The Northern Irish duo The Japanese Popstars have been making waves for some time with their music - since 2006 to be correct. We loved their work on their last album "Controlling Your Allegiance," with "Song for Lisa" and "Take Forever" with Robert Smith from the Cure being some of our favorite tracks. Now, they just released their new album "Disconnect/Reconnect," that came out on Bedrock Records on July 15th. It's an exploration of electro tinged techno with an aggressive kick appropriate for destroying dance floors, including the track "Matter of Time," which was John Digweed's summer anthem last year (New Yorkers went ballistic to this track when they first heard it last summer as Digweed played it at his Governors Island gig with Danny Tenaglia). We sit down with them to find out their thought process behind the new album, getting picked up by John Digweed, and who they loved collaborating with.

Pulse Loves… monikers.  Since you are neither Japanese nor pop stars, how did you come up with the name Japanese Popstars? There is no real sensible answer to that.  We just wanted something that people would remember and we like Japanese things.  The choice probably involved a lot of alcohol.

Pulse loves…John Digweed.  From working with a variety of different pop artists, how did you chance upon John Digweed and being released on his label last year? Last year we were asked by the Ibiza Music Summit to create their annual anthem in Ibiza.  The track/anthem that we created was called "Matter of Time."  We heard that John had been playing it all summer and we reached out to him to thank him for the support.  It all kind of snowballed from there.  It's been amazing to have him working with us, we are huge fans.

Pulse Loves… albums.  Tell us about your new album Disconnect/Reconnect that was released this month on Bedrock.  The album seems to feature fewer collaborations than Control Your Allegiance.  What was your motivation for making this album differently? As you mentioned, the previous album featured a lot of vocal collaborations and definitely featured more electronic downtempo music than straight up club tracks. We ended up playing a lot of festivals touring that album, but these were mostly main stage daytime shows between pop acts.  Towards the end of last year, we kind of decided that we would like to push the sound back into the dances stages and to play a little deeper and harder.  We also wanted to make the creative process more spontaneous, so we really limited the amount of collaborations on this album, mainly just to test ourselves and to bring the focus back onto the music. Thats where this album has come from. 

Pulse Loves… musical influences.  In an interview with BLITZ!NI, you described your music as “loud electronic music” with a lot of diversity.  How has your music evolved over time and what have been some of your major influences along the way? I think each album (this is our third studio album) has hopefully shown growth and change. Our first album 'We Just Are,' we wrote when we were still doing this as a hobby, all of the music that was on that album was created specially for our live show, we didn't think about radio play and we weren't massively concerned about DJ's playing our tracks.  We loved people like Justice, Soulwax, Van She, The Presets,  Vitalic, The Chems.  

The second album 'Controlling Your Allegiance' was more serious, or the process of writing it was.  We were working with people that we never thought we would, from Morgan from M83 and The White Sea, to Robert Smith from the Cure and Tom Smith from Editors, and then all of a sudden it's going out on a major label as well, which brings its own commercial pressures. 

I think we really tried to write songs for the first time, not just tracks.  I also think we tried to open the music up to be a little more accessible.  The influences from that period are pretty easy to see from the people that we approached to collaborate with.  Then while we were touring the second album, we started also playing a lot of DJ shows. We were playing everything from people like Green Velvet to Brodinski, Maxime Dangles, Erol Alkan, Sasha, Digweed, Tiga, Turbo Records, Zone records, The Hacker, Phil Kieran, and Simian Mobile Disco.  When we started to think about writing Disconnect:Reconnect , this is the music that was exciting us, we wanted to keep making music that would fit our live show, but this time make it a little darker, a little deeper, something that would push us.   

Pulse Loves… working together.  What have been some of the advantages of working as a duo?  Are there ever moments of conflict between the two of you?  How did the group dynamic change once member Decky Hedrock left? I think in any working relationship there will be moments of conflict, but gladly, as we have gotten older, these have become fewer and far between.  Once you realize that no one is ever right all of the time in a relationship and sometimes you just have to trust in your partners' abilities, it becomes a lot easier.  This album was definitely the easiest to write.  The dynamic creatively is the same as its always been even with Decky's departure, as he was dealing with more of the managerial aspect of the band.

Pulse Loves… collaboration.  After working with so many people over the years from Robert Smith of the Cure to the Caterham Forumla 1 Team, what has been one of your most memorable collaborations so far? I think the Robert Smith one still is a little crazy, as I am a massive Cure fan.  Also I still haven't gotten used to getting emails from John Digweed yet either, I used to get all his radio show mixes sent over from London to Ireland each week.  His DJ mixes were a massive part of me wanting to make electronic music.

Pulse Loves… touring.  You will be touring all around the world to promote your new album this summer.  What is one of the destinations you are most looking forward to playing and why? Yes, we will be back on the road from the end of the Summer and will be going everywhere.  The first place we will be hitting is Japan.  We have had some of our best ever shows in Japan and we can't wait to get back over, the last time we played Japan we toured with Vitalic, Justice and Bassment Jaxx.  It was crazy.

