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Ravebot

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  1. San Francisco’s Outside Lands has unveiled its 2025 lineup. The beloved Bay Area festival will return to Golden Gate Park from August 8-10, marking its 17th edition with nightly headline performances from Tyler, The Creator—who canceled his appearance at last year’s event—Hozier and Doja Cat. Other top-billed acts include Anderson.Paak & the Free Nationals, Glass Animals, Gracie Abrams, Doechii, and a sunset performance from Vampire Weekend, with house and techno superstar John Summit, Grammy-nominated producer Jamie xx, and enigmatic French midtempo artist Gesaffelstein locked in as the festival’s electronic headliners for 2025. Equally anticipated DJ sets from house and techno stalwarts Black Coffee, Claude VonStroke, Floating Points, Walker & Royce, BLOND:ISH, and Dombresky will return to SOMA, Outside Lands’ open-air dance destination in Marx Meadow, while other top selectors like Sammy Virji, Levity, Claptone, NOTION, DJ Koze, ARMNHMR, and Anderson .Paak’s vinyl-spinning DJ Pee.Wee alias will perform elsewhere throughout the park. Additional multi-genre highlights include indie favorites Bleachers, Jorja Smith, Still Woozy, flipturn, FINNEAS, Royel Otis, Julien Baker & TORRES, Ludacris, and BigXthaPlug, among others. Check out the full lineup below. “This year’s lineup captures the dynamic, ever-evolving tastes of the Bay Area,” Outside Lands co-founder Allen Scott said in a press release. “We’re proud to curate a festival that spans generations, bringing something unique and unforgettable for everyone.” Tickets for Outside Lands 2025 will go on sale tomorrow, Wednesday, March 26, at 10AM PT. For more information or to purchase yours, visit sfoutsidelands.com. Featured image courtesy: Outside Lands. The post San Francisco’s Outside Lands Drops 2025 Lineup appeared first on EDM Maniac. View the full article
  2. Join us as we sit down with a legendary vocalist and an incredibly wise rising star. Where do I even begin with this one? We were fortunate enough to catch a chat with two of the most prominent artists in Trance and Dance music as a whole. Firstly, we sat down with BiXX, experienced Uplifting Trance producer from Alabama who will see the release of his debut artist album this year. And alongside him, we had the pleasure of interviewing none other than Susana, arguably the voice of Trance. Together, they released ‘Believe In Me‘ not long ago. The track is a beautiful piece which explores the themes of being supported and finding someone you can count on. It’s an inspirational masterpiece, and while this was the focal point of our interview at first, you’ll see that soon we began to touch upon more and more themes. I know this comes from far too close, but this convo was truly spectacular. Let’s not waste any more time, if you’re looking for an inspiring chat, here you’ll find everything you need, so please proceed. Here’s our insightful conversation with BiXX and Susana. The Interview (Please note, the bolded text represents a question, while the paragraph(s) following it represent BiXX’s and Susana’s answers.) Thank you so much for being here. It means a lot. Well, first question: How’s the reception been on ‘Believe In Me’, so far? Any particular comments that have stuck with you during these weeks? BiXX: Okay. Well, number one, we got the track played on A State Of Trance, which is not so easy for me, but it’s very easy for Susana [laughs], with great visibility. So I probably received five to ten times more comments on this track from just various friends, fans, etc. But one stuck out in particular. When you receive a comment like this, it’s like, my gosh, all the challenges that you go through, this makes it worthwhile. This particular guy was from Denmark. He lost his father, and then he lost a child four months later. And he struggles with anxiety. He listened to this track, and he cried, and this track gave him so much hope. So, you know, when you create an inspirational track, you feel like “I have this knowledge that works for me, and it’s no good if it stays inside me, and I want to share it. How do I share it? How do I get the message across in a powerful way? Work with Susana“. The way the message is so powerful, you really don’t want to keep it inside you. You want to give it to the world, and you hope it’s received, and you hope it impacts people in a positive way. So when you get a message like this, it was a “wow” moment for me. I felt the emotion and the passion. I felt so happy. Susana: I didn’t even know yet about this message, and I feel like as an artist, that’s the biggest— I don’t know, I feel in the context of his story, to say a compliment is a bit weird, but I can’t think of a better word to explain it. “The effect that your music can have on people“. So that means a lot to me, and obviously to Bob as well. Because I feel like music isn’t always appreciated in society. It’s like a commodity, like a consumer thing. But it’s actually impacting people’s lives, and one song can do that. One line in a song can do that, which is why I love this job as well. And talking about the fact that it was played on A State Of Trance, there was a beautiful moment there, because it was also broadcasted on YouTube. And we could see this girl. I made a post trying to find out who she was, but I haven’t found her yet. But she was getting emotional during the song. I’m not sure if it was about the song, or it was something else happening at the time, but it looked like it was the song or the words. So that emotion, and the meaning behind it, I think that’s touching people. And the response has been really, really great. I couldn’t be happier with how this turned out. Great. Well, I need to ask this. What’s the story behind ‘Believe In Me’? It’s a very inspirational track. We’d love to know how both of you connect to the lyrics and the melody. Susana: I think Bob should go first, because… BiXX: My father passed away in October of 2023. It was literally two days before coming home from ADE. That still haunts me a little bit. He was close to 93. So, a wonderful life. So then I brought back a thought I’d been having for a long time: “What will I say at the eulogy?“. And then, as my dad got older, it sort of became an opportunity. So, as I started writing the eulogy about my life, my father, one thing just kept coming to me: He believed in me. He believed in me. A simple idea that people could latch on to, not only closely related to me but that could perhaps resonate with others when turned into a song. And then, I realized how I structured my whole life about trying to find people around me that I just gravitated towards, that believed in me, as opposed to people that don’t. So, I just felt like this message needed to be communicated to the world, because if you really believe in yourself and you structure your life where you surround yourself with people who also believe in you — not so easy, but it’s very doable —, your life will change so much for the positive. So, that’s where the message idea came from. And then, boy, what better person to partner up with than Susana. Although I really had no idea about her brilliance, her talent for taking a story and creating very short, impactful, powerful words in a song. I had no idea that she could do this, this good. And so, I sent her a couple of topics. Susana: Bob sent me a couple track narratives, because this track was going to be part of his upcoming album and he already had all the track titles and the themes of the songs. And there were a few still open, which you sent to me, and then when I read this one, I knew right away, “this is the one I’m going to go with“. And also because my parents have always supported me and believed in me and I have a really good relationship with them, I could personally relate to what Bob was saying about his father. If you look at the lyrics, the words are actually simple and there’s quite a bit of space for them, but it just came, and this doesn’t happen to me with all the songs that I work on, some are really hard work to find the right message and the words and to fit them to the melody. But with this, the demo was so beautiful, it just flowed very easily. I think it helped that I had such a clear idea of the story and some of the words that Bob used to describe his relationship with his father. [To BiXX] I think you wrote something like, “My father shaped me into who I am today“, and that’s literally in the lyrics, “Thanks to you I am who I am today“. So it was a very enjoyable process and I think that was a combination of me being able to relate personally to Bob’s story, the fact that I had a clear story to work with, and that the demo was so beautiful. Incredible story. Thank you so much, because it was a very insightful story. Now, specifically to BiXX, we’d love to know what got you into making music. Had you been thinking about this for a while? Was it something that just popped out of the blue? Walk us through it, please. BiXX: I guess we’ve all heard the term “Midlife Crisis”. It’s a wonderful thing. It’s something that’s a little frustrating and worrisome, because it forces you to get inside yourself and figure out who you are. So, I had always wanted to be a DJ as a child. In fact, I did a little DJing back in college, you know? I was always carrying my big stack of Funk records at a mostly white campus where they played boring white music. And I just loved Dance music. Then I sort of evolved from there to Eurodance. Loved that. So, I always loved music, but I also was in the business world and went down that path. And I got consumed, raising a family, all the wonderful things of life. I built a nice company. I love the relationships with people. I love bringing the best out of people and seeing what they’re good at and trying to develop that and try to help build this vision and then get everybody on board. And so, all these things that I enjoy doing, when I sold my business and left the company, I gave myself two years to figure out what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I just started thinking back on the fact that I’ve always loved music. I somehow ran into a guy skiing who had a business in Hong Kong, and he actually sold his business and he went to Ibiza to become a DJ and played the clubs of Ibiza for a couple of summers. So he encouraged me. First I went to Atlanta to go to a DJ school, but it was Funk and Hip-Hop, which is not really what I wanted to learn how to play. So I realized I had to go to Amsterdam. So I took lessons at the DJ School of Amsterdam in 2016, and they said, “You need to come back to ADE, Amsterdam Dance Event“. Coming from business, I’m a networker and I love to network and meet people. And so, when I went to ADE I met a couple of really good music producers. So, I used my skills. What was I really good at? Team building. I could’ve probably built my career on my own, I’m pretty good on my own, but I’m great with a team. And I like to be great. So, I built a team, whether it was production, whether it was just a couple guys that would give me mentoring and confidence because the music industry is tough. So, anyway, and why Trance? Back in I think it was 2005, Susana did a track with Armin van Buuren called ‘Shivers’ and, that’s a gift that keeps on giving. And I just was captivated by her voice. I was captivated by the melody and then, “Who’s this Armin van Buuren guy?“. And I just dove into the whole journey of Trance. I just loved Trance music, and still do. Back in business I used to be a very creative guy. And so, if you don’t replace that creativity, you get depressed. And music just happened to fill a void that I was missing at a certain time in my life. And then I just went all in. Susana: I think that’s very admirable and inspirational that you didn’t let any limiting thoughts in the way like, “Oh, I’m already getting too old“, or travelling all the way to Amsterdam to go to a DJ school. “It’s probably 20-year-olds teaching there”. So, I think that in itself is already an inspiration for other people out there who also, regardless of their age, have always had a passion for something, but never went for it for whatever reason, or maybe felt a little bit intimidated to pursue it. And yeah, you’re gonna make mistakes and you’re gonna feel silly and awkward more than a few times, probably. But it’s part of the process and it’s how you grow, right? It’s very cliche, but it’s true. And I’m glad you did and that we got to work together. You guys are crushing this interview right now! Loving it. So, Susana, now your turn. After a quick look at Beatport, I can see you have close to a thousand records released, which is something extraordinary to keep as your discography. Now, out of all of those songs, which I insist are a lot, any particular ones that are closer to your heart, that you hold more dearly than others? One that you have a particular story to it? And if you were so kind, if you found one, could you please share the story behind it? Susana: Oh, wow. This is always such a challenging question, I think, for any artist. And a thousand, I think that’s probably a lot of different releases and re-releases and everything. I should look up how many individual songs those are. I have no idea, actually. Quite a few as well, because I’ve been doing this for 20 years now. Also speaking about 20 years ago, I remember the song that made me fall in love with Trance music. That was ‘Nothing At All’ with Rex Mundi. I don’t know if you know this track. It was released maybe a year or two after ‘Shivers’, it’s a Progressive track. And it did really well back in the day. I actually got to go to Taiwan to record a music video for it, which was a beautiful experience. And I remember working on that track. I heard the instrumental and I just felt like, “Wow, this was made for me or something“. I believe it was Markus Schulz who actually told Rex, “You should work on this one with Susana. I think she would fit the track perfectly“. So he kind of sensed that already. So that’s still a special one for me because of that. Also, obviously, ‘Shivers’, Bob mentioned it already. I often say it’s like the gift that keeps on giving, because I had no clue about Dance music when I recorded ‘Shivers’. I did not write ‘Shivers’. I came to the studio, I recorded the vocals that were written by a songwriter. I had heard of Armin before, but I didn’t really know what he looked like. And at that time, his star was rising, but he wasn’t at the height of his career where he is now. And so that was just a whole eye-opening experience. I basically took the job because I was like, “Oh, it will be nice to get some studio experience, right?