Each month we colloborate with Indaba Music to give one artist to be featured right here on Electronica Oasis. Our last winner was MetroGnome for his track ‘Screwed’. Check out our exclusive interview, his track and more below.
Metro Gnome – Screwed
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Interview after the jump!
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Electric Daisy Carnival NY: Day 1 – Afernoon |
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Electric Daisy Carnival NY: Day 1 – Evening |
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Electric Daisy Carnival NY: Day 2 – Evening |
It can be argued that this year’s EDC NYC lineup is a step down from last year’s, but that doesn’t mean we’re all not anxiously awaiting this weekend’s arrival. In a lineup that seems to have no rhyme or reason, and stages without themes, the place to be on Day 2 is definitely The Circuit Grounds.
As an updated from yesterday’s preview (click here if you missed it), a Venue Map is now available and you can check it out HERE
Also for those that are not attending SiriusXM’s Electric Area will be broadcasting sets from the festival. SiriusXM listeners will hear sets by artists including Afrojack, Steve Angello presents Size Matters, Dirty South, Nicky Romero, ATB, Gareth Emery, Cedric Gervais, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, Rebecca & Fiona, Chuckie, Gina Turner and many more.
The return of EDC to New York for its 2nd year has now arrived. This year we physically will move to New York as Citi Field plays host (officially the 1st time in NY and not a “return”) and we’ll shine a spotlight on what each day has to offer with ‘Everything You Need to Know.’ We’ll break down what sets you can’t afford to skip out on and what we are dying to hear this weekend. Stay tuned tomorrow for Saturday.
To start, we’re waiting on a planned EDC layout, so we can get familiar with where each respective stage is. Questions still to be answered. Will the main stage be inside the stadium, will the stadium have any stages? And if you are still questioning if you should attend, just buy your ticket here and worry about that credit card bill next month.
When it comes to transportation Insomiac has laid them out in great detail, and with thousands of people heading to the festival each day, it is best to plan ahead. See Here. Things could get a little crowded on the 7 train and if you don’t mindpaying a few more bucks, the LIRR might be the best bet from NYC (plus who doesn’t want to keep the pre-game going on the train)[NOTE: You can't have open containers on NYC Subways] .
Stay hydrated! It could be a long warm day in Queens. Remember to drink plenty of water, which you won’t have to pay for at the provided free water re-filling stations. All other FAQ’s can be found here
The signature pieces of EDC are its art installations and rides. To further enhance the entire experience, there will be many interactive pieces across the festival grounds that are totally unique to NYC, along with those that have made appearances at past iterations of EDC.
Equally as exciting, to really put the ‘carnival’ into EDC, full-size carnival rides will also be scattered across the Citi Field parking lots, including slides, swings, merry-go-rounds and more. Best of all, every single ride is FREE and will be up and running all day and night! All of that alone is pretty exciting, and we haven’t even mentioned the music yet!
Most importantly make sure to tweet at us during the festival with your pictures and favorite moments! (@electronicoasis). [Cell service is usually terrible, so turn off the 3G and plan out your meeting points when the night is over in case your phone dies, so you don't leave any friends behind!]
Now, let’s dive into Friday after the jump! If we missed anything let us know!
Last night on SMIRNOFF’s Master of the Mix, Tina T came back to try and assert her might one last time during a sudden death mini-battle with DJ Fly Guy.Tina proved that her time had come when she lost the 90 second beat juggling and scratching competition, giving DJ Fly Guy another life in the competition and a shot of succeeding during the main competition.
This week’s challenge was entitled “Invent or Get Sent” and the six remaining DJs were faced with a task of using their turntables as an instrument. Shush all those haters who say that DJs don’t make ‘real’ music. While the DJs were perfecting their sets, Lil Jon popped into the lab for his guest judging duties adorned in his signature sunglasses and intoned to the group “You’re not going to lose if you have the whole place going nuts.”
Perhaps one of the more impressive competitions, a majority of the DJs really dazzled with their cue point skills and creativity. DJ Dynamix got everyone laughing and hollering by looping 2Chainz’s “I’m Different” and inserting each of his fellow MOTM DJs’ names following the rapper’s growling “middle finger up to my competition” in succession. In the end, Lil’ Jon and the judges voted to have DJ Chris Karns take home the week’s prize of a Numark 4TRAK. Unfortunately DJ Fly Guy just couldn’t take the heat and his sloppy set got his record scratched, making him the 14th DJ sent home this season.
