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San Diego has become a mecca for house and techno in the USA over the past several years. Quickly rising in the scene is SD-native Burko who dropped a monster-of-a-track “Infrared” ahead of his debut EP. On the track, Burko tells us: “The very first single, “Infrared,” off my upcoming EP, is out today featuring the lovely Mary Helen laying down some hypnotic vocals. This song has been one of the staples in my sets the past year and I’m excited to be able to finally share it. This release marks the first of four tracks on the Infrared EP.” Falling in love with the electronic music scene in Amsterdam, Burko got his start DJ’ing abroad in Amsterdam where he thrived in the Dutch underground circuit. He returned stateside with a fresh admiration for the scene, bringing with him a uniquely dark-yet-melodic sound that launched him to the forefront of the California ware-house scene in a very short order. In 2021 Burko released a string of remixes on SoundCloud, giving popular tracks by ACRAZE, Billie Eilish, Flume, Muse, Hans Zimmer and The Temper Trap his signature Medieval House spin. Listen to “Infrared” at the links below and be sure to stay on the lookout for more! This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Burko Drops “Infrared” + Debut EP Announce

Friz of Soul is an artist who has been gaining attention in the music and NFT crossover space. He is one of thirty-three featured artists on the blockchain streaming platform Audius alongside notable names such as Skrillex, Rezz, Kayzo, Zeds Dead, RAC, Mr. Carmack and Zedd to name a few. He has grown his following on the Audius platform to over 13k making him one of the most followed artists on any blockchain streaming platform currently. Friz of Soul’s journey didn’t start in the NFT space. For the past several years this LA-based artist has been gaining traction through playing at notable clubs in Southern California such as Avalon, The Globe Theatre, and Exchange LA. Friz of Soul recently released his debut album, ‘Wide Awake’ coining house and techno-focused productions with dreamy layered vocals as his signature sound. What is next for this artist on the rise? After selling his first NFT for $10,000 Friz of Soul is launching the Wide Awake project which will be the first NFT project to ever fully fund a music tour. The sale will be a collection of 777 NFTs centered around the art and music from his album Wide Awake. Through a self-funded tour, Friz of Soul promises consistent tour video content giving supporters an inside look at what their funding is creating. “I want to show how supportive the NFT community is and show upcoming artists that there is this new technology emerging allowing independent artists to become self-sustainable and fund ambitious projects,” says Friz of Soul. Holders of the Wide Awake NFT will also gain access to an exclusive community, airdrops, early access to his future projects, and have their names displayed on his tour visuals. Be on the lookout for the Wide Awake public sale coming January 22nd. To gain early access and insight into the project you can join Friz of Soul’s Discord. I JUST SOLD MY FIRST NFT OF MY MUSIC AND IT WENT FOR 2.3 ETH!!! Thank you so much @shitfumi for buying the NFT and @crypto_raiders for hosting the sale. This is life changing and I’m so energized to have this fuel my next wave of creation! #WAGMI pic.twitter.com/UFC7tWlh8G — 𝓕𝓻𝓲𝔃 𝓸𝓯 𝓢𝓸𝓾𝓵 (@frizofsoul) November 17, 2021 This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Friz of Soul Launches the First NFT Project to Fund A Music Tour

BADVOID’s talent is remarkable. His sounds are always fascinating and his ear for utilizing specific sounds to bring out certain emotions is impeccable. He’s constantly pushing his sound, keeping us on our toes, excited to hear what’s next. He’s back with a booming single titled “Poison“, featuring vocalist OLSO, signed to none other than KAYZO’s Welcome Records. It’s a big signing and rightfully deserved. The track packs a lot of punch with thundering bass wubs and a tight beat. He pairs this perfectly with OLSO’s enticing vocal along with a distorted guitar that really drives each verse and buildup. Whether you’re on drop 1 or 2, it’s impossible not to feel energy coursing through your veins as BADVOID delivers electrifying arrangements on both. Listen to “Poison” below! This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: BADVOID Drops Booming Single, “Poison”, Signed To KAYZO’s Welcome Records

Festival season is right around the corner (finally!) and today Disco Donnie Presents announced the full lineup for Ubbi Dubbi 2022 along with some exciting new additions that is sure to have attendees buzzing with excitement. Ubbi Dubbi was the first festival back in 2021. Through a lot of hard work and innovation (like being the first to source COVID-sniffing dogs at a large-scale event) from DDP, their partners, and local healthcare officials, Ubbi Dubbi was a beaming success. This year, Ubbi Dubbi is returning to the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas on April 23 & 24 for their biggest year yet. The lineup is already stacked, featuring the some of the biggest artists around like Alison Wonderland, Tiësto, Excision, Regard, and Diplo, who will be performing a special sunset set. Joining them now are tech house titans Dom Dolla and John Summit, along with bass music powerhouse, PEEKABOO. This year, DDP is aiming to highlight some of the best up and coming artists at their festivals through collaborations with independent record labels and the launch of their very own talent search program, Disco Spotlight. Cue Ubbi Dubbi’s exclusive Camping Area Stage, hosted by Gravitas Recordings. As Disco Donnie put it, “the Gravitas Stage was initially on our 2020 lineup, but we unfortunately had to cancel the event. I’ve been really excited about this stage concept and couldn’t wait to bring it back for this year!” The Gravitas Stage will be making its Ubbi Dubbi debut, featuring what is sure to be an electrifying pre-party hosted by Blunts & Blondes. A few standout up and coming acts also featured on this stage are Black Carl!, who creates some of the most forward thinking bass music around, and Megan Hamilton, whose music blends hip-hop influences with gritty funk and house elements. Along with the Gravitas Stage, Ubbi Dubbi will offer its first ever glamping option, sure to have even the boujeest festival-goers considering camping. It includes luxury bathrooms, complimentary daily continental breakfast, a free massage, and plenty more. Grab your ticket to Ubbi Dubbi 2022 below! Ubbi Dubbi 2022 Tickets This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Ubbi Dubbi 2022 Drops Full Lineup + Exclusive Camping Stage Hosted By Gravitas Recordings

After over one year of production, the biggest Subtronics project to date has finally arrived on his own Cyclops Recordings: the debut full-length Subtronics album FRACTALS spans 16 one-of-a-kind tracks ranging from face-melting bass anthems to electro pop-adjacent cuts to leftfield experiments in sound. “I’ve wanted to talk about this album for so long,” Subtronics said. “I’m overly transparent about my creative process, so not being able to share it with everyone has been an adjustment. I will say, I have poured so much emotional, mental, and sentimental weight into it. Putting such a huge project out there, something that I’ve been working on for well over a year, is kind of terrifying. I’ve reworked every detail of every track, made improvements, and built a universe around all of it. I have definitely evolved and grown with my sound design and I am beyond excited to share FRACTALS with everyone.” FRACTALS opens with the epic “O.P.U.S.” to set the stage, a track that Subtronics said quite literally exploded out of him while he made it in one sitting. “I have no idea what happened,” he said. “I was at my desk, hitting keys aimlessly, while exploring Kontakt libraries and it brought me so much joy. Very meditative. I hope it feels as powerful emotionally for everyone else as it does for me when I hear it. Closing my eyes and turning the intro up full volume always teleports me back to where I was when I started to aimlessly play with chords during the lockdown in 2020.” The album brings back singles “Spacetime” with NEVVE, “Gassed Up” with Zeds Dead and Flowdan, as well as fan-favorite “Griztronics II” with Griz. Other standouts on the album include “Take Flight VIP” with Sullivan King and “Into Pieces” with Grabbitz, whose vocals and contributions never seem to miss the mark. There’s also “FUNcKED” which lets Subtronics explore a bouncier side of bass music. Check out the full album below. In addition to the release of FRACTALS, Subtronics embarks on his massive 53-date tour across North America beginning January 14 in Seattle — full dates and tickets here. Photo via Rukes.com This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Subtronics Unleashes Massive Debut Album ‘FRACTALS’

