The British rave band is the latest example of electro’s pollination to different styles of music. The dynamics of Hadouken! combines the genre-hopping tactics of dance music in a catacomb fit for the mainstream with appeal to the underground. Their second album, For The Masses, is already being compared to the innovative breakthrough scales of the Prodigy and Chemical Brothers. (If you can, imagine the metamorphic fragmented doors that were opened by the mainstream releases of Fat Of The Land and Dig Your Own Hole.)

Established in late 2006, the talents of Hadouken! took hold by word-of-mouth and internet fandom, ultimately leading to the success of their 2008 debut album Music For An Accelerated Culture (an appropriate title given the musical style of the band). The album debuted at number twelve on the UK charts and number four in Japan with little to no media attention or press. While we await the release of their widely anticipated album and the announcement of their North American tour, the group has released a bass-heavy EP of the track “M.A.D.” (Mutually Assured Destruction), with reworks by Detboi, Plastician (known for producing “Snoop Dogg Millionaire”) and Phace.  Click here to check out the EP, where four of the six tracks are available for free download.

The band will make the cross-over to the US markets in 2010 with For The Masses, slated for a February release. In the meantime, check out  two tracks from the EP below and the video for “Turn The Lights Out” after the jump.

UPDATE:  Hadouken! will make their first stop in the us at the Mercury Lounge on February 8th 2010.

Hadouken! – M. A. D.

Hadouken! – M.A.D. (Detboi Remix)

Continue Reading

This Tuesday, Berlin-based record label Made to Play will celebrate the release of their new Scion CD sampler with a party at Love. All of the DJs on the compilation, Idiotproof, Oliver $, Riva Starr, Zombie Disco Squad, and label head Jesse Rose, will be spinning at the event, along with New York-based DJs Alex English and Gina Turner.

The sampler, called A Night at Made To Play, showcases the skills and production talent of the artists on the label. Each track is meant to reflect a different time of night at a Made to Play club night in Berlin. Scion, who has shown an enormous amount of support in the music industry, will cover the costs of the project, with all proceeds going directly back to the label and artists. The album will be available on iTunes and Beatport starting December 22, but you can preview a track from the album below.

Jesse Rose – “Morning Would”

The album release party on December 8th is a free event… Click here to RSVP.

We also have two copies of  A Night at Made To Play to give away… enter the contest after the jump.

Continue Reading

Last week, Kelis took to her Twitter account to leak “Acapella”, the lead single off her upcoming album. The album, which is “pretty much finished“, will include tracks produced by David Guetta (“Acapella”), Boys Noize and Major Lazer (aka Diplo and Switch).

The singer was recently featured on “Scars”, the title track from Bassment Jaxx’s latest album, and also collaborated with Crookers on the track “No Security” for their upcoming release, Tons of Friends. With that top-notch roster of producers, it’s safe to say that Kelis is going in a more electro-dance direction for her upcoming album. The record is set for a spring release through Geffen Records via Will.I.Am Music Group.

Check out “Acapella” below, click through to listen to Basement Jaxx’s “Scars” and the video for Crookers’ “No Security”.

Kelis – “Acapella”

Continue Reading

After getting a taste of Lady Stardust last Monday, we couldn’t wait to hear the full album when it was released on Friday. Now that it’s finally here, we can tell you that Terry Urban is back with another expert mash-up, one that does justice to the original music of both Lady Gaga and David Bowie. With the help of guest producers Apple Juice Kid, 6th Sense, Double O, and nVMe, along with vocal contributors Freebass 808, OnCue and Colby O’Donnis, Terry Urban brings a refreshing take on the phrase “old meets new”.

“Love Under Pressure”, produced by Apple Juice Kid and 6th Sense, is a great example of how well the two artists combine. While I wouldn’t dare say that the remix surpasses Bowie’s original “Under Pressure”, it does give Gaga’s “Love Game” a chiller, more sophisticated vibe. The Double O-produced “Papparazzi People” is another standout track, adds a more danceable beat to Lady Gaga’s “Papparazi” and David Bowie’s “Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)”

The mixtape also weaves a few interludes with quotes from both artists, as well as Christopher Walken’s hilarious take on “Poker Face”. Remixes of all of the songs are also included in the mixtape, which you can download for free here.

