We’re excited to announce that SoundPark Radio will begin this Friday, September 27th exclusively on Pulse Radio! The radio show will run weekly focusing on a combination of great music and the people behind the scenes who make it happen, “bridging the minds that create the vibe we all love and the smiling faces enjoying it.” Every Friday, the show will explore multiple aspects of the industry, featuring record labels, production agencies, management/booking agencies, venues, and artists.

SoundPark has already generated exclusive mixes and features from the likes of Bespoke Musik, Stranjjur, Daniel Bortz, Newbie Nerdz, Dirty Channels, Chopstick and Johnjon, Vanilla Ace, S.K.A.M, Shimmer, and more. The forthcoming launch on Pulse Radio promises even more exciting features on Jackmode (with live recordings of Kruse & Nuernberg, Round Table Knights, Monkey Safari, and Klangkunstler) and Steyoyoke (with mixes by Sasch and Mpathy). SoundPark’s interview with Cityfox will be posted later this afternoon ahead of their Space Knights party on Saturday, September 28th. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the exclusive interview and the upcoming premiere of SoundPark with a mix by Adriatique tomorrow on Pulse!

Listen to Monkey Safari on Pulse Radio

Cityfox began when four friends - Martin, Philipp, Ben, and Billy - joined forces to create a unique party experience in Zurich's music scene.  They have since brought their legenday parties overseas to New York with future plans to expand to other cities in the US. Adrian Ravelo and Steve Paskovich of SoundPark Radio chat with Billy, Ben, and Philipp of Cityfox to discuss their coming together to start the Cityfox brand in Zurich and what defines the "Cityfox Experience." They also talk about differences between the crowd in Europe and New York, staying true to the original vision of their label, and what guests can expect at their upcoming Space Knights party in New York on Saturday, September 28th.  Keep an eye out for the first episode of SoundPark radio premiering tomorrow with a special mix by Adriatique exclusively on Pulse Radio!

What is Cityfox? Who are the people behind Cityfox? Tell us a little about your individual backgrounds in the industry and what brought you all together for this project. Billy: Cityfox started as a promoter in 2006 and then as a record label in 2009. But, first of all, Cityfox is a community and group of people who love what they do. If you break that group down to the people behind the scenes you’ll find four guys: Martin, Philipp, Ben, and myself. Initially, Martin and I started Cityfox as a series of parties. We wanted to fill the gap after our favorite and legendary club “Dachkantine” had to close their doors. I think for many people in Zurich, we achieved our mission. We then turned Cityfox into a monthly institution with a simple formula, our code of practice. We look for quality in each detail – music, sound, crowd, visuals, locations, decorations, and installations. In 2008 we opened a club in the old stock market in Zurich and this is where we met the then manager, Ben.

Ben: Working together with this crew was one of the major factors that led me to join the then brand new stock market club “Alte Boerse”. Their nights, and especially their mornings, were always marked in red on the event calendar. All it took was a few long mornings and an ominous trip to London for us to realize that we shared the same passion for quality and detail. My side was always more focused on the operations, ensuring that the often intense party nights could be staged as we wanted. Our friendship grew and with that my real involvement with the label started. Setting up the contacts for the 2011 Blkmarket Membership showcase in Brooklyn set the stage for something entirely new for us. I enjoyed the crowd and the company of New Yorkers so much that I knew I had to return to the city. We decided that with our broad set of skills we could set up and manage any form of pop up club. So we gave it a shot, almost dying fifty times in the process, but with a lot of help from our new New York friends we managed to pull the 2012 Soho party off… and well now we’re here.

Philipp: Since the late nineties, when I first visited Ibiza, electronic dance music has been my passion. I remember when the club “Alte Boerse” in Zurich started. Cityfox continues with their monthly events, which were a highlight of Zurich’s nightlife. I was pleased to see someone bringing my favorite international acts there. The space was acoustically perfect because it was the old trading floor of the Zurich stock market. The sound system was mind-blowing. It surprised me that someone put so much effort into quality and created something that became state of the art. Sadly, this is very rare in the scene. We had so many good times together that I started to become close friends with Martin, Billy, and Ben. We soon realized that we not only had so much in common, but we also shared the same vision and pioneering spirit. Because of this we knew we had to do something together. Bringing all of my corporate, strategic, and conceptual experience to the team led us to form two new companies – one as a music label and another for our other projects. I think I can say we are now four partners, complementing each other perfectly. Each of us has his particular strength in a certain field and together we are strong enough and capable enough to realize something big.

What is the Cityfox Experience? Billy: The Cityfox Experience is the result of all the experiences we’ve had producing events over the years. It’s our take on what a party should look, sound, and feel like. We want to bundle and transform our experiences into one big experience for the crowd.

Ben: The event itself, crowd, experience, music, and vibe all play the main role here. We want to deliver something special, something real, and something worth the money people have to spend. Sometimes promoters rely on big names to fill a space. This strategy can leave people feeling disappointed and disconnected. Our aim is to create a communal feeling at our events, so really community is king.

What’s the big difference between the vibe/parties you are throwing in Europe compared to the ones you’ve been throwing state side? Billy: To be honest, the crowd. The scene here in NYC is kind of fresh, even though there is a big background in dance music. We’re totally in love with the vibe and energy you can create here with all of these lovely people.

