Electro-funk pioneer Greg Wilson is returning to Australia this March for a four date tour, stopping off in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, the latter where he will play in support of George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic.

Greg is considered one of the true legends of the scene, starting out his career in 1975, before beat-mixing had beocme common practice. He was instrumental in breaking the new electronic, post-disco records coming out of New York – a sound he has dubbed ‘Electro-Funk’ - and he was one of the first DJs in the UK to pioneer the then new trend of beat mixing records together (before mixers as we now know them were invented). He was also the first DJ to put together radio mixes and the first DJ to mix live on British TV.

Greg Wilson 2013 Australian Tour Dates:

02.03.13 - Sydney, The Soda Factory
03.03.13 - Brisbane, Coniston Lane
07.03.13 - Perth, Metro City (Supporting George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic)
10.03.13 - Melbourne, New Guernica

Listen to Greg Wilson on Pulse Radio

IMS - or the International Music Summit - based in Ibiza is fast becoming one of the key dates in the music industry calendar, bringing together the dance music world for a eek of lectures, talks and meetings, focusing on the development and continuation of the dance music industry. After teasing us through a series of video's, IMS have announce their line-up for the end of conference bash, titled Grand Finale, featuring Sven Vath, Scuba and more.

The Grand Finale festival is set at the Dalt Villa, a UNIESCO heritage-classified castle in Ibiza Old Town. Previous years have seen the likes of Hercules and Love Affair, Dubfire and lots more. For 2013's edition, Sven and Scuba are also joined by Maya Jane Coles, Solomun, Tensnake Live and Le Carousel Live. Included in the ticket price of the conference, it also marks out the start of the summer clubbing season - we can't think of a better way to see the summer season in. Catch the teaser video underneath for more of an idea of the conference itself and the aesthetics and values it represents.

Sven is also tipped as the keynote speaker for the Friday conference agenda, speaking about his entire career and a life entrenched in the dance music industry. In past years, guest's have been treated to an array of speaker's ranging from David Guetta to Chic frontman Nile Rogers and the legendary Giorgio Moroder, to David Lynch, Seth Troxler and more. The ticket to the conference also includes entry to Ibiza superclubs Space, Ushuaia, Pacha and Sankeys for their opening events as well as the Grand Finale festival, set in Ibiza Old Town at Dalt Villa. More informationand tickets can be found here on Pulse.

Listen to Scuba and Sven Vath on Pulse Radio.

Iron Curtis/Ultrademon
Shift 002 Split EP
[Midnight Shift]

Midnight Shift’s second release sees two extremely talented artists, Iron Curtis and Ultrademon step outside their comfort zones and deliver a great four-tracker (two tracks each) of music one wouldn’t expect from them.

Never Give Up sees Iron Curtis move away from his chunky, low-slung, deep house sound into entirely more upbeat, quirky territory. A minimal four-to-the-floor percussive rhythm leaves plenty of breathing room for the abundance of musical elements in the track, including a bouncy TB-303 bassline, constantly-evolving filtered pads and chords, and some great cut-up vocal samples. There’s a certain cheeky funk that hasn’t previously existed in Curtis’ usually more emotional deep house, and it’s a really pleasant change of direction.

For his second track, Iron Curtis reworks Never Give Up into “The Chant” version, which leans slightly more towards his more well-known sound, but still injects a variety of new feelings and textures into it. The 303 is made more prominent and menacing, contrasting nicely with the ethereal sound effects and washes, clangy percussion and occasional appearance of the original version’s synths (albeit warped and downtuned).

Ultrademon writes possibly the most straightforward pieces of music he’s ever done with Bend and Goonchie Blunch, but there is still enough weird, off-the-wall experimentation to keep fans of his sound happy. Bend is a simple – but extremely effective – house/techno/electronica crossover, kind of in the vein of Nathan Fake and James Holden, but less melancholic and more uplifting. Relying solely on a simple kick-snare pattern for its percussion, where the track really shines is in its wackily oscillating main synth line. The lead, a simple pattern of sixteenths which loops over and over in a kind of charming repetitiveness, constantly has effects applied to it, often warping it into something that sounds entirely different. A great example of doing a lot with a little.

Goonchie Blunch is reminiscent of the mid-2000s techy prog sound: dark and brooding for a while before catching you off guard when it explodes into its peak. Starting out with just a tight, clicky kick drum and a subtle bassline wobble, the track throws in slamming tribal drums out of nowhere as the bassline rises up into a gritty, resonated growl. And if that’s not enough, there’s also the buzzing, waspy sawtooth synth that just doesn’t let up for most of the track, like an inescapable swarm of angry bees (but ones you’d be okay with letting them sting you).

