Electronica:

10th week is here, and finals are approaching faster than anyone would like them to.  I find that listening to music while I study helps me be more relaxed (or keeps me awake) so I can get through what I need to.  Here’s some of my personal favorite study music; check it out & feel free to share your own favorites.

“Coroner says teen died of ecstasy overdose” – such was the headline of USA Today’s coverage of the death of Sasha Rodriguez, a 15-year-old who died following an apparent drug misuse at the 2010 Electric Daisy Carnival, held in the summer of last year at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Now, barely a few months shy of a year after that fateful day, Los Angeles-based rave promoter Insomniac Events has announced that the 2011 Electric Daisy Carnival will be moved to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Nevada. The massive rave, which had been held in Southern California since 1997, has also been increased in length from two to three days; it will take place June 24th-26th.

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Panther God, along with Wake and Mindelixir, try to make something original by blending several kinds of electronic genres.  In theory, this would be revolutionary and wildly successful, but for this theory to work, the artist has to be at least proficient in each of these genres.  What we find in Touch N Feel is that Panther God is desperately trying to make a name for himself by being good at everything, but the whole attempt just sorta falls flat.  It’s catchy at most.  In Panther God’s defense, Touch N Feel is at least worth listening to, which is a lot more than I can say about the remixes.  Listen to them at your own risk; they may be carcinogenic.

Mindelixir tries with all his might to sound generic enough to be noticed, but different enough to be seen as different from everyone else.  In his remix to Touch N Feel, he raises the pace to a drum & bass speed, but seldom has a coherent beat.  Instead, we hear random techy synthesizers trying to branch together what would otherwise be awkward silences.  The song has little structure, and almost no flow.  Sure, there are several elements I hear from techno and maybe goa-trance, but it doesn’t sound very good.  If I heard this song drop in a drum & bass set, I would stop and stare at the dj.

The Wake remix has different pros and cons than Mindelixir.  The song has actual structure and flow, but when it comes to actually following through with that structure, the song uses awkward beats and too many detuned synthesizers.  Sure, it’s okay to use a detuned synth or two, but when everything is detuned, you’re going to give the audience headaches.  In fact, that’s what this song can be summed into, a headache.  There’a a short sequence that sounds like a car alarm that’s been detuned, as if a car alarm isn’t bad enough.  Later, the song is interrupted by a couple loops of just a bass kick that sounds like it’s been filtered through Fruity Blood Overdrive a couple too many times, for those of you familiar with FL Studio.

I may seem too harsh, but this may be a sign of the times.  The indie scene is slowly becoming more and more electronic, and in attempts to sound unique, artists are blending genres that have been happily coexisting for years.  If you’re going attempt to meld genres, you better do darn well in order to make it.  Panther God doesn’t fail horribly, and I expect better from later works, but Touch N Feel could use a lot of work in order to be accepted into the mainstream world.

Back in December of 2010, Above & Beyond along with DJs Super8 & Tab, Cosmic Gate, Jaytech, and Boom Jinx threw what was known to be one of the most epic trance parties in the LA area. Tickets to the celebration of their 350th episode of their Trance Around the World radio show sold out in less than 24 hours and became the worlds #1 trending topic on Twitter the night of the concert. With such a large amount of positive feedback, Above & Beyond and Insomniac are teaming up once again to repeat the process at the Palladium, only this time to celebrate the release of their 2nd studio album “Group Therapy”.

The concert date is set to be on May 13th. You can be sure to hear almost all of the songs on their upcoming “Group Therapy Album”  including the first single from the album Sun & Moon (feat. Richard Bedford) which has made the BBC radio 1 playlist, A Thing Called Love (feat. Richard Bedford), Best End of the Night, and this unnamed track .

Tickets go on sale March 21st. Be sure to grab yours as soon as possible. These tickets are bound to sell out even faster than the TATW#350 concert! No other artists have been announced that will be playing alongside A&B, but I will post information about it as soon as it becomes available. Hope to see you there!

The second annual Beyond Wonderland, a massive rave put on by production outfit Insomniac Events, is to be held Saturday, March 19th, at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino. There has been a fair amount of hype surrounding this event year, and with good reason; as always, Insomniac has delivered a phenomenal lineup that can be appreciated by fans of all different sorts of dance music.

