Musique Non Stop - Jazz, Funk, Soul, Broken Beat, Electro, Electronic, Funk / Nu Disco, NU Jazz, House, Techno, Ambient, Lo-Fi, Downtempo... and Many More!
The legendary Visionquest crew, featuring Lee Curtiss, Ryan Crosson, & Shaun Reeves, is back in town this Thursday, July 2nd, for a night of underground revelry at Sound Nightclub in Hollywood! The last time these house & techno maestros graced LA a while back, they threw one of the best parties of the year, and if the night wasn’t cut off by the 4am curfew, they would have kept the dance floor pumping well through sunrise.
In celebration of this show, we’re giving away a VIP experience including a table for you +5 and more, so enter to win above and kick off your 4th of July weekend proper with Visionquest.
Last week we covered a huge remix of ASTR from Figgy. Today, we’ve got an equally massive edition from LEFTI. Driving disco chords perfectly describe this one. Really tough sound from this one, and it stands out nicely from the rest of the remix support. The balance of the harmony of the overlying melody and rough bass create a really cool vibe, and you can grab it for free. Download it now and look out for more from LEFTI.
On 24 June, French TV screened the long-awaited Daft Punk documentary. Here’s what to look out for when it is screened in Britain
Much is written about Darlin’, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo’s pre-Daft Punk group, which featured Phoenix’s Laurent Brancowitz on guitar and gave rise to the Daft Punk name, via a scathing review in Melody Maker. But they are rarely seen in action.
• Nero Unveils Brand New Single, ‘Two Minds’
• Guy Gerber and Miss Kittin partner on Rumors On The Dancefloor
• DJ Sprinkles Believes the Changes to Japan’s ‘No Dancing’ Rule Dismisses Larger Issues
Nero Unveils Brand New Single, ‘Two Minds’
Grammy Award-winning, Ivor Novello-nominated trio NERO return this year with an album that celebrates a sense of love among the ruins, and cements their reputation as one of Britain’s most exciting bands. It both complements 2012’s Number One albumWelcome Reality (and attendant hits ‘Me & You,’ ‘Guilt’, and the chart-topping smash ‘Promises’) and pushes the band’s apocalyptic and frequently romantic electronic sound further than ever before. As ‘Into The Past,’ their 2013 contribution to Baz Luhrmann’s Great Gatsby soundtrack hinted, and their 2015 Coachella headline slot proved, the now fully formed three-piece are more finely tuned now than ever before.
Between II Worlds will be released on August 28 on MTA / Virgin EMI Records.
The new single ‘Two Minds’ will be released a week prior on August 21.
NERO will headline the Pepsi stage at Wireless Festival next Friday. Performances at Lollapalooza and V Festival have also just been announced, alongside a plethora of other festival dates throughout the summer.
A special intimate fan show has also just been announced, which will take place at London’s Village Underground on July 28. Tickets available here.
The release of Between II Worlds marks Nero stepping slightly out of the shadows, with Alana front and centre like never before, now a fully fledged member of the band. Dan feels the shift in focus is a significant step. “Not many electronic acts have just one singer, but we always wanted to go out like a band,” he says, adding with a laugh: “It’s especially nice as Joe and I can just blend into the background.”
Completed in London during the spring of 2015, Between II Worlds began life three years ago in LA, in the Hollywood Hills house where Orson Welles wrote Citizen Kane. Alana’s often fragile vocals provide a brilliantly hypnotic foil to Dan and Joe’s uncompromising, hard-edged production, while that production is informed by an enigmatic retro-futuristic ideology, with its nods to Ridley Scott’s vision of a decrepit future in Blade Runner, that runs through the band’s entire identity.
NERO may be enigmatic, but the snapshots scattered throughout Between II Worlds build a picture of a band entering an exciting new phase. And it’s a phase that celebrates intense but accessible songwriting alongside the myriad musical styles that continue to inform the Nero sound.
“People talk about genres a lot,” Dan explains. “But for NERO it’s never been about any genres. It’s about electronic music, and it’s about us.”
Fans who pre-order the album will receive Satisfy, Dark Skies, and Between II Worlds instantly.
Guy Gerber and Miss Kittin partner on Rumors On The Dancefloor
Guy Gerber and Miss Kittin have collaborated on a new single called “Rumors On The Dancefloor.”
Due out July 31st, the record is coming out via Rumors, the record label and party series Gerber launched in 2014. Following recent collaborations with Puff Daddy and Seth Troxler, Gerber’s latest studio partner is Miss Kittin, real name Caroline Hervé, who also has some late ’90s demos she recorded with The Hackercoming out on US label Dark Entries next month. “Rumors On The Dancefloor” has been divided into two parts spilt across one 12-inch.
In 2015 Gerber is again taking Rumors to Ibiza. This time round he’s throwing weekly word-of-mouth parties at Beachouse in Playa d’en Bossa.
Tracklist A Rumors On The Dancefloor (Part 1) B Rumors On The Dancefloor (Part 2)
Rumors will release Rumors On The Dancefloor on July 31st, 2015.
DJ Sprinkles Believes the Changes to Japan’s ‘No Dancing’ Rule Dismisses Larger Issues
The ‘no dancing’ rule in Japan may be relaxed as of next year, but DJ Sprinkles reckons the change has come to “comfort” the politicians who’ve “suppressed Japanese club cultures”.
As of 2016, the altered legislation means clubs and nighttime venues can stay open for 24 hours, if they meet lighting regulations, ending the 67-year-old Fueiho law. But US producer Sprinkles believes there are still other issues that need to dealt with.