“. I think that’s a funny story because that track is literally the one that opened a lot of doors for me. I got to tour with Armin. When I toured with Armin, I got to meet other artists in Electronic music. And I found that so inspiring. That’s when I started to connect literally with the crowd, Trance crowd, Trance community. And yeah, I just felt like this whole new world was opening up to me. At the time, Armin did shows of, like, nine hours. He was playing for nine hours nonstop. So imagine the amount of tracks I was hearing when we did those shows, I was really listening to tons of music that was new to me. So that really was a defining moment for me and made me determined to pursue this career. Also ‘RAMelia’, of course. RAM and I had never worked before, but we knew each other. I had seen him perform and we would speak backstage at events. I got to know his wife as well, Amelia. And then she all of a sudden passed away. I think it was his manager calling me like, “Hey”, I knew what had happened, “RAM wants to do a tribute for Amelia. He’s playing this event in the Netherlands in a few weeks and he would like to play a track in her memory“, which was a huge honour for me. But I also, as you can imagine, kind of felt the pressure. I wanted to do a really good job at it. I wanted to write a song that would do her justice as a person, but that would not just be like a sad, sad song, right? I wanted it to have a shimmer of light or hope. And I still feel like maybe she was there with me, channelling the words. I don’t know, it was a special thing, I cried through the whole thing when I was writing. And that song still holds a special place in my heart, obviously. I could go on mentioning tracks. I don’t think I have one favourite. It just depends on the mood also and maybe what’s happening in my own life at a certain moment. But ‘Believe In Me’ is definitely a favorite of the past couple of years, also because of the process. It was just really enjoyable to work with Bob. And I think it’s turned out to be a really meaningful song that’s close to my heart as well. BiXX: By the way, we have an acoustic version of the track that I worked on with Paul Skelton. He’s just a brilliant composer, and an incredibly talented piano player. And that’ll be on the album only. It is beautiful. You take a Dance track sometimes and you can put it into a more orchestral, a symphonic sort of beautiful sound. It’s half the speed. It’s stunning. And it even brings the message across much, much stronger. Absolutely. Well, I’m a huge fan of Above & Beyond and they say they always start their songs like this, their vocal tracks. They start as an acoustic idea and then they build up the Dance thing. They kind of adapt the acoustic part and they say the message comes through much stronger than if it was just born as a four on the floor track. BiXX: That’s good to know, because labels have their sound and then you have your sound, and labels try to get you boxed in to their ideal sound. Even my mentor, RAM, sometimes says, “Bob, you need to change this, you need to change that, don’t make your breakdown so long“. And I get it. If you’re playing live, you can only have a couple of tracks that really captivate with a long breakdown. But I do so many tracks that I start with the breakdown first. You know, it’s just that’s to me the heart and soul of the track. And it’s good to hear that the world’s best, that’s how they design their tracks. Susana: You got to go to the beat of your own drum, in a sense. I’ve been in this scene for 20 years and I feel like all the time there’s this talk of “Trance is changing, it’s not the same, it’s not cool anymore“. And this is the first time in 20 years that I’m actually sometimes fearing that there might be truth to it, that Trance is losing ground at the moment, the emotional Trance, especially when it comes to filling up venues. I know in the Netherlands, especially the Trance crowd is getting a little bit older. Maybe they just don’t really go to events anymore. I can’t really explain it. At the same time I know there is a core of hardcore Trance fans who will always continue to love and support these emotional songs. I believe everything goes in cycles, so we’re just in a different phase of music now. But I do hope that there will still be a place for emotional songs in the future. So let me understand your point. You think that Trance is coming back as a wave, but you think it’s not coming back with the proper emotion that it used to have? Susana: Not really. I feel like it’s not what’s the trend right now. If you look at the lineup of the ASOT the past weekend, they used to be all about Trance and now there is a specific area, Area 2, that was more about the Trance as we know it. But I also find it hard to put labels on things because I do believe music should be fluid and it’s good if there’s crossovers and we influence each other. But of course, they have a lot of Melodic Techno now… That’s my impression and what I hear from people, that’s the type of music that people get excited about now. And that’s probably also why Bob got the advice not to make his breakdowns too long. But we’ll see how it will all develop. And I know for a big part of my fan base, this is what they love and what they’ll continue to support and listen to. BiXX: I think there’s a struggle from an artist’s standpoint of authenticity versus commerce. Do you create to sell tracks? Do you create to get more gigs? Do you create what speaks to your heart as a piece of you, as a piece of art that you’re giving to the world? And that’s one part of it. It’s how authentic you want to stay and then risk not getting gigs or not selling records. The other part to me is that I believe that many humans will need emotional triggers in music, in order to fully experience music. I think you have to innovate in anything you do, you grow or you die. And innovation comes from a lot of things. But technology is one. And as you know, AI makes it easier to create new sounds and separate vocals from tracks and create speaking parts. And there are so many things that AI can do in music. So if you’re using that as a tool in your toolbox to create newer sounding tracks, you’ve got to keep innovating because people just get bored of the same. I think one of the things with Trance is structure. People get lazy. It’s like intro, breakdown, climb, drop. And it’s just all the same. It’s like a cookie cutter, template-driven industry. I don’t know if that gives Trance a bad name. There definitely is room to keep innovating in Trance, though. Also, humans are always going to be human. You have some people that go to events because they’re angry or they’re frustrated and they get their outlet through the hard stuff. And then there’s other people that need emotional triggers to feel their feelings. You know, they actually have a hard life, they’ve had to shut down and they need emotional triggers through music to open up and to feel happiness. So I don’t think human emotions are going to change much. So I do feel like there’s always going to be space for emotional, uplifting Trance. But it’s just up to the producer to innovate and make it interesting. And if you get too much the same, people get tired of it. So there’s hope. I hope there’s hope as well. Now, about you, Bob, can we talk about the album for a bit? Let’s get to know the name, some tracks, kind of a rough sketching of what it means for you and what’s going to convey for the story of BiXX. BiXX: Yes. I think it’s important in the music scene to have, you know, good people around you and especially the people that are very encouraging. There’s times when we get down because of a series of rejections or a series of things that happen. I guess people get in so much into their own journey that they don’t take the time to understand the importance of other people around them. That’s where this began. I was talking to a friend of mine about two and a half years ago who I worked with for social media, Jimmy. And I was just telling a few stories about my past and my life. And I kept saying to him that I try to be that voice of reason, that calm person that can advise people when they’re having a very stressful time or struggles and to give good advice just based on past experiences. Because, you know, it seemed like just a short time ago, I would call somebody older, more experienced than me and ask them for advice. And all of a sudden, life happens. And now I’m that older guy that’s giving advice to the younger people. So he said, why don’t you do an album and call it Voice of Reason? You keep talking about being that voice of reason. And then I called RAM, one of my mentors, advisors. “What do you think about me doing albums?“, “Oh, that’s a terrible idea“. And so when he said that, I decided I was going to do an album. Ram and I are good friends so we can speak freely with each other. He is also a great mentor to me. So his comment about it being a bad idea was because his goals and where he is in his career are different than mine. My purpose is more about teaching and inspiring. Once I explained that to Ram, he was interested in learning more. His perspective was way different than mine. So mine was, how do I leave something in life for people, whoever, kids, grandkids, just something to look back on when I’m retired. Although I don’t think retirement’s ever an option for me. You always want to keep challenging and innovating and living life to the fullest. Anyway, I was going to do an album. And I wanted to approach it like writing a book, from a standpoint. And so I wrote all of this like a book, like each track is a chapter. Each track has an inspirational message. So I just started outlining a list of messages. But I just started writing a whole bunch of that list of potential titles and concepts, I’ll just rattle a few. So, one came from my wife telling me, “If you could only follow your own advice, you’d be way better“. I give good advice and always follow it. So one of the concepts I always tell people is, “Your self-doubt is creating your own glass ceiling“. So I have a really nice vocal track on the album called ‘Glass Ceiling’. Another came from the fact that one of my big frustrations about the music industry is that people lack a sense of urgency, so I have a track called ‘Sense Of Urgency’. And another track that sort of happened by accident, it’s called ‘Karma Is Coming For You’. It’s got some very powerful words and sentences, messages about, you know, “You think no one’s watching, but Karma is watching“, and the importance of doing the right thing. Otherwise, Karma is going to come back and get you. Other tracks I’ll mention right now: my mother used to ask me why I dated all the pretty girls when I was younger, and she said external beauty fades and internal beauty never dies. So I’ve got a track called ‘Beauty Within’. I’ve got a vocal track that’s coming out next month. It’s basically about not giving up, and it dates back to the ADE incident I mentioned earlier. I got back from ADE in 2023. My father had just passed away, I got very sick, my colon got infected and I had surgery. And that knocked me down for a couple of months. And at the same time I got involved with a couple people, who were just not who I thought they were. And that was very disappointing. So I had all these things happen, to the point I was convinced music was doing me harm and I was determined to leave it aside. So I resorted to my inner circle, and they convinced me not to quit, not to give up. So I named one of the tracks ‘To Find Myself’. And then there’s a track called ‘Your Time Will Come’ that’s coming out next month. It’s about not giving up. And the last one I’m going to mention is a track called ‘Appreciation’. One of the greatest gifts we have is the power to give and show appreciation. You could say it’s a bit of a mentoring album in a way, right? There’s 17 tracks on the album. And then the three acoustic versions that will be on the album make it more dynamic. It’s not all just banging Trance. There’s incredible artistic beauty through the talents of Paul Skelton on this as