Ravebot

Beyond the music, GRACE is an imprint created with sustainability and supporting producers at its core Continue reading...

The queer-owned and produced festival is expanding this year from a single-day affair to a full weekend Continue reading...

Beyond the music, GRACE is an imprint created with sustainability and supporting producers at its core Continue reading...

The duo have shared second album single 'Golden Eyes and Tears' to accompany the news Continue reading...

The Department of Justice, along with 30 state and district attorneys general, has filed a federal lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster, accusing the companies of monopolistic practices in the live events industry. The suit marks a critical step in addressing long-standing concerns about the dominance of Live Nation and Ticketmaster in the concert ticket market. The complaint, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges that Live Nation has used its market power to stifle competition, resulting in higher ticket prices and limited options for consumers. The DOJ claims that the company's tactics have harmed music fans, artists and smaller promoters by fostering an unfair market landscape. "The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services," Attorney General Merrick Garland stated. "It is time to break up Live Nation." "We're here not because Ticketmaster’s conduct is inconvenient or frustrating… we’re here because it’s illegal," he added. Live Nation and Ticketmaster in 2023 came under fire after cancelling a botched pre-sale to Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour."Paolo V In response to the lawsuit, Dan Wall, Live Nation's Executive Vice President of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, argued that it "ignores everything that is actually responsible for higher ticket prices, from rising production costs to artist popularity, to 24/7 online ticket scalping." Wall also noted that Live Nation's net profits do not reflect monopoly power, calling such claims "absurd" in a scathing blog post. "The defining feature of a monopolist is monopoly profits derived from monopoly pricing. Live Nation in no way fits the profile," he said. "Service charges on Ticketmaster are no higher than on SeatGeek, AXS, or other primary ticketing sites, and are frequently lower. In fact, when Ticketmaster loses a venue to SeatGeek, service charges usually go up substantially. And even accounting for sponsorship, an advertising business that helps keep ticket prices down, Live Nation’s overall net profit margin is at the low end of profitable S&P 500 companies." Shares of Live Nation reportedly fell 5% following news of the lawsuit.

Café Del Mar by Energy 52 is one of the most famous dance songs ever. This instrumental trance anthem, which came out in 1993, was named after a popular beach bar on the Balearic island of Ibiza. It quickly became associated with the happy, sun-soaked vibe of Ibiza’s dance culture. The track, which was made by German DJs Kid Paul and Cosmic Baby, has mesmerizing tunes and uplifting harmonies that make it perfect for a sunset. Its strong popularity is shown by how well it did on the charts and by the many re-releases and remixes (like Tale Of Us remix of Cafe del Mar) by top acts that have made it a part of dance music culture for decades. Café Del Mar has become famous over the years and is often included in lists of the best dance songs of all time. It was voted No. 1 on Mixmag’s 2001 list of the “Top 100 Tunes of All Time”. Café Del Mar is a cultural phenomenon that captures the spirit of a time and has had an impact on many artists and fans over the years. Orbital and Michael Mayer, two of the most respected names in electronic music, are now remixing this famous song. Brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll make up the pioneering British electronic dance band Orbital. Since their formation in 1989, they have continued to shape the electronic music scene. They had a big impact on dance and electronic music with their groundbreaking live shows and important songs like “Halcyon + On + On.” For 2024, Orbital stayed popular by putting out a well-reviewed record and going on a world tour. It showed off their ability to mix modern electronic sounds with their own unique style. Their ability to keep being creative and flexible has left a legacy that connects the early rave scene to today’s electronic music scene, solidifying their standing as long-lasting icons in the genre. Icy breakbeats and an ethereal synth line pulse through the beginning of Orbital’s remix, which is a tribute to the golden age of rave. The famous lead warps into view. Before hitting the other side with a flurry of synths, scythed percussion, and a pounding 4/4 beat, they keep the famous, scary breakdown. Check out Cafe del Mar Orbital remix. The post Orbital remix legendary Energy 52 ‘Cafe Del Mar’ appeared first on The Groove Cartel.

Over 800,000 streams of “Bingo Baby” across all platforms in just one month after it was released. Now, the famous singer Ashley Paul has teamed up with Julian Napolitano and Mark Loverush to form Luv Foundation (UK). Their new song “Hearts Up” is an emotional summer anthem that will make you want to raise your hands. Ashley Paul and the Luv Foundation (UK) have worked together many times before. It all started with “Love Light Me Up” in 2021. It was a happy vocal house track with Luv Foundation’s joyful production that showed off Paul’s strong vocals. They followed it up with the moving dance-pop song “Blindfolded” in 2022. The last big hit they had was “Bingo Baby,” which came out just last month. With over 800,000 streams in less than a month, it showed how well Paul and the Luv Foundation pair work together musically. With catchy singing, a cool bassline, and an exciting drop, “Bingo Baby” became a fan favorite right away. Not content to rest on their laurels, they quickly came back with “Hearts Up” and added the famous singer Lucas Marx to the group. It’s clear from the first kickbeat that the results are amazing. “Hearts Up” starts with a powerful four-on-the-floor house beat that sets the mood right away. As usual, Ashley Paul’s powerful vocals take center stage, with her deeply moving words and flawless delivery. Luv Foundation (UK) surrounds her beautiful voice with happy synths and melodic themes that make you eager for the big drop. After it finally starts, it sends a huge wave of positive energy that is impossible to avoid. Layers of happy chords, high-pitched vocals, and heavy bass make for a state of pure sonic ecstasy. Feel-good, high-energy emotional vibes stay with the track for the rest of it, making it sure to become the biggest summer anthem at clubs and events all over the world. Paul’s beautiful topline holds down the soaring choruses with deep lyrics about keeping your heads up no matter what life throws at you in between the electric drops. Her heartfelt voice makes the message even stronger because it’s for everyone. Listen to “Hearts Up” on SoundCloud right now. The post Ashley Paul drops Euphoric Summer Anthem “Hearts Up” appeared first on The Groove Cartel.

Between June 6 and September 19, the mini-festival is welcoming DJs including Nightmares on Wax, Eclair Fifi, Ellen Allien and more Continue reading...

Expect melodic house, afro house and beyond Continue reading...

Available via Strut Records, the release comes as part of its 25th anniversary Continue reading...

It marks a return to his audacious persona following a strip back to his composition and songwriting roots in previous 'Call of the Void' EP Continue reading...

