If ever there was an example of an extensive resume in dance music, it would belong to Tim Waugh. At 37 years old Tim has spent the last nineteen years working in the scene, starting out as a fresh-faced glassy at the ground-breaking Sublime Nightclub on Sydney's Pitt Street back in 1997, where Sasha & Digweed headlined on his very first shift. He then went one to become the GM and Licensee of the city's famed Home Nightclub, as well as owner of Byron Bay's C-Moog and a lounge bar called Cuba.

Internationally, Waugh was tour manager for a one Erick Morillo during his peak years when the Colombian-American DJ reigned supreme in house music, long before the mainstream had even heard of names like Guetta, Swedish House Mafia or Afrojack. He's even helped emerging Australian artists such as Dirty South and Sneaky Sound System break onto the international scene, working as their tour managers before finally settling into the role of Marketing Director of Marquee Sydney.

As the Sydney club once again gears up to host a slew of huge names throughout May - including the return of Dirty South for his only Australian performance in more than 18 months - we catch up with Waugh to find out how the club has been fairing since he took the reigns last year.

Pulse: It's been a year since you've been in the driving seat at Marquee Sydney. How have things been fairing for you? Tim Waugh: My first year at Marquee was a very fine balancing act between home life and work. So much has happened at work, although nothing bigger than welcoming my first- born daughter Harper into the world in October last year. Bianca, my partner, is now 5 months pregnant again, so as you can imagine I have quite a lot on the move at the moment.

At Marquee, my first six months were challenging. I commenced work right at the charge into winter and it was very hard work to keep the momentum going through the colder months while strategising our moves for 2014. The Star also operates in a very dynamic environment. It took quite some time and lots of energy to find my feet and make an impact in the marketing of Australia’s only true international nightclub experience.

Overall, after 1 year in the driving seat I’m fortunate to be continuing the great heights Marquee Sydney achieved in its first year. I am also sublimely happy to be immersed in the music side of the business, which is my core passion and the reason I’m still working in this industry. Looking back - the consistently full club nights every Friday and Saturday in 2014; our world-class VIP table experience and customer service; the staggering international & national DJ line up coupled with the club’s phenomenal production; plus celebrities and artists drop-ins have culminated in Marquee taking out the Nightclub Of The Year Award in 2013 for the second year in a row. So things are faring pretty well for me.

Can you tell us some of the highs and lows the club you've experienced in your first year? There were a few memorable highs in my first year. Firstly, forming a strong partnership with both Nova Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment. We’ve done a lot of fantastic promotions with these two super brands so far and we’re working together on something super cool for 2014. Our Summer launch week in 2013 was simply mind-blowing; climaxing with the mother-of-all-parties; the likes of which I have never seen anywhere in the world before. Armin Van Buuren, Nicky Romero, Afrojack & Krewella all performed together at Marquee Sydney on the one unforgettable night. Since when does that happen outside of a festival? I’m also very proud of our current advertising campaign ‘A Night’s Tale’, which portrays the glamorous side of the Marquee experience. I had a lot of fun creating that campaign and I’m really happy how it turned out.

Certainly the biggest high for me over the last year has been harnessing the full power of my incredible marketing team to fill our club consistently every Friday and Saturday night with fun-loving, music-savvy, champagne-popping clubbers. There’s nothing more rewarding for me than standing back and seeing people have an amazing night out.

The lows...well there were a few of them too. I guess the one that comes to mind first and foremost is the loss of our amazing mentors from Marquee HQ after they returned home to the US. This is the team that brought Marquee from the US to Australia and set up a killer first year for the business. I still miss them but they have left behind a wonderful legacy.

Marquee was already an established brand in New York and Vegas when Sydney opened. Do you think Sydney has established its own distinct flavour and vibe separate from its sister clubs? I think one over-riding factor that separates Marquee Sydney from our sister clubs is the distance Sydney is from the rest of the world. When we host an international DJ or have international guests, it’s an event, not an everyday occurrence like in New York and Las Vegas. So it really attracts attention when it happens. I think people go nuts over a high profile DJ or celebrity a lot more readily in Australia than in the USA. I can say this from experience, having lived in the US for five years up to 2010. Fortunately we’ve built a successful business model to run these special events in Sydney more often than not. So we generally attract a lot of attention.

And of course one of the best things about Marquee Sydney is location, location, location. We're situated at Sydney's leading tourism and entertainment destination, The Star, so the club is blessed with the most spectacular views of Sydney Harbour and the city Skyline. I can’t recall a better view from a club bathroom anywhere in the world. The Star has its own wharf so you can arrive in style on a luxury yacht and cruise straight into the club. This is definitely a point of difference to our sister clubs.

Ultimately though, we are in so many ways the same as the other Marquee clubs. Our ability to deliver world class customer service and an unparalleled VIP table experience is at the core of our brand. Marquee is emerging as a global club brand and Sydney is deeply entrenched into this vision.