well. Wow. Something to look forward to. I find it interesting that you talk about Paul Skelton because I didn’t know he had kind of an orchestral face. I’ve always heard him only Trance and just Trance. And yeah, he does great music, but I didn’t know he had a more important role whenever it comes to the breaks or the non-beat stuff. BiXX: Yeah, I don’t want to give away Paul’s secrets, but he works with several producers in the Trance scene. There’s technical producers that are really good with sound design and the technical aspects of tracks, but they’re not born composers. So if a technical person works with a composer like Paul Skelton, it really enhances the melodic beauty and breaks the monotony, again, adding beauty. Now, Susana, a question for you, if you’re ready. Susana: Yep. Back to the lyrics. Well, we talked about this a little bit before, but your tracks are often super emotional, super powerful. Is that intentional on your end? Does it just happen naturally? Where does the inspiration for this poetry come from? Susana: Wow, I think it’s a big compliment to hear it described as poetry. It’s a good question. Is it intentional? I think first of all, we’re talking about my sound. There’s a songwriter I’ve worked with a lot, Raz Nitzan. He was one of the songwriters on ‘Shivers’, for example. And I worked with him very closely for the first eight years of my career. And we’re still really good friends and still work together on occasion. It’s always really fun studio sessions. And he likes to call this “The Susana Moment”, a moment in the track where you reach the chorus and the powerful vocal comes out, which probably at the beginning was not intentional. But then it became something that you enjoy doing and that you notice is resonating with people and, if we’re talking about branding, I would say it has become part of my brand. But when I write, I just don’t really think about those things. I just go where the music takes me. Sometimes I do think, “Okay, I can probably go higher here” or “this hook needs to be more powerful“. So to answer your question, it’s probably part of who I am and a bit of intention as well. Because I’ve noticed that it creates beautiful, powerful moments in a song, and that it works. I do also enjoy writing meaningful songs where there is a story. I did a session with another songwriter, two years ago, and that’s when I realized not all songwriters are writing in that way. We talked a little bit about her life and what she was going through, and I got to write about that. And then at the end of the session, she was like, “Wow, I’ve never really approached songwriting like this, where I tell a story or something personal and emotional“. She just had a different way of writing, maybe more thematic. She’s really successful, so it’s working for her. It’s just a different approach to songwriting. But especially for Trance, I do think that my method works well. And it resonates also with my audience, my fan base. I feel like in that, we found each other. Well, we in Trance, we are a very soft-hearted fan base. Susana: What is in a way intentional is, especially when I work on uplifting tracks or with producers or DJs who tour a lot and play big festivals, I think about, “If they play this at Dreamstate, or in A State Of Trance, what would make the crowds go teary-eyed“, you know? So I do think about that and how to create a moment like that. Making the lyrics sometimes personal, sometimes universal, but something that people can relate to. I think a line like, “Because you Believe In Me, no matter what“, anyone can relate to that in some way to their own life. So it’s part intentional and part of who you are as a person, and what your sound is as an artist. And I think that that goes for probably most artists, that their creativity is an extension of who they are. Or some say it’s not really an extension of you, but you’re the vessel, that ideas are already there somewhere, but you are then the one who’s grabbing the idea, and when it is ready to be shared with the world, then you are the vessel in a way, that that’s what artists do, which I think is also a nice way to look at it, even if I don’t know if it’s true, it feels like that sometimes. BiXX: You have a way… What’s that moment when you surrender yourself to the track? And you seem to be able to find that moment quite easily in many of your tracks, where it’s so beautiful, you just surrender yourself, you’re just in the moment. Susana: Yeah, that’s probably usually when you go into the chorus, right? BiXX: Yeah. Susana: When I find that melody in a song or that moment, it always feels a little bit like an accomplishment, like I’ve found it. And with some songs or instrumentals that I work with, it’s easier to be found, than others. Now, I’ve got three more questions. These are kind of more abstract questions. So it’s excellent for the themes we’ve been talking about lately. First off, have you had an “Oh my God” moment, either while producing, performing, whatever, in which you’re doing something and then you suddenly stop and become aware of where you are, what you’ve achieved, etc? Susana: I’ve had a few moments like that, thankfully. Even last weekend, when I performed at A State Of Trance. I did one song that’s coming out next month. And this performance was only a few minutes, so it passes by like this, right? [Snaps fingers] I also do performances where I have more songs or I’m out there half an hour. But a lot of times, even half an hour just flies by. So I try to always be in the moment consciously and enjoy it and take it in. Because before I know it, it’s over. And what a shame it would be if I was just all in my head about it and not enjoying it. But I think the one moment that really stands out for me was in 2019. I got to perform with Armin at Tomorrowland during ADE with an orchestra. So the energy of the orchestra was already supporting me in a big way. And I remember, I had to wait under the stage and then step on something and it would go up and I would appear on the stage. And I was waiting downstairs and I heard the crowd, and I was just, kind of talking to the universe out there like, “Help me to shine my light and have a positive impact on the people out there“. And then I went on stage and sang ‘Shivers’ with the orchestra. I had already sung this version during that summer at Tomorrowland. And I had made my own ending to it. It was my more “Susana” ending, another one of those moments we just talked about. I added that finishing touch to it. And I remember singing it there at ADE with Armin. And when I sang the last note of that line I experienced that very moment you just described, “Oh my God, this is probably my best note ever“. I could feel it. And I felt that the crowd could feel it too. Afterwards, when Armin saw me in the dressing room, he told me “You’re a star!“. I haven’t experienced that feeling when singing ever since. So yeah, I don’t know what it was, but that was definitely an Oh my God moment for me. It was almost like an out-of-body experience. Like, “Was that me?“. I have a recording of it, thankfully. So I know it actually happened. BiXX: I’ll mention two, where one’s really fast. So the fast one is, I was actually working with Mark Sherry last April in the studio, and Mark’s car was messed up. And he had a rental car and they had to bring him a new rental car. So he said, “Bob, I got to go out of the studio for about 10 minutes to deal with this“. And then I looked at my phone and I got this message that Susana had sent me the first vocal attempt at ‘Believe In Me’. And from the very first word, “I hear your voice“, all of a sudden the tears started flowing. And it was an Oh my God moment for me because it was a perfect summary of everything I had in mind for the track. And then the longer one, back in 2019 I was looking to become a better artist. Obviously I’m not the young guy, so my philosophy was “How do I accelerate my learning curve“. I figured I’d fly around Europe and spend time in the studio with different producers and have melody writing sessions and tuitions and help build tracks. One day I’m at this producer’s. Basically he had a melody. We’re at a melody writing session. I said, “Well, do you have any old melodies that are sitting in your melody graveyard?” So I’m clicking through all these melodies. And all of a sudden I find something similar to what we ended up doing in a track called ‘Yes I Can’. It was perfect. And previous to that, I had heard Davey Asprey’s ‘Fallout’. I watched Armin play it at A State Of Trance and everybody was jumping up and down. I said, “I want a track like that“. That’s going to make the audience go crazy, and it’s going to be great to play live. So anyway, once we found the melody, I sort of wrote up a narrative on kind of how I wanted the track to go. So we sat down and developed the track and then I played it for my wife. My wife says, “Oh, well, you need a chorus“. We had a choir. “You need a choir melody in this section and you need a choir melody in that section“. And she’s a little bit of a singer. So she actually hummed the melody, she participated. And then I just knew it was a good track. I didn’t know how people were going to react. Fast forward some months, I attended Trancemission in October of that year. Darren Porter played the track live on his set. And you could just see the change in the crowd. And I’m like, “Oh, my gosh“. This is that moment. This track that was born from that moment of Armin playing Davey Asprey’s ‘Fallout’ live at ASOT. It’s happening right now. And then the aftermath: somebody cut the track and posted it on YouTube. And it got like 500,000 views in the first couple of weeks. And everybody was going, “Who is this guy? Who did this track?“. That was like my moment. Maybe I had released three tracks before that. Incredible. Thank you so much for sharing your stories. I’m still smiling from ear to ear. Second to last, if you could go back in time, say 10, 20 years, any amount of years you’d find interesting, and meet your past self, what would you tell your younger self? Were you worried about something that wasn’t really necessary? BiXX: Okay, so the “worry” part, I’ll address it two ways. I call F.E.A.R, False Expectations Appearing Real. And I’m a worrier. My mom was a worrier. And I had someone call me Mr. Worry, “He’s worried about not having something to worry about“, you know? So I tend to worry. And this false expectations appearing real acronym, most things you worry about never really happen. Then, in terms of going back in time and telling my younger self… So I can look back at myself in stages, when you’re going through your 20s, it’s experimenting, your 30s, and often your 40s, you’re in the grind, you’re trying to achieve, you’re working really hard. And I see this with younger people these days: you slow down, and take the time to smell the roses, take the time to appreciate the process, and the journey, and the people that you work with that you enjoy working with. That’s what I’d tell my younger self. Because I look back now, and in my company I had these great customers, or I had these great employees, and all I was really focusing on was the bottom line profit of the company, I was so worried about the profit of the company, I was so worried about the cash flow, the this, the that. And I did enjoy all those relationships, but I just wish I would have slowed down a little bit, which I do now, because that’s, that’s the great thing about having a second chance to reinvent yourself or another chance. And you can do it. I didn’t tell people that I appreciated them back then, I might have told them, you need to tell people that you appreciate them, you tell people that do a good job. “Well, they’re expected to do a good job, you know?”, and I just didn’t get it, because I was just so driven. That’s what I’d say: slow down, and smell the roses. Enjoy the now, enjoy the process, enjoy the people, acknowledge people, and show them appreciation. Susana: What would I tell my younger self? There’s a lot I could tell her. But I always say that I’m a recovering perfectionist and people pleaser. So I would probably tell her, you are just right the way you are. And you are a good person. And don’t worry too much about what other people might think or about disappointing people. You are allowed to go for your dream, right? And I probably, if I look back, I feel like I sometimes could have been a little bit more selfish, in a way. And have done my own thing more or sooner, probably. I can kind of relate to what Bob’s saying, the overthinking part, right? It’s always a good thing to enjoy, to celebrate your achievements. I heard this quote a few years ago that really stuck with me. I don’t know who said it originally, but it was something along the lines of, “Once you reach your dream, it’s no longer your dream“. And I mean, it’s so often that when we achieve a goal, we forget about it so quickly, and we’re already thinking about the next thing. It’s so easy to look at what’s not there yet. While if you look at it from another way, so many people would like to be where you are now. So don’t take it for granted. So yeah, I would tell her, believe in yourself. Believe in yourself and in your own vision. And don’t worry too much about getting it perfect, making mistakes, disappointing people, people having an opinion. Because it’s your life, it’s your career, it’s your dream. Fight for it, go for it. BiXX: And let me add something about being selfish, because we all associate it with something negative, right? But I’ve come to see it more like what they say in the plane, like when the oxygen masks drop, put it on yourself first before helping others. And I feel the same way about if you have a dream. And I still believe in being kind to people. It’s not about that. But I think as an artist, you become an artist because you have something to share with the world. And if you don’t put your dream first, if you’re not at least a little bit selfish in that way, then people are going to have to miss out on what you have to offer them. It happens in the small things as well. I have a guy I work with on social media, and we had a certain way of doing videos. And then Susana asked, “Can I approve the videos before they go out?