“We find their declaration dangerously capitulatory to right-wing and capitalist agendas, and culturally detrimental in its failure to address the ongoing difficulties faced by those in the sex industry and other trades whose lives will remain under the control of the Fueiho after the anticipated revisions regarding dance are finalized.
“We remind them that the larger issue at hand is not simply the ‘right to dance,’ but the policing of our bodies and their movements – both physically and socially. In relation to clubs themselves, we remind them that the proposed revisions primarily impact the workings of major venues (‘mega clubs’), and do nothing to alleviate the legal and social risks faced daily by the small venues that form the foundations of Japan’s underground club cultures.”
Our latest roundup of the electronic scene offers abstract futurist statements, 1980s testosterone swagger and essential Ibizan poolside selections
Here’s further proof that the Janus crew in Berlin are making some of the definitive statements in today’s electronic avant-garde. Avoiding stiff-collared conservatoire pieces and milquetoast prettiness, M.E.S.H – like Lotic, Total Freedom and other Janus acolytes, as well as peers like Arca and Holly Herndon – uses the syntax of trap and techno, but in garbled futurist statements. Epithet is another bunch of tea leaves to parse for meaning: there are startled sirens, placid twinkles, shuffling bursts of breakbeat, and pounding drums that sound like bailiffs battering in your doors of perception. All the violence and instability of digital culture is laid bare.
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by Ben Beaumont-Thomas via Electronic music | The Guardian
It’s taken eight years but the former Late Of The Pier frontman has morphed into a self-styled “Earth Shaman” with a fantastical debut album. Could he be the next psych-pop genius?
The green, green hills of Wales’ Montgomeryshire would seem like the ideal place to disappear. Sheep greatly outnumber humans, and you’re more likely to come across a red kite than a 3G signal. Even the area’s newest resident, Sam Eastgate AKA Samuel Dust, calls it “a gap on the map”. Except this is the countryside scene of Sam’s great rebirth, the place where – five years after abdicating his role as leader of cultish indie ravers Late Of The Pier, and eight years since first anointing himself LA Priest – he finally got his head together and finished his debut solo album.
I’m just getting used to the idea that it’s been five years since I released anything
When a riff makes you homesick, when a single note snaps you back to the smell of summer grass, when the hum of a chorus fills up your insides with love: this is the power of a song. And there's always at least one song that conveys who we are, that gets at the root of our ideas about identity, country and home.
Canada means something different to every person. There's good and bad to be found inside its borders, and plenty of challenges to overcome and opportunities for improvement. But it's home.
For our Canada Day playlist, we asked CBC Music producers and CBC producers to tell us about the one song that always makes them think of Canada no matter what. From Joni Mitchell, Rascalz and Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet to the Weakerthans, Hey Rosetta! and Spirit of the West, this is our Canada.
In Canada, we love it when one of our own gets recognition outside our borders. That's what happened to Quebec's France Joli in 1979 when she filled in at the last minute for Donna Summer at a big outdoor party at Fire Island, N.Y. The crowd of 5,000 went wild and her disco anthem "Come to Me" shot to the top of the pop charts. Joli was 16 at the time. The song reminds me of Montreal at the height of the disco era: carefree, optimistic and fun. — Robert Rowat
"One Great City" might not simmer with Tom Cochrane-level patriotism, but it’s as Canadian as you can get. Don’t blame John K. Samson for the downtrodden "I hate Winnipeg" refrain — after all, what Canadian doesn’t have a love/hate relationship with his hometown? — Adam Carter
Every Canadian who grew up in the '90s will recognize this instrumental classic before the opening bass note is complete. A ready stand-in for our national anthem if there ever was one. Bonus points for its connection to the CBC. — Mark Macarthur
These Newfoundlanders penned this soaring pop song as they were driving along Highway 17, a long stretch of road that runs from just outside the nation's capital, up through northern Ontario, right to the Manitoba border. Not only is this a tribute to that portion of the Trans-Canada Highway, it's an ode to that tender age between childhood and adulthood — precisely when I spent summers on family road trips, taking in the natural splendour of province after province through the window of our little Toyota Tercel. — Emma Godmere
OK, call me a shill but I've got to speak my truth: Shad's critical yet celebratory "Fam Jam" is the ultimate song for my Canada. It has been since before I worked with the guy. This line gets me every time: "Now when you're third world-born, but first world-formed, sometimes you feel pride, sometimes you feel torn." — Fabiola Carletti
Constantines' Tournament of Hearts came out when I was 15, and it kicked my ass. It was the first time I saw Canadian rock music as not only dynamic, but a true force to be reckoned with, and it was captained by Constantines. On a side note, I also used to restart the home screen on NHL 2K7 if it didn't start with "Working Full-Time." — Kerry Martin
There is very little more purely Canadian than Spirit of the West's "Home for a Rest." From the completely distinctive opening guitar strings, to the memories of chugging root beer before realizing the song was about binge drinking, this track oozes Canada. — Alex Redekop
As a kid in Scarborough, I lived in a Canada that wasn't as cool as the U.S. and a part of the city that felt like a Toronto afterthought. So, Kardinal Offishall's "Bakardi Slang" is a refreshing homage to the T-dot (when it was still called that) where I grew up. — Nicolle Weeks