We thought it was coming out last week, we thought it was coming Monday, then Tuesday… the Coachella 2022 lineup is finally here. Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and Ye (fka Kanye West) are set to headline, with Swedish House Mafia getting their own line at the bottom of the lineup, touted as “returning to the desert.” Representing dance music will be the likes of Louis The Child, Flume, Disclosure, Madeon, Jamie xx, Slander, Fred again.., Tchami, Duck Sauce, and more. See the whole lineup below and sign up for weekend 2 pre-sale here. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Coachella Releases 2022 Lineup: Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Ye To Headline; SHM Return To The Desert

Aura Blaze is a dream pop/shoegaze/psych pop project started by producer and instrumentalist Rhode Rachel with his Zappa-esque 2015 debut self-titled album. Clearly influenced by early psy-and-surf-rock like the Beach Boys, King Crimson and The Doors with a tinge of psychobilly a’la The Cramps, Aura Blaze’s style back then was big and bold and, energetically was sort of a retro-styled match to The Polyphonic Spree. This huge, orchestral sound only comes out of one person, however, so it’s not surprising that Rachel has made a name for himself in more than one indie genre. While the debut album was almost all analog rock, it’s also not surprising with his cinematic, larger-than-life, Spector-esque wall of sound style that with subsequent releases, Aura Blaze would go on to incorporate electronic methods. 2019’s The Sparkling Black showed more obvious electronic play both in sound design in synths, as well as a healthy lashing of Jethro Tull-style prog rock. 2020 saw his next single “The Plight of the Soul Ablaze in the Face of Mortal Drudgery” – try to say that five times fast – continue this trajectory both with prog-style storytelling and psychedelic wisps of sound but adding even more synths and sound design. A focus on esoteric and spiritual throwback vibes with psychedelic music seemed to be galvanizing as Aura Blaze’s style by the afore-mentioned super-long title, but it took a hard turn, or rather, an evolutionary step, with Rachel’s next track, “Trans-Dimensional Palm Tree.” Switching to a more 90s The Cure-style guitar, maudlin tones and loads more ambient sound design, Rachel’s vocals became softer and more drone-like to match, conjuring Ian-Curtis-on-his-meds (or just a baritone Ian Brown, maybe?) vibes. The music was much more shoegaze and dream pop than psych rock. Modernized but still getting his astral point across, “Trans-Dimensional Palm Tree” made an impact and is still among the most streamed tracks on Aura Blaze’s Spotify page. Flash forward to Open-Mindedness, Aura Blaze’s latest EP offering which dropped last month on Christmas Eve, Rachel has kept that shoegaze vein but re-incorporated the psych rock and even more styles into the two original tracks. The title track is just as operatic and grand as Rachel’s earlier work but the cool post punk vocal tenor and chord progressions are still there in spades. There’s also progressive bass work, 80s style synths and even a bit of late-era disco tying the bigger, theatrical sounds to the soft vox. “The Summer Solstice,” meanwhile, pays homage to Aural Blaze’s 60s-psych roots with Doors-style organ synths and surf rock melodies, all while Rachel lyrically pays homage to the sun as a literal “Aura Blaze.” The last track on Open-Mindedness, if any readers doubted this long-suffering shoegaze nerd author’s ability to pick out such influence from a modern artist’s work, is a cover of “The Only One I Know” by The Charlatans UK. Arguably an icon of 90s Brit Rock and shoegaze, The Charlatans were also heavily influenced by 60s mod-and-psych rock, so there. Rachel’s version of The Charlatans’ biggest hit could properly be called a remix, as he adds loads of even more spacey-sounding ambient sound design to the track’s original structure (possibly even the original stems) and more ornamentation around the synths, making it even more theatrical and wall-of-soundey than the original. It’s a grandiose update of the classic and he more than does it justice. With all the styles and sounds Rachel as Aura Blaze incorporates into his work and all the different directions he’s already taken said work, one thing that hasn’t change and likely won’t is his message. While psych rock, shoegaze, dream pop et al. all have a sort of woo quality and are quite esoteric, Aura Blaze goes beyond just trippy musings. His lyrics and philosophy are entrenched in spirituality and high vibration expression, and he sees his music as simply a delivery system. A highly complex, varied and expertly- produced delivery system, but a delivery system nonetheless. With almost infinite avenues to create said system, there are also infinite possibilities on where he will go next with his sound, but it will be guaranteed to be lush, potent and heavy on the contextual Astral Blaze. Open-Mindedness is out not on the famous psych pop label Cleopatra Records. Stream it and Astral Blaze’s full discography on Spotify or click here to stream or purchase on other platforms. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: New Artist Spotlight: Aura Blaze Calls for ‘Open-Mindedness’ in the Rock/EDM Crossover World

