Category Archives: Editorials & Reviews

Digital Enemy’s New Single- ‘Bassline Soundz’

Brighton’s highly successful duo, My Digital Enemy is releasing their hot, new track, ‘Bassline Soundz’ on August 18th. The track contains a blend of different House music sub genres along with a very low vocal sample and baseline. The track has progressive buildup with re-use of the dark vocals, combining tech and house aspects to help create a very edgy hit.

My Digital Enemy has been going through 2014, with raging success. Their track ‘Shamen’, was recognized by Pete Tong, Steve Angello, while also being featured on Tiesto’s Clublife mix. Another one of their hot tracks, ‘Don’t Give Up’, has been blowing up on BeatPort since June. The duo has had an impressive five Beatport House top ten tracks since they began producing in 2013.

For more information on My Digital Enemy see below:

www.mydigitalenemy.com/

www.facebook.com/mydigitalenemyofficial

@mydigitalenemy

twitter.com/MydigitalenemyZULU040-BASSLINE_SOUNDZ-1400-1

Who Will Be 2014’s DJ Mag Top DJ?

coachella14c_039

Every year DJs begin their long campaigns for votes filled with free mixes, bootleg packs and sometimes even original tracks in an effort to gain a spot, move up or become “The World’s Top DJ” on DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs list.

It’s basically become a tradition in the scene now; DJs go all out, blogs (like us) speculate and post information and freebies that DJs may give out and fans vote. Why all the noise for a little list? Started in 2004 with just 34 DJs on the list, ten years later, the list has grown to 100 with new up and coming DJs being added to the list every year. It is a chance for new DJs on to make a name of themselves besides the number of followers, plays on streaming sites and number of festivals played — in essence another selling point for tours or shows. The list also gives established DJs an extra ‘umph’ on ticket sales and bookings with club promoters using words like “One of the World’s Top DJs…” or the ultimate sell-out phrase, “World’s Number One DJ” And of course, fans get to vote for those DJs who made their year memorable and their commutes (Our podcast) to work or school bearable.

So who is going to be this year’s 2014 Top DJ? Dutch DJ, Hardwell, was crowned number one last year taking over what David Guetta held in 2012. This year I believe the number one spot isn’t so secure. I was lucky enough to see Hardwell at Echostage in December of 2013 and his production quality was great (not mention some of his chart topping tracks) but, in 2014, Hardwell has focused more on touring with the I AM HARDWELL tour, which could be a good thing, but, a lot of times fans tend to look at what music you’ve released than how many shows you had. For example, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, jumped 32 spots last year with releases that were played basically by every DJ like “Mammoth” and “Turn it Up”

Looking at other top DJs on the list; Afrojack, Steve Aoki and Nicky Romero will most likely stay stagnant or move among themselves but, Tiesto may have a shot at reaching number one again. Although David Guetta has released successful singles this year, the battle for top DJ will most likely land between Tiesto and Hardwell. Both have released successful tracks all year, “Dare You” from Hardwell and “Red Lights” from Tiesto, and both have had countless sold out shows and residencies in Las Vegas and other ‘EDM’ hotspots. The top DJ spot will basically come down to who can get the vote out the best.

In every election, there is always a wild card, and in this case the wild card for the top spot in my opinion would be Zedd. The young German producer has topped charts around the world with songs I don’t even have to name because you already know them, even going Platinum with his single “Clarity” Zedd would have to make a big jump though. Currently at #24, Zedd would have to attempt to repeat what he did last year, where he jumped 27 spots, to reach number one. I don’t think it would be too hard for Zedd to make that jump with all the air time, TV show appearances and even commercials he appears on — I mean the guy was the MTV Movie Awards this year.

The number one spot decision will come down to the fans, like you and me. Sure, freebies and mixes are cool and all but, at the end of the day fans will vote for the DJs who they think made the last 365.25 days of the year awesome, fun and memorable — at least from a music stand point. We all are touched by music; whether it be that DJ that was playing when you had that awesome night out with your friends that you still talk about today or that song that almost broke the repeat feature on your phone. These things, which seem cheesy and all, are going to reflect on who becomes number one this year. Who will you be voting for?

The polls for voting are open, vote for your five favorite DJs today!

Reggaeton & Rolexes: What Is The Real Issue?

Farruko

As many Reggaeton fans already know, Farruko has recently found himself in an awkward situation. The Puerto Rican ‘Reggaetonero’ posted a picture of his Rolex on Instagram and was quickly pointed out as a fake by FakeWatchBusters, a ‘watch watchdog’ Instagram account. Following the accusations, Farruko as well as other artists like Ñengo Flow and Ñejo, began to backlash at ‘haters’ by posting pictures of their Rolexes and posting videos poking fun at the situation. Although, at the end of it all, the watch was fake and Farruko was essentially forced to buy a $13,000 USD Rolex in Miami the issue here isn’t necessarily counterfeit merchandise but, the lack of professionalism in the Reggaeton genre.