Digital marketing and social media is imperative for clubs in this day and age. How do you guys use this to your advantage? Having worked now in the Sydney nightlife industry for nearly 20 years, I’ve seen seismic shifts in the way nightclubs market to their prospective customers. Pole posters have been replaced by EDMs in the same way vinyl has been replaced by MP3s. What hasn’t changed after all these years though is the need for nightclub marketers to take a very innovative approach to their work. My mentors in this when I was starting out were John Wall and Ming Gan from the legendary Fuzzy brand. Since the mid 90s they have captivated the Sydney dance massif with incredible club nights, tours and festival – all of which have been packaged with catchy campaigns, brilliant ads, intelligent event names and indelible tag lines.

For Marquee Sydney, direct marketing is such a core focus for our business these days. I feel the insights our team have gained from market research, workshops and conferences has helped drive a laser focus in our strategies – the lion share being in digital marketing and social media. We have a strong understanding of where to connect with our network, when to hit them up and with information they want. The way we use this to our advantage is through innovative, creative and fun content and keeping a focus on what matters most – the music, the experience and the fun.

How important is the visual aspect of clubbing for Marquee? For me, it’s like saying how important is your vision compared to your hearing. I think both are equally essential. The lights really set the mood in a club I feel. And when it comes to a dance floor, sound without the visual aspect will never deliver the sublime club experience of standing in front of a wall of sound and watching as energy electrifies around you taking you to that moment where nothing else matters except the tribal togetherness where everything and everyone is connected as one. Unity!

Have you seen an influx of people to Marquee since the lockouts began in Sydney? It’s quite a dynamic situation at the moment. People are changing their plans for the entire night, often arriving earlier and staying in the one place. It’s still too early to tell the true impacts on customer behaviours as a result of the lock out laws. Fortunately for Marquee, we’ve had a great start to 2014 running consistently at capacity on Fridays and Saturdays. However, this trend was happening well before the lockout laws came into play – I see it as a result of our strategic marketing plans that we set last year coming into play. We've been able to consistently maintain a great mix of Marquee regulars and new patrons who make up the clubbers, dance music lovers and the glamorous set which really keep the party alive!

Marquee New York has just kicked off a residency with Guy Gerber, which you might say is a bit of a curveball given the Marquee brand leaning towards the more commercial end of the spectrum. Do you see a name like Guy working for Marquee Sydney? While the club market in NY is certainly a lot different to Sydney, there is a very strong underground scene here in Sydney. I feel there is room to introduce more underground leaning artists to Marquee Sydney’s programme. It’s all about creating the right time with the right people for it to work. As it stands, I am still waiting for things to line up for this to happen on a larger scale. There have been some absolute killer performances at Marquee from artists such as Blond-ish, Jerome Isma-ae, Pete Tong and Paul Rogers in the last year. These artists definitely do not play main stream dance music and I was happily surprised to see an overwhelmingly positive response from our regular crowd with these artists. So you just never know what’s around the corner.

What's in the pipeline for 2014? Okay well we are working on some pretty cool tricks for this year. I am in the final stages of a very cool global activation for Marquee at the moment. More details to follow on this, but it’s going to be one of those promotions that will attract front page attention (I’m sure). We have a run of uber-chic events lined up over coming months, including our annual Belvedere Winter Ball and our annual Dom Perignon Masquerade Party. These are my 2 favourite parties of the year. I am already working on a very slick new advertising campaign for Marquee to launch into Spring. I can tell you the shoot will take place at Maquee – and that in the words of Justin Timberlake – ‘I’m bringing sexy back’.

For me I’m really just focusing on sticking to our game-plan, channelling out all the noise and delivering more fun, more bubbles, more cutting edge music. We want to be the place where you come out in Sydney to have the most fun. And that’s that!

Marquee Sydney May Headliners:
03.05.14 – Chardy
09.05.14 – K-Note
10.05.14 – Prok & Fitch
16.05.14 – Tenzin
17.05.14 – Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano
23.05.14 – DJ Bliss
24.05.14 – Dirty South
24.05.14 – Zannon

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The line-ups for this year’s International Music Summit Grand Finale parties at Dalt Vila have been announced, with a host of the world’s top electronic artists ready to appear. The first party at the UNESCO world heritage site will take place on Thursday, 22nd May, and will feature Size records boss and former Swedish House Mafia member Steve Angello alongside dance music legend and IMS co-founder Pete Tong, and BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac. Mac is no stranger to Dalt Vila after she held her own AMP parties at the site last year, whilst Pretty Lights and Manu Gonzalez complete the line-up.