There’s no question that Dash Berlin has been one of the most recognizable names in dance music over the past decade. However, some complicated and unseemly business deals have obscured who Dash Berlin really is. The touring member and essential front man of Dash Berlin has been Jeffrey Sutorius ever since the group’s inception in 2006. However, following a lengthy legal battle that played out starting in 2018, Sutorius and the other members of the group began their separation. Forging out on his own since then, Jeffrey Sutorius has carried on the Dash Berlin mantle and continued to produce and perform the progressive house and trance that Dash Berlin has been known for. However, personal growth is to be expected as an artist. Unleashed as a true creative force, Jeffrey Sutorious has continued releasing a steady stream of tracks on his own label BODYWRMR. Following the release of his massive festival banger, “Sink or Swim” with Mexican producers ANG, we got the chance to sit down with Jeff and have a lengthy conversation about his musical endeavors, advice for upcoming artists, and his take on the state of the industry. Check out the exclusive interview below. Hey Jeff, thanks for chatting with us. Tell us what you’ve been up to to wrap up the year, and what can fans expect as we head into 2022? “I’ve been hanging out in this vinyl room, no, just kidding. I’ve been hanging out a little bit since I got back. The year started really, really, super great for me personally. Started a very extensive, and intensive, tour in China. So I’d been there for half a year, got back in June. Then did a few small shows in Egypt before going to Mexico and America. Came back after that, I did another tour that went to Canada and America, and I just got back from that two weeks ago. And, yeah, if you consider the time we’re in right now, I’m the last one that can complain about anything, so I’m not going to do that. I’ve been extremely fortunate with the situation that I got in. I still got to meet some of the fans, even with the name change. Obviously that was a little bit of a setback in the beginning of the year. But, that’s already so far behind me. Again, I’m very comfortable in where I am right now, and what’s going to be on the agenda for 2022. And, that’s going to be a new album, in the early stages of 2022. I would say 98% is done, I’m still finishing up the last tracks. I’ve tested out a couple of tracks in China, which did surprisingly well. You have to imagine Chinese, the majority probably don’t speak English that well. The majority of my vocals are all English. When I played a brand new song that nobody heard before, ever. And they closed their eyes and were holding their hands out, then you know that you’re on the right track. Just recently I did a show in LA at Exchange. Jonathan Mendelsohn, he joined me, he’s going to be featured on the album as well, brand new release. So, that’s going to be very, very exciting. We’re going to work on more material than just only that song, so that’s going to be super exciting too. Because I think Jonathan is one of the most talented guys, singer/songwriters, as well as performers out there. That’s been received very well live, I also played some other new songs off the album at Exchange and they did very well. I got a lot of feedback on that on my socials, like, hey what is this, or, can you tell me about this song? And, usually when that kind of stuff happens after a show, especially nowadays where everything happens so quick, when people actually stop and ask what is this? Usually, that’s a really good sign. So, yeah, quite exciting! There’s going to be an extensive album tour in 2022 also. So, yeah, there’s a lot in the works at the moment, I can’t complain.” Tell us about your latest track “Sink or Swim” with ANG? I love the harder edge to the track, how did you all come up with the track? “Actually, I’ve already known ANG for a long time. We met each other a long time ago during Miami Music Week, and they actually just barged into one of the parties during the day, and we got in contact from there on, and funny part is they handed me this USB drive that I still have, that’s still floating around here on one of my old backups. And I see ANG with all the information on it and all the tracks that they released, it’s really funny. So, fast forward, we started working on Firefly, on which they made incredible bass, they’re super talented. We had some contact back and forth, they’ve been working with a lot of people, working on a lot of collaborations. So, they are really into merging ideas to see how you can get the best out of a track without just taking it all to yourself. And to see what kind of extra influences you can have to add to something you may have started with. So that’s how we started, consequently, they made a setup for ‘Sink or Swim’. And that was very, very strong again, and for the collaborations I was interested in, I was very interested in working on that. Sarah De Warren on vocals did really, really well. And, the cool thing with this track is that people see it as a hard clash of future house and future trance. And, also for this track when I started road testing it, people were instantly, almost shouting, like ‘Hey! What is this!?’ and they’ll hold out their mobile phone. It’s a little bit of the same story for the album material, when people do that, it’s just a really good sign. Yeah, it took a couple of months before it was scheduled for release, now it’s out, and it’s doing really, really great. It appeals to people who like EDM, it appeals to people who like big room, it appeals to people who like trance. And, in a way, it’s an anomaly, in a good sense. And since the start of working on my own, I’ve been working on more material that can be interpreted in multiple genres. And I don’t know why that is, it just happens, but I think it’s a very cool consequence of making music that is suitable for multiple artists in multiple types of sets in multiple genres. And I see that as a very big plus, but I have to tip my hats off to ANG because they’re really on a roll. I think they’re one of the biggest Mexican talents out there at the moment and I’m doing a lot of support of Mexican talent on my own label BODYWRMR. So, I have BSNO, who is a big one, big growing guy as well in Mexico. I recently signed Karasso and Lans Palm on BODYWRMR as well. And I have another one Hajj, it doesn’t sound Mexican, but also Mexican, so yeah, it’s nice. It’s been a time, you know, waiting for new talent to emerge from Mexico. And now it’s that moment and I’m very happy that my label BODYWRMR is able to support some of the guys, and maybe even in the future, some of the girls. It’s a great, great privilege to do that. But, anyway, ANG, it’s doing great and maybe something more for 2022.” You mentioned next year is going to be pretty extensive touring. Do you know which big festivals you’re going to be doing? “Of course, Ultra, in March. When I say extensive tour, we have to keep everything in perspective, let’s say the world is turning a little bit normal again, everyone’s vaccinated or boostered or what not. But, in whatever form, we can pick up the pace again. Like normally touring, then yeah, I’d say it’s going to be extensive. And absolutely the big one for me, which I’m super happy about, is Ultra Miami. My head’s been working overtime in thinking about what I would like to do on a stage like Ultra. I’m really thankful for the whole Ultra family in having the belief in Jeffrey Sutorius, and kind of reaffirming that support and reaffirming that faith in what I do on stage, and in the music that I’m making. So, that’s really, really cool, and I’m going to give 110%. Let’s just hope that everything will be more back to normal and that people will have an amazing festival experience, throughout the whole year. I think everybody’s patiently waiting to be out again, safely or with good measurements that people are comfortable with, and yeah, then we can just pick up our lives again.” At the Exchange show, you had the ceiling lighting rig coming down, are you still going to have that setup for the smaller club shows? “It kind of depends, it’s part of a new show that we developed together with Visual Artform. They definitely have a hand in this as well, so they deserve credit for that, absolutely. The initial idea kind of originated in Marquee, where I’ve been a resident for almost 10 years already. And, I wanted to revitalize the show. And Visual Artform wanted to do that as well. So, they started working on the laser cage, and, when everything was confirmed and ready to go for Exchange, I really, really wanted to see if we could get that special feature for the show on the road. Because it’s something that’s never been done before in Exchange, and it kind of freshens up the place in a way, and kind of connects also with other lasers that are going. So, it’s not only about lasers, it’s about giving a new edge to the show and I think it worked really well. It gave it a really cool look, a really cool atmosphere. And obviously working together with Visual Artform, timing is of the essence of how you do that, when and where. And they know perfectly what they’re doing. So, I’ve been working with them for a very long time, and Visual Artform is the perfect partner for me to kind of re-develop the shows in a way. So, if there’s the possibility to bring that to a smaller venue where it’s actually adding something to the show, we have to see if I would play a smaller show with a smaller roof. The last show that I did before coming back to the Netherlands was at Soundcheck in Washington. But, a concept like the laser cage would never work there, so we’ll have to see about it from venue to venue.” As a veteran artist who’s been around a long time, how often do you find that you need to update the visuals and change the set around? “It’s constantly. I’m not a one trick pony and there’s no reason for it. There’s so much good music coming from established artists, emerging artists, new talent, you name it. And, if the setting is right to test out some new stuff where I can in a way also educate people about things that are coming, besides my own material obviously. I think that’s one of the cool things about being a DJ, being in control of that moment, and to keep people in the right atmosphere, the right vibe. And, sometimes, it’s hit or miss, and that’s part of the game. So, sometimes you try something out and it doesn’t lend as well as you’d expect. And, sometimes it double does that, so that’s all in the game. And, I really don’t believe in making one show, the whole show, the whole year around, you know what I mean? Like, you have to come to a Jeffrey Sutorius show, it’s going to be amazing visuals and laser cage and the whole stuff, and what you’ve seen is what I do every week, it becomes a one trick pony. It becomes boring, and it’s unnecessary, it’s unnecessary for the crowd, it’s unnecessary for the fans, so for me, there’s no reason for that.” As someone who’s been in the industry for a long, long time, what advice do you have for young producers trying to get into the industry? And, for you, how have you managed to keep it fresh and relevant for so long? “It’s difficult to answer that question in a really simple manner, so I’ll try and keep it as brief as possible. So, there’s a difference between DJs, artists, producers, and everybody in the whole line of the electronic music industry. When you specifically say producers, the only thing that comes to mind for me is try to be original. Try to do something that people aren’t doing or try to be surprising. But, at the same time, that’s super hard, because that’s what everyone is trying to do. Even for established producers, they’re trying to find a way to…like a DJ, not to become stale. You want to move forward with what you’re doing, and that goes very quickly nowadays. When I started with ‘Bad Days’ and ‘Nothing Hurts Like Love’ with Jonathan Mendelsohn. If I look back at that period, and I look at what I’m doing right now. I can see like two levels in difference of quality, because it goes so quick and there’s so much to learn. So, if you don’t invest time to learn new ways, new methods, new plugins, how to enhance or reshape your sound, it’s going to be hard. At the same time, the problem of nowadays, society, time, who has time? Nobody has time. That’s the whole freakin’ problem, nobody’s going to listen to a whole record anymore. Like from A-Z and hear everything. No, everything has to be short, it has to be clean and simple to follow. And, as a producer, you kind of have to appeal to that as well. With vocalists or singer/songwriters, so it’s kind of a lame answer, but it kind of stays the same, because you have to be original and doing something that other people are not doing. And then over time, if you’re able to do that, and you find the right labels that are supporting that or you’re being with the right family. Then, it comes to the second part. Are you actually happy with what you’re doing? Do you want to be that producer, and are you happy being that producer? Or, do you actually want to be on the stage and have that spotlight, and you want to have the so-called glitter and glamour, and the girls and what-not, which is highly, highly overrated. Because, people underestimate, the artist life is not that easy, it’s not that simple, there’s way more to it. So, what is it? What do you really want? So that is another question that comes to the light when you’re asking what do producers need to do nowadays? You also really need to know for yourself, what do I want? Do I want to be a producer? Do I want to be an artist? Because the answer to that question is already giving kind of two ways where things might head. Because if you really want to be an artist and you want to focus everything on an artists’ career, then it’s going to be harder to be that really hardcore, cool, re-developing, re-shaping, forward-driven, experimenting producer that everyone is talking about. And, the other way around, if you want to be a producer, it’s going to be harder investing all the time and knowledge and effort into those new tracks in becoming that artist in the spotlight that everyone wants to see. And, I always make a lot of comparisons, to make it understandable for people, to soccer. Soccer in Europe is very big, it’s been big for a very long time, it’s a really professionalized industry. Over the years, so let’s say the early 90s is the start for the dance music industry. So, over the years, kind of the industry has evolved and professionalized, and we are well now at that point where somebody wants to kind of step into the industry and be a producer or an artist, you already have to kind of fix the backup questions that you have in order to have the right career path. And, who are really important in shaping that? That’s management or the agencies nowadays because they eventually have to bring that hot producer with a limited amount of shows, or that hot new artist with cool music as well, to the right amount of shows. So, it’s not about only what the person wants, being that producer is also in how you will be…you need to be accompanied by the right people. There’s a lot of people coming to me with questions about that, especially when you look at my recent background in how do you make the right choices? I’ve spent a lot of time explaining what happened to me, but helping to prevent other people from making the same mistake. And that’s difficult, it’s difficult to have the right 100% answer for that because everybody’s will, drive, time, character is different. You have to connect the dots, it’s a lot of dots, and when you get them connected they have to be connected to the right people or person who can help you further in the direction you want to go with your career. There’s also with soccer, there’s people, and I believe this is the same thing in the electronic dance music industry, there’s people who are less talented but are willing to work harder to eventually achieve something. That is absolutely in line with soccer 100%, there’s more people who make it in soccer. You are less talented but are willing to put in the work, going to training, going to practice, and going and going and going and investing the time, eventually being the best that you can. On average, they’re less talented than the fortunate, given ones, and some of them make it and they become huge, but the majority, they have to work for it. And you have to invest time, invest time in yourself, learning, I’m learning every week. It’s one of the reasons why I’m not doing like a production masterclass, because I don’t consider myself a master, the learning never stops.” And, any last words for the fans? “Well, the fans have to wait a little bit longer, and I hope it’s all worth it, I do think so. Now is a really good time where you can really catch up with what they’ve been doing in the studio, or pushing out new music, or developing new talent, or finding new talent and sharing it with everybody, or streaming for that matter. But, I really think that eventually there’s an end to all of this misery we’ve been in the past couple of years. I think the end is in sight, it’s coming soon. That’s what I believe, I don’t know if it’s going to be true. But, I think it’s going to be like a gigantic explosion of euphoria that will have a Woodstock type of epicness to it, when you go to the bigger festivals. Like Ultra, EDC, Mysteryland, or Tomorrowland. So, for the people who like electronic music in whatever shape or form, I think everybody’s going to super enjoy that. And, of course, for my sake, I hope I’ll get to be a part of that, as well.” Check out the latest from Jeffrey Sutorius & ANG, “Sink or Swim” featuring Sarah De Warren, out now on Revealed. Stay tuned for more info on Jeff’s upcoming album and tour dates. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Jeffrey Sutorius Discusses His New Chapter [Interview]

