Baauer

Sunburn Goa announce 2014 lineup

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Asia’s biggest dance music festival Sunburn Goa has announced the first phase of its 2014 line-up, showcasing a selection of the world’s best dance music acts. Returning to Vagator Goa on 27th, 28th and 29th of December the line-up will feature the likes of Knife Party, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Sasha, Sander Van Doorn, Krewella, Makj, Paul Oakenfold, Baauer & many more in what is set to be another spectacular festival of music.

With an exotic climate, stunning shorelines and affordable prices, Goa has become one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, not only boasting an incredibly vibrant culture, but also a deep-rooted heritage in electronic music that saw Goa Trance become a globally recognised movement in the late 80s. Continuing this long tradition and rising from the ashes of Goa Trance, Sunburn are pushing boundaries to write the next chapter in Goa’s illustrious history – as Swedish House Mafia member Axwell puts it: "When I play for money I play Vegas, when I play for holidays I play Miami, when I play for love I play India”. 

Successfully attracting crowds of well over 160,000 from across the globe, Sunburn has also forged a reputation for its cutting edge music programming, with the likes of Hardwell, David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia and Tiësto all participating in recent years and its 2014 edition will play host to over 150 artists across eight stages.

Kicking off this year’s line-up are Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, the Belgian brotherly duo that have taken the EDM world by storm by recently scooping the no. 2 spot in DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs 2014 poll. After exploding on the scene two years ago, they have consistently commanded audiences of over 20,000 at recent gigs and are sure to deliver an earth shattering set at this year’s festival. Heralded Australian duo Knife Party are also sure to delight fans with new material from their forthcoming album ‘Abandon Ship’ when they grace the stage at Sunburn, especially having developed an exciting new audio-visual performance set up that has helped them remain one of the most sought after dance music acts in the world.

Electronic music pioneer and long-time dance icon Sasha is also in line to perform at Sunburn 2014 alongside Dutch trance legend Sander van Doorn – an artist who recently joined up with Martin Garrix and DVBBS on international chart hit ‘Gold Skies’. – whilst British club icon Paul Oakenfold is next to be unveiled, fresh off the back of releasing commemorative album ‘Trance Mission’ earlier this year.

Long-time house music favourite Michael Woods will return to Goa for 2014, after previously playing Sunburn Festival in 2011, as well as 2012’s massive ‘Hangover Tour’ that took in dates across India, whilst Berlin native Oliver Dollar is also set to bring his contemporary brand of deep house to the three-day festival, after recent single ‘Pushing On’ became one of the summer anthems of 2014. US singer-songwriter Matthew Koma is another to watch this year, after lending his dynamic vocals to a number of Top 40 dance records from the likes of Zedd, Nicky Romero, Fedde le Grande, Hardwell and Tiesto over the last two years.

Electro sisters Jahan and Yasmine Yousaf of Krewella are to bring their epic live show to Goa too, blending electro-house, dubstep, drum & bass and progressive house, whilst rising star MAKJ, fresh off the back of holding down a lengthy Las Vegas residency, has announced he will make his Sunburn debut in 2014. Notable Dutch duo DubVision also promise to deliver a high-octane performance of their own, whilst Australian duo New World Sound, still riding high off the success of breakthrough anthem ‘Flutes’, are guaranteed to get the Sunburn party started.

Teen sensation Danny Avila is another hotly tipped star to join the line-up after first coming to the world’s attention following his Vicious Magazine ‘Best Newcomer DJ’ accolade in 2011 – an award he won aged just 16. Like Avila, LA native Paris Blohm has received massive support from the wider clubbing elite having caught the attention of the likes of Tiesto, Hardwell, and Sander Van Doorn, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, revered party starters Deniz Koyu, Far Too Loud and Baauer, producer of viral hit ‘Harlem Shake’, are both sure to bring their own signature brands of club energy to Goa.

Rounding off this blistering line up is a selection of India’s burgeoning young talent, with Anish Sood, Algorythm, Delhi Sultante X Begum x (Live), Dualist Inquiry Band (Live), Joshi, EZ Riser, Shaan, Reggae Rajahs and many more contributing. Sunburn revelers can also expect to find a dedicated ‘Sunburn Goa’ psy-trance stage at this year’s festival, with a whole host of activities at their disposal such as stunt biking, zorbing, volleyball and bungee jumping, with more adrenaline-fuelled surprises in store.

As plans gain momentum, Sunburn Goa 2014 is shaping up to be the festival’s biggest year to date. With the first two phases of early bird tickets selling out in a matter of hours and another phase of artists soon to be announced, this year’s Sunburn looks set to firmly establish India as a major player in global dance culture.