Ben: Same with me, it’s the raw energy that the New York crowd emits. It’s not only very special, but also so addictive. The crowd here seems to largely select itself, which was quite a change for us as we are always adamant about having a door selector for our parties. Here we learned that it’s not really necessary. If you produce a certain kind of party then you will attract certain likeminded people, which for me is great.

Philipp: It is very special when people are really into it. They understand the effort and quality we bring and know the vibe will be very good every time. The community is very supportive and gives so much back. This motivates me every time and tells us that we are on the right track.

Back in November (and now again with the upcoming Space Knights) you took over an empty space and created your own vision while with Monkey Business you took over an existing venue [Output] and injected your experience into it. Do you have a preference here, as I’m sure there are advantages and disadvantages of both approaches? Billy: We clearly prefer to take over empty spaces and have complete control of the factors mentioned before. First of all, sound is extremely important to us so we want to choose our preferred system to work with. Of course there are advantages of working with an existing club, as you don’t have to think about the basics like restrooms, bar, power, etc. We also have to say that we had a clear vision right away with Output; the excellent room planning gave us enough space for a Cityfox transformation.

You’ve been throwing parties for a few years, why has New York been your main and only US focus this far? Billy: We have a bit of history here in NYC. In 2009 the Wolf + Lamb guys invited us over for an intimate show at the Marcy Hotel and in 2011 we had our Blkmarket Membership show. You have to start somewhere, and we couldn’t have found any better place to start. That being said, we want to expand and explore other cities in the US, but our process of throwing events needs time and we don’t want to rush it.

Tell us a bit about your label, what does your catalog convey about your brand and how do you feel it differentiates yourself from the other imprints out there? Billy: It’s not a goal of ours to release music that’s different than on other imprints. We want to release music we love with people we love. We really don’t follow any hype or trend out there. The music we release always has a trippy and psychedelic touch with a solid serving of melancholy. I think we’ve released some timeless pieces so far and will try to continue that into the future. We’re really a family, and while we have a small circle of key players, we always leave ourselves open for new talent.

Let’s talk bigger picture, what can we expect from Cityfox in the future? Both as a production agency and as an imprint. Billy: We really want to focus on NYC and the rest of the states with our events. We do have some plans and ideas in the works for a second series of the Cityfox Experience. As an imprint we have quite a few projects and releases in the pipeline. You can expect a re-release of a ten-year-old anthem we very deeply relate to. Sorry, still want to keep it a secret but we’re super excited about it. We also have a new artist joining our roster with our next release – Mark Slee from San Francisco, who is also playing the Cityfox Experience event this Saturday as The Digital Knight Sir Slee! This comes with a super nice and epic remix by Jeremy P Caulfield & Cesare vs. Disorder. Further in the works are new releases from Laurent Bovey, one half of Digitaline, introducing his new solo project Marlowe, then also Mark Henning, Lee Jones, Gregorythme, and the young guns Adriatique. We clearly want to increase the number of releases but still, quality before quantity.

Ben: On the event side we are definitely planning to set up a second series soon. We have not quite worked out the last details just yet. It should definitely be staged here in New York. Maybe a little reduced, back to the roots - simple, with a focus purely on quality sound, visuals, and good drinks. The Experience on the other hand seems to have a life of its own; it just wants to grow and explore. There is so much going on at the moment that we want to ensure that when we do something, we do it proper and at the right time.

As you look to take your brand & artists into the future, what’s the growth strategy you’re employing? Are you looking to grow internally, with more releases by your current artist base, or by bringing in new complimentary talent? Billy: Both, we try to do that all of the time to be honest, but the reality is often something totally different than the strategy you have. Of course we want to grow and we’re open to new talent, but we’re not actively searching for it. Maybe we should change this but then again we want to keep it a family and we want to work with people we love and trust. We don’t want to rush and push too hard. We believe everything happens for a reason so we like to just take it how it comes. Believe me, I’m trying to push our artists but they are like cats, you can’t tell them anything.

Philipp: I mean we definitely want to grow our brand, our community, and also our artists. But, we are in the lucky situation to be independent and not under pressure. The vision and goal of the imprint is quality before quantity and timeless music. This is what Cityfox was always about, so sometimes it’s not easy. Especially now as electronic music is becoming more and more popular and reaches a broader audience. In the genre of deep house there are more and more hypes. When you start to release music to follow a hype it’s like a double-edged sword. We treat the relationship with our artists with care and view it more as a friendship and family, but we are always open to new talent and new music. There are so many people out there who share the same taste of sophisticated, deep, and timeless electronic dance music so I am confident there will be some very interesting stuff soon on Cityfox.

Tell us a little about your relationship with Gregorythme. His latest EP is his first release under the Cityfox imprint in over a year. What does this project say about your brand and what you’re trying to accomplish? Billy: That really says everything about the brand. Gregorythme is a key player and has been on board since the beginning. He is the other half of Digitaline, who played at our first party and were a part of our second release ever. At that time they were our favorite producers and live acts; I think I was their biggest fan. Their music not only implies everything we’re looking for but they also represent our taste. Gregory is able to transport such a deep melancholic and trippy feeling with a single sound. Immediately after starting to work together, we became close friends and I think I’m still his biggest fan. He never takes the easy way out, even when he can. Same as us when it comes to the label and the event productions; we never take the easy way out. He really wants to reach your brain and heart with his music, not just your feet, and this is exactly what we want too. He also just released a wonderful track titled “Born Again” on his own label, Raoul Records. You should definitely check it out!

