Producer and Mad Decent founder Diplo, posted three acapella vocal hooks from his tracks ‘6th Gear’, ‘Biggie Bounce’ and ‘Express Yourself ft. Nicky Da B’ followed by the instruction on Twitter to “do something creative with em”. 

Diplo has managed to severely confuse a lot of his fans by posting these three acapella hooks on his Soundcloud page. We're unsure what will come from his request for remixes, only last week he posted a tripped out, down-tempo track ‘Everyday’ with a call to action for fans to go “rap on this”.

Maybe Diplo's being lazy, maybe he wants to connect with his fans, who knows? Truth be told, if you’re an MC or producer trying to get his attention, this might be a great way to do it. If you're up for the challenge we suggest to get involved and hit him back with your remixes!

putting acapellas up on soundcloud. do something creative with em https://t.co/MQt7ONJ6u5https://t.co/32MOymTpeyhttps://t.co/96QyBhUlqU

one more acapella for you guys. put this one in 6th gear https://t.co/m4iCy6oVtK

DJ Sbu, the energetic afro-house producer, has made a name for himself in South Africa as an entertainment personality, with a range of projects. In the last few weeks he has released a new single which caused huge buzz, became ambassador for a new sports drink that he swears will give Coca-Cola hell, and continued his mission to inspire young people in his social project The Sbusiso Leope Foundation.

The new single, ‘Indlela Yam’ Feat. Zahara, has been going wild on the airwaves and has recently reached number one on iTunes in South Africa.

Sbusiso Leope is a producer, club DJ, recording artist, radio DJ and television presenter. Best known for his DJ Sbu Breakfast Show on YFM, he has been involved in radio in a number of shows including as host for the Ezasekuseni Breakfast Show on Ukhozi FM (Africa's largest radio station) and the YLens radio show. The last inspired his 3 house music albums, YLens Vol 1, Vol 2 and Vol 3. DJ Sbu is also an entrepreneur (co-owner of TS Records), philanthropist, and motivational speaker.

Sbu has also just started punting a new energy drink which he insists is big news. The drink will hit the market sometime next month. He has revealed that “MoFaya” will debut at Sunday Circle @ Monte Casino (26 Oct) for a tasting. It will also have a range of sports drinks under “MoFaya Sports Energy Drink”, which are set to release in 2015.

Sbu was adamantly confident on Instagram:

Dear Coca Cola. We building #MoFaya for you to buy. You WILL make us billionaires. We going to be a nag (like a mosquito in a quiet room) To get rid rid of us its going to cost you. The longer you ignore #MoFaya the more value it accumulates. You will see us EVERYWHERE. We are going to be a problem for EVERYBODY including Redbull & others. You bought Glacéu Energy Drink from @50cent & a 15% equity stake of @monsterenergy for R20 Billion. It’s just a matter of time till we get that email from you requesting for a meeting with us. For now brace yourself for the FIRE that’s about to start BURNING everything in these fridges! #MoFaya #MoFaya.

Check back with Pulse for new developments.

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The festive period will see four WHP dates at Store Street between 26th December and 1st January. The Boxing Day event will look to the past, with a Haçienda theme for the night taking in some of the club’s legendary figures including A Guy Called Gerald, Graeme Park, David Morales, Marshall Jefferson, Mike Pickering, 808 State, Justin Robertson and Peter Hook.

The following night, Saturday 27th December, will see a Tuskegee Music showcase with Seth Troxler playing back-to-back with The Martinez Brothers. Sub Club’s Harri & Domenic will join Krysko in Room 2 for another back-to-back session.

New Year’s Eve kicks off at 8pm and delivers a UK-centric line-up with the likes of Eats Everything, Skream, Huxley, Bodhi, Citizen and Heidi involved. The final event of the series will be the New Year’s Day Closing Party, which sees a diverse collection of artists taking to the decks, including Maceo Plex, Four Tet back-to-back Daphni, Joy Orbison, Scuba, Julio Bashmore, DJ Tennis and more.

Tickets go on sale here, at 9am on Friday 24th October.