The second party on Friday 23rd May will see Ibiza mainstays Jamie Jones and Seth Troxler, who have been amongst most successful artists on the island in the last few years, as well as two of the UK’s biggest artists in the electronic music scene right now, with Eats Everything and George Fitzgerald. Rounding off the line-up for the Friday party will be Hot Natured vocalist Anabel Englund, a live set from Bob Moses, and Marino Canal, who was spotted at an IMS after party last year.

Listen to IMS Ibiza on Pulse Radio.

Stylish beachside restaurant El Chiringuito is open for the new summer season and ready to bring what it describes as “honest, great tasting food in a warm, soft, loving environment”.

Located on the idyllic Es Cavallet beach, the restaurant is something of a hotspot for a whole range of Ibiza visitors - from A-list celebrities to families looking to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

With the winning combination of DJs like island residents Andy Baxter and Mr Doris playing in an incredible, scenic location and great food, an afternoon at El Chiringuito is something many visitors to the White Isle will enjoy this coming season.

Listen to Mr Doris on Pulse Radio.

As We Love… at Space Ibiza celebrates 16 years on the White Isle, the team have endeavoured to bring in the biggest artists for the coming season. Sasha was an original resident back when it all started, and is just one of the top-notch residents heading to We Love… Space on Sundays in 2014.

Sasha will host four nights with his Last Night On Earth party over the course of the 17-week We Love… residency at Space, with the parties to be split between two rooms at Space. The Terraza will see Sasha joined by Scuba and Fritz Kalkbrenner on 29th June, and Magda and Heidi on 27th July, whilst the main Discoteca will boast the likes of Catz ‘N Dogz on 24th August, Dusky on 21st September, with Sasha and Julio Bashmore set to appear on both dates.

Sasha had this to say:

"Space has always been the natural home for me in Ibiza and it's the club I have had most association with over the years. I can't wait to get back there on a regular basis this summer for my Last Night On Earth parties. It's a real honour to have been invited to host these shows on the legendary Sundays with We Love and I'm really excited that i get to mix it up between the terrace and the discotheque. I couldn't be happier with the list of guests joining me throughout the summer, it can't start soon enough!"

29th June – La Terraza with Sasha, Scuba + Fritz Kalkbrenner

27th July– La Terraza with Sasha, Magda + Heidi

24th August - Discoteca with Sasha, Julio Bashmore + Catz 'n' Dogz

21st September - Discoteca with Sasha, Julio Bashmore + Dusky  

Listen to We Love... at Space Ibiza on Pulse Radio.

Pacha will be open every night this month, with the final week culminating with a series of big opening parties as the new Ibiza season draws ever closer.

The legendary Ibiza club, which remains open throughout the winter months, will be hosting a number or artists in the build up to the proper, summer season opening week. 9th May will see Reboot and Dennis Ferrer behind the decks for Insane whilst on 16th May legends John Digweed and MK will be playing. Rejekts will also see Audiofly and Tiefschwarz playing on 19th May.

John Digweed, Dennis Ferrer and MK all return for the Insane Opening Party on 23rd May, and the all new collaboration with Ibiza Rocks House kicks off with their Opening Party on 26th May, featuring the likes of Derrick Carter, Shadow Child and Doorly. Steve Aoki will host Fatboy Slim for the Aoki’s Playhouse Opening Party on 28th May before Insane returns with British house stalwarts Groove Armada on 30th May.

For full listings and more info, head to www.pacha.es.

Listen to Pacha Ibiza on Pulse Radio.

Isle of Dreams is a brand new, 3-day festival devoted to electronic music, to be held in three different spectacular locations in Turkey, Israel and Switzerland in August 2014. Numerous top-level artists in electronic music are confirmed to appear including Avicii, Calvin Harris, Sasha, Apollonia, Jamie Jones, Paul Oakenfold and Pete Tong. Stages will also be hosted by the likes of Cocoon, Paradise and Sankeys.

Each of the festivals will be unique, having individually designed stages, all of which will be inspired by the atmosphere of Ibiza, and will take place in some of the most beautiful and culturally significant landscapes each country has to offer. Some of the biggest names in the global music industry are involved in producing this festival with Marcel Avram, Mark Netto and Danny Whittle behind the event.
Danny Whittle had this to say:

“The whole idea for Isle of Dreams was to present a festival that really spans all the genres of electronic music, from the bigger sounds on the main stage to the more underground cutting edge sounds of the other arenas. We aim to top this off with not only spectacular locations but also incredible production values. For us to meet someone like Marcel Avram who had the same vision was a dream come true and ultimately we aim to make dreams come true for all the fans of electronic music that will attend the events. This is why ISLE OF DREAMS was our obvious name for these amazing events. So see you all either on the beach in Turkey, next to the Sea of Galilee in Israel or in the Fields of Switzerland. All are going to be very special”

For more info on tickets and line-ups visit www.isle-of-dreams.com.

Listen to Jamie Jones on Pulse Radio.

