Photo by Daniele Zedda
In today’s ever-changing spectrum of technology, there are several ways one can listen to their favorite music, ranging from vinyl to mp3, online streaming to CDs and yes even the age-old radio!
We would like to know what YOU, our readers, use to listen to your favorite music. You may choose more than one option if you use two or more of the mediums listen below.
[total-poll id=18138]
Photo by Samuel Rivas
Another Miami Music Week is behind us and the live set recordings have began to pour in. As we mentioned in our editorial about the week, the landscape of MMW is changing, in part due to the divide from Winter Music Conference and in part due to the ever-evolving nature of the events being offered throughout Downtown Miami and South Beach.
With that said, the music still reigned supreme throughout the Miami area, with plenty of great sets from legends and newcomers alike. Unfortunately not all were recorded and not all that were have been published. In this article you can find a selection of our favorites compiled in a carefully selected playlist that captures the best of techno (unfortunately not much this year), tech house and house music delivered during MMW 2016. We will be updating this playlist regularly as more sets get released.
Included in the playlist are live recordings from Ultra’s Resistance and Carl Cox & Friends stages, as well as complete recordings from Do Not Sit By The Ocean, one of our favorite parties of the entire week.
We have been listening to these for the last 48 hours and below you can find some of our favorites followed by the entire playlist.
Armand van Helden b2b Jackmaster – All Gone Pete Tong Pool Party
This one-hour recording offers insight on the madness that was the back-to-back All Gone Pete Tong pool party at the Surfcomber Hotel in South Beach. The two stars out on a fantastic display of jacking house and grooves that surely had everyone dancing pool side the entire time.
Thugfucker – Resistance Stage at Ultra Music Festival
Greg Oreck and Holmar Filipsson, better known as duo Thugfucker, brought deep vibes to the Resistance Stage on Saturday afternoon with a classic signature sets of melodic deep house.
Deadmau5 b2b Eric Prydz – SiriusXM Miami Music Lounge at 1 Hotel South Beach
A lot was said about both Joel and Eric’s performances at the A State Of Trance stage at Ultra, but what some may have missed is the more iconic back-to-back set they played exclusively for SiriusXM at the Miami Music Lounge earlier in the week. Progressive house at its finest, with tracks that embody the styles of both producers, this went down as one of the most anticipated and acclaimed tandem set of the entire week.
Behrouz b2b YokoO – Do Not Sit By The Ocean
Set against one of the most beautiful party backdrops of the entire week, Do Not Sit By The Ocean consisted of 12 hours of top-notch house music by the likes of Lee Burridge, Alex Niggeman, Hoj and atish. Our favorite of the lot came from Do Not Sit boss Behrouz and his back-to-back with All Day I Dream rising star YokoO. Listen to this as you imagine Miami’s skyline, a marina with some of the city’s most impressive yachts, palm trees and you will live it exactly as I did.
Mind Against – Resistance Stage at Ultra Music Festival
It appears that the young Italian duo can do no wrong. Calling them rising stars would be a lie, for they have surely already secured their spot in the top tiers of today’s underground dance music scene. It is without a doubt that their brand of mesmerizing and dreamy techno remains as captivating and fresh as ever, a notion their set at Ultra is a testament to.
The Complete Playlist
Limiting ourselves to 5 choices would be doing a disservice. Enjoy the full playlist through SoundCloud below:
Photo by Rukes
Swedish progressive house master Eric Prydz is right in the midst of his EPIC 4.0 tour with a last stop scheduled for San Francisco at the Armory this coming Saturday February 27th.
This past weekend, however, he stopped in Los Angeles with two shows at the Hollywood Palladium and separate after-parties at Exchange LA (as Eric Prydz) and Lot 613 (as Cirez D).
A recording of his Friday night set at the Palladium is live on Soundcloud. While not official and in need of a bit of clean-up, it certainly captures the impressive set that was put on display by the skilled producer and DJ.
Yesterday, it was also announced that he will be playing a Cirez D CRSSD After Dark party at Spin in San Diego on the 5th of March after his performance at the festival.
Enjoy!
Track List:
01. Cirez D – Palladium Intro ID
02. Cirez D – Voided [MOUSEVILLE]
03. Palladium ID
04. Eric Prydz – The Matrix [VIRGIN]
05. Terminal 5 ID
06. Pryda – Inox [PRYDA]
07. M83 – Midnight City (Eric Prydz Very Private Mix)
08. Pryda – The Gift (EPIC Mix) [PRYDA]
09. Pryda – Neuron [PRYDA]
10. Pryda – INOX 2009 ID (Working Title)
11. Daft Punk – Harder Better Faster Stronger [VIRGIN] w/New Order – Blue Monday (Eric Prydz Remix) [FACTORY]
12. Cirez D – New City Gas NCG ID (Working Title)
13. Cirez D – Century Of The Mouse
14. Cirez D – In The Reds
15. Pryda – Power Drive [PRYDA]
16. Faithless – Not Going Home (Eric Prydz Remix) [ULTRA] w/ Faithless – Insomnia [SONY BMG]
17. Cirez D – The Tumble [MOUSEVILLE]
18. Eric Prydz – Every Day (Interlude Mix) [PRYDA]
19. Eric Prydz – Opus [PRYDA]
20. Eric Prydz – Sunset At Cafe Mambo [VIRGIN]
Throughout the last couple of years, SoundCloud has began attempts of monetizing their popular music platform by striking deals with record labels and music groups, including Merlin, a “Global Music Rights Agency” representing over 20,000 independent labels, Warner Music Group, and more recently with giants Universal Music Group.