Listen to the most flavour-packed tracks we discovered this week. Music makes the world go round. And in that regard, we’re constantly on the lookout for new, exciting tunes to share with our audience. We’ve found some that cause goosebumps, and make you open your eyes and get up from your chair to dance. So put on your best pair of headphones, or turn up your speakers, and enjoy this week’s New Music Friday. Here are our top picks for the best music we came across this week, in no particular order. NGHTMRE, Franky Nuts & Grabbitz feat. DeathbyRomy – Torture Genre: Dubstep For perhaps the shortest New Music Friday ever on our site, it’s really good to kick off with a track that equals three. One of the largest Dubstep-and-related artists out there, NGHTMRE, just revealed this new collaboration of him in today’s six-track EP Unsound 2, out on his very label Gud Vibrations. Just a good ole Dubstep monster. Teaming up with Franky Nuts and featuring the voice of DeathbyRomy, ‘Torture‘ is one of those tracks whose formula has proven to work every single time in the past, and so you know you’re in for a tasty treat. The single keeps you in a state of perpetual tension ahead of the drops and, if anything, makes you wish you were listening to this one at a filled-to-the-brim arena. Eauki & Son of Cabe – Different Genre: Future Garage, House Have a lovely collaboration coming your way! Dutch artist Eauki and duo Son of Cabe had already come together for their past single ‘Back’, and the result was so good they decided to record another one. In fact, sources tell us that ‘Different‘, their song out today, is only one from a handful of demos they recorded during said jamming session! Showcasing a delicate balance between Garage and House, this single pairs Conor’s warm and reaching-out-to-you voice with a tailored instrumental, which includes melody, downsizing effects, groovy percussion, and a nostalgic aura. While not in the same genre, it gives out Phillip Phillips ‘Home’ vibes, which is always very welcome. GorillaT & Xotix feat. Pure Powers – Ape Shit Genre: Dubstep, Brostep For those of you looking to end the week on a purely hard-hitting note, and left NGHTMRE’s track craving more, here’s your final NMF feature. In quite the clash of titans, we welcome ‘Ape Shit‘, a collaboration between GorillaT, Xotix, and Pure Powers. We bet you’ll go completely [track title] with this one. Boomy, oomphy, potent and sharp, all in the best ways possible, this track is nearly impossible not to headbang to. Bells, growls, leads and an absolute belter of a beat, all come together to unleash the power inside a conjoint effort that, according to the artists, took around a year to complete. We’re happy to have this version finally out for the world to enjoy! Final Words Stay tuned, for more of our compilations every Tuesday and Friday — based on demand. And be sure to follow EDMTunes for all the latest news and reviews that revolve around our beloved Electronic Dance Music! The post EDMTunes New Music Friday – Week 21 appeared first on EDMTunes.

Nostalgix returns to her roots and signature sound with her new single, "Look At Me," out now on Steve Aoki's Dim Mak Records. Marking her debut on the label, the '90s-inspired bass house track seamlessly blends elements of breakbeat and hip-hop. The song embodies Nostalgix's unapologetic bravado with its lyricism, capturing the exciting feelings associated with self-assurance. With energy for days, the gritty single is ideal for clubs and parties, and it's guaranteed to get the whole dancefloor bouncing to the beat this summer—especially during Gix's current international tour. "With 'Look At Me' I wanted to make a heavy hitter record for the OG Nostalgix fans," the Canadian DJ, producer and rapper explained in a statement. "The record was inspired by '90s rave and breakdance culture. Following the success of my last EP and tour, I wanted to let loose and play around with making music." You can listen to "Look At Me" below and find the new single on streaming platforms here. Follow Nostalgix:X: x.com/nostalgixmusic Instagram: instagram.com/nostalgixmusic Facebook: facebook.com/nostalgixmusic Spotify: spoti.fi/3l98zsw

Ekonovah is stepping into the vibrant highs of summertime festival season with a new two-track EP. The project, Vibrant, is anything but par for the course for the rising star in the making. Its titular track has been a coveted staple of Ekonovah's sets for years, a pulsating, club-ready anthem with heavy basslines and formidable horns, capturing the essence of his characteristically high-energy live performances. Meanwhile, "Best of Me," is a UK-inspired bass house track that pushes the tempo to 132 BPM, the highest in Ekonovah’s discography. This track's infectious groove, soulful vocal hook and intricate percussive elements see Ekonovah putting it all together while stepping outside the comforts of his standard process. "I finished [Vibrant] back in 2021 and for 3+ years, labels have denied it over and over again. I finally decided to put it out and stop waiting for a label to see what I see in it," he said in a statement. Regardless, seemingly nothing can slow the EDM.com Class Of 2023 producer's stride as he continues to land at increasingly higher-profile gigs, including Ultra Music Festival and most recently, EDC Las Vegas. Take a listen to Vibrant below and find the new EP on streaming platforms here. FOLLOW EKONOVAH:Facebook: facebook.com/Ekonovah X: x.com/ekonovah Instagram: instagram.com/ekonovah Spotify: spoti.fi/2YTJyGo

Like a spark reigniting an old flame, Odd Mob has breathed new life into Sean Paul’s iconic "Get Busy" with its first official rework. With his latest release, the "Losing Control" producer has reworked the 2003 dancehall classic of two decades with a fresh, modern production twist. Adding a pep in its step, Odd Mob raises the tempo, transforming "Get Busy" into an energizing, dance-worthy single with a voluminous bassline that commands movement. The remix has already become a mainstay in his live sets, drawing big responses from festival crowds at Coachella, EDC and more. Sean Paul’s original "Get Busy" remains a defining moment in dancehall history after it ascended to the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 over two decades ago. The song also achieved top 10 status in numerous countries, effectively cementing its place as a rallying global anthem of broader cultural significance. "Crazy to see a cheeky little bootleg I made for my sets recently is getting an official release!" Odd Mob exclaimed in a press release. "This remake is completely carefree and doesn’t take itself too seriously at all. Simple, a bit speedy and a bit silly." Take a listen below and find the new track on streaming platforms here. Follow Odd Mob:X: x.com/ODD_MOB Instagram: instagram.com/odd_mob Facebook: facebook.com/oddmob Spotify: tinyurl.com/yc47pt57

Frank Walker's debut album ORIGIN emerges like a sunrise over a familiar horizon, casting new light on nostalgic dance music melodies and transforming them with fresh, contemporary brilliance. A landmark moment in Walker’s career, the release of ORIGIN is another key stepping stone in his journey from a Toronto nightlife staple to an emerging global mainstage phenomenon. A cornerstone of the album is "Missing You" with country superstar Nate Smith, a poignant crossover track that marries country soul with dance rhythms. The previously released "I Go Dancing" marks another standout, a carefree anthem with Ella Henderson which earned Walker an EDMA for Dance/Electro Pop Song of the Year. The track's laid-back vibe and Henderson’s captivating vocals make it an ideal summer hit, perfectly aligning with the ethos of Kygo's Palm Tree Records, Walker’s longtime label. Meanwhile, the theme of youthful exuberance continues with tracks like "Youngblood" featuring Josh Breaks. Complete with stadium chants and soaring melodies, the song is a rallying cry for both the young and young-at-heart, encapsulating the album's overarching theme of nostalgic songwriting paired with forward-thinking soundscapes. Overall, ORIGIN is an album that bears the flag for euphoric dance music while pushing the boundaries with its genre-blending, harkening back to the dawn of dance and country collaborations in the early 2010s. Walker’s debut album invites us on a journey through his sonic roots, celebrating the music he loves and the era that shaped him, a journey that simultaneously feels like a homecoming—and a new beginning. Listen to ORIGIN below and find the new album on streaming platforms here. Follow Frank Walker:Facebook: facebook.com/frankwalkermusic Instagram: instagram.com/frankwalker Spotify: sptfy.com/QMzN