Pulse Loves...weird food.  What's the strangest thing you've had to try food wise, while on tour? As far as weird food goes, I pretty much eat anything.  From chicken feet to snail, tiger bone wine (I don't think it's real tiger), and fish eyes . It's definitely one of the best things about this job is getting a chance to try all the different foods across the world. We are hungry boys.

Pulse Loves… remixes.  You have done remixes for artists spanning several genres from Beyoncé, to Gorillaz, 30 Seconds To Mars, and Daft Punk.  Do you have any plans right now for future remixes? We stopped doing remixes in order to write this album and to build our new live show, but if the right track was to come along in the near future and we had the time then we would probably take it on. 

Listen to Japanese Popstars on Pulse Radio

Pulse will be bringing you a series of Keinemusik Radio show releases selected from their already massive collection of released mixes. Keinemusik, out of Berlin, Germany is a record label that do a run of shows hosted with a changing roster, this finds them in that place absolutely nobody wants to be (poor attempt at sarcasm there) – that is with an enormous amount of good music. 

They post the radio shows regularly, we just shedding some light on them. 

For any of you who thought this might have all been an elaborate hoax, or more realistically, an overly hyped PR stunt that would wind up DOA, I have some bad news – Paris Hilton’s residency at Amnesia is now a reality.  Foam and Diamonds launched with a wildly successful opening party last night, officially placing the socialite amongst the handful of DJs with enough pull for a spot at the top. Pulse Radio was on hand for all the foam, diamonds, handbags and paparazzi, even managing to score an exclusive interview (which you can find at the end of the review) with one the most talked about new entertainers in EDM.

Taking over the main room for the evening, which is normally reserved for Espuma, Foam and Diamonds turned Amnesia into what must have been something straight out of Paris’ dream - large crystal chandelier dangling above the packed dance floor, small pink placards with Paris' name and logo hanging on the railings of the VIP area, ice cannon blasting away for drop after drop as the warm up DJ, Ruben Moran, kept the energy on high.

Wearing a diamond encrusted tube top, Paris took to the stage looking playful and sexy. Hilton immediately grabbed the mic, gushing about how much she loved Ibiza and Espuma, large pink curtain emblazoned with Paris’ logo hanging behind her, house lights drenching the socialite in a sea of pink as footage of the heiress blowing kisses to the crowd reeled out of Amnesia’s new LED screen, completing the Hilton experience.

Mixing would be an exaggeration, with every transition coming down to a few flics of the fader, quickly heading into the next EDM hit. Paris was spending far more time enjoying her moment with the crowd than actually touching the decks, but hell, if anyone cared, I didn't see it. Quite the opposite, Paris had a full fledged party on her hands - plenty of big name tunes, and a super club full of jumping, pumping, screaming fans who couldn't have been more up for it. One young and eager club goer couldn’t quite handle his excitement, clamoring up and reaching over the booth for a chance to touch the starlet, Paris happily obliging until her security detail stepped in.

She kept it intense and banging all night, dropping tracks like Avicii vs. Nicky Romero’s ‘I Could Be The One.’ Cameras were up, screams of elation pouring out of the crowd, Paris clearly relishing the spotlight, dancing, prancing, singing along, ice canon filling the room with CO2 again and again. At one point she even picked up the fan from behind the booth in an attempt to cool off, apparently not yet used to the heat that comes with playing a packed club in summer.

'I'm having so much fun! I love Ibiza! You guys are amazing!' she excitedly shouted from behind her diamond encrusted laptop, Rihanna’s ‘Diamonds’ (Bimbo Jones Vocal Edit) pouring out of Amnesia’s Funktion One's. After wrapping up her set, she changed into a glitzy swimsuit, having an absolute blast covering the dance floor with foam from the VIP area.

Although the night and its resident DJ have their detractors, in the end it felt like harmless, if not somewhat ridiculous, over the top fun. Paris lovers get to see their favorite socialite up close and personal, losing themselves for the night in Hilton’s diamond encrusted fantasy. Besides, isn’t that what parties like this are all about?

Listen to Paris Hilton on Pulse Radio

Tiesto never ceases to amaze us. This time, the Dutch DJ extraordinaire is exploring the world of matrimony by holding a unique contest on his social media channels, offering one lucky couple the opportunity to get married in Las Vegas. Here comes the interesting part: Tiesto himself will perform the ceremony.

Reactions to the contest on Tiesto’s Facebook page vary from enthusiastic fans making comments such as “My girlfriend and I began dating during EDC, as Tiesto’s first song was playing. We’re going for it!!” and several posts claiming that they will only enter if they can marry the DJ himself. More critical fans are accusing Tiesto of selling out. These less excited fans posted comments ranging from “what in God’s name is going on here? you’re a DJ stick to it” to “this is the worst marketing idea your team’s come up with.”

The unorthodox ceremony will take place in just a couple of weeks, on August 17th, for a couple with a compelling story who will already be in the Las Vegas area. All you have to do to enter the contest is email entry@inthebooth.com and give Tiesto the ultimate reason why he should officiate your wedding ceremony. Better get creative people!