Deadmau5, Armin Van Buuren and more for Future Music Festival Asia

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Southeast Asia’s largest music festival to feature a colossal list of big names which includes Deadmau5, Paul Van Dyk, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon of Wu Tang Clan, Baauer, Eric Prydz’s first ever appearance at a music festival in Asia and the return of Armin Van Buuren’s legendary ‘A State of Trance 650: New Horizons’plus many more at Mines Wonderland, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 13 – 15 March 2014  

Armin Van Buuren Future Music Festival 2014

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: The organizers of Future Music Festival Asia, Future Music Australia and Livescape Asia today announced its biggest festival yet by unveiling its line-up of epic proportions for next year’s massive festival. The festival will take over Mines Wonderland in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur from 13 – 15 March 2014 with an estimated 75,000 fans expected to converge over the three-days.

Slated to be Southeast Asia’s biggest music festival ever, the organisers take cue from the success Future Music Festival Asiahas obtained over the past two years and promises more punch and a cosmic show that will seal FMFA as Southeast Asia’s biggest and most epic music festival. The festival next year has been expanded to three days from this year’s two.

The theme for next year’s mega event brings to life a psychedelic kaleidoscope of raw energy and wild enthusiasm as the ‘Safari’ takes over the Mines Wonderland, Mines Resort City. Punters are urged to come decked in their most inspirational Safari themed outfits as the music event unleashes its unbelievable line-up of performers onto a hungry pack of music buffs with a stampede of transcending genres.

Tickets go on sale on Thursday, 17 October 2013. With the mega line-up of acts invading Malaysia,organisers have split ticket sales into four releases that will be sold in stages. Music lovers are urged to go out and safeguard their passes, as FMFA next year is again expected to be a sold-out affair.

“It has been our vision to bring to music punters in this region a massive music experience that resonates long after the festival is over. This is our first steps in making that vision a reality by presenting our biggest line-up to date. From the US to Indonesia, music lovers are crossing out their calendars for the coming festival and we can only get better from here on. This will be the largest music festival in Southeast Asia and we guarantee it will be a mind-blowing three-day event”, mentioned Iqbal Ameer, Director of Livescape Asia.

Day 1 is deemed as the ‘FMFA 2014 Opening Party featuring DeadMau5 + Friends”, the stage will be dominated by the long awaited arrival of outspoken progressive-house music producer and performer, Deadmau5.

Deadmau5 Future Music Festival

On Day 2, fans oftrance music and Armin Van Buuren will be transported once again to intergalactic heights with ‘A State of Trance 650: New Horizons’, marking the Dutch trance legend’s return to Malaysian shores. The return of ASOT to Malaysia also marks Kuala Lumpur as the only city in the world after Miami to have hosted the show for two years running.

“Last year we had such an impressive turn-out that we just had to bring Armin Van Buuren back for another mind-blowing night. Trance fans can attest that it was not just magnetic but the energy and vibe was staggering. Playing alongside Armin are also going to be legendary names so we can guarantee that this is one night, music fans are not going to want to miss,” stressed Iqbal Ameer. 

Day 3 which will be held on 15 March 2014 will see the main Future Music Festival Asia 2014 event take place which will feature four massive stages. The stages on Saturday will feature diverse sounds ranging from Electronic Dance Music (EDM), Trance, Techno, Rock, and HipHop.

Tickets will be on sale from 17 October 2013 onwards at http://redtix.airasia.com. VIP Tickets go on sale on October 30 viawww.galactix.asia. For exclusive VIP packages, contact Livescape Asia at +60.3.7772.6272.

SW4 2013 Review – Sunday

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This year's South West Four or SW4 as its more commonly known as celebrated its tenth year anniversary and had a spectacular lineup to match.

Closing out Sunday night on the main stage was headliner Example.  His presence on stage with his live band brought a continued wave of euphoric energy over the grounds of Clapham Common as he kicked off his set with 'Kickstarts'.  Bouncing around the stage like an energiser bunny and fresh off a main stage performance at Glastonbury, the sold out 30,000 crowd filled the main arena to wave their hands in the air to tracks 'Won't Go Quietly', 'Stay Awake', 'Watch the Sun Come Up', and his new single 'All the Wrong Places'.  Complete with a massive laser display and pyrotechnics showering the Clapham Common grounds, Example sent out this years SW4 in style!

Example @ SW4

The UKF hosted main arena also had massive sets from SW4 favourites Knife Party, Dutch DJ Nicky Romero, Drum and Bass master Andy C, American Trap sensation Baauer and special guest, the one and only Steve Aoki.

