It may sound backwards to plan the dates of our vacation around the layover, but when we found out we’d be flying through the dubstep capital of the world on our way to Greece, we couldn’t resist. Our weekend of choice? July 16-19… find out why, after the jump.
After moving around for most of the second day, we settled at the Bayfront Stage for a back-to-back trifecta of Boys Noize vs. Erol Alkan, Crookers, and the Bloody Beetroots.
We arrived just in time for “Waves”, Boys Noize and Erol Alkan’s first release as a duo, which they played in its entirety. Later, they took sample from the Boys Noize’s own remix of “My Moon My Man” by Feist and repackaged it into a completely different mix.
Crookers destroyed their set, drawing a tremendous audience that was ready to dance. They started with “We Love Animals”, the opening track from their debut album Tons of Friends, then proceeded to rework the song. The Italian duo rocked the crowd with remixes of “Milkshake” by Kelis, “Gimme Some More” by Busta Rhymes, “How Low” by Ludacris, and a superb rendition of their own “Cooler Couleur” by AC Slater. The audience went crazy when Crookers slowed things down with the intro of “Circle of Life” from The Lion King, then fashioned an electro beat using samples from the song. Towards the end, they remixed their breakthrough remix of Kid Cudi’s “Day n Night”.
The Bloody Beetroots was an act to see, but not for the faint-hearted. Their heavy electro-rock had the crowd going wild, fueled by the live instrumentals of Bobby Rifo on guitar, keyboard and vocals and Edward Grinch on drums, rounded out by Tommy Tea behind the decks. Steve Aoki joined the group on stage for an explosive finale.
CLICK HERE for more photos and coverage from the Winter Music Conference in Miami… we’ll be adding more coverage daily, so stay tuned.
Last week, the third and final phase of the Ultra Music Festival was posted, adding LMFAO and Sander Kleinenberg (among others) to the already massive line-up that includes Damian Marley and Nas, Passion Pit, Tiesto, A-Trak, Bassnectar, Crookers, The Bloody Beetroots, Major Lazer, and hundreds more.
This year will feature some special collaborations – Florence (from Florence and the Machine) will join Swedish House Mafia on the Ultra Main Stage on Saturday, and Kelis, whose sound as taken a turn towards electro, will team up with Benny Benassi for a few songs.
Four new arenas have been added to the festival grounds – the UMF Ibiza Tent, the UMF Brazil Tent, the Root Society Dome, and the Heineken Dome Experience – bringing the total to a staggering ten (yes, TEN) stages.
Another new addition to Ultra is Sonic Forest, an interactive installation by artist/composer Christopher Janney that will entice festival goers into a unique environment with aural and visual components. Sonic Forest is composed of eight-foot tall aluminum poles that trigger melodic and environmental sounds as people move through the “electronic trees”. Independent drummers will be present in the Forest during various parts of the installation. Sonic Forest has been featured at Bonnaroo, All Points West, and Coachella in the US, and various festivals around the world.
This is shaping up to be the best Ultra to date, and is certainly not to be missed if you’re going to be in Miami for the Winter Music Conference. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets, and be sure to check out The HiFi Cartel Guide to the Winter Music Conference for more events in Miami that week.
The first Мишка mix of the decade comes from the DJ/production duo Crookers. This installment rolls across dub, grime and electro with tracks from Hudson Mohawke, Untold, Eskmo and Ramadanman. The duo have been touring across the globe dropping some of the most eclectic mixes and edits destroying music festival left and right. If you have never heard of these artists below consider this a bangin’ introduction!
Мишка Presents Keep Watch Vol. XV: Crookers [Download]
Last March, attendees from 80 countries flocked to Miami for the annual Winter Music Conference. The legendary five-day event , which goes from March 23-27, will host some of the best parties of the year, informative panels with world-renown DJs, and of course, Ultra Music Festival.
The initial line-up for the music festival, taking place once more at Bicentennial Park, already includes A-Trak, Major Lazer, Steve Aoki, the Bloody Beetroots, and Pretty Lights. The added presence of Rusko, Skream, Bassnectar and Crookers is just another indication of how prolific dubstep has become in the music scene. Tiesto, Carl Cox, Dirty South, Rabbit in the Moon, Infected Mushroom, Deadmau5 and Armin Van Buuren were on the bill last year and will make repeat appearance in 2010.
