon based sextet that French magazine Les Inrockuptibles described as "sublime”, for lack of better adjectives. 

Matthew Dear’s ‘Headcage EP’, available now, stands as a testament to the New Yorker’s work as a relentless songwriter, producer and in a new light, collaborator. Working with other producers and vocalists as well as mixing/tracking at Nicolas Vernhes' famed Rare Book Room studio has lent ‘Headcage’ an openness and poise to the four songs presented here. Our last look at Matthew Dear's creative cycle was the fathoms-deep starkness of his 2010 album, ‘Black City’. A triumph of slowly imploding romanticism, ‘Black City’ was ultimately just another step in Dear's creative evolution from his breakthrough ‘Asa Breed’ (2007) and his Detroit-meets-Berlin minimal techno of ‘Leave Luck to Heaven’ (2003). The vision found in this EP is a likely harbinger for Dear's full-length, ‘Beams’, which is due out this year. 

Australian singer Emma Hewitt has announced the release of her debut album, ‘Burn The Sky Down’. After working together with the likes of Dash Berlin, Cosmic Gate and Gareth Emery, the award-winning singer/songwriter will reveal her solo album in April 2012. ‘Colours’, the first single of the album, has just been released and covers both ambient, pop and electronic music. The ‘Colours’ EP includes remixes by Armin van Buuren and Jerome Isma-Ae and comes with an official music video by acclaimed director Elliot Sellers. 

The award-wining German house and techno duo D-Nox & Beckers are back with the second installment of ‘Distance Remixed’. 2011 was a stellar year for the duo which saw the release of their critically acclaimed second artist album ‘Distance’ on Christian Smith’s Tronic imprint. To follow this up, Tronic have assembled an impressive cast of talent to provide a two-part remix package bridging the label's release schedule as 2011 ends and 2012 begins. 

Last seen some six or seven years back, Dublin’s HAL have made good their return. Armed with the new four-track ‘Down In The Valley’ EP  - a pocket sized taster of what’s to come with their long awaited second album ‘The Time The Hour’ in April – the trio make their intention clear, to continue where they left off.

Picture Book is brothers Dario Darnell and Lorne Ashley, born in New York City and raised in Manchester, UK. Dario and Lorne have inherited a love of song writing and performing from their father August Darnell, lead singer and band leader of the legendary Kid Creole & The Coconuts. Dario and Lorne have spent the last three years based in Liverpool, where they attended University whilst writing, recording and performing, often contributing their skills to other artists work, whilst creating a musical agenda for their artist project, Picture Book. 

Following a brace of releases in ‘Look Right Through’ and 2011’s follow-up ‘It Goes On’, Morgan Geist is back as Storm Queen as Defected get set to release a selection of artists to present their own interpretations of the debut Storm Queen release. Dropping 1^st February, Part 1 includes remixes from Jamie Jones, Dimitri from Paris and Aeroplane. Jamie Jones had a phenomenal 2011, and has started the New Year in similarly explosive fashion, with his bass-heavy remix already receiving a world exclusive spin on Pete Tong’s Essential Selection. An uplifting, piano-led reimagining from Dimitri from Paris and a driving, neo-house mix from Aeroplane complete the package. 

Ryan Adams has announced details of a new UK tour for April. Having released his critically-acclaimed album ‘Ashes & Fire’ on PAX-AM/Columbia in October 2011, he will play seven shows across the country in April. Last week he was also nominated for a Brit Award in the Best International Male Category.

After an eight-year hiatus the self-styled premier post-modern dance act Apollo 440 have resurfaced with a new full-length player. Receiving its full European release January 30^th on their own Stealth Sonic Recording label, the band’s fifth artist album titled ‘The Future’s What It Used To Be’ is an interstellar dub-ladled package that fires out with the irreverent arrogance that signals a band brimming with musical confidence. In what is the band’s first album since 2003, founding members Noko, Howard Gray and Trevor Gray joined forces with long-time collaborator Ewan MacFarlane.  