The Barenaked Ladies were always unapologetically Canadian, but not in a way that suggested they were trying to promote Toronto to the world. They were just comfortable name-checking Toronto intersections and fixtures (GO Trains, Birchmount Stadium, Jane and St. Clair, buying a house on the old Danforth) so that you could follow their stories with a type of familiarity befitting of a Margaret Atwood novel. — NW
When Sam Roberts wrote this tune back in 1999, he wasn’t scared of the political implications of spelling out S-O-C-I-A-L-I-S-M in a song about the Canadian dream. Because the unknown Montreal musician was pretty sure nobody would ever hear it. Fast-forward a decade, and "Canadian Dream" was sent to Barack Obama as part of a playlist to prime the pres on all things Canada. Which, according to this song, includes left-wing politics, superior spelling skills, frozen things and, of course, incredible music. — Talia Schlanger
"Breathe in the air and the stillness of the bay/ intensity of stars reflected in the water" reminds me of summer nights at the cottage out on the lake with the beauty of nature surrounding. — Cathy Irving
When this song came out in 1997, it meant so much to me as a small-town kid who was obsessed with rap from New York City. I thought that Canadian rap was inferior, and then here comes this amazing anthem consisting of rappers from B.C. and Toronto that actually took pride in being from the North (well before #wethenorth was a thing). For years afterward, through university and travelling abroad, I would play this song for anybody who dared to say they didn't like rap. And it always reminded me of Canada. With a chorus like that, how could it not? — Jesse Kinos-Goodin
The song is about Indian residential schools and the government's apology. It is an important part of Canada's history that should never be forgotten. We, as Indigenous Peoples, did not talk about residential schools for decades but in the last six or so years, these stories have been shared more and more. The media has covered it more and more. Murray was one of the first Aboriginal artists to write about residential schools, and his album, Songs Lived and Life Played, was recognized with a Juno Award! Whenever he plays this song live people cry, including Murray himself. — Kim Wheeler
As soon as Kim Harris sings, "In the woods, I find peace," I'm walking through a coastal forest in Nova Scotia, removed from every busy little thing, listening to her gorgeous voice guide me through the trees. It's so clear that Harris is herself rooted in nature, both in her native Newfoundland and chosen Nova Scotia home, that this song never fails to remind me of all the quiet, outdoor East Coast pockets, waiting for us on the outskirts of each city. — Holly Gordon
How can a song break your heart in half — ribcage-cracked-open levels of vulnerability — and still feel so resilient, so defiant, so honest and so very much like home? Whenever I'm on the road, drawing my own map of Canada on a barroom napkin, this is the song that swallows me whole like a dream. — Andrea Warner
This gorgeous, nine-minute instrumental piece of music is found in the back half of Evening Hymns' Spectral Dusk. It's a heavy record if you're willing to dig into it and this song provides a space to breathe, reflect and take it all in. And isn't that a bit what Canada is? A space where, no matter what you look like, who you love or where you were raised, you can find your space to breathe, reflect and just take it all in. — Judith Lynch
Other stage Without gimmicks beyond their light show, and no parade of guest stars, the DJ duo simply serve up a festival-closing menu of nostalgic beats
In superstar DJ terms, the Chemical Brothers are old-school purists. Not for them the Skrillex spaceship, the Flying Lotus cuboid net or the Calvin Harris approach of marking every drop with several grand’s worth of pyro and demanding “put your hands in the air right now!” like he’s doing over a Barclays.
No, they’re of the pressing-boxes-in-the-dark school, eschewing Ronson’s special-guest bonanzas for taped appearances from Noel Gallagher (Setting Sun), Q-Tip (Galvanize) and Kele Okereke (Believe), letting their monstrous beats provide the fireworks. At one point a gigantic clockwork robot is lowered from the heavens as if to mock the EDM wedge-pocketers and their ridiculous onstage toys.
West Holts Elemental dance of balletic vogue moves that can be counted with the greatest art being made on the planet today
Halfway through FKA twigs’s performance of Video Girl, I didn’t think my Glasto music experience would be surpassed – it was an exquisite demonstration of tempo, speeding up and down like a panic attack coming in and out of control. Even the crane camera suddenly drew back, startled from one burst of movement.
But surpassed it was. Over the subsequent set, twigs showed off psychosexual theatre, futurist love song and elemental dance that can be counted with the greatest art being made on the planet today. Her band were masterful, triggering drums and samples live – at one point this involved a percussion solo being played forwards, then backwards, in perfect symmetry.
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by Ben Beaumont-Thomas via Electronic music | The Guardian
Silver Hayes and Shangri-La are where the festival truly comes alive, with gridlocks of party chasers rubbing shoulders with drag queens and DJs
“Look, it’s Jesus! If we push through we might be able to get to the front. We can’t miss Jesus!” No, the Dalai Lama’s Glastonbury appearance has not been upstaged by Christ’s return – it’s 5am in the middle of Shangri-La and a new electronic supergroup who call themselves J.E.S.u.S. are giving the crowds a different kind of spiritual healing. Of course, they are playing the Heaven stage.
Forget Yeezy: these are four of club music’s wildest international party DJs, Glasgow’s house hedonist Jackmaster, moustachioed Detroit techno dude Seth Troxler, Bristolian tech-house producer Eats Everything and Croydon dubstepper Skream, who take everyone back to the halcyon days of classic house, jacking acid techno and voluptuous, deep grooves, just for fun. It’s an endlessly euphoric, smile-spreading set, and just the soundtrack to uplift you as someone tries to wee in your welly boot.