“. She wanted to be involved. And I’m telling you, she’s very specific in particular, but she had so much knowledge that we did not have. She made us way better than we were. And we will be better in the future for this experience. She’s so connected in that social media world that’s definitely changing with short attention spans and things like that. So sometimes if you are selfish to get your own points across because you want to be better, then you make the team around you better. Susana: That’s the point. I could have thought, “Oh, I don’t want to sound like a control freak or something“. But it was genuinely also because I could help us get the best out of the promotion efforts. And I must really give it to Bob. All the effort that he has put in, all the content ideas he came up with, other artists can definitely learn from that. So I think we all brought our strengths to the table. Now, last question, which is, part of the same question that we were just discussing, but this is instead of advising yourself, advising someone else, if you could give our audience one piece of advice about anything, what would it be? Susana: Well, maybe it’s not so much an advice, but more of a plea to people to just be more gentle with each other and believe in the other person’s good intentions. I feel like with everything that’s going on in the world, the debates are getting more harsh and you know what it’s like on social media, right? People can say the meanest things to each other and assume all these horrible things about people just based on something that they’ve written. Let’s try and give each other more grace. At the end of the day, we’re all human beings and we want to live meaningful lives and make sure that our loved ones are taken care of. We may not always have the same ideas about how we’re going to get there. But in that sense, I think the theme of ‘Believe In Me’ can also be translated to believing in each other and being more gentle. BiXX: I’ll follow up with what Susana said first and then I’ll give you my other advice is. I like to do the following: if I have any kind of conflict or misunderstanding, after maybe about two to three messages, emails, and I sense it’s getting a little bit frustrating or going down potentially the wrong path of being misunderstood, I will always request a phone call. I would prefer Zoom or to see a person’s face to see them as a human, to see their body language, to see their feelings and then discuss it, as opposed to these dumb wars dropping bombs, you know? And now my own advice: it’s so important to surround yourself with good people. Who do you surround yourself with? I think that mediocre people don’t like high achievers and high achievers don’t necessarily like mediocrity. It’s because the standards aren’t the same. So if you aspire to go in a certain direction or a new career, or if you want to climb the ladder, try to surround yourself with people that are already there, where you want to go. If you surround yourself with people that are smarter than you, that are more experienced than you, that will fill your gaps to your weaknesses. You can invite them to lunch, connect at a party, you follow up, not all of them work out, but build it, build a team around you. Susana: I can add to that because last year, I worked with a business coach and she would always say, “Be brave enough to be the smallest one at the table“, because especially if you’ve been doing something for a while and you build a name for yourself, there can be a little of an ego thing like, “Oh, I am already someone in music“, or whatever your career is. And you might notice that you’re starting to reach a plateau. And in order to reach the next level, you will have to become okay with being the smallest one on the table again and being that beginner, maybe also having that beginner mindset and making mistakes. Maybe even approaching people or surrounding yourself with people that intimidate you a little bit. So I can relate to what Bob’s saying. And I thought I would add what she used to tell me because it really helped me as well. BiXX: You know, just one more follow-up on that. That’s a great point, Susana. When you go from, I was 25, 30 years in my business and I got to that point where you, achieve a certain status and there’s a little bit of a know-it-all mentality, maybe the ego gets in the way, but then you shift focus and climb into this music industry, and you’re all of a sudden a student again and you’re just that smallest person at the table. It opens up your mind for lots of creativity, because you don’t have the heaviness of being this know-it-all person. And then you learn from other people and your mind becomes more of a listener and more of a student. Susana: Student of life. We are all students of life, right? Nice questions! BiXX: Yeah, great questions. -End of interview- Final Words I can’t really put into words what I feel after this interview. I’m so thankful for having the opportunity to speak with these two geniuses, and having the opportunity to soak up a bit of their wisdom. I hope this chat also inspired you and gives you a fresh perspective in life, I know it did the trick for me. Thank you so so much to Bob and Susana for the lovely chat — of which you read only a fragment, since we actually spoke for over 90 minutes. Amazing. Here’s to a year full of exciting music from these two pros! The post [INTERVIEW] BiXX And Susana Talk ‘Believe In Me’, Persevering, Career, And More appeared first on EDMTunes.
  3. Tomorrowland and Insomniac have been teasing a collaboration for the last few days. This has led to many rumors and speculation about what is to come. Many people’s first thought was the return of TomorrowWorld or some other Tomorrowland event in the US managed by Insomniac as their US partner. However, their latest video tease seems to be pointing to something else entirely. From the beautiful video, the two festival giants combine their most famous festival themes. Their festival bands are shown holding the earth together. Tomorrowland’s butterfly and Insomniac’s Owl, seen separately in every other tease, finally come together. The tease ends with Insomniac x Tomorrowland present Unity. It looks pretty clear that the globe represents the Las Vegas Sphere. It seems very likely they are hinting at a joint Sphere Residency. We can only begin to imagine what this audio and visual experience will be like. They will bring the biggest dance artists from around the world to Las Vegas. Tomorrowland and EDC have the best production in the world, and now they will come together as one. In case there was any doubt remaining, the Sphere commented on the Instagram post. This is an excellent opportunity for both festival brands to learn this new technology and produce visuals for it. Currently there is only one Sphere with the insane 16K x 16K resolution. The Sphere is essentially an entirely new medium, and you can be sure the festival brands want in on it. After witnessing Anyma’s Sphere residency, the first thought for many is how to bring this type of experience to more locations, eyeballs, and ears. This collaboration is certainly the first step in bringing this experience to Tomorrowlands and EDC festivals in the future. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more! You can sign up for more info here! The post That Tomorrowland x Insomniac Collab Looks Like a Sphere Residency appeared first on EDMTunes.
  4. One of the more veteran artists of the scene enters Music Week in style this year. Celebrated GRAMMY-nominated producer, DJ, and Sirup Music label founder, EDX, has unveiled his latest single, ‘Cobalt‘, released this past Friday via PinkStar Records, a subsidiary of Sirup Music. This release marks the artist’s inaugural offering of the year and underscores his continued influence within the global Electronic music landscape, a presence sustained for over two decades. ‘Cobalt’ exemplifies EDX’s signature blend of high-energy club anthems and deep, infectious grooves, meticulously crafted for peak-time dance floor engagement. The release of the tune coincides with the tenth iteration of EDX’s No Xcuses Miami showcase, a highly anticipated event during Miami Music Week. Furthermore, this year signifies the 25th anniversary of Sirup Music, establishing ‘Cobalt’ as the inaugural release in a series of planned celebratory projects, live performances, and new musical endeavours. ‘Cobalt’ ”Every year presents a new challenge to prepare for Miami Music Week, all while adding a fresh twist to my sound. ‘Cobalt’ revives the old school vibes while staying current, showcasing an innovative sound for this year’s dance floors.” -EDX ‘Cobalt’ has those sounds you get hooked to straight away: distinctive white noise, followed by synthesised analogue melodies, percussive plucks, tasty rhythms and vocal textures, leading up to those signature Deep yet still bouncy drops EDX is known for. We believe this track will do fairly well in Miami this season! It’s like it’s tailored for a good party. Listen to EDX‘s brand-new ‘Cobalt’, by hitting the ‘Play‘ button on the Spotify player below. Also, click here to support the release on your platform of choice. Be sure to follow our page to stay up to date on the latest news and views regarding our beloved Dance music industry. The post EDX Releases ‘Cobalt’ Ahead Of Miami Music Week Celebrations appeared first on EDMTunes.
  5. Jamie Jones has revealed the lineup for ‘Paradise in the City’, the first-ever, full-scale, UK outdoor festival from his world-renowned Paradise brand. It takes place across 4 stages at Boston Manor Park in London from 12pm to 10pm on 2nd August 2025. Jones has curated a stellar lineup featuring the cream of house and techno. With more names still to be announced, heavy hitters revealed today include Vintage Culture, East End Dubs, Seth Troxler, Hot Since 82, wAFF, Manda Moor, Richy Ahmed, Fleur Shore, Mason Maynard and of course, Jamie Jones himself will step up to the decks. Cutting-edge sound and state-of-the-art production are guaranteed via innovative event experts, LWE, along with the renowned energy and vibes of Paradise. The Jamie Jones’ Advantage Hot Creations, Hottrax and Paradise Music label boss, Jamie Jones is one of the most influential and in-demand DJs on the planet. His Paradise Ibiza parties are legendary. Jones has hand-selected the perfect lineup for the biggest tunes and the best vibes as Paradise In The City parties through the day and into the night. The Line-Up Vintage Culture is Brazil’s electronic music powerhouse with over 1.5 billion streams of his music. He is normally associated with top-tier slots at Tomorrowland, Burning Man, EDC, Coachella, Awakenings and more. From Detroit to Berlin, Seth Troxler has crossed the globe playing every major festival and club along the way. Seth knows exactly how to ignite any dancefloor. Underground heavyweight East End Dubs is the name on everyone’s lips. Paradise In The City will be jumping to his acid-tinged mix of London house and garage. Nature Records boss, wAFF has connected with the Paradise crowds since day one. Fans should expect the very best from this house maestro. Manda Moor continues her rise and will drop the tastiest Chicago house-flavoured blend of grooves and tech. Original Paradise family and founder of Four Thirty Two, Richy Ahmed knows exactly how to get the Paradise dance floor going crazy. Knee Deep In Sound label boss and bonafide house legend Hot Since 82 will bring his surefire collection of festival crowd-pleasers to London. The list of talent lining up for Paradise In The City is breathtaking. Festival-goers can roam 4 stages in the glorious setting of Boston Manor Park. In the process, they can find more unmissable sets from the likes of Alisha, Bontan, Dimmish, Fleur Shore, Mason Maynard, Mr G, Omar S and Sidney Charles. Paradise has always been a showcase for new and fast-rising talent. The festival brings even more treats to the turntables with exciting sets from Evie, Fifi Forte, Gaskin, Jamback, L.P. Rhythm, Late Replies, Olive F and Omri. The Experience Paradise In The City will be the ultimate outdoor summer festival for house and techno lovers. Like a slice of Ibiza in West London, party people can dance in the sun from noon. As the sun goes down, they can lose themselves in the best mix of electronic music and positive vibrations. Tickets go on pre-sale Tuesday 25th March at 10am and on general sale Wednesday 26th March at 10am from paradiseinthecity.co.uk. The post Jamie Jones Reveals Huge Lineup For First-Ever Paradise UK Outdoor Festival appeared first on EDMTunes.