For the house and electro fans, progressive house favorite Kaskade will be headlining the Queen’s Domain stage. Kaskade had originally stated that he was not going to be in attendance at the party; to the surprise of all his fans, though, barely a few days before the release of the lineup, he made an announcement on his Twitter that he would be playing the show. Dirty South, producer of the 2010 house anthem “Phazing,” as well as indie-electro star Calvin Harris will also be playing the Queen’s Domain.

The event also has plenty to offer for trance lovers; the Madhatter’s Castle will be headlined by psy-trance group Infected Mushroom, whose unique performances tend to favor live instrumentation over pre-recorded music. Their style is best described as polarizing; based on the wall posts I read on the Beyond Wonderland event page on Facebook, listeners either hate or love the group. Regardless, with their innovative, triply sound, Infected Mushroom is sure to be an interesting performance. Acclaimed trance duo Cosmic Gate, made up of Nic Chigall and DJ Bossi, will also be playing the Madhatter’s Castle. Known for their uncanny ability to fuse trance and house, I predict that Cosmic Gate will bring the best set of the night. Don’t miss them! Christopher Lawrence, British big-name Judge Jules, Simon Patterson, Andy Moor will also be playing the Madhatter’s Castle.

For connoisseurs of the more underground genres, Insomniac, for the first time ever, has added an all-techno stage to the event: the Chess Village. It will be headlined by Resident Advisor #1 DJ Richie Hawtin, an immensely talented techno and minimal DJ whose style is described universally as massively influential and innovative. Also playing the Chess Village will be Loco Dice, whose deep techno grooves, such as “Minina Brasileira” are sure to keep the crowd dancing.

Make sure to also be on the lookout for the Caterpillar’s Garden stage, which features dubstep and drum ‘n’ bass. It will be headlined by DnB trio Noisia. Dubstep producer Datsik, Dirtyphonics, as well as breakthrough liquid DnB producer Netsky will also be playing the Caterpillar’s Garden.

Overall, whatever your taste in dance music, Beyond Wonderland is sure not to disappoint. With the guaranteed production value that an Insomniac event carries, as well as the impressive lineup for the night, this event is sure to be one that will further solidify LA’s love for raves.

This Saturday, UCLAradio.com’s very own Charles Fox will be opening the Honey Lounge inside of club Avalon. An early start at 9:30pm, his sexy deep tech-house will refuel your spirits and fit nicely with the open bar. Come out and see why Morgan Page and Donald Glaude will have to put on their best in the main room to keep up with Charles Fox, Dory Kim, and Jay-You in the Honey Lounge.

Avalon Hollywood

Link to Buy Tickets

Link to RSVP

Listen to Charles Fox every Tuesday night / Wednesday morning
from 12am-4am PST

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Dracula Spacecraft – Live on UCLA Radio’s Random Thoughts – Wed. (2/9) at Midnight!!

February 9th, 2011

Get Hyped my peoples!!!!

We’re thrilled to have producer/performer Dracula Spacecraft at UCLA Radio!  He will bless the show with a live performance.

Join the musical obsession with synthesizers, tones and melodies mixed together to create a sound, some people call it bliss, and I call it dope!!

The dark, down tempo, house will blow your mind

Dracula Spacecraft will be performing some tracks, discussing the new album and upcoming performances.

Don’t forget – Tues. at 4pm click the “Listen Live” headphones above!

Want to talk to DS? Random Thoughts will take on-air questions or comments for Jane during the show!

AIM: BruinRadio
Phn: 310-825-9085

-Random Thoughts

Bandcamp site:

http://draculaspacecraft.bandcamp.com/

Upcoming shows:

-Friday Feb. 11, 2011 @ Sancho Gallery  (Echo Park)

-Wednesday Feb. 16, 2011 @ Meomeows  (Pasadena)

Facebook bandsite:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dracula-Spacecraft/153981354619141

Who is Michael Cassette? The best description to be found about this producer hailing from Helsinki is that he enjoys total anonymity despite the fame he has accumulated since his first appearance. He maintains no contact with his audience and has authorized fellow Helsinkian producer duo Komytea to fully represent him. With so little known, Michael Cassette may be nothing  but a facade for Komytea. Despite these doubts about his true identity, one thing is for sure: Michael Cassette’s music is a skilled fusion of the long forgotten soundscapes from the 70’s and 80’s collided with the production sensibilities of this decade. And after 7 singles/EPs and a variety remixes since 2005, Michael has made another public appearance with his debut artist album “Temporarity” released on November 29th.