Listen to Tiesto on Pulse Radio

Maya Jane Coles released her new music video on Youtube today for her track "Burning Bright" featuring the vocals of Kim Ann Foxman (of Hercules Love Affair). It's not often that underground electronic music tracks have videos to accompany them, so it's interesting to see what DJs come up with for the story. In this one, we see Kim Ann Foxman enter a remote church where Maya lays dead in a funeral altar in the middle. Kim Ann hovers over her singing, praying, taking a heart out of a bag and putting the drawing a cross of blood on Maya's face. The video and story has a rather gothic Ann Radcliffe approach to it, culminating with Maya Jane Coles waking up from her "slumber" at the end. Take a look below. 

The video premiered yesterday on Rollingstone.com, and Coles told the magazine, "The video to 'Burning Bright' was creatively a team effort to come up with something hopefully a little different." Different indeed! The music video was directed by Thomas Knights who has done work for Marina and the Diamonds and other artists. This track is off her album "Comfort" on her label I/AM/ME which came out on Monday, July 1st.

Listen to Maya Jane Coles on Pulse Radio

Sleepy & Boo have been going nonstop planning the musical programming for each Friday at Marquee New York. This Friday, August 2nd sees the return of their own special night, Sleepy & Boo + Friends with rising New York DJ/producer, Jean Pierre. In anticipation of the event, they're created a mix "Let's Go Techno," which you can listen to below. We caught up with the duo before they headline Marquee and open the following night at Made Event's New York Made benefit on Governors Island, to catch a little NYC clubbing history as well as what's next.

This Saturday, August 3rd you are playing Made Event's Made In New York event on Governors Island.  How did you get involved with this benefit event where the proceeds will go to New York charities? We've worked with Made for many years, and last summer we played on Governor's Island for them with Danny Tenaglia and John Digweed (which was a great time). We love having the opportunity to play for a benefit. It feels great to combine music and partying with helping the community out at the same time. Originally, this was supposed to be at Randall's Island (the home of Electric Zoo), but the island isn't ready for events yet, so we're happy they were able to move it to Governor's Island and keep it intact. And yes, Randall's Island will be ready for Electric Zoo, which is the priority. 

You're playing New York Made this weekend with a roster of artists who played the legendary New York club rotations from the eighties until the 2000s - Digweed at Twilo, Danny Tenaglia at Vinyl and Paradise Garage, Victor Calderone at Roxy and Pacha, and now Wolf+Lamb with their stake at the Marcy Hotel in Brooklyn.  Back in those days, what was your most memorable club experience? It's really hard to pick one. We are lucky enough to have experienced some of the great clubs of New York's recent history in person, and and all of these artists we're playing with have made their own unique and significant mark to that legacy.  Twilo was just a special place that felt exactly how a New York nightclub should:  big, dark, spacious, edgy, and the kind of room that people could just get lost in. Some of the epic marathon sets that Danny played there, that John played there, Sasha, so many others...it was a time when big anthems and memorable records were released, and to hear these master DJs play them on that Phazon sound system, it was very inspirational to us, and really, to anyone who got to experience that era. 

Which of these DJs playing with you Saturday would you say had the biggest influence on you and your love of DJing? We'd say we've learned a few things from all of them about the art of DJing. Just witnessing Danny Tenaglia in the midst of one of his marathon sets, his ability to completely control a room, the way he breaks out music from so many different styles and genres and fuses it all together to create his own "DT" sound.  He's a DJ that knows how to connect the strains of New York's dance music culture and history. Nowadays it's very hard to find a club that  would have one DJ who would play the whole night, or to find a crowd that would be there to see that same DJ week in and week out, or even the expectation that a DJ would have to play for six to eight hours a night. But that's the history and knowledge and expertise that Danny brings to the booth.

John Digweed is another true master and we've been honored to play with him a few times. He's a DJ that's strictly business in the booth, he's not a showman at all, he's completely focused on his music and he always drives the crowd crazy. It's really refreshing to see that these days, especially with so many DJs trying to outdo each other with light shows, antics and gimmicks. The way he structures his sets and seamlessly blends his tracks together, how he can vary from dark to light, that's something we really admire in his music. Victor Calderone has never been afraid to embrace new styles and sounds, and has shown us how important it is to "evolve" musically, while continuing to keep your own distinctive style as a DJ and a producer. He's another DJ that understands the art of the long set, and he's been able to attract so many different groups of party people to his music over the years.  

The New York scene has gone through a lot and changed a lot.  Do you ever find yourself wishing for the old days?  What's your favorite part about today's scene? There's a lot you can learn from the past but wishing for the old days doesn't really make much sense. Times change, the world changes, that's just a fact of life and it's important to acknowledge that and understand and grow with the times. There was definitely much more freedom in the older days of clubbing in New York, and it would be great if we could bring that spirit back to today's nightlife somehow. We would love to see the city get behind New York nightlife as a business and a cultural entity, instead of trying to make life difficult for club owners. As far as today goes, the current scene in New York is very dynamic, and there's a lot of choices and options out there.  The music lovers in New York are very knowledgeable and as a city, the fans are blessed with great out of town DJs coming through each and every week, especially if you compare what we have  to some of the other US cities. And now there's really a nice selection of venues throughout the whole city. Everyone involved in the scene has worked very hard to get New York back to where should it be: a city that's globally recognized for its music and nightlife.