A recent alarming Music Business Worldwide report, however, has shed light as to SoundCloud’s overheads and how those figures are by far out-shadowing the company’s revenue of recent years. The company’s 2014 financials paint a clear picture: While revenue reached $17.35m, the company’s losses were reported at $44.19m with employee wages increasing 42.5% to 20.3m – an average of $90,785 wage per employee. The report goes on to further specify that “in the three years from 2012-2014, SoundCloud lost almost âŹ75m â but only brought in âŹ37m in income.” Read more
Time Warp US did every techno and house music fan a favor this past November by finally bringing Ricardo Villalobos back to this side of the pond for a three-hour set in Brooklyn that was the talk of many for weeks after.
Then, the German festival teased fans when it hinted on social media that a recording of the set would follow. Now it’s finally here, originally released exclusively on RecMix.
You can also directly listen to the near-three hour set via Soundcloud below:
Follow Time Warp: Online | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud
Follow Ricardo Villalobos: RA | Facebook | Soundcloud
The Canadian producer is no stranger to sharing work-in-progress with fans and feeding off of the reception he receives before finalizing his work for an official release.
Continuing with this tradition, he just uploaded two new Soundcloud clips entitled ‘ent_Hope_clk_thme’ and ‘ent_open_Alice_02’. Unsurprisingly, the uploads were accompanied by a series of tweets that see Deadmau5 share his views on the current state of electronic music:
2015 was a really shitty year for electronic music. 2016 isn’t looking any better. Someone needs to bring 2012 back.
â deadmau5 (@deadmau5) January 25, 2016
I remember getting excited to hear new shlomi aber, Phil Kieran, Jon Hopkins, dubfire… Etc. Now we’re all stuck with this other shit. â deadmau5 (@deadmau5) January 25, 2016
Keep up to date with Deadmau5 on Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud
After the release of singles such as My Neighbours Hate Me, Vnderground, Need I Say More, and Teardrop, Sydney Blu is set to release Relentless, her first full length album at the end of July.
 âI spent the past 2 years defining the sound I wanted to relay about myself to the world. This album is a great example of exactly that sound. It is also an example of the never ending, relentless passion I have to my work & art. This is Relentless. I hope people like it.â – Sydney BluÂ
Hailing from Toronto, one of Canadaâs techno capitals, Sydney Blu has developed a deep affinity for all facets of underground dance music, and Relentless is the expansive outlet in which she can showcase her sound. With a mix of driving and groovy techno thereâs something for each part of the night on Relentless. You can preview all 13 tracks from Sydney Bluâs album below, and see which ones capture the groove for you.
 Sydney Blu has completed many tours around the world, has had multiple singles enter the charts, and successfully founded the record label, Blu Music. The release of Relentless will mark another achievement in Sydneyâs career, and is sure to make an impact in the club rooms.
Relentless will be available July 27, 2015 through Black Hole Recordings
Pre-order the album on iTunes
Tickets + Guestlist:Â Relentless Album Release Party at Sound Nightclub
Sydney Blu: Official Website | Facebook | Soundcloud | Beatport
Relentless starts with a tense yet ambient intro complete with vocal treatment from widely popular dance singer/songwriter, Cari Golden. The intro then transitions into Whatâs Inside and acts as a welcoming opener to the rest of the album.
Nothing to Hide hits a deeper house groove with an elastic bassline that is soon offset by a progressive vocal break that would operate as a prime DJ tool for the club room.
The third track, Centipede, takes things in a more driving direction with a carefully treated acid bassline, ethereal pads, a dance floor friendly vocal, and drum programming that elevates the track to a peak time groove.
Up next we see Sydney Blu team up with Blue Gates to bring Electric Era. The chords dominate the spectrum on this one, but the attention quickly shifts as soon as an incredibly bouncy bassline reenters the mix. Add in the vocals of Fritz Helder, the vocalist of Azari & III) and you have everything you need ready for action.
Munich is another groove driven affair that combines sub-warming bass with tight drum programming.
Sydney Blu brings in two collaborations with D. Ramirez for the sixth and seventh track of Relentless. You Were the One and Need I Say More are primed and ready for the dance floor, but out of these two we predict the dance floor favorite to be Need I Say More.