It’s been a good run for the summer with Dayze, having put on a series of brighten Sunday concepts that bring together the avid party go-er, amongst a creative collective culture. If you haven’t been to a Dayze yet, check out our last review. To bid the summer season farewell, the team at Dayze brings you one last weekend get-away with their Awayze mini-festival to be held this weekend.

Pulse Radio has 2 Double Tickets to give-away for the entire weekend.

To win simply follow these basic instructions:

1) Like Dayze FB Page
2) Like Pulse Radio FB Page
3) Go through to Event Page
4) Write “I am ready for a weekend Awayze” and tag Dayze& Pulse Radio with your posts.

Winners will be announced on the morning of Thursday 8th May 2014 on the event page. Goodluck!!

AWAYZE FESTIVAL

Awayze is about creating a complete escape for a limited four hundred revelers with the decor and art set high-up on the list of priorities, so one can expect something completely unique and refreshing from the team. If ‘dayze’ is anything to go by, it is sure to be impressive.

To skip all the effort and just secure your tickets: 

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Perhaps a misconception, the term techno can conjure up thoughts of austere, minimalist, black-clad fair, void of personality or emotion, especially to outsiders. While some might disagree, the fact remains that even when serious was cool in the early ‘00s, Tiga’s music stayed, for the most part, fun.

So it doesn’t come as much of a surprise when we finally catch up with Montreal mainstay Tiga, we discover that his sense of humor is as ubiquitously present as his songs would suggest. The Turbo Recordings boss and Canadian scene pioneer is a master of working his personality into his tracks, including the recent “Let’s Go Dancing,” a collaboration with Audion that immediately blew up since its release at the end of last year. The pair’s February 2014 follow up, “Fever” is already gathering steam, with remixes from Tom Trago, KiNK, and Maetrik rounding out the massive single package. So ahead of his summer tour and stopover at We Are Festival, we caught up with Tiga to talk songwriting for dance music tracks, loving techno, and the power of dance.

Are you excited to play at We Are FSTVL? Yeah, I fly to Detroit right after so it will be a short stay but yeah! Fatboy Slim is playing, Annie Mac, Duke Dumont, Solomun...I took a lot of the summer off last year, so this summer is gonna be a big festival season for me. It's good to be back in that environment. We Are Fest should be great because I really love Annie.

Will you be at any other festivals this summer? I'll be at Exit in Serbia, Sonar in Barcelona, Melt in Germany, Movement in Detroit...

I'll be at Movement too! I went for the first time last year and haven't shut up about it since. That's one of the festivals I'm most excited for! I was there three years ago and I had such a good time. Oddly enough, I'd never been to Detroit before I went to Movement and I just loved the city. It reminded me a bit of Montreal.

You actually opened one of the first after-hours clubs in Montreal back in the 90s. You recently played at Stereo, one of the contemporary leaders in after-hours venues. Can you compare the two experiences? I played Stereo in December and I was quite struck by just how similar it was. The later on you get in a night, usually the freaks come out. By 10 am, what you're left with is this timeless shade of weirdo. For me, my memories of Sona are different because I was an owner – it was more stressful, not as easy, not as chillax.

So, despite dabbling in a few different genres, you are a techno lover at heart. I think techno, to non-electronic music fans, has a bit of a bad rep. It comes off as quite pretentious, even when it doesn’t mean to be. What would you say to nonbelievers? That's a good question. I think techno is a pretty wide term. In a lot of ways the people who don't like techno, their stereotype of what techno is, is accurate. But techno is an acquired taste. There are people who naturally love it, and there are people who don't. If you love it, you have to enjoy the repetition, the space, the texture. For me, in the beginning, techno was the soundtrack to everything I wanted to be in life, everything I wanted. It was an exciting, ambitious, passionate time in my life, and that was the soundtrack.

I think that's so true, and for me, it's so special that every good memory has some kind of music associated with it, and hearing a certain track takes me back. Music transports. Definitely, definitely. Another thing is that back in the day, techno was about the future. People were obsessed with this idea that "this is the music of the future!" And even with the parties, and the graphic design, and the lights, it was all about wanting to be futuristic and high-tech. And the sound went with that! The newness of it, you don't hear people talk about that anymore. And that was what was interesting when Skrillex came out too. No one had ever heard that before.

So, this next questions comes from two of my friends who really wanted to know what the inspiration behind “Shoes” was. What shoes were you wearing when you made it and what shoes are you wearing now? Right now I'm wearing red socks, no shoes. But I was wearing old Air Jordans earlier. So, when I wrote it....God, that was so long ago. I have no idea. [Laughs] As for the inspiration, these things happen so quickly, it's hard for me to remember...but I think it started with the hair. The idea of seeing someone's messy hair and wanting to comb it out! That was the little seed. Then it developed into this creepy character, these are his weird little sexual things, and from there it got into shoes and gloves. Like I said, these things happen so fast. It gets sufficiently developed before you have the chance to think, "Oh man, you're an idiot."