Ahead of the long-awaited return of Breakaway Music Festival Ohio presented by Celsius Energy in just one week, the festival's organizers are gearing up to present an electrifying weekend with headlining performances by some of dance music's most celebrated artists. Since its launch in Columbus in 2016, Breakaway has grown significantly and cemented itself as the nation’s largest multi-city touring festival. After attracting roughly 100,000 attendees in last year, the festival's 2024 return to Ohio will take place at the Historic Crew Stadium from May 31st to June 1st and tickets are on sale now. That timing marks a big change considering they moved the festival up in order to usher in the summer after it historically took place in August, closer to fall. Tiësto performing at Breakaway Festival.KURSZA This year's lineup boasts an array of established and rising talents alike, featuring 20 nationally recognized artists and four local acts. Headlining the two-day event are John Summit, Tiësto, Two Friends and Kaskade, the lattermost of whom will deliver a special sunset performance. Attendees can also look forward to sets by Cassian, Dr. Fresch, Jessica Audiffred, Nora En Pure, Habstrakt, PEEKABOO and Trivecta, as well as a rare B2B set between Claptone and Dombresky. Not to mention a performance by EDM.com Class of 2022 star ACRAZE, whose recent single "Runny Nose" is currently catapulting up Beatport's Bass House chart. Despite the star-studded lineup, the fest's culture remains dedicated to nurturing rising local talent, as they have also invited Ohio locals BAXTER, Sons and Vodenik to join the festivities. Check out the full lineup below. c/o Breakaway Just like every year, Breakaway Ohio is slated to provide an all-encompassing festival experience with it's Silent Disco presented by Monaco featuring over 40 local DJs, as well as various brand activations and unique fan experiences. On a macro level, Breakaway continues to expand its reach in 2024 with its largest tour to date, which includes stops in new markets like Tampa and Minnesota along with returning events in Kansas City, Michigan, Charlotte and the Bay Area. You can purchase passes to Breakaway Festival Ohio here. FOLLOW BREAKAWAY FESTIVAL:Facebook: facebook.com/breakawayfestival Instagram: instagram.com/breakaway X: x.com/BreakawayFest Website: breakawayfestival.com

The artist shared the news on his socials recently, with what will become the eleventh LP of his career. Bittersweet news come from the world of Trance today, as one of its living legends, ATB, has announced his next artist album, DON’T STOP, which will come out next year. At the same time, he opened up and concluded it will be the last album of his career. The author behind the iconic ‘9PM (Till I Come)‘, turned to his socials to deliver the news. After 30 entire years of gracing the scene with tune after tune, DON’T STOP will be the last chapter of André’s long-lasting relationship with albums. Preceding it come, in inverse chronological order, neXt, Contact, Distant Earth, Future Memories, Trilogy, No Silence, Addicted To Music, Dedicated, and Two Worlds. The Reason: It’s Fallen Out Of Fashion ATB says, even though he loves how powerful of a tool an album can be to create sonic journeys as an artist seeking deeper connecting threads, he’s decided to put an end to the album story of his alias due to how listeners consume music nowadays. He blames “skip rates and algorithms“, which work against growing a lasting relationship between artist and auditor, and eventually lead to the album losing its sense. “I’ve always loved working on albums, spending weeks deciding on the song order, and sometimes creating transitions between tracks to take you on a musical journey and let you escape into another world“, shares André, who then gloomily concludes, “In today’s era of streaming and downloads, unfortunately, such concepts don’t stand much of a chance anymore“. “With skip rates and algorithms, music has become a fast-paced commodity, rarely having the time to grow on listeners and transform from a seemingly insignificant track into a favorite song after multiple listens.” Quite fittingly, we shared an editorial not long ago openly debating the current state of the concept of the artist album in today’s era. You can read it by clicking this link. Read the full statement below: Is This The End Of ATB? No. ATB says he will not craft any albums past DON’T STOP, but that is totally independent of the fact that he will continue to create music. The difference lies in the channel of expression: leaving LPs behind, André will focus on releasing shorter-form packages, such as singles and EPs. Thankfully that way, he’ll be able to keep his legacy alive while also feeling the amount of effort more proportional to the number outcome. Even though we’re saddened by this decision, we appreciate ATB’s courage to speak out and publicly announce a difficult decision that could have been left unsaid and without a proper explanation. We wish him the best in his next works, which we’re sure will continue to grace the ears and souls of millions of listeners worldwide. Speaking of his next works, check out his most recent track, ‘Future City‘, released on Dreamstate Records. The post ATB Will Release His Final Artist Album In 2025 appeared first on EDMTunes.

Get ready—two of the most innovative artists in electronic music just dropped a big hint about a show they haven’t mentioned that will happen soon in San Francisco. Skrillex tweeted early this morning, “Fred and I need to try out way too much new music, so next week we’re going to throw a rave in San Francisco BRB.” But when this B2B “rave” will be? And where exactly this Skrillex and Fred again.. b2b will happen? Even though not much else is known about the supposed “rave” at this point, fans are already crazy about the idea of seeing these two boundary-pushing artists play together. The surprise tweet came just a few days after Fred announced another big three-night run at Stanford’s Frost Amphitheater in early June. Could this mean that the last-minute show in San Francisco will happen sometime next week before those shows? Skrillex has also released a new single today, Push. Fred again.. played as special guest at EDC Las Vegas just last weekend. For more information, stay tuned. This is going to be one of the most popular and unique music shows in the Bay Area in recent years. Fred and I have way too much new music we need to test out so we’re going to throw a rave in San Francisco next week BRB — Skrillex (@Skrillex) May 24, 2024 The post Skrillex and Fred again.. announce B2B “Rave” in San Francisco appeared first on The Groove Cartel.