As legendary DJ Brandon Block releases his official biography, read on to get an understanding of why this could be a ‘must read’ for anybody into dance music, house music and the history of clubland from the past 25 years. He was the joker in the pack, the Ibiza ‘nutter’, the party animal who single-handedly created the Caner Of The Year category, was literally lying on his death bed. And despite the chronic situation that he found himself in, with drips attached to his ravaged body as he battled jaundice and tuberculosis, he was still trying his hardest to shovel as much cocaine as possible up that famous hooter of his!  

‘U Turn’ is the new single from one of the first ladies of Gospel house, Dawn Tallman, who lends her stellar vocal talents to his powerful new release. The song is written by DDE’s newly formed songwriting team, Dewey Andrew Cioffi and BJ Nelson, aka DewBJoyful Productions. ‘U Turn’, inspired by a sermon, is a song about turning your life around and opting for a more positive path, as Dawn delivers the powerful message oozing with soul and conviction. A selection of mixes create a widespread appeal for dancefloors including a sublime deep vibe from Davidson Ospina, a soulful extravaganza from Josh Milan and a classy key workout from Menakeys!

Hypercolour starts 2012 with a release featuring two of the most hotly tipped artists around with Huxleyʼs ʻLet it Goʼ featuring Eats Everything on the remix.
 Hypercolour and its sister labels Hype Ltd and Glass Table have become must check imprints in recent times due to ever-changing and output that takes in house, techno, bass, disco and electronica. The label groupʼs varied A&R policy, courtesy of label bosses Jamie Russell (Cedric Maison), Alex Jones and Ste Roberts, continually hits the mark when it comes to DJs and punters, and each release always has a story behind it.

2011 was a massive year for Harvey McKay, as he released and remixed on labels like Drumcode, Saved, Octopus, 8-Sided Dice and of course his home-town label Soma Records. It was also a year where he defined his dark, heavy and rolling sound. On his first release of 2012, he continues on the road of toughness through the 'Want You' EP.

Following on from having the biggest week one sales by a debut female artist in 2011, Rebecca Ferguson releases her new single ‘Too Good To Lose’ on February 26. Rebecca’s album ‘Heaven’ was released in December to mass critical acclaim. Selling an outstanding 128,000 copies in just one week, the album went straight into the charts at No 3 in one of the most competitive weeks of the year.

Recore Records return with its third release, ‘Death Of A Musicbox EP’, compliments of Oli Furness - an artist who has been steadily releasing his ‘90s-infused house tracks on various UK labels over the past few years and developed a refined, mature style of production that draws on classic house and garage tropes. Furness utilizes drum machines, outboard synths, mixers and effects units to create a warm analogue sound that reflects his involvement in the long running Manchester house scene. And, he’s been heavily involved with the Acid House movement over the past decade and subsequently has become a member of the infamous Hacienda Nightclub booking agency.

As one of the first Dutch DJs, Armin van Buuren has reached more than 10,000 subscribers on digital music service Spotify. Subscribers can not only listen to his artist albums and compilations, but also enjoy his weekly A State of Trance Podcast. His playlist ‘A State of Trance radio tunes’ is the most listened-to playlist of his, with more than 10,000 subscribers.

The best European festivals, artists and promoters of 2011 were revealed last night at a sold out ceremony, featuring performances from James Vincent McMorrow, Selah Sue and Dog is Dead. Taking place at Groningen's De Oosterport in The Netherlands, the third edition of the awards was bigger and better than ever with over 350,000 votes and 200 festivals taking part from 32 different countries. A record breaking edition! 

The European Border Breakers Awards honour the best new music acts in Europe. The award ceremony took place last night at the Eurosonic Noorderslag music festival in Groningen (NL). Belgian act Selah Sue won the Public Choice Award. British act Anna Calvi performed at the ceremony and on collecting her award said: "I am really honoured to have won this award. My father is Italian, my mother grew up in Switzerland. I don't just feel English, I feel very European and it's been really important for me that the record has done well in Europe as a whole." 