In 2007, Sam Eastgate released a single track under the name LA Priest. It’s taken him eight years to follow it up with an album, the major distraction being his dance-rock quartet Late of the Pier. Since the Leicestershire band split up in 2010 – prematurely, given the promise of their debut Fantasy Black Channel – Eastgate has reportedly been building synths in a Welsh mountain retreat and studying electromagnetic phenomena in Greenland. The years have had a mellowing effect, but they haven’t dulled Eastgate’s eclecticism. He’s taken a kitchen-sink approach on the new album, melding psych rock and disco with electronics that recall Aphex Twin. Inji feels disjointed at moments but Eastgate’s stoned insouciance papers most of the cracks.
Other stage
Rudimental’s riotous energy keeps the crowd bouncing like a giant exercise class, helped along by a procession of guests from George Clinton to Dizzee Rascal
It’s right around this time that I’ve started to regret not wearing wellies: the Other stage is a slopfest. The warmup DJ plays a Foo Fighters track and you’re reminded just how massive it would have been if they’d have played on the Pyramid on Friday.
But instead we have Rudimental and a mass of people slipping and sliding to their drum’n’bass anthems. For this Hackney sound system, however, it’s carnival 365 days a year. Their set is a constant shape-shifting coterie of guest singers, jumping hype men, pogoing brass players and soul, house, bass and rudeboy ragga hybrids that pump harder than Fitness First at peak time. In fact, watching them bound across the stage is enough to convince you to sign up to one on Monday.
Dear lord it is entire too hot for house music right now… at least in LA. On the real, its nice to pump the breaks on the dancefloor jams for a minute and take a minute to smell the flowers, and the indie rock and other stuff. This 20-track playlist united Colby J. + brohlson and it does not disappoint. From Leon Bridges to Thundercat, theres a whole lot of fun packed into this bad boy, but no house music. BC its too damn hot!!!
• Nicholas Jaar released his new album, “Pomegranates,” for free • Beatport announce embed player
• Chance The Rapper to star in a murder mystery
Nicholas Jaar released his new album, “Pomegranates,” for free
Though many were excited by the mere announcement that he had a new 12″ on the way, it looks like Nicolas Jaar has just released his new album for free online.
The new LP, titled Pomegranates, was adapted from Jaar’s re-scoring of the Soviet film The Color Of Pomegranateswhich he released earlier this year, however he is quick to note in the downloaded materials that this version of the album does not synch up with the movie.
The download comes with some photographs, a lengthy note from Jaar talking about the album, and a pictures of record labels that strongly hint at a future vinyl release. Interestingly, Jaar explains in his note that most of this music was completed before he ever saw the film, but the two became tied together once he discovered it. Read that excerpt below:
A the beginning of 2015 my friend Milo heard some of these songs and told me about the film. I watched it and was dumbfounded. I felt the aesthetic made complete sense with the strange themes I had been obsessed with over the past couple of years. I was curious to see what my songs sounded like when synced with the images, which turned into a 2-day bender where I soundtracked the entire film, creating a weird collage of the ambient music I had made over the last 2 years.
The film gave me a structure to follow and themes to stick to. It gave clarity to this music that was made mostly out of and through chaos. It also gave me the balls to put it out… I wanted to do some screenings but the guy who owns the rights to the film only wants the original version of the movie out there. I can’t blame him, I’m sure Paradjanov wouldn’t want some kid in NY pissing all over his masterpiece and calling it a soundtrack! I’ve listened to it a couple of times without watching the movie and I think it stands on its own. Or at least I hope it can!
Finally, click the link below to download Nicolas Jaar’s new album:
Beatport has unveiled a new embeddable streaming platform that will compensate artists for plays.
The new service is meant to complete with SoundCloud, according to a profile in Billboard. Beatport’s new player is available for all the tracks they sell, and will be embeddable across all sorts of websites and players. Rights holders and artists will be paid for every single stream, though the exact amount is unknown at this time. And unlike Spotify’s embed function, it won’t require an account to play.
You can see an example of the player below.
“Supporting artists has been a core value at Beatport since day one,” says Beatport’s Clark Warner. “Our embeddable streaming music player not only helps artists promote their music by making it available wherever their fans live online, but we are also taking the necessary steps to pay rights holders for each listen so artists get paid.”
Chance the Rapper is going to star in a forthcoming mystery movie called Slice, which traces the aftermath of a pizza delivery driver’s murder. The film is set to come out next year, and according to Complex it will be directed by Austin Vesely, who also directed Surf’s “Sunday Candy” video.
Chance the Rapper’s last starring role was in the short film Mr. Happy, which came out in March.
Producers rejoice, as our friends at Point Blank London have teamed up with Novation and Focusrite to give away a huge pack of goodies. The 1st prize consists of a Novation Launchkey 25 MKII, Novation Launchpad MKII and Audiohub 2×4 interface – plus they’re throwing in a Point Blank online course worth big bills. If you’re not the lucky winner of the 1st prize, they also have a great 2nd prize for you, in the form of a Focusrite iTrack Dock and iPad Mini. All you do is have to register here for your chance to win. Good luck!
Whether you refer to these boys as RÜFÜS DU SOL or RÜFÜS, man do they make a triumphant return. There has been a bit of radio silence from this Aussie trio since have released some of their biggest, more defining tracks like “Take Me” and “Desert Night.” Thus, the release of the first single off their sophomore album comes into open arms. “You Were Right” is a beaute of a track, with some wonderfully ear-piercing synths and a charming melody. If this is any indication of the rest of the album, we’re in for a treat from RÜFÜS DU SOL.
