Pulse Radio - Latest Features

Lighting The FUSE

http://pulseradio.net — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:33:12 +1000

After five years of parties on the island, London clubbing institution Fuse has landed it's first official weekly residency on the White Isle at Sankeys Ibiza. Aside from mixing an exclusive set for us, Pulse decided to dig a bit deeper into the history of the underground clubbing brand and spoke to regulars Enzo Siragusa and Seb Zito about guestlist only events, relocation to the island and the expected vibes at their weekly Wednesday night parties, running all season long.

Fuse has been on the go since 2008. Tell us a bit about yourself and your involvement with the brand. Enzo: We started the brand back then as an after-party. We realised there was nothing to do at 10am on a Sunday morning, so just decided to do it. It was an opportunity for me to DJ more along with friends like Seb Zito, Rich NxT, Rossko, Luke Miskelly, Chris Maran, Ben Rau and more. Fuse grew from a Saturday nighter called Circuit that was a cool little basement party in Shoreditch. The guys came from that dancefloor, we ended up becoming friends and playing together. It all started very humbly but now is more than just a party with our two record labels – Fuse London and Infuse, which feature music from our residents, friends of Fuse and people inspired by the party and our sound.

Seb: Enzo got me involved with Circuit back in 2007 and Fuse was like the dirty sister party for it, the after, after party, which was more my thing and I instantly become a regular resident and still am to this day.

You've been operating a regular Sunday party in London which has built up a loyal following. What made you go for the Sunday thing over the more traditional Friday/Saturday night club experience? Enzo: There was nothing to do at that point in the weekend. London used to have a very cool after party scene which I was quite involved in, but there was a real shortage at that point. There was a really good crew of us to start it. As much as I was a DJ, I was still a raver, so we just did it.

Seb: “There wasn't anything consistent at that time, so it made perfect sense plus Sunday clubbing wasn't as popular as it is today, so the crowd was more clued up on the music.

All your London events are guest list only. What's your reasoning for that? Are you worried that this approach could be construed as pretentious or cliquey? Enzo: Not at all. For the people who do come and do get in, they know there is a certain vibe and feeling at the party and that’s what we’re preserving. We want people with the right attitude and preserving that old skool rave feel is important to us. Village Underground isn’t really that big – we can only put 700 people in there and we can’t always get everyone in. I remember going out clubbing in London years ago and most club’s had a door policy – there was a door whore at every club. You had to make an effort back then; then it was more focused on looking cool, but we are basing it on attitude.

You've described yourself as having a more discerning crowd than many nights of this sort. What do you think it is that you guys do that attract this sort of crowd? Enzo: I suppose you could say we’re a bunch of cultured ravers putting on events [laughs]. Personally I have been raving for 20 years. There is quite a cross-section of people who come to our events – both young and old – and what we do resonates with them. In terms of programming, we’re playing the music we want to be dancing to and not booking DJs because of their name and who they are going to bring to the party. And sound wise, I go into massive detail with the soundsystem and work with people who have been putting on raves since the late 80s. Everything starts with sound: from the system to the acoustics of the room, the programming of the DJs and how the DJs play, to how it progresses throughout the night. I’m obsessed with it!”

You've built a reputation for yourselves by focusing more on the importance of residents and their ability to work their crowd over relying on big names or gimmicks to pack the club. Why do you think this has been so successful? Enzo: Because it builds an element of trust and respect with the crowd. In the case of the residents, each of us has built that up with the crowd and we are able to do our thing and play our own music. We’re a very close-knit group of friends who’ve influenced each other and developed a certain sound and our crowd goes with it, and more importantly expect it. We will only book DJs who bring something different to the party. When I played with tINI we have a real connection in the booth and we really enjoy playing back to back. But there are other DJs we bring in that do something different. A slightly different sound perhaps.

Seb: “We've all grown with the party and share the love and passion along with our crowd. When I'm not playing you will always see me on that dance floor with the rest of the residents.

You've announced a weekly, Wednesday night residency at Sankeys, launching on the 26 June. What are you looking forward to most about this residency? Enzo: I’m looking forward to playing every week again in a club! Since we stopped the weekly parties, I’ve missed that. I love to play lots and for as long as possible. There are only certain places that I can do that and Sankeys is one of them. It’s because of the emphasis they have put on the soundsystem in there and the level of control Seb and I have on the sound – we EQ that sound ourselves most of the time and also have a big input on lighting to set the right mood when we are playing. You don’t have that level of control at most clubs. The sound is immense, it’s an amazing space and we love that basement! When we did fuse in London back in the day, there was a gap in the market for a more intimate kind of rave. Sankeys fills the same gap in the market in Ibiza. It’s a real club with a more underground feel. For a DJ and certainly for my residents and I, it’s the kind of place we thrive at. I’m really excited about playing there every week.

Seb: “Playing every week and creating something special every time. I can’t wait to build up the Ibiza family like we've done here in London through playing music.”

You've said that your transporting your London sound and vibe to Ibiza this summer. How does this sound and vibe differ from what's going on already on the island? Enzo: There’s a number of things – the club and the soundsystem lends itself to our sound and how we play as DJs. We do like to tell a bit of a story. It’s a much dubbier, sexier, raw sound than what you’ll generally hear on the island. It’s having that basement with its low ceiling, that sound and the right lighting that’s going to set it apart from anything else on the island. It’s a pure rave and we’re putting the emphasis on that.”

Seb: I think the vibe is more personal and intimate and Sankeys is the perfect space for what we do.

Can you give us any hints as to the sort of guests we can expect to see gracing the decks with you guys this summer? Enzo: There will be a few friends of Fuse coming to play. The party is focused on the residents but I have a lot of friends on the island, so we’ll see.

Seb, tell us about the exclusive an exclusive mix for us at Pulse. What can we expect to hear in it? I have been playing a lot more, particularly abroad, I'd say my sound has evolved and I think this will come through in the mix. It still has the London basslines though. It features lots of new productions from myself and from friends who will feature on our Fuse London and Infuse labels this year.

Enzo Siragusa and Seb Zito play Fuse as part of Sankeys Extended Opening Weekend of parties on Wednesday 29 May. Fuse’s residency at Sankeys Ibiza runs every Wednesday from 26 June to 2 October, 2012.

For more info, head to Fuse's Facebook page here.

Listen to Fuse at Sankeys Ibiza on Pulse Radio.

Pulse Radio's Editopia Volume 1: Justin Sloe of Droog

http://pulseradio.net — Wed, 22 May 2013 03:38:40 +1000

Edits are a great way DJ/Producers diversify and push their music forward without losing sight of where it all began. It's a nod to the greats or hidden gems that deserve either their first, second or eleventh chance to enjoy the spotlight. Unique, unshared edits can also give DJs an edge, as they can ensure to set their mixes apart from others and keep things exciting and fresh sounding.

Without edits, our musical libraries would be half full, as is also the case with cups, and it's not a very good situation to have on one's hands. So we at Pulse Radio have a lot to be thankful for with edits, and we've dedicated our latest feature, "Editopia" to inviting DJs and producers to be our guests and enlighten us with some of their favorite selections. It's the day your record crate or digital music library has been begging for - some freshly curated new/old beats

Our first guest is Justin Sloe, one third of Droog, the intrepid trio based in Los Angeles. Founders of the successful label Culprit, which was begun in 2009, they are known for their forward thinking music and great parties. As of two nights ago, yet another successful iteration of their rooftop party went down at the Standard Hotel LA with Dan Ghenacia, PBR Streetgang, and Plastic Love. Here's his list of some of his favorite edits of jams from the 1980s.

SAS - In The Candy Store

Subb-an and Adam Shelton breathe some life into the early Chi-house jam from Candy J - Somethings They Never Change. It’s good fun and sometimes dance music should be about just that.

Marcos Cabral & Shux - A Lifetime Groove

Being from Boston, I have a soft spot for New Edition. This takes their "Once in a Lifetime Groove" into some Balaeric territory. Ew, I can’t believe I said “Balaeric.”

Mary Jane Girls - All Night Long (the ‘Not At My Age’ edit)

Very loyal take of the original that just beefs up the dubbiness. I found this randomly on Soundcloud a couple years back and it’s been a staple of my downtempier sets.

THROBBING GRISTLE - HOT ON THE HEELS OF LOVE (RON HARDY EDIT)

You can’t have a list of great edits without Ron Hardy and this is one of my favorites. His light tender touches make this a lot more accessible for the dancefloor.

LADM - A Greater Life (LADM Disco MIx)

What we have right here is Doc Martin’s take on Loose Ends - Emergency (Dial 999). It’s pure disco gold.

Bruce Springsteen - I'm On Fire (Cousin Cole's Bad Desire Mix)

I wouldn’t say this is dance music, but this is a nice lil' bit of cheek for home listening or late late early late chill out mornings. It’s an airy edit of Bruce - on paper it doesn’t sound great, but it really is lovely.

Le Loup - Erotic City (Original Mix)

Straight smooth dancefloor interpretation of the Prince classic that won’t make you feel like you’re DJing a Bar Mitzvah.

And for bonus - this is the MASTER of it all, Mad Professor. Here he is at work on a live reworking of Marvin Gaye.

Listen to Droog on Pulse Radio

AfrikaBurn : In the Heart of the Tankwa

http://pulseradio.net — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:47:57 +1000

There is something mystical about the Tankwa Karoo; a stillness from horizon to horizon; a lunar landscape of abandon; a blank canvas. It is an invitation. And for one week, during the annual Afrika Burn festival, it is home to a colourful temporary city that leaves no trace behind.

Inspired by the famous Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert, Afrika Burn is the biggest ‘Burn’ outside of North America. Every year since 2007, it has continued to grow. This year more than 7000 people set up residence in Tankwa Town. And these “Burners” are not ordinary human beings. They have an extraordinary sense of will and dedication to the cause. They are super-heroes of radical self-expression.

As a city without trade it attempts to speak to something missing in our modern lifestyle; a sense of collective; a connection to nature and our nomadic roots and a place for carnival, escapade and down-right anarchy. After a month in Goa, earlier this year I am curious to interrogate the premise of the festival: is it a place of glorified hippie-fascism or faddism, commercial in unobvious ways, or a lets-get-vakked-festival posing as something philosophical.

We are first time Burners – four of us- and in addition we are native Gautengers, a long way from home. After two days on the road, we are anxious to get our hands dirty and we pump up the music and race to the entrance off a dirt road. Without warning a white 4x4 starts hooting and runs us off the road. Omen no. 1.

We assume that this is some kind of race that we weren’t informed about – some kind of ritual entrance that Burners engage in to cross the finish line, but as the car swerves dangerously close to our own, a lady rolls down her window shouting, “You have a flat tyre! The tyre on your trailer is flat”.

We pull over, stunned. There is no tyre. All that remains is a rim shaped like a rose that would eventually become a braai-plek for potatoes. More than that, the tyre on the other side has just gone too. Jirrevok. So close and yet so far.

This is such a frequent phenomenon on the road to AfrikaBurn that there is a dedicated tyre shop between the entrance and the festival. Our spirits are a little dampened but we are determined to make our way to the designated ‘quiet zone’. “Quiet Zone?” a lady laughs at us dismissively at the entrance, “The music doesn’t stop”. Omen No. 2.

We do our best to find this so called ‘quiet zone’ and set up camp in the dark against a harsh wind. We are a little outside of the designated boundary, but it’s near midnight and we agree, that this can’t possibly be a big deal. We are here. We are alive. We are ready. This is what counts. More wind. Omen No. 3.

The festival is an intimidating place for first-timers as it seems governed by an unwritten understanding, a collectively accepted code of etiquette. Through an ill-fated turn of events, we will in the course of the next few days, be evicted by the Rangers of Tankwa town to set up our camp within the boundaries for ecological reasons, only to discover that we are in fact in the LOUD ZONE, sandwiched between an illegal dance floor and a tent of burners who by the heaviness of their bass, have obviously transcended the human desire for sleep.

These are mistakes that only first timers could make. The Omens speak to a rite of passage and a warning to first time Burners who do not do their research . AfrikaBurn is a commitment, and an expensive one at that, so put in the effort before hand if you consider attending. Pack an extra tyre for your spare tyre. Find a point of participation and plan in advance.

Our bliksemmed egos aside, AfrikaBurn is truly unlike any other festival experience in the country. There is no artist line up or beer tent to cling to for comfort. You have to forcibly engage, or you won’t quite get it and it won’t quite get you.

By day it is a placid little pagan town; a place of art and collaboration, theme camps, cyclists, mutant vehicles, children driven around by naked men, booby parades, drum circles, yoga in the desert and a generally harmless collection of new-agey platitudes. The massive wooden art installations dominate the otherwise flat landscape, giving you the trippy sense of being in the middle of nowhere in the hope of making contact with extra-terrestrials.

But by night, the festival turns and realigns itself to howl at the moon evoking rapture; a full-throttle extravaganza of dance floors for every taste, a psychedelic playground of installations and displays, costumes, debauchery and mayhem. You could lose yourself here or find yourself depending on your preferred choice of hallucinogenic.

It is difficult to put Burners into a singular grouping or neat little box. They span across age groups, criss-crossing subcultures from hippie to hillbilly. They are friendly, outgoing, uninhibited and apart from constantly reminding us that we are first timers, are generally an affable assembly of folk. They seem to walk the talk, as the landscape is remarkably un-littered even towards the end. There are no trails of beer bottles, cigarette stubs or condoms floating in inflatable pools.

On our last morning, looking out into the Tankwa in an outdoor toilet - there is something magical about this place and the unbridled creativity it evokes, but there is something equally unforgiving about the desert and our parody of errors. After four days, the music is beginning to feel oppressive. I have to admit that staring out into the Karoo, enclosed by four walls of non-stop bass – I found myself wanting more. Real adventure. A quest for survival.

Free Download: Alex Tepper's Rework of Ralphi Rosario’s 'Hold Me'

http://pulseradio.net — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:40:56 +1000

Having picked up respect and admiration from those in the know for the best part of twenty years involvement within the scene, Alex Tepper has gradually been stepping out into the limelight as a solo artist over the last couple of years. Alongside fellow UK producer Phil Dockerty, Tepper shot to worldwide recognition as Futureshock around the start of the new millennium. There were a plethora of releases on Junior Boys Own, worldwide tours, a critically acclaimed album on Parlophone Records and huge remixes of Underworld, The Chemical Brothers, Moby and Jamiroquai. When Futureshock moved on, Tepper went back into the studio. Amongst the new material to emerge from Tepper’s Dalston studio is his rework of Ralphi Rosario’s ‘Hold Me’ which is exclusively available to download from Pulse here.

How did Futureshock come to an end? There was no conscious decision to end Futureshock - we both just got involved in other projects separately and these other projects just took over in the end. We still talk and plan to release the entire old catalogue, possibly with up to date remixes etc. It's a part of my life I look back on fondly and would love to see how it would hold up in the digital and online world we're in now.

What benefits has collaborating with so many people over the years, offered you as a producer? I love working with other people in the studio. There’s a vibe in the room that's hard to capture when you're on your own. Ideas seem to flow better too. There's the saying that two heads are better than one, which I think is true in a lot of cases - when you're not sure about a certain element that goes in, for example, then it’s good to have another set of ears to either agree or disagree, and it's more fun when you stumble on something that you both know is working well. It's helped me out a lot with my own stuff too as the variety that comes from working with so many others has a good rounded influence on me for when I'm in there creating on my own.

What is it, would you say, that has kept other producers coming back to you for help in the studio? You would have to ask them that! At a guess I would say that my years of experience counts for a lot... the ability to get a consistently good sound and turn basic ideas into solid finished productions.... and hopefully that I'm an easy going guy to work with.

Do you plan to release more of your own productions going forward? Yeah, it's becoming more important for me to get my own music out there now. I think over the last few years I've helped a lot of DJ’s and artists with their music and careers and now it's time for me to step up as a solo artist.

Why do you feel it is so important to establish yourself as a solo artist? After Futureshock I was sort of in limbo. I always wanted to go back to releasing my own music under my name or a new pseudonym at some point, but I was kind of still writing Futureshock material so it was confusing for a while which way to turn. But now I only have one mission, releasing my own music - both originals and remixes - whilst DJ’ing all in equal measures. I'll also always carry on working with others as well, but I think it's more simplified now; I'm just able to focus on the main things that are important to me.

What production projects have you got lined up? I’ve actually got a few things lined up which is a great feeling. I’m just wrapping up my next solo EP for Nic Fanciulli’s Saved Records, which is due out during the summer - I also have a remix forthcoming on June 12th for Smash TV on Get Physical. In addition to this I’m giving away my rework of Ralphi Rosario’s ‘Hold Me’, one of my favourite records. Its been in circulation with a lot of DJ’s for a while so I thought its about time the general public got their hands on it! Oh, and I’ve also got an exclusive record forthcoming as part of a vinyl-only project with Robert Dietz and Hansel! It’ll be a really limited pressing with a record from each of us on there so it’s great to be a part of that.

Having spent so much time in the studio over the last few years, what is the driving force behind you wanting to get out and DJ more now? I’ve always had a longing to DJ ever since I was a kid, but it was always mixed with wanting to be behind the mixing desk too. Over the years studio work has taken over a bit but for me the two should go hand in hand. It's an amazing experience to play your own music in its proper environment to a great crowd and see it working first hand; it’s why I choose to make the music I do. And also being out there and playing other music you're really into and seeing that working brings more ideas to the table to go back to the studio with. so I would say it’s almost an essential part of making club records. The problem is that it can sometimes be difficult to balance the time so that one doesn't take over from the other.

As someone who has played big outdoor shows as well as club nights, what sort of venues you are most looking forward to playing this time around and why? Well this might be the boring answer but they both have their place and can be just as good for different reasons. I have no desire to become a "super star DJ" so I wouldn't want to sit here and say yeah bring on the massive stadiums and I can perform like a pop star! I don’t really think that’s what DJ'ing should be about. There are a lot of cool festivals now though where you can get a great vibe. But, you can't really beat the atmosphere you can get in a venue when the music and the crowd are right and everything's working...

The scene has changed dramatically since you started out. Do you think that it is easier or harder for new acts to get noticed now? In a lot of ways it's easier because the technology is more affordable these days so it's a lot easier for new artists to turn their musical visions into finished products and that has brought an influx of some incredible music. When I started making records for example, you would need to own or have access to a studio with a minimum of £15,000 - £20,000 worth of equipment, ideas would have to be completely finished before you could start something else or before someone else would come in to use the studio as it couldn't all be saved and totally recalled for further tweaks down the line, and you may have only had a few hours, half a day or one day if you were lucky to finish a track. Of course from an industry point of view as well things have really changed with all the new social media portals freely available, little which basically means everyone has a chance to make themselves heard and promote their own music. In the old days it was down to businesses set up to do that for you and not
everyone could afford to pay their prices. But also with this in mind it means there's a lot more competition out there and it's harder these days to be totally original and make your mark. You really need to stand above the rest and be different to succeed.