Listen to Iron Curtis on Pulse Radio.

Eclectic DJ and musical aficionado Bill Patrick has been off to a flying start this year (already). After bringing 2012 to a close on Private Stock 008 with a selection of his favourite tracks of the year, the Berlin-based resident has just concluded a full-on tour of Australia. Even so, it doesn't stop him from delivering the first Private Stock show of 2013 - as ever he's been helped along by special guests and playful banter, coming this month in the form of Bella Sarris, Morgan and Vlada.

"The first show of 2013 was sent in just in the nick of time. Recorded live and direct from Sydney, Australia, I brave the spider infested streets, tree's, houses, bathrooms, and anything else that has a corner to bring you the best in Australian local talent. My guests are three very lovely ladies and extremely bad ass DJ's, Bella Sarris, Morgan, and Vlada. All were very timid and shy behind the mic, as to be expected when in the presence of such an accomplished, now international, radio host, so I let the music do the talking (wow, did I just say that? that was terrible). All recorded on the last day of my Australian tour, this show will remain one of my favorites due to all the love and support shown from so many people in this city. Thanks again, Australia. It's been real. Music this month by Here We Go Magic, Tame Impala, Atoms for Peace, Do Make Say Think, Black Sabbath, High Highs, Aphex Twin, Nosaj Thing, Deerhunter and much more......"

Follow Private Stock on Facebook

Listen to Bill Patrick on Pulse Radio

Gottwood Festival is one of the UK's premier boutique festivals, tucked away in among the wild woodlands of Wales. The Festival have announced their line-up for 2013, featuring an array of electronic artists such as Ben UFO, Extrawelt and much more for a fun-filled three days of summer fun in June.

The festival previously announced their return last year and have spent time curating a diverse line-up that reflects music's elite names, billed for the 20-23rd of June. The coolest brands and promoters from around the UK - including Wigflex, Futureboogie, Hypercolour, Louche, Tief, Jaunt, Hit&Run, Apogee and Nixwax - have helped bring the tidiest names in house, techno, bass and beyond.

Names confirmed so far include Move D, Maribou State, Crazy P (DJ), Luke Vibert, Waze & Odyssey, Marcus Intalex, Detroit Swindle (live), Tom Demac (live), Microtrauma (live), Ryan Davis (live), Wolf Music, KRL, Bareskin, Futureboogie DJs, Christophe / Chimpo, Cera Alba, Alex Jones, Eton Messy, Van Did (live), 2 Bad Mice, General Roots (live), The Scribes (live), Strategy and many many more. Grab your tickets for this great looking bash below. See you there?

Gottwood Festival 2013
June 20-23
The Woods, Carreglwyd, Llanfaethlu

Listen to Ben UFO& Extrawelt on Pulse Radio.

In the first of a brand new series, Pulse looks at the inspirations and designs of some of the UK's coolest promoters, brands and club nights. This week, proceedings kick off thanks to the efforts of Nick Cobby, a resident at popular club night On Your Niche and promoter for the fantastic Zleep event. The brains and creative force behind the popular Nottingham event choses his five favourite flyer concepts below, running through why their design is worthy of attention. Over to you Mr Cobby!

Zleep 014

I've been co-running Zleep since 2010 with some good friends of mine, and much to my enjoyment I have been on artwork duties too. I have to say that it's been one of my favourite ongoing projects, perhaps because it is also close to my heart. The theme from the start was 'space', and that was the brief really - it was wide open. I initially used nebulae and cloudy, dream like images to try and create a spacey look that was almost more like a painting than a photograph. This has evolved over time and now I'm really interested in exploring massive satellite imagery, zooming in on areas and playing with the colour levels so that it starts to become more like an alien world or microscopic life form than an image of our own planet.

Zleep/http://tinyurl.com/zleep014

Warm 12th Birthday

I've been a fan of the Warm posters for some time. Its one of those that I wish I had done myself, and I’m sure I’m not alone. This design, showing the phases of the moon arranged into a kind of optical pattern, is one of my favourites (and there were loads to choose from). You may have seen this one on a t-shirt design at some point, as it translates so well and is a screen printers dream. It’s a striking image and so pleasing in its simplicity. In a word - perfect!