On that note, a lot of your tracks have this kind of anthemic quality in their lyrics, which I love. What is your goal with your lyrics? It's so nice to hear that because when I started out, I was never trained in songwriting or anything, and I had built up quite a romantic idea of what it meant to make music. When I started to try out songwriting, it was like bad high school poetry! [Laughs] A bit overdramatic, not particularly good. But now, my best lyrical ideas are kind of like slogans. It’s not the narrative, especially with dance music. You reduce it to one key phrase, and if you do it right, that key phrase lives on this line between so stupid and so clever. The asterisk on the end is that people remember it in the taxi ride home.

It’s funny how true that is. I’m thinking about that one Benoit & Sergio track… “Walk and Talk!” It’s funny you bring that up because I love that record! It reminds me a lot of my own tracks - similar palette, similar structure. I mean, if you actually think about it, that verse, that [sings] “My baby does K all day…” It’s so stupid. But in that context, it’s so perfect.

In a similar sense, your recent collaboration with Audion, “Let’s Go Dancing,” is quickly becoming a classic. Where do you like to go dancing? I love dancing! That’s something that’s really changed, people don’t really dance anymore. That’s something that I hope comes back into fashion! I’ve spent half my life watching crowds from the DJ booth and it really is something you notice. You’ll get to a certain city and be like, “Woah,” because the crowd is dancing - and really dancing, none of this hand in the air, jumping around crap. It’s so cool. It’s the best thing in the world. Anyway, where do I like to go dancing? Hmm...It’s a bit embarrassing but I like dancing to Goa trance!

Do you have a signature dance move? [Laughs] When I was really young - like 8 or 9 - I’d go to these parties in India that my dad would DJ. This is a very weird, personal memory, but I remember this old friend of my parents, and I overheard him telling my dad, “Hey, I saw Tiga the other day at the party, he’s a really good dancer!” [Laughs] And I heard that, and I was so proud. Years later, I was thinking about it and I was like, “Hell yeah!” because I thought I was such a good dancer.

Well, you probably were. Yeah! Yeah, I probably was. But the other thing that’s so cool about dancing is that it’s one of the things where it’s really about how relaxed you are. If you’re really no bullshit, no inhibitions, odds are you’re gonna be a good dancer! You can’t really fake it.

You’ve recently celebrated 16 years at the helm of Turbo Recordings. Has the label turned into everything you hoped it would be? No. But only because I never had a real, concrete vision for it - I didn’t want to make the biggest record label, or whatever. It never had that unified vision. In the sense of achieving goals, yes. All I really wanted when I started was to have access and to work with all of these amazing people. I wanted to collaborate, and that 100% happened. I’m pretty happy with what it’s become.

Tiga vs. Audion's 'Fever' is out now on iTunes:smarturl.it/FeverRMXitunes

Catch Tiga at We Are FSTVL on Sunday, May 25th. For more info, head to www.wearefstvl.com.

Listen to Tiga on Pulse Radio.

Imagine Nation-South Africa brought to you by Nuwave Entertainment and Spiced Productions.  Together they are quickly reaching their aim of becoming the leaders of the South African EDM scene. Their collective goal is to bring you only the best international and local artists,together and create a party experience like no other. Imagine Nation is proud to present,a duo that is rather familiar with South African soil, Cosmic Gate (Germany)

The German Duo Cosmic Gate consists of Stefan Bossi and Nic Chagall. They have countlesly played,sold out arenas and festivals halls,conquered EDM capitals and even get round to hosting their own stage at major festivals around the globe.Ten years into their career and they have  becoome the highest climbers on the DJ Mag top 100 chart. Bossi and Nic have created numerous unforgettable performances; in a world gone silent, this duo can surely be your sound.

Have a listen to the duo's latest mix:

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South African Tour dates:

Cape Town:

Date: Thursday, 8th May

Time: 20h30-04h00

Venue: Trinity, Building, 15 Bennett Street Greenpoint

Supporting Acts: ZAXX, CHRIS TAYLOR,DJ KINGSIZE AND EMBRACE ONE

Johannesburg:

Date: Friday, 9th May

Time: 19h00- 04h00

Venue: Gate 1 & 2, Nasrec Expo Center, Cnr Nasrec & Rand Show, Johannesburg
Supporting Acts: ZAXX , ROGER GOODE , MARK STENT , DIRTY HERZ , ROCCA & MARTINI AND DJ JC

Durban:

Date: Saturday, 10th May

Time: 20h00-04h00

Venue: Tokio Nightclub, Harvey Road, Durban

Supporting Acts: DEON GOVENDER, ZAXX,MARK STENT, VERANDA PANDA, FUNKY G, WOODY , SPINDOCTOR, RYAN THE DJ , AMEETH ,BHASKAR AND MONSTROSITY

For more Event Info & Tickets, check out Imagine Nation's website. 