Alex Tepper - Doll's Delirium is out now on Saved Records now.

Alex Tepper Facebook

Listen to Alex Tepper on Pulse Radio.

Radio Slave's Balance 023 Sleeve Notes (CD2)

http://pulseradio.net — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:54:29 +1000

Matt 'Radio Slave' Edwards has just touched down in Australia in promotion of his 'Balance 023' mix CD compilation - the latest edition of the revered mix series - where he will play the two launch parties; Brown Alley party in Melbourne alongside Alex Niggemann & Chymera, followed by Chinese Laundry in Sydney.

In celebration of the new release and the impending launch parties, Matt has kindly shared something a little special with us - some tracklisting quotes about the music he chose to use in 'Balance 023'. Part one covered Disc 1 'White Skies'. This chapter focuses on Disc 2 'Memories and Maestros Part 1 & 2'. Enjoy!

1. Radio Slave - 'Coming Home… Sunday Night Flights'

"On the flight dreaming of bed…"

2. Ryuchi Sakamoto - 'Only Love Can Conquer Hate'

"I love this track so much…The tone, mood and the title says it all.."

3. Vince Watson - 'Hidden Behind the Eyes'

"I had to include a track from Vince and this one is soo good…"

4. The Machine - 'Continental Drift' (Joe Claussell mix)

"I still can't believe Joe remixed my entire LP…and here's the opening track and it's so hypnotic."

5. Skooby Laposky - 'Lighthouse' (Theo Parrish mix)

"My favourite remix from Theo and the inspiration for an unofficial remix I did of Sunrise."

6. Slum Village - 'One' (Instrumental)

"Another all time favourite. This one from the legendary J Dilla. The guy inspired me so much and was the reason I created the "Rekid" moniker.."

7. Jay Dee - 'B.B.E.' (Big Booty Express) (Instrumental w/ Vox)

"More Dilla and again this is music from the past which definitely belongs in the future."

8. Linda Law - 'All The Night'

"One of the best afterhours records for hazy mornings…"

9. Quiet Village - 'Cant Be Beat'

"I had to include a QV song and of course this was the first record Joel and I made and it was also one of the first releases on the now defunct but groundbreaking "Whatever We Want" label."

10. D.S. - 'Additional Elements'

"A record I only rediscovered at the end of last year and it sounded incredible at Deep Space in New York. Again, super futuristic and could be from now."

11. Portico Quartet - 'Laker Boo'

"Another recent discovery and a band that for me pushes all the right buttons, and this one actually has hints of Cliff Martinez's Solaris score which is also amazing."

12. Herbie Hancock - 'Nobu'

"If you know me, you'll know this and again another record which has been so inspiring and it's techno music but from 1974."

13. Software - 'Present Voice'

"I'm a huge fan of the Innovative Communication ]and Klaus Schulze and had to include a track from this label. This one is so dreamy and the perfect way to end a late night…or a long journey".

14. Radio Slave - 'U Bahn… Next Stop Panorama Bar?'

"Must be Sunday…"

[Balance 023 is released in Australia on May 24th and May 27th in UK/Europe]

Listen to Radio Slave on Pulse Radio

Photos: Richie Hawtin Chooses Sakes For Upcoming Season of ENTER.

http://pulseradio.net — Fri, 17 May 2013 03:56:53 +1000

We can't help but be equally enthralled by sake as Richie Hawtin is, especially after glancing these beautiful photos of him testing out new kinds of sake in Japan this past weekend. Sake is created by the fermentation of rice and has quite an etiquette in Japan as to how it is served, depending on many qualities such as whether it is hot or cold and its quality. Richie is an avid fan of this alcoholic beverage, making ita point to import carefully hand picked sake bottles for his ENTER. residency at Space last summer in Ibiza. This year is no different, as he returns to Japan in search of new variations of the rice wine to introduce to the world via his traveling ENTER. parties. All photos by Barbara Klein.

To the undiscerning eye, these may all look the same. However, each bottle here varies quite differently in its brewing and maturing processes.

So much sake, so little time!

It seems as if they've found a few winners! We look forward to trying them out the next time ENTER. hits our city - or when we hit Ibiza this summer.

Listen to Richie Hawtin on Pulse Radio

richie hawtin japan sake trip

http://pulseradio.net — Fri, 17 May 2013 03:50:35 +1000

The Art Of The Warm Up: Rikki Newton

http://pulseradio.net — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:16:02 +1000

As promoter of Brisbane's Subtrakt parties with partner Adam Swain, Rikki Newton has had a lot of experience warming up for his international guests, which have included well respected DJs such as Prosumer, Steve Bug, Lee Burridge and Dixon. As such, it makes him the perfect choice for our 'Art Of The Warm Up' series, and Mr. Newton has delivered a beautifully deep warm up mix with tracks from Omar S, Moomin, Charles Webster and Pepe Bradock. Enjoy.

[Read on to download]

Pulse: You must have had the opportunity to warm up for quite a few international DJs running your Subtrakt events. What has been your favourite warm up set so far in your career and whom was it in support of? Rikki Newton: I guess one of the advantages of running your own parties is that you decide who plays on the bill and also who warms up. So over the past 6 years of running Subtrakt I've been fortunate enough to warm up for alot of artists that I've admired and respected for years. They've included Steve Bug, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Prosumer and recently Smallpeople but the one that stands out for me would be the warm up for Dixon in Feb of 2011. We held a boat party on the Brisbane river and it turned out to be the perfect day all round, both weather wise and the set that Dixon produced that day was probably the best we've seen at any of our parties. He's been one of my biggest influences so to have the opportunity to not only meet the man but to warm up for him was a huge honour.

How do you prepare when warming up for an international? Do you do much research? Research is a must. You should be aware of both who you're warming up for and also who you're playing after. The transition from dj to dj has always been something that we've taken seriously when hosting parties so having the right djs playing before internationals is extremely important. The artists that we've booked for Subtrakt over the years have all been acts that we're very familiar with but occasionally I will get booked to warm up for someone that I am unfamiliar with so researching their productions/recent mixes etc certainly helps with deciding what to play before them.

Do you have any personal rules when you play this type of set? The warm up set for me is to create a platform for the guest to build upon. So you have to show restraint and not play too big whilst still aiming to get the floor moving for when the guest starts. Just common sense really.

Have you had the opportunity to play a warm up set at a festival? I was fortunate enough to hold down a residency at Family Nightclub for 5 years and during that time I played at a number of festivals around S.E. Qld including Good Vibrations, We Love Sounds, Summafieldayze and Stereosonic. However I did only play on the smaller local stages so never had the opportunity to warm up for internationals unfortunately.

Who was behind the most impressive warm up set you've witnessed? One warm up that sticks in my mind to this day was by a local Brisbane dj, Mark Briais, back in 2005 if I recall correctly. He was warming up for Steve Bug at the infamous Drop parties in Moonbar, upstairs at the Empire Hotel and he just nailed it. Flawless mixing and track selection of deep, hypnotic house music that kept a steady groove throughout and had everyone on the floor before Bug came on.

Name one of your all time favourite warm up tracks. Pepe Bradock's 'Deep Burnt' is a record that never leaves my bag. It's a timeless piece of deep house that sounds as fresh today as it did when it was released almost 15 years ago.

Can you tell us about the mix you've recorded for us? The mix was recorded live in one take at my home in Brisbane using both vinyl and mp3. It contains mostly new tracks, from over the past 2 years, as well as a few old favourites and is a good representation of a typical warm up set of mine. I always try to include some 'classics' in my sets regardless of whether I'm warming up or not. It includes tracks from my favourite artists and labels, both old and new, such as Omar S, Moomin, Charles Webster, Pepe Bradock and labels FXHE, Smallville and Dial.

Lastly, can you tell us any info on th closure of Brisbane's Barsoma and whether another club will be opening there? Barsoma officially closed it's doors as a music venue last month as the owners decided they wanted to try something completely new. So after almost 10 years the Barsoma as we know it is no longer. Subtrakt was held at Barsoma for the entire 6 years we've been running so we were sad to see it go. I'm not aware of any new venues opening however, there are a few options that we're currently looking into for future Subtrakt parties so watch this space.

Download: Rikki Newton - The Art Of The Warm Up mix

Listen to Rikki Newton on Pulse Radio

Radio Slave's Balance 023 Sleeve Notes (CD1)

http://pulseradio.net — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:22:22 +1000

In celebration of the new release and the impending launch parties, Matt has kindly shared something a little special with us - some tracklisting quotes about the music he chose to use in 'Balance 023'. Part one is, naturally, Disc 1, titled 'White Skies'. Stay tuned for Disc 2 tomorrow. Enjoy!

1. Radio Slave - 'Leaving Home… The Elevator Experience'

"If you've been to my house you'll know."

2. DJ Bone - 'Change' (Accapella)

"I wasn't sure whether this song should be the first or last on the CD but it has a message for someone very special to me."

3. Stephan G & The Persuader - 'Kaos'

"Still sounding like it was made in the future."

4. Julien Perez - 'Road to Dub'

"Deep hypnotic dub house that works on any floor and I'm sure I'll still be playing this in 20 years time."

5. Delano Smith - 'Partier' (Makam mix)

"One of my favourite records from the end of 2012 and it's usually my first record when I'm playing out as it sets the tone for whats to come."

6. Frost (Of) - 'Da Drop Suri' (Rhadoo mix)

"More futuristic droning house from one of the best DJ's in the world."

7. Pooley & Parker - 'Lurchen Und Eulen' (Radio Slave mix)

"I had to include a remix and this way I include myself with two great friends from Berlin, Spencer Parker and Ian Pooley."

8. Jeremy - 'Rhythmus'

"A perfect balance of techno and house and I just love those drums."

9. Brommage Dub - 'Untitled (Dub One)'

"The Svek revival starts here…"

10. Timeline - 'Ghosts of Graystone'

"Big props to Mike and the crew for this one. Detroit in the house!"

11. Vadim - 'Pattern 18'

"Pure machine music from the very up and coming and super talented Parisian Vadim Svoboda."

12. Nina Kraviz - 'Choices' (Fred P Reshape)

"I had to include Nina on the CD and this unreleased tune from Fred P is killer. Deep, atmospheric and I love the chords."

13. No Smoke - 'Koro Koro' (Dub)

"UK tribal house from 1990. Big with Larry Levan at the Ministry of Sound which is where I fell in love with this record."

14. Brotherhood - 'Memorial Smith'

"The first release on the Kann label from ?. and it's still doing it for me and in the box for life!"

15. Sandy Rivera - Liquid Interlude w/ Joe Claussell - 'Animation' (Unchainedpella Joe Claussell mix)

"Gotta thank my good friend Jamie "Stablo' Fry for turning me on to this one. KIller beats."

16. Melchior Productions - 'Descendants'

"So lucky to be able to use this and all I can say about this record is 'thank you'."

17. Radio Slave - 'Tantakatan' (Prins Thomas mix)

"Prins definitely had fun with this and it's great to come back to a track like this after 5 years."

18. Larry Heard - 'First Call of the Morning'

"An all time favourite and a great way to end or start a night."

19. Radio Slave - 'Lincoln Boulevard'

"Trying to find shade…"

[Balance 023 is released in Australia on May 24th and May 27th in UK/Europe]

Listen to Radio Slave on Pulse Radio

Stream POINT G 1

http://pulseradio.net — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:48:59 +1000

DJ Gregory has been one of France's most omnipotent forces in underground house music stretching back to the '90's. Real name Gregory Darsa, his career has seen him change monikers, styles and sounds since his days helming the fabled 'A Deep Groove' radio on France's Radio FG. His Point G alias - his first venture before his world famous, more universally recognised alias - remained a short-lived run at the time. Recently, Shonky, Ghenacia and Dyed's Apollonia label re-released the classic and rare 'Underwater' 12" record. The first release on his freshly created POINT G Records label, simply entitled '1', has already come out.

Apollonia have this year released your rare classic 'Underwater' – what did it take to get you to agree to re-releasing the tune, or was it more a case of looking for a suitable home? Dan Ghenacia called me up, he was starting Apollonia, that camp ( Dan, Dyed & shonky ) used to play "underwater " a lot back then and they really wanted to re release it, so i thought that it was a cool idea as i had in mind to work more on deeper stuff this year.

Also, more exciting news has landed that you’re launching your Point G label… what’s given you the inspiration to make the move and start an imprint? The inspiration was simply the fact that having a platfrom of expression allows you to do whatever you want and the POINT G project is kind of raw and iI want to keep it this way. I have to admit that I have been pushed by many of my DJs and producer friends here in Paris.

You remained a massive force in the 90's before vanishing... Around 2008 I was a bit less inspired music wise so I kept on touring and focus less on music, and then needed some time.

Things have changed considerably in the last decade in terms of consumption and creation of music... is this positive thing for you? Well there is a lot of music nowadays and it's a good thing because back then, they were just a chosen few who had the opportunity to showcase their work. In the meantime there's so much music that it needs a lot of work to really know what's going on, and also so many cut you just gonna keep one week or two in your box so at the end I would say it's positive because if your track lasts, people will notice even more.

Where do you stand on the vinyl debate? For the moment POINT G Label is vinyl only , need I say more!

As someone that’s made tunes for the best part of a decade, what’s your proudest – and non-proudest – moment to date? "ELLE" which means "Her" in English is really the track I put all my heart on and I'm very proud of it and was even more when i got the feedback of the audience and the DJs who supported it. "LUI"' wich means "Him ", is really the track I never managed to finish so there's a little deception here but who knows ...

Tell us about your brand new live show too...what does this entail? It's gonna be the first time ever I'm gonna do a live, I'll be performing the old and new Point G work, and some DJ Gregory classics like "ELLE". As I'm very sample oriented it's gonna be more MPC style and FX with a bit of outboard synth, but not too much because I only have 2 hands.

Listen to DJ Gregory on Pulse Radio.

We Are One Festival In Review

http://pulseradio.net — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:19:17 +1000

We are One’ is inspired by traditional Indian Holi Festival, which symbolizes the divine love of the Goddess Radha for her counterpart Krishna and celebrates the arrival of Spring or the season of Love. The celebration embodies an air of innocent mischief as the explosion of colour every hour on the hour imbues a sense of anonymity in the crowd, who take liberties throwing powder at each other.

While the festival seems lacking in real ethnic multiculturalism, there is a demographic at play here I must admit I have never seen before – a common stomping ground for trance-hippies, H2O’-ers and indie hipsters alike, a North-South-East-West-Rand-drunken-SIMUNYE-Fest-delight. Lord Krishna is certainly regarded as one of the more naughty Indian deities, so when asked, ‘How I feel about the cannibalization of my culture?’, I respond, ‘Have you seen Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny? If we Hindu’s have to offer one of our festivals up to the Gods of Commercialisation, I think this may well be the appropriate one.”

The line-up boasted an eclectic mix of local talent - Sadhu Sensi, DJ Babganoush, “the King of Swing” Michael Lesar, Toby2Shoes, Richard the Third, Kid Fonque and DJ Danger Ingozi – a vibrant promise of house-funk-jazz-electro-exoticism. Ultimately the music itself presented a missed opportunity as it seldom pushed the kind of Indo-African inspiration and playfulness that may well have created a genuine bridge between cultural divides that the festival hopes to achieve.

One thing is for certain: South Africa has successfully birthed a new phenomenon – a youthful interpretation of the rainbow nation day parade.

Click here to see more photos.

Listen to Pulse Radio

Australian Winter Festival Guide 2013

http://pulseradio.net — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:09:48 +1000

Winter proves to be a tricky beast in Australia when it comes to festivals. With our sunny isle a nation naturally obsessed with summer, coaxing people out of hibernation during the colder months can prove rather difficult (unless of course your festival happens to be Splendour In The Grass). This is reflected in the amount of events held during the season, which falls considerably.

To the punters benefit, this often encourages promoters and event organisers to think outside the box and come up with new and exciting ideas designed for indoor fun. The new addition to Vivid Sydney this year, Terminal Projekt, is a perfect example. The following is our short but sweet list of the best events happening around the country this winter season.

Come Together - June 8, Luna Park, Sydney

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2013 is the annual Come Together festival, a party that's lineup is strictly two things: All Aussie and all hip-hop. Taking place within the Big Top at Sydney's iconic Luna Park, this year the party will see hip-hop fans come together to enjoy the likes of headliner and ARIA winner Drapht, Illy, Spit Syndicate, Sydney octet The Herd and more. The popular all-ages event sold out in 2012, so don't sleep! Tickets here.

Dark Mofo - June 13 - 23, Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart

Every January since 2010, Hobart's prestigious MONA has been hosting Mona Foma - 10 days of contemporary music, art and performance from artists across the globe. Now it's winter's turn; the inaugural Dark Mofo will celebrate, as the press release states, "ancient and contemporary mythologies, darkness and light, birth and death, fire and ice - with some good music, art and food thrown in." So which electronic artists can you expect? National treasures The Presets for one, who are returning home from their USA tour to play the event, along with Melbourne's Andee Frost, hip-hop royalty Hermitude and Rainbow Connection DJs. For more details and the mammoth full lineup head to darkmofo.net.

Splendour In The Grass - July 26 - 28, North Byron Parklands, Byron Bay

One of the country's most popular festivals moves to its new home this year - the 660 acre site of North Byron Parklands, Yelgun. The 3-day event sold out within an hour of going on sale and those lucky enough to have scored tickets will be treated to an envious lineup of local and international acts across indie, rock, hip-hop and dance music. Popular acts for 2013? Crossover sensation James Blake is sure to rate highly with punters, as will the return of Aussie duo Empire Of The Sun. Our pick: rising local duo Jagwar Ma, whose psychedelic dance sound is making big waves overseas.

Vivid Sydney - May 24 - June 10, Sydney

Every year the internationally renowned festival of light, music and ideas, Vivid Sydney, hits the city, bringing a plethora of world class concerts, parties, seminars and shows to a mixture of locals and internanational visitors, which in 2012 was estimated at a staggering half a million people. Music wise, 2013 will boast one of the festivals' strongest lineups to date. Electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk bring their world famous 'Catalogue' shows to Vivid LIVE at the Opera House, along with Underworld's Karl Hyde, Bobby Womack, and a special performance of the music from Blade Runner by Vangelis. Local promoters Goodgod, Future Classic and Club Kooky will also be hosting their regular studio parties.

Last but not least, the festival's newest addition this year is the ambitious Terminal Projekt - two nights of forward-thinking, underground electronic music coupled with mind-blowing 3D mapping projections at Customs Hall in Circular Quay. Saturday June 8 sees house and bass covered by dOP, Jimmy Edgar and Sepalcure [BUY TIX], whilst Sunday June 9 focuses on disco, funk and house delights from Tensnake, HNQO and The Revenge [BUY TIX].

Listen to Pulse Radio

Oz Guide

http://pulseradio.net — Sun, 12 May 2013 12:39:51 +1000

Winter proves to be a tricky beast in Australia when it comes to festivals. With our sunny isle a nation naturally obsessed with summer, the first sign of a cold breeze sends us into the kind of hibernation that makes folks in the northern hemisphere chuckle.