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GRL GANG has returned with Wreck The Halls, Vol. 2, a compilation made by women in dance music — intended to play out loudly this holiday season and beyond! This year, the compilation series is stacked as ever with emerging talent: Kenzie Black, REMETI, Shmell, Dxstinie, AK Renny, ENTITY, and AIXI featuring STILLONIT. Wreck The Halls, Vol. 2 offers a mix of uplifting, melodic productions, as well as heavier selects and an assortment of house grooves. MORE: GRL GANG Ends Year On High Note with ‘Wreck The Halls, Vol. 1’ [LISTEN] JEANIE, Founder of GRL GANG, shares: I’m so excited to be releasing our newest Wreck The Halls compilation showcasing some incredibly talented women in dance music. The release is so diverse and has something for just about everyone. I hope everyone enjoys these tracks as much as I do and finds a new favorite artist along the way. GRL GANG is a label, collective and organization dedicated to supporting women in dance music. Listen below and explore more artists, mixes, albums and compilations here. GRL GANG – Wreck The Halls, Vol. 2 GRL GANG · GRL GANG – Wreck The Halls, Vol. 2 Connect with GRL GANG SoundCloud | Spotify | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: GRL GANG Drops Second Annual Compilation ‘Wreck The Halls, Vol. 2’ [LISTEN]

Heading into 2022, SoundCloud is celebrating another successful year and welcoming its next generation of artists with a feature film, The Day Ones. The first-ever film by SoundCloud includes music and live performances from 2021 breakout artists SoFaygo, Charmaine, Otis Kane, Pa Salieu, Lourdiz, Ela Minus, and more. Having came through the platform’s “First on SoundCloud” accelerator program, these are names to keep on your radar. The Day Ones brings together the worlds of music, entertainment, and cinema to create a major career-first for the artists, providing a new, innovative way to showcase their talents and connect them with fans globally. It’s one of the many efforts SoundCloud provides for the artists they believe in. Learn more and watch The Day Ones here. Listen to the soundtrack here. About First on SoundCloud: First on SoundCloud is a culture-shifting program designed to amplify artists breaking on SoundCloud. Follow their journey as they reach new milestones, break creative barriers and define the future of music. About The Day Ones: A film about two childhood best friends at a turning point in their lives. Before saying goodbye, they spend their last evening together at their favorite local party. Throughout the night, they experience musical performances from various artists from First on SoundCloud. THE DAY ONES Trailer | SoundCloud Original Film This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: SoundCloud Shines Light on Breakout Artists with Feature Film ‘The Day Ones’ [WATCH]

The latest from Alison Wonderland, “Fear of Dying,” is nothing short of a masterpiece. Through the dizzying sounds of “Fear of Dying,” which Alison wrote and produced, she unpacks feelings of anxiety and crippling fear of losing someone close to you. The vulnerability AW exhibits is as present as ever in this new single, as she begins a new journey by confronting her past head on. “Fear of Dying” comes on the heels of “Fuck U Love U,” a certified trap banger tinged with dark, relatable emotion that instinctively tugs at heart strings. These back-to-back releases showcase AW’s ability to keep her signature sound intact, while gracefully evolving and tackling especially painful subjects. The “Fear of Dying” music video (directed by Brandon Dremer) brings the song’s concept to life, as Alison holds her former self captive and ultimately leaves the past behind, making for a nail-biting finish. Watch below and go down the rabbit hole here. Alison Wonderland – Fear of Dying Photo Credit: Jared Tinetti This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Alison Wonderland Unleashes Trademark Masterpiece “Fear of Dying” [WATCH]

Gisela Lindhorst aka OHMYGi makes her presence known with her debut single “I’m Danger,” out now. This Chilean-born talent earned the inaugural Icon Collective Women’s Scholarship and Icon Ambassador Award, allowing her to hone in on her unique vision in Los Angeles in recent years. As a producer, singer, songwriter, and performing artist — OHMYGi’s self expression is on full display with her very first release. The song is raw and unapologetic, setting the tone for OHMYGi’s upcoming album Danger in Pink. Described as a bilingual banger, “I’m Danger” is a blend of her native Spanish and improved English with heavy basslines and ripping lyrics. The OHMYGi project drips with originality and we already can’t wait to hear more. On a deeper level, OHMYGi expresses her point of view on female oppression and holds space for awareness to have “each one [of] us play their active role” in the community while also awakening the feminine power. Listen below and watch the music video here! OHMYGi – I’m Danger Connect with OHMYGi SoundCloud | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: OHMYGi Drops Unapologetic Debut Single “I’m Danger” [LISTEN]

