Beatport: Skrillex and Diplo Release Surprise Jack Ü Album @ Musique Non Stop

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1. Skrillex and Diplo Release Surprise Jack Ü Album 
2. Tune in For Round Two of Beatport Live’s HYTE Amsterdam Special 
3. Disclosure Reveal Two Stacked Wild Life Lineups For Miami 
4. 5 Felix Da Housecat and K-Alexi Tracks That Did Get Into Berghain 
5. HARD Hits the Road With Star-Studded North American Tour 
6. Hear the Winner of Our Deadmau5 & Dillon Francis Remix Contest 
7. Nicolas Jaar Emerges With Epic Remix of Florence + The Machine 
8. Tune in For Jack Ü’s 24-Hour ‘Marathon DJ Party’ 
9. Daft Punk Pose Unmasked For New Sculpture Series

Skrillex and Diplo Release Surprise Jack Ü Album Posted: 26 Feb 2015 11:51 PM PST Give us your tired, huddled masses crowding around a 13″ Macbook Pro to catch every second of Jack Ü‘s marathon DJ set that’s currently streaming over on Beatport’s the Beatport Twitch channel. If you’re reading this, you’re probably a real fan, and because of that, you’re about to learn some very crucial information. Armed with enough candy for a small army and a giant Barbra Streisand head, the OWSLA/Mad Decent powerhouse duo have already torn through almost nine hours of monstrous mixes, unexpected dance moves and surprise/affiliated guests (we’re even dropping by shortly, no surprise there) — and will continue until tomorrow afternoon. However the BIG news is something fans have been awaiting for some time – many assumed today would mark the release of a Jack Ü debut record (which they’ve already begun leaking via Snapchat) and many were right. Tonight, the duo released Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü. The 10-track release has some pretty impressive collaborations, including guest appearances by 2 Chainz, Kiesza, Justin Bieber (and it’s tight) and, maybe most importantly, the queen of ’90s conceptual music videos, Missy Elliott. Check it out here. Keep watching, friends. It’s all weird from here.

Tune in For Round Two of Beatport Live’s HYTE Amsterdam Special Posted: 26 Feb 2015 04:42 PM PST Last week saw the start of Beatport Live in Amsterdam, where we got crowds warmed up ahead of HYTE's epic event inside the Elementenstraat Warehouse with a live stream pre-party. After getting motors running to the sounds of Benny Rodrigues and Boris Werner, we're back again for another round. On Saturday, February 28, we're teaming up with Twitch and HYTE once more for our second edition of Beatport Live, coming to you straight from the Beatport Amsterdam Studio. This time, we're hosting Berlin's Tobi Neumann and Dutch natives Bart Skils (pictured) and Bram Fidder, who collectively have built an impressive résumé of releases for techno labels such as Cocoon, Drumcode, KMS, 100% Pure, Tronic and more. Neumann will start the night off at 7pm CET before handing things over to Bart Skils and Bram Fidder for their respective hours. If it's got you wanting more, all three will be performing at HYTE that same night alongside Mar-T, Egbert, Paul Ritch and Pan-Pot, who will be doling out a 4-hour set. There's even more house and techno to be had at HYTE between now and March 7, from Loco Dice, Chris Liebing and Apollonia to Ben Sims, DVS1 and so much more. Streaming times – Saturday, February 28: Tobi Neumann 7-8PM CET Bart Skills 8-9PM CET Bram Fidder 9-10PM CET

Disclosure Reveal Two Stacked Wild Life Lineups For Miami Posted: 26 Feb 2015 01:53 PM PST Disclosure are going strong on their mission to bring Wild Life to virtually every corner of the world. After announcing the impending UK debut of their Wild Life festival with Rudimental, the duo are bringing the international party series back to the US for a raucous two-day romp during Miami Music Week. The first part takes place on Thursday, March 26 at Soho Studios in the Wynwood Arts District, where attendees can dance until the late hours to the sounds of Justin Martin, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, garage legend DJ EZ and special guest Carl Craig, capped by a headlining performance by the brothers Lawrence themselves. The second day, March 27, will see the party head to Thompson Miami Beach for an eleven-hour affair that'll see more dance veterans in Kevin Saunderson, Felix Da Housecat and Just Blaze, plus dirtybird boss Claude VonStroke and Disclosure's newest label signee Jonas Rathsman. (Take note that this event is 21+, unlike the previous day which is 18-and-over.) Check out the full line-up for Wild Life Miami below. It's just one of the many parties scheduled to take over Miami Music Week, in addition to Crosstown Rebels' 24-hour marathon, dirtybird's back-to-back-filled session and plenty more to be announced in the coming weeks. Decisions, decisions…