Rather than being one of those Facebook posters who wishes it could be summer all year round, you can't have the yin without the yang; get out there, there's lots of quality on offer.

Come Together - June 8, Luna Park, Sydney

Dark Mofo - June 13 - 23, Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart

Splendour In The Grass - July 26 - 28, North Byron Parklands, Byron Bay

Vivid Sydney - May 24 - June 10, Sydney

Listen to Pulse Radio

Bearweasel's Top 5 Vinyl Picks

http://pulseradio.net — Fri, 10 May 2013 23:26:38 +1000

Everyone loves underground scenes and cool spaces. Pulse are heading deep into the heart of Hackney tonight to join forces alongside Lobo Collective for their latest, intimate and chilled bash. A vinyl only party at Russet Cafe - part of Hackney Downs Studios - London based disco and house DJ Bearweasel is joining the party (he's a bit of an expert in the art of black wax) and underneath, he selects his top 5 picks to get you in the mood.

Marco Shuttle 'The Vox Attitude' - Eerie

I missed out on the original release of this track on Farben records and really regretted it. This new release comes with the original (essential) and heavily contrasting remixes from Pangaea and a personal favourite, Joey Anderson – both are superb in their own ways.

Two Armadillos 'Golden Age Thinking Pt4' - Two Armadillos

The fourth and final part of TA's 'Golden Age Thinking' album project which is getting a full release, packaged release in a month or so after initially coming in various parts. This is Giles and Martin's final works together, due to the sad passing of Martin.

Roger Gerressen 'Koshima' - Fear of Flying

I like Fear of Flying a lot. They don't really fit into the mould of many other 'deep' labels, but kinda do their own thing which to me, is about focused grooves that are way more than the sum of their parts.

Stephen Brown 'Pablo' - Subwax BCN

I don't think Stephen Brown has made a bad record so this, his latest, is predictably excellent and a current fave.

Spargel Trax Vol 2.

Double 12" of absolute fire. Any label themed around asparagus is going to grab my interest, I can't get enough of weird smelling urine

Lobo Collective x Pulse Radio
The Russet
Friday 10th May
Hackney, London

Line Up
Nina Kehagia (6 - 7)
Antepop (7 - 8)
Mister Sushi (8 - 9)
Fabien Spagnolo (9 - 10)
Jimmy Posters (10 - 11)
Bearweasel (11 - 12)

Free Entry

Listen to Bearweasel on Pulse Radio.

Clockwork's Top Ten 'Time Related' Chart

http://pulseradio.net — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:11:41 +1000

Clockwork have had a busy 2013. They've been faced with the task of releasing not just their debut album, but also the very first full length LP for ultra hip, forward thinking deep label Life & Death. B.O.A.T.S (Based On A True Story) spins the contemporary techno sound and marries it alongside eclectic outside influences. Here, the duo pick their favourite time-related tracks of all time - from Sholomo to The xx and Grease, enjoy the selections of the eclectic duo.

The xx - Night Time (Synkro Remix)

Mount Kimbie - Between Time

Shed - Keep Time

Monolake - Existence of Time

Codec & Flexor - Time Has Changed

Shlohmo - Save Time

Dj Shadow - This Time

Egal 3 - Time Train

Connect. Ohm - Time to Time by Time

Danny Zuco & Sandy Olsen - Time of My Life

Listen to Clockwork on Pulse Radio.

Prince: The Worst Copyright Abuser of All Time?

http://pulseradio.net — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:47:37 +1000

The following comes from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which recently awarded Prince with its 'Raspberry Beret Lifetime Aggrievement Award' for monumental achievements in copyright abuse.

In the 15 years since the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) was passed into law, we've seen all sorts of abuse and unintended consequences stemming from its more lopsided clauses. The safe harbors it creates for Internet service providers have provided useful protections for service providers, but the takedown process it authorizes makes it too easy for bad actors to shut down legitimate speech, from personal home videos to political commentary.

From time to time, we've named (and shamed) some of the worst abusers of the takedown process in our Takedown Hall of Shame. But every once in a while a history of attempts to silence speech is so extraordinary, so truly ridiculous, that an entry in the Hall of Shame is not dishonor enough.

Today we establish the Raspberry Beret Lifetime Aggrievement Award for extraordinary abuses of the takedown process in the name of silencing speech. And we're proud to bestow the inaugural title on the artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince himself.

Prince is far from alone in his willingness to exploit the notice-and-takedown procedure for censorship, but he certainly occupies a special place in the pantheon. Here are some of the most egregious examples of Prince partying like it's 1998 — the year the DMCA went into effect.

This Is What It Sounds Like When Fair Use Cries

From his palace at Paisley Park, the Purple One has propelled himself into the headlines most recently for issuing the first known takedown notices for videos on the Vine platform. Vine videos are limited to six seconds, and usually consist of a series of very short shots edited together. Prince's NPG Records sent eight notices to the Twitter-owned service for videos from a single user who uploaded them at a Prince concert. Many cases of fair use are quite easy to spot, but this one is almost embarrassingly so: a transformative and very short clip of a concert performance that doesn't cause any market harm.

But that didn't stop Prince from shooting first and hoping nobody asks questions later.

Coachella Controversy

While it may look like a sign of the times that Prince demanded these short concert clips be removed, it's not even the first time he's attempted to overreach in taking down concert footage. In 2008, Prince went one step further, sending a rash of takedowns for fan videos shot of his performance of the Radiohead song "Creep" at the Coachella Music Festival.

Just one problem: Prince doesn't even own a copyright that could be infringed in any of those uploaded recordings. Copyright only goes to the person who actually makes a fixed expression of an idea. That means members of Radiohead, as the songwriters, hold the copyright in the composition, and the fans making the recording hold the copyright in the videos. Prince is left just trying to hold control over the way people share their experiences.

Fortunately, Radiohead realized the problem and told YouTube to keep the videos up. But most of the time the victims of online copyright bullying don't get the same protection.

Let's Go Crazy (Over 29 Seconds of Home Video ... For Six Years)

But perhaps Prince's craziest act of DMCA abuse is the infamous takedown of the dancing baby video at the heart of the ongoing Lenz v. Universal. The story may by now sound familiar: Stephanie Lenz shot some 29 seconds of video of her baby son dancing to a grainy version of the Prince song "Let's Go Crazy" in the background. Universal Music, which represented Prince, sent a takedown notice and had the dancing baby taken offline for weeks.

We've already inducted Universal Music into the Hall of Shame for their role in that particular takedown, but Prince deserves a special mention.

Prince has shown time and again that he's willing to abuse copyright law in an attempt to recklessly impede free speech, but his role in the Lenz case cements this Lifetime Aggrievement Award.

[Article courtesy of Digital Music News]

Listen to Pulse Radio

Matthew Herbert's 'One Pig' In Melbourne

http://pulseradio.net — Fri, 10 May 2013 11:05:26 +1000

Composer, DJ, performer, producer and all round contemporary artist Matthew Herbert came to Melbourne for a series of shows in April as part of the 2013 Metropolis New Music Festival presented by the Melbourne Recital Centre. Pulse Radio's Morgan Richards attended his infamous 'One Pig' show - here's what he came back with.

Matthew Herbert’s 2011 album One Pig - essentially created from bits of a pig, whether recorded oinks, drums from its skin or samples of it being cooked and ultimately gobbled up at a restaurant - is a pretty odd thing even for home listening. I was intrigued at the prospect of seeing it performed live.

The concert takes place in a large recital hall. Four mic stands are set up on stage, and are linked with white strings in the shape of what at first glance seems to be a boxing ring. I realise moments later that it’s meant to represent a sty. Hay bales are scattered around the stage. One by one, each member of the band comes forward to the microphone and contributes something - a scrunched handful of straw, a murmured breath, a sigh - which is then looped and fed through a delay unit. It’s a strange prelude to a strange opus.

Herbert and three of the band members set themselves up outside the sty area, with keyboards, an electronic drum kit and effects units and consoles. They’ve all donned long white coats and look somewhat like scientists. The remaining band member is inside the sty. It becomes apparent quite early into the performance that he is “playing” the pig. I’m not sure how I feel about this.

The band begin working their way through an edited, often improvised version of the album. Just like the recorded version, it tends to be one part melody to two parts abstract noise, off-kilter beats and oinking samples. When the oinks are used as percussion sounds and triggered by the drummer hitting his electronic kit, you almost have to laugh at the oddness of it all. Combine this with the man inside the pen, who is now dancing around in his lab coat like a mad scientist at a warehouse rave, and you’re left with downright absurdity.

Matthew Herbert and chef Jesse Gerner. Photo: Michael Clayton-Jones.

Herbert is stone-faced through it all and deep in concentration. It’s a bit hard to see what he’s doing, though. At this point I should mention the function of the strings between the mic stands - each one is linked to a band member’s instrument or effects unit, and when they are pulled on, twisted or otherwise manipulated, the resulting change in sound is immediately apparent. The pig man, having no instrument of his own, uses this to great effect by adding wailing reverb, filters and delay to the sounds of the other instruments. It’s fascinating to watch, and a truly novel way of performing - sort of like watching someone play a physical, tangible theremin.

Although most of the performance feels like theatre of the absurd, there are several pieces which stand out as truly beautiful musical compositions in their own right. “October” is one - on the album, the tracks are all referred to by months of the year and builds to a wailing, almost ravey crescendo. It’s like Christian Fennesz remixing “Break in the Clouds”. With added pig, natch.

Towards the end of the performance, a chef comes onstage and sets up on a raised dais behind the band, right at the back of the stage. He has his own kitchen bench and stove set up, and begins cutting pork chops before turning on a large industrial fan behind the stove. I can see what’s going to happen. Soon the smell of roasting meat is wafting over the entire hall. In the front row, a woman gets up and leaves, disgusted.

The band are playing “August”, a composition based around an keening, alien-sounding organ-like instrument. It’s a sound filled with pathos and regret. There’s definitely something being said here, but it’s hard to say what.

The chef finishes cooking and brings the meal to a high table in the rear corner of the stage. The band take off their coats and assemble at the table with their heads bowed, as Herbert takes to the microphone. Accompanied by piano, he sings a short, simple song of thanks for the pig. It’s as earnest and poignant a grace as I’ve ever heard, and a surprisingly human end to a very porcine performance.

Listen to Matthew Herbert on Pulse Radio

On Your Niche Selections

http://pulseradio.net — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:55:54 +1000

This Saturday On Your Niche (event page) will be launching their monthly residency at the newest addition to London's day/nightlife, The Star By Hackney Downs. Famous for featuring some of the cream of the worlds musical talent in a real pub setting, The Star Of Bethnal Green has rightly achieved iconic status in the capital, and last week saw them launch their sister establishment. Following parties around Dalston, On Your Niche will be starting a monthly residency, kicking off just before sundown and going through to the early hours. As a little taster of what to look forwards to, the residents (alongside Oz/Dubai export Rod Lee Winters who joins for the opening) pick some choice musical selections.

Nick Cobby

Inland Knights - The Game

One of my all time favourite tunes from Nottingham's own Inland Knights. Its a sure thing every time. Summer vibes all round!

Dionne - Come get my Lovin

Oldie and goodie, with great vocals, and a rare find in a 12" basement bin. There's so many different versions of this track, but nothing seems to beat the original.

Jean Mallé

Onra - High Hopes (feat Reggie B)

French/Vietnamese future funk hero Onra's take on SOS Band. To quote one youtube fan's review "Blew my nuts clean off. CLEAN OFF."

Groove Armada - The Girls Say (Greg Wilson Edit)

Mother-funkin' grooves. It's 8:08 minutes long, which is, also, mildly interesting.

Ben Start

Maze Feat Frankie Beverly - Twilight

Low slung grooves for the early evening

Move D Feat Eric D Clark - Sur Bateau Avec Eric

Teasing little number, dance in your chair or on a table.

Jimmy Posters

Amerigo Gazaway of Gummy Soul - Ya Mama And Stuff

Off an awesome compilation of Pharcyde and Tribe Called Quest re-edits. This is straight dance floor for the heads and freshmen alike.

Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It (Extended Version)

Everyone loves Tina. FACT!

Rod Lee Winters

Mr G - Stolen Moments

Low slung grooves, warm pads and strings, Saturday afternoon stuff.

Prince - What have you done for me lately (Naytronix version)

If you're going to take on the purple one, this is how its done.

The Star By Hackney Downs on Facebook and Twitter, 35 Queensdown Road, E5 8NN London, United Kingdom.

On Your Niche

Funkyzeit's Top 5 Bass Culture Tracks

http://pulseradio.net — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:32:10 +1000

Funkyzeit are preparing to host the likes of legendary French house man D'Julz for their next party on the 17th May in London. Fresh from their original home of Crucifix Lane and heading Red Gallery, it makes perfect sense to invite Bass Culture Records' honcho to headline this landmark event. Joined on the night by Oli Low and John Swing, Oli chooses his top 5 tracks from the legendary French imprint to get us all in the spirit...

Jon Jastszebski - Clock

Lovely deep warm-up track by Jon Jastzebski, a young Frenchman with a lot of promise.

MR G - GOT THAT SWING

Mr G is without doubt one of the most interesting producers around at the moment, there's an incredible groove to everything he does.

D'JULZ - FOFOCA

The Bass Culture boss showing us how it's done. D'Julz is an incredibly talented producer, each track has that inimitable rolling sound that keeps people dancing.

RYAN ELLIOT + ANALOGUE COPS - GENTLEMAN

Massive collaboration between two artists we have a lot of respect for. A peak time banger.

MR G - SUNDAY BLUES (KASPER REMIX)

This track pretty much sums up the sound of FunkyZeit, music for dancing to!

Funkyzeit present: D'julz
Friday, 17 May 2013
11pm - 6.30am
The Red Gallery

Tickets

Listen to Bass Culture on Pulse Radio.

Sankeys DJs' Top Tips For Ibiza Virgins

http://pulseradio.net — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:52:01 +1000

It's that time of year again - forget about the unpredictable seasons and get ready to pack your bags for your first ever trip to Ibiza. As the island evolves and dabbles in differing genres, styles and spaces, so too do the generations of hungry clubbers and electronic music fans making haste to the Balearic hub. Some are seasoned in the art of Ibiza clubbing... and some aren't going to know what's hit them. If you're taking your first steps towards the clubbing mecca of the world, then take some time to listen to some bits of advice from these hardened, experienced DJs that are 'manning the decks' at Sankeys this year. All respected names in their fields - and experts in the art of pacing themselves - read on as they give their essential tips for making it through your trip in one - albeit - sane piece.

Steve Lawler

“Sleep at every little opportunity you get before you come to the island and foldable sunglasses that fit in your pocket for those early hours leaving clubs and hangin’ out at villas. And don’t buy drugs off the lucky lucky men!”

David August

“Bring enough money.”

Darius Syrossian

“Pace yourself, there is a lot of parties and a lot of after parties, and Ibiza isn’t just about parties. It’s a beautiful island with lots of things to see and do. So make sure you explore the Island properly.”

Just Be

“Go to bed at some point and drink lots of water.”

Shadow Child

“Depends… each to their own type thing but to truly enjoy the experience, it's all about 'day after' remedies and suncream or you won't enjoy it. If you’re able to get a car then I seriously suggest going to see other parts of the island. It's a much more special place than any of the hot-spots lead you to believe. Explore and keep an open mind!”

Luis Groove

“When you go out to party, eat always when you have the chance to because you never knows when will be the next time you can and always bring sunglasses with you.”

Antonio Piacquadio

“Sleep as much as you can three days prior to arrival and drink plenty of fluids while you’re there.”

Waze & Odyssey

“Bring a neck brace if you come to see us.”

Catch the above DJs playing Sankeys Ibiza Opening Parties on Thursday 23 May and Friday 24 May. Click the buy buttons underneath.

Friday

Saturday

Listen to Sankeys Ibiza on Pulse Radio.

Australian Winter Festival Guide

http://pulseradio.net — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:07:03 +1000

Peter Rauhofer Passes Away: Pulse Radio Takes a Look Back

http://pulseradio.net — Wed, 08 May 2013 04:00:20 +1000

Grammy Award-winning DJ and producer Peter Rauhofer died today in New York City at the age of 48, after an unfortunate battle with brain cancer. His remains will be transported back to his home city of Vienna, Austria.

His manager took to Facebook to post a heartfelt message about his passing and his legacy on Peter's page. The post received over 1,431 shares on Facebook and 477 comments from fans leaving their goodbyes.

A few of the comments illustrate the admiration and love his fans held for him.

It's a sad day indeed for the dance music community, with various super star DJs chiming in via Twitter and Facebook to give their condolences through a few dedicated words or a song played in his memory.

Remixes of famous pop tracks by artists such as Whitney Houston, Madonna, Mariah Carey, and Seal also garnered Peter a lot of attention. In the dance community, he was widely respected for his work on remixing Depeche Mode tracks. Recently, Peter took his hand to remixing "Don't You Worry Child" by Swedish House Mafia and "Skyfall" by Adele. He was the label boss of Star 69 (*69) Records which housed many of his releases and those of Israeli DJ/Producer Offer Nissim. One of his widely recognized tracks, "The World is Mine" was remixed by Swedish House Mafia.

In memoriam, here a few of his tracks we loved throughout the years.

Listen to Star 69 on Pulse Radio

Cinnaman & Job Jobse's guide to Amsterdam

http://pulseradio.net — Tue, 07 May 2013 19:11:52 +1000

Us Europeans are lucky enough to have our fair share of unique and individual cities to choose from. Amsterdam is one of the world's most famous citadels, and for many a good reason too. Home to historical figures such as Anne Frank & Van Gogh, home to over 800 museums & galleries, a rich history in design & interior, a reputation as one of the most visually appeasing metropolis' around and a burgeoning, underground music scene that includes some of contemporary electronica's finest producers and DJs. Two such DJ names - Cinnaman & Job Jobse - here offer us a guide to the Dutch city as they deliver an exclusive B2b mix, stating to us their reasons to come and explore the natural beauty, cosmopolitan attitude and diverse, forward thinking culture that Amsterdam is famous for.

What is about the city that you think no other can offer in terms of vibe and culture? Cinnaman: The fact that it’s a small city but still has the same vibe and culture as big metro pole because it has a big creative scene. Not only music wise, but also when it comes to graphic designers, art, photographers and other creative stuff.
Job: It really feels like a small village where everyone knows each other.
Cinnaman: Travelling by bike or foot will get you everywhere in Amsterdam.

How have you seen the city change over the years? Job: If I’m honest, I haven’t actually. I have the feeling that all the people around me are still doing the same thing, they’re just getting better at it. Maybe the way people look at Amsterdam has changed. I sense that people from abroad are noticing and respecting our small little scene much more lately.