We had an in-depth chat with one of Dance music’s most prominent faces of the last decade. Recently, we sat down with quite the artist for a proper conversation: Saad Ayub. One who has had an incredible career across his 15 years active, he topped the Bangladeshi scene before moving overseas and pursuing new heights in Canada, and is now a renowned figure in the entire world. Although once a successful Trance producer, his heart moved his sound over to Techno around half a decade ago, where he now rocks stages worldwide with his impressive beats and powerful compositions. He’s the founder of VRTN, an imprint focused on heavy Techno representatives, and through which Ayub has been able to discover and give light to a good amount of hidden talent, in a relationship that reciprocally exchanges exposure and a helping hand for properly mouthwatering tunes. At the same time, he’s the head of the events brand Techno Without Borders, a firm born in Lockdown four years ago. Despite its creation happening strictly over the internet, as the months passed and restrictions started to ease and cease, they held larger and larger parties, transforming once empty dancefloors into unforgettable nights hypnotised by the best sounds of Techno. And if that was not enough, 2024 marks a crucial year in his career, as he’s been crafting not one, not two, but three entire albums, a trilogy he calls Past, Present and Future, which serves as a bridge between an extensive recap of his first ten years in the production side of music, and never-heard-before pieces and IDs he will be lifting the veil of as the albums roll out. The first one, fittingly named Part 1, is out now, and it is comprised of nine tracks, from hit tracks, to his recent release ‘L’amour‘ alongside vocalist Zara Taylor. Saad’s story is really interesting and fairly intriguing, and so we had to have a chat to discuss a handful of topics with the man himself. Read on to learn anything from his career evolution to VRTN, Techno Without Borders, the Past, Present and Future series, how each of his best sellers has a special meaning and reason to be, and so much more. Without further to do, we invite you to dive into our interview with Saad Ayub. The Interview (Please note, the bolded text represents a question, while the paragraph(s) following it represent Saad’s answers.) Thank you for coming in mate. We’re stoked to have you. All right, so, first question. You’ve been a part of the scene for quite some time now, 2008 if I’m not mistaken. We’d love to know how you decided to become a producer and a DJ. What — or who — was your inspiration to start on this path? That’s a great question. Actually, I started around 2007, 2008, as an event promoter in Bangladesh, back when I was about 17, 18. And in one of the nights I was promoting, the DJ was late on his flight and it was a sold-out show. I knew a little bit of DJing here and there, but nothing crazy, just enough to keep the crowd going. I was pretty much, you know, fed to the wolves just to see. That was when I fell in love with the art of DJing, and ever since then, fast forward about what, 16 years now? It’s been quite a ride as a DJ, for sure. Then I decided to move to Canada and pursue my master’s degree to finish my career. At the same time, I wanted to try the Electronic music scene in North America. That’s how my career as a producer started. I remember I was finishing my master’s degree, but at the same time, in one of the summer breaks, instead of going out and partying, I learned how to produce music from scratch. And yeah, that’s pretty much it, the rest is history. In terms of my inspiration from 2008 up to now, there have been quite a few of them. I remember being at a friend’s, in his living room watching Armin Only, the 2008-2010 videos. And I was just in awe seeing the people go crazy, thousands of people in the arenas. That really inspired me to be a DJ. And I was like “You know what? One day I’ll be there“. And that’s how it all started. Then in terms of production, I can list quite a few of my inspirations, but it’s definitely a dream come true for me to work with some of these legends that I used to look up to and go to their parties, such as Markus Schulz, Ferry Corsten, and Paul van Dyk. Especially working with Paul on three different albums is one of those bucket list moments and a dream come true, because if you think about it, just for context, his hit ‘For An Angel’ came out back in 1993, I was five years old then. So being able to work with a legend of his caliber, especially my latest one that just came out this year called ‘Overture’, it’s been a very fulfilling experience for me. And yeah, that’s how it all came to be. With my recent changes in terms of my music shifting to Techno from the Trance that a lot of people used to know me for maybe 10 years ago, it’s been, I would say more like a natural progression. I remember when I first started as a DJ, I started as a House DJ, and that’s how I got a chance to work with Ministry of Sound World Tours in Bangladesh and the Asia region. And then seeing, you know, Armin playing arenas, that shifted my perspective, and I started to pursue my career on the Trance side of things. Fast forward to not long ago, I had a 360-degree moment when I was like “You know what? I should bring back what I first started“, which was House and Techno. And here I am releasing Techno tracks right now, and I’m very, very happy to. That is an incredible answer. It blows my mind how it started from an accident and it’s become this. Absolutely! Yeah, it was not planned. That’s incredible. Now, when you moved to Toronto, did you notice kind of a change in your musical career? Do you remember seeing things maybe differently when moving to a new country? Yeah, actually, I remember it was much easier for me to approach crowds or music fans in Bangladesh, just because I was one of the few who were doing Dance shows there. Then when I decided to move to Canada, it was a complete reset, especially in Toronto. But one very interesting story I love to share with everybody is that, before I moved to Toronto, I already knew the scene over there. And it’s thanks to the Internet. The Internet was just about to blow up around that time, 2009, 2010, everyone was on the Internet. So I discovered all these Defected Records’ videos of different parts of the world. And one of those was Toronto. Same thing with Trance, Armin used to play at Government Main Room and Markus played Government Main Room. Those were videos I started consuming. Just following and watching them, taking inspiration in and just learning about all this new music I was being exposed to. So I kind of knew what I was signing up for, and I knew that my aim wasn’t like, “Oh, I want to play Government Main Room, play at this festival in one of the proper slots“. It was more of an “I want to go there and experience everything as I see it in my mind“. Also, when I first moved to Toronto, my friends were already living here. It was easy, therefore, to get that exposure I needed. But it was definitely a very different take when I actually got into the scene and became a part of the community. I was a big raver for my first couple of years, I would say until 2013. I was just raving away my life pretty much during my free time when I got a chance. And then after coming back from those parties, I felt so inspired and even more pressed to learn the music craft. So that’s how the whole process was. But I do remember one cool, cool story with one of the locals, his name is Joee Cons. I had this mix CD I was putting up online. And I thought about sharing this CD to some of the local DJs and seeing what they thought about it. And they would listen and would tell me “You belong to this club or that club, give that a try“. And I was raving in those clubs! So it was quite a natural process. And then one of these legendary DJs, who was the resident DJ for Government Main Room, his name is Mark Oliver. I sent him some of my early-day mashups and he played them. And that’s how I kind of blew up. It was not, you know, getting signed to Armada or any of that kind of catapult. But it meant a lot: a local DJ that really brought me up to the Toronto scene. And that’s how it all came about. Amazing. Thank you. So, well, you’ve already talked about this a little bit. Over these past years, you have morphed your sound quite a bit and are now sitting on the more Techno side of the spectrum, right? Yeah. So during this process of going back to the old sound of yours and discovering this different, “new” space that you love to produce, did you ever feel backlash from your fans and followers? Great question. And to be honest with you, I would say I am one of those very few lucky artists out there that have not felt that backlash. I remember some of our colleagues from around 2015, 16, when they started to morph from Trance to a little bit more Big-Roomy sound, there was a huge backlash. Even I as a fan! I remember my, you know, heroes, I was a little bit disappointed when they switched their sound, those who did. And then when I did, I realised sometimes you just have to do it. And I was very lucky that my fans, even up to now that I’m celebrating my 10-year anniversary of being a producer, if I look back, they — and everyone — have been super supportive. Yeah, I’m sure maybe some of them might not like my new sound, but I’ve never got a single hate message. I feel like I was very transparent on how I was transitioning out from the typical Trance sound into a more melodic Housey or Melodic Techno-ey sound, then a little bit more of a harder Techno. I would say I’m very lucky that my fans are super supportive of me about what I do. So you never kind of thought of releasing this more banging stuff under a new alias, sort of like ARTY does with Alpha 9 or Ciaran McAuley does with Elï now? I actually thought about it multiple times. I do have an alias, but that’s a genre that’s outside Electronic Dance music. I would not make a new name because I keep it as a “secret” thing. However, the reason I didn’t want to create a new alias inside EDM is because one of my mentors, actually, she’s ANNA’s manager, her name is Lucia. And she’s told me that at the end of the day, you can create aliases to branch out of what you’ve done in the past, but that’s not what the biggest artists have done. They never actually created aliases. They stuck with their name and took their fanbases on a journey so you can always look back and see how they have progressed. A good example would be Sven Väth. If you go back to his 90s sound, he was playing Trance. Banging Trance that was so huge back then. He’s now known as one of the godfathers of Techno. So I feel like it’s all about how you perceive yourself, and if you’re very confident about your brand. And I feel like I am pretty confident about myself and how my fans are. And I don’t think I need another alias to showcase different sounds that I am dabbling into. I see. Now, let’s change topics for a bit. Among the many things that you’ve done over the years, you are now the proud founder and owner of your very own record label, VRTN, if I didn’t butcher the pronunciation. That’s correct. It’s a short form of “Variation“, but spelled taking the syllables out. VRTN’s logo. I see. Can you please tell us a bit about how the idea of a record label came to you? I think this was back in 2017, when I was just about to transition out from Trance into the Techno world. One thing I’ve seen consistently over the years is that the Techno world has always been very welcoming, and I really love that, as well as their idea and culture. So right when I was just transitioning out from Trance, I figured I wanted to showcase my side of Techno on my own at first, because, you know, I was just about to alienate an entire fanbase that was all about Trance. And I didn’t want to reach out to record labels because they would be confused too if they tried to look into my catalogue from the back, the early days. And so for that reason, that’s where it came about, which was called VRTN. And the idea of VRTN is that I can produce whatever I want, staying within the scope of Dance music. I wanted it to have a kind of underground Dance flavor. On that year, 2017, at one of the shows I played I “officially” announced I was branching out to Techno, and released the first EP on the label to commemorate it. It was a great feeling. And to be honest with you, along the ride we’ve built a small, but tightly knit family, and I find everyone that belongs to VRTN is kind of… they can’t really define their music in terms of Techno or Trance. They like both and they want to dabble into both worlds. That’s where we come in and help artists express themselves. Some of the names that I would love to mention are Sam Van Horne, my partner Katrii, Cory Goldsmith, and then there’s also vocalists such as Jaren, and Zara Taylor, and I recently signed a new up-and-coming artist from London. She’s super young and super talented. And her name is B3cks. Some of these artists that I’m trying to work with, have a very unified vision as well. But I’m also open to signing or listening to other artists who can be part of the VRTN family. Aha, that’s great. Well, the whole record label thing is perhaps one of the fundamental, hypothetical situations that all producers have thought of at least once in their career, the big dream of owning a record label, having a record label. But for most of the producers, it is a passing cloud. It’s just like they ditch the idea after a while. So the question to you is, why did you decide to stick with it and keep it as one of your greatest projects to date? To be honest with you. I think one of the reasons is I’m producing a bunch of genres at the same time. This year, for example, I released Trance music alongside the legendary Paul van Dyk. And then I still produce Techno and I still produce Melodic House. So there’s no single island I can hop into. I’m hopping into different islands, right? For some bigger Techno labels, maybe that’s not something they prefer. And I think me being able to express myself with VRTN has been very rewarding, because even if it’s not a five million play hit, even if it has 50,000 plays or 50 downloads, it’s my success or my loss. And that’s way more rewarding for me because I can see how it’s doing. Sometimes, when you’re part of a bigger record label or a different record label, it can be a little bit daunting, or confusing, how you come into their picture versus when I’m doing it on my own. I know exactly what I want to do and I can see exactly what my vision is with that record label. Exactly. Well, I do get the point, actually, that’s one of the things when you release records on whatever label, you’re kind of subject to how they treat you and if they treat you at all after releasing the track, sometimes they don’t even talk to you at all. [laughter] Yeah, absolutely. And one thing I must add is that record labels are great. They are an avenue for you to express yourself with your music because, you know, you could make 200 songs within your five-year career. And then if you’re very heavily focused on just releasing on a bigger record label, you end up having this bank of music that you never released and would never see the light of day. And I feel like that’s just very unfair to the artists’ talent. I know a lot of artists that are like have that mentality. I don’t rock with it personally but it’s all power to them because, sometimes, all it requires is one hit track and then the next day you’re pretty much blowing up. I find where I fall is a gradual progression. You can have, say, 20 tracks within your last two, three years and you can see a gradual progression, giving it a journey and stories. I feel like that’s more important than just looking to be a one-hit-wonder. Yeah, that’s my vision as well. I’m glad I found someone who thinks like me. All right, so not only do you have an entire record label focused on building the sound you envision, but you also have a physical space to showcase all that power, Techno Without Borders. So what’s this brand all about? How did it come to be? I would say this was born as a full 360-degree solution for me because this idea of Techno Without Borders was kind of like an accident. There were no plans to become the brand that we are now within the last, I would say three or four years. So it came about like a casual take on the concept of livestream. When COVID happened, I remember I was touring with Paul (van Dyk) in Amsterdam and then everything got shut down. So the next day I was stuck in the airport, and then finally flew back to Canada, and all our friends were very devastated that they wouldn’t be able to party. They were trying to figure out a solution because, you know, everyone had to social distance themselves. So I thought, “I have my decks, and I have a nice condo in Toronto with a view, so maybe I should leverage this idea and just stream music because I have so much to play“. So that’s where it started. It started as a Zoom party with around 20 of my friends every weekend. So we were just getting drunk, isolated, and livestreaming our music and our friends just being completely, ridiculously funny, as you could see on Zoom back then, people dancing and in our case, seeing me perform. So it was very funny. But the audio of those mixes started being promoted and then it was getting reposted by all these people all over the world. And that’s how Techno Without Borders took off. And then once COVID started to slow down a bit, we had the option to throw our own events because clubs weren’t open yet, but people could still organize events. So what we decided to do was to throw a boat cruise, because boats were allowed for a gathering since it had to be made outdoors. So we’ve been doing boat cruises from 2021 until today. It’s like an annual thing now. And every single boat party we’ve done has been sold out. So it just kind of snowballed to this brand in Toronto people were very aware of. And then from Toronto, I was thinking, “What can we do?“, because it had great momentum, definitely something I didn’t plan. And sometimes when you don’t plan things, if they take off, it definitely has a lot more merit to it. So we figured, “Let’s start as a livestream or video concept in Amsterdam“. So we did two years ago, we did the Crane Hotel. It’s basically a hundred-foot crane where many of the big names have played. Michael Bibi, Pan-Pot, Peggy Gou. Actually, the night after we played was Michael Bibi, same venue. So we invited only a handful of people with our colleagues Neon Owl and just threw an event there with some of our friends in the Techno scene. Some of the artists were Nakadia, Ramon Tapia, we had T78. So they all got on board and just decided to come in and play for around an hour. And that one took off as well. Then we did a small club, Club Up in Amsterdam. Again, it was very close to selling out. So it just took off that way. Nothing planned, just very impromptu. And then we finally organized ourselves. Now it’s a fully incorporated company. And last year we finally did a proper show in Amsterdam. We also did shows in L.A. and New York in between, and we’ve been doing shows in Toronto with that under the same banner. But last year’s Amsterdam show was a huge success. We had about a thousand people. We had big names like Bart Skils booked, Township Rebellion came in, we had friends like Nakadia, Ramon Tapia, they all came in. And it was a great show, a huge success. So that’s how it all came into being. We didn’t have any plan, it just came in out of a whim. And then it just became very organized. And now we are taking it to the next level. We just want to do shows that we think are, you know, great. We’re not doing shows and booking artists that are already trending, we’re doing shows that we feel like we want to do. That’s our concept. I could book some of the top ten names and fill out a venue and do a show that way. But what we want to do is we want to curate a night based on artists that we like and give an experience that is unique rather than just any other rave. We are very excited for this year as well, because we are back again for Amsterdam, and back in Toronto in the summer. And we are finally doing our debut show in Vancouver during Canada weekend on June 29th. Wow! Well, it’s incredible how fast it grew and what it came to be from where it started. I know. I want to give a big shoutout to my partner Katrii and my business partner Sam Van Horne. Without them, this would have been really, really hard for me because I also have a full-time day job. So being able to handle all this by myself would have been pretty daunting, but with their help, it’s been great. Saad Ayub · Saad Ayub B2b Katrii @ Club Atelier, Amsterdam 10.18.23 (ADE) Now, what’s one thing you feel special about Techno Without Borders and that you think you wouldn’t have got otherwise? Maybe an experience or a special contact, whatever that came through the brand that really, really changed your life for the better. I would say I met some great managers. I can talk about artists, but I have met some of these managers who work with some artists and I get to know them on a more personal level. I feel like before starting Techno Without Borders, I viewed the industry more as an artist. Now that I have a brand that runs events throughout the world, I can see a little bit more, and I have a broader sense of the concept of the music industry. Artists are definitely the face. I am also one of the artists as a face. But then you have people that work in the back end, the unsung heroes. They make a lot of things happen. So being able to just understand their points of view and how things work really opened my eyes in terms of the music industry. And I can thank Techno Without Borders for that. That’s incredible. Now, changing topics once again, we’re aware that you’re putting out an album this year, so first of all congratulations! Huge congratulations. Can you tell us about it? How is it called, and why is it so special? Thank you so much, it feels surreal still, it’s like I’m releasing this long stretch of an album, because it’s been compiled over the course of the decade that I’ve been producing music. I remember there was a time when I had signed contracts with bigger labels to work on either a long EP or a full album, but along the way COVID happened and things changed drastically with my sound. So it just didn’t click to stick to plan, I guess is the right way to put it. Sometimes you try to put tracks out there and it just doesn’t click, so you kind of backtrack a little bit and go back on your planning board and see how it is. I do want to say that everyone’s been super understanding about all the changes that have happened in my career so far. And so I finally decided to release a concept album, I guess I would call it, which is titled Past, Present and Future. It’s basically a decade-long celebration of all the different sounds I’ve put out so far. I just released Part 1, which I treated rather quietly instead of using a huge publicity campaign around it, because I’m keeping it in a way what it actually entails, you first have the past, and then you have the present and the future. So as we go through the three different parts of this album, you will see way more promotions at the very end. Part 1 contains some of my hits from different eras, and each track has a story behind its creation. So one of my hit tracks is actually ‘Move On’ with Jennifer Rene, which is the first track of the album. That was my very first big signing with Armada Music. I remember I sent this track to Armin through Jennifer’s team, and they immediately loved it. And it was the tune of the week on A State Of Trance. It was a Future Favorite after four consecutive weeks. And then Armin interviewed me in front of millions of people for the A State of Trance Toronto, so all of that was very, very surreal. I feel like that really changed my momentum as a musician, and I would call that my breakthrough moment. So that’s why being able to have that track on this compilation/album through Armada’s team was very humbling. And I love being able to showcase that and celebrate that as the first track of this album, because that entails my past. And then you have ‘J’ai Envie’, a French track that represents my in-between, when I was just about to transition from the Trance world to Techno. That track was very big for me, because even though number-wise it didn’t take off, it was one of my key tracks during my live sets when I was touring with Paul in Amsterdam. So there’s a lot of moments with that track that really resonate with me until today. So that’s why it’s the second track. Then, during COVID, I met my partner, my wife, and the mother of my now 10-month-old son. So that track came into being when I met her online, actually, when I started doing the Techno Without Borders livestreams. So I met her online, we started talking, and then she basically flew herself out from Seattle to Toronto, while the entire world was in a lockdown. So it’s a crazy story. But that’s how we actually wrote the track called ‘I Know’, because she knew that I was the one and I knew she was the one. And that was also our official wedding track. And then I have ‘Shadow’, which is one of Amanda’s very close-to-heart tracks, we wanted to talk about the darker moments of our life during COVID and lockdown. We wanted to reminisce about our darker times with people we lost along the way or friendships we had lost. So that’s basically ‘Shadow’. Then we also released another track called ‘Stay With Me’, which is about this weird moment I had when I felt I was losing momentum, and my fanbase. And we wrote this track, and it really picked up our pace back into the Techno world. I wasn’t sure about how this track would work, because it has these vocal elements, but also really banging Techno kicks. So we wanted to focus on this hybrid aspect of like, making a track that has a Techno core, but that could be a little bit trancier too. We tried to get this signed to a bigger Techno label, but I feel like again, they didn’t really quite understand where we were heading with our vision. So we ended up releasing it on my record label, and it took off. And it was one of my most played and most sold tracks of that year. Then I discovered this person who’s actually a Hollywood actor. His name is Marcellus Shepard. He also goes by the name Bassman. He’s a voice actor too, and I was in real awe when I heard his voice. If you remember the app called Clubhouse, as I was hearing this guy, I was like, “Wow, this guy’s voice sounds crazy, I can’t imagine how a Techno track with him would sound like“. So we did a collaboration right after I messaged him and he was on board immediately. And yeah, that’s how the track ‘Man With The Voice’ came about. That’s one of my best-sellers too. Then Neon Owl, which is one of my friends, we have a lot of things we have done in the past. He held a demo listening party, and I was one of the judges. And this guy sent me one of his tracks, and I fell in love with it. His name is Brian, but he goes by the alias Project Anathema. Very artificial-intelligence-driven with even an artificial character as his moniker. He created this AI voice that is part of the main elements of his tracks, and it sounds like a person singing. The track is called ‘Rave’. That’s one of those tracks that’s on my sets and people ask for the ID. Pretty good one. As you can see, the album progressed. It went from way back in the past and then slowly to the present. And we’re heading to the future. So the future is basically the two tracks we released recently. One of them you actually reviewed, ‘L’amour’ with one of my favorite vocalists, Zara Taylor. I found this vocal pack by Zara online, and she was reciting a French poem. It wasn’t even a song. As soon as I heard it I figured it could be a really great Techno track. And that’s how it came into being. I sent it to Paul and he hammered it down on his live sets. People were going crazy for the ID! We finally got to release that this year. Lastly, I also did a follow-up with Marcellus Shepard called ‘Resistance’, which embodies a sort of resistance to the norms of the music industry. That’s the idea behind ‘Resistance’, and one of those tracks that I shared with a couple of these Techno artists and they were like, “OK, this is a very, very strong track“. However, the vision did not align with bigger labels. But I feel like trying to express myself with my own brand is the way to go. That’s incredible. I’m just I’m amazed at how every song has its own meaning and its own backstory. It’s one thing that I think the industry kind of lacks today. Songs with a soul, with a purpose, you know? Absolutely. And to be honest, I feel like that’s one of the reasons I might not have been able to release an album, but I released a bunch of singles because they had their own meaning. No track was meant to be part of a timeline, but when I compiled Part 1, it all made 100% sense as a chronological story. So, yeah, that’s Past, Present and Future. So we are right now on Part 1, which I consider more of a showcase of the past. I’m currently wrapping up Part 2, which is going to be coming out in late summer and it’s going to be focusing more on the present, much more of my present sounds. That one actually has a couple of tracks with some of my up-and-coming colleagues such as Sam Van Horne. We have two or three tracks actually done for that album. And then I have a track collaboration with B3cks. She’s from London, super young. And we met through a record label called Rollerblaster Records. She remixed one of my tracks on that record label and she’s been sending me her music. And ever since then, BBC picked up her music, and we’ve stayed in touch and finally we found one or two tracks that really resonate with me. And I feel like the one that’s coming up soon, that’s going to be really good for this album. I can’t wait to share it with you guys. That’s incredible. So let me recap this quick. Past, Present and Future, a larger concept split into three parts, the first of which is out now, including your latest release, ‘L’amour’, which we shared not long ago. And so from what you’re telling me, we can expect to see new material from you in parts 2 and 3, songs of yours that we’ve never heard before. Absolutely, that’s correct. Wow, that’s crazy. I can’t wait. So the past was just more like a timeline of the things that I’ve done. And then present, you’re going to hear all the new stuff that I finished this year and last. And for future, I’m working on a track I can’t share much about but features a vocalist who has worked with Kaskade and deadmau5. I’m super excited for that one. Wow. Well, we’ll just have to wait and hope time goes by faster. [laughter] Now, this is sort of the last question of the interview, and I love to ask this one. It’s kind of a more, thinking to the inside and everything kind of question. If you could go back in time and meet your past self from a given era, 10, 15, 20 years ago, you name it, how far back would you go? And what message would you tell that Saad? Oh, I love that question. I actually think about this sometimes too, wondering what I could have done better. Even though I really live in the moment, I barely have any regrets. However, if I were to go back, I would go back to my younger self when I was just about to open up Ableton, which was my very first DAW. I think I was 16 then. I would tell him to learn from that day one, because I feel like if I had taken it more seriously a little bit earlier on, like say Martin Garrix or all these young artists, I’d probably be on the same level they are right now. So the earlier, the better. Great. It’s always good to hear that kind of answer. It just gets me thinking as well. And so before we end the interview, just to kind of get a slight recap of what you’re doing this year, what are you playing in the next couple of months? So people can plan their holidays ahead of time to catch a glimpse of you. I have quite a few shows lined up. Some of them I won’t be able to tell you too much about, but I can mention the locations. So my first show is coming up on June 29th. It’s my debut show in Vancouver, Canada, where I just recently relocated. So I’m excited to play and showcase my music in the same city that I’m living in. Followed by our annual Boat Cruise again in Toronto on July 29th with Techno Without Borders, a sunset party, super excited for that one. And then I have Amsterdam in August. I can’t tell you too many details about it, but it’s a big one. Keep an eye on my social media, we’ll be announcing that very soon. The Middle East is in conversations too for the near future. Followed by ADE in October, and there might be two gigs over there. More details to follow on those as well. And then we’ll be celebrating Halloween with my Toronto fans. I’ll keep it at that. I was just about to tell you who will play, but I’m keeping it a secret for now. It is going to be a massive one in Toronto. And then followed by that, we have an Asian tour planned that we’re going to be announcing very soon. End of the interview Final Words A huge thank you to Saad Ayub for such an enlightening, rich chat! We enjoyed every second of it, and we can surely learn a lesson or two about persistence and embracing change, as well as honouring our first visions in any given path. We hope it nourished you as much as it nourished us. Make sure to follow him on his socials, and check out his discography, future dates, and everything related to his VRTN imprint by following this link. And, as always, stay tuned to our page for the latest news and views from our beloved Dance industry. The post [INTERVIEW] Saad Ayub Talks Career Choices, His Label, Visions, And More appeared first on EDMTunes.