Next week on Master of the Mix the top five DJs hit the turntables competing to become one step closer to a quarter of a million dollars. In the challenge, the DJs must spin the same set of 10 songs across musical genres and styles. Can they really mix it up?
On Wednesday, May 15, we’re proud to bring you our next installment of our monthly Mixify Event series with Garuda Music. We’ll have rising label all-star Ben Gold and a supporting cast of Eximinds, Luke Bond, and Rob Naylor for 4 hours to celebrate the release of ‘The Sound of Garuda Chapter 3‘ (out now). This is guaranteed to be just what you need to get through hump day.
Ben Gold (8 PM ET) – RSVP HERE
Luke Bond (7 PM ET) – RSVP HERE
Eximinds (6 PM ET) – RSVP HERE
Rob Naylor (5 PM ET) – RSVP HERE
More after the jump!
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Since his success with the Black Eyed Peas, Will.i.am has demonstrated that selling yourself can come with great reward. From the auto-hyperlinked name ‘Will.i.am’ (which redirects to his main website), to his pre-hashtagged songs like #ThatPower, the man is a genius at self-branding and complete commercialization.
His music, much of which is fairly bland and band-waggoned off of already successful artists (anyone remember that collaboration with Wolfgang Gartner?), utilizes key endorsers to elevate its success. In recent collaborations with Justin Bieber, Mily Cyrus, and Britney Spears, all three collaborators heavily endorsed these singles across their social media channels: this allowed for double the market penetration. His social media,is fan-farmed to display more than 5 million fans on all fronts (ok fine, ALLEGEDLY fan-farmed) appearing to make him a heavy influencer in the EDM genre and giving him basic credibility with newer adopters of EDM. His music has appeared in commercials for Pepsi, Coca-Cola, in as the theme for NBA Live 2005 and Madden NFL 2005, and most recently one of his songs from the #willpower was selected for a commercial for Italian automaker “Lancia”.
Outside of his music, Will.i.am has launched numerous side projects, most notably a clothing line, series of questionable tech products, and auto line named IAMAUTO, was the voice of ‘Moto Moto’ in Madagascar Escape 2 Africa, and even appeared on The Voice UK. Will.i.am has also shown a large interest in tech, as evidenced from his involvement with the kickoff event for FIRST Robotics Competition in 2011, and role as director of creative innovation for Intel Corp.
Astoundingly, what shocks me most is objectively, Will.i.am is one of the most creative innovators in the space…a trait, which he appears to utilize solely for marketing. This is in turn marred by the fact that nearly every musical effort he makes is overshadowed by the overt and mind-numbingly commercialization he utilizes to maximize each song’s success (rather than its unique musicality). Think about it; ‘Scream and Shout’ COULD have been amazing, ‘That Power’ (not hashtagged, because that’s so forced) COULD have been innovative, and had he gotten permission from Arty and Mat Zo and utilized them as editors (and opted out of using Chris Brown), ‘Let’s Go’ could have been a powerful and excellent execution of flawless beats with well-thought out lyrics.
Sadly, Will.i.am’s over-marketed white-washed dumbed-down musical throwaways leave little to the imagination (which makes sense as they are designed to assault your wallet, not your ears). As an artist, at a base level, you must learn to sell yourself, but perhaps today’s musicians, DJs, and Producers can see Will.i.am’s approach as a blatant overkill and avoid it.”
Hope you caught America’s Premier DJ Competition, SMIRNOFF’s Master of the Mix, last night on VH1. In case you missed out, here is a recap of what went down. The eight remaining DJs had a twist when they were faced with the toughest challenge of the season – working together in pairs. For DJs inexperienced working together, this proved to be a curse and a blessing for the various pairs. Guest judges The EC Twins, who definitely know what it’s like to work in a pair, provided valuable expertise and insight on how difficult it is to spin together. In the end, technical DJing pros Chris Karns and Jayceeoh took the cake, while other partners with disparate musical backgrounds and skills struggled to execute a set while working as one.
Unfortunately, DJ team Tina T and Brian Dawe couldn’t keep up and were sent home last night. Although the road may have come to an end for DJs Brian Dawe and Tina T on last night’s episode of MASTER OF THE MIX, but that didn’t mean that they didn’t give a talented performance. Last week’s winner Chris Karns matched up Brian and Tina as a bit of the joke, but as a fellow competitor noted about the duo, they are both skilled club DJs and put up a fight during the scratching match. The EC Twins appreciated their coordinated effort and showmanship, including Tina’s scratching while she stood behind Brian, so he could basically say “look ma, no hands!”