  6. GRiZ is back, and he’s bringing some exciting new music with the surprise release of his latest EP, ‘GEMiNI’. After taking a break starting October 7, 2023, fans have been eagerly waiting for his return, and it looks like the right moment has finally come! After nearly two years, GRiZ has wowed us with this unexpected EP, especially after he announced his return in the previous week. On his recent post on X (shown below), GRiZ expressed his joy at finally sharing his must-hear EP and also stated how much he missed his beloved fans. I HAVE MISSED YALL SO MUCH 🥲🥲🥲 ok— so— This feels reallllly good to say— I finally get to share new music w you! https://t.co/tzY3WQBx9i pic.twitter.com/oLze8xqjAv — GRiZ 🌈 (@Griz) March 21, 2025 GRiZ threw down tons of great, creative sounds in ‘GEMiNI’ The project features four amazing tracks, and GRiZ shared that the songs on ‘GEMiNI’ got inspiration from a wide range of sounds he’s been exploring. With titles like ‘Found Your Love’, ‘Take Me Home’, ‘2-step Nassau’, and ‘Til the Color Fades’, this EP has all the funky vibes we love from GRiZ, while also introducing some fresh and unique drops and breakdowns. You can definitely feel the excitement and creativity he’s pouring into this new music! Plus, he has even more in store! GRiZ is launching his very own festival called ‘GRiZ presents: Valley Of The Seven Stars’. He describes it as a “Cosmic Campout”, a celebration of his life’s work and all the things he wants to share with fans. The festival will take place in Arlington, Virginia, from October 10 to 12, 2025, and guess what? Tickets sold out in just minutes! Make sure to keep an eye out for all the amazing things GRiZ has lined up! Also, learn more about this one-of-a-kind festival by clicking on this link and stream the EP now by clicking ‘Play’ on the Spotify link below. The post GRiZ Makes Anticipated Return By Releasing New EP, ‘GEMiNI’ appeared first on EDMTunes.
  7. San Francisco's beloved Outside Lands festival is set to return for its 17th edition, bringing a dynamic lineup of artists to Golden Gate Park from August 8-10. Organizers today announced a stacked lineup with a slew of major electronic artists, including John Summit, Jamie xx, Black Coffee, Gesaffelstein, Claude VonStroke, Floating Points, BLOND:ISH, Dombresky and EDM.com Class of 2024 trio Levity. A number of them will perform in the festival's prized SOMA dance area, which will return to Marx Meadow in an open-air format following the success of last year's reimagined stage. Beyond marquee headliners Doja Cat, Hozier and Tyler, The Creator, Outside Lands continues to deliver an eclectic mix of top-tier talent. Attendees can expect performances from contemporary staples like Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Vampire Weekend and Glass Animals alongside rising stars like Gracie Abrams, Doechii and Jorja Smith. The Bay Area’s own Still Woozy also joins the bill, reinforcing Outside Lands’ commitment to spotlighting local talent. "This year's lineup captures the dynamic, ever-evolving tastes of the Bay Area," said Allen Scott, Co-Founder of Outside Lands and President of Concerts & Festivals at Another Planet Entertainment. "We're proud to curate a festival that spans generations, bringing something unique and unforgettable for everyone." Check out the full lineup below. Three-day GA tickets are $499 all-in, and they go on sale March 26th at 10am PT along with GA+, VIP, Golden Gate Club and payment plan passes. Find out more via the festival's website. c/o Outside Lands Follow Outside Lands:X: x.com/sfoutsidelands Instagram: instagram.com/outsidelands TikTok: tiktok.com/@sfoutsidelands Facebook: facebook.com/SFOutsideLands
  8. Ultra returns to Miami's Bayfront Park this weekend, celebrating 25 years as one of electronic dance music's most influential festivals. A playground for culture-defining moments, Ultra in 2025 will feature a headlining performance from Skrillex, who is returning for his first solo performance in a decade. Elsewhere on the festival's historic 25th anniversary lineup are pioneering artists like Hardwell, Zeds Dead, Pendulum, deadmau5 and Tiësto alongside modern superstars like Martin Garrix. The festival's technical production continues to push boundaries, but beyond the spectacle, Ultra has become a cultural touchstone and will once again serve as a barometer for stateside rave culture. Check out Ultra's 2025 schedule and set times below. Ultra set times: Friday, March 28 Ultra set times: Saturday, March 29 The second day of Ultra Music Festival 2025 will feature Skrillex, Hardwell, deadmau5 b2b Pendulum, Carl Cox, Gesaffelstein, Axwell and more. Ultra set times: Sunday, March 30 The final day of Ultra Music Festival 2025 will feature Martin Garrix, Zedd, Four Tet, Above & Beyond, LSZEE, Gryffin, 999999999, Dimension and more. Follow Ultra Music Festival:X: x.com/ultra Instagram: instagram.com/ultra TikTok: tiktok.com/@ultra Facebook: facebook.com/ultra
  9. The variation we all needed of a beautiful track that was meant to be enjoyed without percussion. We (I) were (was) absolutely blown away when I read the title of this release when it came up on our (my) radar. I’m always super expectant when I hear about new music from Chicane, perhaps one of the most defining producers of the Electronic genre, who you may know best for his iconic ‘Saltwater’ track. And I’ve got to say, from his last year’s album Trampolines, although it was all very good, there was one track that marked me so so much upon my very first listen — ‘The Sleepless Year‘. It’s so organic, so soothing, so beautiful, simple yet elegant and engulfing. I love it. So much. And I always thought, “I wonder how this would sound without kick and percussion“. And I guess Nick himself listened to my cries and delivered the masterpiece I’m about to show you. ‘The Sleepless Year (Beatless Mix)’ It’s like reliving the marvellous breakdown of the original and making it last forever. The soft piano introduces itself along with the delicate pad-string combination, like it’s the beatless track of an A&B album, and tells its story from that point onward. The rhythmic plucks are still here, and also the bassline, to bring some sense of place and tab to the equation, but it’s definitely not overwhelming in the slightest, so you can soak in the wonderful melody in its entirety. I don’t know, maybe I’m getting old, maybe I’m seeking peace in a chaotic world, or a rather stop-and-admire-the-side-of-the-road kind of experience in the often Autobahn-paced motorway of Life. But this song caresses me in a way I hadn’t been able to find in modern-day releases. And I know we’re all about strong beats and four-on-the-floor goodies in here, but sometimes, it’s such a magical experience to encounter proper art within the Dance music industry. Chicane keeps proving why he changed the scene back in the 90s. It wasn’t luck, and he definitely wasn’t a one-hit-wonder guy. Works of art come out of his mind, and hands, and ears, and soul. Listen to Chicane’s ‘The Sleepless Year (Beatless Mix)‘ by hitting the ‘Play‘ button on the Spotify player below. Also, click here to support the release on your platform of choice. Be sure to follow our page to stay up to date on the latest news and views regarding our beloved Dance music industry. The post Chicane Releases Chillout, Beatless Version Of ‘The Sleepless Year’ appeared first on EDMTunes.
  10. Internationally renowned electronic duo Vicetone teams up with superstar singer-songwriter Linney for their latest single, “Opposites,” out now via Departed Records. Combining Vicetone’s signature melodic soundscapes with Linney’s emotive vocal delivery, “Opposites” is a heartfelt anthem celebrating the beauty of unexpected connections. Built around an infectious melody and anthemic production, “Opposites” explores the magnetic push-and-pull of a relationship that defies logic but thrives on chemistry. Vicetone shared their inspiration behind the track: “We love writing music that tells a story and evokes emotions. With ‘Opposites,’ we wanted to capture that unexplainable connection between two people who shouldn’t work on paper but just do. Combining soaring melodies and Linney’s powerful vocals brings this concept to life.” Linney further elaborates on the song’s meaning, stating: “Opposites” is about the magnetic nature of a relationship that works without any explainable logic besides how two puzzle pieces seem to fit so perfectly. On paper, we’re polar opposites, but in reality, you’re everything I never knew I needed and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” For over a decade, Vicetone—comprised of childhood friends Ruben den Boer and Victor Pool—has been a driving force in dance music, earning over a billion streams, multiple platinum and gold certifications, and a loyal fanbase worldwide. With an unrelenting passion for pushing boundaries and a dedication to the craft of production, Vicetone has never been one to rest on their laurels. Their Nashville recording studio was built custom by gear junkies Ruben and Victor themselves, and their custom PROJECT V live show is set to launch in China. PROJECT V is a unique concept in which Chinese musicians accompany Vicetone on stage using traditional Chinese instruments to play Vicetone hits. Rehearsals have occurred since the tail end of 2024, with shows on April 18 in Chengdu and Apr 19th and 20th in Guangzhou. Vicetone once again deliver a euphoric blend of soaring melodies and deep, resonant beats that will captivate dance floors and playlists alike. Linney’s evocative lyrics and powerful vocals elevate “Opposites” to an emotional high, making it a must-listen for fans of uplifting electronic music. “Opposites” is available now on all streaming platforms. The post Vicetone & Linney – Opposites appeared first on EDMTunes.