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These days it has become very easy to be genre specific, to say that I make hip hop or house or techno. Every now and again people come along who want to do something different, who want to change the way certain genres are perceived and exist on multiple platforms. Christian Tigers school are those such people, hailing from the Cape Town, Luc Veermeer and Sebastiano Zanasi have enterprised a brand of music they aptly describe as dream- hop, chill wave psychedelia. We can confirm that it is dreamy, it does induce a wave of chill and it is very psychedelic.



In a few short years the group has cemented themselves firmly in the underground scene of South African electronic music. They are splendour to watch their ability to keep heads bobbing is second to none. Their success lies in the fact that they are able to fit into any line up, any genre any floor, they have no restrictions or limitations. South Africa is in need of such assets, free thinking, idiosyncratic acts who are constantly pushing the boundaries and questioning the norms of music.

In their efforts to push their music further, Christian Tiger School have been invited to perform at the PrimaveraPro in Barcelona, this music festival itself which is known as PrimaveraSound features the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Earl Sweatshirt, Chromeo, Laurent Garnier, The Pixies and many other top acts. It is no doubt that it would superlative to have a South African act amongst them doing us proud.

To get there Christian Tiger School are asking for donations to cover return flights and pre-diems during their travels as an added bonus any donation exceeding R100 will receive a free Ep. The group also plans to do a free show in the run up to this festival. We always talk about getting South African artists on the map and this is a fine opportunity for us to do so. So support, Donate and help Christian Tigers School get to Barcelona by visiting Indiegogo.com.

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A 17-year-old boy threw a massive party in his parents unfinished mansion in Ontario this weekend that got a little out of control… to say the least. On Friday night, 2,000 teens attended the bash and caused an estimated $70,000 worth of damage!

The party was promoted on social media with the hashtag #MansionParty, and images were posted throughout the night showing hundreds of guests crammed on the house’ unfinished staircases and floors.

Upon hearing a complaint about the party at around 9:30pm, local police sent 60 different patrol cars as well as canine and tactile units to the scene.

Nick, a 16-year-old attendee, said that he heard about the party on social media and witnessed a long line of cars, including a fully packed tour bus, waiting to get into the party. “I have seen something like this in the movies, but never in real life,” he exclaimed.

When the host’s mother was reached for a comment, she explained the situation. “I told my son he could have some friends over.”  Check out more photos of the damage below.

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This Wednesday, May 7th, a new party series is kicking off in Brooklyn! Dear Avenir promises to be a “limit-less, genre-less party where anyone can venture and become exposed to music that inspires them to dig just a bit deeper,” and will take place bi-monthly on Wednesdays. The party is launching at Cameo Gallery with a stellar lineup of DJs and producers including Red Bull Music Academy grad Distal as well as Ohio’s Yheti set to play at the inugural event. Be sure to get your tickets to the event here.

Ahead of the party, Dear Avenir residents Whiskers Po and Tanner Caldwell are sharing a special hour-long mix they made. “Dear Avenir 001” contains a carefully curated selection tracks, everything from deep house and garage to new age and disco jams. Give it a listen below!

Pulse Radio is also happy to be giving away a pair of tickets to the event, with a few drink tickets thrown in for good measure! Enter to win below – it’s easy. The more options you choose, the better your chances are of winning. The contest will end on Wednesday, May 7th at 1pm EST and the winner will be notified via email shortly after. Good luck!

Whiskers Po:

Decka Sound - Ah.
The Very Best - Warm Heart Of Africa (French Fries Remix)
Hackman and Klic - Do Right
Once Waz Nice - Messin Around (Wideboys Mix)
Sivey - Cause and Effect
Roska - ZZZ
Mosca - Bax
We Sink - Cat O'nine Tails
Kingdom - Let You No
DIVERSA - Alexandria
Enigma Dubz - Ladybird

Tanner Caldwell:

CRW - I Feel Love (Nikes & Mike G Remix)
Mikos Da Gawd ft Mr Carmack - Get Lo
DJ Rashad - Ride This Dick (Hesk Remix)
Sine One - Feel Me Now
Phokus & Grapes - Ballers
Chrissy Murderbot - Get Wet Baby (Moduloktopus #ReTwerk)
Portishead - Roads (YNGN Remix)
Olive - You’re Not Alone (EQ Why Remix)
Kozee - Let’s Ride
MoonDoctor X DJ Rashad - Can You Feel It
Wooferface - Back It Up
Cabo Blanco - Real Love

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Last year, Portishead accused The Weeknd of illegally using an unapproved sample from the group’s 2008 single “Machine Gun” in The Weeknd’s “Belong to the World.” Now, Portishead’s Geoff Barrow has posted a letter on his Twitter profile showing that The Weeknd requested to sample the track, which Portishead did not agree to.