You've recently partnered with Marquee New York and have been bringing an excellent selection of talent for theirFriday night musical programming. What are some upcoming gigs you are excited about at Marquee? We're very excited for this Friday at Marquee! We're bringing our Sleepy & Boo + Friends party back to the club after an amazing debut there in June. This is our headlining party, we've done it now for a few years, and it's always a highlight for us as we get to really let loose with our set. Playing at Marquee is a treat, the sound system is top notch, we've got killer Funktion One monitors in the booth, and the crowd gets way into the music and gets down on the dance floor. On Friday, we're joined by our friend Jean Pierre, who is doing really well with his productions (he just had a track included on Loco Dice's new Defected mix). All of our Fridays at Marquee have been a blast, it's been a little over six months that the club has been open and we're really happy with the DJs we've brought to the club and the response that they've had about playing there. We are wrapping up everything for the fall now and we've got some of our favorite DJs coming back to the club for a second appearance there, as well as a huge event series that we will be announcing soon. It's something that New York has never quite seen before, and we're very excited to be bringing this to the city and to Marquee. 

Is there an artist you've dreamt of playing with that you haven't yet? We've been really lucky to work with so many of our heroes, and one that we've always dreamed about playing with is coming in the Fall to Marquee. As far as a few others, it would be amazing to play with Sven Vath or Ricardo Villalobos. One of the highlights of our summer was being in Vegas during EDC and playing at the "Las Vegas Loves Techno" afterhours parties at Lavo. We played our own four hour set before Carl Cox took over and he just blew the place apart. He gave us a shout out on the mic which was amazing, and was such a positive person to work with and be around. Nothing but good energy and enthusiasm. We also played with Sasha and Dubfire there, John Digweed played, and so did the whole Dirtybird crew. it was a treat to have these killer DJs playing such an intimate room and hearing great underground music in Las Vegas. There's more fun projects in the works.  

Listen to Sleepy and Boo on Pulse Radio

Rolling Stone has assembled a panel of prominent music industry professionals to come up with a list of the top ten clubs in the United States. Voters included electronic music artists Steve Angello, Seth Troxler, Carl Cox, Subb-an, and Dillon Francis as well as rapper Talib Kweli. Also included in the panel were Andrew Cook, Deadmau5’s manager; Daniel Glass, head of Glassnote Records; Pasquale Rotella, CEO and founder of Electric Daisy Carnival; and agent Tom Windish.

The list comes as a bit of a surprise as Rolling Stone is known for mostly covering the Rock ‘n’ Roll scene but has been branching into the world of electronic music with big moves such as the much-talked-about Deadmau5 cover last summer and their “25 DJs Who Rule the Earth” piece in the fall.

Here’s our take on Rolling Stone’s Top Clubs in America:

10. U Street Music Hall, Washington, D.C.

It's a no frills no thrills room that for some amazing reason, brings out the best in the DJs who come there. It's been visited by greats like Richie Hawtin and Damian Lazarus, as well other big names such as Cajmere, DC local Pleasurekraft, and Disclosure. As the DJs get into it, the crowd that gathers is there for the music and nothing else. No bottles, no models, and no dress code. Just a good ol' underground spot in the heart of DC. It's fair to say U street has had a huge part in the still growing the DC electronic music scene and is often visited by Dubfire.

9. Spy Bar, Chicago 

When it comes to quality underground music in Chicago, a few choices arise, however at the top of them stands Spy Bar. When Loco Dice plays in the Windy City, it's at Spy Bar. He has been joined by Robert Dietz, Thugfucker, Dubfire, Sasha at those famous decks. Not too big, but not small either, Spy Bar is an intimate underground spot with low ceilings, friendly bartenders, and a crowd that just likes to get down. Bottle service is optional, but the focus is on the music. Artists who visit can hold a recording session in the club's own recording studio.

8. Electric Pickle, Miami

This favorite space is a welcome escape from what can sometimes seem like a universal “models and bottles” scene in South Beach. Often described as the “DJ’s club,” DJs have been spotted on several occasions hanging out at the Electric Pickle after they spin elsewhere. Holding only 300 people, the club is an intimate space to gather with friends and dance the hours away.

7. Cielo, New York

In the heart of the Meatpacking District in New York City, Cielo is a clubbing staple and historical monument. It just celebrated its tenth anniversary this year and it's amazing sound system keeps bringing in well respected DJs from around the world. Run by Nicolas Matar, it's known particularly for its amazing sound that is perfectly calibrated for the room and its weekly Monday residency with Francois K, Deep Space. Other nights are curated by Nervous Records and well known promoter Benny Soto. Cielo is in its own way a part of the history of electronic music scene in NYC, surviving hard times that came down upon clubs in the city. The club is reminiscent of the New York House scene that flourished nearly twenty years ago that was heavily supported by the gay community which at the time populated the Meatpacking District before it became trendy.

