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James Holden: "If you want your retirement, then piss off and go run a pub"

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Revered electronic icon and Border Community head honchoJames Holdenis on his way to Australia this month, set to play two gigs over the NYE period; Strange Fruit NYE in Sydney followed by Melbourne's Let Them Eat Cake festival on New Years Day. Here Morgan Richards chats with James about his DJ style, his recent album 'The Inheritors', shamanism and dealing with artists signed to Border Community who saw the label as "a fucking retirement donkey factory where they could churn out lame records".

Pulse: Hey James! You're due back in Australia pretty soon for a gig on New Years Day. Will you be playing a live set? James Holden: No, I'm DJing. Once you start playing with a band, you can't do your live show everywhere because travelling gets a bit more difficult. There's at least me and a drummer [doing the live set], but also my modular synth, which is a bit heavy for a lot of airlines. But I never wanted to stop DJing. I've worked really hard to be a good DJ. So now I just want to do both things.

I read a recent interview where you were talking about big-room DJs and hands-in-the-air moments, saying that those moments are often the only crowd reactions you actually can see from the DJ booth in a large venue, but there's actually a lot of other reactions going on that the DJ won't necessarily notice. Did it take you a long time to get confident to play to that other stuff? Yeah, it took a long time. Well, I pretty quickly found out that I didn't like the records that had a hands-in-the-air reaction. But It took me a long time to realise where my strengths are, and where I’m going to have the best gig and where people are going to enjoy it the most. It took a really long time of learning and getting more confident in the process.

Even more recently, doing the all-night sets around the [latest album The Inheritors'] release in Europe. Because I was playing all night, you feel like you can go up and down a bit more because you've got everyone's attention for the long haul. I'd play records that previously I'd been too scared to play and they worked brilliantly. I’ve come back from doing those really long sets to approaching short sets a bit differently. And I got better, I guess!

When people are doing those really long sets, it mostly seems to be Berghain techno sorts of guys, all playing much the same sort of music. It's designed to fit together quite easily and I can see how it would be a lot easier to play a whole night of that stuff. Whereas the music you've been making lately is almost the opposite - like it's trying to be difficult. Well... being deliberately difficult, I never understood the point of that. It just seems perverse, or you're trying to be elitist. It's not really about that. It's more trying not to be facile or trite and really just avoiding things which you think are lame. Is that a tricky distinction to explain? Have I managed it? [Laughs]



I'd like to explore it a little more. I'm talking specifically about 'The Inheritors' now. A lot of the sounds that make up this album are really difficult to listen to. It's complex and challenging and as a listener you can't just dive in head first. Do you make music like that to challenge yourself? To challenge your listeners?
I suppose I like everything to be kind of clouded or complicated, so that you have to figure out exactly what's going on. Because when stuff's really obvious, it's boring! And being in music and learning about it continuously for - I don't know, quite a long time - the things that are obvious do get really tiring to me. It's not really to be difficult, it's just trying to make what I like. Which is not obvious music.

I think The Inheritors is a record you can listen to a lot of times and still hear new things. When records present everything they've got at the front, all sort of pushed up in your face, then after two listens you've heard everything. But I wanted to hide things in the background and underneath. If you listen to it from start to finish a few times it will make more sense to you. I’m not a very good pop musician. [Laughs.]

I think that's pretty clear! I have a question about the name of the album. It's named after a William Golding novel [author of Lord of the Flies]. I've read a couple of Golding books but not that one. What's it actually about, and why did you choose it as a title? It's fairly tenuous, to be honest. The novel is about a group of Neanderthals. Well, it follows one in particular as his little tribe dies out, and what he does to survive. They're an evolutionary dead end. They're fluffy, confused little men and they don't really understand the humans, who are cunning and devious and unpleasant in comparison. You side with the evolutionary dead end in the book.

Music's an evolution process too, and lots of the things I loved from the past evolved into... rubbish. So I wanted my record to be an alternate evolution. Ideas from the sixties and seventies, hippy music and spiritual jazz, Krautrock, that sort of stuff, extended into the modern age with some influence of what's gone on in the more recent past and also with the technological influence of what's gone on recently. It's like an alternate evolution into a parallel world where the Neanderthals survived and the humans didn't succeed.

He's an interesting writer, Golding. Such a strange brain.
Yeah. I think to some extent I share his misanthropy, depending on where I am in my life.

You started Border Community in 2003. What have you learned about running a record label over the past ten years?
Quite a lot, I guess. It's a difficult thing to do, definitely. What's that old expression about a rolling stone gathering moss? You sort of pick up detritus, baggage - yeah, baggage is the word - along the way. So many things about it have been brilliant and continue to be brilliant. Meeting with people, both the artists and the people who've really enjoyed the music and it's meant something to them. It's lovely. That makes it worthwhile. When you meet someone really inspiring like Luke Abbott, when you meet an artist on that level who's unique and totally driven, that is really inspirational and that part of it is totally brilliant.

JAMES H

But then also with a thing like that comes expectation from all different angles. From fans who have a certain moment of a record as a pivotal part of their life, and then want us to carry on releasing that same record because it was really important to them. They have to understand that's it's not practical and it's not what's going to happen. Also, there were the expectations from artists. There were artists who began to see Border Community as a fucking retirement donkey factory where they could churn out lame records. If you want your retirement, then piss off and go run a pub.

I sense a bit of vitriol here, James. Well, there was a point where there were so many people with expectations that it almost made you want to destroy the whole thing. I started to realise that it was really getting in the way of my music. That I was telling other people how to write music instead. "Listen to my thirty half-finished demos, pick the good ones and tell me how to finish them." Fuck off! [Laughs.] I could write a song in that time and it would be much better. So once I learnt that, everything got a lot better.

I’m afraid I can't tell you about the next thing we're working on, but I’m so excited about it. I’ve got that excitement from the start back and that idea of pushing off into the unknown again. It's like the start again. It's funny how cyclical life is. I know the next records we're doing will be a bit challenging, but also completely new. No-one's ever done them before.

It's also been ten years since your Balance 005 mix. I think for a lot of people, those two discs really captured a moment in time... and even though that sort of music is not really popular any more, a lot of people still are quite fond of them. Do you ever listen to them out of nostalgia? I’m not sure I’ve listened to them in eight or nine years. I haven't yet listened to The Inheritors since it came out, either. I listened to it a lot before it came out. At home, we just listen to random play, always. Occasionally I put an album on when I’m driving somewhere. I don't listen to a lot of mixes, though. There must be a reason for it; I have to be interested.



I find that really surprising that you can listen to music on shuffle. I'd imagine you'd have a fairly wide array of genres on your hard drive... having banging techno one second then obscure 70s psychelic rock the next. Do you skip through a lot of the songs that come on? Like, eww what a buzz-kill, I don't want to listen to that right now.
Dance music gets skipped, because if you've been listening to something really nice then something else with a really over-compressed kick drum comes on, it sounds jarring. But that's really it. [Laughs.] Random sixties psych rock or whatever, I’m quite forgiving of, even if it's mediocre. Then dance music I’m really bristly about. I don't know why that is.

It's just strange to hear stuff like that... I mean, let's face it: you are quite a weird DJ. "I listen to music on random play, then some dance music comes on and I just skip it." [Laughs.] There are some things [in dance music] that come on and I don't skip them. Like if it's Hieroglyphic Being or something...

Oh, I’ve just started getting into that guy. Pretty talented stuff. Yeah, he's such a legend. I saw him do an improvised live thing in London. It was just fantastic. Such a presence. Just the way some of his records are so "wrong" as well. Not actually wrong, he's just made these choices to make things wonky in a certain way.

It's like...when you make music on a computer, everything is in time and everything happens in one-bar increments. It's not a decision; it's the absence of a decision. When someone's record is basically default settings, that's the reason I get so negative about it all - half the decisions have been made for you, because you haven't thought about it. I think it's really important that people think about that stuff. Your production choices are part of the meaning of what your music is and who it's for. It frustrates me that people don't understand that. By making the same production choices, or failing to make the same decisions that David Guetta failed to make, you're making the same music. He has to make his music all pumped up and simple and obvious and straight to the point and default, nothing challenging. But people who make techno don't have to. That's the point that Hieroglyphic Being is illustrating. You don't have to make everything tight. And it's why vinyl DJs stuff up and sound more exciting than someone on Traktor.



But you DJ with Traktor yourself.
Yeah, but I play a lot of records that Traktor can't handle because they change tempo. I have to use Traktor otherwise I couldn't do what I do, with the key matching and looping and all that. I use the sync button whenever I can, because what's the point of not using it? But so much of what I play is going to drift out of time and I’m going to have to correct it anyway. There's still enough of those almost-a-trainwreck moments in my sets to keep it almost a failure. That's really important.

In Bill Brewster's book Last Night a DJ Saved My Life, he talks about the DJ as a shaman, evoking the vibe for the night. You're creating magic, manipulating these hidden sonic instruments and conjuring up the mood. Have you ever looked at your profession like that? Yeah, in a way that's a bit of an inspiration to the whole sort of pagan ritual thing going on in The Inheritors. A good night out is like that. From a sort of hypnosis or mythology point of view, a club isn't very different from this sort of ritual. Just all of these things that have been structured to help make a club a sort of cave for people to let go in, to make each other free by being relaxed. It's a rare thing, though. A club has to be pretty perfect for the magic to really work. You can't have idiots there, you can't have idiot staff, the sound's gotta be good and the right atmosphere has to be in the room. There are so many variables that have to be just right, and then everyone lets go and it's the best. It's an experience you can't have on your own. You need the other people there.

And the DJ? If you read about shamanism, the role of the shaman is not entirely an easy one. The way the shaman is outside society, the DJ is put outside of the rest of the club; you're sort of on your own the whole time you're there. I think it's a good parallel.

Listen to James Holden on Pulse Radio


Exclusive: Listen And Download New Prince Club Mix

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With releases on powerhouse imprints like Play It Down, Nervous, Toolroom, and Defected, it's safe to say the Prince Club boys have had a good year in the studio. Couple their production success with gigs at festivals like Electric Daisy Carnival and clubs around the world, and it's of little wonder that these deep and tech house producers from Montreal, known to their mums as Zach and Max, have gained attention from jocks like Joris Voorn, Claude Von Stroke, Brodinski, and Riva Starr (who apparently nudged the duo away from their old MADKIDS moniker a little while back). The duo are headed next to Montreal's massive igloofest, playing alongside the dirtybird boss himself, Claude VonStroke, as well as Justin Martin, and will no doubt represent their hometown with pride. In the meantime, however, they've provided us with a taste of what's to come with this exclusive hour-long bouncing deep and tech house mix for you to download and enjoy, as well as a quick chat in order to find out what these up and comers have been up to as of late. Listen, enjoy, and read on.

You guys are heading back to Igloofest early next year. How many times have you played there, and what’s it like to be a part of such a massive festival in your home city? PC: Yes! We’re excited to be back. We’ve played igloofest once before under our old moniker MADKIDS 5 years ago. Playing festivals are a treat but being able to do it in your city, showing how far you’ve come as an artist is always special.

You two have been living apart (Zach in London and Max between LA and Montreal), but I understand you’re planning on living together again in London. Have you made the move yet? If so, how has it been? Max: Yes! I actually made the move to London over the summer and found myself very conflicted with my decision. Zach loves London but for me personally it wasn't for me. It was putting me down creatively and I didn’t feel productive. Therefore I made the move back to Montreal and built myself a cozy studio. I’m going to isolate myself for the winter and try to make the best music I can! Zach is planning to come to Montreal to be with family for a couple weeks before igloofest and I'm looking forward having him in the studio for a few weeks! If only Poupon was still in Canada we could reunite PCP for a new record!

Who’s been on your musical radar (electronic music or not) for 2013? PC: A few of the homies that I've been bigg’d up since last year are blowing up now: Urulu, Steve Huerta, Sage Caswell, of course Zach's personal project Forrest, and Poupon! I'm always proud to see my friends doing big things in the industry and get inspired to step my game up everyday.

You’ve had an incredible year with plenty of great releases and big gigs, but what have been some of the most memorable moments from the year past? PC: It has been a great year with some fun shows and we really appreciate all who come out to the shows, and always showing love! Looking back, the best moment of 2013 for us was starting to work with Toolroom. Being part of such a supportive label that pushes your act as far as possible is really hard to find.

And finally, any big releases or announcements you can tell us about for 2014? PC: 2014 is looking up. Looking forward to continuing the momentum - more releases, more remixes! Some interesting collaborations, and of course more gigs! Keep posted!  

Listen to Prince Club on Pulse Radio.

Video: Sound Engineer Turns A Hardcore Song Into EDM After Payment Snub

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California-based sound engineer Dan Atkinson of Dan's Lab studio didn't take lack of payment by this wanna be punk/hardcore band lying down. Instead Dan turned their screaming, angst-ridden track into a full scale, upbeat EDM nightmare, complete with all the footage from the band's music video, and the results couldn't be funnier. Let this serve as a friendly and funny reminder to us all: make sure you pay those whose services you've rendered, especially when they've got control over your song. Watch here.

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2013 Highlights: Circoloco's Andrew Grant

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As the year draws to a close, it's natural to reflect, especially when it's been as interesting as 2013 has. Underground has become mainstream, mainstream has become pop, and while many fight over the meaning of terms like EDM and deep house, others push stoically forward, undeterred by flashy trends, continuing to do what they do best. So we've called upon a few of those in the later category to tell us what's kept them excited in 2013. So far we've talked mead with James Pants and heard about begging for DJ poll votes from Spencer Parker.  This time, Circoloco resident Andrew Grant talks Playa, the return to vinyl, and the dance workout routine of DVS1. Catch him next at Circoloco New Years Day in Ibiza, and read on for all the details.

Born and raised in the Washington, D.C. area, Andrew's baptism behind the decks began with hip-hop in the late 80s. However, after his first visit to New York City's famed Twilo, Andrew was a convert, eventually moving to Sheffield after graduating from university. There, he began throwing parties and DJing everywhere he could, though as it does for so many young artists, the Ibiza bug bit hard, leading Grant to roll the dice and purchase a one-way ticket to Ibiza. Though unlike most, Andrew quickly got himself invited to play a Thursday morning after-hours at DC-10, and a short while later, became a full time resident of Circoloco, which he still holds today. 

“I never thought I would travel the world with them after buying a one-way ticket that summer day over 10 years ago. Circoloco has allowed me to grow as a DJ and hone my sound all over the world,” Andrew reminisces. These days he's got his own EDEC imprint, which he co-runs with Jon Hester, and has seen releases on labels like Supplement Facts, My Favorite Robot and Better On Foot, and has also collaborated with Lomez, Tale of Us, Los Updates and Ricardo Villalobos. Now based in Valencia, Andrew continues his production schedule while keeping plenty busy with touring around the world. As Andrew says, “hype and fashion are only superficial and do not last.” We couldn't have said it better ourselves... 

-Favourite DJ of the year:

DVS1. This guy is a machine behind the decks and he looses like 10 pounds each time he DJs from all the work!

-Trend and/or Saying Of The Year:

Trend - People actually going back to the love of vinyl

Saying - "If you want someone on the f´ckn door to say who's hot and who's not, I´m your man" - Big Al Boddika

-Event Of The Year

Papaya Playa Project Full Moon Party... Magical Papi.

-Overall Highlight

First would be Releasing our 10th vinyl on my co-owned label EDEC Music Outlet with Jon Hester, and second, releasing "Satisfaction" with Lomez on Supplement Facts early 2013.

Catch Andrew next at Circoloco New Years Day at DC-10. 

Listen to Pulse Radio.

Join the ‘Revolution’ for New Years Eve

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Close your eyes and listen intimately, in the distant future you will hear the call, allow your heart and soul to follow the beckoning, as the time has come to rise up and DANCE, can you feel it – the voice of REVOLUTION is upon us, go check out that link for the full line-up and let it draw you in as you take each breath – let your voice be heard In the spirit of change and renewal – free your body, free your mind as it explores the journey through melodic bliss and allows every inch of your being to be liberated! 

Join us for a grand celebration of unity as Johannesburg's 'underground dance music community' comes together to present this earth quaking, mind baking, soul shaking 2 day open air festival. Webtickets Link: http://webtickets.co.za/event.aspx?itemid=407840444

Feedom Fighters are coming back. Here's a teaser from FF Live at Moksha 2013. 

REVOLUTION is the place where you leave all in habitations in the land that is reality – march onto the dance floor as the sun dwindles into a beckoning night and the celebrations of artistic and musical freedom are shared and embraced in unison, comrades side by side as one - beating like a heart, as one year comes to a close and a new fresh instance dawns with the rising of the New Years sun.

Bring on the sunshine, bring on the fun, as our excitement intensifies for this approaching season of musical freedom and self expression. Stay tuned for a competition on the way to win tickets on behalf of Pulse Radio and Teknotribe to the event!! 

PROMOTER LINKS:

https://www.facebook.com/mansion.rec
http://www.facebook.com/teknotribe
http://www.facebook.com/PsyologyRecords

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Study: Smarter People Have More Sex, Do More Drugs And Stay Up Later

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According to three separate but equally amazing studies, the smarter you are, the more likely you are to stay up late, have sex and party. Also known as all of our favourite things. 

Recently, Lovehoney.co.uk funded research that determined students studying at prestigious universities such as Oxford and Cambridge spend more money on sex toys than their peers at other universities. While this hardly seems totally conclusive, we'll let you draw your own reasons as to why this might be. Over in the drugs department, however, comes the 2010 study that ran in Psychology Today, which states that those with an IQ of 125 or higher are much more likely to use drugs. The study states that: 

"British children who are more intelligent before the age of 16 are more likely to consume psychoactive drugs at age 42 than less intelligent children... there is a clear monotonic association between childhood general intelligence and adult consumption of psychoactive drugs. “Very bright” individuals (with IQs above 125) are roughly three-tenths of a standard deviation more likely to consume psychoactive drugs than “very dull” individuals (with IQs below 75)."

And of course, those who like to have sex and take drugs usually like to stay up past their bedtimes, which leads us to the academic paper "Why The Night Owl Is More Intelligent," published in the journal Psychology And Individual Differences. The study basically surmises that humans have been conditions over the millennia to sleep when it's dark and work when it's light, however those who tend to not follow the trend are more likely to develop certain helpful evolutionarily "values and preferences than less intelligent individuals."

With the recent findings that most illegal drugs have newly discovered heath benefits, it seems this week just can't get much better. So next time you're out clubbing with friends on a Tuesday night wondering if you should just say no and head home early, fear not, you've got brains, science and evolution on your side.

Listen to Pulse Radio. 

Dan Ghenacia: 'The Start Of Something Great'

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Dan Ghenacia is one of the underground’s survivors. The Parisian has been at the heart of his home city’s scene since the late ‘90s, helming Le Batofar’s legendary after-hours boat parties and forming seminal house and techno imprint Freak ‘n’ Chic in 2003, a label that spawned many of Paris’ current crop of leading lights. Fast forward to 2013, and, while that first label has been closed three years, he continues to be resident at Ibiza’s Circoloco parties, and now resides as one third of Apollonia, a DJing, label and production trio with fellow Parisians Shonky and Dyed Soundorom. Pulse Radio caught up with him in Germany in between studio sessions to talk about his plans for the next twelve months.

You’re in Berlin at the moment. Are you playing out there this weekend with your Apollonia crew? I am actually in the city for the winter, and I’m working on the Apollonia album with Dyed and Shonky. They are living in Berlin, so I have to move there if we want to make records together [laughs].

So, when is the album planned to be released? We don’t know yet, but should be finished for the spring and released in maybe September or October next year.

As a DJ, you seem to be an artist that’s survived quite unchanged since you first were playing at the end of the ‘90s. Obviously your music will change around you, and you’ll progress, but do you feel like the same guy that started out back in Paris all those years ago? Yeah, I feel pretty much the same. I’ve always tried to have this confidence in what I’m doing musically, so while it’s not the same music as 15 years ago, we try to evolve with the times and we don’t try to live in nostalgia. The reality is that why it’s working for us today is that we’re very versatile in what we play. We don’t play one style. We play in many different directions. And of course we have always been doing this! It took a very long time for people to understand what we do, and for us to be good at it. I think we love so many different records, and yes, it is house and it is techno, but we are in this moment where people in techno want something versatile, which wasn’t the reality fifteen years ago.

I interviewed Erol Alkan recently, and one thing he said was that he found that many DJs seemed afraid to play lots of different music or styles. And I think it’s really nice to hear a DJ that doesn’t feel afraid to play anything. Yes, it’s four beats, but you can play deep house, disco, techno, everything. We take the risk [every set] with Dyed and Shonky. It’s quite difficult just jumping from one style to the other. Also to play like we do, when we play one record each, while we can do it for hours, and [while] it’s not like there is a big difference from the beginning to the end, there is many ways for it to go, and you have to have a lot of knowledge in music.

It also much be really nice to know you can play with guys you are close to, and that you know each other’s music so well. Yes, definitely. There’s the thing that we know each other very well. The other thing is that we keep in mind is that if we want to enjoy and make people enjoy it, we have to surprise each other. We may surprise each other with an old record, or a new track the others don’t know. It’s not like we can just say “stop, I’m playing this new record!” We just go with the flow. It’s certainly not boring [laughs]! It’s not like this is what we were playing fifteen years ago when I was working at a record store and I’d buy new music only at the store and then play them on the weekend. It was all about the promos. We were always going out to try and get the hardest to find records. Now it’s different. So much is just there on the Internet, so we have find these records from many places to be original. So we keep in mind that we have to surprise each other, every record.

When you used to play at Le Batofar, and then with Freak ‘n’ Chic and now Apollonia, is it always important to you to have a really tight group of friends, a crew to work with, where you know you can continue what you’re doing free from any constrictions? Obviously. I’m not a big fan of loneliness [laughs]! I love to have people involved in what I’m doing with giving them a job, to have a career, and have this community. It’s all about sharing with people who are believing in you, which is good for yourself of course, but also you can help them too at some point. It’s enjoyable again and again and again.

Going back ten years - Dyed was working for David Guetta before he was a DJ, promoting you and you became friends. Now he’s an artist in his own right and you’re working together. Can you tell us more about that? You know, Dyed for me is someone that is really special because he was one of my first big, big fans. And then I become his first fan. It’s really about sharing your lives and your careers. I could see it from his first gig, he was so good, and I knew it would lead to something big. And now you could see the success he was getting and that makes me really, really happy.

It reminds me of maybe eight or nine years ago, I spent a weekend with you and the Freak ‘n’ Chic crew and came to one of your parties at Le Zebre. What I thought was great was the party just felt like a party with your friends, and not some big flashy club night or some big promotion. At that time I decided not to move to London or Berlin, I wanted to carry on with my own plan in Paris. And we thought “let’s do a party on a Sunday, and play the records we cannot play on a Saturday night in other clubs.” That was the only way to be able to do it. At this time, I was playing many places, like Batofar, and I was getting gigs all around Europe because of that sound and that party, so I couldn’t play other music in those same clubs. But Le Zebre was the next sensible step, and to have my friends around me. So it always made me really happy.

You’ve been doing parties back at Batofar again now. Refreshingly, that sort of party isn’t all about being in a really big club, or having a VIP area. Are those the sort of parties you’d always prefer to do? Well I think it was very important to keep it intimate - we had to have our own way of doing things. It’s like last summer; we did the first DC-10 party [for Apollonia]. The first edition was maybe five hundred people, and this year it was more than two thousand! And then you realise maybe it is because they follow you for that, for the music. It feels good, and it makes you remember you need to have a nice environment and a club, the appropriate size, and it works. But of course we could love to do a big event, a big festival, if everyone follows us [there]!

When you DJ, do you feel you have this ‘sound,’ and you know you don’t have to compromise what you do? No, we are just not that way, to feel we have to change. During fifteen years of DJing I have some moments where I have to change a little, to adapt to the club where I was playing, but I was always keeping in mind “I’m going to play this way, because that’s me, who I am and I want to do it,” but it’s always much more easy when everyone is going with you [and your music].

You started out running a record shop, you started DJing, you ran nights, and ran a label. Do you think you understand the business better and have that knowledge because you’ve been there yourself and you know what others are going to do? I don’t know for sure, but what I know is that I decided very early in my career, I didn’t want to produce records. I remember when I was [working] in a record shop, giving records to the guys who were producing, I realised most of the guys were focused on one song, and one thing, but this is what I try to really, really avoid in my DJing. I didn’t want that [in producing]. But finally after years I decided, “I do feel it, I need to go to the studio,” and it feels like a new start for me, a new career - the start of something great.

Ibiza is a huge part of your life. You’ve been at DC-10 for what feels like forever, for ten years now. It’s mine, and many people’s favourite club in the world. What makes the place special for you? I think with DC-10, there is a culture, a special thing, where people want to go enjoy themselves and freak out together. I would say it’s the talent of the promoters [Antonio and Andrea] that is so much about the choice of the artist they book. That’s why I love to play at DC10, and that’s why I always feel that anything is possible in this club, that I could do my own thing. I could go very, very deep one time, then I could have these crazy moments sometimes, but I was always able to feel I can deliver a good set in this club. And it’s much more difficult to do that in many other clubs. I think that’s one reason why there’s so much success at this club, and I love it there.

And it’s changed so much in many ways musically over the years, but I think it’s just unafraid to let the people play what they want, like there is no boundary to what they have to play. Completely right. It’s the music that makes the club.

Listen to Dan Ghenacia on Pulse Radio.

Christmas came early thanks to Flying Lotus

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Calling all producers! Flying Lotus has put out what could quite easily be hours and hours of time in the studio. A pack of loops, drafts and ideas is available for download, free of charge. Nothing wrong with a little Lotus love. Click the Sendspace link and get downloading! Who knows what gems are hidden in there!? 

Hidden gems: http://www.sendspace.com/file/twoeyx Alternatively make your way over to Flying Lotus' page for updates and further links.

If Flying Lotus, who produced the music score for the recently released ‘Until the Quiet Comes', which has been announced as Video of the Year 2013 at the UK Music Video Awards has decided to put something out for download, it’s worth taking a look at it. Watch the shortfilm below. 

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Movement Releases Phase One Lineup

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Detroit’s Movement Electronic Music Festival has released the first phase of its 2014 lineup featuring a selection of Movement favorites such as Richie Hawtin, Loco Dice, Carl Cox, and Jamie Jones as well as Detroit locals Carl Craig, Jeff Mills, and Eddie “Flashin” Fowlkes, to name only a few. Action Bronson, Pete Tong, and Zeitgeber will make their Movement debut this year!

Artist coordinator Chuck Flask explains the festival’s motivation for this year’s all-star lineup. “We really wanted to have some fun with the lineup this year and showcase artists that continue to reinvent the wheel of electronic music as well as a slew of hometown favorites who are legends in their own right.”

The ninth edition of the landmark festival takes place this coming Memorial Day weekend from Saturday, May 24th to Monday, May 26th at Detroit’s Hart Plaza, and is presented by Paxahau. Check out the full Phase One lineup of all 49 artists below!

Phase One Lineup:
Action Bronson
Adam X - live
Altstadt Echo
Anthony “Shake” Shakir
Black Asteroid - live
BMG
Brian Sanhaji - live
Carl Cox
Carl Craig
Chris Liebing
Damian Lazarus
Delano Smith
Dixon
DJ 3000
DJ Hyperactive
DJ Minx
DJ Psycho
DJ Sneak
Donor
DTM 2x4 DJ Seoul & T. Linder
Dustin Zahn
Eddie “Flashin” Fowlkes
Escort - live
Jamie Jones
Jeff Mills
Justin Martin
Keith Kemp
Kenny Larkin
Loco Dice
Los Hermanos - live
Luis Flores
Marques Wyatt
Metro Area - live
Miguel Migs
Mike Huckaby
Monoloc
Octave One - live
Pete Tong
Project 313 - live
Raíz
Richie Hawtin
Sean Deason
Simian Mobile Disco
Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale
Stacey Pullen
Tale of Us
Terrence Dixon
The Martinez Brothers
Zeitgeber (Speedy J & Lucy)

Listen to Movement on Pulse Radio

Listen: Burial Releases ‘Rival Dealer’ EP Early

LCD Soundsystem To Release Live Album in 2014

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LCD Soundsystem plans to release their 2011 final show at New York’s Madison Square Garden as a live album in early 2014. Their 2011 Shut Up and Play the Hits documentary also featured the concert but fans will get another chance to relive the memorable show. LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy revealed that he’s working on the project in an interview with Rolling Stone.

He stated: “It’s killing me. I mixed it significantly differently than the film, because the film is mixed for your eye and the record is mixed for your ears. The film is mixed digitally, because you have to watch it in a theater and make little adjustments all through for a four-hour film, whereas the record is just mixed analog to tap, the way I normally do. But it took forever, because I’m not really on a label anymore.”

Listen to LCD Soundsystem on Pulse Radio

 

Nicolas Jaar Is The #1 Live Act Of 2013

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Earlier this week Resident Advisor released its readers poll for the Top 100 DJs of 2013 which saw deep house afficionado Dixon knocking Seth Troxler off his perch to take out the coveted #1 position. Now it's the live acts' turn and unsurprisingly it's Nicolas Jaar who has taken the honours again (that's 3 years in a row now), which is all down to him and Darkside partner-in-crime Dave Harrington wowing crowds across the globe throughout 2013. Jaar is of course bringing his Darkside project to Australia in April, following an impressive debut at this year's Sydney Festival.

Also making the list this year are two acts also heading to Australia this summer; Innervisions affiliate Henrik Schwarz (#6) - set to play Agwa Yacht Club #19 with Danny Daze in Jan - and Argentine sensation Guti (#5), who is doing his thing next weekend alongside DJ T. and Will Saul, also for Agwa Yacht Club.

You can check out the entire Top 20 below, plus read the complete article over at Resident Advisor.

RA's Top 20 live acts of 2013
#1 Nicolas Jaar
#2 Âme
#3 KiNK
#4 Guy Gerber
#5 Guti
#6 Henrik Schwarz
#7 Karenn
#8 Matador
#9 Recondite
#10 Gaiser
#11 Disclosure
#12 Hot Natured
#13 dOP
#14 Matthew Jonson
#15 Max Cooper
#16 Jon Hopkins
#17 Bonobo
#18 Mount Kimbie
#19 Modeselektor
#20 Marc Houle

Listen to Pulse Radio

Video: What Is The Difference Between Wogs And Aussies When It Comes To Clubbing?

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Despite being the 5th most watched Youtube clip by Australians this year with over 1.6 million views, we'll admit to being late to the party and only just stumbling across this rather amusing slice of comedy. Part of a series entitled "The Difference Between Wogs and Aussies" - which takes a hilarious swipe at the cultural contrasts between the two when it comes to such topics as holidays, childhood and selling a car - the clip is all about poking fun at the differences between how both nationalities approach a night out of clubbing.

Whilst it's aimed at a certain demographic of clubbers, namely the more commercial end of the spectrum, it's nonetheless good for a giggle. Hey, over 1.6 million viewers can't be wrong...right?

Listen to Pulse Radio

Maceo Plex & Breach Sydney Club Show In Pictures

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A sold out ivy Pool Club welcomed  Maceo Plex, Breach and a roster of Finely Tuned DJs last Friday evening for one of the most anticipated club shows of 2013, wrapping up what was an epic week of Stereosonic and EMC 2013 celebrations.

Here is a taste of the action that went down. Head over to the Finely Tuned facebook page for more.

MP1

MP2

MP3

MP4

MP5

MP6

MP7

MP8

MP9

MP10

MP13

MP12

MP33

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Win Tickets To Todd Terry, Bag Raiders & Bass Mafia Night

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Chinese Laundry and Pulse Radio are once again giving you the chance to win double passes to the iconic Sydney club this weekend, and there's a whole lot to get excited about with Friday's Bass Mafia night playing host to America’s most iconic underground bass music curator and pioneer Dieselboy along with local bass bringers Doctor Werewolf & Royalston and more. Then on Saturday night it's a classic house affair with the legendary Todd Terry and support from local favourites Bag Raiders.

To score yourself a double pass to one of the two massive nights below, emails us here with your name and the event you wish to attend. Winners will be notified by email on Friday 13th December by 6pm. Good luck!


Free Download: Bill & Will Remix of Rizzle Kicks''Lost Generation'

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Bill & Will are a new act on the house scene but have already received support from the likes of BBC Radio 1, who premiered the duo's latest single, "I'll Be Pushin' On," and have also gained praise from DJs like Jonas Rathsman recently. They've given Pulse Radio exclusive access to their newest remix of Rizzle Kicks'"Lost Generation," which you can listen to and download here. 

Bill & Will Facebook: facebook.com/billandwill

Bill & Will Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/billandwillmusic

Listen to Pulse Radio. 

Register your Burner Bio for AfrikaBurn Now!

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The team from AfrikaBurn are wondering if you’ve figured out how to register your Burner Bio yet? Well here it is, couldn’t be simpler.Click this link here www.quicket.co.za/account/afrikaburn/burnerbio.aspx and sort that out as soon as possible. Simple as that. Now you can focus on your installations all that comes to mind, to make your Burn experience as memorable as what the last one was, if not more. 

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Radio Slave - Navigating The Underground

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(Continued from Part 1) Is there an underground anymore, or has even the darkest, deepest techno become so big through clubs like Berghain/Panorama bar that we can finally toss the phrase aside? Rekids co-founder, Matt Edwards, better known as Radio Slave, to give us his thoughts on the situation.

Is Fred P still underground even though he pays someone to do press for Soul People Music? I love Fred P, and I would say his music or vibe is definitely not commercial, so he gets my "underground" vote. I'm a big fan of his music, but I'm sure he doesn't get much exposure on radio. I can't see many stations playing his track "Reach," which is one of my favourite records of 2013, and I don't think I've seen him in too many magazines. It's hard enough making a penny from releasing a record, so good luck to anyone who wants to spend money on promoting their label, be it with a press officer or hiring a PR company. At Rekids, we're basically burning through any funds we have trying to promote our label. And it's not easy, even with having such amazing artists as Nina Kraviz and Colin McBean, aka Mr. G

There's hardly any physical magazines left and it's incredibly difficult to get reviews on certain so-called dance music websites as they're more than happy to be writing about the latest unplayable drone re-release on ‘Blah Blah Blah.’ And to be fair, it's hard for these sites to survive and make money. Underground labels don't have the money to run banners. So I guess this is just something you need to do in 2013. And thinking about it, there are very few artists out there who can just pop up, release a record and then disappear. Luckily, there are artists like Ricardo Villalobos. He's so inspiring musically, gives very few interviews, hardly ever publishes a chart, and among all the big names in our scene, he's definitely held his underground credibility. He seems to have this mysterious air about him and I love him for that. I'd also say the same about Jeff Mills. He creates very conceptual and quite often very challenging music that, to my knowledge, very rarely gets radio play. Yet he can command huge fees as a performer and play to tens of thousands of fans.

He'll be around forever – as he's a living legend and doesn't exist in the spotlight – and I'm sure he's never had to use the word "underground" to promote himself. You don't see him begging for votes or writing ridiculous Facebook posts. I mean, how fucking stupid do you think we are? These so-called artists should go and make a record and stop worrying about whether people like them or not. Stop looking at Facebook! But that’s the worrying thing about our industry, DJs rely so heavily on the Internet to make themselves look cool and get bookings, so why not employ someone to make sure it's done properly, discreetly, and so you don't come across as a completely egotistical, narcissistic asshole. If an artist has management, are they no longer underground? Well, you could be totally underground, make crazy money and stay true to what you do and have a manager. It's up to you how you play the game. It's like some actors can walk down the street and not be mobbed by paparazzi. You don't have to put yourself in the spotlight to be successful, but not everybody can do it.

 

I had a manager before having a booking agent. This was when record companies had money and a producer got paid to do remixes. But at that time I still had a day job, and no one at my work knew I was doing remixes when I got home. So to be honest, without my manager I'd probably be back at American Express answering the phone and playing records as a hobby in bars for pocket money. At the end of the day, it all depends on what you want to achieve. My manager at the time, and good friend, David Dorrell, was great at hooking up remixes or getting edits to the right labels. But I guess in this day and age it's all about bookings and getting yourself noticed. If you're a shy and reclusive type of artist, then you might just need one. And to recap on what I've already mentioned above, 99% of all dance music could be considered "underground" as it very rarely breaks into the mainstream or pop charts.
Most labels are struggling to sell more than 300 copies of a 12-inch, and the digital market has become deeply uncool.

Living in Berlin, I'm surrounded by artists, young and old who are really, really struggling to get by from their love of music. They might have the coolest labels, have worldwide recognition within the "underground" community, but still don't get gigs. So having someone there to help you make money and assist your career is probably not such a bad thing. And just remember…

"If you refuse to play the game, you go against the grain. You ridin’ the train, you UNDERGROUND - get it!"

xx

<<< Read Part One

Radio Slave's new single "The Clone Wars" will be out on Rekids on December 13th. and catch Radio Slave in London at Another Party in 2014. 

Listen to Radio Slave on Pulse Radio.

Boiler Room Pearlers with Tensnake

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The Boiler Room finally Tensnake from Hamburg, Germany, in for a piping hot session in London, and just as they said it, it was totally worth the wait. This was a genuine pearl of a set that you’ll want to download and add to the bag after watching, and hearing what he got up to in London. 

Signed to labels Mirau, Mule, Permanent Vacation, Running Back and Defected, the top-tier tastemaker was nothing short of genius with his track selection and delivery. You can also expect his debut album coming out on the 10th of March via Virgin/EMI which is bound to be a cracker. For now, get a load of this pearl! Enjoy. 

Listen to Tensnake on Pulse Radio 

 

Sonar heads to Cape Town in December 2014

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Hailing from Barcelona and celebrating its 21st year, Sonar is a pioneering advanced music and new media festival with unique content and a format that combines the best local and international electronic music acts with interactive technology exhibits and new media showcases.  

Sonar has been constantly on the pulse of the current electronic music landscape and delivers experimentations with music’s newest trends, presenting fused collaborations between established artists and emerging talent. Since 2002, Sonar has hosted more than 50 festivals in all corners of the globe, all imbued with the festival’s philosophy of physical spaces and unique environments hosting a balanced mix of the best talent from the international and local music scene. 

Award-winning agency, Seed Experiences, will bring Sonar to South Africa on an annual basis, with the inaugural event scheduled for 16 December 2014at the iconic Good Hope Centre in Cape Town. 

Cape Town’s recent accolade of World Design Capital 2014 makes it the natural city of choice for Sonar’s South African stop and, along with Barcelona, Tokyo, Reykjavik and Mexico, will make up the quintuplet of cities to host Sonar in 2014. Cape Town’s instalment will comprise an explosive mix of South Africa’s top electronic acts, headlined by one or two of the biggest international names. 

Ventura Barba, COO of Advanced Music, the company behind Sonar, comments, “Now part of Sonar, Cape Town joins a global music network, cementing its place in Electronic Music Culture (EMC).  One of Sonar’s philosophies is to discover talent in new markets and give the artist or DJ the opportunity to perform at one of the global Sonar events.  We’re looking forward to scouting South Africa’s acts and giving fresh talent the opportunity to perform at Sonar around the world.” 

Brian Little, managing director of Seed Experiences, explains the process behind the launch, “In order to ensure that the tour stays true to the essence of the Sonar brand, the entire Seed Experiences team travelled to Barcelona this June to gain insight into the event’s roll-out.  We met with the production, marketing, sponsorship and artist liaison teams in order to launch a South African instalment that mirrors the international brand, while ensuring its relevance within the local context.”    

Staying true to the design theme, Sonar Cape Town will take place at the Good Hope Centre, breathing life into the uniquely designed 1970s iconic architectural landmark and injecting it with a “cultural twist”.  As Sonar is an internationally recognised festival brand that has grown solidly over more than 20 years, one can imagine its modest roots and look forward to seeing its newest host city, Cape Town, mirror the journey.  

Tickets go on sale in 2014 at Webtickets. Visit the official Sonar Cape Town website: http://www.sonarcapetown.com/en/2014/

Listen to Pulse Radio 

 

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