How did two classically trained jazz nerds from Katoomba set the gold standard for a hip-hop crossover in the Australian charts – and beyond?
“I remember coming out of the studio and hearing a rumbling sound. Luke slid past sideways in his car, doing a massive handbrake turn, looking me right in the eye.”
Drummer-producer Angus Stuart (El Gusto) is talking about keyboardist-producer Luke Dubber (Dubs), the other half of production duo Hermitude whose Dark Night Sweet Light album reached No 1 in the Australian charts in May.
We didn’t even realise you had to gig to get known
It seems like commercial radio suddenly started liking good music, too
Footwork is a breakneck mutation of ghetto house that’s been banging out of speakers at upwards of 150BPM since the late 90s. In Chicago, it encourages the very specific dance style of its title: twisty foot movements that fall between house dance and breakdancing. For the rhythmically challenged, that means toe-tapping at a furious speed to its frenetic mix of jackhammer vocal samples and skittering, pounding lo-fi drum machines. The genre has been in the ascendant for a while but, notably, its progenitors are focused on pushing things forward; thus, footwork founder RP Boo’s second album is both an introduction to the sound and a snapshot of where it’s going. Suicide is a techno-edged thumper of the kind Detroit DJ Kevin Saunderson might crank up at 7am. Let’s Dance Again has echoes of gauzy R&B beneath the crackling drums, while Sleepy has horns that Hudson Mohawke would approve of. And, typical of a producer who makes music for battling, there’s more swagger than a pair of John Wayne’s chaps.
Markus “Notch” Persson is not only known for creating one of the most popular games in electronic history, but has quickly made a presence for himself in the dance music world by hosting parties around the world with the biggest names in the scene. Amidst last week’s E3 conference in downtown Los Angeles, Notch decided to blow there roof off the gamer gathering and team up with Production Club (masters behind the visual experience of Skrillex, Zedd, Martin Garrix and more) to throw a huge party under massive dome in the middle of the Los Angeles Coliseum.
The party featured the world’s largest inflatable dome in the world (not kidding – had to be shipped over from India just for one night) and a plethora of projectors to dance visuals across the concave canvas. The visual experience was other worldly, making you feel literally in another dimension.
Oh did we forget to mention the music? The soundtrack was provided by LA’s own Skrillex, Team Ezy and Bones, along with special guests DJ Snake and Diplo. An exclusive guest list of fans and friends made for one of the most memorable nights in the galaxy… er, so it appeared!
In a way, it’s no surprise that LA Priest’s Sam Dust has released a debut that sounds as if each song was written by a different artist. He blurred genres while fronting Late of the Pier from 2004 until 2010, imbuing that band’s thrillingly eclectic take on nu-ravey pop with an irrepressible teenage energy. Now, in his mid-20s, he’s pouring varying thicknesses of woozy, 70s pop shimmer over Inji, sliding from joyous dance music to langorous balladry in a way that’s wildly inventive and surprisingly cohesive. He conjurs up Basement Jaxx on Party Zute/Learning to Love, Prince on opening track Occasion, and the bubbling pyschedelia of friend and past collaborator Connan Mockasin on A Good Sign. All the while, Dust’s skewed approach to synthpop, funk and electronica feels unbridled and explorative, serving as a reminder that pulling from a variety of influences can produce sparkling results when done by a capable pair of hands.
They are two of Canada's best-known music personalities, but soon they will be handed an even more supreme power: to choose the country's next best donut.
Tim Hortons has just launched its third annual Duelling Donuts contest, which has thousand of Canadians offering up their best spin on the holey pastry.
This year, participants are being asked to propose a donut inspired by a family recipe.
The eight quarterfinalists will have their donut creations judged by a panel of famous Canadians, among them Deadmau5 — who did a whole video series that involved taking Canadian celebs to Tim Horton's for coffee — as well as Jann Arden and Sophie Tweed-Simmons (daughter of KISS rocker Gene Simmons).
The Canadian public will then vote on which two donuts will be sold in Tim Hortons in the new year. The most popular donut takes home a $10,000 grand prize.
Last year, nearly 77,000 people entered.
“If last year was any indication, my fellow judges will soon know just how hard it is to pick the best four donuts," said Arden in a release, "but I’m sure they’ll enjoy getting there!”
Starting this week, Canadians can visit DuellingDonuts.ca to enter. Deadline is July 21.
Chic legend is in awe of Australian country star’s banjo playing
Throughout the glorious late-career renaissance of Nile Rodgers – with Chic becoming a surefire festival hit, and Get Lucky conquering the world – it has seemed there has only been one thing missing: an EDM collaboration with an Australian country singer. If that’s what you’ve been wishing for, your wishes are to come true.
From the radio waves to the festival stages, Fono‘s house anthem “Real Joy” has been rinsed far and wide this year. The single finally got it’s highly anticipated remix package, flexing a club edit from Duke Dumont, a junglist loving take from TC, and our favorite – a chunky jackin flip from house mogul Chris Lake and mysterious collaborator Rrotik. Lake & Rrotik take the cake on this one, giving the original a fat low end and dicing the vocal into its own instrument. Early support for their remix already comes from Gorgon City, Treasure Fingers, Pete Tong, Annie Mac, Moguai, Danny Howard, EDX, Max Vangeli, Paul Oakenfold, and Fono himself. Listen to the full stream below and download exclusively on iTunes!