Having recently started a trend of spraying champagne and throwing cakes into the crowd, we were waiting in anticipation for Steve Aoki to hit the stage to see what crazy antics he would bring to the London.  Kicking off with his new track, it didn't take long for Aoki to balance himself up on the DJ booth to present to the crowd what looked like an M&S chocolate cake.  Pointing a finger out across the crowd, he takes aim and tosses the cake high into the sky, as the crowd disperse to avoid being literally cake faced, the cake splats onto the ground spraying up onto those unfortunately enough to "get a piece".  Steve Aoki then topped his set off by running out to the barriers with a bottle of champagne to spray those that were front and centre to complete an entertaining performance.

Steve Aoki @ SW4

Earlier on in the day in the Together Arena the iconic Soul II Soul drew an packed out crowd to see Jazzy B and the rest of the troupe.  Jazzy B got on the mic to say "Its great to be on this side of the river" as the north Londoner's treated the crowd to tracks like 'Keep on Movin', 'Back to Life', 'Get a Life' and more which kept the fans grooving throughout their hour long set.

The Bedrock arena had special guest and legendary German DJ and producer Sven Vath get the mid afternoon crowd bopping their heads with a typical Vath set full of techno house goodies that you can't help but shake your ass to!  Vath is still one of few DJ's that performs with Vinyl and its a pleasure to see this against all the digital DJ's these days.

SW4 2013

Also up in the Bedrock arena is flight shy Eric Prydz whose also another SW4 fan favourite.  Featured regularly over the years, Prydz never disappoints.  His electro infused big room house sound has served him well over the years and this years set at SW4 was one of the best ones yet.

Closing out the Bedrock tent and performing in a Skull like custom made DJ booth is Alex Ridha, who is more famously known as Boyz Noise, a german electronic music producer who brings his lively and innovative live show to SW4.  His innovative mix of different genres of music with electronic music makes it easy to understand why he is in huge demand and why his live sets are praised around the world!  His energy transcends over the packed tent to ensure that everyone is treated to a special show.

With John Digweed, Pete Tong, Erick Morillo, Dillon Francis, RL Grime, Friction, Crazy P, The 2 Bears and more performing on Sunday it was yet another example that its best not to mess with a formula of bringing one of the biggest dance music lineups to London every Bank Holiday weekend.  SW4 have stuck to their roots of doing what they know best, throwing a massive weekender party in a park and have had 10 years of success by doing so.   If you haven't ever been to SW4, we recommend you prepare for next year as each year just seems to exceed the previous, see you on the Common in 2014!

 

Parklife Weekender 2013 Review

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The lead-up to this year’s Parklife Weekender came with much trepidation, and not just over what to wear (high-waisted and dangerously short shorts, “obvs”). The move to Heaton Park from a venue much nearer Manchester’s festival-ready student population was a curious one, no doubt intended to minimise disruption to the regular flow of the city.

Officially the event was a success, but I wonder who else left frustrated by some fundamental oversights. Happy or naïve, we arrive at the park mid-afternoon on a picture perfect Saturday. Ambling amid flowered fields and deliciously shady groves, you can’t shake the feeling of summer – least of all when it’s shaking you; a heavy bassline through the trees.

We miss Aussie boys The Temper Trap, on too early. It’s the same story for Alunageorge. You’d be annoyed if you forked out for a programme since the printed set-times have changed. There’s probably a good explanation, and en masse no one seems bothered, but it’s a blow for fans negotiating  crowds in pursuit of their favourite acts.

Jessie Ware lends her sexy breed of soul to the main stage, dedicating ‘Sweet Talk’ to the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson: “Sir Alex, I love you!” she coos. People groove along to the summery track but conversations carry on. Over at Sounds of the Near Future (for the uninitiated, that’s another stage name), Baauer throws a towel over his head to soak up the sweat. Or shut out the lights. He’s allowed since he nails his set.

Despite massive headliners, the draw card of the new venue is a host of carnival attractions that have sprung up for the weekend. The ferris wheel, log flume and bungee jump are daunting, and at £20 a pop are out of this reporter’s meagre budget. We’re suckered in by the dodgem cars instead, & at only £4 the saving warrants another trip to the bar. A shout out here to all the bartenders we encountered, and not just in the lush VIP section. In absence of the friendly volunteers of say Glastonbury, they acted as a much-needed, vibrant face of the festival.