Jack Featherstone

RSS Triathlon

This one is easily nestled among my favourites from last summer. The RSS posters are always a treat for the eyes. This one perfectly summed up that Olympic period for me. It was a fun time to be in London and really love how the Olympic imagery is used with subtle Greek influences in the typography and illustrations. It’s obvious that a lot of love went into it, which is always great to see. I particularly like how the various events are depicted, although I must have missed the naked wrestling.

Jasper Dunk/Dominic Owen

Louche

This is another series that I've always followed closely, and with much admiration. This flyer is for their next event coming up in London, and perfectly showcases the collage skill of the designer once again. Its really easy to cram a load of imagery onto a canvas and call it a collage, but the real skill here is picking just two or three images that just work. You can tell how well these go down, as the Louche design format is still going strong after years, and though it has evolved slightly, the essence remains the same.

Louche Music

RA - X

Something a little bit more fun here. This design from Simon Cook aka ‘Stone & Spear’ was part of the RA - X series of events back in 2011. Each artist involved in the series was specially chosen and limited edition art prints were available to buy alongside the event. It was nice to see some value put into the designs, as the poster and flyer world can be very much a use-once, throw away environment. This sometimes means that a lot of the time a great piece of work slips by unnoticed.

Simon Cook

Tief

Here’s a lesson in good photography from Tief. Again, so simple in the execution to come across as effortless, when I'm sure it was anything but. It’s just really…nice. And I mean that in the best possible way. Sophisticated and understated. And like the night itself, it lets the music do the talking, and talk it does.

Tief London

More about Nick Cobby at his official site here

Keep up to date on Pulse Radio.

Ewan Pearson, producer, DJ, and writer extraordinaire, leaves the snowy climes of Berlin this Saturday for a gig in Playa Del Carmen for Mexican outfit Cobra Voyage. The multi-talented artist sat down with Pulse and Cobra Voyage to talk about what he’s currently playing, the evolution of his music, and longevity in the scene. Listen, and read, below, and buy tickets to the event here on Pulse!

Ewan, what excites you about coming to Playa Del Carmen, to play for Cobra Voyage on the rooftop of the beautiful Reina Roja hotel?  Well I'm tempted to say the thought of getting out of grey freezing Berlin is the thing that's exciting me most! But seriously, I've always had great gigs in Mexico and I'm looking forward to coming back to Playa - I had a wonderful time on my last visit.

Do you tailor your sets for different crowds? For example, Mexican audiences versus European or North American audiences? Probably not by geographical location so much these days - in the Internet age people are very knowledgeable wherever you go, but you always change what you do a bit in relation to the size of the club and the time when you play and the general context. I'm playing a lot of stuff that is between 110 and 115BPM at the moment for example, but there are some moments when you can't play that kind of thing as a guest, no matter how much you'd like to. In the clubs I play regularly I often ask to play earlier and for longer so I can play more of this kind of thing.

Your production history goes back over a decade, yet you've still found a sound relevant to some of today's most sought after underground labels like Visionquest and Crosstown Rebels. Have you approached music differently over the years? How have you stayed fresh? I think as long as you're excited and interested in what's going on then you can't help but stay fresh in some way - I certainly have no problem with changing what I do and exploring different things and I hope that my production and technical abilities have got better as I get older. The irony is having been around for a few years (!) some of the things that are popular right now with people that are younger than me - the 90s house revival thing for example - I find completely boring and unremarkable because I was there the first time. I think we still need to change things and give them a twist. I'm still excited to hear things that surprise me.

You're a man of many trades - DJ, producer, writer, philosopher. What projects currently excite you the most?  I think philosopher is stretching it a bit, to be honest! I'm lucky in that I enjoy all the different things I do - playing music, producing and mixing other people, remixes, original stuff and writing. I'm very lucky to be making a living from it.

Are there any artists, established or up and coming, that you're excited to collaborate with?  I just found a new band online that I really want to work with, and maybe put out on my label but I'm not going to tell anyone who they are yet, I'm afraid! The other people I'd like to work with are all technicians - engineers who I can learn new things from. I feel like I'm not nearly good enough at my job yet.

What, or who, inspires you today?  It's always the same thing - trying to do good work, something that gives you a strong emotional reaction, to make something beautiful or well made or hopefully both.

You must meet a lot of young, rising talent as you tour and produce. In your opinion, what's the secret to success and longevity in the inde/underground dance scene? Does it differ from succeeding in commercial arenas?  I don't really know how you have a long career - I certainly am glad that I started when I did and that I'm not just starting now when there are so many people making things. That said, the qualities you need to succeed have always been the same - some talent and imagination, a lot of stubbornness, hunger, curiosity and a lot of luck.