5 Felix Da Housecat and K-Alexi Tracks That Did Get Into Berghain Posted: 26 Feb 2015 01:41 PM PST If you’ve been to a club, have an internet connection or know friends who DJ, you’re likely aware that Chicago house veteran Felix Da Housecat was denied entry to Berghain last weekend alongside fellow Chi-town pioneer K-Alexi, after rocking up to “listen to some techno.” Happens to the best (some might even call it a rite of passage, for even the most lofty egos), however Felix then unleashed a typically emotional torrent of tweets expressing his extreme disapproval of the night’s events. In other words, he called them “hitler racists” and claimed they had “shitted on FRANKIE and LARRY” (Knuckles and Levan, respectfully) by refusing to let him “listen to some techno.” While there are a variety of issues at play here, the most glaring problem is that the only part of the club open in the early hours of Saturday morning is Panorama Bar, which seldom plays techno. Berghain was, in fact, closed. Be that as it may, we know and love da Housecat and the house club equally (don’t make us choose), so we’ve put together five classic tracks by Felix and K-Alexi that have made it past the bouncers and onto the dancefloors of the infamous Berlin techno haven. 1. Aphrohead – “In The Dark We Live (Thee Lite)” Released in 1993 under the Alias Aphrohead, Felix's "In The Dark We Live" is a defining moment of solid ’90s techno that has been tearing up the dancefloors of Berghain and Panorama Bar for years. Originally released on UK label Bush, the track was licensed by Emotive Records and released in the US with remixes by Dave Clarke and Junior Vasquez. Though you might not be seeing Felix at Berghain anytime soon, there's a good chance you'll hear this Aphrohead classic tearing up the dancefloor as you shuffle through the sea of bare-skinned bears, cubs and cubettes. 2. Thee Maddkatt Courtship – “Wet Wednesday” “Wet Wednesday” is the opening track on Felix's debut album Alone in the Dark (as Thee Maddkatt Courtship), released in 1994 on Deep Distraxion. With a distinctly hypnotic groove and layers of mellowed intimacy, you'll hear this track spinning at Panorama Bar as the sun seeps through the shutters, in the early hours of Sunday morning. Classic vibes. 3. Risqué III – “Essence of a Dream” An excellent deep house cut from 1987, and the first 12″ to have K-Alexi's name on the label, “Essence of a Dream” laid the groundwork for classic Chicago house and a blueprint for everything that followed. With a smooth mix of gentle strings, deep bass and sensual vocals, K-Alexi would soon come to be know for this trademark sound, as one of the true Chicago originals. An undeniable classic and Panorama Bar favorite. 4. Felix Da Housecat – “Kickdrum“ In 2009 Felix Da Housecat released the album He Was King, a self-described “pop” record, on the heels of his electroclash hits like “Silver Screen/Shower Scene” with Miss Kittin. With track names like “We All Wanna Be Prince,” and “Spank U Very Much,” one could easily overlook hard-hitting cuts like “Kickdrum” –  a lowend-loving electroclash anthem that falls somewhere between German rave and ’80s pop. Heard at Berghain! 5. Green Velvet – “Destination Unknown” (Felix Da Housecat Remix) Lending his hand to remix Green Velvet’s 1997 track “Destruction Unknown,” Felix delivers a massive dose of pulsating techno that peaks with a frenzy of crushed hi-hats and razor sharp synth stabs.  A massive tune, and a Berghain crowd pleaser.

HARD Hits the Road With Star-Studded North American Tour Posted: 26 Feb 2015 01:08 PM PST Gary Richards and the HARD crew have just stepped back onto dry land after a wild second weekend of Holy Ship, and already plans are in the works for another major excursion. HARD has just announced it's going on the road this spring for a 'Go HARD' concert tour across North America, where the team will hit five cities with a huge cast of artists in tow. The tour kicks off April 25 at Seattle's Tacoma Dome before heading south to New Orleans, Miami and Dallas; and on May 30, it's up north again to Toronto for the finale at TD Echo Beach. In typical HARD fashion, Richards is again utilizing his ahead-of-the-curve curation skills by amassing a lineup that mixes dance music with hip-hop, from Porter Robinson (who’ll be bringing his live show), Mat Zo, Eric Prydz, Tchami and Amtrac to Flosstradamus, A$AP Ferg, RL Grime, DJ Snake, Rae Sremmurd and Wax Motif, plus many more. Each city will host a different line-up that balances the scene’s biggest acts with fast-rising newcomers. Tickets for the 'Go HARD' tour go on sale tomorrow, February 27, at 10am local time (with the exception of the Dallas show, for which tickets will go on sale at 12pm noon) on the official website, where you’ll also find each city’s specialized line-up. Check out the trailer below along with the tour dates, and get ready. [Porter Robinson live photo by druf]