A ticket to Ultra is included with the purchase of the Winter Music Conference badge, which is $325 if you purchase by January 6. On it’s own, a two-day pass to the festival costs $139.50.
Click through to view the complete list of the initial acts set to perform at Ultra, along with the official festival trailer. If the line-up wasn’t enough to get you psyched, check out photos from Ultra 2009 with Santigold, The Ting Tings, Armin van Buuren and Prodigy.
Stay tuned for our complete coverage of WMC – we’ll be posting info about the week’s best parties, panels, concerts, and more…
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”
As co-creator and weekly resident DJ of Girls & Boys, Webster Hall’s acclaimed Friday party, Alex English has shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the DJ world. In the past year alone, Girls & Boys has played host to Xavier de Rosnay, A-Trak, Boys Noize, Crookers, Steve Aoki, The Bloody Beetroots, MSTRKRFT, Deadmau5 and Chromeo, among others.
With over 20 years of DJ experience under his belt, Alex English has become a fixture in the electro scene in New York City. Apart from his residencies at Thom Bar on Thursdays, Webster Hall on Fridays, and the Tribeca Grand Hotel on Saturdays, Alex also deals with booking the all-star DJ line-up for GBH parties at Webster Hall, Tribeca Grand, and North 8th in Williamsburg.
Tonight, Alex English and Dan Physics will make their debut as Disko Dali when they open for Justice’s sold-out DJ set at Webster Hall. Though Alex came up with Disko Dali back in 2001, he and Dan didn’t start working together until this past summer. The duo writes and produces original dance music and has done remixes of artists like the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Dragonette, and Depeche Mode (check out some of their remixes on their MySpace page, or listen to their remix of “Plastic Caramelo” below).
Over the last few weeks, we traded emails with Alex to discuss his DJ career, influences, and upcoming projects. After the jump, read an excerpt of the interview that transpired.
We compiled photos documenting some of Alex’s exploits around New York City to celebrate The HiFi Cartel’s 100th Photo Gallery… click here to check it out. Be sure to listen to the Disko Dali remix of Plastic Caramelo’s self-titled track, streamed below, and check back soon for the Alex English edition of HiFi Essentials.
Plastic Caramelo – “Plastic Caramelo” (Disko Dali Mix)
Hard has been putting on music events in LA for years, but it wasn’t until last Saturday that they brought the party to the east coast. With an unbeatable line-up of Destructo, Jack Beats, Rusko, Major Lazer and Crookers, Hard proved that dubstep has indeed arrived in New York City.
Hold on to your hats, this weekend is shaping up to be quite the party marathon, with some of the biggest DJs in the world hitting our fair city.
GBH will be kicking things off tonight with Steve Aoki, Classix and Destructo at Webster Hall. Last time Steve Aoki spun at Webster Hall, it was pure mayhem, and we’re expecting tonight to be no different. Girls & Boys residents Alex English, Kids with Snakes, Gavin Royce, and Rekles will also be in the house
Saturday brings about a tougher decision: Hard is bringing the wobble wobble to Terminal 5, with a massive dubstep line-up; Crookers, Major Lazer, Rusko, Jack Beats and Destructo are all ready to bring some bass-heavy beats to NYC.
Saturday is also the one-year anniversary of Flashing Lights, brought to you by the good folks at MeanRed. Nick Catchdubs, DJ Ayres and Jubilee’s monthly party will be back at 88 Palace, and will feature a guest DJ set by Toddlat.
Decisions, decisions… but then again, we think we can cram it all in.
Be sure to check out previous photo galleries of Steve Aoki, Classix, Major Lazer, and Flashing Lights.
The line-up at HARD Summer is so good, I almost flew to Los Angeles just for the night. Thankfully, on October 10th, they’re bringing their signature party to Terminal 5 with HARD NYC. While the line-up isn’t quite as massive, the NYC show, which features Crookers, Major Lazer, Rusko, Jack Beats and Destructo, promises to be one hell of a party.
Click here for info and tickets, and don’t miss Jack Beats when he opens for A-Trak on July 31 at Webster Hall.
Kid Cudi vs Crookers – Day N Nite (Rusko’s Big Trombone Remix)