Do you have a mantra? If so we'd love to hear it.  Slowly, surely.

Purchase tickets for Ewan's appearance at Reina Roja here!

Listen to Ewan Pearson on Pulse Radio 

Ever wanted your own record label but didn't know what to name it? This handy guide from Sankeys, Manchester's finest underground dance venue, takes the difficulty out of it for you!

What's your label called?

Sankeys Manchester first opened its doors in 1994. Back then it was called Sankeys Soap, due to the soap factory that used to inhabit its walls. Since then, the club has been remodeled many times and become a haven for underground music in the UK. The company has also launched Sankeys Ibiza, in Playa D'en Bossa, and is slated to launch Sankeys NYC soon.

Listen to Mobilee Records on Pulse

Yesterday, Carly McKinney was just an ordinary 20-something high school teacher. She went to work in Aurora, Colorado, hung out with friends, and got buck wild listening to Diplo. Today, her love for partying is getting her in a heap of trouble.

Diplo launched the "express yourself" campaign on twitter, encouraging fans to send pictures of them expressing themselves to his music. Ms. McKinney, better known by her twitter handle as CrunkBear, chose to express herself in a manner known as "twerking," which features mostly women doing a handstand with legs bents suggestively. The problem is that McKinney decided to twerk topless, and then Diplo retweeted her image, which was seen by, yes you guessed it, several of her students.

We're pretty sure they were thrilled by this, especially the males, who have probably been furiously masturbating to her twitter pictures for a while now. Unfortunately this opened up a can of worms for the party loving teacher, as it was discovered she tweeted about one student being "jailbait," and admitted to having marijuana on school grounds. She's suspended and faces possible criminal charges. Whoops.

Well now you know what not to do on twitter if you want to keep your job. On the other hand, if you want to be famous, even for a hot minute, maybe Ms. McKinney is your hero. The campaign to #freecrunkbear has already gone viral. 

Listen to Diplo on Pulse Radio

Meet Mia Lucci, host of 'Signing In' on Ibiza Global Radio and one of the talented Sydneysiders signed to Finely Tuned and lined up to play her second RebelRave , in a just a couple of weeks when Crosstown Rebels 10 Year Label Tour hits Sydney on February 16th. In light of Mia's recent set aboard Agwa Yacht Club 015, supporting none other than Heidi, she's prepared for us a RebelRave Tour Mix here exclusive to Pulse, to get us signed in and ready for the Rave. 

DOWNLOAD MIA LUCCI'S PULSE EXLUSIVE - REBELRAVE TOUR MIX HERE



When was the first time you picked up a set of headphones and tried DJing, tell us the story? The story’s not going to win any Grammy awards but basically it was about eight years ago. I was at an afterparty with a guy I had just met. There were decks and vinyl and I decided to jump on. I’ve always loved music and it came quiet naturally. The rest is history. Eight years later DJing has become a way of life for me and the guy is now my fiancé.

Last year you lived in Ibiza, Berlin and Sydney. Describe what each of them is like to live for a lover of music? Sydney is my home and Ibiza and Berlin well – they are the hub of electronic dance music. I love Ibiza with it’s culture, the people, the beaches and it’s energy and I love Berlin which minus the music, appears to be the antithesis of Ibiza with it’s own culture, it’s own people and it’s own landscape and energy. All three cities for me offer something special. I love playing in both places but I have to say my gig at Katerholzig in Berlin is up there with one of my favorites.

The best thing now though is that Sydney more recently has really upped its game in dance music. We have amazing local DJs including my good buddies Brohn, Bella Sarris and Gabby and the international acts that are being brought out are comparable to those being showcased in Ibiza and Berlin. We literally just had Heidi and Soul Clap in town and then of course in two short weeks we’ll have the Rebel Ravers including Damian Lazarus, Subb-an, Shaun Reeves and Francesca Lombardo.

'Signing in' on Ibiza Global Radio was a project you started last year. Describe your show... why 'Signing In'? Signing in has been amazing. I’m very lucky to have the support of Miguel Garji and the station. They’ve given me a platform to share my taste in music with their audience and even helped to shape my sound!