A$AP Rocky is set to release ‘Peso’ as his debut single in the UK on A$AP Worldwide/Polo Grounds/Columbia Records on 19^th February. A huge buzz has already began to build around the 23-year old Harlem native, born Rakim Mayers. The release of his highly acclaimed mixtape ‘LiveLoveA$AP’ in 2011, which included ‘Peso,’ prompted a fierce bidding war amongst labels eager to sign him. 

Danish surf rock trio The Good The Bad release their new single ’023′ on February 13th, accompanied by a new film directed by Jeppe Kostrup, who infamously created the previous TGTB video hit ’030′. ’023′ sees TGTB delve into harder surf riffs than ever before, coupled with their customary short and sharp twists featuring lions and war cries as backing vocals. The ‘023’ video fully encapsulates the raw energy of the band live and in the full dynamics of their wild west, cinematic surf rock, while a couple of male peacocks go at it ‘True Blood’ style.

Kicking off 2012 with a bang, Loungin’ Recordings welcomes Chubby Dubz aka Oliver $ and Gene Siewing to the label! After a chart topping year in 2011 where Oliver $’s – ‘Doin' Ya Thang’ track on Jesse Rose's Play It Down label was No.1 charted track on Beatport 2011 plus was No.1 charted track of all time on Resident Advisor, the duo join Loungin for their Chubby Dubz album project. 

Legendary pioneer, DJ/producer and techno innovator from Detroit, Kevin Saunderson (part of Inner City), is back with an amazing compilation! ‘Kevin Saunderson In The House’ is his first club mix compilation since 1996, one that sees him combine classic personal productions, exclusive new releases, re-interpretations of old favorites’ and the hottest house around into two mixes perfectly representing the unmistakable sound of Kevin Saunderson in 2012, including his latest single with Inner City ‘Future’. 

Spanish producer Bolumar drops the ʻPressurizedʼ EP on Northern England based Luna Records. Previous releases on Kling Klong and Session Deluxe have seen Bolumar earn support from the likes of Slam, DJ T, Moodymanc, Martin Eyerer, Edu Imbernon and Coyu. ʻDown Lowʼ kicks off the EP with a stripped back swinging drum arrangement and low-end electric piano tones. Simplicity appears to be key here with low pitch vocals creeping in alongside a bouncy bass line for a steady near eight minutes.

Danny Howard has had one hell of an introduction to the music industry, cutting his craft on a borrowed pair of decks to catapulting himself into stardom and Radio 1’s radar by wowing millions of listeners to become Radio 1’s official Superstar DJ 2011. This phenomenal success saw him whipped off to Ibiza, conducting crowds of thousands at Ushuaia and Space, getting praise from some the scene’s heavyweights and quickly being snapped up by one of the industries most respected agencies.

Roman D’Amour’s disco-tastic single, ‘Make Love Tonight’, is the latest release from hotly tipped French producer Lifelike’s cult imprint label, Computer Science. The label was launched in 2010 featuring sought after Lifelike releases, ‘Love Emulator’, and ‘Silicon Love’. Having sold out a limited run of 7” through word of mouth alone, Lifelike put out Australian indie/future disco trio, Those Usual Suspects’, first EP and his last single, ‘Motion’ to great acclaim. The label is back with this brand new winter warmer, 'Make Love Tonight'.

General Fiasco kick off the year by announcing details of a brand new single, a headlining appearance at the HMV Next Big Thing Festival and their first ever show in Moscow. The band release ‘Don’t You Ever’ on 27^th February 2012, a track taken from their forthcoming second album due early this summer. Their last release (‘Waves EP’) saw the track ‘The Age You Start Losing Friends’ get named as Huw Stephen’s ‘Hottest Record In The World’ and the band played a sold out UK tour.  

The 17^th edition of the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), the international conference and festival for electronic music, will take place from the 17th to the 21st of October, 2012. After selling out for the last five years, the ADE is regarded as one of the highlights of the annual international dance and electronic music calendar. Thanks to the fact of being both a major festival of electronic music as well as a business platform for the international music industry, the event is widely considered to be an important indicator of the health of the electronic music scene.