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London’s Studio 338 and the iconic record shop, Phonica, have come together to offer 100 lucky customers free tickets to ‘Together at the Threshold’ on Saturday 25th October.

Hessle Audio co-founder Pangaea will be joined by Berghain mainstay Jonas Kopp, Stroboscopic Artefacts boss Lucy, a live set from Swedish maestro The Field, FJAAK, and Forward Strategy Group.

50 of the tickets will be packed into record sleeves throughout Phonica Records and the remaining 50 will be given away with any purchase of EPs and LPs by the artists on the line-up.

To be in with a chance of discovering one of the golden tickets, visit Phonica Records, 51 Poland Street, London, W1F 7BE

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The 29th November will see the renewal of Social Buzz Music Festival (SMF Festival) in Mauritius. The concept revolves around diversity and excitement. This is the 3rd anniversary, with LOVE. MUSIC. ADVENTURE being the overall theme for the year 2014. The event will feature melodic and progressive house giants Otto Knows and Nathan C, among a host of other international and local acts.

On the main stage, global star OTTO KNOWS will be supported by NATHAN C, Resident DJ OF MOS, percussionist DEAN ORAM and Mauritus’s own local talents David Jay, Vee, and Shehzad K.

After the massive success of tracks like 'Million Voices' and more recently, 'Parachutes', Otto Knows has recently released a beautifully sad single featuring the lovely Bebe Rexha - 'Can't Stop Drinking About You'. 

The GU BOX stage will be rocking to the sounds of Global Underground host and label boss Nick Warren alongside the US DJ Darren Epsilon and Eat Sleep Rave Repeat producer Riva Starr, all supported by David Rault.

GU Box is the latest innovation for the festival, the converted container yard giving clubbers the outdoor atmosphere transported to a container depot. The GU BOX will be bigger, better and more bouncing for this summer with an extended layout and bar giving all you an immersed outdoor experience never seen in Mauritius.

Tickets will be out soon on www.socialbuzz.mu

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Familia’s birthday, and the second instalment of Egg London’s Back to Back Series, will see two legendary figures playing back-to-back for the first time on Saturday 1st November.

Francois K has provided the soundtrack at seminal night clubs Studio 54, The Loft and Paradise Garage, where his huge disco edits solidified his reputation as one of the most highly lauded producers. His partner for the night will DJ Pierre, a mainstay of the house scene and one of Chicago’s original innovators in the 1980s.

Christian Varela will also make an exclusive London appearance, two years after his first showing at Familia. Further artists playing throughout the club’s room include Abigail Bailey alongside Headspace, Kyle E, Fabio Ferro, Ben Grunnel and Nick Tcherniak.

Listen to Francois K on Pulse Radio.

The CMJ Music Marathon is an immense music gathering in New York taking place 21 – 25 October. This year, there are more than 80 venues, and 1300 artists.

For the first time, the event has hosted South African artists, with a special South African Showcase that took place on Tuesday, featuring Cape Town indie-pop darlings Beatenberg, Yolanda, and Cape Town beat wizard duo Christian Tiger School.

The last time Tiger School were in NYC they recorded their “Spanish Robin Williams” collab with Bilal. While they’re in town, Christian Tiger School will be speaking at NYU and doing a recording for NYU music students.

Tonight they play ‘The Happy Show – From South Africa With Love’ at Output, Brooklyn. Have a look at the event page here.

Have a look at the full CMJ schedule more on the event here.

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Sheffield party brand Ahora has announced two huge shows at the O2 Academy, featuring Route 94 on 22nd November and Duke Dumont on 12th December. Route 94 will be joined by Polish duo Catz ‘N Dogz whilst Duke Dumont will bring his Blasé Boys Club showcase to Sheffield, with frequent collaborators Jax Jones and Kiwi.

Duke Dumont has scored two UK number one hits in recent times, with ‘Need U (100%)’ and ‘I Got U’, whilst Route 94’s ‘My Love’ also hit the top of the charts in the UK.

