house music

The Journey Tour Live At the Catalyst

October 22, 2016 thematweird

I only first heard the name Seven Lions a month ago when I agreed to work the up-coming (now past) The Journey Tour show at the Catalyst Club. In all honesty, I didn’t even hear his–aka Jeff Montalvo’s–music until I wrote that last article about him the day of the show. Shit, I was missing out. But of course, you all probably already know that .

The 28 year old producer and DJ is one of the most talented on the scene today. Much like his hometown of Santa Barbara, Montalvo blends a concoction of different influences into a sound that’s glaringly rare and undeniably catchy. Since he hit the scene in 2010, the DJ who once told YourEDM.com “I’m too weird for the mainstream,” has torched his way through the underground by drawing from all aspects of the Electronic arena: trance, house, bass, dubstep, trap and many, many more. He might not be mainstream in the sense of Drake or Kanye, but he’s a big raft on a different stream altogether. And after all, isn’t one of the attractive aspects of this culture the fact that it’s something entirely on it’s own, unattached to the shit shoved down our ears on the radio?

Anyway, I digress.

Needless to say, I was amped going to work last Tuesday (10/18/16). Even after I heard it was sold out–which usually means a shit show–I was still amped. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a shit show at all because–not surprisingly–everyone there was looking for a good time of dancing, tripping and fun.

Scottish musician, GRUM, opened the night with a striking set, followed up by Unlike Pluto. Danish and Norwegian duo, Pegboard Nerds, rounded up third with their poppy and chaotic, video game sounds. Even after hours of solid dancing, the 800 person crowd went nuts as Seven Lions took over the deck. For an hour and a half he flowed a solid set in his signature style and busted out many crowd pleasing remixes. The Journey Tour continues until Dec. 2, so treat yo self to a ticket if it passes through your town. After all, don’t you think you deserve it?

Candyland & Ricci – “Touch Me”

September 28, 2016 thematweird

Are you ready for some bumpin’ bass and funky-azz House shizz that will serve as the soundtrack at your next party? Then make way for the collaborative track, “Touch Me” by Candyland and Ricci.

Neither one of these names were familiar to me before I heard this track, so a little investigation was in order. I discovered that Candyland is a male/female duo made up of Ethan and Josie, hailing from the sunny, beach town of Santa Barbara. Although their hometown is known for its luxury, Candyland never got any handouts, often sleeping in their car while making and performing music. But it seems like after over 2 years on the scene, they’re turning heads. Like Ricci.

Born in Brazil, Ricci, has already remixed or collaborated a plethora of “who’s who” in the EDM world like Vintage Culture and Daft Punk. He’s hitting the Lollapalooza Brasil fest this year, sharing the stage with artists like Metallica, G-Eazy and Borgore.

Released by Canadian EDM label, Monstercat, “Touch Me” combines the fun of House with the drops and power of Bass culture for an ass-shaking good time. The song demands an audience of sweaty bodies writing to the beat under the influence of the party or whatever substance of choice one prefers.

Flume – “Say It” ft. Tove Lo (Illenium Remix)

September 28, 2016 thematweird

We should all be familiar with Flume by now. The Australian producer and musician, born Harley Edward Streten, hit the scene in a powerful way with remixes and collaborations with Lorde, Arcade Fire and Sam Smith. His second album, Skin, dropped earlier this year and ignited the critics. His tracks are light but driven, taking the listener through an acid daydream of beauty.

Illenium might not be as known as Flume, but just wait. The Denver based producer has only been on the scene for the last 2 years or so but already has a nice body of work on his turntables. Along with his remixes of artists like the Chainsmokers, Odesza and Dawn Golden, Illenium released his debut album, Ashes, earlier this year and it’s a helluva ride through the sonic mind. He’s currently on tour throughout the U.S. so check his site (illenium.com) for dates near you.

Here’s Illenium’s remix of this year’s latest Flume single, “Say It.” It’s a 4.5 minute track that’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face and give you a moment to yourself. Enjoy euphorically.