Listen to “Love Under Pressure” below, and be sure to come by the release party on Tuesday night at Le Poisson Rouge. Click here to RSVP, details after the jump.

Lady Stardust Featuring OnCue – “Love Under Pressure” (Produced by Apple Juice Kid & 6th Sense)

Continue Reading

Last Wednesday, Fool’s Gold Records celebrated the release of Kid Sister’s Ultraviolet with a party at Griffiin. With music by label founders A-Trak and Nick Catchdubs, it was refreshing to hear good music in a regular club setting. Dave 1, Diplo, Theophilus London, Spank Rock, Amanda Lepore and even Mrs. Macklovich (A-Trak and Dave 1’s mom) were in the house to celebrate Kid Sister’s big debut.

Nick Catchdubs was manning the decks when we arrived. He spun a good selection of pure hip-hop, possibly in anticipation of A-Trak’s electro set that followed.

A-Trak started off with a short speech congratulating Kid Sister and “aNYway” by Duck Sauce. The beginning of his set was dominated by electro, leaning more towards commercial club tracks before moving on to the good stuff. He played Jack Beats’ dubby remix of La Roux’s “I’m Not Your Toy”, an electro mix of Kid Sister’s “Big n Bad”, and his own remix of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Heads Will Roll”. He later moved into hip-hop, dropping crowd pleasers like Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” and Puff Daddy’s “Bad Boy For Life”.

Click here to view the photo gallery, and check out Jack Beats’ remix of “I’m Not Your Toy” below.

La Roux – “I’m Not Your Toy” (Jack Beats Remix)

After weeks of anticipation, Theophilus London finally released his first single, “Humdrum Town”, on Green Label Sound. Since the debut of This Charming Mixtape in January, Theophilus London has made considerable strides in both his work and his career. Not only has his music matured, he is also a member of Chauffeur, a supergroup that also counts Mark Ronson, Sam Sparro, and The Dap Kings’ Victor Axelrod and Tommy Brenneck as members.

Last month, the up-and-coming artist packed in a whopping six appearances during CMJ’s five-day period, including the Green Label Sound party at the Brooklyn Bowl on October 23. Rocking a pair of sunglasses, Theophilus London’s presence on stage is decidedly cool. He made good use of the large stage, engaging the audience with his slick dance moves. Set highlights included “Humdrum Town”, “Ultraviolet”, and remixes of Amadou & Mariam’s “Sabali” and The Very Best’s “Julia”. He closed with his catchy rendition of Whitney Houston’s “Always Love You”.

It was clear that his sound developed considerably since the mixtape’s January release, evident in the drastic reimagining of “Ultraviolent”. The original version on This Charming Mixtape is punk rock fused with hip-hop, in a manner reminiscent of N.E.R.D. The new version, renamed “Ultraviolet”, retains the punk influence in the bass line and drums, but adds a synth-pop melody that gives the song a completely different feel. A silvery hook and smoothed-out vocals complete the transformation. Listen to the two tracks for yourself:

Theophilus London – “Ultraviolent”

Theophilus London – “Ultraviolet”

If you think Theophilus London’s music isn’t enough evidence of his growth, look no further than his latest incarnation, Chauffeur. Described by Mark Ronson as “a fictitious supergroup”, Chauffeur was commissioned to record a song to tie into the release of Mark Ronson’s new line of shoes for Gucci. There are very few bands that are fronted by both a vocalist and a rapper, proven to be a winning combination when Chauffeur performed at the Levis/Fader Fort on October 24.

With one original song under their Gucci belts, Chauffeur’s set only consisted two songs: a cover of Sheila E’s “This Glamorous Life”, and “Soles on Fire”, which has a soft electro melody over a subtle hip hop/funk beat. With lyrics like “Guccis on my feet, it’s about that time” and “I ran so far, my soles’ on fire”, Chauffeur does a great job of producing a solid track while tying in the brand. Gucci is giving away an exclusive 12″ vinyl of “Soles of Fire” with the purchase of Mark Ronson’s shoes.

Chauffeur has shown a lot of promise in their debut track, and we have a feeling this isn’t the last we’ve seen of their unique collaboration. As for Theophilus London, based on what we’ve heard in the past year, there’s no doubt in our minds that we have a lot to look forward to.