You’ve had a string of smashing parties in New York, which have left the city buzzing. What are your plans for the US (outside of NY) in the near future? Ben: I doubt we would ever get tired of this buzz but we definitely want to start exploring more of the states at some point. There are still so many cities that lie there waiting; Los Angeles, Miami, and not to forget Chicago or Detroit. A fox is never far from food and we heard that Chicago has some amazing restaurants. The tool for this exploration would definitely be “The Cityfox Experience.” With our new sound system arriving and literally all of the other items we’ve accumulated, we’re capable of popping up in any town. A Cityfox never sleeps; he waits. On a more personal note I’ve always dreamt of doing something in Asia. Tokyo has had a pin on it for quite some years now. Who knows where we will go from here, it really is a very exciting time for all of us.

Philipp: Like Ben mentioned, New York is kind of our new home base. But, there are other very interesting cities in the US that are on my radar. I also have a special relationship and attraction to the west coast, specifically California. I mean we have close friends in San Francisco, especially our partner label Listed.

What’s the story behind theme of your upcoming party, Space Knights? Billy: Martin and I come from a medieval city in Austria, which is certainly part of it. But, to be honest, we were just standing on the dance floor at one of Lee Burridge’s All Day I Dream parties this summer, which takes place at the same venue (The Well), and it put us into a certain creative condition. We turned toward each other and said – Hey, let’s do this, and let’s do that. We came up with the idea to build a virtual castle and to give all the artists a character; they should be our Space Knights. One thing led to another and the vision started to become reality. You add an idea here and there and the vision became even bigger. At the end, the budget exploded and we reduced it to the max. We don’t like telling you all of our plans for this experience, since it should somehow be a surprise and we wouldn’t want to steal people’s own impressions. But, we can promise you that we put a crazy amount of effort into this. We shipped a container with our own sound equipment over, actually the sound system we love. Combine that with a 3D sound mapping and the result is a world premier sound that neither our sound engineer nor ourselves have heard before. We have a story to tell at the event, and that story is told with music and visuals. Hopefully you'll want to hear the tale.

Can you tell us who your special guest Knight will be? Billy: Yes – It’s M.A.N.D.Y. (Philipp Jung) as His Highness Prince Philipp!

Listen to Cityfox on Pulse Radio

Julia Govor is a woman of many talents, the USSR born DJ/producer got her start performing in a live show in a small military town and ultimately became the cassette-DJ at the town's nightclub. She eventually moved into Moscow to study film and TV Production and it was during that time that her life began to take off. She became an on-air personality for MillerTV and MTV and interviewed some of the industry's top names like Ricardo Villalobos, Richie Hawtin, David Guetta and even Iggy Pop. She's signed records to Visionquest and Get Physical and recently relocated to New York City where she's working on building her name as a DJ on this side of the pond.

Pulse Radio knows a good opportunity when we see one so we snatched up Julia and her infectious curiosity and energy to host a new radio program for us entitled "Beyond The Booth" during which Julia will chat with various DJ/Producers about more than just what's in their record bags, tackling what moves them when they're not simply making and playing the music we love. Read on to learn Julia's story, and keep it locked on Pulse Radio as we debut "Pulse Radio Presents Beyond The Booth with Julia Govor" in the weeks to come!

On the fourth episode of Beyond the Booth, Julia sits down with Serge Devant to discuss aspects of his life that are not directly related to being a DJ and producer. A native New Yorker, Serge first became inspired to become a DJ during the Twilo years and has since become a recognizable name, touring all around the world. As he shares some of his favorite tracks at the moment, the two casually discuss some of Serge’s hobbies, his terrible snowboarding accident earlier this year, recently rediscovering his love of chess, staying positive through tough times, and relationships on the road.  Enjoy!

Listen to Beyond the Booth with Julia Govor on Pulse Radio

Pulse Radio is happy to announce SoundPark Radio, a weekly radio show starting this week! The show will focus on a combination of great music and the people behind the scenes who make it happen, “bridging the minds that create the vibe we all love and the smiling faces enjoying it.” Every Friday, the show will explore multiple aspects of the industry, featuring record labels, production agencies, management/booking agencies, venues, and artists.

SoundPark Radio kicks off with an exclusive mix by Zurich’s Adriatique, made up of Adrian and Adrian, two solo artists who joined forces upon meeting on the road and realizing a musical connection. They are currently amidst a September and October tour across North and South America which has brought them everywhere from The Standard Rooftop in LA to Chicago’s Spy Bar to Mexico City and Lima. Before they continue on to Bogota, Miami, and San Francisco, the DJ duo will touch down in New York for a special Cityfox Experience show this Saturday, September 28th. Check out the inaugural episode of SoundPark with Adriatique exclusively on Pulse Radio, and be sure to check back every Friday for a new episode!