Londoners Gorgeous George make for an irreverent change in pace. Playing the smallest stage in the festival, we figure this is Parklife’s equivalent of the reggae tent. You know, the spot people seem to end up when everything else is winding down. It’s surprising and fresh. The very look of the band cuts through the day’s niggling sameness. The lead singer has that proper cockney edge, sporting an unlikely Adidas jumper.

Ever seen a trumpeter in skinny jeans? That’s not a euphemism either. Just, well, have you? It’s all very fun. The frontman asks that any booze (or worse) that wants sharing be passed to the front. When we leave we wish we’d stayed, or left much earlier. Getting out is a shambles. We’re told to follow the crowd and the rest is guess work. Fearing more of this, I’m less enthusiastic come round two on Sunday.

We race to catch festival royalty Mark Ronson in some kind of DJ battle with equally big-time A-Trak. A note to festival organisers – please, pick a name for each stage and stick with it? Sure, it’s a stand-alone festival on both days. Yes, you’ll be raking it in with sponsors. But it’s sunny, and we’re drinking. Don’t be difficult.

Under the Big Top, British duo Simian Mobile Disco are making something of a comeback. Theirs is an energetic, rhythmic set, competing against the alluring bass of the nearby Red Bull sponsored DJs. Yet again, we’re stuck at the edge of a tent trying desperately to be involved. We keep at it for a while, then allow ourselves a break to sit with burgers in the fading sun.

Everything Everything is sadly undersubscribed, possibly due to competition over at the Warehouse Project tent. I’ve seen them before, and as the action seems elsewhere we move on quickly. It’s not their fault. It’s TEED for the win you see, and after throwing ourselves about to ‘Household Goods’ we’re satisfied with the weekend’s efforts.

I won’t go running back to Parklife next year, but with a little bit of love and the right attitude it could certainly be more.

Check out the Parklife 2013 photos here.

Sander Van Doorn, Boyz Noize & more added to SW4 lineup

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ADDED TO SW4 DAY ONE: SAT 24TH AUGUST

MARCO CAROLA · SOLOMUN · SANDER VAN DOORN

Having been on our hit list for many years, South West Four is delighted to welcome one of planet Earth’s greatest DJs, the magnificent Marco Carola, for our colossal 10th Anniversary festivities. The much loved Italian’s epic journeys through deep techno have caused widespread mayhem over the years, particularly his lengthy sets on the Amnesia Ibiza terrace as part for his Cocoon and Music On residencies. The latter proved to be the talk of the White Isle last summer, with Italy’s finest export since going onto headline festivals across the world such as Timewarp and Awakenings. We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome him to London… SW4 style!

Always ranking high on any DJ list that matters, Solomun is one of the most in-demand DJs of recent times. Named 2012 ‘DJ of the year’ by Mixmag, the Hamburg based producer has been making huge waves with his unique and modern blend of techno and house. The Diynamic imprint which he founded has allowed Solomun to spread his name yet further, which is set to be elevated to a whole new level this summer via amajor Ibizan residency soon to be announced. Making his SW4 debut this year, Solomun is simply a must see.

Sander Van Doorn is a force to be reckoned with. Synonymous with trance, electro and techno, Sander’s rise to superstardom over the past ten years is testament to his raw talent and dedication. Through classics such as ‘Grasshopper’, ‘Punk’d’ and ‘Riff’, recent hits like ‘Nothing Inside’ and massive collaborations and remixes of The Killers, Lady Gaga, Artic Monkeys, Robbie Williams and Depeche Mode, Sander has developed his own sound which shrugs off the confines of genre typecasting. With a tour schedule that sees him play to more than a million fans each year, we look forward to welcoming Sander to ourhallowed turf, as he leaves his mark on our 10th Anniversary.

ADDED TO SW4 DAY TWO: SAT 25TH AUGUST

BOYS NOIZE [LIVE] · NICKY ROMERO · BAAUER

Returning for the first time since hosting a Boys Noize Records Arena in 2010, SW4 is extremely excited to welcome back the inimitable Boys Noize for our 10th Anniversary. Bringing to Clapham Common his hotly anticipated ‘Skull’ live show in a full UK festival exclusive, Boys Noize will display the kind of talents that resulted in Rolling Stone Magazine voting him amongst the top 10 ‘DJs who rule the Earth’ in 2012. Famed for pushing electronic music to the very limit, his latest album ‘Out of the Black’ has gained acclaim from critics and peers alike, whilst his new project alongside Skrillex called ‘Dog Blood’ has been setting the world on fire. His live show is going to be an unforgettable experience… you have been warned!