Porter Robinson and his now-fiancée Rika Mikuriya are officially engaged! The two shared the news on Instagram today and we couldn’t be more excited for the couple. Rika wrote, “thank you for accepting me and taking me in to be yours. i’m so shocked and at the same time so thankful that someone who is so kindhearted, supportive, and loving like you wants to continue to spend the rest of his life with me. i can’t wait to marry you, porter. you’re the love of my life.” Porter offered his own thoughts, “i am engaged to the love of my life! i have never met someone so inspiring, so constantly sincere, so quietly strong and resilient, and so beautifully kind – to everyone, always, even when nobody is watching. none of this is hyperbole – rika is one in a trillion. rika, you are my soulmate and i cannot wait to marry you!” The two were officially engaged on New Year’s Eve. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Porter Robinson & Rika Mikuriya Announce Their Engagement

Michael Baker is certainly not a new artist. He’s not even new to Your EDM, as we’ve featured his group Head Fake and their new wave style previously. Baker’s new solo project, Hasten Mercy, is new, however, and more EDM-focused. With the first EP, These Things laced with Happy Mondays-style rave pop, heavier, future bass/dubstep vibes and loads of ambient sound design and synth work, it sounds like Baker’s testing the waters for his breakout solo style. With a clear love for early electronica as is evidenced by Head Fake, the first track on Baker’s first Hasten Mercy release it “Star You Are,” a 90s Brit poptronica-inspired romp whose main piano and synth work is such an homage to the Mondays’ “Step On” that one might even mistake Baker for a much more melodic and less psychedelic Shaun Ryder. The content contained in the lyrics is also quite a bit more uplifting and inclusive. It’s an interesting opener, but certainly bridges the gap well from Head Fake’s new wave to the more modern tracks on These Things. Following “Star You Are” is “I Break Everything,” the much more introspective and self-deprecating but also more modern ballad-style pop track with lashings of drone and ambient synth work behind the soft digital organ driving the vocal melody. It becomes clear from “I Break Everything” that the tracks on These Things are thematically, if not musically connected. The lyrics of “Star You Are” being so expansive juxtaposed with those of “I Break Everything” coming back down to earth and expressing the difficulty with relationships and the fear of emotional intimacy despite that expansive philosophical ability. How does one reconcile macro and mirco? Very few of us are true masters. Baker’s vocals in these tracks doesn’t pretend to solve this problem; just hopes others can relate. These Things closes with the title track also the most EDM-heavy track, and the relationship and theme of the EP becomes even more clear. The barely audible backing drone synth from “I Break Everything” carries into “These Things” and takes a more prominent role. Still pop in the sense that it’s composed with the lyrics being the driving force, “These Things” shows Baker’s mastery of synth and sound design, this track would fit right in at a rave as break music and is begging to be remixed. Also quite introspective and focused on the slings and arrows of social interaction, the difficulties of connecting with others and the need to connect despite anxiety and nervousness is something even the most extroverted of social butterflies can certainly relate to after two years of isolation. Far from coming full circle, Baker’s lyrical observations in These Things have no answer despite the expansive tone of “Star You Are.” Rather, they’re a continuation of not just Hasten Mercy’s but the collective dialog about all the different facets of being human. As we roll into the new year and the possible third year of COVID, it’s good to remember everyone’s reconciling the expansive with the grounded, the sublime with the worldly. It’s a strange ride humankind is on, but it’s also somehow noble. These Things are everyone’s things, and the point might simply be the journey, so we might as well explore them. These Things is out now and can be streamed on Spotify. Check out Head Fake’s YouTube for more synths and videos. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: New Artist Spotlight: Hasten Mercy Channels 90s Indie Pop With New EP ‘These Things’ [Global Heist] [Video]

Everyone loves a bit of Cockney rhyming slang: “up the apples and pears” for “up the stairs” or “what’s this box of toys” for “what’s this noise?” et al. are examples of the cheeky wordplay which, though most prevalent in Victorian East London, still snakes its way into the modern vernacular. As a nod to those cheeky UK cultural signposts also contained in its musical composition, Seattle duo The Nylon Admirals’ newest single could only be called “Butcher’s Hook,” the Cockney rhyme for “look.” Extremely cheeky in their own stylistic right, The Nylon Admirals are already known to love a good homage, with their J-pop/kawai take on Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” (vocals by Hastune Miku) off last year’s debut LP Drama being one of their most-streamed on Spotify to-date. Indeed much of their work is a genre-melding spitfire of not-quite-experimental electronica that utilizes the amen break so liberally you’d think we were actually back in 1991 at the cusp of UK hardcore and jungle. That is, until the composition of The Nylon Admirals’ tracks comes into focus. Also clearly fans of prog rock, classical composition, opera and early, Switched-on Bach-style electronica, The Nylon Admirals like to mash up literally all music eras and genres with their much-loved ameny breakbeat basslines. As an example, their most recent “Sono Binario” single combines operatic vocals, industrial beats and video game synths. From Drama again, “The Blind Watchmaker” brings in literal opera and analog classical piano to a standard breakbeat while “We Were Romans” samples 80s techno stings with classical choir, military battle calls and, um banjos? Did we just hear that right? It works, however, despite often sounding like the spaghettified random noise that may one day reach a distant star via a black hole. If Zappa had made electronic music, it would have been close to this. At the very least, he would have appreciated it. “Butcher’s Hook” is mercifully more cohesive and less all over the place, but with no less mashup flare. Again mercifully grounded by an ameny breakbeat that sort of straddles 140 and 170, the main synth is sort of an old sea shanty-style melody that seems to be played on a zither or similar, also accompanied by a celestial vox-and-strings secondary melody that takes the track into The Nylon Admirals’ other important calling card: flawless ambient sound design. In “Butcher’s Hook,” perhaps because of it not being quite so chaotic, the sound design and theatrical background work – an element that is prevalent in all their tracks, mind you – is on full display and really sells the sound here. This is EDM crossover stuff; no wonder the duo named Hans Zimmer as one of their influences; they’re damn close with this track. Accompanied by its cool, steampunk-styled video, “Butcher’s Hook” promises to be an actual hook for the larger EDM audience to experience the wonderful weirdness that is The Nylon Admirals. While their wacky, well-composed, we-didn’t-even-know-that-could-be-fusion fusion electronica may not be for everyone, it’s definitely, as the duo themselves say, “electronic music for thrill-seekers.” “Butcher’s Hook” is out now and can be streamed with the rest of The Nylon Admirals’ discography on Spotify. Check out their other videos and remixes on their YouTube channel. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: New Artist Spotlight: Take a ‘Butcher’s Hook’ at Unconventional Breakbeat Act, The Nylon Admirals [Video]