Above & Beyond is set to head to Mexico City this fall to celebrate the 600th episode of their Group Therapy Radio Show. Get ready for two days of music therapy to uplift your soul. Last year, the 500th celebration took place in Los Angeles with a two-day event at the Banc of California Stadium. The massive two-day event featured performances by Above & Beyond, Grum, Andrew Bayer, Mat Zo, and Alpha 9. The energy was unmatched and left fans eagerly anticipating what they will bring for the 600th celebration. Wait no more as the official lineup is out now. ABGT600 LineUp A&B decided to skip their 550 celebrations to create a full-blown experience for the 600th episode. The legendary trance trio will be broadcasting Group Therapy 600 live from Mexico City’s Hipódromo de las Américas on Saturday, October 19, 2024. The landmark set will stream live on Above & Beyond’s official channel both on Twitch and Youtube. ABGT600 will see A&B grace the stage along with Anjunabeats artists. The carefully curated lineup will include Alex Sonata & TheRio, anamē, Genix, HANA, and Kasablanca. Following the Group Therapy celebration, the beloved Anjunadeep imprint will present an edition of its famed Open Air showcase. It will be at the same venue on Sunday, October 20. The Deep Day will dance to the likes of Cri, Durante, James Grant & Jody Wisternoff, Luttrell b2b Qrion, Nicky Elisabeth, Nils Hoffmann, Rezident, Romain Garcia, and Sebastian Sellares. We can barely contain our excitement, check out their official event site here. For over a decade now, Above & Beyond’ Group Therapy radio show has been truly therapeutic for trance fans worldwide. Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness, and Paavo Siljamäki have created a phenomenal space for people to connect. Through their radio shows and massive events, the world of Anjuna has brought me personally many friends and connections. The radio show is an extension of the trio’s magical music that has resonated with different generations of clubgoers. You can relive the 500th celebration experience through their YouTube set, and hopefully, this will convince you of how amazing these milestone shows are. Final two-day tickets are available here. A&B will release a limited number of day tickets Thursday, May 30 at 11am local time. Stay tuned to EDMTunes for all your favourite festival updates. The post ABGT600 Reveal Exciting Full LineUp For Mexico City appeared first on EDMTunes.