The letter, dated February of 2013, came from a rep for The Weeknd and named both songs, asking for the rights to use the sample in several ways from The Weeknd’s music to motion pictures.

“I think it’s a load of bollox. When someone asks to sample you and you refuse, they should have the respect as a fellow artist to not use it. We usually give sample clearance to tunes we like. It’s got fuk all to do with money! As most of them are hip-hop artists that are [poor]. I don’t wanna get paid… I just want my beat back,” wrote Barrow.

Barrow tagged The Weeknd’s Twitter handle along with the letter (below) and wrote, “Hey kids, part one of ‘No infringement.’ He made no mention of any lawsuits or threatening any legal action.

In 2013, The Weeknd acknowledged that there was a letter written to Portishead about the tune, but did not include all the details. “Yeah, [Portishead] was the inspiration behind that. I wrote a letter to the producers of Portishead and let them know this album is inspired by them.”

Check out the letter, listen to the two songs, and let us know what you think.

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Arguably the most successful party at Sankeys Ibiza, Steve Lawler’s blockbuster fiesta VIVa Warriors returns to its home on the White Isle for the third year running.

Kicking off 1st June and running until 28th September, Ibiza veteran Steve Lawler will headline The Basement at each Sunday this summer, and will be joined by joined by Hot Creations’ favourite new young jock, Patrick Topping as well as Detlef and Nick Curly for the opening party. Further parties will see the likes of Guti on 8th June, Miguel Campbell on 15th June, and Robert Dietz and Yousef the following week. On 6th July, Andrea Oliva is lined up with a special guest TBA, the 13th July sees Hot Since 82 play back-to-back with VIVa boss Lawler, and 14th September will see Steve Bug in the intense surroundings of The Basement.

Capadi Rebels with Randall M will host Spektrum this summer, while The Lab will open on 6th July, with VIVa Music hosting a number of nights bringing the likes of System2, Monika Kruse and Ninetoes. The room will also see nights hosted by DJ Ralf and the highly successful Manchester label Music Is Love, who will bring the one and only Moodymann to the White Isle.

Be sure to check back as more artists are added to the line-up.

Listen to VIVa Warriors at Sankeys Ibiza on Pulse Radio. 

This fall will see the introduction of a new festival in California. Forever Never Land is a new festival concept that acknowledges that most people these days don’t attend festivals just for the music. In addition to the musical element (which has not been announced yet), Forever Never Land is also concentrating on the overall experience of festival goers by creating four different “lands” with international cuisine, house parties, sports, art, and much more.

Castle Land will feature zip lines, treasures, games, and royal activities. Head over to Pirate’s Cover for slip ‘n slides, foam parties, beach volleyball, and more. Futureland is the land of “laser, lights, neon, and glow.” Enjoy cuisine from over ten different countries at International World.

PlayPals (guests) are invited to take part in "California's first 21+ music and fun festival," which is set to run from September 13th to September 14th in Avila Beach, California.

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Following a successful summer of boat parties upon Sydney Harbour headlined by the likes of Carl Cox, Jonathan Ulysses and Maseo  of De La Soul, one of Sydney's favourite parties High Flyers is getting the family together for a winter warmer shindig next month.

With the music the main focus as opposed to an international headliner, 'A Quiet Afternoon With The Residents' will see a handful of High Flyers residents both past and present getting together at Sydney's newest kid on the block, Flyover, for a great arvo-into-evening of good music and great people that won't destroy your wallet.

The party goes down on Saturday June 14 from 2pm-midnight. Tickets go on sale HERE on Wednesday May 14 at 9AM for a very reasonable $30+BF.

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It's been quite a few years since Michel Amato, the French maestro better known as The Hacker, has stopped by Australia.

Having accumulated over twenty years of experience in the studio, not to mention much-loved collaborations with Miss Kittin, the Goodlife Records boss will be returning down under this May for a series of headline shows across the east coast for his ZONE Records tour.

The Hacker hits up Sydney, Gold Coast and Melbourne from May 23-30. Tickets for the Sydney show are on sale below.

The Hacker 2014 Australian Tour Dates
23.05.14 - Motorik, Marrickville Bowling Club, Sydney [BUY]
30.05.14 - The Liberty Socia, Melbourne
24.05.14 - Elsewhere, Gold Coast

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With dance music - or EDM as our beloved Yanks like to call it - having blown completely sky-high in the United States, there's no shortage of awesome Aussie DJs taking advantage of the hype that's sweeping across the country. And why not? There's never been a more fruitful time than right now when it comes to Australian dance music, and it seems our pals up in the Northern Hemisphere agree. Here are 10 Aussie DJs currently breaking into America.

