I'm writing this right before we hit the road to drive up to San Francisco for Maceo Plex and Maya Jane Coles tonight (so stoked), so I'll have to keep it brief. These tracks are a taste of the weekend-inspired jams we'll be bumping on the roadtrip, and in honor of tonight let's start off with some Maceo Plex.
Say what you will about diplo these days, but after listening to this mix you're not going to be able to deny that he's an impressively versatile dj when he want's to be. This episode of the now defunct Mad Decent World Wide Radio titled "Diplo's Chasing The Magic Dragon Mix" is one of my favorite but more random mixes in my collection. More or less it's exactly what the title says it is. An hour of diplo chasing the dragon of psychedelic rock from the 60's and 70's right down the rabit hole. Random, mind-bending tracks from back in the day expertly sewn together for an hour straight.
Robbie Rivera's most recent release, Imagine, is a massive slice of big room house that's jam packed with summer vibes. The release comes with two different versions, the 'afterhours mix' and the 'main club mix'. While they're both great, it's the main club mix that really takes the cake; the breakdown from the 4-5 minute mark is about as huge and amazing as anything I've heard this year. Turn this one up and let the good times roll. Robbie Rivera - Imagine (Main Club Mix)
This next track by Arno Cost is legitimately so big I'm having a hard time coming up with adjectives to explain it, I really don't think there are any that capture its sheer largeness. This is progressive house at its finest; almost 8 minutes of unrelenting fist-pumping awesomeness. Find a ridiculous sound system and play this as loud as you can for your own good. Arno Cost - Lise (Original Mix)
Next up we have Diplo's most recent release. This track features a bleepy sort-of dancehall feel that we've come to know diplo for, and it's a pretty nice little stomper that I could see pumping through some dark basements this summer. Also it gets bonus points for the dope Beatles sample that comes in just before the 1st minute mark. Diplo & Douster - ON !
Mirage is the newest track from progressive house legend Pryda (aka Eric Prydz). I was bumping this track in the car with one of my fellow Bright & Shiny writers Patrick last night and he mentioned that the opening build on this one made him feel like he was floating on a cloud or something. I'd have to agree, this one has a really airy, almost ethereal feel to it. Another chunk of progressive gold from mr Prydz. Pryda - Mirage (Original Mix)
'Drift' is the product of an epic collaboration between two titans of progressive house, Adam K and Funkagenda. The track features a seriously catchy melody that gets explored in traditional progressive fashion, and it really pumps when it hits the drop. If you're like me this will be stuck in your head for days. Adam K & Funkagenda - Drift (Original Club Mix)
I won't waste your time with a lot of words. I'm on spring break and I'm stoked. There's been a crazy amount of good music coming out recently, and every one of these songs is absolutely dirty. You're welcome.
We'll start things out at a bit of a slower pace here. This Kaskade remix of J Boogie's Dub Science doesn't sound like the typical big room progressive Kaskade you're probably used to hearing. It's more like a hearkening back to his roots with the San Francisco based lounge-house label Om Records, where he used to make some seriously chilled out tunes. This sexy downtempo effort is reminiscent of that older stuff, except for it's more refined and shows hes clearly still growing as an artist almost 15 years later. Bump this one drinking mojitos poolside. J Boogie's Dub Science - Raining (Kaskade Remix)
Sticky K's long awaited Prince of Persia EP came out on itunes the other day, with the full release on beatport set for march 22nd, and it's absolutely MASSIVE. This sounds like what would be played at some futuristic desert rave outside the pyramids in egypt or something. Check out the 192 below, but be sure to grab the high quality on Itunes now or beatport next week. Also, be on the lookout for our interview with the Californian youngster himself coming later this week. Sticky K - Prince of Persia (Original Mix)
I just stumbled across this progressive BOMB by 24 year old Norwegian Funkin Matt today and its a huge high energy beast that's been featured in sets by everyone from Laidback Luke to Bart B More recently. Be sure to grab the release on matt's own label Fjordin. Don't miss out on this one. Funkin Matt - Anywhere (Original Mix)
Off of the Miami Noize 2 compilation, which came out earlier this month on Boys Noize Records, this Strip Steve original is a maddeningly catchy house stomper. The song is centered around an awesome jumbled up synth/piano-stab melody that pulses along with an upbeat, relentless sense of purpose (i.e. makes you want to dance). Be sure to grab the Miami Noize compilation off beatport, as it's stacked from top to bottom with some really quality tracks. Strip Steve - The Freaks (Original Mix)
The new Dillon Francis Westside EP, out now on Mad Decent, is completely outrageous. It features a blend of tribal-sounding dancehall music that sounds reminiscent of Portugal's J-Wow in a lot of ways and demonstrates that Francis is definitely one of the most talented young artists emerging on the scene right now. Check out two of the tracks below, but be sure to grab the whole EP since it's full of a bunch of other awesome tracks including a good moombahton collaboration with DC's own Dave Nada. Diplo & Dillon Francis - Que Que feat Maluca (Original Mix)
This comes off of Brodinski's Best of Everything vol 2 unofficial compilation, which was a project where he asked his various favorite producers to remix random rap/r&b songs. Djedjotronic completely kills it here, twisting this Young Money track around and making it into a crazily funky and futuristic hip-hop jam. Young Money - Bedrock (Djedjotronic Remix)