Ahora is a new monthly night in Sheffield, having worked with the likes of Skream, Gorgon City, Solomun and Carl Craig in the past.

Listen to Duke Dumont on Pulse Radio.

Original ambient innovator Brian Eno is to have four albums reissued on All Saints Records, along with an array of previously unreleased music. This December will see 1992’s albums ‘Nerve Net’ and ‘The Shutov Assembly’, 1993’s ‘Neroli (Thinking Music Part IV) and 1997’s ‘The Drop’.

Each of the albums will come complete with a bonus disc of rare music which has never been released before.

The albums come in a case bound package with a 16-page booklet compiling photos, images and writing by Eno.

Each record will be out on Monday 1st December.

Listen to Brian Eno on Pulse Radio.

The world's most loved festival BPM have just announced a massive phase one lineup. Celebrating its 8th anniversary, The BPM Festival will make its return to Playa del Carmen, Mexico on January 9-18, 2015.

Since its inception, BPM has grown organically each year with an astounding roster of global talent, quickly establishing itself as an essential stop on the festival circuit for all underground dance music aficionados and as an essential winter holiday destination. The 10-day festival provides a distinctive opportunity for attendees to enjoy the beauty of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula in an idyllic beach setting – and dance around-the-clock.

Fans have been anxiously awaiting the Phase 1 artist lineup for the eighth edition which brings a mix of BPM veterans and exciting new talent that does not disappoint. BPM artists will be performing at both day and night events with over 75 events to choose from over the 10-day festival and many of the world's leading record labels will be hosting showcases for their esteemed artists.

New for 2015, The BPM Festival will be introducing payment plans for festival passes so fans need not worry about budgeting restraints as the holiday season approaches. Attendees will now be able to pay for their festival pass in several easy installments.  

Festival passes go on sale Thursday, October 30th at 12pm CDT / 1pm EDT.

The BPM Festival 2015
January 9 - 18, 2015
Playa del Carmen, Mexico

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Are you sitting down? It's probably best if you sit down. Paris Hilton has confirmed she now earns up to $1 million USD per DJ gig, following reports that she had received $2.7m for her four-night residency at Ibiza’s Amnesia this season.

In what is clearly a brag comment, Paris told the New York Post: “I don’t want to be bragging, but it’s great to be paid well for what you love doing. My mother always told me it’s not polite to discuss money, but it’s true. I’m very proud. I’ve worked hard."

In addition to her residency at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Hilton has also recently played in Vietnam, Shanghai, and at a closing party for Paris Fashion Week.

So, if indeed Paris is earning this much sweet mula per gig, we should be seeing her name pop up in this list next year right?

What a world.

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Just in time for the weekend, Curses and Safer At Night label mates, DKDS, have cooked up something nice and hot. Out today on Ultra Music, their new single, “Trouble,” features vocals of former Azari & III front man, Cédric Gaisada a.k.a SYF (Starving Yet Full). This sensual Deep House production will be stuck in your head for days - it’s a melodic, it’s subtle, it’s a tune.

Curses (a.k.a Luca Venezia) has had a busy year. Along with releases on labels such as Throne of Blood and Let’s Play House, and forming his Safter At Night imprint, he has just gotten back from touring Europe and Asia. DKDS, the dapper duo comprised of Chris Sanabria and Alex Scrapson, has also been hard at work. When they’re not in the studio, you can find the boys out DJing at Verboten, Webster Hall and Tribeca Grand Studios, and the afterhours following!

Cruses describes how the track came about, after one particularly rowdy afterhours adventure. He, SYF and DKDS ended up in the studio “and laid down what eventually became, Trouble – tapping into the magical energy of the night’s adventures.” Boom, there you have it. Cheeky remixes are on the way from Dirtybird member, Shiba San, and our favorite lad, Skream.

Give it a listen andpick it up on Beatport. We’re sure you’ll have it on repeat all day.



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Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art Festival of Music and Art, sensibly abbreviated to MONA FOMA, is returning to Hobart once again in January for its seventh edition.