Have you seen everything you've wanted to see before you die? That's the question Chet Porter posed on his debut album, EVERYTHING YOU'VE EVER SEEN. Today he continues the story behind the LP with what was originally set to be its final track, "Things I Wish I Could Forge," a dreamlike collaboration with Vancouver Sleep Clinic. "Things I Wish I Could Forget" is one of Porter's more subtle entries. Forgoing the bright, vivid production we heard throughout most of the album, he masterfully enthralls us with a swelling, deeply emotive soundscape. Vancouver Sleep Clinic's signature falsetto beautifully matches his production, gently guiding us with mesmerizing lyrics that voice his regrets. "I should have loved you more," he quavers repeatedly. "This song is actually really old, probably the oldest one on the album," Porter tells EDM.com. "Tim [Vancouver Sleep Clinic] had sent me a bunch of ideas to collaborate on and when I heard this one, I just knew it was going to end whatever record I was making. I want to say it’s at least seven years old… It's so easy to fall out of love with a song after a few months or a year, let alone seven, but I've loved this song the entire time, it’s so special to me." But Porter's love for the track isn't the only thing to make it special in his world. It was left off the album due to sample clearance issues. "There was a bridge section that featured this synth part from an old Sony video game that I was absolutely in love with, I felt like it took the song to this extra, magical place," he added. "Like when that part hits, I’d turn into the floating Spongebob wearing headphones meme." Not only did the clearance issue force him to remove the song from EVERYTHING YOU'VE EVER SEEN, but the project was also delayed to ensure the track would work out. It was always meant to be the final song on the album, Porter said. "The label didn’t want the album to come out without this closing track, because they loved it so much," he explained. "It was supposed to be the focus track when the album dropped, but the sample still hadn’t been cleared, so they pushed the album for more time to figure it out." While the final version may be missing the sample, he still makes sure to play it out live. "things i wish i could forget (feat. vancouver sleep clinic)" is out now added to the end of the album, where it was supposed to be all along. it's one of my favourite songs ever, i hope you enjoy it pic.twitter.com/4u5ILgtzG8 — chet porter (@chetporter) May 24, 2024 Although the situation was frustrating, it allowed him to carry out the vision for EVERYTHING YOU'VE EVER SEEN in a deeper capacity. "The delay meant that I got to finish and add 'Deep Water' with EVAN GIIA to the tracklist, and spend a little more time mixing and changing a bunch of things that no one is ever going to notice except for me," Porter adds. With those added changes, his message behind the album is showcased masterfully. The LP is a proposed self-reflection, asking listeners to embark on a journey that takes them to new places—some they've never seen nor heard before and some they may rethink after experiencing a new outlook. It's a message that serves as an opportunity to gain a perspective on the world around us as well as enhance the the one cultivated by his music. "EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER SEEN as a title, is very literal," Porter explains. "What have you seen? Have you seen everything you want to see before you die? No? Okay, go see more." "Volcanoes, dolphins deep in the ocean, lush green jungles… it’s insane that we have that shit," he gushes. "Like, think about what a volcano is for a second. A giant, hollow mountain with a hole in the top, filled with lava? And on very rare occasions it will just shoot all of it into the sky? Like what the fuck, that’s insane. When I’m older and retired, I promise you all I’m going to do is travel and see everything I possibly can." Each track on the album carries out his vision, showcasing cohesiveness without any repetition. Meanwhile, its many soundscapes portray different aspects of nature. "I wanted you to listen to a song, imagine a place, and then when the next one starts, you’re in a completely new place. But still in the same world," he continues. "Obviously you can decide these things for yourself, but when I was doing all of the visuals/artwork, '222† ∂∆ §§§' is the jungle, 'Today Tomorrow Forever' is the volcano, 'EYES' is the ocean, 'Aura' is a sunset, et cetera. 'Things I Wish I Could Forget' is a really misty, foggy beach with big rocks everywhere." Porter's live set takes the message from his album yet another step further. While self-doubt may make him question his own music, he never worries about his live performances. They're something unlike he's ever done before, curating a display of his imagination infused with unshakable confidence. "I don’t have heaps of confidence, I often worry that people may think my music sucks, or that I suck, or that I don’t know how to socialize properly or whatever," he shares. "What I don’t worry about is the show. I’m so confident in the live show, I think I’m punching way above my weight." TOUR CONTINUES THIS WEEK SAN DIEGO 05/15 (TOMORROW) DENVER 05/16 (THURSDAY) limited tickets left: https://t.co/LbFFotTcGk pic.twitter.com/P5BeGic4kS — chet porter (@chetporter) May 14, 2024 After such a personal debut and phenomenal tour, what could possibly be next for Porter? "That’s what I’m trying to figure out," he says. You can find "Things I Wish I Could Forget" on streaming platforms here. Follow Chet Porter:X: x.com/chetporter Instagram: instagram.com/chetporter Facebook: facebook.com/chtprtr Spotify: spoti.fi/3e8oP80