  11. If you’re a fan you’ll be moved to tears by this one. Only a few days in the year have the fortune of being Above & Beyond release days. And I guess March 21st is extra lucky, since we celebrated the release of the first single lifted from their upcoming album Bigger Than All Of Us. This also makes last Friday the first day in something like seven years since we’ve had lifted singles from an album of theirs. Above & Beyond have a history of pulling the curtains on incredible singles ahead of their albums, and the first one truly makes an impression and becomes a staple of their catalogue later on. For example, when they were teasing Tri-State, their debut album, they first revealed ‘Air For Life’, a genre-defining record alongside legend Andy Moor. For Group Therapy, the first single lifted was ‘Sun & Moon’, arguably their most famous track to date. For We Are All We Need, it was that very single, ‘We’re All We Need’, one that we wouldn’t stop singing for years on end. And then for Common Ground, they first unveiled what felt like the first record in years that they worked with Justine Suissa, ‘Alright Now’. So you’d better believe this new single is going down in history. ‘Quicksand (Don’t Go)’ If you were either in Mexico or YouTube for the happening of ABGT600 last October, there’s a high chance you not only heard this song but also read the wave of comments desperately looking for this ID – me included. By a mile the most requested track of the entire A&B set, now that YouTube shows you statistics, please do me a favour and run your mouse through the time bar on the video where you’ll find a sort of geographic-like mapping that shows you which are the most streamed parts of it, and you’ll see a huge mountain right where ‘Quicksand’ plays. And its meaning truly justifies how popular this song has been ever since first introduced to the public. It’s signature Above & Beyond vibes. Not only that, I’m proud to say its signature Above & Beyond and Zoë Johnston vibes as well. It’s beautiful to the point of tears. It’s a track that simply ticks all the boxes for the sound the trio developed that made them famous outside of Trance. It’s a track that follows the sweet, elevating, and heartbreaking feeling that past tracks Zoë has sung in carry, such as ‘Good For Me’, ‘Only A Few Things’, ‘No One On Earth’, etcetera. Zoë, the angelical voice in charge of the sung magic behind ‘Quicksand’, says: “I think most of us can relate to that feeling of desperation and dread when it comes to losing someone we love so deeply. The despair can be massive when you’re watching the grief rattle down the track toward you for quite some time before the moment of impact actually happens. Disappearing into quicksand. It’s scary, it hurts, and it’s lonely. Hopefully, a song like this will make anyone going through the pain of a seismic loss feel a little bit less alone“. And just before the closing paragraph — one tiny detail I love about the track is how it’s titled Above & Beyond “and” Zoë Johnston, rather than “featuring”. This gives far more credit to Zoë, as the title basically says “built on equal parts all of us”. Which is something Jodie Knight and I discussed last year when we had out little cheeky interview. Psst, check out here. Listen to Above & Beyond and Zoë Johnston‘s true comeback tune ‘Quicksand (Don’t Go)’, by hitting the ‘Play‘ button on the Spotify player below. Also, click here to support the release on your platform of choice. Be sure to follow our page to stay up to date on the latest news and views regarding our beloved Dance music industry. The post Above & Beyond And Zoë Johnston Release Spiritual Comeback Single ‘Quicksand (Don’t Go)’ appeared first on EDMTunes.
  12. Deborah de Luca has released her much-anticipated album, Hard Pop Vol. 2, a robust 25-track showcase of her techno expertise. Dropped via Smilax Records and distributed by ADA Music Italy, the album offers another thrilling compilation that tests the limits of the genre. Building on the foundations laid by its predecessor, it delivers a dynamic mix of rave energy and finely crafted grooves. Production and Style: Hard Drums, Dark Vocals, and Studio Innovation De Luca demonstrates her skill by seamlessly weaving in vocals, both her own and those of featured artists such as Geolier, Emma, Valeria Mancini, and Fabio Villani. This expansive collection highlights her versatility, ranging from hard-hitting techno to more melodic tracks driven by vocals. One standout feature of Hard Pop Vol. 2 is its remixes, including ‘El Pibe de Oro (Deborah de Luca Remix)’ and ‘Femme Fatale (Deborah de Luca Remix)’, along with reworks of her tracks, such as ‘Squid (Rework 2025)’. The album embraces hard pop elements. Hard Pop Vol. 2 is marked by memorable lyrics, relentless energy, punchy beats, and, importantly, de Luca’s focus on crafting immersive dancefloor experiences. Tracks like ‘Nero’ exemplify her signature sound, establishing a powerful atmosphere. Her production style integrates intense percussive elements, intricate synth melodies, and the clever use of vocal samples. Notably, this volume particularly showcases her knack for experimentation with synthesizers, designing unique and striking melodic and atmospheric elements that push the boundaries of contemporary techno, especially in Hard Pop Vol. 2. Impact and Reception: Techno’s Influential Figure Delivers Again Deborah de Luca captivates audiences with her distinctive sound and vibrant stage presence. Hard Pop Vol. 2 reinforces her status as an innovator, presenting a comprehensive collection that highlights her artistic journey. Furthermore, the album’s launch has created considerable excitement within the electronic music scene, with early reviews praising its energy and production quality. By skillfully blending hard techno with melodic components and vocal features, de Luca ensures that Hard Pop Vol. 2 resonates with a broad audience, further solidifying her standing as one of the most influential contemporary figures in techno. Her latest project undoubtedly lives up to the hype. We can all look forward to Deborah treating us to exceptional performances this summer at her upcoming sets in festivals like Hard Summer and Electric Love Festival. Prepare for unforgettable sets that will showcase the very best of “Hard Pop Vol. 2” and her powerful stage presence. The post Hard Pop Vol. 2 – Deborah de Luca’s Brand-New Anticipated Album appeared first on EDMTunes.
  13. Madeon has been quiet on his socials lately and for good reason. We know he’s been in the studio working on the next era for his project. He confirmed just this morning that the Gap Year is officially over. Nantes native will be officially debuting the third installment of his project this coming fall. He posted on his socials that on October 3rd, 2025, Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, Colorado will host the first performance of the not-yet-released name of the era. Along with the announcement, it included a new press shot of the producer that’s different from the aesthetic of his last two eras. I’m introducing a brand new era at Red Rocks, October 3rd. Join us for the premiere of a new live show, new music, new Madeon. Artist presale starts on Wednesday 3.26 at 10am MT. pic.twitter.com/K88yaGlYhb — Madeon (@madeon) March 24, 2025 Tickets will be on sale starting this Wednesday at 10AM MT. RSVP to the artist presale HERE. There is still plenty of time left to go till the debut. Hopefully during that time, we will get some more info or a taste of the new music soon! The post Madeon To Introduce New Artist Project At Red Rocks appeared first on EDMTunes.
  14. Julian Jordan is back with a powerful new release, ‘Push’, a track that originated from a viral social post where he shared multiple IDs with fans. Among the options, ‘Push’ quickly became the clear favorite, generating massive hype and ultimately earning its place as the first official release from that selection. Renowned for his high-energy fusion of bass house, electro, techno, and UK garage, Julian Jordan has remained a defining force in dance music for over a decade. His ability to evolve while staying true to his unique style has cemented his reputation as both an inspiration for up-and-coming producers and a standout figure in the mainstream EDM scene. With 30+ shows already locked in for 2025 and major collaborations on the horizon, this year is shaping up to be another milestone in Julian Jordan’s career. Listen to ‘Push’ now and experience the energy firsthand! The post Julian Jordan Unleashes High-Energy New Track ‘Push’ appeared first on EDMTunes.
  15. The platform is currently under investigation following outcry over tickets for the Oasis Live '25 tour being sold "2.5x" face value Continue reading...
  16. The world of electronic dance music is about to witness the rise of a young prodigy. 13-year-old DJ sensation Dario Di Bona has just released his debut single ‘Jaded’ through record label Tankfloor/WMG, marking the beginning of what promises to be an extraordinary career. Born in Padua, Italy, and raised in Geneva, Switzerland, Dario discovered his passion for electronic music at the tender age of four. A vacation to Ibiza first ignited his love for DJing when he was mesmerized by a beach club performance. A few months later, another electrifying experience in Courmayeur, Italy, solidified his dream. That same day, he asked his father for a mixer, determined to master the craft. By the age of seven, Dario took the stage for the first time at a beach club party in Italy, making 1,000 people dance. His career skyrocketed from there. At eight, he made his debut in Dubai and was interviewed by the iconic Italian DJ Albertino on Radio Deejay. That same year, he played his first major event: a New Year’s Eve party in Venice, Italy, captivating an audience of 18,000. His rise continued with a feature on the cover of South America’s Rocking Talent magazine. A short video of his DJ set in Venice garnered over 2 million views on Instagram, and at the age of nine, he took Ibiza by storm with a live DJ set on Ibiza Global Radio, amassing another 1 million Instagram views. That summer, he also performed in Formentera at the iconic Chezz Gerdi beach club. At just ten years old, Dario played a massive beach club event for 10,000 people, followed by a stunning open-air festival performance in his hometown of Padua, where he made 80,000 people dance in Prato della Valle, the largest square in Europe. The following year, he graced clubs in Rome, Geneva, and Monte Carlo, delivering an emotional performance at Extra Extra, a legendary venue where his parents once met. In 2024, Dario Di Bona took the stage at the third Ibiza Global Festival, where his set was met with great enthusiasm from the audience. Later, the video of his performance gained further recognition when it was supported and shared by David Guetta. Now, at 13, Dario is ready to make waves with his debut single ‘Jaded’. With an already impressive career and a rapidly growing global fanbase — amassing over 70 million views on Instagram videos and 10 million on Facebook — his new track is poised to solidify his status as one of the youngest rising stars in electronic music. Check out the release below, and follow Dario Di Bona’s journey as he takes the electronic dance music scene by storm. Follow Dario Di Bona: Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Website
  17. Brazilian authorities have apprehended and formally charged an individual implicated in a sophisticated scheme involving the fraudulent upload of over 400 counterfeit music tracks to the Spotify platform. The accused, whose identity remains undisclosed, is alleged to have amassed approximately $65,000 through the manipulation of streaming statistics, garnering over 28 million plays. The arrest, a culmination of “Operation Out of Tune,” was executed by Cyber Gaeco, the cybercrime division of the Prosecutor’s Office of the State of Goiás. This operation was conducted in collaboration with the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), the Brazilian recorded music trade group Pro Música, and the Association for the Protection of Phonographic Intellectual Rights (APDIF). Investigations revealed further instances of copyright infringement, including the alleged misappropriation of 36 tracks belonging to local composers, disseminated through promotional WhatsApp groups. These illicit tracks and associated fabricated artist profiles have since been removed from Spotify at the request of the prosecutor’s office. Notably, the investigation also uncovered the potential use of artificial intelligence in the generation of these fraudulent tracks, a facet that may be incorporated into future charges. AI And Music Creation The exploitation of generative AI for the creation of high-volume music content, intended to artificially inflate streaming revenues, has emerged as a significant concern within the music industry. This issue has prompted streaming services, such as Spotify and Deezer, to implement revised payout models, designed to mitigate the impact of such manipulative practices. Spotify, for instance, now mandates a minimum of 1,000 plays within a 12-month period for tracks to qualify for monetization. Deezer has shifted to a payment system that prioritizes streams from popular artists and high-performing tracks. Victoria Oakley, CEO of IFPI, condemned the fraudulent activity, characterizing it as “theft, stealing directly from artists and betraying fans.” She commended the efforts of the State of Goiás prosecutor’s cybercrime unit and emphasized the organization’s commitment to collaborating with global authorities to combat such illicit practices. Paulo Rosa, President of Pro-Música Brasil, echoed these sentiments, highlighting streaming manipulation as a paramount concern for the music sector and pledging continued collaboration with Brazilian authorities. *Cover image: Tima Miroshnichenko [H/T] Music Business Worldwide The post Brazilian Man Arrested For Uploading Over 400 Fake Songs To Spotify appeared first on EDMTunes.