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So, if any of you guys out there are Deadmau5 fans, you all know that for the last four weeks, Deadmau5 has been releasing new singles every week. The first of these weekly singles was released on Halloween and is titled “Sofi Needs A Ladder”. Out of the four new singles that have been released, this one, in my opinion, is both the least exciting and will probably end up being the most popular (that’s never happened before).

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Writing a review for an electronic album is a pretty difficult feat but add to the fact that it’s Nosaj Thing, one of the Princes of Glitch-Hop then it might sound redundant after the first 5 onomatopoeias.  After a plethora of sold- audiovisual tours and high acclaim from the likes of Mary Anne Hobbs and The XX, Nosaj Thing’s critically applauded, Drift, gets remixed. Remixes can be snores if not done correctly but in this case, Drift Remixed is a beautifully wrapped package for your ears. Read the rest of this entry »

Since 2004, UK trance trio Above & Beyond have been broadcasting their weekly radio show “Trance Around the World” (also known as TATW) to showcase their latest favorites in dance music. Now six years of age, the show garners a weekly viewership estimated around 30 million people and is globally syndicated to more than 237 FM, satellite, and internet radio stations worldwide such as KIIS FM, Sirius XM, di.fm, and as a podcast on iTunes. With the 350th episode of the show nearing, Above & Beyond has decided to celebrate the milestone by throwing an extended live DJ set at the Hollywood Palladium on December 4th.

Artists that will be playing alongside Above & Beyond are melody-masters Super8 & Tab, the famous German duo Cosmic Gate, and progressive house DJs Boom Jinx and Jaytech. With such an all star lineup, it’s no doubt that this will be one of the most well remembered events to be hosted at the Palladium.

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Since 2003, trance all-stars Tony McGuinness, Jono Grant, and Paavo Siljamäki (collectively known as Above & Beyond) have been releasing yearly compilations to showcase the latest and greatest features of the Anjunabeats record label family. Released during July of this year, “Anjunabeats Volume 8″ brilliantly displays the sounds and artists that make Anjunabeats one of the most famous trance and progressive music label imprints to date. The compilation features twenty eight tracks from familiar Anjunabeats contributors such as Daniel Kandi, Super8 & tab, Maor Levi, Adam Nickey, Kyau & Albert, and Nitrous Oxide as well as some newcomers like 7 Skies, Arty, Parker & Hanson, Who.Is, and Juventa. And apart from the excellent selection of brand new music from the artists, Above & Beyond seamlessly blend all the tracks into a two disc continuous mix. Read the rest of this entry »

The weekly Low End Theory at The Airliner in Lincoln Heights always brings out a chill crowd looking to hear some underground experimental electronic and hip-hop beats.  Some nights are packed with L.A. hipsters attracted by the trendier guest DJs, while others are more comfortably filled with low-pro regulars—it varies by event, ranging from psychedelic crunk  to IDM to dubstep.  The overall aesthetic of the place is raw and grungy, the air heavy with smoke, sweat, and reverberating bass—perfect for resident DJs Daddy Kev, Nobody, and the Gaslamp Killer, as well as past guests Daedelus, Shlohmo, Nosaj Thing, and Flying Lotus, among others.

Last Wednesday’s show was jam-packed with a diverse mix of fans celebrating the release of Kraddy from the Glitch Mob’s latest EP Labyrinth.   Read the rest of this entry »

If you are at all familiar with electronic dance music in all its shapes and forms, then there’s no doubt that you’ve heard of Gareth Emery. This UK based DJ and Producer has been considered a prime entertainer in some of the worlds finest clubs and music festivals such as this years’ Monster Massive and Electric Daisy Carnival, both of which were held here in Los Angeles.  Steadily climbing the ladder to fame for nearly a decade, he has been placed at #7 for the DJ Magazine’s Top 100 DJs poll of 2010. After a plethora of successful singles and remixes for artists such as Above & Beyond, Armin van Buuren and Myon & Shane 54, Gareth Emery has finally released his debut artist album in September entitled “Northern Lights” to showcase the culmination of his unique trance and progressive sounds.

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As another week comes to pass, another edition of Melodic Instinct is born! In case you haven’t celebrated the end of midterms yet or if Halloween wasn’t enough to satisfy your urge to party, this weeks episode is sure to get you up and dancing to the latest releases in Trance and Progressive music if played at the correct volume!  This week has two episodes available. Read the rest of this entry »