Farruko Real Rolex

Image: Farruko’s $13,000 USD Rolex

A popular talented artist like Farruko, who has made tracks with countless big name artists like Jose Feliciano and most recently Sean Paul, should not find himself in a social media ‘fight’ (or whatever you wish to call it) with a guy who runs a luxury watch humiliation / watchdog account. Reggaeton artists tend to come out of harsh neighborhoods where a lot of what they talk about comes from; drugs, weapons, etc. so, defending one’s street cred or social standing is normal. But, Reggaetoneros find themselves in positions of great influence with large fan bases throughout Latin America, Europe, Canada and the United States which tends to make them a good amount of money from shows, album sales and occasionally product endorsements. Put these two facts together and you get a bad mix, at least from a commercial standpoint.

Farruko, although he is a young artist, he is rising among the ranks in Reggaeton, rising to the caliber of big names like Daddy Yankee and Don Omar, which has allowed him to sell-out shows and create successful productions. With fame and money, comes the need for responsibility and especially, professionalism, which sadly a large majority of Reggaeton lacks. Professionalism isn’t just following through on contracts or doing press stops but, carrying yourself in a respectful manner in any situation. Reggaeton has grown into a vibrant and growing genre that has made a lot money with large markets in Colombia, Mexico and the United States. The time has come for the genre to start making professionalism a priority; if you’re making hundreds of thousands of dollars it is time to behave like you are. The use of adequate and effective management and public relations is a must in the genre. Situations like the one Farruko found himself in shouldn’t of never happened. Management or PR should of been contacted to clean up or it could of simply been ignored. Luckily, the situation wasn’t too much of a public relations disaster but, if something worse were to come up in the future it could compromise endorsements and future opportunities for Reggaetoneros to grow and make money. This issue, like counterfeit merchandise, won’t be fixed overnight but, it should evaluated by record labels, independent artists and their management from the top down since artists aren’t the only problem.

Soul Frito Festival – Miami, FL (Review) [Event]


One of the most original and unique festivals just happened in Miami, Soul Frito. Bringing some of the best international and multicultural artists. Ranging from Hector Acosta (El Torito) playing his well known romantic Bachata songs. Plan B the duo who always drives the ladies crazy. Victor Manuelle the salsa legend who enchants the old and the young with his classics. Then we have Juicy J who just about made a fan rich by almost giving away his gold chain while playing some of the best 36 Mafia hits and latest Release – Dark Horse. Followed by Bustha Rhymes who as usual has everyone dancing and singing to the best old school favorites and still manages to exceed expectations. Nas never hesitates to deliver the best he has to offer which explains why so many of his fans were at the event. DVJ King Arthur got to play right after Nas and gave the festival an EDM touch that exited the crowd. Last but not least Don Omar closed the event with an outstanding Reggaeton performance that made all the anticipation worth waiting for. Overall an excellent group of performances with a well mixed and happy crowd.

DVBBS & Borgoreous – Tsunami vs Stampede: Can you tell the difference?

Tsunami Vs Stampede

Fairfax, VA – Two different tracks, two different record labels — same sounds though. Can you tell the difference between Tsunami and Stampede? Or does “Stampede” sound like Version 2.0 of Tsunami? Let us know below.

Review: Sohella Slows Down the Rising “Trap” Trend

Washington, D.C. – Nashville based producer, Sohella, is known for his unique take on overplayed and “over-juiced” music genres like Big room house and has done the same once again; but, this time with another genre, trap.

Trap is a style of Hip Hop that was developed from Southern Rap music. The word for the style was derived from the topics the rap songs covered; which consisted mostly of drugs, money and the neighborhoods where such activities took place, also known as the “trap” Since its creation rappers and producers like 2 Chainz, Future, Lex Luger and countless others have gained unimaginable success from the style’s catchy beats.

Electronic-Dance music, being based off catchy rhythms and beats, adopted trap music into its family of numerous sub-genres. Since its “adoption” into EDM, it’s popularity has skyrocketed; attracting the attention of old school producers like DJ R3Hab, known for upbeat Progressive House tunes, but has also become a hub for cliché, mediocre and just flat out bad Trap music.

Sohella has taken the same bass-rich kicks and hi-hat rolls common in Trap music, and slowed it down to an unique and “laid back” tune titled “Hands Up” that’ll surely have you bobbing your head to the beat. Like all EDM, there has to be a “drop”, and this tune is no exception with a simple Hip Hop beat leading into a high-energy smooth synth pad with heavy kicks and hi-hat rolls to top it all off. Compared to most Trap music produced in EDM, Sohella’s take on it is calming and is a great tune to cruise to.