5. Sound, Los Angeles

The appropriately named club features an impressive pounding Funktion One sound system and is a favorite stop in LA for DJs Steve Angello and Seth Troxler among others. Sound successfully presented the Yuma tent at this year’s Coachella music festival and currently features Lauren Lane and Droog as its residents.

4. XS, Las Vegas

Inspired by “the sexy curves of the human body,” the Vegas mega club has featured famous international DJs like Deadmau5 and Skrillex, and Above & Beyond for its six-figure residencies. The extravagant interior is opulent with gold décor and plenty of VIP tables and private spaces, attracting a wide range of clientele from travelers to high rollers. Combined with the outdoor daytime Encore Beach club located on the same premises, this spot is not to be missed on your trip to Sin City.

3. Output, Brooklyn 

International DJs and Rolling Stone aren't the only ones raving (pun intended) about Output in Brooklyn. It's captured the attention of New York Magazine and Vogue as well. It's a dance playground for adults, with the main room that features two levels and an amazing Funktion One sound system and dark industrial design to keep your unwavering attention on the music. Their recent addition of The Panther Room provides a smaller more intimate setting for DJs to connect with their crowd, that is paired with an upstairs bar and access to a roof where daytime parties tend to occur. Whichever room you choose to play in, we can guarantee you won't leave till the sun rises the following day.

2. Liv, Miami 

This Miami staple in the historical Fontainebleau hotel is known around the world and attracts big name celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Kanye West, and the Kardashians for its beautiful extravagant interior and famous lat night parties featuring top DJs from all over the globe. The Miami Heat even celebrated their NBA championship at this spectacular and gorgeous venue.

1. Beta, Denver

Opened by Brad Roulier, Beatport co-founder, this club is a favorite of DJs and guests alike for its very impressive soundsystem. If the main room becomes too much, you can transition into one of the smaller side rooms or make your way upstairs to take a break and relax in the Beatport lounge. Known for bringing in some of the top electronic acts, this spot is less about frills and more about the music.

Check out the original article here.

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Randall's Island grounds were pretty much destroyed in early June by lots of rain and dancing attendees of Governors Ball like myself, who had to go through this for their festival experience:

Well now rest easy Electric Zoo party animals, because your festival grounds have been completely restored with lots of nice, lush, Kentucky blue grass. Over nine acres has been brought back to life after its muddy death.  Governors Ball took it upon themselves to complete the restoration in a manner that would prevent flooding and keep the land intact. They also issued the following statement on the Governors Ball official blog:

As New Yorkers who grew up going to Randall’s Island often for sports, concerts, and other special events, the restoration of Randall’s Island wasn’t just an ethical responsibility to us, it was a personal one. Gov Ball is proud to announce the completion of restoration efforts at Randall’s Island Park to repair the grounds. We have made good on our promise to leave the park’s event site in even better condition than it was before this year’s festival, which was hit by record rains on Friday of the event, due to Tropical Storm Andrea.

We have worked hand in hand with the Randall’s Island Parks Alliance Turf Crew and the NYC Department of Parks to make sure all the work has met their professional standards. We’re thrilled with the results, and we can’t thank them enough for their support, and hard work throughout this process.

In addition to field restoration, Gov Ball has invested in infrastructure improvements to the Randall’s Island Park Event Site that will prevent future flooding and event site damage.

We would like to thank all of New York, the Parks Department, Randall’s Island Park Alliance, and most importantly, the fans for allowing Gov Ball to call New York City, the greatest city on earth, our home.

Here is the photo progression from what it was, to what it currently looks like:

Randall's Island images from MySocial List.

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It’s one of the longest running parties out there, and one of the best respected in terms of booking. This coming Sunday, Space Ibiza's We Love…is bringing none other than Underworld to come rock the main room.

In anticipation of what’s sure to be one of the summer’s most massive and well received parties, we caught up with We Love…Musical Director Mark Broadbent about the decision behind booking Underworld, the Savana Potente takeover, how the season is going, and why Mark thinks We Love…has been so successful.

Seems like everywhere you look in Ibiza, the colourful and tasteful We Love…artwork is there to remind you that every Sunday it's time to explore avenues of electronica at Space. How has the season gone so far? The season started amazingly, and we had the best June in 15 years. It’s a different story now that every other fucker has started putting on free parties (right across the road!) and the bars are openly flouting the licensing laws. Everybody wants a piece of the pie and I’d be lying if were to say that this has not affected us. However, we do put on a party for a certain targeted demographic, so our shows are always well attended by a very musically savvy and adventurous crowd. The music has been the best it’s been in the 15 years I’ve been booking acts for the club, and I’m very happy with how this has progressed. So there are many good things to talk about outside of the political s*** we all tend to get dragged down by on the island at this time of year. Life’s good, we live on Ibiza!

