Deadmau5 has been one of the world’s biggest dance music success stories. In the past three years the Canadian producer has become a mainstay on underground dancefloors, conquered America and even contributed his own radio station to the latest Grand Theft Auto game on the iPhone. The secret of Deadmau5’s success is a startlingly good live show. Where other dance acts are content with delivering uncharismatic DJ sets; Deadmau5 goes all out with a fully live performance and light show of retina detaching proportions.
With not long to go until his long awaited UK Tour, Deadmau5 revealed his highly anticipated new live set-up at last weekend’s historic Coachella festival. The debut production was seen by thousands, including superstars such as Jay Z, Beyoncé and Tommy Lee. The brand new L.E.D mau5-head was finally unveiled and freshly debuted tracks had the giant crowd exploding.
Lucky fans attending the UK tour dates will be the first to experience the new live show on British soil. To celebrate we’re giving away tickets to the London leg of the gig taking place Sunday 2nd May at Brixton Academy. All you need to do is email competition@shazamteam.com with your answer to this simple question:
Which city does Deadmau5 come from?
A) Toronto
B) Regina
C) Victoria
Full terms and conditions below:
Tickets are still available for Sunday 2nd May @ O2 Academy Brixton & for Hull on 5th May & Liverpool on the 6th May. Anyone searching for tickets to the sold out Friday and Saturday shows in London should know there’s just been another release of tickets. But hurry, they’re guaranteed to go quickly. Read more…
After the success of their previous collaborative single, Erol Alkan &Boys Noize return with their latest double A-side ‘Avalanche’ & ‘Lemonade’. As to be expected with these two acts, the record aims at those who like their dance music hard and fast; clearly delivered with the dancefloor firmly in mind.
‘Avalanche’ is the calmer of the two, but that doesn’t mean it’s a mellow listen. Opening with an eerie sampled line “To begin at the beginning”, it starts with a creeping, deep pulsating beat but soon builds up with the help of some brutal keyboard riffs.
On the other side, ‘Lemonade’ is a full on aural assault that promises to deliver the killer blow when played in either of the pair’s – already frantic – dj sets. Based upon a twisted synth line that combines perfectly with an uncompromising beat, the track will no doubt be unleashed by many over the summer.
Both tracks are currently available through Beatport and vinyl purists can get their hands on the 12″ – released through Alkan’s Phantasy imprint – next week.
Dizzee Rascal was the main man last summer in Britain. His singles ‘Bonkers’ and ‘Holiday’ were inescapable throughout the hotter months, while Dizzee’s performances at festivals – particularly Glastonbury – were among the most talked about of the year.
His latest track, ‘Dirtee Disco’, continues the fun loving and dance influenced vein established in recent collaborations with Armand Van Helden and Calvin Harris. A far cry from Dizzee’s early angst ridden grime tracks, ‘Dirtee Disco’ is a summery floor filler built around a filtered house beat and lyrics about boozing and chasing women. Although Dizzee’s switch to quite unashamedly pop influenced sounds may scare off some of his early die-hard following, ‘Dirtee Disco’ is guaranteed to make up a ridiculously rabble rousing part of his live sets over the course of the coming months
‘Dirtee Disco’ is released 24th May and could well feature as part of a forthcoming reissue of Dizzee’s last album, ‘Tounge N’ Cheek’.
Head to Dizzee Rascal’s Myspace for more info and to check the track very soon.
London’s Lovebox Festival has long been a staple choice in the discerning festival goers calendar. Every year it continues to deliver a feast of varied and eclectic acts and this year Lovebox has upped the ante by adding a third day to the proceedings. Headlining the final day will be Grace Jones, the 80’s diva who has had a scintillating return to form after her 2008 comeback album ‘Hurricane’. If that wasn’t enough, Ms. Jones will be joined on the Main Stage by a wealth of electro pop acts including Hot Chip, Peaches, Hercules & Love Affair and the hotly tipped Hurts. However as any previous attendee knows, it’s not all about the main stage. The Gaymers Stage will host the welcome return of Chromeo; who will be debuting tracks from the forthcoming album ‘Business Casual’. Cut Copy will also appear for their only UK festival appearance of the summer.