The name Signing In is a bit of a joke amongst friends. It comes from the random dribble that we drop on nights out. Goes along with “full-time battler”, “dunno about you but….killing it”, “Step it out pal”, “You’ve gotta go aye” and “take a day off mate” … all random Australian catch phrases that essentially mean “you’re amazing” or “stop being so soft you’re not allowed to go home yet”.

How did your journey with Ibiza Global Radio begin? It began after a series of nights out in Ibiza. Café Sidney had asked me to mix for their weekly show on the station. I rolled into the station straight from the DC10 after party – inspired by Jamie Jones and Art Department's sets the night before. Miguel was really happy with the music I played so he suggested I come into the station once a week. We chatted about a name, how we could stream it from overseas once I left the island and ‘voila’ – Signing in was created. I love finding new music every week. There is so much talent out there and the show gives me the prefect opportunity to source new music within my taste and to share it with the rest of the world.


  
Now signed to finely tuned agency what have been some highlights of joining this family? Everything about the family has been a highlight. From Wade and Simon’s support to being billed with some of the most respected names in the world i.e. Carl Craig, Carl Cox, Damian Lazarus and Jamie Jones. It’s all been a highlight.

Wade and Simon have built something very special in Finely Tuned. They completely dominate the electronic dance music scene in Australia. They know where it’s at and who it’s with – always. 

They’ve supported me from day one and I’m very grateful to have them on my side. They believe in my music and what I do and every time I doubt myself Wade’s the first person to give me a good smack on the head and tell me to step it out haha 

What were the highlights of last years RebelRave? RebelRave is one of those brands. You WANT to play for them. Damian has built something very unique there and the proof’s in the pudding. The highlight at RebelRave last year was simply playing at it. I won’t lie… I was pretty nervous before I started playing. Then again, I get nervous before every set!

Do you feel you've found where you fit? 100%. Not that long ago when I was having doubts about whether I did fit in this industry I spoke to a friend of mine, Alex Wolfenden - Nicest guy in dance. Anyone will attest to that.

When I was talking with him about my concerns over the music scene and my place in it, he said to me “Littles (that’s my nickname) everyone walks their own path in music and it doesn’t make you right or the other person wrong. It’s just a path. It doesn’t matter how you started or how you do it, if you love what you’re doing - that’s all that matters”.

It was Alex’s words that gave me that extra conviction to feel like “yeah this is where I’m meant to be” and to stick with what I’m doing. If you’re not careful this scene can swallow you up whole and spit you out so having people like Alex to inspire you is a god send!

Who knows where I’ll be 10 years from now – but that’s what I love about life and this industry in particular. You never know what’s going to happen. The ups and downs - It keeps life interesting!

Most important people who keep you grounded and focused on your music goals? Almost everyone in my life contributes to my music and my focus on music. In some way or another the people around me inspire me and motivate me to be better, to do good (or bad haha) etc etc and it’s often without them even knowing it. 

What have you got planned for rebelrave goers? Oooh. That’s a surprise haha.. Nah… haven’t actually thought about it yet. But if the peeps want to know what to expect from the day all they need to do is look at the history of Rebel Rave and Finely Tuned events. There has yet to be one less then amazing. So, yep. It’s going to be a proper thumper! haha

Describe Mia Lucci in 3 words? Such a battler.

What's your favourite track of the moment? I always find this question hard to answer. Hmm. Habo Letki by Siopis (David Kassi Remix) seems to be getting a lot of air time in my sets. I must like it! 

and finally, where are you taking us with this mix? I'll let you listen & decide...

Make sure you get yourself to the SCA in Rozelle for Crosstown Rebels' 10 Year Label Tour with Damian Lazarus and his crew in tow for what is to be one of the parties of the summer. Tough call given the quality of events we've seen so far, but then again, this is RebelRave we're talking about.

Listen to Mia Lucci on Pulse Radio

RBMA - known to many as The Red Bull Music Academy - have been championing new and exciting artists from across the globe, helping fresh talent realise their musical goals ith a touring academy every year. Now, the brand have announced a brand new video series entitled 'HASHTAG$', staring the likes of TNGHT, FlyLo and more in a six part series that continues into March.

The new series focuses on themes based around internet culture and the new musical scenes that are gaining prominence thanks to the digital age. Joining Fly and TNGHT are Mount Kimbie, How To Dress Well and many more. The first part of the documentary - focusing on electronic 'r'n'b' -  can be viewed below.

Look out for further episodes of HASHTA$, set to appear every Wednesday and culminating on March 6th.

Listen to Flying Lotus on Pulse Radio.