Can you explain a little bit about how the Underworld booking came about? And are they an act you have always wanted to book at We Love…? As with all our bookings, we book people who we are fans of, people who have made music that has in some way effected us in a positive way, and we have all been huge fans of Underworld since the get go, so many moons ago. They are the original and best stadium acid house band, and I can only imagine how they are going to look and sound in our main room. And that’s about the crux of it. I really wanted to see them, couldn’t get off the island this summer to see them at their other shows, so we booked them to come and play for us!

How did the month long Savana Potente takeover for August happen? We have worked with Massimo and the Savana crew for the last 10 years on Ibiza, and in their hometown of Tuirn on bits and pieces, with last year being the first time that they hosted the main terrace for two weeks in August. It worked out really well for us as our core audience is English, and there are less English about in August, and many, many Italians that we need help with engaging. We invited the Savana crew in the whole of August this summer and I’m really happy with the lineups that we have put together with them, a really great selection of old and new school players and producers in a very similar fashion to how we do things ourselves – another reason we work well together, and I suppose that they do have a similar outlook to what is important within the scene. Reference the future with the past.

Finally, We Love…is one of the most successful and longest running parties on the island - perhaps in the world. What do you think has kept it fresh and exciting for all these years? Me! Ha ha ha ha…Well it’s a part of it anyway. I am and always have been obsessed with music and sharing new musical finds with other people. This part of me has become an extension of everything I have been doing the last 18 years. It really has been my life’s work, and if you put enough effort into anything for as long as we do in the scene then you’re going to be successful. If I’d worked as a bricklayer as hard as I’ve worked at this job, I’d been very successful too. So hard work is one answer to the question. Another answer would be that the venue we run the show from. Space is the best club in the world for us to do what we do and they have been most helpful enabling to us this past 15 years. The last and most important answer to the question is surrounding yourself with passionate people, and creating a family-like vibe around everything that you do, so that people feel a part of it and have some personal ownership on the event.

 Check out full lineup and purchase your ticket below as this is an event not to be missed!

 Listen to We Love...on Pulse Radio

For any of you who thought this might have all been an elaborate hoax, or more realistically, an overly hyped PR stunt that would wind up DOA, I have some bad news – Paris Hilton’s residency at Amnesia is now a reality.  Foam & Diamonds launched with a wildly successful opening party last night, officially placing the socialite amongst the handful of DJs with enough pull for a spot at the top. Pulse Radio was on hand for all the foam, diamonds, handbags and paparazzi, even managing to score an exclusive interview (which you can find at the end of the review) with one the most talked about new entertainers in EDM.

Taking over the main room for the evening, which is normally reserved for Espuma, Foam & Diamonds turned Amnesia into what must have been something straight out of Paris’ dream - large crystal chandelier dangling above the packed dance floor, small pink placards with Paris' name and logo hanging on the railings of the VIP area, ice cannon blasting away for drop after drop as the warm up DJ, Ruben Moran, kept the energy on high.

Wearing a diamond encrusted tube top, Paris took to the stage looking playful and sexy. Hilton immediately grabbed the mic, gushing about how much she loved Ibiza and Espuma, large pink curtain emblazoned with Paris’ logo hanging behind her, house lights drenching the socialite in a sea of pink as footage of the heiress blowing kisses to the crowd reeled out of Amnesia’s new LED screen, completing the Hilton experience.

Mixing would be an exaggeration, with every transition coming down to a few flics of the fader, quickly heading into the next EDM hit. Paris was spending far more time enjoying her moment with the crowd than actually touching the decks, but hell, if anyone cared, I didn't see it. Quite the opposite, Paris had a full fledged party on her hands - plenty of big name tunes, and a super club full of jumping, pumping, screaming fans who couldn't have been more up for it. One young and eager club goer couldn’t quite handle his excitement, clamoring up and reaching over the booth for a chance to touch the starlet, Paris happily obliging until her security detail stepped in.

She kept it intense and banging all night, dropping tracks like Avicii vs. Nicky Romero’s ‘I Could Be The One.’ Cameras were up, screams of elation pouring out of the crowd, Paris clearly relishing the spotlight, dancing, prancing, singing along, ice canon filling the room with CO2 again and again. At one point she even picked up the fan from behind the booth in an attempt to cool off, apparently not yet used to the heat that comes with playing a packed club in summer.

'I'm having so much fun! I love Ibiza! You guys are amazing!' she excitedly shouted from behind her diamond encrusted laptop, Rihanna’s ‘Diamonds’ (Bimbo Jones Vocal Edit) pouring out of Amnesia’s Funktion 1s. After wrapping up her set, she changed into a glitzy swimsuit, having an absolute blast covering the dance floor with foam from the VIP area.

Although the night and its resident DJ have their detractors, in the end it felt like harmless, if not somewhat ridiculous, over the top fun. Paris lovers get to see their favorite socialite up close and personal, losing themselves for the night in Hilton’s diamond encrusted fantasy. Besides, isn’t that what parties like this are all about?