One thing that has to be experienced at Lovebox is the notorious NYC Downlow (pictured), the perfect arena for the outrageous and hedonistic. Taking to the decks will be a wealth of DJ’s from some of London’s finest nights including Horsemeat Disco, Disco Bloodbath, Trailer Trash and Wet Yourself. Several other new acts have also been announced across the weekend, including Bombay Bicycle Club, These New Puritans and Mercury nominees The Invisible. For tickets and full line up info, please head to www.lovebox.net
Talented Londoners The xx have been causing something of a storm of late, albeit a relatively melancholy one. Their nonchalant brand of synth pop has been pricking the ears of all sorts of taste makers since the release of their debut album last year. The xx sound has also been seeping into the public consciousness like some kind of magical musical osmosis thanks to the inclusion of the band’s music in ABC’s Winter Olympics coverage and The BBC’s UK Election reports – something that has helped them shimmy up the charts in both the UK and Europe in recent months.
In the new video for ‘Islands’, The xx go all arty on us. The shots show a looped piece of footage of morose looking dancers pulling a sequenced dance routine. It all seems highly hypnotic until you realise the dancers are actually shifting their steps each time the video re-loops. Typically, The band lounge unexcitedly in the centre of proceedings looking as indifferent as ever. It’s a highly impressive but simple treatment that’s pretty close to the visual trickery used in Jamiroquai’s off kilter ‘Virtual Insanity’ video. They may well have been a slow burning act to break, but now it looks like The xx are finally crossing over to the big time.
Last year Bristol’s F*** Buttons delivered one of the standout albums of 2009. Produced by Andrew Weatherall, ‘Tarot Sport’ was a glorious shot of boisterous songs which treaded between the mellow electronic sound of early Warp and feedback drenched shoegaze. The band have also built a solid reputation on the live circuit, with their performances standing out at several festivals over the past year.
Their show at London’s Koko opened with ‘Surf Solar’, one of the standout tracks from ‘Tarot Sport’. Its slow teasing build and deafening thud set the tone for the evening instantly. Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power held the rammed crowd in an almost trance like state; performing whilst drenched in flashing light and - surprisingly - in front of a disco ball.
F*** Buttons live are a colossal force, with both members hunched over their respective mixing desks commanding a barrage of sounds. On paper you really wouldn’t expect that two men and a load of electronic equipment could create such a wall of frenzied noise. However, the ringing ears of many sections of the crowd confirm that F*** Buttons can create a splendid racket that is far greater than the sum of the band’s parts.
Avi Buffalo is the project of ‘wunderkind’ Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg. At the age of 12 Avigdor discovered his love for playing guitar; a passion that led him to form a band with three other pupils in his Long Beach high school.
Even though the oldest band member is not yet 21, Avi Buffalo show a remarkable maturity in their choice of influences. The band often resemble a fresher and mellower version of epic Americana bands such as Wilco or Band Of Horses but are not far from the psychedelic-tinged rock of Flaming Lips or Mercury Rev. Avi’s high-pitched vocals underscore a careful ear for good tunes.
Signed a few months ago by Sub-Pop, their promising debut is streaming in full for two days only from their MySpace page. A free download of former single, ‘What’s In It For Me?’, is also available. (See widget below)
The album ‘Avi Buffalo’ is released next week in the USA via Sub-Pop.
With the weather emergining from the jaws of Winter and into Summer, excitement for the dance music community’s annual migration to the Balearic Islands is mounting. Early news indicates that the line up will be as action packed as ever: despite the fact that tourism Ibiza has been pinched in recent years by rising prices and competition from events such as The Miami Winter Music Conference.
DC-10, Ibiza’s most infamous nightspot, has announced it will re-open this year after a forced term of absence while big clubs such as Amnesia and Pacha continue to attract the crème of credible dance music talent – most notably Luciano’s Cadenza night and Sven Väth’s legendary Cocoon parties. Music wise Ibiza looks in great shape, even if it still remains one hell of an expensive holiday…
Fortunately, the folks at Defected are giving away a prize package that will alleviate any money worries associated with a trip to the White Isle. Not only are they giving away free entry and guestlist to the Defected night in Pacha, but they are also offering free flights and accommodation at the super plush and exclusive Defected Villa.
The prize includes: Return flights and airport transfers in Ibiza 2 nights at the Defected Villa Dinner and drinks at Café Mambo Free entry to Pacha plus plenty of drinks tickets
The competition closes on the 26th of April.
To enter, simply register at the Defected website and answer a simple question.