ICEKREAM – “SQUEEZE ME”

September 8, 2016 thematweird

Originality is essential to any art, but in the EDM world, it’s everything. If you sound like one of the other thousands of artists producing on their laptop, you’re not going to get very far in your career. A DJ and producer has to be confident in their sound and give no fucks about what is currently happening in the music scene. They have to hold onto their ideas, and love themselves first. And that’s exactly what IceKream does on his new track, “Squeeze Me.”

Two days ago, IceKream, the mysterious half of SoundSnobz (the other half would be the very public Troyboi) dropped his latest track on Soundcloud and it already has over 38.5k plays and 3,000 likes. Needless to say, this original anthem is picking up steam and it’s easy to see why. His jazzy house beats and chill vibes carry the track to levels of love. Like you’re being bear hugged by some blue jazz. After it’s done you just want to give Icekream a big. . .ol. . .squeeze and that ain’t no euphoric jive.

MAYA PAYNE – SELF DEFINED

May 1, 2016 thematweird

Music knows no boundaries or boarders and New Zealand artist, Maya Payne, proves it. The 19 year old artist hit the scene last year with the singles “If Only,” “Fragile” and “Falling.” The talented prodigy began her singing career at only six and started composing her own songs at 11, when most of us were still discovering the internet.

She recently finishing her latest EP, The Lucky Ones. The first single, “Self Defined” is an upbeat number as beautiful as it is empowering. After all, what’s more powerful than a strong, talented woman enchanting the listener over a strong, electronic beat?

Maya Payne says she is currently working on her full-length, but we all know art takes time. So for now, define yourself with this euphoric debut and keep your ear to the internet.

https://soundcloud.com/maya-payne/self-defined-maya

BUOY–“Clouds & Rain”

May 1, 2016 thematweird

As we quickly approach the half-way mark of 2016, there have been several artists to watch for and Buoy is one of them. Born Charmian Kingston, this Aussie singer has been brewing in the underground with two singles from earlier this year. Last week she released her debut EP, Immersion, and it has already gained momentum for his dark, ambient tones set to odd, yet catchy beats.

On “Clouds & Rain” we find Buoy exemplifying this. A strange, house-like background sets the scene as Buoy lyrically explores the space between the sounds. Strikingly haunting and undeniably infectious, she builds upon the beat in ways many of today’s artists only dream. Keep your ear to the ground in the next several months and it’s a guarantee her name will pop up again, probably more than once.

KATY B, MSSING NO, GEENEUS – “WATER RISING”

April 25, 2016 thematweird

UK club queen, Katy B, is back with a bang! On April 22 she released her third studio album, Honey, and dropped here latest single, “Water Rising,” only a few days before.

The newest track is indicative of the album, melodic beats flowing through the cloud of Katy’s sultry voice. Honey features a multitude of collaborations with some of today’s hottest artists and producers and water rising is a great example with MssingNo and Geeneus producing the track. Something tells us you’ll be hearing more of this track throughout the Spring, just be sure to tell your friends where you heard it first.

https://soundcloud.com/rinsefm/katy-b-x-mssingno-x-geeneus-water-rising-1

Euphoric / Euphoric Styles / Euphoric.net

THE PIRATE – BASS TRIBE’S SPRING BLING MIX SERIES 17

April 18, 2016 thematweird

It’s April, the sun’s out and that means it’s time to work on the beach tan during the day and pop bottles in the sweat-filled clubs at night. No party gets cracking without the right beats and Santa Cruz’s own The Pirate has just the mix to get those asses shaking.

Whether it’s spinning tracks at Emissions or setting up shows with Raindance Productions at clubs throughout San Francisco and Santa Cruz, The Pirate has worked ’round-the-clock in the Bay Area and Northern California EDM scene for a better part of the last decade. With a wide range of musical taste, the Pirate perfectly blends reggae, trap, hip hop, dub and even calypso into hard-hitting, one-of-a-kind tracks.

His latest mix is 29 minutes of slammin’ beats and intoxicating rhythms for the Bass Tribe’s “Spring Bling” series. From start to finish, Pirate pulls the fun and obscure together in a blend you can’t help but play over and over. One glance at that tracklist and it’s easy to see how he managed to gain over 1300 plays in under a week.