Listen to SoundPark Radio on Pulse Radio

Stefan Zlatarits, better known as Stefan Z, is a Vancouver based DJ, producer, and party promoter.  After a musical childhood playing everything from the trumpet, piano, and drums and frequently listening to his parents' records, he was inspired to make and play his own music.  He started his own label Rhombus with friend Oliver Nickels and has a forthcoming EP coming out on My Favorite Robot Records on October 14th.  We had a chance to catch up with Stefan ahead of the release of his new EP to discuss how he first got into electronic music, his diverse musical influences, working with the guys of My Favorite Robot Records, and some of his dream gigs and collaborations.

For people who don’t already know you, can you tell us a little about yourself? Hello Pulse, Pulsars and Pulsettes! My name is Stefan Zlatarits and I reside on the west coast of Canada in the beautiful city of Vancouver. Music has been a major part of my life from childhood up to present day. Listening to my family's amazing audio selections such as Pink Floyd, Vangelis, Paul Simon and Dire Straights on vinyl and tape as a child growing up in Toronto through to playing piano, trumpet and drums in elementary and high school have all contributed to my current fascination with various forms of audio. I currently produce, compose and engineer various genres of music ranging from house to techno and beyond for other projects that I have on the go. I run the record label Rhombus with my partner in crime in Vancouver, Mr. Oliver Nickels! I also love thin crust pizza and sushi!

How did you first get into electronic music? Well I suppose my first exposure to electronic music came in junior high via Daft Punk’s ‘Homework’ and Prodigy’s ‘Fat of the Land’ albums. I just remember listening to these CD’s in some now defunct music retailer and not really being able to make much sense of the music. It was so different from the other stuff I was listening to but it was so infectious. I never knew what a rave was or anything until high school ended and some of my friends had gone to a big outdoor rave in Chilliwack (a small city outside of Vancouver) and informed me that I had to attend one of these events. I attended the last big rave of the summer in 2000 called ‘Summer Love’ and I was hooked from then onward. Picked up some turntables the following year and haven’t looked back since!

What has been the most gratifying moment so far in your career? I am still in the very early stages of my career but I would say the positive recognition that I have received from established artists in the industry has contributed to some of my most gratifying moments. Oliver and I have had really positive feedback and DJ support from all of our releases on our Rhombus imprint and I have recently signed to Toronto’s My Favorite Robot Records and have an EP coming out on October 14th which I am really excited about!

Your bio says that you grew up playing piano and trumpet. What are some of your other musical influences? I would say that I am very influenced by musical scores for film which is something I am also doing alongside my house and techno production. I love the classic sound of analog synthesis. I love experimenting with distortion, saturation and compression. When I am not producing electronic music I like to listen to a wide spectrum of music from a little Lana Del Ray to Jay Z to Metronamy and so much in between. There is so much good music around now due to radical advancements in production technology that it is impossible to keep up with it all. It's AMAZING!

You're known for throwing parties in the Vancouver area. What are the challenges of creating memorable events? Well where do I start with that one... Despite Vancouver’s beautiful outer shell there are a plethora of factors that make throwing parties in Vancouver a challenge. Strict outdated liquor laws, lack of venues, early closing times, expensive flights and new government ‘visa processing fees’ for international guests make throwing events in Vancouver more of a passion project rather then a lucrative business. That being said, we have a great time putting on our Rhombus parties (sometimes in association with the great ‘underG’ people) and exposing the Vancouver underground scene to new artists and talent. We also put a lot of effort into the party environment by designing different decor and settings for each event as it's the small details that contribute to the overall vibe of the party. It's a beautiful thing when everything comes together and you see nothing but smiles all night!

Vancouver has a really amazing underground scene with a lot of great promoters, DJs, producers and music enthusiasts that all contribute to the ongoing growth of the scene here. I’m really happy to be part of it!

Is the stuff you play now what you’ve always played or has your style evolved over time? My style is definitely always evolving. I have been DJing for 12 years now and my collection of music is quite vast. The majority of my vinyl collection is breakbeat, 2-step and garage as this is what I played up until around 2006 and 2007 where I slowly made the digital transition to house and techno. The music I choose to play has to take me somewhere or make me feel some type of emotion. As long as it does that and I feel its groove has a place in my program then its in the box (so to speak)!

What are some of your dream gigs? Are we talking gigs that have already happened or ones that I actually fantasize about playing in the future? As far as ones that have already happened it would have to be some of the extended sets that I have played B2B with my Rhombus partner Oliver Nickels at some of our parties we did this year. Two memorable ones off the top of my head are closing the nights out for three to four hours after our Francis Harris and Matthias Meyer shows with the ‘underG’ guys at an underground studio space in downtown Vancouver. Really packed intimate venue with 200 to 300 people and just an amazing vibe!

As for future gigs, basically anywhere with a really nice sounding PA system, a great party environment and most of all a great crowd that is there to appreciate the music!