So, here we are once again — the end of another year. While 2020 presented its own obvious challenges, 2021 (in general) fared much better for artists with the return of festivals and live events. Though, even that came with its own caveats with vaccine and testing requirements, and now omicron bumping up case loads across the world. COVID might just be something we have to deal with for the rest of our lives. Thankfully, we have music to fill our lives with joy and there are plenty of names you should be paying attention to heading into the new year. We happy present our annual Your EDM’s Top 40 Artists To Watch list for 2022, with 40 fresh names, some you may have heard of, others maybe not. In particular this year, we have a few artists with less than 100 monthly listeners on Spotify (at time of publishing): DRFT (21), Sejo (28), and Tearsofmine (67). On the vast other side, we have ACRAZE with 21 million listeners, thanks to his breakout his “Do It, To It.” Typically we wouldn’t include someone with that many active listeners, but considering it was his first breakout hit, we need to see what more he has to offer next year. Another point of pride in this year’s list is the diversity, with 37.5% of the names being women, and 25% of them people of color. Artists like Tsu Nami, SENZA, and HoneyLuv are putting in double work proving that POC women not only deserve a seat at the table, they are in some cases doing far more than their male counterparts. Our featured artist this year is Justin Hawkes, who has been the most vocal proponent of drum & bass in America over the last year. Formerly known as Flite, Justin Hawkes has been a driving force in pushing the genre in the US and has the track record, both discography and shows, to show for it. As we do every year, we’ve picked our 40 artists who we feel will have an incredible year in 2022, not just in their own personal careers, but also on the electronic music scene as a whole. As a reminder, we do our best not to repeat names year after year so as to give new artists the spotlight. So if you don’t see the name of an artist you feel has had a great year and is destined for more, it’s more than likely we featured them in the past five years. 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 See Your EDM’s Artists To Watch in 2021 list below. Congratulations to all who are featured! We expect big things of you next year. helloworld | Sejo | BRUER | qwaston | Dot | Tsu Nami | SENZA Friendzone | Claymore | Saka | REVEL | Justin Hawkes | Pauline Herr | ACRAZE Entel | Tearsofmine | DRFT | lupa | Poni | HELLBOUND! | LAYZ | Canabliss Miane | HoneyLuv | FrostTop | Capozzi | NotLö | VEIL | Gelus AIRGLO | PawS | Mport | Ranger Trucco | Joshwa | Nikademis Redrum | KILL SCRIPT | Zingara | Gibson Parker | Allen Mock Featured image via Jake West Photo This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Your EDM’s Top 40 Artists To Watch in 2022

Dubstep pioneers and legends Skream and Benga haven’t worked together in years. Despite both being catalysts for the rise of a worldwide genre, both eventually went on other paths. Skream began producing house and disco around 2015, while Benga unfortunately dealt with mental health issues that took precedence over his musical career. Benga released his Future Funk EP in 2016 and another single in 2018, but his releases since 2012 only number five. Skream has had a successful career performing since his transition. But the two haven’t appeared on a track together since 2010’s Magnetic Man with Artwork. Skream announced the return of the duo yesterday promising new music in 2022 — in fact, he said they’ve already finished two collaborations. (He also mentioned two finished collabs with Friction, with whom he hasn’t put out a track since 2013.) Keep an eye out next year for more news on this! The boys are back in town…. Skream X @iambenga 2.0….. 2022 we’re having it. — Oliver Jones (@I_Skream) December 27, 2021 This trip in NZ has been productive so far considering I haven’t done any shows… Collabs with @iambenga (2) @friction (2) @Kid_Drama (1) and a studio session with @Prospauk on the cards…. — Oliver Jones (@I_Skream) December 27, 2021 This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Dubstep Pioneers, Legends Skream x Benga Returning In 2022

Guest contribution from Christina Hayek Today I join Your EDM as a guest contributor to share my experience attending the second MDLBeast Sandstorm Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia which featured performances by Axwell & Ingrosso, Major Lazer, David Guetta, and Armin Van Buuren among many others. When initially invited, I felt compelled to see how music was continuously evolving in the region, especially in a predominantly Islamic state, so I decided to join the Your EDM team on this journey to witness it firsthand. What unfolded before my eyes was truly something I will be processing for a very long time. As an personally identifying Arab American female whose parent escaped a civil war in the Middle East by seeking refuge in America, seeing a young generation of Arabs in Saudi Arabia dancing freely in a large public space was nothing short of inspiring and truly moving. Photo by Neville Hopwood/Getty Images for MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM There were some reservations about making the long journey and expedition to the Middle East, let alone to a country that historically did not pride itself in having a full spectrum of freedom of musical expression. It seemed daunting and a bit terrifying. But what we came to find there was nothing short of the exact opposite. The journey began with an invite to the inaugural XP Conference, a 3-day excursion full of panels, workshops, Q&As about topics such as feminism and the progress happening in the industry covering Talent, Scene, Policy, and Impact. The newer generation who were leading these discussions were proud of their heritage and progressive in their views. It was impressive and inspiring to witness, especially seeing it run by a team of strong women, which made the beginning of the adventure that much more reassuring. As we started to get our bearings and recover from the jet lag, we really began to feel the true hospitality of the region and how welcoming the Saudis were to us foreigners; they showed nothing but kindness and hospitality, as well as shared their date fruits with us that tasted like pure melted caramel. We had the pleasure of sharing many conversations with locals that crossed a lot of geopolitical boundaries — we bonded over our love for EDM and our shared hatred of standardized school tests, we even sang along to Ariana Grande together. The Saudi Gen Zs and Millennials had fashion swag that would put the average New Yorker to shame. As the first day of the festival arrived, we did observe and were affected by some logistical nuances that could be chalked up to new festival jitters in a region not familiar with throwing large scale events. Miscommunication between English and Arabic staff made for a bit of rough-around-the-edges entry into the grounds, but it was quickly made up for by the eight mind-blowing stages, design visuals, pyrotechnics, and the beautiful sculptured art scattered around the large grounds. Photo by Darren Arthur/Getty Images for MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM One of the most remarkable sights was the initiative called Respect & Reset. Teams of trained responders were available throughout the event grounds, dispatched as needed to intervene and take action to reports of harassment. Anyone violating the MDLBEAST Code of Conduct or Anti-Harassment Policy was faced with immediate removal from the event site and referred to legal authorities. The most beautiful sight to see, outside of the massive stages and firework displays overnight, was the energy from the attendees. Many coming from the surrounding region, they were nothing short of exuberant in their ecstasy to be there. Even in a sober environment, the energy level was more infectious than most festivals I have attended around the world. They were there to purely just experience the full scale synesthetic immersion into music. I am honored I got to stand alongside them and share in their pure joy. Notably, seeing the attendees share a dance floor with females and cheer on the female DJs that were playing is something that will not only shape the next generation but inspire other countries to follow suit. Photo by Darren Arthur/Getty Images for MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM As the festival came to an end, and the team was able to reflect on the past week, we realized that the progress being made in the country is clearly showing and authentic, I left feeling rejuvenated and excited about the future. I will never forget the opportunity I had to witness this investment of music and progress in the Middle East alongside the foreign media staff. Saudi, you left a mark on my heart, I cannot wait to see what you are capable of contributing to the global dance music scene in the future. Photo by Neville Hopwood/Getty Images for MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM Featured image by Neville Hopwood/Getty Images for MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM Ushers In A New Age Of Musical Freedom In Saudi Arabia [REVIEW]

Back when melodic dubstep was just becoming a thing, all the way back in the early 2010s, a few names stood out — Skrux, Seven Lions, Singularity, MitiS, and most elusive of all, Blackmill. Blackmill’s output was sparse but perfectly captured the essence of the genre, with brilliantly emotional melodies, crisp drums, and a bass that felt like it was wrapping you in a warm blanket. Blackmill’s only albums, Reach For Glory and Miracle, both came out in 2011. Though he’s released a few singles here and there in the years since, it has been ten years since his last album … until this Saturday. The beloved artist has announced his first new album in a decade, Home, will be released on Christmas Day. Excited and nervous. New album ‘Home’ will be releasing Xmas day! I’ll post links to the album when they are available and a video on my YouTube channel. Hope you lovely people like it Much love x — Blackmill (@BlackmillMusic) December 23, 2021 If you’re a fan of Blackmill, you’ll recognize the album title is the same as a track he put out on YouTube all the way back in 2012. He confirmed on Twitter that it is the opening track of the album. Photo by Adi Nayev This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Beloved Melodic Dubstep Artist Blackmill Announces First New Album In A Decade, Out On Christmas