FaltyDL
Hardcourage
[Ninja Tune]

Hardcourage, Drew Lustman’s third album as FaltyDL, is a demonstration of both the music that made the man and how far he has come as an artist. Born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut he didn’t make the grade of city’s famed Yale University, instead dabbling with drugs and playing in jazz and rock groups, before at the age of 19 going solo under the moniker he has kept until today.

After a few years of rave experimentation his music finally found a home with Mike Paradinas’ Planet Mu label, and after relocating to New York his career really started to take shape. Increasingly influenced by 2-step and garage, Lustman’s first album Love Is A Liability established him as a promising producer, remoulding the British genres with an American twist. Several EPs and another LP followed, along with standout remixes for the likes of Mount Kimbie, The XX, Scuba, Photek and Radiohead. Despite setting up his own imprint Blueberry Records, he signed to Ninja Tune last year and made concerted steps to move beyond his garage typecast. “I’ve moved completely away from that sound,” Lustman revealed. “Production-wise it’s the best thing I’ve ever done; it’s about getting sounds I hear out of my head onto the software/synths I’m writing on.”

This new approach shines through on album opener Stay I’m Changed, which gradually grows into a solid house track, full of depth but not over cluttered with ideas. In a recent interview Lustman said that he purposefully stripped down the production process, as tracks on previous albums built up too many channels of audio and distortion. This is again evident on the next song She Sleeps, which has a hint of Four Tet in the sparse style of its skittery drums overlaid with a soaring falsetto of The Friendly Fires’ Ed Macfarlane. Debut single Straight & Arrow is the first hint at how the new label has influenced his music, with a Wagon Christ/Mr Scruff era squidgy synth line mellowing into a more contemporary post dub-step feel, adorned with Joy Orbison-esque vocal samples.

Apparently the most prevalent power behind the record was Lustman’s love of a (presumably) beautiful woman, which blossomed during the writing process. This is particularly evident in the girlfriend-aimed For Karme; a stunning mix of insistent 90s house piano riff and dubby trap beats. Unfortunately it’s not all quite that inspired, in fact directly after the love song come a couple of disappointingly inspiration-less mid-album fillers. Thankfully the Fifth Element-referencing Korben Dallas brings things back into line with a bang, all rumbling bass and futuristic synthesiser work, recalling last year’s collaboration with Machinedrum. The best is arguably saved for last, as the beautifully building Bells pulls at the heart strings with intermingling saxophone, harmonica and glockenspiel snippets.

If 2011’s You Stand Uncertain lived up to its name in terms of musical style, Harcourage works similarly as a courageous step forward for Lustman, leaving the freeform jazz method of old and moving boldly towards a more focused means of production. After several years flitting round the fringes, this album should confirm FaltyDL as equal amongst peers like Bonobo, Gold Panda and Floating Points.

<br>

Listen to FaltyDL on Pulse Radio.

Jesse Rose is - for want of a better pun - ‘Made To Play’. Having DJ'd for twenty years and been producing dance floor excursions for a decade, the elusive figure literally never stops. Hailing from London – the city he attributes all music to ‘breaking first’, he is now based in LA when he isn’t touring. A man with many fingers in many pies, his latest tour is '12X12', an ambitious project of releasing 12 EPs, one a month, over the course of 2013. Responsible for releasing seminal tracks like ‘Well Now’, ‘Touch My Horn’ and ‘A Sided’ he has turned out countless faultless productions. With residencies in the holy grail of clubs such as Panorama Bar he is a man whose music transcends countries and genre restrictions, constantly seeking ne w ways of exploring the house m. Pulse’s Ellie Hewitt was lucky enough to catch the man himself for a quick drink in Shoreditch House for some valuable words – mantra free.

Tell us about your 12X12 tour that you’re on a the moment, you've just played at Egg and Revolution and then you've got a few forthcoming dates coming up? I've been constantly on tour recently, I was in Australia and then LA, I did festival tour with Ronson and all that lot. Circus was really good last weekend. Yousef was amazing, invited him to play in Berlin which he's going to do so that's sick.

So the 12X12 tour is based on the concept that you’ll be releasing 12 tracks over 12 months? Did you do them before? Yeah, they were all done before. They’re actually not just tracks it’s 12 different releases. I was going to release an album and then I was like actually hold on, let me do this instead. No one buys albums anymore. This way each release will get more coverage. With albums some tracks get lost in translation, which is a crying shame. This way each release gets the individual appropriate hype that it deserves. I still buy albums but I’m not sure anyone else does.