How did your work find its way onto My Favorite Robot Records? I think the initial contact with the guys was made indirectly through the PR company Dispersion in London who handles the promo campaigns for our Rhombus releases. Jared and James from MFR always gave great feedback and supported our releases in their DJ sets and I think I sent them an email after a few Rhombus releases and expressed interest in putting together some music for a possible release on their label. Of course I was super happy when they replied and were on the same page and really liked the stuff I was making. I started sending them some stuff (a lot of which I received no response from which I guess meant that it was no good! HA!) and eventually got a response from my first tune on their label ‘My Mind’ which came out at the beginning of this year. They are super supportive and basically gave me full musical control over the forthcoming EP I was creating for their label. We are musically on a similar page as our output tends to gravitate to the darker side of the spectrum so it was a really good fit and felt right. We also did a party with them in Vancouver in August and I finally got as chance to meet them in person which solidified everything for me as they are really down to earth people and just great to hang out with!

What record labels do you hope to work with in the future? Well it all depends what kind of stuff I will be making and how I build my network of contacts in the industry but some of my favourite labels right now that I think are releasing amazing original music are, in no particular order: Pampa, R&S, Scissor & Thread, Innervisions, Life & Death, Maeve, Permanent Vacation, Cityfox, Dumb Unit (come back please!), LNOE, Supplement Facts, Visionquest... I could go on for days I think.

Who would you like to collaborate with? Collabs are also a tough one as lots of artists (myself included) have particular ways of working and are sometimes not open to the idea, but some artists that I find very inspiring and basically play everything they make include, also in no particular order: Mano Le Tough, Baikal (so hot right now... Baikal), Bob Moses (God damn everything is gold), Lee Jones, Mark Henning, The Drifter, Koze, Isolee, Matthias Meyer, Matthew Dekay, Roman Flugel, Avatism, Tom Demac... again for days I could go.

Can you tell us a little about how you decided to approach the exclusive mix you made for Pulse? For this mix I focused on musical selections that can be enjoyed by listeners when going about their daily routines along with a few dance-floor friendly selections just to spice it up a little. This mix is meant to be enjoyed while chopping veggies for dinner, driving in the car, working on the computer, going to the gym and other lovely activities. It features a selection of tunes from artists that I really look up to and that I feel encompasses a perfect blend of emotion, groove and amazing production quality. Hope you enjoy!

What else is on the horizon for Stefan Z? As always I have been busy stock piling a lot of “almost finished” original productions, putting together party ideas for the remainder of 2013 and beginning of 2014 and getting some rough ideas and concepts together for a possible debut album. I don’t send out or release a large amount of music as I am very critical of my own work but I am getting better at it day by day! My debut EP on My Favorite Robot Records is out Oct 14th so keep an ear/eye out for it... you just might like it!

Check out a preview of Stefan Z's forthcoming EP here:

Mix Tracklist:
Stefan Z - No Words - My Favorite Robot Records
Alex Smoke - Dust - R&S
Nick Hoppner - Red Hook Soil - Ostgut Ton
Michael Gracioppo feat Wayne Tennant - Creep - Innervisions
Timo Maas ft Brian Molko - College 84 (Eric Volta Electric Bodies Mix) - Rockets & Ponies
Ada - Faith (Kozes Grungerwomen Remix) - Pampa
Wire People - Triangle Vision (Tom Demac Remix) - Get Physical
Batongo - Aguirre (Mano Le Tough Remix) - Desgustibus
Bajka & Hunter Game - The Island (Baikal Remix) - Last Night on Earth
Active Child - Johnny Belinda (Matthew Dekay Remix) - Fur Die Liebe
Bob Moses - Stealing Fire - Scissor & Thread

Listen to Stefan Z on Pulse Radio

Australian festivals are really feeling the pinch this year and one of the country's longest running events Big Day Out is the latest to experience a casualty, cancelling its second Sydney date on Monday January 27.

“Perhaps we were a bit ambitious expanding to two dates in Sydney for this year’s Big Day Out," said promoter Ken West via a press release this morning.

The Sydney BDO will now be merged into one show on Australia Day, January 26. You can find out all updated ticket info from BDO below.

"You can use your January 27 ticket for the January 26 festival – there is no need to exchange your tickets if you wish to attend the Big Day Out on Sunday 26 January as they are automatically valid.
You can get a full refund until October 30, 2013 (full info at bottom)
You can exchange your 27 January ticket(s) for any other (Gold Coast, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth) Australian Big Day Out festival.
While we are looking into a possible expanded capacity for the 26 January, given the merge of the two shows, tickets to January 26 are anticipated to sell out much earlier so do not delay if you have not already purchased.”

Big Day Out 2014 dates:
Pearl Jam
Arcade Fire
Blur
Snoop Dogg
Major Lazer
Steve Angello
Flume
The Lumineers
Tame Impala
Dillon Francis
Mac Miller
Ghost
Grouplove
Flosstradamus
Portugal.The Man
Toro Y Moi
DIIV
The Naked and Famous
Big Gigantic
PEZ
Mudhoney
Cosmic Psychos
Northlane
The 1975
Loon Lake
Kingswood
Bo Ningen
The Algorithm
DZ Deathrays
Peking Duk
Ben Morris
RUFUS
+ more to be announced

Big Day Out 2014 dates:
17.01.13  – Western Springs, Auckland
19.01.13  – Metricon Stadium & Carrara Parklands, Gold Coast
24.01.13  – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne
26.01.13  – Sydney Showgrounds, Sydney Day One
27.01.13  – Sydney Showgrounds, Sydney Day Two
31.01.13  – Bonython Park, Adelaide
02.02.13  – Claremont Showgrounds, Perth

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The clothes might be more revealing but the colours, candy and carefree spirit remain the same. Via Buzzfeed, American ravers: then and now:

For more American ravers from past and present, head over to the full article on Buzzfeed here.

