On Friday night, the boys at GBH treated us to an international line-up, featuring live performances by Sneaky Sound System and Adam Tensta. Busy P joined DJ Daruma for a surprise set.

We caught a preview of Swedish hip-hop MC Adam Tensta at our event on Wednesday, but the full stage and atmosphere at Webster Hall allowed him to showcase his true ability. Fueled by the crowd’s energy, he performed six songs, which of course included My Cool.

Hailing from Tokyo, DJ Daruma took over the turntables, spinning a solid electro set. The audience buzzed with excitement when French DJ Busy P emerged for a few songs.

While Webster Hall was lacking a lot of their regulars, Australian band Sneaky Sound System was quite the draw. Their musical style fit in perfectly with the Friday audience, who sang along to their hits. Lead singer Miss Connie was sporting the ultimate accessory – a massive Chanel necklace fashioned out of Legos. Sneaky Sound System ended their hour-long set with UFO, and not since Crookers back in April have I seen the crowd go so wild.

We’ll be out of town next weekend, but if you’re around, be sure to check out Adam Freeland…

Check out our photo gallery from the evening

Last night, The HiFi Cartel stepped out with a preview event at Mr. West, featuring HiFi Contest Winner DJ M, Nick Catchdubs, Adam Tensta and DJ Price.

DJ M (a.k.a. Matt Heckman) proved himself worthy of your votes, putting his unique spin on old favorites. Highlights included mixes of Dance Dance Dance (Lykke Li), Use Somebody (Kings of Leon) and my personal favorite, M.I.A.’s Paper Planes mixed with Loser by Beck.

We’ve seen Nick Catchdubs spin all over the city, so it came as no surprise that his set was off the hook, flowing seamlessly between genres. His set ranged from remixed club tracks to Fool’s Gold favorites like A-Trak’s Say Woah and Shake it Down (with Laidback Luke).  We also loved his shout-out to Santigold, playing both Creator and a great remix of Shove It (for which we are still searching).

DJ Price teased with the Rusko remix of Pro Nails (Kid Sister) at the start of his predominately electro set. Adam Tensta hyped the crowd before taking the stage for a few songs, including his hit single, My Cool. Price manned the decks for the rest of the night, briefly joined by DJ M for a high-energy cameo.

Thank you to everyone who helped us with the event and showed their support.

Photo Gallery Here!

We bring you an exclusive mix by the always eclectic NICK CATCHDUBS.

While you’re listening, check out our recent interview with Nick by Richie Adomako.

Nick Catchdubs – HiFi Essentials Vol I

Tracklist & download after the jump… Continue Reading

Tomorrow night, you can do your part to save New York City nightlife by attending the biggest event of the summer.

Monday’s event will serve as the launching pad for the Nightlife Preservation Community (NPC), a new initiative formed under the umbrella of the New York Nightlife Association. NPC supports political candidates and elected officials that understand the importance of nightlife to our culture and economy.

Nightlife generates twice the revenue of the film industry and supplies over 20,000 jobs in New York alone. Unfortunately, not everyone sees the benefits of the nightlife industry, which is being threatened by 2 AM closing times and other anti-business legislation.

Host Chloe Sevigny and the all-star DJ line-up, which includes Q-Tip, Junior Vasquez, Funkmaster Flex, The Misshapes, Louie Vega and Alex English, have donated their time to support this important cause.  Tickets to this A-List event are FREE as long as you register online as a supporter.

As a HiFi Cartel reader, you have the opportunity to win a pair of tickets to the exclusive cocktail reception, beginning at 9 PM. The first two people to correctly answer the question below will each win an invitation +1.

Which prominent film director from New York was commissioned to direct a mini movie for the unreleased album Kamaal The Abstract?

The answer is Spike Lee. Congrats to the winners…

Arista Records set to release the Q-Tip album in 2002 but was canceled because the label deemed the album too un-commercial. Q-Tip stated:

I am really disappointed that Kamaal wasn’t released. LA Reid didn’t know what to do with it; then, three years later, they release Outkast. What Outkast is doing now, those are the kinds of sounds that are on Kamaal the Abstract. Maybe even a little more out. Kamaal was just me, guerrilla.

Check out the photos from the star-studded event…

Last night was the New York stop on the highly anticipated Bacardi B-Live tour. We were blown away by the preview event in Miami and were excited for the actual tour.  This stop featured a slew of electro artists, including Auto Erotique, Drop the Lime, Matt & Kim, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ AM, and DJ A-Trak. After being kicked off stage in Kansas City, the question in mind was whether DJ Jazzy Jeff could cut it with the NYC crowd. M2 Ultralounge was packed with an eager audience that was hungry for some music, and Jeff certainly fed them. Later in his act, he pulled out some of his signature styles and tracks, and it was refreshing to see him on his game.