But all is not over for Tina, so be sure to tune in next week as the competition continues to heat up and drama unfolds as the eliminated DJ comes back to the show for a second chance. This is America, right? Not only does Tina make a return appearance, everyone’s favorite rapper Lil’ Jon stops by to sit in as a guest judge. You might not have known this, but Lil’ Jon started his career as a house DJ in Atlanta, so he will fit right now. So be sure to check out the episode next week on VH1 airing Monday at 10 to see which DJ will wow Lil’ Jon and be one step closer to crowning the title Master of the Mix? Watch the trailer here!
Electronic Dance music. Go back 10 years and ask people in high school and college if they listened to it, 85% would say no. Go to a college party or club now, you’re hearing nothing other than dance music. Why has EDM evolved so much? What are the contributing factors? Is it fueled by the discovery of the drug ‘Molly’ by a younger generation, or are people realizing how beautiful dance music is and the way it brings all different types of people together? Growing up you used to want to be a rock star or professional athlete, now it seems many kids aspire to be a DJ.
If you were to tell someone you listened to dance music 5-10 years ago, they would most likely laugh or think of you as a raver who was into the drug scene. Dance music has the pure strength to transform any mood you’re in, and to potentially change your day or any situation for the better. When you went to a low budgeted, underground rave, you could escape from reality and be with people from all walks of life. Whether it’s Trance or Progressive House, dance music has a way to get into your soul like no other music we hear today. You can listen a track like Above & Beyond’s ‘Sun And Moon’ and get goosebumps every single time, along with many other songs that have the same effect.
There is a great article from Rolling Stone’s interview with Richie Hawtin about the evolution of dance music which really sums it up nice. Tommie Sunshine is another advocate on the evolution of EDM and he voices his opinion often on The Huffington Post.
What raves were and what they are now: Raves used to be a beautiful thing: people who did not have an abundance of money flashing bottles and tables at huge venues meeting up anywhere to celebrate music. It could be a field, warehouse, or small club, and you were always able to have a great time with other enthusiasts from all walks of life, struggles, and existence. A rave was an escape from reality, 6-8 hours of pure enjoyment and dancing. A rave now is a totally different story, a commercialized story that is. There are no secrets about raves anymore- they are highly publicized and advertised events throughout the world. The traditional rave has been replaced with steroid injected versions: world-famous producers are brought in, huge light shows created, and tens of thousands expected to be in attendance. Overpriced drinks and water, ridiculous ticket prices, and it’s all about making a profit. These high-profile settings also go against where EDM came from in the past. You now have “Drug den’s” instead of a place where everyone can enjoy the music. Fist pumping teenagers with not a slightest clue that Tim Berg is Avicii or the difference between Progressive House and Deep house. Believe me, I am all for the popularity and wide acceptance of dance music in 2013, but there is a limit.
How much bigger can EDM get? With the mass abundance of DJ’s and similar sounds throughout the dance music world, how far can it go? Many of these Djs are extremely talented, but there are also a few (won’t say any names) who really shouldn’t be up there in front of thousands of people. Who wants to go to a festival now where you can’t move and there are 150,000 people there? It is definitely a good time, but we miss the days where it was the true dance music fans, not everyone trying to jump on a bandwagon. Taking a look at the tweets after Tiesto’s Club Life College Tour last week in Albany there were many comments about Quintino. People were saying ‘Wow Quintino is awesome, so glad I found him’, or ‘I have a new DJ to listen to’. Kids, Quintino has been around for a while now, stay off the Molly. Clearly these kids aren’t going to the shows for the music, but to party and participate in using recreational drugs. A lot of kids are coming into the scene for the wrong reason. They hear rappers talking about Molly and then hear the artists who are going mainstream and automatically think ‘if you do Molly you’re cool’. News flash, ecstasy has been around since the 80s, and just because Molly is the pure form of ecstasy, 99% of the time you’re not getting that. This article isn’t about drugs, but it has a contributing factor into why dance music has changed.
You now have companies like Dayglow who hopped on the the scene, commercializing dance music into a rave with paint and a mainstream DJ. It’s not like you won’t have a good time at a Dayglow event, but if you are a true dance music fan you are probably saying ‘I’ll Pass’. The talented and true DJs are still out there such as Tommie Sunshine, Richie Hawtin, Boris, Paul Van Dyk, and many others, but the way EDM has evolved, it has taken a lot of the talent away.
Commercialism isn’t what dance music is about, so the question really is- where will dance music head from here? Will it get so popular to the point of being played out, or keep skyrocketing and become the staple of music for years to come? What are your thoughts on this?