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Justin Bieber just can't seem to keep a low profile on his South American tour as the pop sensation kicks up more controversy. This time Bieber was filmed sweeping the floor with an Argentinian flag that was tossed on stage by fans, who immediately turned on the young Canadian singer. Watch here.

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Feedback on social media from fans has been harsh as well, as many have taken to sites like Twitter to show their anger and frustration at what seems like a national offense.

This comes just after Bieber walked off stage due to 'food poisoning,' and getting kicked out of an Argentinian hotel, as well as a 'sex tape,' as well as other sex related controversies in Brazil and other South American countries.

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Ahead of Vulture Music featuring Alan Braxe, DJ Falcon and more on November 22 at Village Underground, we've got an exclusive mini-mix from the label's founder and longtime Daft Punk production partner and friend, Alan Braxe. Listen here. 

Braxe is a long time friend of Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter and teamed up with him for Stardust’s 'Music Sounds Better with You,' as well as Falcon’s musical project with Thomas Bangalter as TOGETHER, spawning two hit singles, ‘So Much Love To Give’ and ‘Together.’ Braxe will be bringing his colossal record collection to the party, promising to throw in some new surprises as well. 

Falcon is fresh off his recent appearance on Daft Punk's new album, 'Random Access Memories,' and is now prepping his new EP for release later this year. Expect some disco classics alongside fresh new tracks.

More information on and tickets to the November 22 show can be found here.

Listen to Alan Braxe on Pulse Radio.

Three members of two Iranian indie rock bands were killed in Brooklyn on Monday morning in a tragic murder-suicide. The murderer, identified as Ali Akbar Mohammadi Rafie, 29, a member of the Free Keys, shot and killed Soroush Farazmand, 27, of the Yellow Dogs; his brother Arash, 28, a drummer who joined the Yellow Dogs after playing in the Free Keys; and another Iranian band member, Ali Eskandarian, 35; all at the same location before killing himself.

The shooter was found on the roof of the building after taking his own life. Ali Salehezadeh, who handles publicity for the Yellow Dogs, explained to CNN that the gunman and the band originally stopped communicating as a result of a “petty conflict.” New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly states that the shooter was attempting to settle a “dispute… over money” between the two bands.

Ali Akbar Mohammadi Rafie shot one victim with .308-caliber assault rifle through a window before entering the building in East Williamsburg and killing the other two musicians inside.

The bands had initally moved to New York to escape repression from the Iranian government and society.  Learn more about the Yellow Dogs in the CNN documentary above.

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In a stunning display of art and technology, video artist Nick Cobby has collaborated with one of the most intriguing and unique techno artists of today, Max Cooper, for the visual representation of Cooper’s ‘Fragments Of Self.' Watch here. 

Max Cooper / Tom Hodge - Fragments of Self from Nick Cobby on Vimeo.

Visit maxcooper.net and 
nickcobby.com for more information on both artists. 

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Quenum has been a force to be reckoned with for quite some time. A professional break-dancer who was raised in Africa, he moved to London in the 80s and gained recognition with the start of his first label, Access 58, in 1996. He later formed Cadenza with Luciano in 2002, which served as a home for their first and founding release on the label, “Orange Mistake,” one of the most successful techno tracks of the decade. In 2005, he settled in Geneva and founded Num records and has most recently partnered with Swiss producer Dachshund to set up his Clapper imprint. His new EP, 'Face To Face,' is out now on Serialism. Pulse Radio is happy to be premiering the video for his single “5AM." Check it out below along with some questions we asked Quenum about break-dancing, his career, and his bucket list.

From starting your first label, Access 58, in the early 90’s, founding Cadenza with Luciano in 2002 and now running Clapper records, you’ve had a longstanding presence in the dance community. Has your style evolved at all since you first started? My style has stayed more or less the same, I've evolved mostly in terms of what inspires me, from different places, from everyday life, from traveling... My music doesn't really fit in a box. I have a lot of different influences including house, techno, jazz, soul, funk, reggae... you know, music. I think one thing that really pushes me to change is the evolution of technology (especially studio equipment).

What was your inspiration behind the 5AM video? Your African heritage and your career as a break-dancer play a huge role in the sound of your music but the video for 5AM is different (and we love it). With my partner Cesare and his visual team, False Manners productions, we thought about doing something that worked with the track, something soft and understated. To say the truth, I talk about it with the team but really it's the two girls from False Manners, Fernanda and Frederica who are the true creators. I'm really happy to have them with me. They've got so many ideas and great suggestions, and we work together really well. I'm really happy you like it! It's true that it's different from my own experience or previous work, but that's exactly what I love, to meet new people with new ideas and to open up to new styles of expression.