Listen to Paris Hilton on Pulse Radio

Aussie synth-poppers Cut Copy have officially unveiled a new track 'Let Me Show You,' a slice of catchy electronic pop which was initially released via 120 limited edition dub plates that were sold to lucky fans at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. Now the band has shared the track with the rest of the world complete with a trippy video. Enjoy.

Listen to Cut Copy on Pulse Radio

After a hugely successful debut this year, Melbourne's newest boutique festival Let Them Eat Cake returns to the beautiful surrounds of Werribee Park to ring in the first day of 2014.

This year saw the festival deliver some of the world’s finest electronic performers including Flying Lotus, Gaslamp Killer, DJ Marky, Kerri Chandler,Space Dimension Controller, Theo Parrish and more combined with cutting-edge visual artists and an abundance of culinary delights.

Let Them Eat Cake is gearing up for another mammoth event on New Years Day 2014 with a spectacular line-up of electronic talent, so stay tuned to Pulse for the first round line-up set to drop in September.

Listen to Pulse Radio

You may have bumped into Sydney bred DJ Bella Sarris on Pulse before, possibly via ourQ&A a few weeks backthat was part of our ENTER. series. Or perhaps it waslast year when she gave us a glimpse into what it's like to be a part of Richie Hawtin's PR team in Ibiza. If you haven't yet been acquainted, all you need to know is that Bella Sarris is a star on the rise, and with our weekly Fresh Blood series committed to bringing those to light, it's only fitting that she take out this week's honours.

Having been snapped up by Richie Hawtin to work for his ENTER. PR team, within the space of a year Bella has found herself living the dream as a weekly resident at ENTER.Sake alongside Japan's Hito and a rotating roster of high profile talent like Eats Everything, Disclosure, and Hawtin himself. Her Fresh Blood mix for us is a recording of her recent set for Ibiza Global Radio - it's deep, immersive, and as personal as it gets.

(Download here)

Pulse: Last year you were working in the ENTER. PR team, this year you’re a Sake resident. Did you slip Richie Hawtin a promo mix? Fill us in! Bella Sarris: I'm still a part of the PR team. I had an amazing experience working for Enter last year and this year is no different, the residency is just a bonus. When you work for Rich, you become a part of his whole project and he welcomes you into the Minus family. I think that's the main reason he gave me this opportunity, because he always supports the people in his family. Last year he didn't even know I was a DJ for most of the season. I'm still not sure how he found out, but i'm glad he did.

How has the residency been going? It's going very quickly. I can't believe it's week 5 already, I feel like every time I blink it's Thursday again. The first four weeks are a blur. I've learned more about myself as a DJ in this time than in the past four years. It really is the most amazing party I have ever experienced, I still can't believe that I get to be a part of it. The term to be "thrown in the deep end" doesn't even cut it. I totally feel like 'Rookie Of The Year' because I know that DJing in Australia for four years did not prepare me for this. But it's cool, cause there's no better way to teach a kid to swim than chuck them in the pool and scream "swim kid, swim!". They're not going to learn anything sitting on the ledge.

There must have been a lot of preparation for you in the lead up to your first set. Once you did finally play your first set, did the experience alter your perception of how you thought you would play at ENTER.? I don't think 10 years would be enough to prepare anyone to play before Richie Hawtin at the opening of his party. At the dinner the night before, Rich even told me that he 'never feels prepared but is always ready'. I think this is a really good way to put it. I had no idea what to be prepared for but I was ready to find out.

Everything changed after the first week. Rich told me I didn't have to play a warm up set, that I should just "do my thing". That's when it really hit me...what is my thing? I only realised then how rarely I had been able to play in the past without some kind of restriction, be it audience, venue, set time. I'm not in Australia anymore. ENTER. is about giving artists space to fill with their own unique experience. No one is warming anything up, it's a party as soon as the doors of the Sake bar open.

Ibiza is a strange place. You are constantly bombarded with all kinds of music and people, good and bad. It's not unusual for me to go from feeling incredibly inspired to utterly disgusted within the space of a few hours in a night. This can be very distracting and I think it's the reason I began to over think my music choices.

The 3 weeks that followed were full of frustration and confusion. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I played badly, I was just so caught up with the 'appropriateness' of the music that I couldn't get a sound out that was really me. Last week (week 4) I would say my crisis was at its peak. At the last minute I was asked to take over the Air stage for the night. Although it didn't feel like it at the time, these five hours were a blessing in disguise. It gave me the chance to just play, listen and chill the fuck out. And I did, but only after a sometimes grumpy but always musically wise friend told me to just play what you want to hear.

So I guess the short answer to your question is yes, my perception of how I would play did change and I'm sure it will change again...every week.

Whose set has blown you away so far at ENTER. 2013? Maceo Plex in week 2 was really special. Musically it's not my personal taste, but man he destroyed The Terrace. There was even a sit down and a sing along at the end. Real Ibiza magic. Everyone smiling and hugging kind of stuff.

Let’s go back a bit further. When did you start DJing? Four years ago. I went to Ibiza for the first time when I was 18. The moment I set foot in the Space Terrace I knew I wanted to be able to make people dance like I did that night.