How can you sum up the musical vibe and tastes in the city? Cinnaman: Diversity is the main key in Amsterdam. Since the city is small but packed with all these dj’s, producers and other musicians the scene's mix a lot.
Job: You see this when going to clubs, it’s not just the house kids hanging with the house kids, you know.
Cinnaman: But most of all, you hear it in the music coming from this city. If you listen to artists like Melon, San Proper, Awanto 3, Boris Werner or Tom Trago you can definitely hear there’s a distinguished Amsterdam sound.

The best club in the city is… Cinnaman: Trouw!
Job: Yes. By far. It’s the place where we both hold our residency and host a monthly club night. I can’t believe it already has to close in 1,5 years. What are we going to do, haha.

The best after hours party in the city is… Cinnaman: Now that Trouw has a 24-hour permit it will soon become the best after hour place for sure. But normally the after hours are at home as most venues have to close at 5AM. Or maybe the Savoy Bar. It’s a classic Amsterdam café. I think it’s open every day till 4AM: for bad music and beer.
Job: Yes, you know it has been a good night when you end up there.

A great place to hang out in Amsterdam is… Cinnaman: Erasmuspark aka my front yard.
Job: It’s not so popular but I think it’s one of the nicest parks in Amsterdam. I accidently met Yuri there once on his birthday when he actually wasn’t celebrating it. In the end we did celebrate it together. I think this must have made him very happy because he’s been talking about it ever since.

For a relaxed drink and a good vibe, you suggest going to… Cinnaman: Bar Ludwig.
Job: Yes. And I really like Basis. It’s a small temporary bar where they have the best cocktail in the world: fly me to the moon. It’s strawberry-appel juice with absinthe. But if you plan on going you have to be quick, they’re closing this summer. Also Struik is awesome. It’s the kind of place where you can just go and you’re sure to meet a friend. Any day, any time.

Is record shop culture still alive and where do you suggest to buy your goodies from if so? Cinnaman: Yes. It’s definitely still alive and it’s becoming bigger again too I think.
Job: When it comes to house music Rush Hour is hands down the best place to go in Amsterdam. That’s where I started buying records.
Cinnaman: I worked there for five years and still come there a few times every month to dig.
Job: Close to Rush Hour you’ll also find Waxwell. Which is the best place in the city to buy everything except house, actually. Disco, soul, jazz, hip-hop, pop, rock soundtracks, you name it and they’ll have it. All second hand, but usually in great condition.

What's the best kept secret of the city that's not so widely advertised? Cinnaman: L'angoletto, an Italian restaurant. I love to go there and eat proper Italian. Don't go there if you need to go out after because you will smell after everything they’ve made that evening.
Job: The best place is Amsterdam for me is Het Stenen Hoofd, which is Dutch for head of stone. It’s a deserted old pier at Amsterdam’s biggest river, Het IJ. I grew up next to it and it’s probably one of the places I’ve spend the most time at in my life.

If you're going to try something as a one-off in the city, it should be…? Cinnaman: Depends on what you’re into, there are lots of interesting thing to do. The Stedelijk Museum is a very nice place to go.
Job: It opened again last year, with a whole new wing build next to the old building, that looks like a giant bathtub. It looks crazy but amazing. So even going there to look at it from the outside is an experience.

What's the best thing to do for a weekend excursion out of the city? Cinnaman: Go to Wijk aan Zee. Enjoy the sea!
Job: Or rent a bike and go to Durgerdam, this tiny village just outside of Amsterdam. It’s just a line of houses on a dike and it’s stunning.

The best thing to do as a visitor to the city is…. Cinnaman and Job: See us deejaying somewhere in Amsterdam.

Tracklisting
01. Owiny Sigoma Band - Nyiduonge Drums [Brownswood]
02. Omar-S - Thank You 4 Letting Me Be Myself [FXHE]
03. Raze - Break 4 Love (Drop The Panties) [Grove St.]
04. Neville Watson - Songs To Elevate Pure Hearts [Crème Organization]
05. TowLie - This Is A Moment (BMX Edit) [W.T. Records]
06. OB Ignitt - Oh Jabba [FXHE]
07. Barnt - Tunsten (Mellopella) [Cómeme]
08. MRSK - Image Ctrl [Skudge Records]
09. The Music Freaks - Wild Pitch [Sex Mania]
10. DJ Deeon - Freak Like Me [Dance Mania]
11. Schatrax - Keep On Loving [Schatrax]
12. DJ MFR - Latin Seduction (Matt's Late Night Dub) [Titled Records]
13. Eli Escobar - Work It [Dither Down]
14. DJ Richard - Leech2 [White Material]
15. Kylie Minogue - Where Is The Feeling? (Da Klubb Feelin Mix) [Deconstruction]

Listen to Cinnaman on Pulse Radio.

Inner Varnika Festival In Review

http://pulseradio.net — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:17:03 +1000

What sound does a kick drum make? It all depends who you ask. At any one of the hundreds of small festive gatherings in the Australian bush, people will tell you a makes a sound like “doof”. There’s one place, though, where they say it makes a different sound. There, it’s more of a “thump”.

So goes the banter on the official event page, anyway. Inner Varnika: not a doof, it’s a thump. We’re all curious. Who are these upstarts, bringing a small but well-curated house and techno lineup to five hundred people, way out in some mystery corner of the bush? It warrants further investigation, to say the least. A couple of hours’ drive from Melbourne, finishing with a long and winding narrow road, and we find ourselves at... an old cricket oval? We shrug - we’re here.

It’s small and intimate. There’s a lot of attention to detail. I guess you could call it a “boutique festival”, if you really wanted to. But that term sounds a bit wanky to my ears. Inner Varnika is more of a tiny, undiscovered treasure. The organisers have spent years, they say, travelling the world as festival tourists and have borrowed the best bits from a multitude of events. You can see it in the small things, whether it’s little silver pyramids hanging from the trees like sparkly triforces or the grove of colourful wooly baubles that gently donk your head as you go to and from the stage area. At night, the huge gum tree behind the stage is lit up with floodlights and transformed into a psychedelic Faraway Tree.

The music kicks off in the late afternoon, with a few locals on before first headliner Lerosa. He’s playing a live set tonight, and it’s a lot more varied than I’m expecting - from burbling brooks of acid squelch to bold, SNES-esque (try say that fast) synth lines. It’s a great demonstration of his ability and range as a producer, but there’s not much of an overarching narrative in the set.

As the night wears on, the music weirds on. I’m used to your garden-variety bush doofs, where the tunes will generally advance past the 145bpm range later in the night. Here, the tempo is pretty constant throughout the night. Instead of getting faster, the tunes just get weirder. It’s that “Black Naga” vibe, except that something like Pachanga Boys would be far too obvious a choice for these old crate diggers. It’s as if each successive DJ reaches deeper into the communal record bin, coming out with ever-increasingly obscure vinyls. The dancefloor is thick with undulating bodies and techno nerds shouting in each others’ ears for track ids. Later consultation of my notepad for further details of this period reveals dust, squashed bugs and indecipherable scribbles. So much for taking notes.

Eventually, the acid techno gets too much and we head to bed. We’re serenaded to sleep by Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada. Beautiful.

Saturday ramps up slowly, in small forays to the stage. Breakfast is muesli bars and Up ‘n’ Go - standard festival fare. We take it easy back at camp and the day rolls gently onwards. Saturday afternoon’s highlight is the South London geezer Wbeeza. He’s an instant contrast to the paisley-clothed rabble of the crowd — he struts onstage with a lordly air in his Nike jumper and back-to-front red baseball cap, and wastes no time in laying down some bright, sunny house beats. “Coast Guard” is a particular late-set standout, and the ‘Beez even takes special care to announce to us he’s about to play it. In fact, he’s very mic-happy throughout the whole of his set. At one point, while we’re back at camp on a muesli bar re-up mission, the sound cuts off abruptly. Seconds pass. The silence is surreal. Then our hero’s distinctive cockney lilt rings out, “Oi, bruv... erm, I fink I need a drink or sumfin.” With that, the tunes are back and it’s all smiles. Classic.

[NB: Picking up the mic is something only English DJs can get away with (Carl Cox, Pete Tong, etc.). Under no circumstances should you ever attempt this in your DJ career.]

Wbeeza ends up having such a good time that he blasts on for an extra half an hour. Leopard-clad local Louis McCoy is up next. He looks a little nervous at first - understandably, following Wbeeza’s demonic live set - but keeps the vibe going with some well-picked selections. After Louis, an actual band take to the stage. They’re billed as Andy Hart and Max Graef but there are three people in all. It’s strange seeing instruments here, but we quickly get into the groove and have a great boogie to their funk-laden disco tunes. See, guys? Guitars are still cool.

After a bit of a break back at camp, we start back towards the stage to find Sydney DJ Magda Bytnerowicz warming up the crowd. The laidback vocal sample of Joy Orbison’s ‘Ellipsis’ sweeps over the dancefloor and camping grounds: “We just used to like... do our own thing.” Five hundred folks, gathered on a tree-rimmed cricket oval somewhere just south of Woop-Woop, just here to do our own thing. It’s a beautiful moment.

Later: a small Eurasian-looking man nestled deep in a furry hood is setting up his laptop and midi controller. It’s Luke Hess, Detroit’s friendliest dub techno warlock. If you’ve listened to Hess’ recordings before, you might expect something similar from his performance — deep, cave-dwelling techno with murky, enveloping pads. But Hess can’t stop smiling. A big cheesy grin adorns his face for nearly the whole set. The absurd contrast between his buoyant expression and the serious, weighty thumps of the music is too much; looking around, I can see people grinning similarly as they stomp into the dark dust. The green laser ripples off the cave-like walls of the stage canopy behind Hess. For an hour and a half, we’re completely transported into his subterranean realm. It’s a kind of sonic spelunking. Percussive flurries stun us like the flutter of disturbed bats and hi-hats hit like rhythmic water drops from spindly stalactites. With each beat, we go deeper underground. The surface is nowhere in sight. But our guide knows these caves well, and he smiles as he leads us further downwards.

Then he’s done and we’re back on solid earth. Having led us safely through the labyrinth, our guide retires for the night. But there are still a couple of hours until bedtime. We decide it’s a good idea to keep on dancing. The ground beneath us is subject to continuous stomping from hundreds of feet over the weekend, and gradually turns a dark brown, then black. How is this possible? Have we scorched the very earth from the friction of our footfalls? I imagine later civilisations unearthing rough diamonds on this very spot; diamonds formed under the intense pressure of our dancing feet. We’ve well and truly shaken off our city shoes and are barefoot in the dust. The wind whispers through the gum trees and a thousand stars smile down on us. We dance until the speakers speak no more.

Sunday morning finds us sore and tired. Rising late, we wake to find that many of our neighbours have already left — too bad for them. The last day is always the best day.
Later in the afternoon, we’ve packed up our tents, gathered our scattered and soiled belongings and generally readied ourselves for a quick getaway. There’s not much left to do but play a quick game of Nang of Fortune and then head back for Lerosa’s closing set.

Lerosa plays for hours. His live set was good, but the man’s an expert behind the wheels of steel. He leads us on a strange and beautiful journey, full of backroads, blind alleys and the odd scenic lookout. Behind the stage, two girls are whirling around with huge, pink-feathered wings. The dancefloor is a carnival of weirdness. Joyous oddballs outbound, grinning and laughing. Glitter and bubbles fill the air. Someone offers me roasted almonds from a frisbee platter. Mayhem. Complete and utter blissful mayhem. But it’s time to go. I wade my way out of the swirling glen of writhing limbs and ravey colours. I’ll miss this place.

Listen to Pulse Radio

Fresh Blood: Maher Daniel

http://pulseradio.net — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 01:52:53 +1000

Oscar Wilde once said that 'youth is wasted on the young,' but these days, in forward thinking electronic music, the young are doing anything but wasting their youth. There is an abundance of fresh blood to be sniffed out and unearthed and here at Pulse, as always, we intend to showcase the best of them before they hit the stratosphere.

Maher Daniel may be this week’s featured artist on Fresh Blood, but he is certainly not a new producer. With a discography reaching back over 6 years, he’s established himself as a talented musician and DJ, delivering high quality, innovative, and intelligent music. With releases on Get Physical, Souvenir, Bedrock and more, and several forthcoming tracks on Supernature and All Day I Dream, amongst others, this Montreal-based citizen of the world is one to watch out for. Listen to his exclusive Fresh Blood mix below, and as a special gift, download his remix of Duke Dumont’s “The Giver” by clicking here.

Tell us about this mix – how did you approach it and what’s unique about it? First off, thanks for having me on Pulse and doing this little number. I have a unique way of approaching mixes to be honest. I love it when the listeners can actually sit down at home and turn on the mix and just listen without having it banging right from the start. Just like my sets when I play out, I like to tell a story and let things evolve naturally with the music. I’m a big advocate of programming and I think it goes a long way when performing live or putting together a studio mix. I have included some unreleased material including myself and Gab Rhome's release on All Day I Dream which will be out this summer, Paolo Rocco's People Say forthcoming on Saved records and a few other hidden gems.

This feature is called Fresh Blood – but you’ve been in the game for a while! When did you get started producing music? I have been producing since 2003/2004 almost 10 years now, at first it was all fun and games but I realized at some point when I started releasing music that I can actually do something with this, It may have taken a little time, but the time it has taken has really let me mature and evolve with my sound to where I want it to be right now. and I am extremely happy about that. I follow a strict thought process which is "choose a Job you love and you will never work a day in your life" and honestly that’s how I found something I love and here I am now.

What turned you on to dance music in particular? My older brother was a DJ, he and a group of his friends used to throw parties in the late 90's here in Montreal, that’s where I really started going out and getting into the likes of John Digweed, Sasha, Carl Cox, The Chemical Brothers, Crystal Method, Deep Dish, Danny Tenaglia, Derrick Carter to name a few. But off course there were older influences like Depeche mode, and Kraftwerk, that were always being played around the house before I even went to my first party.

What was the scene like in Montreal when you got started compared to now? Montreal was compared to Europe back in the days, I mean every major A class DJ came through the city playing at one of the after-hours such as Stereo, Sona or Aria. The regular club hours were all about house music and proper dance vibes but that’s all changed now. The scene is still super strong and has a lot of people are trying to bring it back to what it used to be, but with the overflow of EDM its rare to find proper 10-3 clubs playing proper house music apart from a handful. Thank god we still have Stereo, Circus. Piknic Electronik and Igloo Fest which are all world class and pushing the scene and trying to bring it back to life.

Tell us a bit about your studio – what bits of kit do you absolutely love (hardware or software)? My studio is real riot. I’m running Pro tools as my DAW, and a Digi 002 mixing board. As for gear between myself and Gab we have a Moog Voyager, Prelude, Vermona Drm II, Blofeld little phatty, juno 6 and a roland Jx305. its hard to say which ones I love I think they would get jealous if I pick a favorite. I love them all equally - each has its own set of qualities and temperaments

You’ve had great releases on Bedrock , Circus Recordings, Get Physical and more. What can we expect from you over the next few months? Yes I have had my fair share of releases on some heavy imprints as mentioned above as well as Rejected, Leftroom, Souvenir, and the list can go on, but the next few months really sees a different progression in my work not just as a solo artist but really with collaborations. I’ve been working really closely with my good buddy and talented producer Gab Rhome [Get Physical Music, Supplement Facts] and we have releases coming out on Audiofly's Supernature, and Lee Burridge and Matthew Dekay's All Day I Dream. I also have a Collaboration with Smash TV which we had done back in November for their Album Noise and Girls forthcoming on Get Physical Music, plus many more as the list goes on. Recently jI just had a release come out on Tiefschwarz's Souvenir Music Called “Swollen” which I had done with a good friend and another young Montreal talent Richie G aka Rychard.

As your gigs pick up, what are some of the destinations you’re most looking forward to playing at? I will be spending most of my time in Europe as of June 6th. Myself and Gab are moving to Barcelona so I’m going to be playing quite a lot on the other side of the Atlantic which I’m excited about. I would say one that I am really looking forward to is Fabric on June 29th with Tiefschwarz. Fabric is just one of those legendary clubs that has been on the top of my list so really looking forward to that. I’m really thankful for the team I have behind me from my manager Amir Amini at Jam Management to my agencies The Bullitt Agency, Wilde Agency and Fire In the Disco who have been relentless and working hard to push and get me where I am today.

How do you see this career evolving for you? Do you have a goal in mind? Honestly I’m all about focusing on the now and just doing the best I can at what I do, no one really knows what’s going to happen down the line. But hopefully it will be this and just enjoying life and playing the music I love to people around the world, because at the end of the day we’re all in this for the music first and foremost. But I would honestly love to be writing music for film in my later years - I think electronic music is really starting to be more and more present in film and scoring a soundtrack would be an ultimate goal for me.

If you could close your eyes now and hear any piece of music, what would it be? Yoko Duo - First In line. Not sure if you are familiar with Yoko Duo but its made up of Holger Zilske and August Landellius - there stuff is absolutely brilliant….

Who are some other artists you’ve enjoyed collaborating with, or whose music you are appreciating these days? I’m almost sure that this year has been the year for collaborations and honestly I love it becuase it’s always great to get another person’s perspective in the studio and how they work. I’m a big fan of working with younger artists, and pushing them as well. There are some seriously talented ones out there and to name a few Gab Rhome, Paolo Rocco, Richie G, Jon Charnis, Michael Gracioppo and Jade (toronto) are all producers who have caught my attention and are really pushing the boundaries which is really refreshing. And I have had the pleasure of collaborating with most of them which is always fun and exciting. Also a good friend who I believe you guys just did a piece on is Greg Pidcock ,who has a full length album coming out on Hot Creations. He’s one to look out for and is going to blow up,-he is both musically and artistically talented and has some amazing art work.

What’s your favorite meal to eat when you’re busy in the studio? I usually forget to eat when I’m in the studio. But what is strange is I don't forget to make coffee which I’m always having… but when I’m full on usually an apple or some fruit that’s sitting around does the trick…

Listen to Maher Daniel on Pulse Radio

Time Warp Mannheim 2013 In Review

http://pulseradio.net — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:32:25 +1000

Where else can you move your feet to Dixon, your mind to Ricardo Villalobos and your soul to Marcel Dettmann all in one night? Welcome to Time Warp Mannheim, Edition No. 19. For the duration of seventeen hours, Mannheim’s Maimarkthalle becomes the center of the world for electronic music lovers. Displaying an enormously impressive installment of six stages flanked by equally impressive lighting and visual technology, Time Warp’s stacked line-up of 41 of the best DJs in the world came to give us all their hottest sets. In the words of Pete Tong, we had entered one of the most intense techno events on the planet.

Not only is Time Warp rich with the most hyped acts in the industry, but also establishes a night of reunions and rekindling friendships between the artists themselves and the loyal fans who obviously know that THIS is the best day in the year for techno. The crowd felt the strong vibes of friendship on Floor 3 as Dixon transitioned off the decks into Villalobos with an embrace of respect. Many in the crowd were clearly Time Warp veterans - for example the massive posses which joined Villalobos and Ellen Allien on stage. It quickly became obvious that attendees represented a vast array of countries all over the world, here to pay their respects to their favorite DJs. Flags, body paint and countless different languages gave it all away. I personally find it so inspiring that electronic music events like these have the power to bring together so many different kinds of people, all there to bask in the pleasure of the world’s best beats.

As said, Floor 3 hit us like nothing before; it could only go uphill with Dixon’s 4x4 treatment of Ian Pooley’s CompuRhythm. The Berlin native was simply on fire and although his set was early in the night, the crowd could definitely feel his honest vibes. Dixon always throws in an incredibly versatile array of groovy beats, house rhythms and techno hi- hats, this set was no exception.

Have you ever chased Berlin with Chile? Ricardo Villalobos...he makes you feel like you’ve found the 8th wonder of the world. The man can get away with anything when he’s behind the decks. The crowd was loving it as much as he was, perfectly wild plucking of tracks that magnetize every electronic music lover into his sets. Although it’s hard to full appreciate Villalobos’ skills during a shorter set like this one, it was impossible not to loose yourself in the beat. We decided to leave his set on a high note before it ended and followed the techno to Floor 1, where the East Berliner Marcel Dettmann was hitting the crowd with his Berghain sound. Although we didn’t catch his full set, what we heard was a clear hilight of the night. We transcended right into the depths of the crowd to enjoy some pure techno pleasure.

Arriving at Floor 6 was always like stepping into an intense audio and visual trip. Jamie Jones spun a solid end to his set which had the crowd going wild until the very last minute. The Visionquest pranksters were up next to take the crowd on an equally as beautiful journey. I had a quick chat with Seth Troxler as Ryan Crosson and Shaun Reeves were spinning back to back. Troxler was very proud of Visionquest 13’s debut at Timewarp, which was the crew’s second installment of the tour. He asked me how I liked it and shared that he and the boys spent the whole day setting it up with their own hands, to make sure the crowd felt the honesty in what they played. We then preceded to bond over being liberal Americans who both worship electronic music at a level equal to the Europeans

On multiple occasions my favorite track “Another Earth” lifted from Tale of Us’ new EP was played, by the likes of Dixon and the Visionquest boys none the less. If there was a tune of the night, this was clearly it. If you weren’t lucky enough to be in Mannheim for Timewarp’s most successful event yet, don’t fret, 2014 will mark the festival’s 20th year anniversary and we are sure it will be bigger and better than ever. If you can’t wait that long, check out Time Warp’s second biggest installment in Holland on the 7th of December. Oh, and did we mention Time Warp officially marks the beginning of festival season? Hope you’re as excited as we are!

Photography by Andy Stewart. Header photography by Kidkuts Photography/ supplied by Time Warp.

Listen to Ricardo Villalobos, Marcel Dettmann & Ellen Allien on Pulse Radio.

Shogun Audio: Meet The Assasins

http://pulseradio.net — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:42:14 +1000

In a valiant attempt to follow up what was arguably the finest drum and bass event of 2012, Shogun Audio's near legendary Shogun Ewer Street party, label boss Friction, along with an impressive roster of drum and bass expendables, hand-picked from the cream of the contemporary crop along with a few 'Greatest of All Time' names for good measure will be taking over the red arches of Gt Suffolk Street in collaboration with the London Warehouse Events team to bring you what's more than likely to be the best drum and bass party of the year - Shogun Warehouse London 2013.

Featuring friends and affiliates from further afield - inclding Noisia, Randall, The Prototypes, Randall proferring an exclusive jungle set and juke experimentla producer Om Unit - it sees the camp mix these names alongside flagship artists from the ever impressive Shogun night. read on as Pulse introduces you to some of the main players on the imrpint.

Rockwell

Thomas - Rockwell - Green, regularly touted as one of the hardest working DJ's in the drum and bass scene today will, without a doubt, bring a set as fresh as it is forward-thinking. With an enviable talent for pristine production having guaranteed near-immediate success and releases across the industry before finally settling into the exclusive deal with Shogun having brought us past classics such as the unforgettable 'Reverse Engineering', 'Underpass and those Flowdan collaborations, have cemented Rockwell as one of the more forward-thinking, original names out there and definitely one to watch on the night.

Icicle

Originally hailing from Eindhoven, Holland and building a name for himself via Iceland's burgeoning underground music scene, Icicle AKA Jereon Snik, fresh off of the release of his 'Nights Like This' remix will be amongst the all-star home team holding up the decks in the main room. Representing the sounds of Shogun and Icicle music, a sound as dark, sparse and ice cold as it gets. Don't expect anything other than a relentless, bass-fuelled assault on the senses when Icicle is in the building.

Alix Perez

Showcasing his newest full-length album effort, '???' (we can't say what it's called but it's featuring Jehst and lots of other people), Shogun superstar, the one and only Alix Perez aims to follow on from his critically acclaimed, game-changing début '1984' with a one hour special showcase set featuring live performances from every vocalist to feature on the album! Very unlikely to happen again. Very unlikely not to be awesome.

Spectrasoul

Everybody's favourite Brighton based, bass-heads, rock solid DJ's and producers of quite possibly 2012's definitive drum and bass long-player, the spectacular Delay No More, Spectrasoul will of course be heading up the vanguard and representing the home team. Looking to represent their infinitely varied and diverse, soul-meets BASS sounds whilst always traversing new drum and bass territories, as always, expect the sounds of the intoxicating deep and the impeccably produced from their opening high hat of the closing pitch drop. Don't miss it!

See underneath for full event details and to grab your tickets, right here on Pulse. See you at the front, it's going to be HUGE!

Shogun Audio London warehouse Party
Friday 26th April
Ewer Street Carpark
London
10am - 6pm

Line Up
Friction
Alix Perez
Roska
DJ EZ
Rockell
The Prototypes
Spectrasoul
Icicle
Randall
Om Unit
Tessela
Technimatic

Listen to Spectrasoul, Icicle and Rockwell on Pulse Radio.

Loco Dice Returns to Pacha NYC For An Incredible Set

http://pulseradio.net — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 06:54:14 +1000

No one can contest that Loco Dice loves New York City and excitement was already arising on Twitter before his arrival on Friday. Rumors of an extended set at Pacha NYC were floating around, and based on his prior performances there, they were not falsely based. Some of us girls left our heels at home deep in the closet, arming ourselves with flat dancing shoes for our favorite kind of nights.

One in the morning, and New York's famous dance institution Pacha was already filled with party goers and expectations. Willie Graff took to opening the decks on vinyl, guiding our anticipation with the perfect build up in energy. It comes as no surprise that Graff has become a favorite of Loco Dice's, opening not only here at Pacha NYC for him, but at Space Miami as well for the traditional Marco Carola/Loco Dice marathon. Graff is no stranger to the New York City crowd, holding down a well respected residency at Cielo. By two in the morning, Graff graciously relinquished control of the decks to Loco Dice.

He came to play and play he did - for eight whole hours. A complete journey handled with expert care, for every build there was a chance for music heads on the floor to rejuvenate and come back strong with hands in the air for the next track. Friends who were new to Dice's style had texted saying they "couldn't keep their feet still", a testament to the energetic set he played. Certain points of his set hit the higher end of bpms with some fast techno tracks, a subtle realization as my own dancing pace increased. Towards 8:00am, Dice jumped on the microphone to shout out to NYC, followed by a humorous note from Rob Fernandez that the bar was now open…only a casual reminder that we've been partying long enough for Pacha to legally reopen the bar. Towards the end, a napkin with a note written on it was thrown onto the decks in the booth and summarized it all: Dice "you're fucking killing it". Cinching off the night with Desolat release "Press For Two" by Aldo Cadiz, Ricky Erre Love and lots of streamers, Dice brought the musical magic to a stop but not the afterglow within.

What makes Dice's return to Pacha special each time, is not simply the aspect of great music, but a meeting of old and new friends as well. It is the gathering of good people that return each time to support Loco Dice and his musical ventures on Pacha's decks that add another level of energy for him to feed off of. As everyone comes out of the woodworks to dance, new people are brought into the mix as well, and the feeling of community is exponentially magnified. New York City being one of Loco Dice's old stomping grounds, adds that extra element of what can only be defined as "soul". After going to a ridiculous amount of shows weekend in and weekend out, it is when those factors align that makes a performance memorable and the feeling of happiness embraces us as we (unfortunately) leave the club in the morning. Although he played eight hours long, I found myself wishing the night never to end.

Listen to Loco Dice on Pulse Radio

Shogun Audio: Meet The Gang

http://pulseradio.net — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:42:39 +1000

Coachella 2013: Day 1

http://pulseradio.net — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 18:48:24 +1000

Perfect blue skies and a simmer of 33 degrees welcomed the second weekend of Coachella 2013 in Palm Springs yesterday. Ignore what the jaded naysayers and too-cool-for-schoolers have to say about this festival - as it proved on its opening Friday, Coachella is still one of the most exciting and well organised music events in the world. Sure, as Skrillex mentioned at IMS Engage in Hollywood earlier in the week, the average age of punters this year is around eight years younger than in 2012, though from what was witnessed around the grounds yesterday, that doesn't make them any less music-loving. And if you've always pondered going to Coachella but have been put off by past experiences at other festivals of entry troubles, huge drink and toilet cues or poor sound, rest assured, Coachella has seriously got its shit together. The organisation is on another level. It's no wonder it gets to boast such a massive lineup of indie, electronic and rock acts year in, year out.

British indie rockers and arguably band-of-the-moment Alt-J delivered a perfect late afternoon set in the Mojave tent, taking a huge and responsive crowd through their 2012 debut 'An Awesome Wave,' with their hit 'Dissolve Me' clearly going down a favourite. Next door at the Gobi tent, dub and reggae pioneer Lee 'Scratch' Perry did his thing amongst a haze of thick weed smoke eminating from the crowd. I read a review of one of Perry's gigs recently where the writer referred to performance as "embarrassing", which considering the fact that the guy is 77 years-old, was a little harsh I thought. OK, so he might not be the most entertaining or audience-engaging guy, but to see a living musical legend perform in the flesh at such a big festival is something to be grateful for.

As the sun began to dip behind that distinctly surreal rocky mountain skyline, Four Tet was smashing a surprisingly large crowd inside the Yuma Tent (a collaboration with L.A.'s Sound nightclub) with a refreshingly unconventional mixing style. Moving through peaks and troughs of thumping bass music, percussive rhythms and touches of tribal African beats, Four Tet wowed the crowd, who were only to happy to cheer their appreciation during each breakdown. The producer's recent cut 'Locked' went down particularly well, and it was encouraging to see him pull such as an enthusiastic crowd in the USA (coming from a non-American perspective!). DJ Harvey perfectly maintained the energy Four Tet had layed down, moving to more high-NRG disco and bass-driven house sounds. Waving his cowboy hat around and generally having a whale of a time, it was interesting to witness Harvey play at around 126/7 bpm. He is a true DJ's DJ; adaptable and versatile.

Beach House did their emotive, electronic pop thing upon the Outdoor Stage (the jury is still out as to whether their sound works on such a large festival scale) whilst just across the field in distcint contrast Karen O led the Yeah Yeah Yeah's through a typically pumped up set of upbeat pop rock upon the Main Stage. Meanwhile at the smaller Gobi stage (which is actually still quite huge), American duo Purity Ring pulled a massive and distinctly young crowd with their melodic, ethereal electronica. Easily one of the highlghts of the day, Purity Ring exuded the sound of the new generation. Nothing cutting-edge exactly, but you get the feeling that the kind of music this duo are making will be the nostalgic sounds for today's youth a decade from now.

Not exactly a nice way to round off, but biggest disappointment of the day was split between two 90s revivalists; The Stone Roses and Blur. To be fair, it wasn't exactly Blur's fault - Damon Albarn did his best to incite the crowd into action, but it really felt like he was up against a young crowd unfamiliar and indifferent to 90s Britpop. The Stone Roses were up against the same obstacle, however they seemed to bring their embarrassingly small crowd upon themselves with an unnecessary guitar solo during 'Fools Gold' that felt unendingly fatigued.

Oh yeah - and Jurassic Five were fantastic, naturally.

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Miami Dreams - My Music Week Journal

http://pulseradio.net — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 05:11:31 +1000

Each time I visit Miami I am always thrilled by what is to come. Miami is another world especially during Miami Music Week.

I began going to MMW (formerly known as WMC) in 2006. Maybe because the choice of music on offer was superb or I was there with a whole different mentality- this year was by far the best of the last 7 years. As soon as we arrived to our hotel, The Shelborne, we started to feel unmistakable vibes of happiness. Who can beat swaying palm trees, beaches and sexy beats? Going to MMW is a serious matter; there are hundreds of events happening all throughout Miami. It can be overwhelming, skimming through the list week-by-week, and picking the best events according to what DJs are playing. I definitely picked some great events and unfortunately there were several that I couldn't attend because there is only one of me, but believe me, if there were two I’d be all over the map.

Our first night I attended a charity basketball game featuring some of my favorite artists including Lee Foss, Maceo Plex, The Martinez Brothers, MANIK, and many others. It was fun watching these artists get really competitive with each other in basketball and not behind the decks. I kept it mellow the first night anticipating what the rest of the week was going to be like. To be honest we didn't have to go anywhere that night, just sitting at our favorite restaurant Maxine’s was fun. The restaurant had around-the-clock music, along with great food and a patio. The streets of South Beach were sizzling with party people. Girls were dancing in the street stopping traffic in both directions. Of course no one was hurt but I think the bus drivers were a little upset. Just being there, people watching, seeing music lovers brought together, was a blast.

Wednesday was the Nurvous Miami Deep pool party with a lineup that was not to be missed including Danny Daze, Huxley, Cassian, MK, Noir to name a few. The weather was perfection while my friends Amine Edge and DANCE hit the decks melting our ears with some heavy tunes. You can't go wrong with MMW pool parties where beautiful people come out to play. Every set at this party was on point. My favorite DJ was Maxxi Soundsystem - it rarely happens that a DJ opens with one of your favorite tracks, his own "Regrets we have no use for." My conversations ended with whomever I was speaking to, my hands were in the air and it was time to dance, I was happier than a bee in honey. The rest of his set was all about deep house tracks with ear catching vocals and addictive bass. The weather decided to change on us but that stopped no one. Dancing in the rain with isn't so bad after all I was in Miami!

Thursday was none other than the famous Paradise party that was thrown by the main men of Hot Creations, Jamie Jones and Lee Foss. The location of the party was at The Ice Palace in downtown Miami, a very cool spacious venue with multiple rooms and beautiful outside areas with cabanas and tropical foliage all around. It was my favorite venue of the week. The vibe there was off the hook. There was a diverse crowd – many Brits as Hot Creations has a big UK following but I even saw a goth girl. Of course the best set for me was Jamie Jones, his sets never disappointment me. Being close to the speakers is the only place to be on the dance floor, it’s not the best for my ears but its best for my body! When Jamie dropped his remix of Latch by Disclosure the crowd went crazy, I went crazy and went to dance alone in the crowd with my eyes closed. That track was perfect for the energy of the party.

Unfortunately I didn't stay till the end - my energy was to be saved for The Jupiter Jazz yacht party the next day. Jupiter Jazz is the duo of Maceo Plex and Danny Daze, two very talented producers. By this party I started seeing a following of the same people, we all had the same taste in music. We were like a family uniting together from different parts of the world. My Favorite Robot, the trio from Montreal got the crowd going as we set sail across the beautiful ocean. Nothing beats amazing views, great people, and dancing on a yacht in the middle of the ocean to My Favorite Robot and Jupiter Jazz.

On to the last two big parties of the week - Get Lost and Last Resort. They both were at Ice Palace on the west side. Oddly enough, maybe I was just tired from a week of partying, but the best part about the venue was the restrooms!! Each toilet had its own private room with a sink, soap, paper towels, lots of toilet paper, nice tile and glass walls, and they were cleaned every hour! What more could you ask for at a venue?! Both of these memorable parties started in the morning turning into all nighters. There is something very special to me about day raving. Get Lost was the 9th Crosstown Rebels event with a massive lineup, the best I had seen that week. As the night went on we stepped foot inside the other half of the venue to listen to Eats Everything playing some tech house, and ghetto booty shaking house. It was incredible seeing so many good artists in one night - I felt like I was at a DJ circus!

The most memorable moment for me was when Infinity Ink performed. Ali Loves voice is a catch, as they played, Jamie Jones and Richy Ahmed were dancing in the crowd and I thought that was awesome. Track after track was banging as I waited patiently for "Games". As I danced to their entire set nightfall came upon the crowd and it was even more intense than before, maybe because of the red light that shined upon everyone giving it a sexy vibe, or the beautiful man next to me... and then it happened- they dropped my favorite track "Games." That very moment was one for the books as they closed their set at Get Lost. After the set we went inside to watch Fur Coat for a bit- it was going off!! The vibration of the bass was tingling my chest, so good. I remember it being really dark in that room which was perfect for the music that was being played. I had a few stomps then headed back outside to finish the night with Damian Lazarus. He played a variety of tracks with euphoric vocals with a middle-eastern feel to deep dark bassy house. His set kept me dancing till the end and that is a hard task, so it must have been good! Then the party came to an end at and I’m sure I wasn't the only one sad as we left the venue. I wanted more.

So now it’s Sunday, the last day of MMW, and we have Last Resort. We arrived at the party about 4:30pm, which was perfect. Soul Clap and Tanner Ross were b2b on the decks warming up the hungover crowd. They both played some stompers but also some really sexy lounge music. The most memorable track I heard was a remix of SADE "Like a tattoo", it was so chill but really groovy, had a great bass line and of course beautiful vocals. The weather was perfect and I felt so comfortable at that venue. It was lovely.

Solomun was the DJ I was most thrilled to see. More people started to fill the dance floor just in time for Solomun at 7:00pm. He really got the crowd going, and at that point everyone was over their hangovers and started onto their next! I danced to every track to the amazing music he played. Also the speakers were very cool as well because they were flat, and looked like a board. I had never seen any like that before. I loved how Solomun played old tracks from the 80s, of course remixed to perfection. It was particularly sweet when he dropped "Tourist Trap" by Jamie Jones. I almost jumped on someone because I was so excited! My ears were in heaven. The palm trees, the wind, the lights, the music, the people, the energy was a dream come true.

After his set my hunger drove me to the awesome taco truck at the venue that was a great add on as well. Dixon was next to allure the crowd and he was an original as well. The entire night I danced and danced. I had spotted Solomun in the crowd so I went and complimented him on his music and we took a few pictures. Then I took a trip inside to catch Dusky’s set, the duo from England making their first MMW debut. They were giving it to the crowd as well. Each room I went in was full of ear candy so it was hard to stay in just one. Maceo Plex graced us with his presence as the last set of the night at 11pm and I don't think he ended till 4am raining and all. He had the crowd in his hands. My journey started to come to an end when I no longer could dance comfortably because of the pain in my feet and legs. I left about 2 am and headed to Club Space for their closing party. I basically sat on the speakers the entire time and let them move me, literally, the bass was so intense. I did enjoy watching TINI and The Martinez Brothers destroy the dance floor.

As I left Space I began to remind myself of the amazing week I had experienced and all of the great music I had heard. I knew that something so wonderful had to come to an end, but at least I had the memories to take with me, each moment is as vibrant to me now as it was while I experienced it. Until the next…

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Jaymo & Andy George Walk us Through Moda Black II

http://pulseradio.net — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:19:17 +1000

UK tastemakers Jaymo & Andy George are no strangers to supporting the underground of contempoary dance music. After being recognised for their contributions to BBC Radio One and their ever-popular Moda label, the boys decided to delve deeper last year as they explored house and bass music's rising stars on Moda Black Volume 1, a collection of exclusive, unreleased cuts on the sister label.

This week, the DJ duo have released the second part in the Moda Black series, And Pulse can excluisvely share a walk through of the first part of the album featuring Ben Pearce, Eats Everything, M A N I K and more as Jaymo and Andy discuss their reasonings for choosing the tracks and their thoughts on the artists and sounds involved.

The tracklisting for the full album is underneath. Moda Black Volume II is available to buy now from here.

Tracklisting
1. Intro
2. Ben Pearce - Pale Ale
3. Jaymo & Andy George – Remember*
4. Eats Everything - Jazz Hands
5. Lrusse & Bleecker - Caught Up
6. MANIK-SoldMySoul
7. Huxley – Diesel*
8. Ejeca – Alone
9. Medlar & Pedestrian - T .R. Wilson
10. Celsius - Holdin' On
11. Hot Since 82 & Habischman - Leave Me*
12. Hauswerks - Drums & Bass
13. Shadow Child vs Karin Park - Bending Alberts Law
14. Walker & Royce feat. Louisahhh!!! - A Perfect Sound
15. Danny Daze & Maxxi Soundsystem – Karoline*
16. Outro
*Featured on Vinyl Sampler

Listen to Jaymo & Andy George on Pulse Radio.

Fresh Blood: Greg Pidcock

http://pulseradio.net — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:52:19 +1000

Oscar Wilde once said that 'Youth is wasted on the young' but these days in forward thinking electronic music, the young are doing anything but wasting their youth. There is an abundance of fresh blood to be sniffed out and unearthed and here at Pulse, as always, we intend to showcase the best of them before they hit the stratosphere.

Gregory Pidcock has led a life many of us could only dream of, and he’s only 24. Having lived in Thailand, Peru, India, Texas, Ecuador, Argentina, and residing now in Montreal, this citizen of the world draws on a multitude of influences across his artistic endeavors. He is both a visual artist and sound magician, a DJ, producer, audio engineer and graphic designer (see some eye-popping art below). Introduced to Jamie Jones a year ago, he’s been slowly piecing together an album for the ubiquitous Hot Creations imprint, as well as creating his own brand of unique and memorable art. Listen to his exclusive Pulse mix below, and read on for stories of daring, adventure and intrigue across the planet...

(Download link below article)

Tell us about this mix, how did you approach it? This mix was laid out to be a little adventure...The last couple of months have been a whirlwind, so I tried to capture that. I've been in the studio 12 hours a day for 18 consecutive days since WMC/MMW, so the mix was pieced together bit by bit in the early morning or late at night. There's a bunch of tunes made or edited by friends and a remix of mine, which adds a personal feeling. I know when I listen to this mix 5 years from now I'm gonna know exactly how I felt!

When and where did you find house music? Bangkok, Thailand. 1995. I was six years old. My family had just moved us there from Canada and my mom bought my brother and I a pirated copy of the film Hackers on VHS. Apart from being a hilarious and quite sexy take on hacking in the 90s, it featured an incredible soundtrack, which introduced me to Orbital, Prodigy, Underworld, Stereo MCs, Kruder & Dorfmeister, etc. I used to rewind the intro to listen to Halcyon & On & On over and over again. I must have watched the film 200 times!

Having traveled all around the world, you’ve assembled a very interesting set of life experiences. What are some of the places that shaped you most as an artist? Every step, every place, space and person I crossed paths with helped me grow, tested and deepened my determination. Each country I've lived in had its own story connecting me to the music. I can remember my first DJ gig at a backyard rave in Lima, Peru when I was 15. Then, fast forward to playing deep house at the Submerge parties in Bombay in 2005. My friend Nikhil Chinapa's nights were at the core of the beginning of the house scene occurring in Mumbai at the time. Now, he hosts one of the largest festivals in Asia, which takes place in Goa. He booked me to DJ in the city when I was only 16... looking back, we could have gotten in a lot of trouble as the cops are always raiding nightclubs! Montreal has been a blessing as well. I've learned so much here and have come to call it my home. We have an amazingly supportive community of artists and we take care of each other.

How did it become more of a career for you? I've always dreamed of a career in music and it has been almost a year and a half since I started sound engineering professionally. I moved into this amazing loft and, as fate would have it, my next door neighbor is Turkish composer and producer Mercan Dede. He hired me to help engineer the score for the film "The Last Will & Testament of Rosalind Leigh". I was terrible in the studio at that point but he gave me an opportunity to really learn in-depth music production. With him I get to work on 150+ channel arrangements with complex melodic structures and live instruments. Sometimes it's extremely challenging but it's very rewarding work. When I was little, I used to dream of putting together movie scores so being a part of that was thrilling.

You’re a rising star for Hot Creations. How did you get involved with the crew? Jamie Jones & Lee Foss came to town for a Hot Natured gig during spring of last year and I met them backstage at the party. We got on really well and I took Jamie's email down and sent him some of my artwork and music. We kept in touch, I kept working my ass off in the studio and little by little over the last year we've been piecing together my first album. I finally had the pleasure to meet the full Hot Creations crew in Miami last month. It was amazing - they really take care of each other like family, so being welcomed into that type of enviroment was a very positive experience.

As a fresh artist with one of the most recognizable groups in dance music, what are some of the challenges you’ve faced? How have you approached these? I think every day, every weekend, every month is a challenge as an artist! Pay rent, finish track, book international dj, clean your studio (...), buy supplies, paint, write. Life is full of everyday challenges. For the ones you can't face alone, ask for help. Being part of a strong community has been tremendous in continuing to pursue my goals.

Tell us about some of the other forms of art you create. I like to paint animals and skulls with bright colors, take pictures of them, tweak them on the computer and create new work. Sometimes, I decorate my dj booth into a crazy psychedelic animal playground. Lately, I've been creating a lot of kaleidoscopic images using photographs of my paintings. I have a fascination with blacklights and neon colors. I think it had something to do with electrocuting myself on a neon sign in Thailand when I was little. You can follow my artwork on my instagram @gregpidcock. I use it as a picture diary to keep track of my artwork and travels.

How do these other artistic endeavors relate to your music? I feel sound and visuals are closely related but they each work on slightly different parts of the brain. Sound waves and light waves are so similar, and as humans we are only able to perceive a small segment of their spectrum. Exploring this has been exciting. Plus, when they meet in the right way the result is beautiful. Being able to take a day to paint really clears my head and gets me into a different creative decision making process. Decorating my events really allows me to get into my element, perform my best, and create something truly immersive, that invites whoever witnesses it to get into it too.

What do you have lined up in terms of releases, collaborations, etc? We're currently prepping remixes for the first single from the album.... Stay tuned! And last I heard, Richy Ahmed was licensing one of my tracks for his upcoming compilation. Plus, one track from this podcast, my remix of Chris Burns' "IYE" should be coming on vinyl soon on NJ Records. Also my most amazing friend and forever roomate, Kimberly Kitty and I have formed an alliance entitled K&G... we've just finished our first track and have some serious studio sessions booked in May.

What are you most looking forward to this year? Right now I'm completely immersed in engineering Mercan Dede's ninth album, which is going to be something really special. Finishing that and putting the last touches on my own album are on top on my to-do list. I also can't wait to get back to writing and painting. I have some fresh ideas for nightclub installations that I really want to test out at my residency at Velvet here in Montreal. I love throwing parties there and get to bring some great guests in from out of town, so there's always something to look forward to.

You were involved with running a label with Tone Depth, called Bad Pony records. How did that come about, and what did you learn from that experience? Tone Depth & I met while I was working at Cherry in Montreal. I was doing graphics for the club and he needed a hand launching his label. I do graphics, he sorts the music and at the same time I get to learn tons about music production. Tone is a genius in protools and my mixes would not be where they are without him! While we both have different styles of music, we've DJ'd together at various residencies and finished off last summer with a label party at Piknic Electronik, the premiere outdoor event in the city. Bad Pony is as much as a local artist collective as it is a label and we all work hard and play hard.

If you could work with anyone in dance music right now who would it be? Giorgio Moroder, because he's a legend, a pioneer and he seems like a nice guy; I like his approach. I'm obsessed with his arpeggio work. If you asked me about pop music, though, I would love to work with Robyn. I love her voice, vibe and evolution as an artist.

If you could work with anyone in music ever, who would it be? Tough question!! It's a toss up between Jim Morrison and Freddie Mercury.

Download Greg Pidcock's Fresh Blood mix here (right click, save as)

Listen to Greg Pidcock on Pulse Radio

Review: Acid Pauli Lands In Buenos Aires

http://pulseradio.net — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 04:18:19 +1000

Acid Pauli
4th April 2013,
High on the Roof, Piso 3, Defensa 269
Buenos Aires

Having seen Acid Pauli once already at the Mint Warehouse opening in Leeds with Nicolas Jaar, optimistic expectations for a refined musical journey were preset. However the swish setting was something of a pleasant surprise at the party put on by Argentinian indie label Estamos Felices for their ‘High on the Roof’ Thursday night series. In a city whose nightlife has a tendency to kick off especially late, the early start didn’t put off the mid-week crowd in the long run.

Complete with a pool and projections borrowing scenes from Tarrantino films and a bit of Family Guy thrown in for good measure, the chic roof terrace, after a relaxed start, was soon brimming with Buenos Aires’ 20-something trendy crowd while clever lighting created an elegant ambience that would compliment the droning hypnotic beats of Pauli. And if Pauli’s beats were the musical showcase, then the venue’s piece de resistance was the spectacular view of the baroque dome belonging to the Basilica of San Francisco.

Otherwise known as Martin Gretschmann, the electronic music maestro revealed he is currently working on a new album with his veteran band The Notwist for whom he provides the electronic programming. And he looked every bit the part with his sprouting facial hair and wide-eyed glasses. Not to be fooled by his disheveled appearance, there was no surprise at the success of his dancefloor manipulation. Soon everyone was shifting in sync to some deep and steady grooves such as ‘A Clone is a Clone’ off his ‘mst’ LP signed to Jaar’s label Clown & Sunset which resonated strongly across the floor. Another highlight was the entrancing ‘Allowance’ by Isolée lulling the crowd which was by now totally engaged. Even in a DJ set, the parallels with Jaar came across clearly. It wasn't long before he turned up the heat in true Pauli style, after a succession of throbbing basslines transformed the loft space into a dancefloor of low-slung beings. In the build up to the conclusion of his two hour set he ventured deeper playing ‘Greyjoy’ by P.A.C.O and Tube & Burger which raised the temperature considerably before bringing it back down again.

The acute and well-rounded soundsystem, though not overbearing, carried the weighted tilt of Pauli’s music well thanks to the confines of an intimate dancefloor boosted further by the low ceiling. Most impressive was his ability to work the dancefloor despite his typical sound being more poised and introvert. Overall the set had a pleasingly cultured feel that suggested a thoughtfully curated two hours. And by the end of the night, the crowd felt blissfully satisfied, the only drawback of the night being that not even Pauli could induce anyone to take the plunge in the pool.

Photo credit: Nicolás Pérez Gatti

Listen to Acid Pauli on Pulse Radio

Andy Cato's Top R&S/Apollo Records Cuts

http://pulseradio.net — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:43:23 +1000

You'll undoubtedly know the name: Andy Cato has forged himself a shining career as one half of global dance titans Groove Armada. This year though - after spearheading Loveboxx festival and also releasing tracks on cutting edge labels such as Hypercolour - Andy has also announced that he'll be heading back to his roots as he prepares to release his first ever solo album on R&S's revived Apollo label. Turns out that Andy is a massive fan of both R&S/Apollo's classic output, from Joey Beltram's Energy Flash to Jam & Spoon and more. Pulse asked the UK dance icon to pick his favourite classic cuts from the labels illustrious history. Over to you Andy...

Jam and Spoon - Stella

Well documented classic. One of the best, and simplest, synth riffs of all time. Soundtrack to a thousand half memories.

Golden Girls - Kinetic

Another legendary 12". One of those tunes, like Orbital's chime, that features a noise able to blow the roof off any dance floor, anywhere in the world. My signature closing tune from '92 onwards.

Dave Angel - Endless Motions

Heard Mr Angel play this one himself. Must have been soon after the release or maybe even a road test on an acetate. Memories of Amsterdam weekenders. Techno at its tripped out best.

CJ Bolland - Camargue

Big tune. For me forever associated with the Space Terrace. I was in the crowd rather than the booth, on the central podium, with plane wheels in touching distance and Camargue on the speakers.

Joey Beltram - Energy Flash

No Acid House Classics comp is complete with out it. But it still retains its original freshness. Proof that simple js always best. One of those tunes where every element is 100%, and there's no froth to get in the way. First heard this one at a party in Sheffield. One of only 3 times I've let myself go and ask the DJ the name of the track.

B Art - Baby Wants to Ride

Cover of Jamie Principles classic. I used to do a long Ride section mixing between the two. This version is made all the better by the fact that B Art look like they should be in Elvis' band.

The warehouse party boys - the warehouse groove

The name says it all. It was a big tune for the northern warehouse party boys. As rough and raw as the venues and warm cans of red stripe.

Q - From Within

Shades of Mantronix on this tune. Q of course also responsible for one of my all time classics , Mental Cube. The consistent quality became easier to understand when I found that Q are….Future Sound of London, who are also Androgynous Anonymous, who are remixing a tune from Times and Places.

Biosphere - Novelty Waves

Dark ambience from Biosphere. I used to play an edit of this one during the locked in 3am period, often out of Energy Flash. The ragged beats sounded great off the warehouse wall.

Sun Electric - 30.7.94 (Apollo)

Somewhere between Tangerine Dream, Brian Eno and KLF's Chillout album. For those moments when getting lost in sound is the only way out….

Groove Armada play Village Underground on Saturday 20th April alongside Severino and Shadow Child. Tickets available HERE.

Listen to Groove Armada on Pulse Radio.

Terminal Projekt Artist Preview #2

http://pulseradio.net — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:58:50 +1000

When the internationally renowned festival of light, music and ideas, Vivid Sydney, hits the city for 2013 this winter, it brings with it a new event as part of Vivid MUSIC: Terminal Projekt. A celebration of forward-thinking, underground electronic music coupled with mind-blowing 3D mapping projections across two big nights at Customs Hall in Circular Quay, Terminal Projekt will be like nothing Sydney clubbers and music lovers have ever witnessed - a unique party befitting of the standard Vivid audiences have come to expect.

Part one of our feature focused on the house, techno and bass artists playing the opening night. Here we shine the spotlight on the disco, house and funk delights of Tensnake, The Revenge and newcomer HNQO - all taking over the event on Sunday June 9.

The Revenge
If we were to point fingers at the handful of cats responsible for the disco, funk and edits resurgence of the mid to late 00s, there'd be a big, grubby index digit aimed squarely at Graeme Clark, aka The Revenge. The Scottish producer's edits of disco legends Stevie Wonder, Unfinished Business and Hot Chocolate are now the stuff of legend, and the guy's no slouch at crafting original productions either, releasing cuts on famed imprints like Mule Musiq, Delusions Of Grandeur, Future Classic, and his own critically-acclaimed and DJ-adored Delusions Of Granduer. No stranger to Australian shores, The Revenge's return to Sydney for Terminal Projekt (amongst his hectic worldwide DJ schedule for 2013) is just like welcoming back an old pal. In fact, it's exactly like that.

Listen: The Revenge Spotify playlist

Tensnake
Headliners don't come much bigger than Tensnake. But then again, it's not every day an artist produces one of the biggest new-age disco bombs in recent memory. And that's precisely what the Hamburg native did with 'Coma Cat,' which has ignited dance floors across the globe since its release in 2010. However if you thought that Tensnake is one of those guys riding off the success of just one hit, think again; his cred was fervently bubbling away in the undeground well before 'Coma Cat' dropped (see 'Keep Believin', 'In The End (I Want You To Cry)' and 'Congolal' for proof in our Spoitfy playlist below). The producer is bringing his acclaimed live show to Terminal Projekt, and with his new album planned for release this year, Australian audiences will be some of the first to witness them live on the dancefloor.

Listen: Tensnake Spotify playlist

HNQO
22 year-old Brazilian producer and DJ HNQO may only be a fresh face in the scene, but his productions have fellow DJs and clubbers alike double-taking their speakers and taking notice. His tunes caught the ear of a one Russ Yallop at a gig in Brazil, who passed them onto Hot Creations heads Jamie Jones and Lee Foss, which gave birth to the 'Point Of View' EP. Since then the only way has been up for HNQO, juggling time between worldwide DJ gigs and running his own Playperview label, all whislt holding down a day job. The future looks bright for this one.

Listen: HNQO Spotify Playlist

Tensnake (live), The Revenge and HNQO play the second night of Terminal Projekt on Sunday June 9, with support from CO-OP and Sam Roberts. Tickets are on sale now.

Listen to Pulse Radio

Label Profile: Pets Recordings

http://pulseradio.net — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:29:25 +1000

Catz N Dogz dont just make great music, but they've also helped nurture, discover and champion dance music in a country that's gladly discovering a fresh cultural freedom. And what an impact they've made not just at home but around the globe. Originally started as a vehicle to champion local Polish talent and pin-point the country as a fresh source of creative inspiration, the duo's Pets Recordings imprint has expanded into further territories, releasing tracks from artists and 'friends' further afield such as Breach, A1 Bassline, Tom Demac, T.Williams, Trikk, Eats Everything, Maribou State & Pedestrian and many more. Personable and fun in nature, their unqiue and inclusive take on dancefloor culture has attracted them to many dancefloors as they spread their message of musical positivity. Grzegorz and Wojciech discuss the mechanics and ethos behind the label and flag our attention to four of the labels rising smaller artists, melding their unique takes on contemporary house music and more than worthy of your attention.

When you started your Pets Recordings label, what was the ethos you had originally planned to explore? To champion artists from your own Polish scene? The main idea we had was to promote the polish scene. It was the second attempt as in 2006 we started our first label called Channels Recordings. Unfortunately that was the time when a lot of distributors went bankrupt and that was a hard time for vinyls. We closed the label in 2008 and after 2 years we launched Pets. in 2010 the scene was much stronger in Poland and there was much more people who were into the sound we wanted to release. When we have a debut ep on our label we always want to give extra push for the artist. We're doing a music video or trying to get a good remixer to promote the original better. I see it's working pretty good, theres more and more new producers and newcomers are releasing their music on other well known labels and playing abroad. And it's not only about the music. We like to work with the video artists and photographers, as well with the designers. There's a lot of creative people and hope we can offer them a good promo.