After already selling out of Tier 1 tickets, ULTRA Europe has unveiled a stacked Phase 1 lineup of headliners performing at Park Mladeži in Split, Croatia from July 8 –10, 2022. The eighth annual edition of the world’s premier destination music festival will feature headliners including Adam Beyer, Alesso, Afrojack, Armin van Buuren, Joseph Capriati, Martin Garrix, Nina Kraviz, Oliver Heldens, Richie Hawtin, Tiësto, Timmy Trumpet and Vini Vici. Martin Garrix, who was ranked number one on DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs list for three consecutive years, will return to ULTRA Europe following his stadium-smashing performance at the festival in 2017. At every one of the high-energy performances, Garrix showcases his intrinsic capability to uplift and connect with his audience. ULTRA Worldwide’s esteemed techno and house concept RESISTANCE will once again showcase the festival’s darker shades of underground sounds. Stockholm-based DJ Adam Beyer continues to pull on the heartstrings of modern techno like few others can. The internationally-renowned Siberian selector Nina Kraviz will also make her debut performance, and is sure to dole out her unmistakable, experimental soundscapes. Italian underground virtuoso and ULTRA Europe fan favorite Joseph Capriati will once again showcase his beautifully melodic sounds, and three-time DJ Awards winner Richie Hawtin is ready to bring back his unique landscape of minimal yet highly-danceable techno. ULTRA Europe is ready to set the bar higher than ever before and treat fans to a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience, with numerous production surprises in store. Tier 1 tickets are already sold out, and Tier 2 tickets can be purchased on the official website at price for €149 for three-day GA ticket. ULTRA Passport holders can purchase the Passport Pack and secure 6 tickets for the price of 5. ULTRA Europe is also offering the ultimate seven-day Destination ULTRA ticket for €339, which will grant access to all events during the Destination ULTRA week – including an exclusive opportunity for the first 250 purchasers to attend the ULTRA Europe Sunset Family Dinner on Island of Vis before the Closing Party starts. Be sure to get your ULTRA Europe tickets today, and be a part of the world’s premier destination music festival. Tickets on sale now at ultraeurope.com/tickets Photo via Rukes.com This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: ULTRA Europe Unveils Phase 1 Lineup: Martin Garrix, Tiësto, Alesso, Nina Kraviz & more

With multiple excellent releases dating back to 2014, an epic look that’s a cross between Rick Rubin and Yosemite Bear and a falsetto that rivals Jeff Buckley or Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip, Toigo should truly be mega-famous by now. One gets the impression from his music, however, that fame isn’t really what Toigo (full name Zachary Toigo) is after. With with a brand of indie pop rock as well-crafted as it is joyful and interesting, it seems that Toigo makes art purely for the love of it. Nonetheless, with his latest electronica-infused singles “We’ve Got Tonight to Leave Me Broken,” “Starchild” and “Another Shade of Blue,” let’s see if we can put him on the EDM map. Right out of the gate with his debut album Leafyleaks, Zachary’s then more acoustic-based work was pretty freaking flawless. With lashings of Radiohead, Arcade Fire and Death Cab for Cutie, Zachary’s sound was as well-developed as his voice pretty much from jump. In the interstitial work he’s done between that first album and now, Toigo has only further developed his craft, playing with loads of other styles and genres but really just putting his own stamp on and excelling at them all. From grunge to Ben Folds-style piano rock to a bit of synth pop on his 2020 singles “Milos” and “Perfectly Clear,” it also didn’t seem like Toigo was trying too hard to venturing out of his depth. He’s just that versatile. Rolling up the Toigo timeline to present, “We’ve Got Tonight to Leave Me Broken,” “Starchild” and “Another Shade of Blue” are technically the first teasers off his upcoming EP, due out in late February or March. Still very much in indie pop and now working with Grammy winning producer Brian Howes, these two singles are laced with electronic production that brings Toigo’s work to yet another echelon of awesome. Hearkening back to the heyday of Hot Chip, Cut Copy and other electro indie pop acts of the late 00s, the first thing that jumps out on these tracks is his voice. Somewhat obscured by guitars in previous offerings, now the pitch-perfect, rich and incredible range of his vox shines thought, especially on “We’ve Got Tonight…” where a dazzling falsetto chorus takes the song from great to “why the hell isn’t this all over the radio?” Seriously, why? Since music seems to just flow out of this guy and he nails every genre he touches, it’ll be interesting to see where Toigo goes next and what the rest of his forthcoming EP has in store. In the meantime, we’re happy to have that brilliant falsetto on the synth side of things. No matter what genre, however, this is a bandwagon you’ll want to jump on. “We’ve Got Tonight to Leave Me Broken” and “Starchild” are available to stream on Spotify, and the rest of Toigo’s (as Zachary) discography is available on his Bandcamp page. For more videos and some fun stories form Toigo, check out his YouTube page. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: New Artist Spotlight: Toigo Does Indie Pop Right With New Single, ‘We’ve Got Tonight to Leave Me Broken’ [Video]

Beginning with X Rated in 2011, then Codename X, Virus, and Apex, Excision has been feeding the bass world with albums for a decade now. And with the success of Subsidia and tours around the world (COVID-willing), his popularity continues to grow. So it would be the perfect time to drop a new album in the new year, with Onyx. Fans have already heard a preview of the album last week, but it’s really so short that there’s plenty left to the imagination. 1.13.22 pic.twitter.com/bAYbcaA17s — Excision (@Excision) December 14, 2021 Check out the official cover art for the album below! Onyx, my fifth album, is out January 13, 2022! pic.twitter.com/yVq5AlYYCW — Excision (@Excision) December 22, 2021 Photo via Rukes.com This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Excision Reveals His Fifth Studio Album, ‘Onyx’, Out January 13

Noisia’s farewell has been prolonged longer than anyone initially thought, thanks to the global pandemic. Announcing their imminent breakup all the way back in 2019, the farewell tour was supposed to conclude by the end of 2020. The pandemic saw otherwise. Even at the end of 2021, they still have some shows to get done before they say goodbye for good. “Hey friends, quick update for the shows we weren’t able to do the last few months: we’ve decided that we’ll open up a short tour window before the summer to catch up with those shows. We’d hoped to be done at the end of the year, but again there were a lot of restrictions leading to cancelled shows. So take care of yourselves and each other, and we’ll see you after winter! <3 team Noisia”. In the meantime, the trio have released a special remix EP — a rarity for the group. “Over the years, not many Noisia tracks have been remixed,” Nik Roos of the group said. “But now, with Noisia’s ending nearby, we want to give our 20 year catalogue to as many producers as possible. Allowing the music to echo one more time and to hear the resonance of our work. Hence the name.” Given the “1” at the end of the EP name, we can expect more amazing remixes next year. For now, check out The Resonance I below. RESCHEDULED CLUB SHOWS 18 MAR Rampage, Sportpaleis Antwerpen, Antwerpen, BE 24 APR Wipeout Open Air Presents Noisia, Hard Club, Porto, PT 13 MAY Noisia Invites Amsterdam, Melkweg, Amsterdam, NL 14 MAY Noisia Farewell Tour, Link, Bologna, IT 27 MAY Noisia Farewell Tour, Salzhaus, Zurich, CH 28 MAY Subquake, 013, Tilburg, NL This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Noisia Share ‘Resonance I’ Remix EP Ahead Of Final Tour Dates In 2022