Where and when was your first gig? How did it go? House Inspection at the Civic in Sydney. It's a party run by the guys I went to Ibiza with for the first time. I should blame and thank them for everything.

Have you delved into any production yet, or are you concentrating on DJing? Delve - to dig, as with a spade. I really like this word but its very ambiguous. I would say I have picked up the spade and thought a lot about where I would like to start digging. As I said, I have only just started to get comfortable with combining other people's music to make up my sound. Condensing the sounds that I like into my own original tracks is going to take me a little longer. Now it's just up to me to put in the hours and dig as deep as I can.

Can you tell us a little bit about the mix you’ve chosen to share with us? It's a set I played on Ibiza Global Radio post the last minute Air stage crisis at ENTER. This set is kind of special to me. I felt really good playing it, and right after my friend David Moreno described my music as 'personal'. For me, that is the best compliment I could ever get.

Your ENTER. anthem for 2013… It's a strange one. Thomas Melchior – 'Everything OK'. Not because I play it all the time. Actually I haven't, and probably won't ever play it at ENTER., but since the day Randy played it to me it has been stuck in my head every single time before I play. "Everything will be alright right.." He and I always catch each other muttering it under our breath when we get ready for gigs.

Once the 2013 Ibiza season is done and dusted, what’s on the cards for Bella Sarris for the remainder of the year? I am going to continue to enjoy my 'fresh' blood while I can. I'm not so sure how fresh it will be after another season in Ibiza, or even by next year. After the season I need some time in Berlin, then New York for the winter and Mexico in the new year. Oh and I would love to get back to Sydney at some point in between to play at House Inspection.

Listen to Bella Sarris on Pulse Radio

Pulse will be bringing you a series of Keinemusik Radio show releases selected from their already massive collection of released mixes. Keinemusik, out of Berlin, Germany is a record label that do a run of shows hosted with a changing roster, this finds them in that place absolutely nobody wants to be (poor sarcasm attempt there) – that is with an enormous amount of good music.  They post the radio shows regularly and we’ve decided to bring the mixes straight from Keinemusik to you. 

Listen in on the series:  

The Daft Punk hype machine has returned as the French duo have been rumoured to appear on US Satire show The Colbert Report.

Much in the same vein of chat and topical program such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Colbert brings satire and political humour to his show. After crashing chat host Jimmy Fallon's show this week and dancing on stage to Get Lucky, a further post in the show's site hints at an exclusive appearance from the chart topping French duo.

Fans will have to wait patiently to see what happens on The Colbert Report next week. You can recap on Colbert's dance in the YouTube video above.

Listen to Daft Punk on Pulse Radio.

Thank God We Are Rebels are hosting intimate sunset catamaran cruises every Tuesday and Friday for the 2013 Ibiza season, and on August 6, things will be kicking off in style with their main residents, including Chad Andrew, Jiggy, Deniz Bilgic and Nico Ferru (Tickets: http://pulseradio.net/events/view/3653).

Presented by Capadi Ipya, an independent platform for young artists, the Rebels boat party promises to be full of special treats to keep things moving, including an hour of free bar service, a round of shots, two hours swim at a hidden coast, and sunset at the beautiful and magical Es Vedra – not to mention the underground sounds of some of today’s hottest artists.

Hailing from Germany, both Jiggy and Deniz have made plenty of noise in the short time they’ve been on the island. Jiggy draws inspiration from the likes of Audiofly, Jin Choi and Meerestief, and his latest track, ‘Crosshairs Of The Sniper,’ found its way into the sets of DJs like Richie Hawtin, Marco Carola, Dubfire and more. Along with the Jiggy, Deniz Bilgic will be along for the ride. Bilgic has played just about every club on the island of Ibiza, also having residencies in both Thailand and Italy.

The Rebels host an amazing party at Sankeys filled with a wide range of deep house, techno and house, and will finally be bringing it out of a dark club and onto the magic of the open seas. See below for tickets.

Listen to Capadi Ipya on Pulse Radio

Flo Rida has responded to the accusation thrown by Diplo on Twitter for 'ripping off his video' - by cooly claiming he's never actually seen it.

The video for Flo Rida's new single 'Can't Believe It' has been the suibject of controversy lately as it appeared that the main riff had been sampled from Infinity Ink's 'Infinity'. After that though, Diplo called Flo a"fuck ass fuckboi for ripping off my video", talking about his classic 'Butters Theme' track that featured a large proportion of scantily-clad ladies, pulling similar saucy poses.

As in the video at top, taken from US radio show 'Sway in the Morning', Flo Rida said he had "never even seen" the 'Butter's Theme' video. "That really took me for a joke" he continued, entourage in tow. After being hinted thast the video edits seemed similar, Rida appeared to say both he and Diplo were responsible of stealing the original concept from Sir Mix-A-Lot's 1992 classic 'Baby Got Back' video.

Hopefully., this shall bring the curtain down on such biccering. Video directors, you have been warned - beware of pastiche!

Listen to Diplo on Pulse Radio.