How do you feel about the disintegration of hard copy? Honestly, I don't care about hard copy dying. Its just about how music touches you. T'he industry has changed but not necessarily for the worst. If it's a a good tune then you'll always go back to it. As producers, if you don't want things to be disposable you've just got to accept the challenge. You've got to make better records if you want them to have longevity. Even if when you were just buying vinyl before, you'd have records you would play a bit and then records you would go back to again and again, tunes that would last longer. That hasn't changed, whatever the format.

You lived in Bristol a bit when you were you younger, there’s a lot of fresh talent coming out of there now, how do you feel about the city? Bristol producers for me there's got to be the main trio – Julio, Eats Everything, Waifs and Strays are the main guys for me. My mum made me move there when I was 13 because she was attempting to stop the craziness she imagined would happen in London. But actually I probably ended up in more fights than I would have done otherwise. (Laughs)

You’re based in LA now, do you miss London? I miss my London mates. And all music breaks in London first so I come back to see whats happening here first, fashion wise, music wise. I don't miss the rain and cold of England. LA is inspirational, people who think it's superficial or the people are I'll put it into perspective for you... Hollywood is much like Leicester square, the rest of LA, the hundreds of square miles is saturated with so much talent. T'he talent in that city is insane. People like Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus, all of the Crosstown lot - it's hugely diverse and it's amazing.

You’ve had quite a few labels, what’s the idea behind that? Basically my mentality with labels is that I need to start a new label every time I feel my current one is becoming a bit commercial or has too much recognition. You need to keep a fresh perspective and life cycle on a platform that your releasing music on. It's reflective of t'he music I want to put out so it needs to be constantly evolving and relevant. It's happened three times to me now! It needs to stay away from being generalized.

What would you cite as the turning points in your career? It's hard to pin down three turning points, I can't remember a lot. My Panorama bar residency was obviously huge for me, an honour and a turning point. A sided was the track that got me recognized internationally, that came out and then I was just b2b booked from Hong Kong to Berlin and everywhere in between.

Who inspires you musically? My best mate Switch - I've always been inspired by his production, not necessarily the music he produces but the way he goes about the process. It's amazing.

What’s your earliest musical memory? My dad played me a lot of his folk-type music when I was younger. That and Motown were big influences.

Do you have a Mantra for life? No mantra as such. I'm going to go to the loo and think of one[Laughs].

You’re a very busy man, how do you have the energy for it? Crack. (Laughs) No drugs actually, it's impossible to do what I do and be a caner. Used to but not if you want to do it on a higher level. I have the energy to do what I do because I love it, I get up and I have the privilege of creating my passion.

So Jesse, what's next up after this tour? I've got four more tours after 12X12 - Made for the night, black rose me and Henrik Schwarz doing our live thing. We've got an album coming out in autumn as well. Then I've got a secret one in the winter. I can’t talk about till the summer.

Listen to Jesse Rose on Pulse Radio 

Rio Music Conference begins on Jan 31st with a full slate of conferences and parties. From Jan 31st to the Feb 12th, Rio will welcome scores of locals and travelers, participating in the largest electronic music festival in the region. Like Miami's Ultra Music Festival and Winter Music Conference, the event combines massive parties with commercial titans like Tiesto and underground favorites like Josh Wink, with roundtable discussions, panels, and other industry focused events.

One of the official RMC parties on Feb 8th particularly excites us. Circoloco Brazil, which began its tour in January with talent like Maceo Plex, Clive Henry, and System of Survival. On the 8th, for a very special RMC event, they welcome Resident Advisor's #1 DJ for 2012, Seth Troxler, along with DJ Sneak, Matthias Tanzmann, Dj W!ld, and Cirillo. Local support is provided by artists like Leo Janeiro, Flow & Zeo, and more.

Seth Troxler is a household name for most at this point. His prominent rise from Detroit's underground to the world stage happened in just a few short years, coinciding with the success of his Visionquest collective and label. A deft DJ and eclectic producer, with chart topping singles in every genre from techno to electronica, Seth is a versatile musician who never shies away from the spotlight.

Dj Sneak is one of the men who put Chicago on the map for house music without pigeonholing himself into one particular style. With an ear for melodic tech house, jackin' vibes, and everything in between, Sneak's Chicago smarts will compliment the aforementioned man from the motor city.