Hear the Winner of Our Deadmau5 & Dillon Francis Remix Contest Posted: 26 Feb 2015 11:54 AM PST A few months back, we held an open call for submissions to a very special edition of our weekly Play remix contest, featuring Dillon Francis’s remix of 2010 Deadmau5 classic “Some Chords.” As you can imagine, hundreds of producers entered, but we narrowed it down, and now one lucky “remix-of-a-remix” entrant has been chosen as our winner. Congratulations to 18-year-old Toronto native Andrei Stephen, who has won our grand prize, which includes an official release on Mau5trap, an Antelope Audio Interface and the latest pro gear. When asked about his adrenalized electro-house entry, Andrei explained: “I wanted to create a remix that was as fresh and exciting as possible, all the while retaining something familiar to listeners from the original.” The up-and-coming Canadian producer did just that — transforming the Dillon Francis remix take into an epic big-room weapon. Listen to Andrei Stephen’s winning Play remix here. Much respect Andrei, this one’s killer! Missed out? Check out our current Play remix contests, and take a shot at remixing Atari Teenage Riot, Michna and more.

Nicolas Jaar Emerges With Epic Remix of Florence + The Machine Posted: 26 Feb 2015 11:23 AM PST Having put his Darkside side-project by the wayside (for now), Nicolas Jaar has gone on a creative tear both inside and outside the studio. Following production work for DJ Slugo and an obscure alternative film score for 1969 film The Color of Pomegranates, Jaar's next move sees him gravitate toward the pop realm with a remix of Florence + the Machine. Shared earlier today, the remix is of "What Kind of Man," from the group’s forthcoming album How Big How Blue How Beautiful. In its original form, the track runs three minutes strong with a barrage of guitars and lead singer Florence Welch's impassioned vocals. When Nico Jaar's done with it, however, it's turned into a twelve-minute opus of atmospheric funk that he describes as "dark jungle disco death squad suede sex." Sounds about right. Listen to Nicolas Jaar's remix of "What Kind of Man" below. He'll have plenty of chances to test it out this summer festival season, with dates lined up thus far at Amsterdam's Lente Kabine, We Love Green in Paris, Parklife and Wild Life festivals in the UK and Sweden's Into the Valley.

Tune in For Jack Ü’s 24-Hour ‘Marathon DJ Party’ Posted: 26 Feb 2015 09:38 AM PST Since announcing the Jack Ü project, Skrillex and Diplo have been a non-stop whirlwind. Now, after 12 months of explosive festival headline slots, surprise shows and clandestine studio sessions, the duo has hatched another crazy plan. The production partners have just revealed details of an action-packed 24-hour live stream from their home base in LA. We’re also psyched to reveal that it’s all going down on Beatport’s very own Twitch channel – and right here in this story. The ‘Marathon DJ Party’ will run from 12pm Thursday, February 26 (PST) to 12pm Friday, February 27, with a madcap series of activities planned. At the center of the 24-hour family affair are masters of ceremonies Skrillex and Diplo, who’ll share the decks with a cast of friends and secret drop-ins. All in all, expect the kind of raucous party that Jack Ü is (in)famous for. Tune in to the live stream right here from 12pm PST. Watch live video from Beatport on www.twitch.tv

Daft Punk Pose Unmasked For New Sculpture Series Posted: 26 Feb 2015 08:11 AM PST While our hopes of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter emerging for a triumphant Daft Punk tour keep fading, the duo is keeping busy in other surprising ways. First, there’s the upcoming mini-movie for disco legend Nile Rodgers. Then there’s this: a new exhibition from sculptor Xavier Veilhan that features the trailblazing producers unmasked and immortalized in birch plywood. As Veilhan tells it, Thomas and Guy-Man were happy to be 3D scanned – as ‘civilians’, not robots – for the project. “The funny thing is I didn’t even ask them,” Veilhan told The Creators Project’s Emerson Rosenthal. “It was a very logical response to my proposal: I proposed to introduce them as producers, not as musicians, and so after talking to them, we decided that they should appear with their civilian names. […] They proposed to me: ‘Okay, we should make the sculpture the non-existing image of us. So if somebody wants to see how we are like in real [life] they’ll have to look at the sculpture.” Veilhan’s sculpture series, simply titled Music, also features renditions of Random Access Memories collaborator Giorgio Moroder, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Rick Rubin (his famous beard apparently posed a sculpting challenge), The Neptunes and Philippe Zdar. Music is now showing in New York City until April 11 at Galerie Perrotin. [Photos: Galerie Perrotin]