This year the four day festival's lineup is curated by Brian Ritchie of alternative 90s band Violent Femmes, who has pulled together a diverse roster that includes electronic names such as Ben Frost, Time Hecker and Dan Deacon.

MONA FOMA's main hub for 2015 will be at Princes Wharf 1, with over 11 satellite venues also playing host to gigs over its four day duration. Last summer MOFO attracted more than 28,000 people, with thousands traveling to Tasmania specifically for the festival.

MOFO 2015 takes place from January 15-18. Tickets are on sale now for $139 from www.mofo.net.au.

MOFO 2015 Lineup
Alvin Curran [Ita]: Maritime Rites
Allan Halyk And Adam Wojcinski [Aus]
Amanda Palmer & The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra [Usa/Aus]
Amir Farid [Aus]: Amir Farid Performs Works Of Javad Ma’roufi
Anna Von Hausswolff [Swe]
Architects Of Air [Uk]: Exxopolis
Ava Mendoza [Usa]
Atticus J. Bastow [Aus]: Swarm And Murmuration
Ben Frost [Aus/Icl]
Brendan Walls [Aus]: Elements Of Refusal
Chordwainers [Aus]
Dan Deacon [Usa]
David Francey Trio [Can]
Debashish Bhattacharya [Ind]
Emma Dean And The Hungry Truth [Aus]
Faux Mo
Francesca De Valence [Aus]
Gabriella Smart [Aus]: Inner Cities
Genevieve Lacey [Aus]: Fade
Jim Moginie [Aus]: Jim Moginie’s Electric Guitar Orchestra Perform ‘The Colour Wheel’
Johannes S. Sistermanns [Ger]: I N T U I T I O N Room
Li Binyuan [Chn]: Deathless Love, The Enemy
Marduk [Swd]
Martine Corompt And Philip Brophy [Aus]: Torrent
Melisandre [Electrotrad] [Can]
Michael Kieran Harvey [Aus]: Patanjali
Mofo Eastern Sho
Moma (Mona Market)
Neil Gaiman [Uk]
Omar Souleyman [Syr]
Paul Kelly Presents The Merri Soul Sessions – Featuring Dan Sultan, Clairy Browne, Kira Puru & Vika And Linda Bull [Aus]
Phillip Johnston [Aus]: The Adventures Of Prince Achmed
Rektango
Robyn Hitchcock [Uk]: I Often Dream Of Trains
Ruth Roshan And Tango Noir [Aus]
Senyawa & Lucas Abela [Idn/Aus]: Gamelan Wizard
Shonen Knife [Jpn]
Speak Percussion [Aus]: Transducer
Swans [Usa]
The Clean [Nz]
Tim Hecker [Can]
Xylouris White [Grc/Aus]
Young Wagilak Group & Australian Art Orchestra [Aus]: Crossing Roper Bar
Zammuto [Usa]

Ben Frost 2015 Australian Tour Dates
11.01.14 - Sydney Festival, Sydney Opera House, Sydney
15.01.14 - Mona Foma Festival, Hobart
05.02.14 - HiFi Bar, Melbourne

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With just 36 days to go and counting until Australia's biggest bush doof Earthcore kicks off in Victoria, we asked founder Sprio Boursine to select nine of standout moments from the festival's history. Some are magical performances, some are hilarious shenanigans, and others are DJ tantrums. All of them are memorable.

1. The Martin Solveig freakout (2005)

He arrives to play an afternoon mainfloor set, freaks out over the environment and refuses to play.

2. Tsyuoshi Suziki's epic set (1999)

A truly amazing 4-hour NYD set. If you were there you know. You know!

3. Infected Mushroom vs The Lightning (2004)

During their set at dawn, all of a sudden there was a break in the music and this massive lightning bolt comes down from the sky striking just behind the mainstage. Awe moment.

4. An up-and-coming James Holden (2002)

James played the last set on the mainfloor at the tender age of 18. He was so wet behind the ears I am not sure if he was in shock or stage fright, or both!