We hear from the teams behind the late-night Block 9, Shangri-La and Unfairground areas, in the lead-up to the festival’s kick-off on Thursday
Glastonbury’s late-night areas don’t do partying by halves. From Block 9, with its New York cab and London tube carriage smashed into the side of a tower block, to Shangri-La’s maze of venues and the Unfairground’s warped, circus-themed tents and moving sculptures, there’s more than enough on offer to usher in each bleary-eyed sunrise.
RA Guide app released for iPhone with Android to follow, promising a more dance-focused alternative to apps like Songkick and Dice
Electronic music site Resident Advisor has launched its first app for its community of fans, taking its listings for clubs and concerts mobile.
The free RA Guide app has been launched for iPhone, with an Android version to follow at a later point, and will provide listings for more than one million artists, venues and events, including ticket sales.
It’s a hill that plenty of people have tried to die on: which band is Canada’s best? While we thought narrowing down last year’s list of the 100 greatest Canadian songs was difficult, it seems that deciding best bands with a staff of music lovers of all ages sprawled coast to coast is no less polarizing. Apparently we love a challenge, but the dust has settled and we're pleased to present CBC Music's 100 best Canadian bands ever.
The talent in this country is unparalleled, the scope of our music as vast and diverse as the landscape. A strong foundation of musicians and bands have worked hard and continue to work hard; they are known and proven quantities who hold their own on an international scale, making Canada one of the biggest and most exciting music hotspots in the world.
To help us celebrate these 100 bands, we’ve invited an incredible array of musicians, actors and writers to be unofficial cheerleaders and endorse each selection on the list. Among the wonderful people who were eager to discuss their favourite Canadian bands are Father John Misty, Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, Josh Groban, Jim Treliving, Thomas Golubic (music director for The Walking Dead), k.d. lang and so many more.
Bands 100-81 are in the gallery above, and over the next week we'll reveal sets of 20 until we hit the full 100. Come Canada Day, tune in to Radio 2 all day long to hear artists and Radio 2 hosts celebrate their favourite bands from the list. From 6:30 to 7 p.m., Rich Terfry will count down the top five in its entirety. On July 3, Nana aba Duncan will count down the entire top 20 as part of the Radio 2 Top 20 countdown.
On Radio One, CBC Music’s Lana Gay will host Beyond the Charts, a show about Canadians' stories of where the top five Canadian bands have taken them. Listen in at 4 p.m. on July 1.
Now that we've shown you ours, how about you show us yours? What's your pick for the best Canadian band ever? Tell us on Twitter #CBCMusic100 or in the comments below.
It’s a hill that plenty of people have tried to die on: which band is Canada’s best? While we thought narrowing down last year’s list of the 100 greatest Canadian songs was difficult, it seems that deciding best bands with a staff of music lovers of all ages sprawled coast to coast is no less polarizing. Apparently we love a challenge, but the dust has settled and we're pleased to present CBC Music's 100 best Canadian bands ever.
The talent in this country is unparalleled, the scope of our music as vast and diverse as the landscape. A strong foundation of musicians and bands have worked hard and continue to work hard; they are known and proven quantities who hold their own on an international scale, making Canada one of the biggest and most exciting music hotspots in the world.
To help us celebrate these 100 bands, we’ve invited an incredible array of musicians, actors and writers to be unofficial cheerleaders and endorse each selection on the list. Among the wonderful people who were eager to discuss their favourite Canadian bands are Father John Misty, Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, Josh Groban, Jim Treliving, Thomas Golubic (music director for The Walking Dead), k.d. lang and so many more.
Bands 100-81 are in the gallery above, and over the next week we'll reveal sets of 20 until we hit the full 100. Come Canada Day, tune in to Radio 2 all day long to hear artists and Radio 2 hosts celebrate their favourite bands from the list. From 6:30 to 7 p.m., Rich Terfry will count down the top five in its entirety. On July 3, Nana aba Duncan will count down the entire top 20 as part of the Radio 2 Top 20 countdown.
On Radio One, CBC Music’s Lana Gay will host Beyond the Charts, a show about Canadians' stories of where the top five Canadian bands have taken them. Listen in at 4 p.m. on July 1.
Now that we've shown you ours, how about you show us yours? What's your pick for the best Canadian band ever? Tell us on Twitter #CBCMusic100 or in the comments below.
British duo Dusky have a way with dance music. It seems like everything they release is straight gold. Seems about right, they’ve been at it together since 2011, touring the world and releasing some of the hottest records in the galaxy. Their latest is called “Skin Deep,” and this boy is infectious. Simple progressive melody, soulful vocal samples, and an unmistakable Dusky house vibe will have you dancing the whole way through. Grab it on Beatport.
Our buds at Point Blank London had one hell of a sit-down with Dubfire. The legendary producer divulged information about many aspects of his career, from his upbringing to his massive career. Specifically, he goes in depth about all of the wonderful technology he has used to make him the music master he is today. They were absolutely stoked to be joined by him for a Point Blank masterclass – watch the video above and make sure you subscribe to their channel for more tutorials, interviews and live events.
Bijou and Ryan Collins have just teamed up to give away an absolute heater. BBHMM samples exactly what you think it would. “Bitch better have my money” flows seemlessly through the tough g-house production, making for a welcome addition to any DJ set. Bodhi Collective never fails with these dope releases, so make sure to keep an eye on all involved parties for more jams. Download BBHMM for free!
Famed movie composer James Horner has died in a single-engine plane crash in the Los Pares National Forest in southern California. He was 61.