After the jump, check out a few photos of Theophilus London’s recent CMJ performances, and be sure to click here for a free download of “Humdrum Town” from Green Label Sound.

Continue Reading

After a long wait – two years to be exact – Kid Sister (aka Melissa Young) has finally released her debut album. Originally titled Dream Date and set for a July 2008 release, Ultraviolet came out this week with beats and synths from Fool’s Gold Records founders A-Trak and Nick Catchdubs. With the help of XXXChange, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, Rusko, Herve & Sniden, Yuksek and Spank Rock, Kid Sister creates flows with lexical quirks that makes Ultraviolet an enjoyable listen. The Chicago native joined the coveted club of female rappers in 2007 with her breakthrough billboard chart single “Pro Nails”, featuring Kanye West. Kid Sister got her start while touring with Flosstradamus (her younger brother, Josh Young makes up half of the duo), when she caught the attention of A-Trak, and the rest is nothing short of bumping erotic beats and warranted dancing.

The release of Ultraviolet makes it clear that Kid Sister has grown into a persona, taking the time to harness the interests that she garnered from her collaboration with Kanye West.  Many artists take their brink and rush for the glory, but by allowing herself the time to mature, Kid Sister yielded a magnetic and fun album of polished dance tunes and charismatic lyrics.

Tonight (Wednesday, November 18), Fool’s Gold Records will celebrate the album’s release at Griffin with DJ sets by A-Trak, Nick Catchdubs, DRek Martinez and others (click here to RSVP). You can also catch her live with Flosstradamus at Webster Hall on November 27th.

Update: Click here for photos from the release party

Check out Rusko’s dubalicious remix of “Pro Nails” below, and click through for the “Right Hand Hi” music video and track list for Ultraviolet.

Kid Sister – “Pro Nails” (Rusko Remix)

Continue Reading

On the heels of the release of “Wild Young Heartbreaks”, mixtape virtuoso Terry Urban is back with “Lady Stardust”, his latest mixtape project that fuses the music of pop sensations Lady Gaga and David Bowie.

The first track, “Let’s Just Dance”, combines Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” and David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”. Remixed by Terry Urban and nVMe, this preview track gives us a taste of what sounds like a match made in heaven. Listen to the song below or download it here, and be sure check back later this week for details about the album release party next Monday.

For the latest events, ticket giveaways and music news, click here to add yourself to The HiFi Cartel mailing list.

Lady Stardust featuring Colby O’ Donnis: Let’s Just Dance (Terry Urban & nVMe Remix)

What do you get when you combine Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal), John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), and  Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age)? Kept a secret within friends in hereabouts fashion, the mix of these guys is the musical crescendo of a rock super-group. Them Crooked Vultures (aka TCV) is a living superpower of Rock and Roll – taking pieces from some great bands and creating what can only be considered a musical alliance. Even-though the group’s assembly was hinted in the press prior to their first performance in Chicago this past August, they managed to keep a sense of secrecy about their ways while somehow selling out shows in less than 15 minutes.

It’s a shame we missed them when they played at Roseland Ballroom in October, Them Crooked Vultures aren’t scheduled for another show in New York any time soon. If you’ve ever wondered what the Super Friends of Rock n’ Roll would sound like, then this is it. Infused with jilted melody, this album is like a stewing pot boiling with a number of ingredients to taste.

Them Crooked Vultures, their self-titled debut album, is due for release on November 16 in the UK and November 17 in the US under Interscope and Sony Music. In the meantime, the group has released the entire album on YouTube, and it is quite a trip.

Click through to check out their teaser and the album below.

Continue Reading

The New York bred singer will release his first solo album in the US on November 3rd. Known primarily as the front man of The Strokes, Julian Casablancas‘ Phrazes for the Young will surely take him on a new solo career path. What does this mean for The Strokes? Well, they’re already halfway through the making of a new album, their first since the release of First Impressions of Earth in 2006.

After creating a stir in NME magazine about performing solo, and releasing quite the teaser video, Julian put on a show in Tokyo this past August. Footage from the show leaked on the web and disappeared within a couple of days - so you know RCA wanted to keep this album under wraps. We managed to get our hands on an advance copy of Phrazes of the Young. We’ve had it for a solid month now…listening, diverging, going back to it, and letting it all sink in.

Click through to read more…

Continue Reading