Beatmaker Dixon Hill and rapper Noveliss have both been making waves in their own right, in their home city of Detroit and the hip hop scene at large. A touring artists with an MF Doom tattoo and a love of philosophy, Noveliss (Jarred Douglas) splices hard-hitting subjects with peaceful pronouncements and has been releasing well-crafted, Asian philosophy-tinged work since 2018. Dixon Hill is a lover of vintage mods and funky melodies, Dixon Hill’s put out a number of game-changing releases both solo and working with other artists. They came together recently in a collab that rivals any indie hip hip release out there, the recently released album, Book of Changes. While both subject matter and sound on Book of Changes would lead some listeners to tag this album “conscious rap,” the work is also fun, danceable and works as a piece of music that’s not just about its content. That said, the content also happens to be quite expansive. You couldn’t really come away from this album without clocking some serious insight, and you wouldn’t want to. Without drawing too many parallels with Wu Tang (and specifically Rza, his various meditations, his book The Tao of Wu and the Ghost Dog soundtrack), it seems both Noveliss and Dixon Hill wanted to work together on their interpretation of the famous I Ching of Chinese tradition, also known as the Book of Changes. With funky, semi-lofi beats from Hill and articulate, thought-provoking flows from Douglas, it seems the pair are modernizing the ancient text and contextualizing it for the modern era, and it’s none too soon with current events as they are. Normally when introducing artists to our readership, YEDM likes to do a new artist spotlight or some other short form, but it was clear with these two artists and the quality of the record that they have a lot to say, and we wanted to hear it. We sat down with Noveliss and Dixon Hill to talk about Book of Changes, “conscious rap” and why, with this album, it just clicked. How did the two of you come to work together on the Book of Changes album? Noveliss: Dixon reached out to me and I checked out his work and was instantly excited to see what we could come up with. DH: I had a connection to Detroit through my work with Guilty Simpson and I started reaching out to other emcees from ‘the D’ that I respected. I sent a batch of beats to Nov via email, having been a fan of his since the early days of Clear Soul Forces. I would periodically hear his voice in my head while making beats. He was quick to get to work, and the rest is history. Noveliss, East Asian culture and philosophy seem to feature heavily in your work and you both have an interest in I Ching and other philosophical guides. Aside from the obvious Wu Tang influence, what is the draw for you of these texts and ideas? Noveliss: As a longtime student and practitioner of Martial Arts, I’ve always been interested in Asian philosophy and the spiritual nature of martial arts, sometimes even more than the physical side of it. I’m always interested in reading something or practicing something that can lead me to a better version of myself. DH: Wu-Tang is for the children. Left to right: Noveliss and Dixon Hill Dixon’s style contains quite a bit of funk and melody, which is a little more smoothed out than previous Noveliss offerings and it seems to give Book of Changes a more peaceful outlook. Was it a conscious decision to smooth out the edges with more funk and lofi vibes? DH: When I make beats, a lot of different styles and influences tend to come out of me. In one day I may make something quiet and introspective and the next beat is aggressive and rash. When I was picking beats to send to Nov for the project, I was more concerned with how his flow would match with the beat and whether or not the beat gave him enough space to be creative. I find that when you keep this in mind the beats tend to naturally fall into place and later you discover the thread that unifies them after the lyrics are added. It was a conscious decision to sit down and make beats, but after that I’m reacting to sounds and working on instinct; it is only after the fact that I can put a label on it and tie the beat’s identity to any sort of vibe. Noveliss: The sound of this project was all Dixon Hill, as well as the idea to tie it all into the I-Ching or the Chinese Book of Changes. We both share a mutual interest in these philosophies and it was dope to stumble upon that during the process of making this. How did the songwriting process go in terms of working together? Noveliss: Noveliss on the pen, Dixon Hill on the sound. We were subconsciously on the same page before we even discussed the central theme of the project. The beats he was sending and the stuff I was writing just matched up perfectly. Some of the songs required me to open up some of my books and refresh my memory. My favorite example is, in the song “Feng Shui,” the entire song is based on the five forces concept of feng shui. The “metal” force of feng shui has been described as the “sinking sunset.” I have a line in the song that reads “Internal growth, he swam to the sinking sunset, eight Immortal Sword, his studying wasn’t done yet…” that ties in my connection to the metal force which would be my studying of the sword. I’m extremely proud of the way this song was written. DH: The process was smooth from a production standpoint. I trusted Nov to take care of his verses, because he takes his craft seriously. The only time I asked him to re-do a verse was when he told me he knew he could better. I could tell he was pushing himself and that makes me feel good because I know he was taking the project as seriously as I was. On the flipside, Nov respected my production decisions and allowed me to get creative with the concept. Every song is a puzzle and there are always challenges when trying to make a project feel complete but this project represents us at our absolute best because we had the freedom to experiment. Nov left some spaces on “Feng Shui” so I ended up singing a hook. That was never the plan, but that’s what happened. The process just felt natural. Noveliss, you seem to have a knack for being able to speak about heavy subjects but balancing it with philosophy or spiritual ideas. How important is it for you to get your ideas out in this way? Is this a balance you feel you like to strike in your own life/experience? Noveliss: Absolutely, everything is connected. I always try to provide a perspective of learning from each experience and applying everything to achieving the best version of yourself. Balancing these heavy subjects through the lens of spiritual nature or philosophy is just connecting the dots, trying to make sense of things we really don’t understand. Speaking of heavy subjects versus spiritual balance, as both of you seem to be on the indie edge of hip hop, how do you feel about the whole “conscious rap” genre or style? Do you think it needs to be labeled as such? Do you have any criticism of the current mainstream hip hop culture/subject matter/sound? Noveliss: In my opinion, there is no such thing as “conscious rap.” To be conscious? Like what does that label even mean? To me, it implies that being aware of the world around you, and sharing your view is rare in hip hop and that’s just not true. Sure, we might not like what other people talk about or how they get their message out but it’s all “conscious,” whatever it is. DH: Labeling music is a marketing decision. When we label a piece of music we essentially negate the nuance and details of it. It is convenient to corral music styles into genres, but it doesn’t get to the bone of what we actually experience when we hear any particular piece of music. Its very easy for rap music to become too self-referential or stagnant by way of its own traditionalism, and the more artists that ascribe to genres of hip hop the more we as listeners tend to get bombarded with the same repackaged content. Hip Hop has always been a style of music that represented creative freedom for me and I find that most of the time, hip hop that is labelled “conscious rap” captures that freedom more often for me. I think if you step outside of the commonly accepted subject matter of hip-hop you tend to hit peoples ear’s with something fresh, and sometimes that just gets boiled down to “conscious rap”. Rap that encourages people to look at their world differently is exciting and should be celebrated for its courage and its detail, not labeled for convenience sake. Oh yeah….and mainstream music is mostly garbage. Dixon, how was this project different for you and how did you adapt your style? Was it easier or more difficult to incorporate your beloved vintage equipment on this album? DH: This project was different in a few key ways. Noveliss was great to work with, like I said before, he takes his craft seriously and I feel he reacts to the mood of my beats accurately. I have had situations where I send an introspective beat to someone and they come back with a verse about sending dick pics, and I think to myself “were we listening to the same beat?” That was never a problem with Nov. As far as arranging the album, the process fit easily into my trajectory as an artist. My last instrumental album (Holodeck Beats: Program 3) I made a conscious effort to tie the beats together with a narrative, and have the album feel like a complete whole with nice bookends and transitions. Book of Changes was a full realization of that same goal and part of that was the wealth of raw materials I had and the environment in which I was working. I still rocked with my tape machines and old gear for sure, but I was isolated in a cabin in the desert, with no internet, completely locked in on the album and the I Ching concept. What’s up next for each of you? Any plans to work together again? DH: I always have music in the works. Some collabs are on the horizon although I cannot say too much yet. I would love to work with Nov again, I think we can continue to make great music together. He was a great collaborator and I am proud of what we made. Noveliss: Hopefully getting back to touring, always working on more stuff. Definitely would love to work together again, I think there’s something here that doesn’t exist elsewhere. Book of Changes is out now and can be streamed or purchased on multiple platforms here. Check out other work from Noveliss and Dixon Hill by clicking on their respective names. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Your EDM Q&A: Noveliss and Dixon Hill Team up to Bring Music to the I Ching [Video]