Listen to Sohella’s Single “Hands Up” Here.

Shopkick: A Pretty Cool Shopping Rewards App [Tech]

Washington, D.C. – Shopkick is a pretty simple app to use when shopping. It works based on a rewards system; you walk into a Shopkick partner store or buy something from that store and you earn points to get stuff. The app also has in-app purchases available, so you can earn points by just buying stuff from your app. The points, called “kicks” in the app, can be used to get a cappuccino, a free dinner, a COACH handbag or even donate to charity.

Shopkick is partnered with retailers and companies like American Eagle Outfitters, Best Buy, Crate and Barrel, ExxonMobil, Macy’s, MasterCard, Old Navy, Simon Property Group, Sony, The Sports Authority, Target, Visa, Procter & Gamble, Kraft Foods, Revlon, Unilever, Levi’s, Intel, HP and more

The app is available for FREE on both on the Google Play and iTunes app store.

Hardwell Ft. Amba Shepherd – Apollo (Remixes): OUT NOW

Washington, D.C. – Revealed Recordings, Hardwell’s record label, has released the remix album to the worldwide hit “Apollo”, a Hardwell track featuring vocals by Amba Shepherd. The remix album features 4 remixes by producers like; Dash Berlin, Noisecontrollers, Lucky Date and Psychic Type. Each remix is a different genre, one Progressive, Electro, Dubstep and Trap remix.

The remix album is now available on Beatport for $9.96 USD, but if only want to buy some of the remixes we recommend buying the staff picks, shown below.


Buy “Hardwell Ft. Amba Shepherd – Apollo (Remixes)” on Beatport

Stream “Hardwell Ft. Amba Shepherd – Apollo (Dash Berlin 4AM Remix)” Here:

Stream “Hardwell Ft. Amba Shepherd – Apollo (Noisecontrollers Remix) *STAFF PICK*” Here:

Stream “Hardwell Ft. Amba Shepherd – Apollo (Lucky Date Remix) *STAFF PICK*” Here:

Stream “Hardwell Ft. Amba Shepherd – Apollo (Psychic Type Remix)” Here:

Steve Aoki & Angger Dimas vs. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike – Phat Brahms (Remixes): 3BallMTY, Bro Safari & More!

From Steve Aoki:

‘Phat Brahms’ has traveled a long way since its initial creation in 2012. The dynamic track created by Steve Aoki, Angger Dimas vs. Dimitiri Vegas & Like Mike was produced during a late night on the 2012 Deadmeat Tour and later debut at, Tomorrowland during a four way set amid Steve Aoki’s closing performance. Since the October release Phat Brahms has become a popular track among the EDM genre as a high-energy, big-room, dance floor piece. Now four months after the official release we have a huge follow up with our remix package featuring nine renditions of the track from Coone, Botnek, WolfPack, 3BalMTY, and more.

Stream “Steve Aoki & Angger Dimas vs. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike – Phat Brahms (Remixes)” Here:

Purchase on iTunes For Just $4.99 USD Below:

“Tiesto Presents: Dance (RED) Saves Lives” Album Released Today: To Help Fight HIV/AIDs Around The World

Washington, D.C. – Tiesto and other prominent producers within the EDM movement have teamed up to help fight HIV/AIDs with an EDM compilation album, “Dance (RED) Saves Lives” (Stream Album Below).

The procedes from the album go straight to help RED, an organization dedicated to help those affected by HIV/AIDs as well as help prevent the spread of the virus. This is similar to the campaigns companies like Apple have had, where they have a red colored iPod and a portion of the profits from the sale of the product go to RED.

The album includes 22 tracks from producers like Diplo, Dada Life, Laidback Luke, Afrojack, Avicii, Dannic, Calvin Harris, A-Trak, Baauer and many more. The album also includes a track by Tiësto and U2, which you can stream below.

Stream “Pride (In The Name Of Love)” Here:

The album sales for $7.99 USD in iTunes US for 22 tracks, which is an extremely good deal and not only is it economical, but it also goes towards a good cause.

The campaign hopes to raise enough money to help combat HIV/AIDS from 900 babies born with HIV a day to nearly 0 by 2015. There is no cure for HIV/AIDs, but it can be prevented and this is why Tiesto and other big EDM producers/artists have teamed up to help fight this virus.

Tiësto and his fellow DANCE (RED), SAVE LIVES artists will, for the first time ever, livestream their sets from the Stereosonic 2012 Festival in Melbourne, Australia bringing fans an unforgettable live global music experience. The stream – which is powered by YouTube – will be available throughout World AIDS Day weekend on December 1st and 2nd at joinred.com, on (RED)’s YouTube channel, and on leading sites such as Rolling Stone, Mashable, Huffington Post, Wired, Thrillist, VEVO and of course here on our website.

You can purchase and stream the album below: