B4 Bookings have teamed up with Pulse to exclusively share B4's monthly podcast series with us a week before anyone else. This time the mix comes straight from Italian-born turned Ibiza transplant, Tuccillo, who shares his stripped back, ass-shaking, rough and ready sense of techno and house with us. 

Every month, Pulse brings you the latest podcast mix from the B4 Bookings roster a full week ahead of everyone else. B4 boasts a massive roster featuring a who's who of dance music, from Ambivalent, Ida Engberg to tINI and everyone in between.

This month, our hour of delightful beats and musical treats come from Ibiza's Tuccillo, who delivers 60 minutes of bass driven techno straight from the depths of Ibiza's lesser known hotspots, like Underground, where he slammed dance floors with DJ Sneak alongside the likes of Darius Syrossian and Wille Graff. With a roster of releases on some of techno's finest, including 8Bit, Freerange and most recently, 2020 Vision, this rising star is sure to continue to make waves in the underground. Catch Tuccillo next at Troupe NYD alongside Hector Couto, and Josh Butler at Crucifix Lane, and set aside the next hour for your ears to take in this fine mix from Mr. Giuseppe Tuccillo.

Listen to B4 on Pulse Radio.

This morning, Ultra Music Festival announced the first phase of its 2014 lineup with an emphasis on live acts in additon to its many DJ headliners. After expanding to two weekends in 2013 for its fifteenth anniversary year, the Miami festival will return to a single weekend, running from March 28th to March 30th. DJ headliners include several Ultra favorites such as Above & Beyond, Afrojack, Carl Cox, Hardwell, Loco Dice, Marco Carola, and Tiesto. The Phase 1 live headliners include artists spanning several genres such as Basement Jaxx, Dizzee Rascal, The Glitch Mob, MGMT, M.I.A, Paul Kalkbrenner, and Sub Focus.

In addition to the artists, Ultra has also announced that two popular arenas will return at Ultra 2014 – A State of Trance for ASOT650 New Horizons and Carl Cox & Friends for its tenth year anniversary! Check out the full Phase 1 announcement below:

Listen to Ultra Music Festival on Pulse Radio

CTEMF have released the internationals that will be joining the bill for one of the biggest EDM events in South Africa to date. Get a load of this!

Dixon

After many years in the game, 2013 saw Dixon come out tops in the coveted RA "Best of 2013" list as no.1 DJ in the world. His formation of seminal label 'Innervisions' has lead to local artists such as Culoe De Song finding a global platform for recognition. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dixoninnervisions 
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/dixon 

Noisia

Original, emotional, visceral. These are all words that are used to describe Noisia's music and each is more than justified. With over 1 Millions followers on Soundcloud, there is none more relevant on the Global Bass scene than Noisia!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noisia 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/noisia_nl 
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/noisia 

Benga

Hailing from the core collective of the Croydon massive which founded Dubstep in the early 00's, now championing the broader sound of the genre now known as "UK Bass" music. Few are more synonymous with the origins of the genre of Bass Music than Benga (alongside Skream).

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iambenga 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iambenga 
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/iambenga 

The Original DJ Jazzy Jay!

One of the founding members of the Zulu Nation, Original member of the Soulsonic Force, he also helped lay the blueprint for Def Jam Records. The Original DJ Jazzy Jay is one of a handful of people who literally birthed and shaped Hip-Hop. The definition of Legend. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/DJ-Jazzy-Jay/374208923220 

Justin Martin Music Page

One of the hottest properties on Dirtybird Records. A label and artist which has taken the world by storm this year with their brand of jacking riot starters. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justinmartinmusicpage 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrjustinmartin 
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/justin-martin-music  

J.Phlip

Dubbed the "dirtiest Bird" of the Dirty Bird records crew, J-Phlip is fast living up to her name as the secret weapon in the crew. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jphlip 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jphlip 
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jphlip 

HVOB

An act quickly on the rise and tipped to be one of the hottest around!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HVOBMUSIC
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/hvob

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Our very own local heavyweight DJ’s joining the internationals on the bill confirmed for CTEMF 2014 are none other than...

Black Coffee

THE diamond in the SA House crown, this year saw Black Coffee continue his meteoric rise to Global House royalty. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lablackcoffee 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RealBlackCoffee 

HAEZER (LIVE)

South African Electronic Music hero Haezer has been tearing up the world and SA for years now and his new brand new Audio / Visual Live show promises to deliver expectation ten fold. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Haezerofficial 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HAEZER 
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/haezer 

Jullian Gomes & Culoe De Song

The convergence of these two established rising stars signifies a milestone for SA House music. They continue the tradition of phenomenal South African House producers impacting significantly on a global stage.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JULLiANGOMESofficial 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JULLiAN_GOMES 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuloeDeSongFanPage 

Portable aka Bodycode!

There is a selection of South Africans living abroad flying the SA flag loud and proud. In the realm of House & Techno, Portable is one of those whose globally relevant electronic music flag flies higher than most! 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Portable-aka-Bodycode/121545827886922 
Website: http://www.portablebodycode.com/ 

Crazy White Boy 

Few in South Africa can stake a claim on the local radio and dance scene quite like CWB. Never ones to rest on achievement, CWB is committed to the endless goal of promoting quality Dance Music from the most commercial environment all the way to the underground events that are still privileged to hear their sound.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrazyWhiteBoyDJ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CRAZYWHITEBOYDJ 
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/crazywhiteboydj

Dirty Paraffin

The Duo of Okmalumkoolkat and Dokta SpiZee has blazed a trail of "Primus Stove Kwaito" through the globe. Part of the new wave of SA exports and a true reflection of our devastating music power. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dirtyparaffin
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/dirty-paraffin 

Protoculture 

The only SA artist consistently placing ahead of the rest on the DJ Mag top 100. Very few local guys enjoy the success and accolade that Protoculture has received. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProtocultureOfficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_protoculture 
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/protoculture 

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The 2014 BPM Festival is right around the corner!  Running for ten days from January 3rd to January 12th, the winter festival brings some of the world's biggest house and techno artists to the sunny beaches of Mexico in Playa del Carmen.  Ahead of the festival, we will be interviewing artists with our weekly series on Tuesdays.  First up... Bob Moses.  We had a chance to catch up with them ahead of their appearance at The BPM Festival 2014 at the Scissor & Thread showcase on January 10th at Fusion Beach Club and on January 11th at Mamitas for All Day I Dream.

New York-based DJ/production duo Bob Moses, comprised of Jimmy Vallance and Tom Howie, have been unstoppable this year.  After briefly meeting in a high school art class in Vancouver, they decided to work together after running into each other years later.  With releases on Brooklyn's boutique label Scissor & Thread including their recent 'Far From The Tree' EP, they have consistently impressed fans with their unique sound, which they liken to "music that will make you want to build a highway through a low income neighborhood." The guys chat with us about their EP, their busy winter season, playing at BPM for the first time last year, and why they're excited to return in 2014.

Your most recent EP, 'Far From The Tree,' was released in October. It’s beautiful, it’s emotional, and we love it. What were some of your inspirations for each track? Thank you! Glad you like it. It's hard to say where the inspiration comes from. We're constantly listening to records, new and old, in order to find sounds that inspire us. We tried to dive more into writing songs on this EP, with tracks like "All I Want," "Winter's Song" and "Stealing Fire." When it comes to writing, we try our best not to get in the way of the song and let it flow naturally. Thinking too much can be the end of a great idea.

Photography by Anouk Schneider

'Far From The Tree' is just one among a number of great productions you have released on Brooklyn label Scissor & Thread. Did you find them or did they find you? We were introduced to Francis Harris and Scissor & Thread through a mutual friend, Philipp Jung of M.A.N.D.Y. Philipp asked us to write a vocal line for a track he made with Francis. Francis really liked what we came up with, so we ended up working on more records with him. Those records ended up being the first few Frank & Tony tracks and Bob Moses was born out of that.

You had a great summer season. You played in Peru for the first time, and at Robot Heart and Burning Man. How has the winter season been treating you? The winter season has been great so far. We've been playing all over the place, just got back from a three week European tour, and we have a few more North American dates before the years over, playing New Years Eve in Brooklyn and heading to play All Day I Dream in LA for New Years Day.

You’re playing in your hometown of Vancouver before heading to Mexico. Excited? What do you miss the most since moving to Brooklyn? We are really excited to be playing in our hometown for the first time. Vancouver is a beautiful city - we definitely miss the view of the mountains... they're stunning.

What are you looking forward to the most while you’re down in Playa Del Carmen playing at The BPM Festival? Escaping the cold NYC weather and amazing fish tacos.

You played BPM for the first time last year - was it different from what you were expecting? It was exactly what we had in mind - a good time in a warm and sunny place.

What are some highlights from last year’s festival artist and party wise? We were there for less than 24 hours, and didn't get a chance to see much of anything. We flew in and played at La Santanera, which was great! After the show, we had a little after party at our hotel and then flew back to NYC.

Besides playing, what’s on your list of things to do/see while you in Playa del Carmen (sites to see, restaurants to try, etc.)? We're there for five days this time, so we're hoping to explore a lot more than we did last year. Don't really have anything specific in mind - we'll just go with the flow once we're down there. There will not be a shortage of things to see and do.

Bob Moses at The BPM Festival:
01/10/14 - Fusion Beach Club - "Scissor & Thread Showcase"
01/11/14 - Mamitas - "All Day I Dream"

Listen to Bob Moses on Pulse Radio

Ring in the New Year with good friends and great music at BangON!’s New Years Eve extravaganza! The party, kicking off at 9pm on Tuesday, December 31st, will run into the late morning hours until 11am at a secret location in Brooklyn, taking over a whole block in East Williamsburg’s warehouse district. “Time And Space” will feature two stages with impressive LED panels and art design, set in a 60,000 square foot multi-room warehouse.

Providing the soundtrack to the festive evening on the Time Stage will be Crosstown Rebels label boss Damian Lazarus, Miami-based Behrouz, Scissor & Thread’s Bob Moses, and New York’s Sleepy & Boo. The Space Stage will feature progressive house hero Deniz Koyu and The Polish Ambassador’s “chill funk electronic.”

In addition to the musical portion, the bash will also feature art installations, circus performances, Burning Man art cars, food trucks, clothing venders, rides, body painting, and lounge areas designed by local artists. At the stroke of midnight, guests will be treated to a special aerial performance accompanied by a “rocket launch.” Be sure to get your tickets to the event today on Pulse Radio!

Listen to Damian Lazarus on Pulse Radio

Following the release of his well-received DJ-Kicks mix last month, Barcelona-based DJ/producer John Talabot is setting off on a North American tour this February. He will only take one night off, hitting 11 different cities in only 12 days including Miami, New York, Montreal, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Check out the full list of tour dates below!

Tour Dates:
February 4 - Miami, FL @ Bardot
February 5 - Washington, DC @ U Hall
February 6 - Montreal, QB @ SAT
February 7 - New York, NY @ SRB
February 8 - Toronto, ON @ Footwork
February 9 - Vancouver, BC @ Fortune
February 11 - Seattle, WA @ Q
February 12 - Austin, TX @ Kingdom
February 13 - Costa Mesa, CA @ Mesa
February 14 - Los Angeles, CA @ Club Called Rhonda
February 15 - San Francisco, CA @ Icee Hot

Listen to John Talabot on Pulse Radio

Belgium house and nu-disco producer Kolombo is on his way to Australia for a series of club gigs across one massive weekend in January, taking in Perth, Brisbane, Geelong, Melbourne and a special day gig at Sydney's ivy Pool Club for the club's Marco Polo series.

Real name Olivier Grégoire, Kolombo has experimented with many dance music genres over the years via a variety of pseudonyms, leading to a huge discography that includes releases on some of the world's finest electronic imprints such as Kompakt, 2DIY4, Warung, Noir Music, Turbo, Eskimo and Future Classic to name but a few.

Australian Tour Dates
17.01.13 - Geisha, Perth
18.01.13 - Bowler Bar (Day Show), Brisbane
18.01.13 - Fake Chow, Geelong
19.01.13 - Marco Polo @ ivy (Day Show)
19.01.13 - Summer Series @ Revolver

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In yet another sign of just how commercial and very often bastardised the art of DJing has become as it moves further into the mainstream, an advertisement (disguised as some sort of odd press release) surfaced yesterday on infolink which suggests a demand for topless female DJs in the Australian nightclub scene.

"Heavy market research and popular demand from the Australian mining towns as well as major city venues means the Topless DJ’s will become a huge success," reads the ad. "This has been demonstrated throughout Europe with the likes of world renowned Hungarian topless disc jockey Niki Belucci. She is 100% pure talent and beauty and is in major demand all year round."

Just what we don't need, right? Though the sexist ad doesn't stop there, but goes on to suggest that heavily male dominated world DJ polls means that female DJs need to up their game by using their 'talents' to become "better recognised and appreciated".

It's a rather disheartening ad to see, not only because of the breadth of respected female DJ talent we have in this country, but also because we're finally beginning to reach a point where the very topic of female DJs is a non-issue - a point which was raised and discussed by Aussie DJs and producers such as Carly Roberts, Michelle Owen and Elizabeth Rose during the excellent "Does The Industry Have A Gender Issue?" panel at EMC in Sydney earlier this month.

Listen to respected female DJs on Pulse Radio

One of the world's best-loved electronic music tours Future Music Festivalreturns to Australia and Malaysia in March, bringing with it a slew of world renowned DJ and live talent. But with a lineup overflowing with quality music, the conundrum is always the same; who should you devote your precious time towards? Well we've done the hard work for you and recommended ten acts on the roster who are definitely worthy of some dancefloor time.

#10 Bauuer
There is a good chance you’re aware of Baauer, if only for the hundreds upon hundreds of Youtube clips that were spawned from his breakthrough hit ‘Harlem Shake’. The producer has since gone on to co-produce track ‘Higher’ with hip-hop legend Just Blaze (recently here for the inaugural Listen Out parties) and has relentlessly traversed the globe since ‘Harlem Shake’. Don’t pretend you're not hanging to witness an inevitably packed crowd launch into all sorts of crazy moves when Harlem Shake drops.
 

#9 Helena
This globe-trotting prodigy has not only found herself on bills such as Ultra Music Festival and Stereosonic, not to mention a string of well-received singles under her belt. Her most recent cut ‘Legend’ has been getting praise from the likes of Nicky Romero and Hardwell, so get down to see one of our finest dames of dance lay it down at Future Music. Listen to her mix for Ivy Radio here.
 

#8 Luciano
The Cadenza label head has come a long way from having cigarettes stubbed out on his vinyl. His Vagabundos night that took Pacha Ibiza by storm has since gone on to host stages at some of the world’s biggest festivals including Serbia’s EXIT Festival and New York City’s Electric Zoo, not to mention going on tour to Brazil, Japan and beyond.
 

#7 Sven Vath
Papa Sven returns to the Future Music stomping grounds to once again host his own Cocoon Heroes stage and as anyone who has ever seen the human whirlwind that is Sven Vath can attest, highlight this one in yellow because it will be a set not be missed.
 

#6 Gesaffelstein
It’s been a big year for Frenchman Gesaffelstein. Between the release of his well-received debut record ‘ALEPH’ in October, plus helming production duties on ‘Black Skinhead’ and ‘Send It Up’ on Kanye West’s opus ‘Yeezus’, Gesaffelstein has been keeping himself plenty busy. The impeccably suited producer has caused mayhem on each dance floor he’s presided over lately and his set at Future Music is looking to be no different. Mind the cigarette ash if you happen to be in the front row.
 

#5 Eric Prydz
The internet explosion that occurred when Prydz ever-so innocuously posted a picture of the Australian flag on his Facebook was truly magnificent. The Swedish DJ has a notoriously well-documented fear of flying, a fear that had foiled an appearance at Field Day 2009. Well, Pryda fans, the wait is on for the tour that has been a LONG time coming.
 

#4 Dubfire
The loose-lipped producer may have leaked his spot on the good ship Future Music via Twitter back in June this year but there’s little wonder why the techno don and former half of Deep Dish is frequently on the touring wish lists of music fans world over. The SCI+TEC head honcho has been in the game for over 20 years, and given the extensive back catalogue of production credits, some of which made it out of the underground, this will be a set to make it front and centre for. Listen to his recent Pulse podcast here.
 

#3 Brodinski
“Baptised by Tiga as ‘the DJ’s DJ' is an accolade that appears on this constantly burgeoning DJ/producer’s biography and we think that’s one worth adding to the list. Having been championed by the likes of 2manyDJ’s, Annie Mac and Erol Alkan to name just a few, the Parisian launched his own label, Bromance in 2011 with his manager Manu Barron and the rest, as they say, is history. For big beats and even bigger vibes, get yourself over to Brodinski.
 

#2 Maya Jane Coles
The leading lady of house music in 2013, Maya Jane Coles' ascent has been a triumphant one. The release of her pop friendly debut album ‘Comfort’ has soared to the top of many a ‘Best Of’ list and the accolades only keep piling up. Throw in landing herself on the cover of Mixmag, plus a successful run of shows in Ibiza this season, MJ Coles makes a welcome return to our shores after a brief blitz last year with Field Day. 
 

#1 Guy Gerber
The Israeli DJ with a penchant for including live instruments in his sets landed himself the #4 spot on Resident Advisor’s Top Live Acts this year– but that should come as no surprise to anyone who has had the privilege of seeing Guy Gerber in live mode. The Supplement Facts label owner unveiled his ‘Wisdom of the Glove’ night at Pacha Ibiza this season, which featured the likes of dOP, Cajmere and Matthew Dear to name a few, plus, inexplicably, a $150,000 glove. We won’t ask. But we will see you there when Guy Gerber weaves his magic across Future Music.

Future Music Festival Australia 2014 Dates
01.03.13 – Brisbane
02.03.13 – Perth
08.03.13 – Sydney
09.03.13 – Melbourne
10.03.13 – Adelaide

Future Music Festival Kuala Lumpur Dates
13.03.13 – Day 1
14.03.13 – Day 2
15.03.13 – Day 3

Good Life Music Festival 2014 Dates
28.02.13 – Brisbane
03.03.13 – Perth
07.03.13 – Melbourne
09.03.13 – Sydney

Tickets for the national Future Music Festival are on sale now. Buy here.

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When I heard that Melbourne's favourite secret agents The Operatives were bringing none other than Jon Hopkins to town, it's fair to say that I immediately got very excited. Hopkins' latest LP 'Immunity' won critical acclaim when it was released in June, and it'll doubtless soon be appearing high up on many critics' Top 10 lists for this year.

Arriving to The Hi-Fi rather early, I was able to catch both support acts of the night. Silentjay played lush, curdled beats while hovering over the decks attentively, every now and then flashing a quick spontaneous grin. It's funny how obvious it can be when someone really loves this music they're playing. Sean Deans took over, continuing in a similar bassy groove for a few tracks before dropping some Blawan and switching into a faster techno mode. The BPMs seemed a little excessive for a warm-up set, but people took to the dancefloor nonetheless.

Jon Hopkins took to the stage to a mighty cheer. He kicked things off with Immunity's opener, 'We Disappear'. Working with an assortment of hardware and a laptop (placed a tasteful distance away from the rest of his gear), Hopkins wasted no time in demonstrating why his live act is a force to be reckoned with. With expertly nimble fingers, he microprogrammed percussion layers atop his tracks and tweaked all the right knobs at all the right times to keep his pulsating sound writhing onwards. By the time the furious, thrumming drones of 'Open Eye Signal' had subsided, the dancefloor was already building to a frenzy. 'Collider' slowed things down a little with its steady, deep thump.

Playing ten-minute songs with such a degree of live performance must be pretty strenuous, and after each song Hopkins would give a slight, almost bowing motion, like a juggler after a particularly long and difficult trick. His warmth and appreciation for the crowd really shone through during these short breaks.

Hopkins continued with some earlier work, adorning 2009's 'Light Through the Veins', with bright, scintillating arps that built into a defeaning reverb-soaked crescendo, before moving into grainier ground with some surprisingly roughshod techno. He came back for a brief encore with a unreleased track that tickled more than a few earbuds, pointing at great things to come from this talented musician.

Listen to Jon Hopkins on Pulse Radio

Computer manufacturer ASUS and Sydney events company Finely Tuned have collaborated on an installation project called 'Light Tunnel' which has transformed a commuter entrance in Sydney’s Central Station into an amazing display which utilizes 28,000 LED pixels, all controlled and mapped using an ASUS computer. The project was created to promote the new Transformer Series of laptops in Australia.

Using logarithms for velocity and direction triggered by kinetic sensors stationed at either end of the tunnel, the LED lights create ripples across a virtual map of the roofs architecture which correlates to the movement of commuters passing underneath.

“Light Tunnel was very much a collision of creative desires and technological engineering," said Joe Crossley of Finely Tuned. "It’s an exciting time where artists are collaborating with high tech developers and engineers to make components for a wide range of creative applications. It’s a truly transformative time and this is why this installation was such a great project to join with ASUS on."

The installation, which opened on Wednesday 11th, is open to the public 24 hours a day until the 21st of December. My Media Sydney were there recently to film the Light Tunnel, asking commuters what they would like to transform in their lives if given the opportunity. Watch the video below.

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Spice Afloat is back to ring in 2014 with a rather epic trio of headliners; UK house heads Audiojack, Detroit techno young gun Kyle Hall and Hamburg deep houser Sebastian Doering AKA Lovebirds. The party will also see a host of Sydney club SPICE residents in supprt including Robbie Lowe, Murat Kilic, Morgan and more.

Thanks to the good people at The Spice Cellar, we have a double pass to giveaway to the party! How to snap the tickets up? Simply tell us in the comments section below how you like to spice things up on NYE/NYD. The funniest/most inventive answer (in our eyes) will take out the prize. The winner will be notified by 5pm on Friday 20th Dec. Good luck!

First release tickets are on sale now. Head to www.thespicecellar.com.au for info.

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Live from the Boiler Room in Berlin, they had from France, Terence Fixmer and a live setup that demands your attention for this edition of the Boiler Room Pearlers. Indeed a pearl for you to download and add to the bag. 

Signed to labels Electric Deluxe Rec, Planete Rouge Rec, Prologue Rec, Turbo rec and CLR Rec, Terence Fixmer is one of France’s most treasured protagonists. Respected by his peers and genuinely adored by his fans. Terence is familiar with both club and festival settings, totally capable of traversing the gamut of electronic genres from Electro, Industrial to Techno in its purest form. 

This hour-long set he dropped in the mecca of dance music, Berlin, Fixmer demonstrates exactly that, slowly reeling you in from the start, and keeping you tied until finally weaning it off. Watch the video and get involved, this was certainly a pearl. 

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The South African duo that had a corking last season in Ibiza that we know as Goldfish, are back in South Africa for the Summer, holding a residency that will have them playing their 'Goldfish Submerged Sessions' at the Shimmy Beach Club every Sunday. The two musical talents, incorporating live elements in their high-energy set have put together a mix just short of an hour, and made it available for download a couple of hours agoin tribute to the great Nelson Mandela.

 These guys have battled out a gruelling tour schedule whilst still maintaining to put albums and chart-toppers. From Perceptions of Pacha, to Three Second memory, One Million Views, and Take Back Tomorrow, there’s no stopping the lads. Check out their Soundcloud for more of their vocal-laced, moody-grooves and big bass numbers. Goldfish is the sound of Summer encapsulated. One for the fishies!

Follow us:

www.goldfishlive.com
www.facebook.com/goldfishlive
www.youtube.com/goldfishlive
www.instagram.com/goldfishlive 

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The spotlight is on somethinksounds, who turned 3-years-old this November. In a mere three years, label heads Andy Lemay and Kazim Kazim Kazim have signed top artists, released forward-thinking yet timeless records and achieved more than they could have imagined. To celebrate, they’ve brought out ‘My Love For You Is Analogue’, a compilation from the imprint to date. I asked them how they pulled it off and what we can expect from them in their fourth year.

<br>

Happy Birthday! Tell us about the birth of somethinksounds - how did you two meet? KAZIM: Thanks! We started the label a year after we graduated, on my birthday, 27th November 2010. I met Andy at a party in first year. As you do at eighteen, we were showing off our musical knowledge. Before we knew it we started talking about Spacek and decided that this wasn’t a competition, it was a match made in musical heaven. We spent the next three years promoting parties, getting wasted and DJing together. Though Andy seems to think we officially decided to do it at this amazing rooftop party which my ex-girlfriend threw!

What are the advantages and disadvantages of running the label out of London and Berlin, two very sonically different music capitals? K: The only major negative is we don’t have a physical headquarters. All our work is done digitally but it’s still important to have a physical space, the creative and strategic home of everything you do: the place where magic happens. But, we get to experience two of the world’s best cities simultaneously, that’s the best bit. We travel lots, and I’m often in London so it’s not like we’re strangers in two cities, like some tragic romantic drama. And of course there’s Skype, the most important invention and the third member of this partnership.

How would you rate your progress compared with your initial aspirations? K: That’s a tricky question, and a good one. When we started somethinksounds, we had very limited experience of the real music industry. We had danced around the outskirts, DJing, events, radio, interning - but the real shit was yet to come. We’ve lived some of our dreams, and in that respect it’s gone way beyond our expecations. We’ve learned so much, and speaking for myself, I’ve made some absolutely dreadful mistakes. But in just three years we’ve built something really incredible. We’re in a position which I don’t think either of us ever dreamt of, and for that we wouldn’t change anything.

What special ‘Somethink’ does a track need to be worthy of the label? K: We don’t have a music policy as such, just a few rules we try and abide by. Firstly, we both have to agree that we’d buy, play and sell the release. We don’t always agree on every track, but if the release as a whole ticks those three boxes then we’re on. With one release, I didnt like any of the original tracks, but Andy did and was sure the consumer would too. He pushed the release through, and we had a remix on the record which to this day I feel is one of the best things we’ve ever released. It was one of the best sellers that year.

In the tradition of threes, highlight a trio of tracks from ‘MLFYIA’ that particularly stand out to you. What makes them so significant? ANDY: Ok, Lucky Paul ft Milosh ‘Thought We Were Alone’ [Gang Colours Remix] . We are big Gang Colours fans and this was commissioned before he blew. That’s not meant in a pretentious "we were there first" way, more to highlight one of our favourite parts of running the label, hunting out new talent and supporting it. The track is amazing, a really interesting flip on the original and pretty hard to categorise. Next, Bwana ‘Baby Let Me Finish’ [Black Orange Juice Remix]. Black Orange Juice guys are family, and talented as hell. We wanted to take the original to a new level by adding vocals. To us it was an original idea and not something we had really heard done before with a remix at the time. It’s an example of us taking risks because we believed in the idea. End result is dope. Finally, Lucky Paul ft Milosh ‘Thought We Were Alone’ but the Tom "guys want to be him, girls want to be with him" Eliphino remix! The reason we started the label, and this remix is THE SHIT! Soul Clap and Wolf & Lamb were also on the 12" with their first joint remix collaboration so that got lots of press on release but this is an amazing remix that didn't get the shine it deserved. It mirrors the atmosphere of the original, works the vocals perfectly and scares the shit out of me, really haunting! It sounds as good today as when it was released two years ago. We want to release amazing music that stands the test of time - this is a great example of that.

Kazim, aside from the label you work at VICE. Obviously its reputation precedes it... What it’s like working for them? K: VICE is a great place to work. I spend my time working on branded content specialising in music and lifestyle/culture. I work with what is probably the biggest brand on the planet, focussing on global strategy, content and media plans. It’s a different world to running an independent record label with blood, sweat and tears. I’m currently working on a project with Avicii for 2014, so you can see both parts of my life make for a very interesting day-to-day.

You’re also involved in 2020Vision. What lessons have you learnt from that label that have assisted you in the success of this one? K: With 2020 I focus almost exclusively on A&R and marketing. I get to work with two really respected and experienced guys, Ralph Lawson and Andy Whittaker who is also label manager at R+S Records. Together, they’ve got about forty years experience running independent labels. Incredible. I’ve learned a lot about professionalism from them.

Andy, can you tell us a little about your background? ANDY: Full time I work for Dimensions and Outlook festival – it’s a dream job really, and not because they might be reading this! I spend my whole day working in, on and around music, and when I get home it’s label work and more music so it’s perfect. It’s inspiring being behind the scenes of both festivals. All the people on the inside are massive music heads and everything they do revolves around that, no compromises. Before that I spent some time working for Red Bull Music Academy. These have all taught me you don’t have to compromise to be successful in music. I’d been collecting records from about thirteen and spent a lot of time in record shops, reading sleeve notes, teaching myself about drummers and keys players and generally geeking out. I’m a big history fan and was into the stories behind albums too. There wasn’t really a scene I was part of growing up but my dad is from Montreal where there was a huge disco scene so he had some great records. That got me into what would become my love of house music, rooted in my dad’s 45" of O'Jays - "I Love Music".

People compare partnerships in this industry to marriages. What makes yours work? Tell us your best moment and your biggest fight. K: It’s more like an affair. We’re more like each other’s bit on the side and to be honest, I think this is probably why it works so well. Marriages get boring, stagnant and full of fights. I can’t recall a single fight I’ve ever had with Andy, honest. We’ve both had long term partners since we’ve known each other and have been each other’s mistresses throughout! I think this is why it’s always exciting, fun and interesting. When it feels like a marriage, it might be time to move on.

You’ve been granted three wishes from the A&R Gods. Which three artists would be your dream signings? A: There are too many choices! I’m not cheesy enough to say we have our three dream artists already, so I’d go back to Electric Lady Studios circa 1996 when the Voodoo Sessions were going on. Hang out with D'angelo, Questlov, Badu, Rick Rubin, James Poysner, Clapton, Q-Tip (Chris Rock!) and all the other amazing artists passing through at the time and learn firsthand what it was like to be part of those ridiculously creative years, then wish you’d ask me the same question again so I could answer properly!

What’s the next phase of the journey for somethinksounds? K: Next year will see our first official artist album. It’s by one of our all time favourite bands, so we’re really excited. It’s a bit like a dream come true. That’s our first focus of 2014. Aside from that, more new artists, more new music and more magic. It’s gonna be a good year!

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In anticipation of one of the year's biggest party dates, we take a look at some of the UK's biggest NYE bashes. Get the good info here, and check out our contest to win VIP passes to Egg London's huge fiesta, including VIP entrance, champagne reception, vip area and bar and more. Read on, and see full contest details at the bottom of the article. 

Warehouse LDN Presents Matthias Tanzmann, New Years Eve Party

Where: Warehouse LDN, London

Who: Matthias Tanzmann, Gardy Sinuous Jaxx Ben Cain иot | Normal Arcko Digital Edski & Lucas D.

Why: Once again, Tanzmann dominated Ibiza's famed Circoloco at DC-10 with his funk-laced brand of house and techno, capping off another incredible season in Ibiza with smash performances at Amnesia's terrace for the closing party, and of course, a back-to-back set with Davide Squillace in DC-10's garden for Circoloco's closing - easily one of the night's best. One of Ibiza's best at one of London's sweetest venues, not to be missed. 

Buy tickets to Warehouse LDN Presents Matthias Tanzmann, New Years Eve Party here.

Music On Ibiza NYE

Where: Amnesia, Ibiza

Who: Marco Carola, Jamie Jones, Pan-Pot, Marc Antona, Mar-T

Why: It's all the outrageous fun of Music On with Carola on the famed Amnesia terrace, but for New Year's Eve. Also, you can go to DC-10 the very next day.

Last Night On Earth

Where: Brixton Academy, London

Who: Sasha (midnight set),Guy Gerber, Ellen Allien, Nic Fanciulli, Deetron, Hot Since 82, Laura Jones

Why: One of electronic music's most storied figures, Sasha, will be helping to countdown the final moments of 2013 in the UK for the first time in 10 years, leading to a bill that that reads like a page from Ibiza's summer handbook. Hot Since 82 has seen his best year yet, striking gold with his "Bigger Than Prince" remix, while Nic Fanciulli signed with Safehouse, the same team who manage Carl Cox, capping off an incredible 2013 for him as well. Guy Gerber continues to be one of house's best with sets that weave magic time and again, while and two of DC-10's favourites, Ellen Allien and Laura Jones, along with ANTS hero, Deetron, round out this heavy hitting lineup, all taking place at the 5000 capacity Brixton Academy.  

Where: Egg, London

Who: Miguel Campbell,Cassy, Tania Vulcano, Tim Sheridan, Priupa, wAFF, Republic Artists

Why: Aside from headliners like new house hero Miguell Campbell, who continues to hit big on labels like Hot Creations, and Cocoon icon Cassy, who's hot off her recent Fabric mix, Egg promises to totally transform the club for this special event, complete an Ibiza themed garden with Cafe Mambo resident DJ Dee Montero delivering sunny vibes, as well as live percussion, indoor fireworks, dancers and more. Couple that with a lineup too long to publish here, one of the world's best sound systems, and you have an Ibiza superclub smack dab in the UK in the middle of winter. 

Buy tickets to NYE @ Egg London here.

Way Back Here NYE

Where: Dance Tunnel, London

Who: FunkinEven, Semtek, Capracara

Why: Semtek's Don't Be Afraid was voted one of Juno's Top 10 record labels this year, and with releases on white-hot imprints like Eglo, FunkinEven continues to remain prolific, if not impossible to pigeonhole. If you're looking for something strictly underground this NYE, look no further than Dance Tunnel. 

Defected In The House NYE 2013

Where: The Astoria, Portsmouth

Who: Dennis Ferrer, Nick Curly, Sonny Fodera, Andy Daniell

Why: For fans of the world's most prolific house label, accept no substitute. Defected always does it right, and for their NYE bash at The Astoria, they've picked some of the label's best to represent. Ferrer once again flexed his impressive production muscles this year with "Mind Ur Step," and of course Curly's remix of Ferrer's "Underground" was one of the label's finest in recent years. 

Buy Tickets to Defected In The House NYE 2013 here.

Bugged Out New Years Day All Day-er 

Where: The Old Queens Head, London

Who: Frank Tope, Ben Pistor, Tayo, Johnno & More TBA

Why: The Old Queens Head is a New Year's Day institution, and the best place to head after collecting all your marbles from the night's proceedings, only to lose them all over again.

To win a huge package to Egg London's NYE bash, including 2 VIP fast track separate entrance, champagne reception, VIP area/bar, free VIP cloakroom, free mix CD and free exclusive goody bag, worth over £200, email chandler.shortlidge@pulseradio.net to let us know your favourite mix or song from one of the main headliners of Egg London's NYE bash!

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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 major 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 through these last 11 months. This time, she who shall not be labeled, cornerd or put into a box, La Fleur. 

Not one to be confined by genre, La Fleur crosses a mass swath of melodica, weaving together sounds and structure with ease and flair. In the studio, she has hooked labels like Watergate - where she also holds a residency - as well as Power Plant and Defected. On tour, she hardly seems to rest, hitting gig after gig at just about ever club around the globe, including Zoo Project in Ibiza, Ego, and Panorama Bar. Artistically, La Fleur doesn't reserve her talents just for music, instead working with some of Stockholm's best designers, ensuring that each album cover that has the luck of representing her tastes does so to perfection. Her releases have been firm favourites of selectors like Claude VonStroke, Carl Craig and Kerri Chandler, making La Fleur one of our go to artists to give us her best picks for 2013. 

- Favourite Dj/Artist/Person Of The Year
Many amazing artists worth to be mentioning like Dixon, Mr G and bunch more. But Kerri Chandler is my favourite overall as artist, DJ and person because of his true love for the music, strength, humbleness and passionate performances. He inspires me yet another year.

- Trend Of The Year or Saying Of The Year
I know where to beat the heat... you should follow.

- Event Of The Year 
One of the most memorable gigs this year was at a festival called Gagnef in the middle of nowhere in Sweden. Played a warm summer night under the bare sky while the sun set in the lake just next to the DJ booth. Nature feeds the soul and music enlighten the heart and dancing makes you happy, it was a good match that night.