  18. Amid a festival landscape increasingly shaped by consolidation and corporate takeover, four independent trailblazers have banded together to flip the script by offering a "golden ticket" designed to make the 2025 festival season one to remember. The founders of four of California's most celebrated independent music festivals, Desert Hearts, Same Same But Different, Northern Nights and Joshua Tree, have announced the launch of the indepenDANCE Pass, an unprecedented $599 general admission ticket granting access to all four festivals in 2025. The indepenDANCE Pass offers a full season of music and community-driven magic for a fraction of the cost—an estimated $2,000 value. The pass is extremely limited and non-transferable. The move is a bold statement of unity in a moment of volatility. With 2024 marking the highest number of festival cancellations since the pandemic, the indie festival community is facing mounting pressure from inflationary costs, radius clauses and post-pandemic audience shifts. Rather than compete for limited attention and resources, these festivals are collaborating in a way rarely seen in the industry. The announcement is paired with a roundtable episode on the Different Paths podcast, in which Desert Hearts' Mikey Lion, SSBD’s Brad Sweet, Northern Nights’ Andrew Borgelt and JTMF’s Barnett English dive into the real-life challenges behind running boutique festivals. "Independent festivals have always been about community, and now we’re taking that to the next level," Sweet said. "By coming together, we’re making sure independent festivals don’t just survive, but evolve and flourish for years to come." You can listen to the roundtable conversation below and secure your indepenDANCE Pass here.
  19. Marco Carola returns to Pacha Ibiza this summer with another season of his long-running Music On residency. From May 16 through October 10, the Italian house and techno mainstay will take over the iconic club every Friday night, curating a full program of events that runs for nearly five months straight. More than twenty dates have been confirmed, each hosted by Carola himself with a rotating list of international guests joining him along the way. This marks Carola’s fifth consecutive year holding down Music On at Pacha. The residency has become a regular fixture on the island, standing apart with its late-night programming and a lineup that moves between established names and rising figures from across the scene. Known for extended sets and no-frills dance floor focus, Marco Carola continues to bring together lineups that reflect his approach to club culture without compromise. Guests Joining Music On for 2025 The full list of artists joining Marco Carola this season includes a wide spectrum of DJs from across house, techno, and adjacent sounds. Appearances will include: Black Coffee Solomun Jamie Jones Rüfüs Du Sol Loco Dice Luciano The Martinez Brothers ANOTR Dennis Cruz Andrea Oliva Seth Troxler BLOND:ISH Vintage Culture Cloonee East End Dubs Honeyluv Gordo Ben Sterling Max Dean Fleur Shore Joey Daniel Jean Pierre Jesse Calosso Ageless Kesia Ale De Tuglie Franky Rizardo The lineup has been designed to bring different styles and backgrounds into one series. Many of these names will be playing solo, while others are set for special collaborations across B2B and B3B sets. Collaborative Sets Across the Season Some of this year’s most anticipated nights come in the form of collaborative performances. The schedule includes several rare B2B and B3B bookings that are expected to stand out across the calendar: Marco Carola B2B Luciano B2B Loco Dice (August 8) Andrea Oliva B2B Nic Fanciulli (June 13) Hot Since 82 B2B Davide Squillace (May 23) Davide Squillace B2B Joey Daniel (August 15) Jean Pierre B2B Jesse Calosso (August 15) Fleur Shore B2B Prunk (October 3) Vintage Culture B2B Franky Rizardo (October 9) Ale De Tuglie B2B Calvin Clarke (October 9) These collaborative sets are paired with solo slots from Marco Carola each week, giving each night its own identity while staying rooted in the Music On format. Key Shows to Note The season opens on May 16 with Carola joined by Ilario Alicante, Franky Rizardo, and Da Vid. The following weeks offer a range of different combinations, with certain dates already drawing early attention: June 13: Black Coffee joins Carola, along with Andrea Oliva B2B Nic Fanciulli and Da Vid July 11: Rüfüs Du Sol perform alongside Chambord and Carola August 8: Carola, Luciano, and Loco Dice go back-to-back-to-back, with support from Prospa and Yugo Sanchez September 12: Solomun makes his return, joined by Franky Rizardo and Ale De Tuglie September 19: Jamie Jones is joined by Mason Collective and Calvin Clarke October 9: Vintage Culture B2B Franky Rizardo, plus Ale De Tuglie B2B Calvin Clarke October 10: Carola closes the season with Cloonee, Ahmed Spins, and Da Vid Each Friday brings a different perspective, combining residents, label heads, and global acts in a consistent setting. Pacha Ibiza Remains Central to the Experience The Music On residency continues to find its home inside one of the island’s most recognised venues. Pacha Ibiza is more than just a club; it is a landmark within international nightlife, with more than 50 years of history and a reputation for hosting long-format events built around music-first principles. Its layout, programming, and attention to detail allow artists to take their time and control the direction of each night without limits. What to Expect from the 2025 Run Music On has always been about a complete season, not just a handful of big names. It’s a weekly commitment to high-level programming with room for experimentation and deeper cuts. Marco Carola’s role as host remains central, but the surrounding lineups are what continue to bring new faces to the dance floor each week. Whether it’s a B3B night in August or the inclusion of artists making their Pacha debuts, each event has been designed with purpose. For clubbers looking to return to Ibiza or experience it for the first time, the Music On calendar continues to offer one of the most direct connections to the island’s clubbing roots. Tickets and Full Lineup Details Full weekly lineups, tickets, and updates are available through pacha.com or by following @pachaofficial on Instagram.
  20. Revolution 93.5 FM, Miami’s premier Dance music station, is partnering with the InterContinental Miami Hotel in support of the Winter Music Conference (WMC), to bring an unmissable Miami Music Week experience. For many years, Revolution 93.5 has been a dedicated collaborator of WMC, and in celebration of the conference’s 35th anniversary, the station continues its tradition of curating standout events that reflect Miami’s vibrant Electronic Dance music scene. This year, Revolution 93.5 FM returns with SPLASH!, an exclusive rooftop pool party at the InterContinental Miami, taking place Saturday, March 29, and Sunday, March 30, from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Set against the stunning backdrop of Biscayne Bay and serving as prelude to Ultra Music Festival, SPLASH! brings together top-tier talent, with each day curated to showcase the best in Tech House and Afro House music. Saturday’s lineup dives deep into driving beats with Tony Zuccaro, alongside Jack Vice, Fresh Powder, and Cody Chase, delivering cutting-edge Tech House sets. On Sunday, the vibe shifts into Afro-infused rhythms with Gianni Petrarca, Simone Vitullo, Eran Hersh, and Le Twins, creating a seamless flow of hypnotic grooves. As part of Revolution 93.5 FM’s ongoing dedication to supporting both emerging and established talent, Cody Chase and Fresh Powder stand out among this year’s lineup, each bringing their distinct approach to the decks; Cody Chase, known for his signature high-energy, bass-driven Tech House, and Fresh Powder, whose powerful sound and dynamic performances are quickly making waves, are set to deliver some of the weekend’s standout sets. SPLASH! goes beyond just a pool party, as it’s a celebration of Miami’s deep-rooted Electronic music culture, hosted at a premier venue that places guests right at the heart of the city’s biggest Dance music event. Revolution 93.5 FM continues to play a key role in Miami Music Week’s industry landscape, working closely with WMC and the Electronic Dance Music Awards (EDMAs) as part of its ongoing alignment with the global Electronic music community, further reinforcing its presence as a cornerstone of the city’s Electronic Dance music scene. Tickets for SPLASH! are now available, with limited capacity ensuring an exclusive experience for attendees; partygoers are encouraged to secure their spot early via Eventbrite, with full event details available on Revolution 93.5 FM’s official website and social media channels. Find more information and tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/splash-pool-party-ultra-weekend-tickets-1271353475469?aff=ebdssbdestsearch Revolution 93.5 Online Website | Instagram InterContinental Miami Online Website Tony Zuccaro Online Spotify | Instagram Jack Vice Online Spotify | Instagram Fresh Powder Online Instagram | Beatport | Spotify Cody Chase Online Website | Instagram | Spotify
  21. 2025’s edition of Sonus Croatia takes another bold step up with a raft of international line-up additions. Taking place on the pristine shores of Pag Island from August 17 – 21, 2025, this foremost Adriatic escape – in partnership with the world’s leading live events experience creator, Insomniac – bolsters the programme further with a slew of additional DJs and live acts from across the electronic spectrum. Amongst these new additions are tech house titan Andrea Oliva, CLR founder Chris Liebing, and a special b2b set between Metamorfosi label head and Italian innovator Joseph Capriati and Detroit maverick Seth Troxler. There will be fresh and heavyweight house from Josh Baker, heady cosmic tech from Sweely, and lofty selections from Serbia’s Tijana T. All shades of techno come from the likes of Klangkuenstler, Lilly Palmer and UNCAGED’s Marco Faraone, with the younger Berlin generation represented in DJ Gigola and Elli Acula, whilst Moritz Hofbauer (live), Julian Wassermann (live) and Deniz Bul perform as part of a FCKNG SERIOUS showcase alongside labelhead Boris Brejcha. The 12th year of Sonus Croatia is a three-way partnership between veteran and industry-leading event producers Time Warp, Balkans electronic music tastemakers We Love Sound, and Insomniac, which is best known for its iconic EDC events – all of whom ensure this year’s Sonus will be the most ambitious yet. What’s more, London’s Enzo Siragusa will headline an exclusive FUSE stage partnership – his tastemaking label and party brand has very much set the tech house agenda for the last decade-plus and takes in elements of dub, minimal and garage to light up dance floors worldwide. Further stage partners include Basel’s nightlife and cultural hub Nordstern, plus the return of cult party crew Space Miami, and the raw underground of LA’s Factory 93, each adding their own brand of magic to the proceedings. Importantly, Sonus Croatia will stay true to its original founding principles which means that the music comes first from meticulously crafted production to the sound systems – it is these values that have cemented the festival as a European and global standout for over a decade. 2025 sees the return of the lauded boat parties, alongside the eminent afterparties and pop-up events. The beachfront venues for this unreal escape are Aquarius, Papaya, Kalypso, and Noa Beach Club – the Noa Beach Stage is all new for this year and allows people to swim and dance in the water all week long for the first time. The culturally rich locale of Novalja offers an unmatched blend of adventure travel and cuisine, plus water sports, kayaking, rock climbing, quad bike hire, bungee jumping, wind and kite surfing, and more – all just 10 minutes from the festival – with accommodation options to cater to all budgets. Accommodation packages can be added to bookings following festival ticket tier selection, with options including villas, 5* hotels, hostels, glamping, and apartments. Booking deposits start from as little as €19 per person (to increase on March 31), with monthly payment installments scheduled up to June 2025. The last remaining Phase 1 festival ticket and accommodation packages are on sale at http://www.sonuscroatia.com/book. Sonus Croatia is a unique coming together of quality music, relaxation and the stunning beauty of the Adriatic Sea, and for another year running maintains a proud partnership with the Croatian National Tourist Board. #InspiredbyCroatia #CroatiaFullOfLife August 17-21, 2025 at Zrće Beach, Croatia Current Ticket Phase Running Low http://www.sonuscroatia.com The post Sonus Croatia 2025 adds Joseph Capriati b2b Seth Troxler, Enzo Siragusa, Lilly Palmer, Chris Liebing, Andrea Oliva, Oden & Fatzo (Live), Sweely + more appeared first on Electric Mode.