Seismic Spring Lite once again electrified the vibrant city of Austin, Texas as dance music enthusiasts from near and far gathered at The Concourse Project for a weekend of unforgettable experiences. As the younger sibling of RealMusic’s esteemed Seismic Dance Event, the festival's organizers celebrated its second year with the promise of more to come. This two-day extravaganza serves as a prelude to festival season and to the main event slated for November. The allure of The Concourse Project lies not only in its prestige, but also in its excellent production and effective layout. Festival-goers are immediately immersed in the experience when they enter the festival and, best of all, there’s no hassle of navigating extensive distances between stages, amenities and vendors—Concourse is an intimate venue run by an experienced team that knows how to put on a great show. The festivities kicked off in style as attendees gathered on the patio, soaking in the palpable energy that permeated the Austin air. Among our early highlights was an enlightening conversation with SCRIPT, formerly known as Kill Script, who shared insights into his rebranding journey and signing to the Encode Talent roster. "It's always kinda been the idea to change the name," SCRIPT told EDM.com. "Having the word 'kill' in the name is kind of limiting to the world, so it’s always been the plan to change the name and getting the offer from Encode just seems like the right time to do it." His electrifying sets on both the Mainstage and Patio Stage set the tone for a night replete with boundless energy. SCRIPT, formerly known as Kill Script, performing at Austin's Seismic Lite Spring Festival.Clark Terrell Day 1 also had a spotlight shining brightly on female talent, with Brina Knauss and local sensation Jenna Shaw captivating audiences with their magnetic performances. The Mainstage came alive with the soul-stirring sounds of Chris Avantgarde, whose evocative set served as a poignant reminder to embrace the present moment free from the constraints of digital distractions. The crescendo of the evening arrived with the legendary Armin van Buuren taking center stage with a massive smile on his face, enthralling the crowd with a three-hour spectacle. Armin van Buuren performing at Austin's Seismic Lite Spring Festival.Bryan Gonzalez As attendees arrived for Day 2, the anticipation was unambiguous. The day began with EDM.com Class of 2022 star Qrion commanding the Mainstage with her hypnotic house beats and infectious energy before joining forces with Cristoph for a stunning b2b set on The Patio. Cristoph and Qrion performing at Austin's Seismic Lite Spring Festival. Cristoph's masterful techno odyssey on the Mainstage also enraptured, and as the night unfolded and rain threatened to come down but never harder than a sprinkle, we made our way backstage to catch up with Mark Richards, one half of DJ duo Solardo. Unfortunately, his bandmate James Eliot couldn’t join due to visa issues. Speaking with Richards, we learned where the two first crossed paths at Pirate Radio years ago and the exciting things they purchased with their first check earned from music. Solardo performing at Austin's Seismic Lite Spring Festival.Bryan Gonzalez From there we happily danced into the night, the peak of which came as the last set of the weekend, MEDUZA B2B James Hype, took the stage. They opened up with a sublime interpolation of the vocals from Roland Clark's "DJ's Prayer" before taking us on a journey through a riveting mix of their many house hits. After mesmerizing the crowd for two hours, eventually the fabulous beats had to come to an end, which went down with a spin of Hype's prized track "Ferrari." James Hype and MEDUZA performing at Austin's Seismic Lite Spring Festival.Bryan Gonzalez All said an done, Seismic Spring Lite 2024 surpassed all expectations. As the echoes of the weekend's euphoria linger, attendees can anticipate high-quality recap videos and sets to be posted on the Concourse Project's YouTube page. Promising yet another chapter in the rich tapestry of Austin's vibrant music scene, tickets are already available for RealMusic’s flagship Seismic Dance Event 7.0, scheduled for November 15-17. Whether you're a budding electronic music fan or simply looking for a stellar festival experience, Seismic Spring and Seismic Dance Event are a must-try. FOLLOW SEISMIC DANCE EVENT:Website: seismicdanceevent.com Instagram: instagram.com/seismicdanceevent Facebook: facebook.com/seismicdanceevent X: x.com/SeismicTX