After Jeff, A-Trak took the stage and rocked the house. He is known for his insane mastery and scratching style, but beyond that, he has a presence on the stage and knows how to use simple elements, like pauses and stops, to keep an audience moving. DJ AM came on stage during A-Trak’s set, bringing along his scratching game. For a moment, it seemed as if the two scratch-masters were going to battle, but alas, A-Trak continued with his set after some kind words from AM.

Despite a densely packed room and partial hearing loss, the show definitely had merit. The B-Live crew brought life into M2 last night and shook the building with talent. While there were some misses, they were overshadowed by the highlights and good music.

This is B-Live’s only stop in New York City, but the crew will be rocking tonight in Boston with Major Lazer. Click here for tour dates and be sure to check out the line-up, as it varies on each stop of the tour.

Click here for Photos from the event by Oliver Correa

Nick Catchdubs has his plate full and he wants to share it with you. His music-making journey started with a high school band. In college he designed graphics for Hollertronix and made obsessive mix tapes for graduation parties before becoming a DJ and founding a successful record label. Since realizing DJ-ing is what he wanted to do after hearing mixes from Hollertronix, Mark Ronson and others, it has been a learning experience for Nick. His budding love of music has led him to grow within circles of friends and artists. In his early years, Nick observed the likes of Cosmo Baker, DJ Ayres and others who were considerably doing things properly from a technical and programming standpoint in music. He took what he learned along with the experiences and made it his own. ‘The Catchdubs Spin’ is an inclusion of genres from dance music, hip hop, dance hall, electro, rock and more. Nick uses different styles and genre as a means of connecting to his audience. While his sound is distinct, he makes a point of making a stamp with his music in coalescence to the  audience and their experience.

As the co-founder of Fool’s Gold Records with DJ A-Trak, leaving a stamp on an audience has become a part of Nick’s music. Fool’s Gold breeds this concept with a list of artists, DJs and producers who are taste making individuals in the music industry. From exciting mix tapes to sold out shows, Fool’s Gold captures music and creates an environment where DJs can have an influence through a label that strives for sounds and artists from an independent and underground scene.  According to Nick, the Fool’s Gold product isn’t about forcing taste, it is about molding what comes naturally through the camaraderie of artists who strive to carve their own path through maintaining good relationships and releasing good music. The success of products like Kid Cudi’s “Day ‘N’ Nite” is an added bonus among their work. The idea behind the label and their music is to operate through the cultivation of a “cool project and a cool brand,” and finding ways of making money from those means.

Fool’s Gold releases are met with an eager and receptive audience to their ever-changing and evolving work. Nick is a great example of somone who loves what he does and commits to it. He continues to strive for the dynamic between the stage and the audience. While being on a stage can change how one works, Nick finds a personal level that continues to attract people to his work.

We interviewed Nick just before he left for Australia as a part of the Flashing Lights tour.

Read the Interview after the jump.

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Major Lazer kicked off their North American tour last night at S.O.B.’s. Looking sharp in matching vests and ties, Diplo and Switch took the stage at around 2 AM, inciting a crazy dance party that ended with everyone on stage. Back from his tour of Asia, A-Trak was once again in the audience, taking in some good music before he hits the road for the Bacardi B-Live Tour (coming to NYC this Wednesday).

This collaboration between Diplo and Switch combines their signature electro sound with reggae-inspired beats. Their set had mild dubstep undertones, including a remix of their lead single, “Drop the Line”.

Major Lazer’s first LP, “Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do” comes out on June 16^th.

Check out photos from the event… and special thanks to Jeff from The Culture of Me for helping me out.

Last night we checked out Designer Drugs DJ at Webster Hall. While the party was not nearly as happening as last week’s with Dave 1, they spun a strong set and are definitely worth checking out – we even noticed A-Trak watching quietly from the audience.

Photo Gallery Here

Upon discovering Terry Urban’s Southerngold, The Hifi Cartel tapped him on the shoulder for Santigold’s afterparty at Greenhouse immediately following her performance at Terminal 5.  Terry kept the crowd at Greenhouse moving well into the night by curating the soundtrack for a great party with an engaging mix of tracks and technique.

Southerngold’s release has been met with the same inception in likeness to the Grey Album. We caught up with terry with some questions to find out more about him and the mix.

Read the interview after the jump.

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Santigold’s sold-out concert at Terminal 5 last night marks my fifth (yes, fifth) Santigold show in the past year. If you want to get technical about it, she was still “Santogold” for the first two shows, but a lawsuit earlier this year forced her to change her stage name to “Santigold”.

The great thing about seeing Santigold perform multiple times is that she has stepped up her game considerably from show to show, going from hot new act to rockstar in just under a year. Last night’s show was by far her strongest, featuring a live band, guest appearances, and the best set list to date.

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