5. The Orb's moment of madness (2001)

After inducing at least twelve pingers, Alex Paterson deicides to hit the decks in the middle of their performance. It was a moment of madness that puts Guetta's Tomorrowland munted moment to shame. Trainwrecks were the least exciting part.

6. DJ Hell and the ciggies (NYE 2000)

Just one hour before the millenium he refuses to play unless I bought the correct brand of ciggies. Ciggies bought, stomping techno set afterwards.

7. Perry Farell (Jane's Addiction) plays deep house (2005)

Yep, Perry played a deep house set much to everyone's belwilderment. There were at least 12 trainwrecks to boot.

8. The boat incident (2000)

I took Alex Paterson, Ken Ishii, DJ Spooky and about ten other internationals for a burn on a triple decker house boat on NYD...not exactly in a great state. The suicide full throttle towards the submerged trees in the lake definitely created some pretty cool expressions as their lives started flashing before their eyes!

9. Aphex Twin takes the piss (1996)

Technically not at Earthcore, but our sister event Technofest - a 3-day bush doof bender. Richard decides to play using a blender with a microphone attached to it and just one turntable with records playing backwards. Fun, fun, fun, much to shock of the dumfounded crowd!

Earthcore 2014 Lineup
Shpongle (live)
Hallucinogen
1200 Micrograms
Astrix
Boris Brejcha
Shpongle DJ set
Format: B
Dnox & Beckers
John 00 Fleming
Blue Planet Corporation
Asura
Zen Mechanics
Ticon
Tripswitch
Chicago
Lucas
Gaudi
Klopfgeister
Da vinci Code
Victor Ruiz
Day Din
Behind Blue Eyes
Zentura
GMS
Fishimself
Bliss
Ann Clue
Nick Sentience
Vibe Tribe
Ace Ventura
Audiotec
Hux Flux
Ritmo
Raja Ram
Exosomatika
Liquid Soul

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This week's mix falls to L.A.'s Noël Jackson; Hypertone Records label head and part owner of Superfreq Records alongside David Scuba and the legendary Mr.C.

For his entry into the Fresh Blood series, Jackson serves up a mix made with "integrity, honesty, and a love of acid," combined with a slew of his own productions.

Get stuck in and enjoy. We have been.

For people who don’t already know you, can you tell us a little about yourself? I am a producer, artist, and DJ. I started Hypertone in 2011, a vinyl only record label. As well, I'm a partner at Superfreq Records along with Mr.C and David Scuba. I like long walks on the beach and I'm a Cancer.

How did you first get into electronic music? The rabbit hole for me started with hip-hop followed by a descent into elctronica via BT's 'ESCM' - the only "trance" record I really came to know. I still don't truly put 'ESCM' in the trance category, and think it is a beautiful album. After that, a friend gave me a few electronic music mp3s when I was 14 or so. One of those was a vinyl rip of Levon Vincent's 'Thrill of Love' featuring Jessica Elle that came out on Superfreq. Oddly enough, I didn't know this until about a two years ago when I stumbled upon it in while digging through the Superfreq back catalogue. Electronic music of all shades has been a love of mine since I can remember. Right now, I'm insanely into old school electro, acid in every shape and size, and music you can't put a label on.

What has been the most gratifying moment so far in your career? There isn't one moment. Producing music and spinning records is an endlessly gratifying process and has shaped my personal growth tremendously. It is such a connecting experience every time I spin, and can't be expressed in words. I'm blessed to have had the honor of performing aside some amazing artists, both big and small. I've produced tracks for amazing labels and engineered records for numerous names that most would be envious of. It is all just part of putting in the work and doing things with the correct intention.

The best moment is always the current one; right now it's answering questions for this interview and I couldn't be happier. To be able to do what I do every moment I get to do it is gratifying in and of itself.

Is the stuff you play now what you’ve always played or has your style evolved over time? In the beginning, about 8 years ago, I was a bit reserved, I played tracks that were safe. But safe bored me and I've evolved into playing what a lot of people would label "hard". I like dancing my ass off, I love banging tunes, I love creepy and weird music that is undeniably bad arse. The people on the dance floor seem to like it too.