You used to be a break-dancer. In 1984 you came to NY to dance with the Magnificent Force at the Roxy and noted witnessing Herbie Hancock perform live with DJ DST as your first electronic music experience and major influence. Tell us more about your dance career – what attracted you to dance and hip-hop and what it was like traveling the globe to dance in the 80s? I've always been fascinated by dance, especially jazz dance from the old Fred Astaire movies, tap dance, and all kinds of dance by black Americans. It's true that I also really like individual sports like dance, running, and martial arts. That's always been my thing, how to control and use your body as a means of expression. I was living in France in the early 80's when Afrika Bambaataa and the Rock Steady Crew (with graffiti artist Futura 2000) came to tour Europe. It was their first appearance on French TV. When I saw that, I was blown away.

I realized I could take my dancing even further. Also, this kind of dancing happened in the street and that was really cool. What was also amazing was that hip-hop was like a total concept, with music, dance, fashion, art, DJing, MC.. wow it was so complete. I felt like this was coming from another world. You've got to imagine how shocking it was for us, to see for the first time someone spinning on their head!
From then on, with my mates and my brother we decided to train and get to the level of these US groups. When we felt comfortable we got in touch, and traveled to the US to dance with them. You know we were young and we were passionate, we hardly made any money. We did this for the love of dance, but we had no money. Our first trip to New York, we had to sleep two days in the streets because we weren't able to reach Mohamed from the Magnificent Force right away. Even though I don't train anymore I still love dance and I go to watch performances, classical or modern.

You like to experiment with your music and have composed music for documentaries and played live for fashion shows – what have been some highlights from your experiences? I have really great memories of playing London Fashion Week for Julian Roberts' label nothing nothing. We played a live show in the Science Museum. It was really big time for us (Access 58). We were neighbors of Julian - he had his studio next to our music studio. So we wanted to do something really good for him. It was so stressful, loads of work, but very exciting for us. We discovered the world of fashion. Intense!

You’ve traveled all over the world and are now settled in Geneva. What are some of your favorite cities to visit and play in and are there any cities or venues on your bucket list? I love to play in Berlin but I have a special place in my heart for New York. It's my favorite city to visit. With my wife and kids, we go there a lot. We have good friends there, I just love it. I also love my team from Resolute... Nektarios and Elon are great people and I love playing their parties too! Also, Taimur and Fahad from Blkmarket were the first to give me steady bookings in New York, starting about ten years ago, when techno was not so big in New York, so respect to them. I'd love to go to Burning Man, never done that. Would be really fun with a good group of friends.

What can we expect from you in the future? I have a project for a residence that sounds really interesting, but I can't tell you right now! I'll continue working with Serialism and Cesare v Disorder - we have a few ideas about projects together. I'm also still working on Clapper with Dachshund. You know, funnily enough, my son who just turned 18 is making some really good tunes, so maybe we can do some stuff together. Whatever happens, the only thing I know to do is music, so I'll keep on going, even if the business got harder because so many people make music now. I'll just keep on going.

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After a smashing opening weekend and a successful run so far, Sankeys NYC is taking things to the next level with the launch party of Tribal Sessions, one of the brand’s legendary nights that was born in 2001. Known as the original face paint party where the promoter painted the faces of club patrons each week, it won a number of awards and was Britain’s longest weekly Friday night until 2008. This Friday is going to be one for the books as legendary Dan Ghenacia goes b2b with his friend and fellow Parisian, Shonky.  Guests can get into the event for free if they show up with facepaint!

Dan Ghenacia has been a staple on the Paris underground scene for more than a decade. In 2004, he started his first label Freak N’Chic, which broke artists like Dyed Soundorom, Djebali, Shonkey, and released the debut Jamie Jones EP. Unfortunately, Freak N’Chic was forced to close in 2009 due to financial disputes but this led to the launch of Ghenacia’s Apollonia imprint in 2012 with Dyed Soundorom and Shonky. The label serves as a platform for the trio’s productions and a showcase for quality music. Ghancia has spent countless summers in Ibiza, having scored a coveted DC10 residency and is known for his extended sets. He and Shonky once played b2b for 12 hours at Berlin’s Panorama Bar before exclaiming, “we could play 12 hours more!” Ghenacia has been in the game since the 90s and Friday is sure to be a legendary session.

Shonky and Ghenacia are longtime friends. Having co-founded Apollonia with Dyed Soundorom, the duo clearly works well together. Shonky is another staple on the Paris underground scene, having manned the decks for the first time in 1998, influenced by the likes of Ivan Smagghe and his now partner, Ghenacia. He was signed to Freak N’Chic and released his first production on the label in 2005. Since then, he has produced releases for Mobilee, Sub Static, Crosstown Rebels and Resopal.

These two are no strangers to long nights and are known for their marathon b2b sets. Tribal Sessions has finally made its way to the US of A and Friday’s are looking hotter than ever…Let’s hope there’s enough face paint to go around!

Ghenacia, Shonky & Dyed Soundorom 

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Seth Troxler and Subb-an’s remix of Blood Orange’s “Champagne Coast” is now available for free download, after previously being offered only as a limited-edition white label. The two extend the groovy track to eight minutes in length, and give it their own special touch. Listen below.

Download the track on Seth’s Facebook page here.