Porcelain Raft is set to release his debut album ‘Strange Weekend’ on Secretly Canadian on Jan 24. ‘Strange Weekend’ is Porcelain Raft's debut record, yet in many ways it's his 156th. Somewhere in New York, Rome, or maybe London, there is a suitcase full of tapes, minidiscs and CDs — days and days worth of music, all of it the result of Mauro Remiddi's 27 years of travels across Europe — from his native Italy to London; of caravanning with the Berlin Youth Circus playing traditional gypsy Klezmer music; of reinterpreting traditional music in North Korea; and of a stint playing piano for an Off Broadway tap dance show.  At this point, Remiddi has lived three musicians' lifetimes. 

Wymond Miles (of The Fresh & Onlys) is set to release a solo EP on February 7, 2012 via Sacred Bones Records. Four years ago Wymond Miles, guitar player and songwriter in San Francisco’s The Fresh & Onlys, began writing solo material thematically based on the concepts of eschatology, anthroposophy, and Gnostic and Hermetic symbolism. Drawing from a vast musical pool of inspiration, including Scott Walker, Robert Wyatt, Arvo Part, and Nikki Sudden amongst others, ‘Earth Has Door’s is Miles’ first solo release. 

The Red Bull Music Academy has travelled around the world with previous stops including Berlin, Toronto, London, Madrid, Melbourne and Cape Town. The Academy’s 2012 edition will be held in New York City. One of the most iconic cities on the planet, NYC has been immortalized in countless songs and is the birthplace of many of the world’s most beloved musical movements. With its heady blend of D.I.Y. enclaves in the boroughs, disco throwdowns in art galleries and high stakes hip hop boardrooms, New York City still holds an intoxicating sense of possibility, drawing itinerant music makers from across the States and beyond.

Since the sold-out opening weekend in October, Joachim Garraud’s one-of-a-kind live Invasion show has been a staple of the newly opened Amnesia nightclub on Collins Avenue in South Beach, Miami. The pioneering Frenchman’s audio and visual design has stunned thousands inside the walls of the 26,000 square foot venue, and on January 28^th, he will be bringing a fresh new look to the performance, including giant Space Invader installations, dancers, and of course, new tunes. 

After bringing Rayko to their ever-growing Retrospective fold for ‘RETRO003’, then following up with the infamous ‘Street Machine’, the still unmasked Ruben & Ra now welcome Montenegro's revered house cat, Fil Lavin. Already generating comparisons to house patriarchs such as Chez Damier, Kerri Chandler and Ron Trent to the current day likes of Nicolas and Graham 'The Revenge' Clark, Fil pursues a distinctly Stateside sound reminiscent of the output of Nu Groove, Strictly Rhythm & Nervous from the golden age of US house. 

The last time Dirty South and Thomas Gold got together they produced one of 2011’s finest tracks – ‘Alive’ featuring Kate Elsworth. ‘Alive’ was named essential new tune by BBC Radio 1 on July 8, shot to the upper echelons on the Beatport charts and became one of the summer’s true festival anthems.

Ribbon Music have announced the new full-length album from Black Dice, ‘Mr. Impossible’, to be released (LP/ CD/digi) on April 10 in the U.S. and on April 9 worldwide. For over 15 years, the highly influential Black Dice have continuously reinvented and mutated punk music into new sonic stews.  The New York based trio of Eric Copeland, Bjorn Copeland, and Aaron Warren have released scores of albums, EPs and singles on iconic labels (Gravity, 31g,Troubleman, DFA, Paw Tracks), that document their musical travels, from raw brutal thrash to inside-out pop anthems from way out.  

Tipped for a major breakthrough as one of XFM’s 12 for 2012 and recently seen on stage as guests to Morrissey, The Courteneers, The Wombats, Hard-Fi and The Pigeon Detectives, All The Young have now confirmed details of their upcoming UK headline tour. This tour follows a run of 11 dates with the Kaiser Chiefs which commences at the end of the month and the release of an innovative web app live album that documents their recent sensational sold-out homecoming gig at Stoke’s 1000+ capacity King’s Hall.