The title of the eighth track is one that all DJâs and producers can relate to. My Neighbors Hate Me is an excellent example of a tech house track that is loaded with energy and an infectious groove.
It Doesnât Matter gives off the vibe of a long night at the afterhour. With a strong groove, the break comes as a welcome breather for those locked in to the dance marathon. But the break doesnât last long as the track dives right back into the madness with a heavily treated LFO drone that melts into the spectrum.
Teardrop is a euphoric record embodying old school progressive, combined with new age tech-house. With uplifting, dreamy vocals from Jamie Lee Wilson, Teardrop takes things to a much more nostalgic place.
Vnderground is clearly a play on our beloved term âundergroundâ, and we couldnât be more happy with the result. This one really does feel undergroundâŠliterally. Dusty snares trigger throughout the sequence with an immense low end to completely engulf anyone within the confines of the dance floor.
The twelfth track is the only remix on the album. Sydney Blu puts her musical interpretation on the famous track Mad World with Rachael Starr steeping up to provide the vocals.
Little Things focuses exactly on that, the little things. When many of the little elements come together to form a cohesive arrangement the result is a great piece of dance music. And to include the album, Sydney Blu reminds us of this with all the various textures utilized in the closing track.
In a statement released this morning, SoundCloud effectively brought the music streaming business into uncharted territory. Continuing on a string of strategic yet controversial business alliances, the company has signed an agreement with Merlin, a so-called “Global Music Rights Agency” that works on behalf of over 20,000 independent music labels. Some noteworthy labels include Warp Records, Epitaph, !K7, and thousands more. In an ongoing attempt to monetize streaming, and following increasing backlash from much of the music industry, SoundCloud seems to finally be transforming in a positive manner.
With this in mind, the Merlin deal can be seen as a stepping stone for SoundCloud to be a legitimate platform for established artists to release licensed content in an entirely legal manner.
For more information, take a look at this Interview with Music Ally in which they discuss aspects of the licensing deal
Soundcloud has been in and out of the limelight for quite some time now; previously hailed as a sanctuary for DIY artists, underground has evolved into a platform shared by industry giants and up-and-comers alike. Recently, Soundcloud has been catching a lot of heat, both from thirsty music moguls who want their piece of the pie and from frustrated unsigned artists whose tracks have been removed. We have transitioned into an era in which dance music is incredibly profitable; this can be a blessing or a curse, depending on who you ask. Electronic music and hip-hop come from sampling cultures, although many artists that came up on sampling are now pressing for royalties from artists who sample their music. Just as Pioneer has developed Kuvo, Soundcloud is developing a way to work around these issues, in which the sample content and songs can be monetized for the original creator as well as the one reappropriating it. Soundcloud has released a statement on copyright infringement, both protecting themselves from liability and outlining their views and future developments, which can be found here
For several months, Soundcloud has enjoyed partnerships with major labels such as Warner Music and its subsidiaries; while it may be too early to tell how this will affect musicians, it is clear that both Soundcloud and the labels will benefit greatly. In fact, as part of the deal, Warner Music gained a 4% agreed to indemnify Soundcloud against all prior copyright infringement. The lack of prior protocol for remixes/bootlegs/edits has created an environment which encouraged free downloads of bootlegged content. New artists need an outlet to make these edits and remixes available before they can do original content, and Soundcloud has always been that for them; we only hope that these changes will be implemented successfully, therefore continuing as a platform for all artists while ensuring that the creators of sampled/remixed content are getting their fair share. “Fair” means something different to everyone, and it will surely take some time to explore that grey area and come to an aggreement.
SoundCloud is losing money faster as it grows. While the popular music sharing and streaming service based in Berlin posted a turnover of $14.1 million in 2013 (a 40% increase from the previous yearâs revenues), its operating loss in the period more than doubled to $29.2 million in 2013 from $15.8 million in 2012.
âWe are in a phase of growing SoundCloud into the market-leading platform for listening to, creating and sharing sound,â the company notes in its annual filings. âThis has necessitated investment in technology, headcount and marketing. Our overhead base has increased faster than our revenues.â
The company is also at a deadlock at negotiations with Sony, Universal, and Warner over royalties for unauthorized uploads. âDeals with labels have been complex because they are about more than about advertising alongside content hosted and consumed on SoundCloud. There is also the issue of paying out royalties for licensed music that gets listened to on SoundCloud.â
However, SoundCloud and social media giant Twitter  launched today a feature enabling content creators to utilize Twitter âAudiocardsâ to deliver music right into their followersâ Twitter timelines on iOS and Android by hitting a play button within the Twitter app. Audiocards for the time being are exclusive to Twitterâs mobile platforms and not yet available on the desktop.
Sources:Â TechCrunch;Â hypebot
