Life On Planets is the solo project of singer/guitarist Phill Celeste. Melding soul, R&B, and house in his original productions; the artistâs eclectic sound took him from the streets of Baltimore to cities the world over.
SXM Festival 2022 returns for five days and nights of underground house and techno bliss on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin / Sint Maarten. SXM Festival regularly hosts the top names from around the globe, and this year is no different. Attendees will experience secluded beaches, lush jungle dance floors, stunning villas, boat parties, and beach clubs from sunrise to sunset. Get in the groove for SXM Festival 2022 with these exclusive mixes from artists John Acquaviva and ChloĂ© Caillet who will be playing at this yearâs event.
John Acquaviva as a DJ/Producer and Entrepreneur has flourished in the heart of electronic music. His multi talented persona is Superman-like. He’s the quintessential businessman by day running Plus8 Equity Partners, and an iconic musician by night. John Acquaviva is the eye of the storm on an incredilbel hurricane. The techno iconâs strategic positioning along the electronic music spectrum as an inspired soul, rather than a hit maker, has made for one of the most exciting producers the community has ever experienced.
ChloĂ© Caillet is a DJ, producer and multi-instrumentalist from Paris. Known for her eclectic taste in music and fashion, she has played some of the world’s most renowned clubs and parties. These include a residency with Dixon at Pacha, fabric London, Tek Support New York, Badaboum, HĂŻ Ibiza, Brooklyn Mirage, Guy Gerberâs Rumors and most recently her residency at Circoloco in Ibiza and all over the globe.
After releasing a critically acclaimed remix commissioned directly by Beck, ChloĂ© will release her series of singles on newly found label XCESS RECORDS started with her collective PVBLIC XCESS. Her first single âLove Ainât Overâ dropped at the end of 2021 with an outstanding video by artist and director Ana Sting, following up with a series of remixes by Gerd Janson, Carlita and No_4mat. Chloe has received support from internationally acclaimed media and journalist tastemakers like DJ Mag, Mixmag, Wonderland Magazine, CRACK Magazine, Metal Magazine, Refuge Worldwide and many more.
Well-known record labels and artists are choosing to remove their music from Spotify. Munich label Ilian Tape removed its entire back catalogue from the streaming giant. Even Ye is ditching the platform for his forthcoming release Donda 2. Controversy has plagued Spotify because of its low royalty rates and recent political decisions, such as Spotify CEO Daniel Ek choosing to invest in AI defense capabilities for British, German, and French militaries. Despite compelling moral and ethical reasons to leave, some artists simply can’t. There are legal and practical considerations that prevent many artists from cancelling Spotify.
When Neil Young said that he wanted to take his music off of Spotify because of Joe Rogan, he actually didn’t have the legal right to remove his music. Young gave that right to his label, Warner Music Group, when he signed his record deal. Because Warner owned Young’s copyrights to his work, Young had to ask for Warner’s permission before he removed his music from Spotify. Many well-known and emerging artists are in the same predicament.
Although copyright law varies from country to country, an artist’s copyright can always be given away in a contract. The issue is that some artists do not understand what rights they give up when they sign a record deal. Or, they feel pressured to sign an unfavorable contract because it will “look good.”
Artists often give up the entire copyright to their work. This means that the artist’s label has the exclusive rights to their music. In other words, the label has the legal power to do what they want with the artist’s music, regardless of the artist’s permission or consent.
Artists who do not own their copyrights and want to take their music off of Spotify must ask their labels first. For artists signed to multiple labels, as is usually the case, the process can be difficult, time-consuming and disheartening. In the event that the label says “no,” legally speaking, there’s not much that the artist can do.
Besides legal barriers, there are also practical considerations for artists who want to remove their music. Most well-known labels and artists can pull the trigger because, well, they can. The decision to cancel Spotify isn’t so clear for other artists who do not have the financial resources or the clout to fall back on.
Very few artists actually make a living off of Spotify’s dismal streaming royalties. Most artists use Spotify because it’s a marketing tool. Ever wonder how Spotify curates its playlists? Artists submit a pitch for their songs to be selected.
The electronic music market is saturated and marketing has become more important to an artist’s success than ever before. Many artists are dependent on Spotify specifically for marketing. Even if Spotify isn’t their main marketing tool, artists still feel compelled to be on Spotify so that their music will be heard around the globe. These pressures are enough for artists to choose rather than cancel Spotify.
And, let’s be real. Most of us aren’t in the same position as Kanye West.
February is Black History Month, and itâs a special time to celebrate essential black voices whose impact is felt on and off the dance floor. The house and techno music of today originated in Chicago and Detroit through the efforts of Black trailblazers. Since then the electronic music scene has taken off. House and techno music is found around the world, and it has evolved to encompass many sub-genres. Listen to these five Black electronic artists who continue to push boundaries and make waves like the pioneers before them.Â
LSDXOXOÂ is an artist from Philadelphia who made a name for himself in New York City as a DJ and producer, quickly becoming an essential figure at GHE20GOTH1K. Heâs known for destroying dance floors across the underground club scene with his energetic DJ sets, amassing attention for the way that he manipulates mainstream sounds by craftily layering pop tracks and vocal samples between Baltimore club, ghetto house, hardcore, electro and techno. Now residing in Berlin and running his own club night Floorgasm, LSDXOXO is synonymous with the new wave of techno artists reclaiming Black queer spaces and injecting fun and camp into the genre.