Matthias Tanzmann, boss man at Moon Harbour recordings, marches to the beat of his own drum. With high profile collaborations alongside Martin Buttrich and Davide Squillace, he consistently raises the bar with innovative and driving DJ performances, a track selection to rival the greatest, and quality production.

DJ W!ld has been on a meteoric path to success, touring with the Circoloco family and also most recently joining Sven Vath's esteemed Cocoon label. He's launched his own label, W, and released his debut album, Palace, with remixes from the likes of Art Department and Kerri Chandler.

The party will take place at The Week club in Rio. More info here!

Listen to Seth Troxler on Pulse Radio

Todd Terje's 'Inspector Norse' was undoubtedly one of the most celebrated tracks of last year - every time it came on it provoked a smile from everyone in the crowd. The soaring melodies, flouncing beat and pure unadulterated flow brought a lot of joy to the world. But where did the inspiration for this incredible track come from?

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It turns out Terje got his inspiration from this absolutely fantastic Youtube sensation on the web - Inspector Norse. He's made hundreds of dance videos and one of them was also a particularly interesting video for a recipe for something described as a 'Inspector Norse Special' involving freezing some easily available chemicals... Terje found Inspector Norse so fascinating he had to dedicate his next song to him. In the above documentary called 'Whateverest' Terje let's us in on his muse - Inspector Norse aka Marius Solem Johansen - a failed musician who spends alot of time dancing and creating drug recipes on the internet. It's a really fantastic video.

There are already plans underway here at Pulse HQ to do something as incredible on youtube and inspire Todd Terje to dedicate a track to us.

Listen to Todd Terje on Pulse Radio.

Ultra Music Festival is nearly completely sold out, according to the latest numbers from the event managers. The massive, Miami-based electronic music festival has been growing every year, adding additional days, stages, and acts from every area of dance music. Expect way over last year's 50,000 guests. In addition to the lineup of commercial EDM all-stars, the Bayfront stage features some of the best in underground dance music, including Dubfire, Josh Wink, Yousef, Maceo Plex, Art Department, Maya Jane Coles, Dusky, Audiofly, Carl Craig, Tini +Guti, Seth Troxler, Damian Lazarus and more.

"We've never put so much time and effort into programming an event as we have for this year's Ultra Music Festival," UMF executive producer Adam Russakoff said in a press release. "We truly hope everybody attending this year will value and more importantly enjoy the unique experience we've worked so hard to create."

The festival will have 7 stages with well over 100 performances over the course of its two weekends. It runs March 15-17, and 22-24.

Check out this video to see what last year's was like...

Listen to Dubfire on Pulse Radio
 

Circoloco Brazil touches down at the famed Warung Beach Club on Feb 11th, a temple to dance music fans around the world. Utilizing both stages, the lineup is diverse and international. In the main room, Dubfire and Lee Burridge will be building a bridge across their very different takes on techno, alongside D-Edge founder Renator Ratier, CJ Jeff, and top local talent Dri.K and Leo Janeiro. Expect everything from hard techno to deep house, all expertly blended by these world reknowned artists. The room is undoubtedly going to be packed, with the spiritual Warung energy that gives the venue such a special place in underground culture. 

In the beautiful garden, Mathias Tanzmann, Dj Sneak, and Cocoon’s DJ W!ld will hold things down with support from Aninha and Doriva Rozek. The headliners have been honing their teamwork, with a gig on the same roster at The Week on February 8th, as part of Rio Music Conference. Each one is known for a slightly different take on tech house. Matthias' Moon Harbour recordings showcases the deeper side of the genre, while Sneak displays his Chicago roots with a mix of jackin', high energy house. Dj W!ld is less predictable, with sounds that traverse techno and house. One of the latest signings to the Cocoon roster, he represents a new generation of all star producer/DJs.

It’s a very tempting lineup – the combination of deep house with artists like Lee Burridge, harder techno with Dubfire, and a tech house smorgasbord with W!ld, Sneak, and Tanzmann should make for a fun party with great sonic exposure for all in attendance. This one is not to be missed!

Listen to DJ Sneak on Pulse Radio

Every day, someone sets themselves up to get punked. Armin Van Buuren, god of trance though he may be, is no exception, as this video proves. The genius prankster behind this one, High Rankin, has taken Armin's original live studio footage, which no doubt featured pleasant major chords and smooth vocals, and dubbed it over in key parts to hilarious effect. At least we hope that's what's happening. Either that, or Armin's people need to get him some Gas-X and a pitch detector stat.

Listen to Armin Van Buuren on Pulse Radio