  22. Paco Osuna’s already iconic NOW HERE kicks off the season by curating all three rooms of the world’s best club, Hï Ibiza, on Saturdays, May 3 and 10. Before starting his fourth year in the Club Room, Paco Osuna will take charge of programming two Saturdays at Hï, presenting an extraordinary NOW HERE night in The Theatre and inviting the powerhouse collective Blackworks to the Club Room. Following the success of last year’s two takeovers, Paco returns in 2025, ready to deliver an avant-garde musical offering alongside a revamped lighting and visual aesthetic. During this double session, Osuna will share the stage with some of the most respected figures in the underground electronic music scene. The Theatre’s lineup will feature the Spanish DJ alongside talents such as Melanie Ribbe, Iglesias (who will deliver a HYBRID-LIVE set), and De La Swing on May 3, while Nicole Moudaber, Manda Moor, and Manu Gonzalez will join him on Saturday, May 10. Meanwhile, the Club Room will be dominated by the Blackworks collective, with an electrifying lineup featuring Vendex, 999999999, and Bárbara Lago on May 3, and Cera Khin, Charlie Sparks, Dexphase B2B Skryption and Fumi on May 10. The Madrid-based Blackworks collective has built a reputation for its hard-hitting techno, which will complement Osuna’s dynamic performances in The Theatre while bringing a unique energy to the Club Room. Osuna’s return follows a landmark year in 2024, during which he celebrated his 50th birthday and three decades of musical career with a series of iconic events not only in Ibiza but also in cities worldwide, including Miami, New York, and Amsterdam, to name a few. Delivering an electrifying night of cutting-edge music, Paco Osuna once again takes NOW HERE to new heights, setting the stage for another extraordinary summer at Hï Ibiza. 03.05.25 THEATRE: PACO OSUNA | MELANIE RIBBE | IGLESIAS | DE LA SWING CLUB ROOM: BLACKWORKS I VENDEX | 999999999 | BARBARA LAGO 10.05.25 THEATRE: PACO OSUNA | NICOLE MOUDABER | MANDA MOOR | MANU GONZALEZ CLUB ROOM: BLACKWORKS I CERA KHIN | CHARLIE SPARKS | DEXPHASE B2B SKRYPTION | FUMI The post Paco Osuna & Now Here Take Full Control Of Hï Ibiza appeared first on Electric Mode.
  23. On Friday, March 21st, secondary ticketing marketplace StubHub filed for an initial public offering (IPO) with the SEC, aiming for a valuation of $16.5 billion. As a pioneer in online ticket reselling, StubHub reported gross merchandise sales (GMS)—the total amount customers paid for transactions and fulfillment—of $8.7 billion in 2024. This marked a 27% increase from the previous year. The company facilitated the sale of more than 40 million tickets from over 1 million unique sellers across 200 countries and territories. In 2024, StubHub generated $1.77 billion in revenue, reflecting a 29.4% rise from 2023. However, the company reported a net loss of $2.8 million. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) stood at $298.7 million, a nearly 16% decline from $353.9 million in 2023. The company carries a long-term debt of $2.33 billion. This is almost 8X its adjusted EBITDA for 2024. The proceeds from the IPO will primarily be used to reduce StubHub’s debt, with the remainder allocated to general corporate purposes. This includes working capital, operating expenses, and capital investments. The company also indicated that a portion of the funds could go toward acquisitions or investments in new products and technologies. According to its S-1 filing, StubHub considers itself the leader in secondary ticketing. It has also expanded into primary ticketing, generating over $100 million in GMS in 2024. They had this to say: “We believe our value proposition, providing broadened distribution and superior pricing intelligence through an open distribution model, is well-positioned to attract more content rights holders to use our direct issuance solution,” StubHub outperforms many competitors in transaction volume. In 2024, Vivid Seats reported a gross transaction value (GTV) of $3.9 billion. Eventbrite, a primary ticketing platform, reported $3.2 billion. Ticketmaster, which does not separate primary and secondary ticketing data, recorded a total GTV of $34.7 billion. Founded in 2000 by Erik Baker, StubHub was acquired by eBay in 2007. Baker later launched Viagogo, a competing secondary ticketing platform in Europe, which went on to acquire StubHub in 2020. Ahead of the IPO, Baker holds approximately 5% of Class A shares and 100% of Class B shares, granting him more than 90% of the voting rights. Other significant Class A shareholders include Madrone Partners (27.1%), WestCap Management (11.0%), Bessemer Venture Partners (9.6%), PointState Capital (5.6%), and Declaration Partners (5.3%). The post Stubhub Files For IPO To Pay Down Long-Term Debt appeared first on EDMTunes.
  24. Kobalt, the biggest independent music publisher in the world, is proud to announce its relationship with Anyma, the famous electronic music artist and visionary live performer whose immersive shows are captivating people all over the world. Anyma’s recent sold-out eight-night residency at the groundbreaking Sphere Las Vegas happened at the same time as this exciting new partnership. So many people wanted to see him perform that the engagement was extended to 12 dates, so even more fans could see his groundbreaking shows. Anyma sold more than 200,000 tickets, making history as the first electronic singer to perform at the Sphere. She joined legendary acts like U2, Phish, The Eagles, and Dead & Company. Anyma’s artistry transcends traditional electronic music. He crafts sonic and visual journeys that resonate deeply with his audience. At Kobalt, we champion artists who redefine creative boundaries, and Anyma’s innovative spirit perfectly aligns with that vision. We are incredibly proud to welcome him to the Kobalt family. This is a momentous occasion for myself, Desi O’Meara, Tessa Butler, and the entire global Kobalt team. – Rani Hancock, Kobalt’s Executive Vice President, Head of U.S. Creative Anyma has made a name for himself in the world of electronic music by taking new approaches to both making music and performing it. His interactive live shows have changed what it means to go to a concert by mixing music, art, and technology. Anyma became famous as one-half of the famous DJ duo Tale Of Us. Her strong mix of techno and progressive house hit a chord with people all over the world. As a single artist, he continues to push the limits of his art, making him even more of a major force in electronic music. Anyma has devoted fans all over the world and is always looking for new ways to make art. Her future with Kobalt looks amazing. Partnering with Kobalt Music Publishing marks an exciting new chapter with Anyma. Jeannette and the global Kobalt team are an ideal partner for the world Matteo (Anyma) has built and his unique vision towards a full audio-visual immersive experience. – Anyma manager Evan Baker The post Kobalt Signs Global Publishing Deal with Anyma appeared first on The Groove Cartel.
  25. Just weeks after completing a historic sold-out residency at the Vegas Sphere, Anyma has signed an exclusive global publishing deal with Kobalt, a strategic move that seeks to elevate his flourishing Afterlife empire. The timing of the announcement mirrors a growing shift in how electronic dance music is valued, not just by fans and festivals, but by the industry’s most powerful financial participants. Recent months have seen the genre’s most iconic figures turn heads with blockbuster catalog sales. Just three weeks ago, deadmau5 struck a $55 million deal with Create Music Group, transferring ownership of his solo catalog and the extensive archives of his record label, mau5trap. That move followed similar nine-figure deals by Calvin Harris, David Guetta and the family of the late Avicii. Such transactions, long common in rock and pop, signal a new level of appeal for electronic music as its vast intellectual property pool becomes increasingly sought-after in publishing, licensing and sync opportunities. c/o Anyma In that context, Anyma’s partnership with Kobalt represents a strategic consolidation of creative rights that lays the groundwork for long-term scalability. "Anyma’s artistry transcends traditional electronic music," said Rani Hancock, Kobalt’s EVP and Head of U.S. Creative. "He crafts sonic and visual journeys that resonate deeply with his audience." Those journeys are rapidly becoming a template for the future of dance music storytelling and performance. With over 200,000 attendees across 12 nights at the Vegas Sphere, Anyma's groundbreaking residency marked a pivotal moment for the genre's growing centrality in the cultural conversation. As Anyma readies the release of his forthcoming album, The End of Genesys, his new partnership with Kobalt ensures his expanding universe of music and media will be supported by one of the most agile and data-empowered publishers in the industry. The producer's next album is due out May 23rd, 2025. Follow Anyma:X: x.com/anyma_eva Instagram: instagram.com/anyma TikTok: tiktok.com/@anyma Facebook: facebook.com/anyma.ofc Spotify: tinyurl.com/2p976k79

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