The prolific composer scored over 100 films, among them the blockbusters Titanic, Braveheart, A Beautiful Mind, Field of Dreams, Apollo 13, Avatar, Aliens and dozens more.
He won two Oscars, two Golden Globes and myriad other honours.
His first major film score was for the 1979 film The Lady in Red, when he was just 28 years old, and he won mainstream success three years later when he worked on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
He was also the composer behind the career-defining Celine Dion song "My Heart Will Go On."
Tributes have been pouring in on social media, including from Dion, director Ron Howard, singer Josh Groban and more.
"Shaken by the tragic death of James Horner. We send our prayers and deepest condolences to his family and friends." http://pic.twitter.com/6ngV2fcIaf
Figgy is no stranger to the GottaDanceDirty feed. This producers dreamy tunes have a tendency to float just nice through the airwaves, perfect Summer jams. His latest remix is one of the official sort, for none other than ASTR. “Activate Me” has seen some noteable remix attention from the likes of Darkchild and LEFTI, but this one is something else. Super smooth synths dance atop the vocals, get ready for a nice ride.
“A soundtrack to infinity” sounds like the sort of thing a hairy bunch of proggers might say about their new album, but Sheffield post-rock outfit 65daysofstatic can actually lay claim to making one, or at least something very close. The band have been chosen to write the soundtrack for the much-anticipated PlayStation 4 game No Man’s Sky, where the player flies by spacecraft through a galaxy that, in playable terms, will be neverending: it comprises more than 18 quintillion planets, each with its own flora, fauna and, of course, lethal robotic drones, and each needs a soundscape to fit. Manic Miner it ain’t.
Our bud Le Youth will be spinning a big party up north in a few weeks alongside SatinJackets at Mezzanine coming up in July. Brought to you by Take 2 and Beautiful Buzzz, this one promises to be huge. Calling home base Los Angeles and Germany, respectively, these acts will bring a little something for everyone. Make sure to grab tickets now, as pre-sale has already come and gone!
The Red Baron is an up-and-coming producer out of San Diego, and he’s been enlisted for an official remix for Bahari. The track is “Wild Ones,” and Baron encorporates a wild melody into the mix. Smooth vocals and dreamy percussive elements lead you up cool bass-heavy section. With violin and mandolin personally sampled in the track, this guy really aimed to show his diverse handle on sound. Enjoy this, the latest from The Red Baron.
Our favorite Parisian, Zimmer, worked with Norwegian singer Emilie Adams for “Escape”. It’s the first track of his “Coming of Age” EP to be released July 10 on Roche Musique. Escape is deep, with warm tones and ethereal vocals, backed by a catchy piano line, before the drop speeds things up. We’re looking forward to hear the rest of the EP.
New Order have announced details of their 10th studio album, Music Complete. Released via Mute, the followup to 2005’s Waiting For The Siren’s Call will be released on 25 September.
Produced mostly by New Order, with two tracks in the hands of the Chemical Brothers’ Tom Rowlands and one track, Superheated, featuring production from Stuart Price, their statement explains that this new album “finds the group revitalised, and where the group has where the group has previously pushed toward electronics or guitars, here the two are in balance.”
With industrial techno, kraut-pop, grime kingpins and a digital trade show, Barcelona’s electronic knees-up is by turns dizzying and momentous
A festival like Sónar does not care for lethargy. It takes one look at your weak limbs then drills you with intense electronic beats that sound like parallel universes being ripped apart. I know this because, at 4pm on Friday, I’m being engulfed by industrial-spiked techno so menacing that any exhaustion has run away in abject fear. The person responsible for this is Vessel, a young Bristolian producer on a mission to turn any venue he plays into a boiler room with distorted warning sirens on loop. His music is vast and impressively brutal.
The irony is that, while Vessel is as cold as steel inside, outside the Barcelona sun is burning hot. Across the street from the festival, local schoolchildren are hosting a talent show in the playground and singing Shake It Off. But within the festival walls, there are experimental artists in every shadowy corner. It doesn’t matter what the temperature is: any time is a good time to showcase electronic music that is redefining the cutting edge. One minute you can be outside on the AstroTurf watching violinist Owen Pallett’s majestic kraut-pop as people soak each other with water balloons, the next you’re sat in an auditorium, locked in drone duo KTL’s vice-like grip, and thinking that this is definitely what sleep paralysis must feel like.
• Apple Music agrees to pay artists during trial period • Four Tet releases new album early
• How To Dress Well offers unexpected Diplo & Friends mix
Apple Music agrees to pay artists during trial period
Apple’s new streaming service Apple Music will launch at the end of this month, offering all users a free three-month trial.
Originally, Apple explained that it would not compensate any artists, producers or songwriters for music played during the trial period. That decision drew a lot of criticism, with with Beggar’s Group, Brian Jonestown Massacre frontman Anton Newcombe and the UK’s indie label trade body all speaking out against the royalty-free trial.
Apple had stuck to its guns until Taylor Swift penned an open letter explaining why her latest album won’t be on Apple Music. The Cupertino tech giant reversed its decision less than 24 hours after Swift’s scathing statement.
Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, Eddy Cue, published a series of tweets confirming that Apple will indeed be compensating artists for music played during the trial period.
Four Tet has made his latest album, Morning/Evening, available through BandCamp.
Kieran Hebden teased the LP back in May when he posted the album art on Twitter, revealing that it comprise two side-long 20 minute tracks. Now, to celebrate the summer solstice, the UK artist has released Morning/Evening digitally ahead of schedule—you can stream it in full and buy a copy over at his BandCamp page right now. A physical edition will follow on July 10th through Hebden’s own Text Records, according to Pitchfork.