Another artist making his SW4 debut this year is Nicky Romero, who entered the 2012 DJ Magazine Top 100 Poll at number 17 – the highest new entry. Recently, he launched his own ‘Protocol’ brand – involving arecord label, club night and radio show which has gathered huge momentum in a short space of time, reaching over twenty million listeners worldwide each week. Not bad for a 23 year old. Last year Nicky worked with Calvin Harris, Rihanna and Avicii; it’s worrying to think what 2013 will hold. One thing is for sure; Nicky Romero is set to conquer the planet. His next stop? SW4!

Brooklyn’s prodigal son Baauer has been causing quite a stir of late. You would be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard Harlem Shake or been caught up in the madness that ensues in each video. The man behind the Shake certainly has more feathers to his bow, having remixed the likes of Nero, The Prodigy and fellow trap-heads Flosstradamus, as well as claiming the #1 spot in the iTunes America Chart. In 2012 he signed with the LuckyMe family, whilst his latest offering ‘Higher’ with famed hip-hop producer Just Blaze, looks set to repeat the success of ‘Harlem Shake’. Watch out world; Baauer has landed.

Baauer

Huge lineup additions to Sónar Barcelona

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New additions to Sónar Barcelona

Darkstar (UK)
Liars (US)
Paul Kalkbrenner (DE)
Sherwood + Pinch (UK)
Nicolas Jaar (US)
Delorean (ES)
Foreign Beggars (UK)
Maceo Plex (US)
Mykki Blanco (US)
Karenn (Blawan + Pariah) (UK)
Baauer (US)
Gold Panda (UK)
La Bien Querida (ES)
Christeene (US)
Sound Pellegrino presents Sound Pellegrino Thermal Team + Matthias Zimmermann (FR)

Sónar continues to add new artists to its 20th anniversary event, which will take place in Barcelona on 13, 14 and 15 June. The scheduled shows by Kraftwerk (3D show), Pet Shop Boys, Two Door Cinema Club, Lindstrøm & Todd Terje, Vatican Shadow,Bradien + Eduard Escoffet, Hot Natured and Fantastic Mr. Foxare joined by various heavyweight additions. 

These new names include outfits whose appeal is tried and tested, like the British trio Darkstar, one of the most interesting projects to emerge from low-rev dubstep, who are about to release their new LP, "News From Nowhere", on the prestigious London label Warp; and the American trio Liars, presenting their excellent new LP "WIXIW," which is much more synth-based and oriented towards electronica than their previous albums.

Among the latest names to be added to Sónar Barcelona is the new artistic duo Karenn, which brings together two masters of today's rawest techno: Blawan – who astonished us at Sónar by Night last year – and the talented Pariah; the New York trap producer Baauer, who has hit the mark this year with his formula of powerful basses and rhythmic forcefulness; the British beatmaker Gold Panda, the main man at the Ghostly International label; and the haute école funk-based tech-house by the popular American dj Maceo Plex.

Sónar 2013 also presents the performance by a unique and very special duo: consisting of Adrian Sherwood, a cult name in dub in the British Isles and the founder of the influential On-U-Sound label, and Pinch, an eminent personality on the Bristol dubstep (and post-dubstep) scene.

Two international electronica benchmarks return, in the shape of Germany's Paul Kalkbrenner, now consolidated as one of today's most popular names, who will be bringing his new album 'Guten Tag' under his arm; and the Chilean-American Nicolas Jaar, who returns to Sónar for the third consecutive year entirely on merit.

Two of the biggest names on the Spanish scene, Delorean and La Bien Querida, will also be present at Sónar Barcelona. The Basque outfit are releasing a new album in 2013, two years after the international success of "Subiza," while the project by Ana Fernández Villaverde and David Rodríguez has given their songs a considerable twist, dressing them up in dazzling techno-pop costumes for their latest album, "Ceremonia." 

Two unique and irreverent artists will be visiting from the United States underground scene: Mykki Blanco, the standard bearer of the movement known as "queer rap" (a mixture of hip-hop rhyming and powerful techno basses); and Christeene, a man-woman who takes the extravagance and perversion of electronic pop one step beyond mischief by means of a highly individual sense of humour. 

This batch of additions is rounded off by the showcase from the French label Sound Pellegrino, in association with the historic rap group TTC and a platform for some of today's most cutting-edge and freshest dance beats, headed by Matthias Zimmermann and the Sound Pellegrino Thermal Team; and the highly respected British hip hop and grime collective Foreign Beggars, presenting their powerful new album, "The Uprising".

Sónar Barcelona tickets on sale

Sónar 2013 Passes and 2 Night Tickets for Sónar 2013 are available now.

Professional accreditation for SonarPro 2013 is available at a special price of 190 €, until 1 April only.