Helena
UK born, Australian bred and now Los Angeles based, Helena is making a name for herself as one of EDM’s most prominent DJs and electronic producers. Last year Helena showed off her electro-house sound in front of thousands upon Ultra Music Festival’s main stage, collaborated with John Dahlback and played at venues like Lavo New York and Las Vegas, Mansion Miami, Playhouse LA, San Diego’s Voyeur, and both Marquee Nightclubs in Vegas and NYC.

Tommy Trash
Sydney bred Tommy Trash relocated to glitzy Los Angeles a couple of years back to tackle the USA head on. So far he’s killing it, appearing on countless EDM festival bills and even securing a Monday night residency this year at The Wynn’s XS club in Vegas. Hell, he’s even collaborated with fellow expat Kylie Minogue on her new electro-tinged album on the track ‘Kiss Me Once’.

Stafford Brothers
Who’d have thought an unassuming sibling duo from the Gold Coast would become one of Australia’s most successful dance music exports? Perhaps the inklings towards stardom began when they snapped up their own reality TV show in Australia. In any case, The Stafford Brothers now call LA’s Hollywood Hills home (naturally) and spend their time touring, making tunes for Cash Money Records and collaborating with the likes of Lil Wayne.

Dirty South
Dirty South is so busy smashing the USA that it’s been a whole 18 months since he last played in Australia (which will be rectified when he plays Marquee Sydney on May 24). The Serbian born, Melbourne bred DJ has already collaborated with David Guetta, Sebastian Ingrosso, Axwell and Thomas Gold, and it was between the 30+ stops of his North American tour that he produced most of the tracks on his debut full length, Speed of Life. 2014 looks set to be Dirty South’s biggest year yet, announcing a residency at LIGHT in Las Vegas as well as working on his second album.

What So Not
Despite starting off as a duo (Emoh Instead and Flume), these days, more often than not, Chris ‘Emoh’ Emerson flies the What So Not banner solo. Though that hasn’t stopped his star rising meteorically over the past twelve months. Not only has What So Not been snapped up by Skrillex for his OWSLA label, he just wrapped up a tour of the USA which saw him play at some of the country’s most important music events such as Miami WMC and SXSW in Austin. The Yanks, they be lovin’ the trap.

Alison Wonderland
Alison Wonderland might still be busy conquering Australia at the moment with her festival appearances and sold out secret warehouse gigs, but she’s still managing to spike some keen interest from up north via Diplo. Wonderland turned in a mix for the producer’s BBC Radio 1 show a week or so back which was full of her own edits and studio originals. Diplo even announced her on the show as “one of the best DJs from Australia.” You can’t get more kudos than that.

Kaz James
Melbourne’s Kaz James is already an established player in Ibiza but has his sights set on the USA. Kaz has already played some of the USA’s biggest festival including LA’s HARD Summer and such is his production prowess that he’s managed to catch the ears of David Guetta, Calvin Harris and even Madonna. Watch this space.

Sneaky Sound System
While most of the Aussies on this list (with the exception of Dirty South) are only just starting to crack America, Sneaky Sound System have been regular visitors to the country ever since they conquered Australia back in the mid 00s. Miss Connie and Black Angus tour the USA at least two to three times a year and have dedicated fans in cities like Miami, NYC and Chicago. SSS are gearing up for another tour of North America this July and August which will coincide with the release of some new music later in the year.

Anna Lunoe
Sydney DJ Anna Lunoe used to dream about one day playing Coachella. After two years slogging it out in the USA, last month that dream came true, with Coachella just one of many festivals Lunoe has played this year on her current tour of the States. Couple this with a head-turning mix the Diplo & Friend’s radio show and you could say the future’s looking more than just bright for the talented Aussie.

Flume
Still a Sydney Northern Beaches boy at heart, Harley Streten isn’t ready to fly the coop and jet off to the States just yet, but that hasn’t stopped him from making massive waves there already. With several tours under his belt already (the latest of which saw him destroy a massive crowd at this year’s Coachella festival), Streten has not only caught the attention of hungry EDM lovers, but also massively influential artists such as Boys Noize, Skrillex and Steve Aoki. the latter of which is now a massive Flume fanboy. He’s already conquered Australia, now it’s time for the USA. And yes, we know he's not really a DJ.

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Last month we brought you the news about a new club night is kicking off in Sydney with a difference. Well it arrives this month: Speakeasy kicks off it's very first edition at The Imperial Hotel on Saturday May 17th headlined by The Carter Bros and HVCK.

For those who already live in the inner-west well know, The Imperial Hotel's home of Erskineville is free from the NSW Government's 1:30am cessation of alcohol and 3am lockout laws. That's right, at 3am Speakeasy will just be getting into 5th gear. Plus if you happen to get locked out at 1:30am somewhere within Sydney's 'entertainment district', Erskineville is just a short ten minute cab trip away.

A collaboration between two local party crews Charades and EK Collective, Speakeasy is the new face of Sydney's post-lockout clubbing. Pre-sale tickets are available for just $16.50 HERE.

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