“This music was created on a laptop computer using the Ableton Live software to control and mix VST synthesizers and manipulations of found audio recordings,” reads the brief description.
How To Dress Well offers unexpected Diplo & Friends mix
How To Dress Well was a special guest on Diplo’s BBC Radio 1 show last night, putting together an eclectic mix of R&B. As Krell explains in the introduction, his definition of “R&B” is a loose one.
Krell aired tracks from The Dream, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Popcaan, N. Sync, Fleetwood Mac, The Pussycat Dolls and more.
You can listen back to the entire show and view the full tracklist here.
Hear new music, from Son Lux’s experimental electropop to Blick Bassy’s bossa nova blues, and let us know what you’ll be listening to this week
Why you should listen: The London four-piece have been pulling together material for this 90s alt-rock-referencing debut since they first appeared in early 2013. Its shoegazey riffs, enduring vocal melodies and a restless energy all make it worth the wait.
Bathe in the fuzzy guitar of Day Ravies, Frazey Ford’s terrific break-up anthem and the spooky storytelling of the Walking Who
Plenty of grungy, Sonic Youth-esque nihilism-tinged cool in the new song from Sydney four-piece Day Ravies. Fake Beach sees clattering drums and synths that whine and wheeze and meet in a bath of fuzzy guitar. The song comes from new album Liminal Zones, out 10 July, and follows their acclaimed 2013 debut Tussle. Catch the indie rockers touring the country, kicking things off at the Newtown Social Club in their hometown on 25 July.
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by Martin Farrer, Nick Evershed and Monica Tan via Electronic music | The Guardian
Synth-pop songstress La Roux on Tilda Swinton as an Italian-speaking Russian, Amy Winehouse as pop art and a 12-course lunch lock-in
Elly Jackson, aka La Roux, was born in Brixton, south London, in 1988 to actors Trudie Goodwin and Kit Jackson. She started a degree at the University of Nottingham but left to pursue a music career. In 2008 she formed synth-pop duo La Roux with writer-producer Ben Langmaid and the following year released their self-titled debut, which won a Grammy for best electronic/dance album. Langmaid left the group in 2011, and Jackson released her second album, Trouble in Paradise, July 2014. La Roux plays the John Peel stage at Glastonbury on Saturday 27 June and the BBC Radio 6 Music Stage at Latitude festival in Suffolk on Sunday 19 July (latitudefestival.com).
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by Interview by Kathryn Bromwich via Electronic music | The Guardian
More than 30,000 artists have uploaded their incredible work to CBC Music and it's both a thrill and a privilege to wade in, headphones deep, and hear the sound of a country filling our ears, minds and hearts.
The best moments are the almost accidental revelations, discovering exciting new artists and emerging talents amidst already established acts. And nowhere is that more evident than within the Indigenous music scene.
From thought-provoking hip-hop and fiercely vulnerable folk to club-thumping electronic beats and blues-soaked alt-country, excellent new music is flooding from every corner of the country. It's always a great time to celebrate the diversity of primarily Indigenous music but especially on June 21, National Aboriginal Day.
Press play on the player above and scroll down because these are 10 Canadian musicians you absolutely need to know.
Editor's note: the original story included Scary Bear Soundtrack, which is a great band, but is not Aboriginal.
The 26-year-old Cree musician is an absolute force, mixing traditional sounds and elements with club beats, she's crafted forward-thinking pop that makes for a dance party that's anything but mindless.
The Flying Dust First Nation producer and emcee weaves rhymes that are rooted in looking up, lifting up, without diminishing the struggles and rich cultural history of his roots. Crown P (Tyler Bear) balances a call to action with a chilled out urgency. It's hypnotic and compelling.
Just try to let the chorus of this song go. It's impossible, and that's why this might be one of the best songs of the last five years. Diyet, a "sub-Arctic-Southern Tutchone-Japanese-Tlingit-Scottish-Yukoner,"is a masterful storyteller, too, and deserves a far bigger spotlight than this.
Binaeshee-Quae's folk gems are tiny gifts, evocative and generous and steeped in nature. She's hung her lyrics on the trees, built melodies on the wings of birds. It's beautiful.
The Metis singer-songwriter doesn't just write songs, but rather sets history lessons to music in the most wonderful way. She has a global following who hang from her every word, but isn't a household name yet in Canada. That will change.
He's something of a Vancouver legend already, and was featured on CBC Music's list of 25 best Canadian rappers, but there's still so much more ahead for this young Cree artist. His intelligence and creativity are blindingly bright and his influences are endlessly diverse, which makes every track a new delight.
The Cree singer-songwriter's voice is a wonderful little mystery: a smokey purr one minute, then airy and sweet, a tiny growl and then gentle and breathless. It's always compelling and that's the first hint of greatness.
Sinclair's grunge-rock-blues-classical inclinations shouldn't work, but it does and especially paired with her gritty, bruising alto. The Haida-Cree artist builds up tiny worlds in her songs, and her characters tear at the night, clawing and scratching at some kind of fragile understanding. There's so much humanity and compassion in Sinclair's voice, it's a wonderful thing.
Photo: Courtesy of the artist
Photo: Kelly Wroot
Photo: Red Works Studio
Photo: Jen Squires
Photo: Courtesy of the artist
Photo: Chris Tsoi 
Photo: Courtesy of the artist