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Radio Slave, Butch and a host of international and local names have been announced in the first round lineup for new Sydney festival, FACT Weekender, set to take over the iconic Cockatoo Island on February 1st & 2nd.

You can check out first round announcement below. The festival promises more names still to come including a big headliner. Tickets are on sale now here - $79 for a day pass and $1799 for a three day glamping package.

FACT Weekender first round:
Radio Slave
Butch
Javi Sampol
Mr. Ties
Zebra Katz
Air Wolf
Significant Others
King Tide
Chez Damier
Ben Ashton
Robert Dumakude Bango
Ezra
Tomás Ford
Propaganda
Richard Cooper
BlaNK and START:CUE DJs
Adam Proctor
Al Hearnshaw
Dyson
Rickstar
Ross Ashman
Tommy Rutherford
+ more TBA

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Just before Daft Punk released their highly anticipated ‘Random Access Memories’ album earlier this year, they released a video showing the robots, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, opening a copy of the record and playing it. The video excited fans and helped successfully promote the release of the LP.

Fast forward six months… Sony has released a promo video for its forthcoming PlayStation 4 game console that bears a striking resemblance to the video created by Daft Punk. Both start in a control room, zooming into a pair of gloved hands opening the contents of the product one by one. Check out both of the videos below and some of the comments users left on YouTube accusing Sony of ripping off Daft Punk, and let us know what you think!

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Legendary disco producer and recent Daft Punk collaborator Giorgio Moroder copped an unexpected backlash from fans recently when his EDM-centric collab 'My Name Is' with Mexican producer Alejandro surfaced on his soundcloud a few weeks ago. In a new interview with FACT, Moroder has spoken about the track and the negative reaction it received from fans.

"With this one on Soundcloud, they killed me," Moroder explains, before going on to reveal that in the context of his DJ sets, the track is a real winner for him.

"That song worked so well with the crowd, but if you just listen to it… I still like it, it’s the kind of sounds I’m using when I’m playing.”

Later in the interview, Moroder also reveals that he is considering Chic’s Nile Rodgers and Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Avicii to appear on a new album, and that he has a new song almost ready that features his late collaborator, Donna Summer.

“It’s called ‘La Dolce Vita’, she sang it about three years ago,” he reveals. “I think I have a great combination of synthesizers and live drums and live guitar to go with Donna’s voice.”

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Former LCD Soundsystem frontman, James Murphy, is on a mission to soundtrack New York City’s subways. Murphy’s plan, which he first brought up last spring at a talk at Yale, essentially involves turning the subway turnstiles into musical instruments, replacing their squeakiness with something a little easier on the ears. Unbeknownst, Murphy has apparently had this project on his mind for fourteen years!

“I wanted to change the sound of going through the turnstile to a series of notes,” he said. “I could do a little program…and during rush hour it would make arpeggiated music and each subway station could have its own key or tonal set.” Basically, each station would have a range of sounds and movement through a turnstile would trigger a random note in that range, transforming the usual hodgepodge of headache-inspiring sounds into “a really beautiful piece of music.”

Most recently, Murphy rallied for his underground symphony on Chicago’s Sound Opinions podcast, proclaiming that he is still “fighting to do this…I thought Bloomberg was going to give me a hand. It’s such a brutal city, I think one little gift of kindness would be nice.” Perhaps newly elected Bill de Blasio will give him a hand? God speed, Mr. Murphy, we like your style.

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Francesca Lombardo’s career as a DJ and producer have given her the opportunity to explore the world and have experiences that many people can only dream of. Originally from Italy, she moved to London where she became involved in the electronic music scene.  Her talent has led her to be signed by Crosstown Rebels and she has toured the world extensively playing shows in places such as Ibiza, Moscow, Mexico, New York, and Brazil. She's classically trained, having played piano and singing opera since she was young, and has recorded and performed with a live orchestra.  Francesca will return to New York on Sunday, November 17th for a sexy show presented by BABEL and Yippies at New York’s premier hotel, The Bowery Hotel. Be sure to get your tickets on Pulse Radio!

Ahead of her show this weekend, we asked Francesca to share ten different things that she hopes to do in her lifetime. Her bucket list items vary from hanging out with famous movie directors and throwing exotic parties to working in the studio with some of dance music’s biggest stars and seeing some of nature’s wonders.

9. Live on the seaside

8. Own a grand piano

7. See the Northern Lights

6. Grow up

5. Throw a party on an island in Iceland

4. Get millions of people from all around the world to sing the same tone at the same time

3. Spend a day in the studio with Giorgio Moroder

2. Live in the deep jungle for six months with indigenous people

1. Spend a day with Quentin Tarantino tasting wine and talking about life

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Nicolas Jaar's Darkside project with guitarist Dave Harrington has been the talk of the industry of late - their debut album 'Psychic' receiving praise from die hard Jaar fans and general chinstrokers alike for it's deep and immersive rock minimalism underpinned with electronic beats.

The duo have been playing selected gigs around the world, though apart from that epic live performance for RA, there's not a whole lot of live footage of the duo in action doing the rounds. Until now, that is: In a special performance for Boiler Room, the fellas played an intimate gig on a Brooklyn rooftop. It's rather impressive indeed and you can watch the 30 minute gig below.

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