Where have you been playing recently? NYC several times, as well as some underground parties in LA. I've taken some time off recently from touring to deal with building my dream studio and finishing several EPs, some of them solo and some collaborations. Mr.C and I just dropped an insane EP as East LA Tek on Superfreq.

What are some of your dream gigs? Ones with an amazing crowd. Naming festivals doesn't seem proper, but I do look forward to visiting South America and touring Europe more next year.

Can you tell us a little about how you decided to approach the exclusive mix you made for Pulse? With integrity, honesty, and a love of acid! It contains eight of my own tracks and a few tracks from my friends as well as one or two that are just old favorites.

What else is on your horizon? I'll be releasing my first second record, and my first solo EP on Superfreq in November. Along with that I've got remixes, releases, and singles on Hypertone, Satsang, Inwave, and more.

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Culture Shock (UK), said to be one of the best producers on RAM Records, is set for South African shores, with gigs on 27 and 29 November.

In the last 2 months Culture Shock released beautiful remixes of Seinabo Sey’s ‘Pistold at Dawn’, Crystal Fighters''Love Alight' and Moko's 'Your Love', re-igniting a love for melodic drum ‘n bass in the movement. The producer’s perfectionistic tendencies, derived from finding one good track amongst average others on EPs, and his recent developments in working more effectively, hold promise for some more exciting releases.

Known for his thoughtful yet energetic and uplifting, epic jungle drum ‘n bass, with healthy doses of electro style in terms of harmonies and builds (not industrial instruments – don’t worry happy junglists), Culture Shock holds an important role in the drum ‘n bass world. While I almost write ‘romantic movement’, I step sideways from that, realising it may give the wrong impression to new fans. This music is by no means corny like popular EDM – rather, it is a refreshing serving of the melodic element that many of us miss in so many current drum ‘n bass releases. Having said that, if one listens through all his music, one will find an equal measure of tracks owned by the naughtier, grittier sister of the others. 

In an interview with UKF, Culture Shock confirmed that he is working on an album. ‘“There’s a lot of material I’ve held back and the album will be a good opportunity to revisit that stuff and get it finished off.”
“I think drum & bass is in a really healthy position at the moment,” he states. “It’s such a broad genre. There’s the poppy stuff in the charts which has a strong drum & bass backbone but there’s still dark underground stuff too – it’s an exciting thing to be part of”‘.

Venues for Culture Shock’s gigs have not been released. Keep an eye out on our Facebook Page for updates.

Culture Shock is presented by Science Frikshun, It Came From The Jungle and Shelflife.

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Here we have an exclusive premiere of Berlin-based Stephan Hinz’s trippy techno cut ‘Hunger’.

Stephan Hinz is one of the core artists on Pan-Pot’s new label Second State, which the German duo set up earlier this year.

Pan-Pot’s killer Watergate 17 compilation included three exclusive tracks, which are now being released as an EP on Watergate Records. Tracks from Martin Eyerer and Clint Stewart are also included on the Watergate 17 EP.

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The outdoor season is here, and it’s not just for tranceheads. Another massive electronic music festival has sprung up in South Africa, providing an opportunity for open air mayhem for those who love electro, drum ‘n bass, house, techno, jazzy, and even Balkan beats. River Fest falls on the full moon, and will take place at Ruitgevlei Farm in Gouda (Western Cape) on Saturday 6 December.

Lineup for the full-moon party includes The Kiffness, Goodluck, Pascal & Pearce, Haezer, Niskerone, The Variable, James Copeland, Gio Ricca, Ashton Gardner, Gren Forte, and Mum-Z.

The event will feature high tech lighting, video mapping, lazer shows, jumping castles, water slides, an inflatable island floating on the river, and more. The focus will surely be on the river (the beautiful Berg river) with many swimming dancers.

Organisers promise to bring a little class to the party, with the provision of premium spirits, bubbly and cocktails, as well as food trucks offering a variety of menus which also cater to vegetarians.

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