Steve Aoki really impresses on this new Klaxons remix, showing that he's equally adept at making beautiful melody-driven house as he is at pumping out crazy party anthems or running his label Dim Mak. Speaking of which, if you're in Miami during Ultra be sure to check out the Dim Mak afterparty on friday, the lineup is stacked, we'll definitely be making an appearance. Klaxons - Echoes (Steve Aoki Remix)
This new rework by Erol Alkan is completely gorgeous and shows why he's considered one of the most respected producers in the game, cause this is hardly the average hard-hitting house he's normally affiliated with. This and the MGMT rework he did a while ago are two of my favorite pieces by him, maybe this is signalling a new, more acoustic direction for him? Either way, this one is awesome. Connan Mockasin - Forever Dolphin Love (Erol Alkan Rework)
Of all the classical forms of art, music is, by nature, the most abstract. The characteristics of a piece of music have no tangible base or visible grounding in reality; the sound comes and goes like a breeze and after that all that's left are the wisps that you manage to catch in your memory. This inherently transcendent aspect of music is what allows certain pieces to move us, to instantly shift the way we're thinking, or to change our mood - the sound drifts through your ears and grab control of you before you even get the chance to object. For this reason, I've always thought that music does the best job at replicating the sensations and feelings of dreaming; because (if done correctly) music can echo the same abstract qualities of our subconscious. This first song is a perfect example.
This sounds exactly like what floating through a surrealistic dreamscape would feel like, and it comes at the hands of an unlikely source. Diplo has been on a creative rampage recently, churning out remix after remix and bringing his Mad Decent label around the world, but this is completely unprecedented. It's unlike anything I've ever heard by him. It's outstanding. The more I listen to it, the more I can't get enough of it. Check out the music video below. Deerhunter - Helicopter (Diplo & Lunice Remix)
New Dada Life.. You guys already know how we feel about doing the Dada. We love it. Can't get enough of it. We do the Dada every day of our lives. This new Dada goes in a slightly different direction though, but I think they pull it off really well.
Djedjotronic (try to say that out loud 5 times fast) has been wreaking havoc recently as a part of Boys Noize Records. Somebody played this one at HARD Haunted Mansion but I can't remember exactly who it was. All I know is that when I first heard this I was gripped by an insatiable urge to dance and I suspect that you will be too. Gonzales - I Am Europe (Djedjotronic Remix)
Remixing Daft Punk is pretty much the most hubristic crime an artist can commit, but every once in a while a remix comes out that makes it excuseable. Keatch does a nice job here, keeping in tact enough of the original while still layering on a new, harder-hitting edge. Daft Punk - Rollin' and Scratchin' (Keatch Edit)
Russ Chimes' Midknight Club EP came out on Itunes and Beatport the other day, and I really hope that you go buy it. It's absolutely gorgeous, and the epic music video trilogy that comes with it should be enough for you to give Mr. Chimes the respect he deserves. Here's my favorite track from the EP, Targa (but, once again, you should go buy it, because this is a lowly 126kbps). We posted the music video trilogy a while back, but incase you missed it, there's a continuous version of it below. I highly recomend checking it out if you haven't already. Russ Chimes - Targa
I heard this one a while ago and - I can't explain this - I didn't think it was very good. I put it on the shelf and sort of forgot about it. However, I saw it posted over on Vacay the other day and it prompted me to revisit it. I don't know what I was thinking; this one is bomb. Fukkk Offf channel the funk here with a deliciously stutter-stepping beat and attitude-packed vocals. Fukkk Offf - Worldwide
Every October 30-31st, downtown Los Angeles hosts the HARD Haunted Mansion, one of North America's most legendary dance music events. Between the costumes and the carnival-esque vibe of Halloween, HARD has a unique feel that's unlike anything else out there. Previous years have had incredible lineups, featuring everyone from Justice to deadmau5. With that said, this year's could have been the most well rounded lineup yet (that's saying a lot).
We wanted to get there early to see UCSB alum Sticky K on the decks, but due to what can only be described as poor event organizing, we ended up spending nearly 2 hours waiting in line outside the venue to get in. I was a little upset that we had to miss him, since I was hoping to catch the mysterious Prince of Persia live (he put a preview of the monster track on his soundcloud for like 2 days before taking it down with no explanation). Nonetheless, the moment we got inside there was no time to dwell on it, as we were greeted by the blaring chants of "BUSY P, WHAT THE FUUCKKKK"
Busy P As soon as I heard that line, I knew I was in for a good time. It comes from his collaboration with the rapper Murs, To Protect and Entertain, which was the song that first introduced me to the world of Busy P. I heard it at the end of Justice's Metissage Mix in 2008, and it completely blew me away. Between the diabolical synth bassline and the hilarious raps of Murs, the song smashed together elements of hip hop and electro in a way that I'd never heard before. Looking back now, it was way ahead of its time in 2008, as the lines that used to separate hip-hop from the various forms of electronic music are becoming more and more blurred every day. After a little research, I quickly learned that being ahead of the curve was no new thing for the man named Pedro Winter. Between managing Daft Punk for a decade and running one of the coolest record labels in the world, Ed Banger, Busy P has quietly been involved with some of the best house music made anywhere over the past 15 years. Needless to say, I've been waiting for the chance to go see this guy.