In a video posted on Instagram and other socials on Thursday (May 23), Disclosure officially announced their return with new music on the way. As a matter of fact, the duo revealed that the release of their new single ‘She’s Gone, Dance On‘ will come on Wednesday, May 29th (timed release for 10:30AM Pacific). ‘She’s Gone, Dance On’ is a ray of summer sunshine that’s already lighting up festival sets of acclaimed DJs such as salute, Dom Dolla, DJ Seinfeld, SG Lewis, Peggy Gou, Barry Can’t Swim, Hamdi, Westend, Discolines, Ahadadream, Dombresky and more. The track went viral when Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce and Ice Spice were captured dancing to it during Dom Dolla’s Coachella set. The new single has also resonated deeply with students, with many young creators using the track in clips as they reflect on the year’s highlights and anticipate the joys summer holds. Disclosure’s upcoming release ‘She’s Gone, Dance On’ marks the duo’s first song release since last summer’s Alchemy and, confidentially, marks their first single since signing to Disorder in partnership with Capitol Music Group. Disorder, launched in 2023, is the new label led by David Dollimore. Mark your calendar for May 29th as ‘She’s Gone, Dance On’ will officially come out. Stay tuned for more news! The post Disclosure Announce Return With New Single Out Next Week appeared first on EDMTunes.

Alex Stein is the latest artist to step up for his debut Drumcode EP, following a stellar contribution to A-Sides Vol.12. The Lisbon-based Brazilian artist has been a lock for stunning Techno productions stretching back over 10 years, with quality drops on labels including Terminal M and Tronic. Last year he tightened his relationship with the DC crew, playing Drumcode events at Uebel & Gefährlich in Hamburg and the Blue Tree Songkran festival in Thailand, before a label debut on A-Sides Vol.12 with the excellent ‘Hydra’. Few could disagree: his debut EP on Adam Beyer’s label feels richly deserved. The Chant EP is a powerful triumvirate of cuts. The title track is a transcendental gem, led by a rousing vocal and psy elements, without losing any dancefloor punch. ‘Rush’ begins life as a rugged slice of Techno, before a dark melodic underbelly finds its laser-kissed feet and propels the track into Peak-Time territory. ‘Tantra’ takes the baton, with a foot in pummelling bass-driven Techno and Goa-Trance alike, elevated by an evocative vocal. Here is what Alex Stein had to say on the release of his EP, The Chant: “This release has been the culmination of many years of work, trials and errors. Drumcode is my all-time favourite and most influential label so it is safe to say that I have always dreamt of releasing music on this iconic imprint and I am thankful to Adam for believing in me, having me perform at the Drumcode events and giving my music a place to call home. Cannot wait to see what is yet to come.” Finally, you can listen to Alex Stein’s new EP The Chant below and on all available streaming platforms. Stay tuned for more news! The post Alex Stein Sets Foot On Drumcode With ‘The Chant’ EP appeared first on EDMTunes.