SPELLING, Chrystia âTiaâ Cabral, is an American experimental pop musician based in the Bay Area. SPELLLING released her first full-length Pantheon of Me in September 2017. The album was self-written, performed, and produced in her apartment in Berkeley, California. Cabral began experimenting with music production in 2015 in an effort to carry on the creative legacy of a lost loved one. Drawing heavily from messages in her dreams, her sound spirals through clarity and obscurity searching through landscapes of psychic space.
DJ Holographic is a one-woman funk machine born and raised in Detroit. Her mission is to serve up a mix of musical cuisine that combines House, passionate R&B, Hip Hop, unreserved Disco, true Detroit Techno, and Motown. Having spent the past few years traveling the world and playing for crowds in Berlin, London, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, she has thrilled crowds on hallowed dance floors at Smart Bar, Panorama Bar, Output, and beyond.Â
Akua is emerging from Brooklynâs vanguard of boundary pushing artists. The artist has proved sheâs not afraid to redefine techno on her own terms. The Ghanaian-American DJ has cultivated a sound that reflects her passion for research and re-contextualization, as she infuses old-school tracks and techniques with a vision for the dance floors of the future. The Discwoman has taken her sound to packed dance floors in cities across North America, and in 2019 she hopped across the pond to present her hyper-charged selections to European crowds with debuts on the Boiler Room Utrecht, Saule and De School.
Jasmine Infiniti is a non-binary, trans person of color artist and DJ who was born and raised in the Bronx and now resides in the Bay. They are an integral part of the New York vogue house scene. The artistâs DJ sets often feature techno mixed with ballroom, hard style and gabber.
The taboo party drug ketamine is being hailed as a potential treatment for depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. Since the 1970s ketamine has been legally prescribed in the United States as an anesthetic. Due to the drug’s dissociative and hallucinogenic effects, it’s become a popular rave culture drug. Other psychedelics such as LSD or MDMA cannot be legally prescribed because there are no medically recognized health benefits.
An easing of prescription rules during COVID-19 has allowed more Americans to access the drug through their doctors for at-home mental health treatments. Some have hailed the drug as a breakthrough therapy for depression and other mental health conditions. Others remain skeptical because there is little evidence to support how effective ketamine is for depression. There are limited large-scale studies of ketamine’s medical impact, leaving some to also conclude that an unregulated boom of the drug could result in tragedies and a regulatory crackdown.
Mary Droppinz has been catching the eye of labels all over. That’s no surprise to those that know her. She lives by a simple truth: music is an out-of-body experience. The artistâs fascination with rhythm began when growing up in her native Omaha, Nebraska as a result of her fatherâs seasoned skills as a drummer. She quickly started on the piano and carried that musical influence all the way to her current home of Los Angeles.
The artist recently teamed up with vocalist, Rowa, for a blistering breaks track “HOT PANTS”. The track is fused with acid and electro sprinkles for the ultimate escape into sound forthcoming on Insomniac Discovery. With upcoming bookings at Dirtybird CampINN, Lucidity Festival, a headline show at the Monarch in San Francisco, a continued residency at Discopussy in Las Vegas and more, Mary Droppinz is on direct course for the moon! The artist now shares more about her upcoming single and stellar ascendancy within the electronic and digital music universe.
Hey Mary! Welcome to 6AM, howâs this year and Los Angeles treating you so far?
Stoked to be here! This year has been going good so far, letting the creative juices flow while balancing with some self care.Â
What first got you hooked on electronic music, and when did you know you wanted to pursue it as a career?
When I saw Steve Aoki play in Cancun and went to Coachella in 2013, I thought the energy was so epic, Iâd really been missing something like this in my life is what I thought! I decided to pursue it as a career in 2015 while watching a woman DJ for the first time and realizing it is possible. Being from Nebraska I hadnât been exposed to dance music culture so moving out to California really expanded my mind. I listened to emo music and my dad’s favorite oldies at home.Â
How would you describe your mixing style?
Unconventional, ambitious, and energy boosting.
As technology becomes more advanced, I think itâs important to remember that in person connection is what keeps our species alive.
That’s what it’s all about, music is about bringing people together
Tell us more about your Twitch channel. What do you think is the biggest difference when you perform in person vs. when you perform online?
Playing on Twitch was the best thing I could have done when the pandemic hit, it gave me an outlet and also connected me to a supportive community that loves my music. Itâs a really cool experience performing online, I highly suggest at least trying it, you never know who you can impact with your music and vibe. The difference is when Iâm on twitch Iâm engaging, sharing more about the songs I play and my life on the mic. When Iâm performing in person, itâs all about sharing myself through music and dance only. Nothing beats the real thing. As technology becomes more advanced, I think itâs important to remember that in person connection is what keeps our species alive.