You have an interesting approach to the releases On the label, notably releasing music from your close associates and friends.. why is this? Is it to keep things running smoothly or simply a case of supporting your friends? Smooth and simple is what we like the most haha. It's not only about that but that's one of the reasons for sure. Working with people we know and friends is always much more fun, it's also simpler and we trust them. We also receive a lot of recommendations from them when they hear a good tune that we could release on Pets. Same with playing a label parties together, it's always nicer. We promised ourselfs that we will only release the music we feel 100%. Sometimes we loose but that's the part of the game and I hope we have a good balance.

Poland is fast becoming a hot-spot on the dance music map - how much of a struggle was it to be able to pursue your passion for dance music when the country wasn't so open to outside cultures & western influences? We were lucky as our hometown was well known from a good taste to electronic music. Local dj's were going to berlin few times a month and they were inviting a lot of Berlin based dj's. So the parties were always good and that was the biggest inspiration for us. Other cities were much more difficult as people were more into breakbeats, drum n bass or trance. We were touring a lot (we have a lot of stories from that period) some of the parties were great and some of them were shit. I see now it's getting better and better, there's much more clubs, they invite a lot of good acts and festivals are very good. Unsound, Audioriver, Nova Muzyka, OFF, Opener just a few of them. Hotspots are definitely Warsaw, Sopot, Wroclaw, Poznan, Krakow...

A key part of the Pets Recordings home is the Petcast series- there's an eclectic mix of artists from James Yuill to KiNK and Eltron John. what are you looking for in artists when deciding who to feature? Funny as we were just talking about next Petcast. Its a very natural process. Sometimes we just realize that its the time for new one haha. Theres no key how we look for people. Sometimes it's a local dj who plays with us and he's selection is amazing, sometimes our friends we know they listen cool tunes at home and sometimes we just write to somebody. The main idea of this series is not even to mix but make a special selection of tunes you usual y listen at home. Or tracks that inspired you. A lot of people recently told us that the ylike it a lot so it's a big motivation for us to work on it more.

How do you guys keep the label afloat whilst you're travelling and touring? Usually during the travels. We do most of the stuff our own, right now we have an extra help with promo, licenses, label parties and an assistant who help us with some stuff. Sometimes we just have a bigger break between releases when we play too much but usually we do everything on time. It's sometimes hard to get through all the demos but it's one of the best things to have unreleased tunes you can test on the party.

For those people about there looking to start their own label but may by apprehensive due to the volume of labels - what's the best piece of advice you can give them? I have no idea to be honest. It's true that there's a lot of labels. I feel often that we're losing a lot of good music as it's hard to get thru all of them but this is how it is and our job is to select the best. I would say that just do your thing and when it's good people will play it and buy.

You're about to release Friends will Carry You Home", a 2 CD compilation featuring lots of key artists and guests - this is a surprising milestone release, considering the label is still relatively young... It's a second part of the compilation. We receive a lot of good music and some of the tracks would be really hard to release as a single. The double cd was the best idea here. 1cd we wanted to show our clubby side and the second one we asked our artists to prepare something special and different from the music they usually produce. The a&r process took almost a year and we spend a lot of time compiling it but we're very happy from the results. There was like 10 music videos, backpacks and right now we're touring with Pets artists doing some label nights.

Finally, what's to come in 2013 for the Pets family? Next week it's a debut of 2 Polish guys Kixnare and Good Paul. Both well known here but not outside. There's a great Simon Garcia remix for Kixnare and Matthias Meyer and Patlac for Good PaulI. We also have in the queue, a new Uffe ep with Acid Pauli, Jon Convex and Rework remixes, a few weeks ago we also made 2 tracks together with Eats Everything that we are gonna release before the summer. There are some other releases but I will not say anything more!

Meet The Pets

UFFE

Describing himself as a 'one man band', 22 year old Uffe has been turning heads.hen he began making bottom heavy, dubbed out deep house on a battered old PC. Breaking out from this early musical taste, Uffe's music sits somewhere bass music, africanism, and ambient house, shaped into a sample heavy and ethereal sound that refuses to sit still, much like his beloved jazz aesthetics and ethos. Check the video above for 'Ill Leave Soon', sitting perfectly within Pets' more introspective, calming output. The future looks bright for this fresh faced, highly talented producer.

Squarehead

A homegrown talent hailing from Sheffield, Squarehead brings the stepping qualities of his beloved UK garage scene to the fore after releases on UK labels Church and the ever impressove olf Music imprint. Keeping things skippy,jumping and smothered in attitude, his mix of deep aesthetics and dancefloor poer caught the ears of Catz N Dogz. True to style, they had to put an EP out from the young brit quick time. For fans of Dusky, Breach, Mosca and Waze and Odyssey, you'll be hearing more from this prolific talent in the coming months. Just here that shall be, exactly, is anyone's guess.

Chmara Winter

Chmara Winter have been a strong force in the Eastern European scene, joining forces with the likes of Marcin Czubala and of course, Pets Recordings. Forerunners in the Polish scene, Bartlomiej Chmara and Krzysztof Winter blend deep and eerie melodic aesthetics ith hard as nails 4-4 beats. Underground in tone and bohemian in attitude, this auteuristic duo have big things ahead of them as their homeland expands at a rate of knots.

BLCKSHP

Catz N Dogz gravitate to people offering a unique aesthetic and individual style; BLCKSHP satisfies both these criteria. Another Polish entity, BLCKSHP sport an entirely different sound to most of their national contemporaries. Bass fueled rhythmic touches, cracking snares and acid house smudges. Deep, dark and meandering, their difference can be heard in their latest release on the label, Close To Mine.

Listen to Catz N Dogz on Pulse Radio.

Terminal Projekt Artist Preview #1

http://pulseradio.net — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:44:06 +1000

Opening night will see the music policy focusing on some of the most exciting house, techno and bass sounds from the electronic scene's current crop of game changers. Here we present the artists and their sound. Get excited.

Jimmy Edgar
Endowed with a supernatural feel for futuristic funk, Jimmy Edgar is one of Detroit's new breed of stars. Sanpped up by the infamous Warp label back in 2001 at the tender age of 18, he spent the next 8 years melting minds with his distinct productions, culminating in the full-length classic ’Color Strip’. The past year has arguably been Edgar's biggest yet, releasing his much lauded 'Majenta' LP of oddball electro and synth-pop on Hotflush, following it up with the 'We Love Detroit' compilation alongside Derrick May earlier this year. With one foot planted in the past whilst facing assuredly towards the future, he is a perfect match for the ethos of Terminal Projekt. Keep your eyes peeled for a new EP dropping in May.

Listen: Jimmy Edgar Spotify playlist

dOP
It’s surprising to think that it was only four years ago that dOP first crept onto the scene with their flamboyant style of house music, so much have they achieved in the time that has passed since. Their cutting-edge productions sit in a curious middle ground somewhere between house and techno, where percussion, woodwind instruments and honey-coated vocals roam free, finding home on labels as diverse as Circus Company, Supplement Facts and Life And Death. Though it's in the live arena where dOP truly shine, with the trio's vibrant personalities shining through into the art of genuine performance, blasting the notion of ‘email-checking’ laptop nerds out of the water in a melee of joyous, raucous party energy. Need proof? They have been voted as one of the top 10 live electronic acts in the world by Resident Advisor readers three years in a row. Now it's Australia's turn to experience dOP live.

Listen: dOP Spotify playlist

Sepalcure
Real names Travis Stewart and Praveen Sharma, the American duo known as Sepalcure push an emotive mutation of classic house and UK bass, with their self-titled 2011 debut on Scuba's Hotflush Recordings one of the defining musical moments of that year. As leading frontrunners of the new style of electronic music taking over the scene, Sepalcure will present their live show to Australian audiences for the first time at Terminal Projekt. The future is here.

Listen: Sepalcure Spotify playlist

Simon Caldwell
As one of Sydney's longest serving and most respected DJs, Simon Caldwell is a natural choice to head up the local roster for Terminal Projekt. Since starting out back in 1991, Simon has rocked practically every venue and clubnight in the city and is adept at spinning everything from deep and soulful house, to techno, funk, jazz, electro and hip hop.

dOP (live), Jimmy Edgar, Sepalcure (live) and Simon Caldwell play the first night of Terminal Projekt on Saturday June 8, with support from Astral DJs and Morgan. Tickets are on sale now.

Listen to Pulse Radio

SXSW Wrap-Up 2013

http://pulseradio.net — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 23:34:29 +1000

Thousands of music lovers, bloggers and record company executives descended upon the annual South by Southwest conference in weird and wonderful Austin TX. In its 27th year, more than 2,000 bands performed at dozens of venues around the Texas Capital, hoping to be named the 'breakout' act of 2013. The music component of Sxsw (following 5 days of interactive and film), is an exhilarating and exhausting playground of official and unofficial showcases, BBQs and hangovers. We've narrowed down the top picks for 2013, take a listen below.

XXYYXX

XXYYXX is the moniker of 17 year old electronic musician and producer Marcel Everett. The Orlando, Florida native has become an online sensation thanks to the music video for his song, About You, which has reached over 7 million views on Youtube. Everett has been compared to the likes of James Blake, The Weeknd and How to Dress Well. He produces harmonious beats with self-made synthesizers out of his own bedroom studio. Marcel's full-length release is available on Relief in Abstract Records.

K-X-P

K-X-P just released their second album, II, via UK label Melodic and Manimal Records in America. The self-described "anti-band" employ elements of Krautrock, early '80s minimal synth as well as big beat and acid house, reminiscent of Spacemen 3 and NEU! The Helsinki trio is led by none other than Annie’s main producer and co-writer, Timo Kaukolampi. Know for their electrifying stage presence, their signature look is donning goth gear in the form of black capes and studded leather dresses, mastering a hypnotically pounding live shows.

Solange

26 year old soulstress, DJ, fashionista and baby sister to Beyoncé (Destiny's Child) has finally come out on her own with the release of her EP True, through Indie label Terrible Records. The EP is the follow-up to 2008's Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams, a wonderful retro-soul adventure which sees her collaborate with Brit artist and producer Blood Orange (Dev Hynes) on the hit single 'Losing You'. Showing an interest in music recording at an early age, Solange broke into the music scene at 16.

Wild Belle

Chicago-based brother n’ sister duo Elliot and Natalie Bergman have managed to wow folks over with their combination of Motown pop and reggae beats that makes ya wanna get up and boogie.
The siblings each pursued their passion of music at an early age. Natalie made a brief pilgrimage to NYC, working in a bar whilst recording demos on her days off, but later returned to Chicago to work with Elliot, who had been touring with his successful Afrojazz band, Nomo. Their collaboration gave birth to Wild Belle, with Natalie and Elliot doing all of their own writing, recording and producing.

Ryan Hemsworth

22-year-old hip-hop producer/beat-maker Ryan Hemsworth has been making beats for the last four years, while studying journalism at Halifax's University of King's College. Hemsworth has become the go-to producer for MCs like Main Attrakionz, Shady Blaze, and Deniro Farrar, and has remixed works by Grimes, Frank Ocean and Cat Power.

Autre Ne Veut

Autre Ne Veut, is the musical project of enigmatic New Yorker, Arthur Ashin. Ashin makes music that falls somewhere between electro-R&B hooks and melodies with a daring falsetto range. Ashin struggled with anxiety throughout his life and his second album, aptly titled Anxiety, draws on those innermost experiences, fostering an alluring range of tunes.

Macklemore & Ryan

Seattle, Washington hip-hop duo, MC Macklemore and producer Ryan Lewis continue to break records with their infectious tune Thrift Shop, which has received over 20 million hits on YouTube! They linked up back in 2008 to create their debut EP entitled VS, blending hip-hop and electro beats with pop influenced arrangements. Since then the trio independently released their debut full-length album, The Heist, which shot into the #1 spot on iTunes.

Chvrches

A Scottish electro-pop band from Glasgow, formed in 2011 with the goal of making pop music that people would dance to.The group consists of Lauren Mayberry (main vocals, occasionally synthesizers), Iain Cook (synthesizers, vocals), and Martin Doherty (synthesizers, vocals). The band all write, record, mix and master everything in a basement studio in Glasgow and have been hailed as the Scottish equivalent of 'The Knife'.

Robert DeLong

LA based DeLong is a one-man electro music maestro who began performing in 2010. The 26 year old merges EDM, vocals and a variety of gadgets in his live set including laptops, a gamepad, a Logitech joystick, full drum set, guitar, MIDI interfaces and hacked video-game controllers. DeLong's debut album Just Movement recently dropped via Glassnote Records and he just wrapped up shows at Ultra Music Festival. A UK and European tour begins in May with a busy summer playing the festival circuit.

Listen to James Blake on Pulse Radio

Daniel Dexter's Top Ten Inspirations

http://pulseradio.net — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:13:26 +1000

Hailing from Ingolstadt in Germany, Berlin resident Daniel Dexter has always looked towards the underground for musical inspiration. From his time heavily involved in the punk movement, to frequenting illegal parties at factories and abandoned buildings, the Poker Flat signee has pooled his penchant for a raw riff, a driving rhythm and hard as nails sound into his blossoming production and DJ career, evident on his recent 'Focus On: Daniel Dexter' album on Steve Bug's label. A myriad of musical tastes stretching across all genres, Daniel Dexter chooses his top tracks and inspirations from over the years, ranging from punk to techno, Chicago house and beyond. Over to you, Daniel.

Laurent Garnier - The Man With The Red Face

Great fusion of jazz and Detroit techno. Smooth pads, deep bass and a jazzy vibe. I can listen to this song a thousand times and it still sounds fresh.

Cure - Boys don't cry

One of the most moving songs I know. There's also an incredible video for this song.

Adonis - No Way Back

Chicago House at its best. This song still makes the dancefloor jack!

Wu-Tang - Cream

Pure Soul that reminds me of my youth and my first contact to hip hop music in the early 90s.

LFO - LFO

This is a really rough experimental Techno tune. The fascinating thing about LFO-LFO is, that it is both: a rough experimental techno tune, but also a beautiful pop song. The leadline combined with the pads is an amazing mixture.

Kraftwerk - Spacelab

About Kraftwerk there is nothing more to say ;)

Joy Division - Love will tear us apart

Perhaps one of the most beautiful love songs ever written.

Inner City - Good Life

Everybody should have danced to this chords at least one time in his life.

Beatles - A Day in The Life

None of the big hits of the Beatles but an incredible song. The theatrical break and the shift in the song is reminiscent to a good house song.

Rhythm is Rhythm - Strings of Life.

One of the nicest Detroit techno classics.

'Focus On: Daniel Dexter' is available to buy now.

Listen to Daniel Dexter on Pulse Radio.

Honey, I Took My Parents Clubbing (And They Loved It)

http://pulseradio.net — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 02:51:02 +1000

Although we are not children anymore, for some reason we still unnecessarily put a distance between ourselves and our parents. We seem to think that our young lives are so separate from theirs, and their existence is banned to family dinners and calm nights at home. While others cringe to bring their parents out at night, I proudly bring them along. In fact, nowadays, my parents call me up and ask me when's the next time we're going to Output - slightly joking but mostly serious. Even when I mention the club name, I see my mother's face light up and a smile play upon her lips. A bit of mischief hides in her eyes.

We happened to be in Brooklyn one fine warm night in March for a family affair which ran rather late. Seeing as it ran that late, and I had them captive at this hour in Brooklyn, I suggested to my mother that they "stop by" Output with me after dinner. I had thought this to be a rather wild suggestion, expecting the usual excuse of tiredness and the impending long journey home. I was taken aback, as you can imagine, when my mother replied…"Maybe, let's ask your father." By "ask" your father, it was more along the lines of "tell" your father. Luckily, he acquiesced with little resistance. As we walked to our car, the thought "Yes this is actually happening!" crossed my mind dozens of times.

Happiness in my parents' agreeability turned into slight apprehension of whether or not they would like it or even understand it. Although not entirely newcomers to electronic music (my mother has James Blake on repeat, and both of them have had some electronic music education on artists such as Cajmere, Richie Hawtin, Agoria via their daughter), clubbing was still a new threshold to cross. Would they understand the dark space? Would they withstand the amazing sound of the new Funktion Ones? Day parties my parents attended before are one thing, clubbing was an entirely different ball game.

We approached the entrance, and I hand over my ID to the bouncer, turning over my shoulder to tell my parents to show their IDs as well. Laughing at the fact that they haven't been IDed in so long, they were quickly ushered in. My parents have seen me leave at night and arrive in the late morning or even early afternoon countless times from doing my job as a writer or photographer covering electronic music events. They've seen photos of what I do, where I've been, and who I've heard play. For once, though, I got to bring them with me into my world. It made me obscenely happy, even giddy, that what I would count them the day after, they would experience that night first hand.

Tobi Neumman (Cocoon) was headlining Output that night along with Carsten Jost, and Daniel Bell. Typically, that's not a beginner's line up, but rather one for the seasoned vets. After we checked our coats, I felt myself hold my breath slightly, as my parents were assuaged by the powerful sound of Funktion Ones. A slight moment of worry passed through my heart, but when my mother moved towards the dance floor and literally started grooving, shifting her weight from knee to knee and donned a smile from ear to ear. My father, just a bit older, took a few more minutes of warming up, then joined her on the dance floor. We got a few people coming up to us telling my parents they're the cutest and coolest couple at the club. It was role reversal and now I beamed like a proud parent of my "children". As the night progressed, my father turned to me and said, "This is just like the days I would go to the disco in Paris! It looks like not much has changed." He's right. Not much has changed. House music being a derivative of disco is completely relatable to an older generation, a generation that I would say that is even less square than what our generation is today. The line up may have been for those in the know, but the music still spoke universally.

Eager to hear my parents' thoughts, I probed them as we left the club. I was looking for their approval of the club, and through their approval a confirmation of doing what I love. So, what did you think? A series of compliments cascaded from their mouths - it seems Output had earned an A+ in their critical opinions. I became momentarily jealous, as I, their own daughter, hears more chastising than praise of late. Their comments started from the very beginning with the bouncers and security that looked capable and kept good order, making them feel safe (which is always a mother's chief concern). My father went on to say it was very well planned out with room to breathe, and they both chimed in on the dark, modern decor. Although my parents comprehend underground music, I was not quite sure they would understand the underground setting that warranted darkness and I wrongly assumed they may reject it. But as parents often do, they surprised me. So it looks like Output had pleased its most sensitive clubbers - my parents.

So it may not be a night when you bust out the illegal contraband, the night you bring your parents out, but the feeling of satisfaction you get from giving someone their youth back, even if it is just for a moment, is a greater high than any drug can give. Your parents are still people and probably after raising you, they deserve a night of amazing music where they can relive their days before they were tied down with responsibilities, kids, and being caught in the course of life.