- Overall Highlight
Joining the WG agency in the start of 2013. For me, usually a loner, it was a good feeling to step into the Watergate family. Had an amazing year with them; playing many great parties, releasing my "Nightflow" EP, including a hypnotic killer remix by Kenny Larkin on Watergate Records, having a summer club together with Marco Resmann on Thursdays called Thursdates at Watergate Club, to mention a few things. And the best is that it's yet much more fun to come!

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Two Saturdays ago marked the debut showcase of Touch of Class’ dynamic duos, Signal Flow and Pattern Drama, to Brooklyn’s Panther Room. 2013 was a big year for the fresh and respectable imprint, with three mature and sophisticated releases including well-established artists such as Tone of Arc, Aquarius Heaven, Tanner Ross, Tennis, PillowTalk, and disCerN (a new project by Silky and Johnny Cruz), amongst others. The label’s latest release, 'Sweet Romance,' a fresh EP by Pattern Drama (Corey Baker and Rami Abousabe) is now available on vinyl.

Often the feeling in the Panther Room is one of warmth and familiarity - yes, the blazing fire in the room’s corner adds to this warmth but there’s something else about the space that I haven’t been able to say about most venues in NYC as of late which is a vibe that is able to be created there. This means the crowd is dancing and genuinely enjoying themselves rather than walking about in circles confused and headed nowhere - the people that show up at the Panther Room usually come specifically for who’s playing and this shows.

This night was no different - the family vibe was pulsating between both Output and the Panther Room, with NY’s Scissor and Thread label celebrating the release of Francis Harris’ “You Can Always Leave.” Both rooms were emitting quality music and were full of tasteful, dancing bodies.

Pattern Drama, the upcoming duo who call Brooklyn their home, set the vibe in the Panther Room with a deep and melodic set of tunes, interlaced with some dance floor throw downs and topped off with a number of their own tracks from their latest release on TOCR, as well as several unreleased bombs that will soon bless the sound waves.

Like their productions, the guys’ sets present something different than what’s been going around in dance music - filled with sounds from distant lands, the moving music of a local cello player found right here in the NY underground, vocals by Rami himself, and an extensive assortment of deep house hymns. No doubt the guys massaged the crowd with soulful and melodic tunes with ease and a gentle wizardry of sound and captivating choruses.

Next up to take over the decks to play a three-hour eclectic set was Signal Flow, TOCR’s label owners, Michael Tello and Ray Zuniga. Maintaining a style of their own, tunes played by the guys varied from dark pop and deep sonic tones to several rare garage classics including Kerri Chandler's "Brooklyn" which seemed perfect for this night, plus several unreleased tracks from the duo themselves, as well as other TOCR artists and friends. The guys jam together with a familial ease, each adding rhythm to the groove of the other, while Michael works the crowd with his MCing live on the mic, [and his additions to the set with live synth & bass effects]. All together, it can be said that Signal Flow does more than just play records - they put on a thought-out yet spontaneous expression of music while vibing with the crowd and feeding off the energy in the room. It’s a musical experience of connect between the people and the DJs - something some people have forgotten to celebrate these days.

Besides the ability to throw down and mix in a close to perfect balance refined and tasteful beats, both Signal Flow and Pattern Drama know how to get the crowd involved and grooving and these guys enjoy a good party… this is why they keep doing it and why we keep going back. Bravo to Touch of Class and to the Panther Room for bringing Brooklyn quality sounds and once again, getting us dancing - nothing better to keep us warm during a NY winter.

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Never one to shy away from his honest opinion, Seth Troxler let his true feelings be known in a recent interview with Thump, calling Nina Kraviz "kind of a bitch" after a few bad run ins.

In an interview with Thump, Seth Troxler chatted about how 2013 has treated him, recounting a few instances where he met with Kraviz, both behind the decks and behind the scenes. 

"I never really thought about the Nina thing so much," Troxler recounts, referencing his nude jest after Kraviz's now infamous bathtub scene. “We don’t like each other. She’s kind of a bitch. Like, there’s been occasions where she’s really stressed me out by being such a bitch. One time we were playing together at a festival in France, and I was trying to help her set up the CDJs for her set as I’m still mixing. I asked her to plug the RCA into her CDJ and – I swear to God – she said “I don’t do that type of thing”. I was like 'What the fuck, you can’t plug an RCA into a CDJ? You’re a DJ! I’m trying to help you out here!' Then she was hopping all over my shoulders and shit as I was playing, and I was like,'Yo get the fuck off my shoulder, I’m trying to play and you’re stressing me out.' She was really pissed off at me after that.”

“Then, the third time, I was playing at my own party in Miami. We were outside with a bunch of our peers and, you know, I’m not a dick, so I went to go shake her hand and say hello. She was like, “I don’t need to shake hands with clowns like you”, so I said 'You’re a fucking cunt!'”

Not merely about Nina, Seth also announced a new batch of quarterly residencies at some of the world's best clubs, including Circoloco, Output, Fabric and the soon to be closed Trouw in Amsterdam, as well as some new label projects for the coming year.

While it's no secret that Seth isn't afraid to speak his mind, this article will once again catapult both Seth and Nina into the spotlight, and you can only wonder what would have happened if this came out before the RA top 100 poll.

You can read the entire interview here.

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