Whatâs your most memorable show to date?
Thatâs so tough, every show has a special memory. Most recently Iâd say Desert Hearts New Years Day Rave in San Diego!Â
Whatâs the inspiration behind your forthcoming single, âHOT PANTSâ?
I wanted to give tribute to the OG breakbeat pattern that I used called âHot Pantsâ. I want to put breaks back on the map, especially from a womanâs perspective here in America. I was also inspired by the operative vocals in Papua New Guinea by the Future Sound of London and I felt that my girl Rowa could nail it perfectly in her own unique way like she did. If you know me you know I love my 303 so of course there was going to be acid in there. Ultimately, I wanted to approach this track with a techno edge highlighting breaks as my percussion. All of it combined really created this heavy hypnotic spiritual experience, which is what music is for me.
I refuse to be boxed in as an artist.
Don’t expect the same thing from Mary Droppinz, she serves heat wherever she goes and whatever she plays.
Whatâre you looking forward to most in the future?
Iâm looking forward to DJing more festivals and embedding myself into the culture on a deeper level. Also to collaborate with artists around the world and see what beautiful music we can make together.Â
Anything else youâd like to share?Â
Iâd just like to say stay locked. I’ve got more music coming out in the next few months that are genre bending but all still have my energy. I refuse to be boxed in as an artist so you can always expect something fun, fresh and different at my shows that are based off my feelings or curation for that particular party.
Artists will never come unprepared to a party. They always bring a toolbox packed with tracks that are truly dance floor destroyers. Whatâs in Your Toolbox features artistsâ secret weapons, aka, the tracks they donât leave out of their USB. Spencer Brown is an artist who likes to live on the cutting edge of dance music. Whether it be techno, deep house, progressive house, or a whopping 18-minute stormer, Brown creates what he wants and when he wants for the love of music. After choosing world-class imprints such as Anjunadeep, Last Night on Earth, Factory93, and mau5trap to release his diverse work, Brown launched a label of his own. His new label, diviine, is official with the release of his latest double-sided single “Forbidden Flow / 18 Min Loop”. The genre defying artist now shares his top six house and techno tracks.
What was originally an experiment that took a few hours to make turned into a staple in my sets. Who knew a random sax sample could light up the dancefloor? Very grateful that HernĂĄn CattĂĄneo was playing this one out frequently. Itâs a great track to move from deeper, more progressive sounds to bridge into my peak time crate.
Stunning groove. Hypnotic melody. InvĆker is one of my personal favorite producers at the moment and a really nice guy. This is one of those tracks where I feel âI wish I made this.â The melody is so simple that itâs infectious. The percussion is also a highlight.
Probably the most interesting bassline of any track in my library at the moment. How did he make it? I have no idea. But it always locks the room in hypnosis. My friends and I coined the style âSnorkel Tekâ to describe this underwater sound. Always on the lookout for more snorkel tek.
My most played track in 2021 on Spotify. Another track I found via Shazam (thank you Gab). Something I love is when bassline and percussion come together to create a single syncopated groove. This track does just that. Once again, growing up a drummer, Iâm very drawn to strong grooves.
We originally made this track back in 2017 in one sitting. Both of us played it out a few times with decent reactions, but neither of us felt it was good enough to release. Anjunadeep approached us to release it in 2021, and we thought, “why not?” We had played it for years. After the release, the track took a new life! The floaty riff and sneaky bassline explode the dancefloor. The track is still a staple in Lee Burridgeâs sets (I was probably sent 10 videos from friends) and is also supported by Martin Garrix, Gorgon City, and Eelke Kleijn. So random from a track we almost didnât release, but we were happy it makes people happy!
Legendary synthesizer manufacturer and electronic music innovator Moog Music has launched a new documentary series called Giants. The series aims to explore the legacy of the company and the origins of early electronic music. The first episode of Giants features co-inventor of the Moog modular synthesizer, Herb Deutsch. Deutsch speaks about some of music historyâs notable moments and what âthe perfect definitionâ of music is and can be: sound organized in time.
This year’s Coachella will not require attendees to wear masks or provide proof of vaccination for COVID-19. The event issued a statement on its website saying in part, “There is no guarantee, express or implied, that those attending the festival will not be exposed to Covid-19.” The music event industries have been hit particularly hard by COVID-19. Coachella’s recent decision could represent the global trend for other events and promoters.
Originally reported by New York Times.
Image courtesy of John Davisson.
It doesn’t have to be Valentine’s Day to celebrate love. Love is everywhere and all around. It comes in many forms, and, in fact, sharing music, especially house and techno music, is one way to show love. Have you ever found yourself stumbling upon a banger or massive chune, and you’re just so excited to share the goodness? That’s love right there. Music is the gift that keeps on giving, and an intimate gesture in and of itself. Dance music is a portal to boundless melody, harmony, and rhythm. Here are 14 tracks to make you fall in love with house and techno.