Listen to Tobi Neumann on Pulse Radio

Snowbombing Round Up Part One

http://pulseradio.net — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:15:27 +1100

The Records That Defined Tiga

http://pulseradio.net — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 19:40:38 +1100

Eclectic, eccentric and unafraid, Tiga's musical knowledge and tastes hgave helped shape his reputation as one of the most indefinable DJs out there. The boss of Turbo Recordings - an ever impressive label catering for electronica of all tastes - is heading to London this Saturday to play for Bugged Out, and just like his infamous 6 music broadcasts and genre-teasing output, the British born Canadian star has picked his six of his most infleuntial records from across the board, the indispensible tracks that have helped shape and create this flamobyant musician's sound and style...

Buddy Holly: That'll Be The Day

My earliest memories of music, or at least having music that I considered my own, was Buddy Holly and Hank Williams. I guess I was about 4. Recently I listened back to some of the songs I loved and they stand up as masterpieces of pop, and I still look for and enjoy some of those same virtues in music. The deceptively simple lyrics, the economical construction and of course the attitude. It was very early in my "career" (read: life), but those first influences can not be overestimated.

Duran Duran: Sound Of Thunder

Hardly their best, and Duran are not exactly the critics choice: but the fact remains that at age 7, buying the cassette in a Bombay bookstore, this album, and song in particular shaped my entire life. 1: it was MY music, not my Dad's. 2: I wanted to look like them: clean, rich and cool. I was in fact none of those things. 3: The sounds: synths, modern, shiny, dramatic. new. All the things I would look for in techno in years to come. And the only person's picture (other than my own) I EVER put up on my wall was Nick Rhodes.

Soft Cell: Memorabilia

Could also choose Fun City or Bedsitter. A little later on in life, Soft Cell came to really define MY sound. while Depeche where maybe my favorite earlier on, Soft Cell ended up being much more influential for my career and my own production: gritty, low-fi, passionate, sexy, honest and of course dance-music. I still find them perfect songs, and along with New Order they for me defined dance-pop perfection. In the process Marc Almond become a true hero.

Altern-8: Infiltrate 202

This record quite simply, and literally, changed my life. I heard it age 17. I couldn't stop listening to it: and the next 20 years of my life were in pursuit of what this track promised. I still get goosebumps when I hear it. It's early 90's, ecstasy, youth, warehouse parties and most importantly the soundtrack to my own life and ambitions. Even years later I copied parts of it for my own hit "You Gonna Want Me". Thank god for this record. I think there is a decent chance, had I not bought Techno Traxx Vol 2, I might have ended up an arms dealer.

Prince: A Love Bizarre

I always have to include a Prince record, because for me he is the gold standard, even more than Bowie (very very close). I usually mention Controversy, but lately this track has emerged as my favorite. I spend most of my life torn between ideas of pop-songs and the more utilitarian vision of functional dance music....and that's why I love this record: for smashing that false dichotomy with the obvious truth that when its good enough it ticks all the boxes. If you don't dance to this you are an idiot

Nine Inch Nails: That's What I Get

While I don't listen to NIN anymore: the truth is that when I was about 15, Pretty Hate Machine is what made me first consider actually making a life for myself in music. The idea that I could express myself in music, and the first tentative steps in creatively thinking about making music were all soundtracked by this album. And yes, that did include a light sprinkling of teen angst. But I never wore black. Unlike say The Smiths or Depeche, there was something attainable about NIN; something that told me I could do this too, and possibly even do it alone.

Header photography by Femme De Arkozy.

Tiga plays for Bugged Out! atb XOYO this Saturday, the 6th April. Tickets and available here.

Listen to Tiga on Pulse Radio.

Circoloco Easter with Apollonia and Davide Squillace

http://pulseradio.net — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:06:41 +1100

Circoloco Easter Sunday saw out the season for Finely Tuned in style as The Greenwood was filled early with party-goers ready for a large day of dancing. Davide Squillace, Apollonia, Gabby, BROHN and all the stars of The Terrace brought their A-Game with the Redlight Vs Bad Apple Chapel getting a taste of some 3D Mapping and other incredible visuals thanks to Astral Projekt. Here's some of the photos thanks to Oliver from Voena.Co below. To see the rest head over to facebook and 'Like' Finely Tuned to check them all out.

More photos here: https://www.facebook.com/FinelyTunedAU

Listen to Davide Squillace on Pulse Radio
Listen to Apollonia on Pulse Radio
Listen to Gabby on Pulse Radio
Listen to BROHN on Pulse Radio

The Magical Get Lost Miami 2013 - Story With Pictures

http://pulseradio.net — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 06:11:55 +1100

Crosstown Rebels’ Get Lost party is nothing short of a celebrated Miami tradition. Every year, thousands of rebels assemble from the world over to see some of today’s biggest underground stars perform during Miami’s week of electronic dance festivities. Now in its 8th year, and celebrating Crosstown's 10 year anniversay, the event departed from its usual home at the Electric Pickle and moved to the Ice Palace Film Studios in Downtown Miami, formerly Karu & Y nightclub. The venue proved to be a perfect location for Crosstown’s merry band of musicians, who utilized the indoor and outdoors spaces to maximum effect.

The party began for us in rebellious fashion. We walked over to the event with the ever hospitable Andrei from Droog and troublemaker Bill Patrick, after leaving No.19’s fantastic label party at Cafeina. Yes, we walked, over 20 minutes in a less-than-safe area of Miami, because cab drivers really didn’t seem to give a sh*t at 4am. We arrived safe and sound, and Burnski and Mark Jenkyns had already kicked off the small room while Shaun Reeves and Lee Curtiss were getting the party started in the larger space. One of my favorite parts about Getting Lost is getting there early in the morning, and watching as friends and revelers filter in from the party before or (if well planned and less risk prone) after a night of rest.

Droog took control at 6:30 AM, delivering a groovy and chunky set of deep afterhours house and techno. The boys have been on fire lately, as the scene in their hometown of Los Angeles blossoms in large part due to their Standard Rooftop parties and record label, Culprit LA. Meanwhile, Subb-An played dark and deep in room two, picking up the tempo towards the end of his set as is to be expected if one is playing before Richie Hawtin.

The garden area of Ice Palace is a treat. Cascading waterfalls, little statues, small cabanas and a large bar under a hut are all features of this fantastic outdoor area. Crosstown had the booth set up along the long side of the garden, providing a panoramic view of the audience. Guti & Fosky’s early morning set inaugurated the area with beautiful deep house, live jamming on piano, and more than a touch of soul. Bubbles filled the air in the playful environment, as people slowly got accustomed to the rising sun.

While we could not be everywhere at once, we heard great things about many of the sets played that day, including Tini, Russ Yallop, Eduardo Castillo, Alex Arnout & Adam Shelton, and Cassy. Tiga delivered a live set par excellence, bringing his synth-pop electronic grooves to the Get Lost arena.

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Many picks for best set at Get Lost Miami 2013 go to Francesca Lombardo, the relative newcomer to Crosstown who absolutely destroyed the dancefloor with her mix of tech house, deep vibes, and perfectly chosen outdoor grooves. Flawless mixing and poise brought hundreds of people out into the garden during her set, and her track selection and charisma kept them there. She’s one of those DJs who reminds you why you love intimate venues – she looks out at the audience, returns smiles, and carries the momentum of the party with certainty. She ended her set with a beautiful vocal number, from which the Art Department boys picked up perfectly and delivered an eclectic and solid set of house and techno. [Check out Francesca Lombardo's Exclusive Pulse Interview and Podcast!]

Both Kenny Glasgow and Jonny White DJed in back-to-back fashion, with Kenny also hitting the mic for one or two silky tunes.

Infinity Ink’s live set was well received, as was Carl Craig’s, Bill Patrick’s, Mayaan Nidam's, and of course Damian Lazarus'. Many people also point to Fur Coat’s finale session in the big indoor room as the best of the night. Hands in the air, the entire room moved as one as the young stars delivered a menacing, dark, and perfectly stitched together set of some of their and their contemporary’s best work.

All in all, this Get Lost was one for the books. We came, we got lost, and we conquered our minds, bodies, and souls with some of the best dance music heard during the week. Stay happy, stay musical, and above all stay rebellious. Until next year…

Photo Credits: Amin KO Beydoun, KO PhotoVogue.

Listen to Art Department on Pulse Radio

Ultra Music Festival 2013 - In Pictures

http://pulseradio.net — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 04:16:08 +1100

Ultra Music Festival wrapped up on March 24th, concluding the event’s most successful year yet. Over 330,000 fans descended upon the grounds of Bayfront Park to attend the two-weekend long festival. Featuring acts from across the spectrum of dance music, the festival catered to lovers of techno (Richie Hawtin), big room EDM with all the superstars in the game (Avicii, Deadmau5), bass/dubstep (Diplo), electronica (Nicolas Jaar), and deep house (Art Department). This is only a small sampling of the artists present, and as you can imagine the crowd that came to support them was equally diverse and varied. From young ravers to mature music industry professionals, one thing they all had in common was genuine excitement at being able to attend such a massive and well produced event.

In our picture journal below, taken by the incredibly talented Nicole Cussell from Humans After all, you’ll see the event in it’s full splendor. Party-goers dressed in outlandish costumes, and tons of neon filtered into the arenas day after day, taking in the massive soundsystems, stages, and other performance elements. The lighting was spectacular, as were the dancers. With no futher ado, Ultra 2013 in pictures!

You can see more from Nicole Cussell at her website, Humans After All. Hope you enjoyed the pictures, and see you next year!

Listen to Nicolas Jaar on Pulse Radio

Ivan Smagghe's Top 5 Australian Tour Tracks

http://pulseradio.net — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:14:45 +1100

Ivan Smagghe has officially touched down in Sydney to kick-start a series of gigs over this Easter long weekend. Tonight the Parisian plays alongside Pachanga Boys for the Picnic party at the Abercrombie, followed by Bottom End in Melbourne on the Monday public holiday.

In anticipation of his gigs, the recent Pulse Radio podcaster has shared with us five tracks that are currently rocking his box and that you're quite likely to hear him drop this weekend. Naturally one is a white label that you can't listen to, though the rest are below and ready for your ears, with a couple even available for download. Enjoy!

Beak - 'Yatton' (Abstraxion edit)

The Mighty Wah! - 'Talk About The Blues' (IAFL Edit)

The Emperor Machine - 'System Seven Hundred'

Seidensticker & Salour - 'Moonlight Shadow' (second track in the mix)

Red Axes - 'X Ray Pop' (Edit) [White label]

Ivan Smagghe 2013 Australian Tour Dates:
28.03.13 - Picnic pres. Pachanga Boys & Ivan Smagghe, The Abercrombie, Sydney (BUY)
31.03.13 - Superpitcher & Ivan Smagghe, Brown Alley, Melbourne

Listen to Ivan Smagghe on Pulse Radio

The Record That Changed My Life Vol 2: Groovin The Moo

http://pulseradio.net — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:14:56 +1100

With Australia's premier regional festival Groovin The Moo kicking off next month, the newest edition of 'The Record That Changed My Life' focuses on four of their finest acts for 2013; party duo Yolanda Be Cool, EMI signee Alison Wonderland, Alpine's drummer Phil Tucker and Australia's favourite drum and bass act, Shockone.

In case you missed our first edition, this is a new series where we ask DJs, producers and musicians to share the track that changed everything and coaxed them onto their current musical paths. Fascinating stuff for fans - enjoy!

Sylvester Martinez of Yolanda Be Cool: 'Teardrop' by Massive Attack

Before I heard 'Teardrop' I would have been either front row or in the mosh pit at a Pearl Jam or Guns 'n' Roses or Red Hot Chilli Peppers concert. That record was like a bridging track from indie rock to electronica and I have never turned back.

Johnson Peterson of Yolanda Be Cool: 'Rappers Delight' by Sugarhill Gang

This was around the same time I was sneaking into clubs on Oxford Street as an underaged young hopeful. Goodbar, Kinselas, Blueroom and Q Bar were all playing it, along with all the old school hip hop anthems and I remember learning every single word to each verse. My Metallica, Pearl Jam and Green Day CDs were replaced by mix tapes by Funk Master Flex and DJ Rectangle.

Alison Wonderland: 'Talk Show Host' by Radiohead

There are many records that have changed my life in different ways, starting from my mother playing the Beatles to me in whilst I was still in her belly - giving me a very strange Beatles obsession, to the day I heard 'Silent Shout' by The Knife, which made me want to produce my own music.

Strangely though, the album that first comes to mind for me would be Baz Lurman’s 'Romeo and Juliet' soundtrack. It was the record that made me discover music for myself, rather than relying on my parents for Leonard Cohen poetry lessons or my older cousin for Beastie Boys, errrr...poetry lessons!

As soon as I heard 'Talk show Host' by Radiohead on this soundtrack it made me want to hear more of this amazing music. I then went on to buy more Radiohead and through that found Jeff Buckley, Smashing Pumpkins and even The Prodigy. It opened my mind to the idea that I could discover lots of new music, even if it was through just one song, which is probably the reason for my curiosity for new and challenging music even now!

Phil Tucker of Alpine: 'Give Up' by The Postal Service

On a drive home from work once, I heard a song on the radio and wrote on an old receipt “The Postal Service”. After cleaning out my car, the receipt was discarded and lost. Months later, a friend reintroduced me to The Postal Service’s album Give Up and I fell in love with the music.

On a cold night in my home town, listening to 'Give Up', I made a depressed phone call to my friend and he told me I’d be happier if I packed up and moved to Melbourne. The next day I quit my job and crashed on his couch for two weeks until I found my own place.

I set up my new bedroom and went for a celebratory drink with my friend. Upon returning home slightly inebriated, I noticed a piece of paper on my floor. It wasn’t there before. I reached down, picked it up and it read “The Postal Service”. The receipt I’d thrown away months before had returned as a sign I’d made the right decision to leave my home town for better opportunities in Melbourne. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I’d not heard The Postal Service's 'Give Up'.

Shockone: 'Charly (Trip into Drum and Bass version)' by The Prodigy

I was a 13 year old sitting in my older cousins attic the first time I heard 'Charly (Trip into drum and bass)' from The Prodigy's 'Experience' album on a cassette tape. I distinctly remember her saying to me, "Check this out, it sounds like a cat is talking on this tune". It was probably the first time I'd heard breakbeat/rave music, and was definitely the beginning of my long relatonship with dance music.

It's been said by many before, but listening to this tune (and the entire album really) was like nothing I'd ever heard before. I had no idea how the sounds were being made, how they got the drums to sound like that, all I knew was that it was fucking awesome. This tune was the reason I started staying up late on the weekends and taping what ever dance music was being played on community radio (RTR FM's Looney Tunes show to be precise) in the early hours of the morning. It was also the reason my Mum had to put up with (what I now know was) a lot of Detroit techno on the tape player in the car. And obviously, it was my introduction to drum and bass music which ended up completely taking over my life for the next 15 years.

Groovin' The Moo 2013 Dates
27.04.2013 – Showgrounds, Maitland (sold out)
28.04.2013 – University, Canberra
04.05.2013 – Prince of Wales Showground, Bendigo (sold out)
05.05.2013– Murray Sports Complex – Cricket Grounds, Townsville
11.05.2013 – Hay Park, Bunbury

Listen to Shockone on Pulse Radio
Listen to Yolanda Be Cool on Pulse Radio
Listen to Alison Wonderland on Pulse Radio

Pulse's Free Download Round Up 001

http://pulseradio.net — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 23:13:36 +1100

As us lot across Europe await the coming of Spring (is it ever going to come?) we tend to stay in the comforts of our homes and offices, staying sheltered from the elements that our ravaging our world. And of course, everyone loves free music - so what better way to spend a cold, miserable afternoon and evening than checking our short round up of the best and coolest free music from the internet. From new music from experimental signings Mount Kimbie to a freebie from dance legend James Holden and more, Pulse have undertaken some of the hard work so you don't have to. Feast yourself upon the music below...

Mount Kimbie - Made To Stray

Holden - Gone Feral

Uto Karem

Mt.Wolf - Hypolight

La Roux - In For The Kill (Blaz Perus JBM Remix)

Terje Saether - Scared Feat. Malin Pettersen (Gregorythme Remix)

Iron Curtis - Never Give Up (The Ambience)

Listen to Mount Kimbie, Silicone Soul, James Holden & Iron Curtis on Pulse Radio.

Review: Smallpeople In Brisbane

http://pulseradio.net — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 10:53:19 +1100

Last Saturday marked the end of an era for many underground music fans in Brisbane. Subtrakt Events hosted their last ever party at their spiritual home, Barsoma, upon the news that the venue will be closing it’s doors after nearly 10 years of hosting the finest acts in underground electronic music. But, there really was no better way for Subtrakt to close the chapter than with house dons Smallpeople out of Hamburg, on their first Australian tour.

Barsoma was given a bit of a makeover in anticipation for the show. Instead of sitting above crowd level, the DJ booth was brought down to the dance floor and decorated with various mismatched objects including an old antique lampshade, a mini Christmas tree and an owl ornament. A little garden made of milk crates, astro-turf and bouquets of flowers nestling pink flamingos surrounded the decks, whilst an enormous disco-ball adorned the ceiling. The transformation was fitting for the international guests and gave the perfect setting for their breed of heartwarming house music.

Kicking off proceedings nicely was local DJ Scott Walker who played a mixture of vinyl and CDs and dropped The Revenge’s classic rework of Atmosfear’s “Dancing In Outer Space”. Le Hoots aka Nathan Levander followed with a disco-influenced set, Percy Miracles aka James Kimmorley increased the energy with some deeper tracks including George Fitzgerald’s anthem “Child”, while Rikki Newton warmed up the plate superbly for the Hamburg duo.

Julius Steinhoff & Just von Ahlefeld, aka Smallpeople played a four hour set which took all those present in nothing short of a journey. The pair spent a considerable time rummaging through their bags of vinyl that piled up behind them, yet every record that was plucked out was effortlessly perfect. Naturally, Detroit and Chicago flavours were pretty palpable throughout the set, with appearances like K.C.Y.C’s “Stompin’ Grounds” from 1993 and Omar S and Ob Ignitt’s release “Wayne County Hill Cops”. Other highlights included Soundstream’s classic remix of Rhythm & Sound’s “Free For All”, Metro Area’s slightly sinister yet funky disco-inspired “Miura” and Little Louis’ soulful dance floor killer “I Called U (The Conversation)”. But, it was when the duo dropped Fleetwood Mac’s timeless “Dreams” that every single person including staff and those outside, surrendered to the dance floor to sing and hug those around them, which made for a pretty magical moment.

Smallpeople undoubtedly delivered some of the best music that has been hosted by Subtrakt. Their set was a luscious tapestry of music flavours with a flawless balance between homely warmth and club-worthiness. It can be safely said that Subtrakt gave Barsoma the perfect send-off.

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