The repetitions of "BUSY P, WHAT THE FUUCKKK" (one of the funniest catch-phrases ever) that had greeted us were quickly followed by the bouncing, energetic drums from the Crookers remix of "To Protect and Entertain." Over the next hour, Busy P pieced together a ragetastic electro mix that utterly disregarded any concept of boundaries between genres. Some highlights include Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child Mixed over Big Boi's Shutterbug, and Cassius' I Love You So to finish the set. While the songs came from all different styles, one thing stayed constant throughout his set. From start to finish, the performance was threaded together by the same fun, get-down-and-dirty elements that To Protect and Entertain embodied in the first place. Busy P can start a party like none other.
Diplo Diplo was a welcome substitution, but to be honest I was really hoping to see Mr. Oizo live. His productions are filthy and bizarre, deliberate and powerful; I'm sure his live performances are similar. People in the crowd were excited for Diplodocus, but I saw him at Electric Zoo 2 months ago and was a little underwhelmed (too much dubstep), so I was a little skeptical about what to expect. Don't get me wrong, I love Diplo and Major Lazer, it's just his recently dubstep-leaning live style that doesn't really jive with me. He appeared to be chilling during the set anyway, turning over the decks for extended periods to one of the other DJ's on Mad Decent. All in all though, it ended up being a pretty solid set.
Crookers Up next came the goofy and wonderful Italian duo, Crookers. One of the most Bright & Shiny sets of Ultra 2010 came courtesy of these two madmen, so they were one of our heavily anticipated acts at HARD. As we had hoped, their performance lived up to the high level of both quality and creativity that has come to define their sets. Seamlessly mixing between some of their classics and underground anthems, Bot and Phra put together a bumping hour of electro-house that had us yelling CROOOKAAZZ the whole time.
Brodinski After Crookers, Rusko took the stage outside, and as you know we're not really about that dubstep here at Bright & Shiny, so I moved inside to check out Brodinski, one of the many high quality frenchmen on Ed Banger. What I walked in on was some of the rawest, most unprecedented shit that I'd seen in a long time. In the middle of destroying everyone with his relentless, Alex Gopher-type style, Brodinski did something that I'd never seen before and I doubt I'll ever see again. Towards the end of his set, with the crowd fully immersed in every beat he was putting down, Brodinski layered into a fierce, grinding build up that sounded similar to what I would anticipate the tearing of the fabric of the universe sounds like, and he just held it there. And held it there, and held it there, and held it there... fast forward at least 2 or 3 minutes, he was still holding the drone steady, toying with everyone to an extent that I'd never even conceived possible. There he was, chilling on stage with his homies, pounding his drink, while a room full of ravers are ripping their eyeballs out from the most intense build up of all time. I've never seen a crowd yearn more for a drop than I did then - the room was pregnant with a burning, soul-pervading tension.
Right as I began to wonder whether this frenchmen was some loon who'd gotten himself in over his head, the relentless drone that had been going on for several minutes now released into an unidentified drum beat that was the most awesome thing that's ever been poured into my ears. The crowd went absolutely berserk, and Brodinski solidified himself as one of the ballsiest, most ruthless frenchmen to ever set foot this side of the Atlantic. Don't trust this man anywhere near your mother or sister.
The Bloody Beetroots (DC77) I was a little skeptical about Death Crew 77, (DC77 is the Bloody Beetroots performing their songs like a live band), but the second that they took the stage on saturday, I knew that those doubts were misplaced. The high octane group from Italy crashed out of the gates with Domino, which I've thought for a long time is one of the greatest set-openers ever, and they kept up the energy for over an hour. I'm not going to lie, they had me dancing like a deranged chimpanzee for the entire time. Some highlights were Warp 1977 and their live cover of New Noise by Refused.
Another friday at college. If your weekend is shaping up to be anywhere near as fun as mine, then you'll probably need the right playlist to get you through it. Well you're in luck, because I just so happen to have the perfect combination of songs to keep you going from now till sunday morning. You'll probably want to consider some sleep after then though.
This first one is by no means a new song, but it's been on a lot of my playlists recently and I really like it. It's off of a free Gucci Mane/Diplo mixtape that came out a couple months ago called Diplo Presents: Free Gucci (The Best of The Cold War Mixtapes). Yes, what you're about to listen to is Gucci Mane over ATB. Brilliant
We're a little bit late on posting TAI's Beatdown EP, but if you don't have it already grab it here, because it's got a bunch of great remixes from Bright & Shiny favorites such as Audiofun and Gtronic.
I'm about to drop some serious gold all over the place, FO' FREE. No lie, this post is everything you've ever wanted, plus a picture of a badass woman in a pink onesy doin' her thang. These tracks deserve intro's, but they don't need them because their quality is evident (plus I'm busy with workworkwork).