With over 20 years of DJing and more than 20k records in his vinyl collection, one of the world’s most talented house heroes, DJ Sneak, steps into the Fabric arena lending his genius tune selection, deck wizardry and pure love of house music to the brand new ‘Fabric 62’ compilation. Sneak’s mix is ripe with a plethora of carefully selected contemporary house nuggets with echoes of Chicago and the jackin’ house sound he loves, drizzled with elements of techno and dusted with overtones of big band swing fun too, it’s all here and mixed to perfection! Sneak performed and recorded the mix live without the use of any computers - indeed a testament to how tight this monstrous house jock really is!

Arts & Crafts have announced the debut full-length release from Trust, with the album ‘TRST’ out February 28, 2012. Consisting of Robert Alfons and Maya Postepski (Austra), Trust were formed in 2009 and the Toronto-based duo released their first singles, ‘Candy Walls’ and ‘Bulbform’ in 2011 before signing with Arts & Crafts for the 2012 release of their forthcoming debut full length.  

On Tuesday January 10 Nervous Records starts off the New Year in style by bringing Murk’s Ralph Falcon to Cielo. Not only will Ralph be playing all the tracks from his extensive catalog but he’s also bringing along his friend, singer Jane Jei, for a special live performance and NYC debut of the current Murk/Intruder smash, ‘Amame’. 

Grammy Award-winning vocalist Sinead O’Connor guests on track with reggae producer Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor, titled ‘How About I Be Me’, available now on iTunes. The track – a melodic dance-club reggae anthem told from the female perspective – was produced by Jamaican beatmaker Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor, and will be included on McGregor’s upcoming various-artists compilation, ‘Club Dance Riddim’, scheduled for digital release later this year.

Armin van Buuren has revealed five extra events of his A State of Trance 550 celebration. Now, next to events in Belgrade, Moscow and Kiev, the 550th episode of the show will also be celebrated in Los Angeles and Miami. The grand finale will take place in Den Bosch on March 31st, 2012. Divided over four weeks and taking place on two different continents, ASOT 550 will be the biggest show the popular DJ has ever done. 

Singer-songwriter Lee Harris has joined forces with Flowd to launch a new remix competition. Lee will be offering his newly released track ‘FAST’ to a wide audience of DJs and producers to create your very own remix version. ‘FAST’ is a track with great listening appeal that transcends genres and the scope for this track in a remix is huge. Upping the ante by utilising Flowd to find DJs and producers in the Flowd community who will enter the contest, Lee is amplifying the competition which is sure to bring in an extremely high standard of entries.

Dutch duo W&W have signed to Armada Music’s management roster. The young duo, consisting of Willem van Hanegem jr. and Ward van der Harst, started collaborating in 2008 and have worked themselves up as one of the most promising electronic dance acts in the scene. Taking in number #36 in the DJ Mag Top 100 and hot off the release of their debut album ‘Impact’, these talents could be perfectly at home at Armada Music Management. 

After both releasing critically praised debut albums on Desolat in 2011, Guti and tINI have kicked off a nine-date tour of North and South America this month. tINI starts with Martin Buttrich in Columbia before linking up with Guti for a Desolat showcase at BPM in Playa del Carmen, from there the pair will head North to USA and Canada. 

Eric Estornell, whether as Maetrik or Maceo Plex, was one of the most lauded artists in house and techno in 2011 and now this superb live set as Maetrik for Cocoonʼs Ibiza season provides the perfect encapsulation of why.

 Transferring the thrill of a live event into a club night is a difficult task but once Sven Väth and the Cocoon crew heard Maetrikʼs live set at their closing party at Amnesia, they new that they had something special on their hands. So, releasing it as a CD became a must, especially when considering Estornellʼs previous outstanding contributions to the Cocoon catalogue, ʻSnorkelʼ and ʻCrush on Meʼ.



Murray Richardson delivers his third release on Baker Street Recordings with the 'Memory Loss EP'.  Two original tracks showcase the trademark Richardson deep, driving, tech sounds that have made him a global success and, in the words of the sadly gone iDJ, “a stalwart of the UK scene for over a decade”. Remixes come from label boss Paul Hardy and McKai and the vastly experienced Gareth Whitehead (Bulletdodge, Lost My Dog), who offers a little more main room energy.