0195 - Ultra was Ultra (Updated 11:10 AM)

I hope you all caught some of the live streams from ultra that were being played all weekend because some incredible tracks were played and some very confusing actions took place.

First of all, Deadmau5 dropped an old mcdonald remix....I was literally speechless because I was so "WHAT ON EARTH IS HE DOING".  Overall though, some great sets were played.  My favorites were prolly from Hardwell, Armin Van Buren, Afrojack, Jack U, and Danny Avila (who I had never heard of before).  I will let you know when these sets become available because they are usually available for download very recently after the festival is over.  Armin's set is actually the first available and you can listen to it if you missed it here.  No mashup today as I didn't really find anything worthy of sharing.

First up is the video of Armin's set at Ultra. 45minutes pure happiness, great music, and burning jealousy that I couldn't be there myself.

Armin Van Buren Ultra 2014

UPDATE: Jack U (the new combination of Skrillex and Diplo just released their live set and it was pretty kick ass, check it out!

Second up is a something cool and new from Monstercat.  Did you know they have a podcast now?  No talk, a straight hour of music that will be coming out weekly (it seems).  They are already in their second week and let me tell you, it is a fantastic and pretty expertly chosen hour of music.  Check it out and see how it compares to your other podcasts!

Monstercat Podcast Ep. 1

0194 - I'm on the Board

As I type this to you, my very first mix is being sent to my soundcloud, if you are on there go ahead and follow me for more stuff coming soon.  I know it has been long overdue, and I garuntee you it won't be this long until the next one.  I actually have it recorded just need to do it one more time.
This mix is a funk mix that I did at a friends birthday party a few weekends ago.  There are a few minor things, like somone thinking it was funny to slide the BPM of a track down about halfway through.  But overall its something I like and wanted to share.  I may rerecord it and try to give it a little more length, but here you go.  You have all been so patient, and so HERE IT IS.

NeShKi - Funk Mix

0193 - Bonafide Surprises

There are three things that people who continually read this blog.

1.  I am a huge fan of funk.  Funk is just such a versatile genre as compared to electro house or other house music that seems to be very similar over all the tracks and artists that it covers.  One of my favorite funk duos is Chromeo, because they just make feel good and incredible emotional music that makes you want to move.  Their new track Jealous is hot as ever, with great funk, a really great upbeat feel, and a killer video to boot.  Check it out below and let me know if you think it stacks up to their past work!

Chromeo - Jealous

2.  Trap is not my favorite genre.  It does have its high points, but overall the genre just really doesn't appeal to me.  I cant really pinpoint it but I know I am more attracted to melodic stuff like prog. house, funk, and chill.  Like I always say thought, music can be surprising.  I did find a trap song the other day that I found myself enjoying, then did a double take and realized "THIS IS TRAP WAHT".  It surprised me and if you don't like trap then it may surprise you as well.

R3HAB & Deorro - Flashlight (Atik Trap Remix) (Free Download)

3.  Chill and Relaxing music hits me in a place that just carries me away from the stress and chaos.  Something about chill music helps me to escape, and I can't really explain it any more.  I hope you have all heard the new Porter Robinson track Sea of Voices, If you haven't then STOP.  LISTEN HERE (Sea of Voices - Original).  This remix from LEVI is great and helps to bridge the gap between the chill and electro house.  Is this better then the original?  You tell me!

Porter Robinson - Sea of Voices (LEVI Remix) (Free Download)

0192 - Carousel Kills It

I went to see my friend Kevin and his incredible group Carousel at The Basement with my good friend from college last night.  The opener wasn't bad and the headliner was pretty ok, but Carousel killed it.  They played stuff from their new EP and then dropped a surprisingly incredible cover of Drake's Hold On, We're Going Home.  I know today is usually bangers, and in my opinion, Carousel are the heavy hitters of this this genre.  So here are my two favorite songs off their new EP, available for $3.99 on iTunes.

Wolf's awake is my favorite track off this album.  Its just everything you want in a chill electro track.  Perfect levels of synths with great guitar and vocals flawlessly entwined into it.  Give it a listen and get hooked on this duo!

Carousel - Wolf's Awake

Another day is easily one of my favorite Carousel songs as well.  Its super chill with real catchy tonal progression, and the lyrics are really beautifully woven into the rhythms.  The video is cool, showing the power of imagination and what a little girl sees while playing with her dolls.  Check it out!

Carousel - Another Day

0191 - Chainsmoke just to get through

The Chainsmokers are quickly emerging as one of my favorite names to see on a remix, although I honestly was not a huge fan of Selfie.  I posted their remix of NONONO's Pumpkin Blood but they have been blowing me away lately so I figured I would post two of my favorite of their remixes.  Both are incredible, very dynamic, and very different in terms of sound and feel.  Check them both out and let me know which one you like more!

Strange Talk - Young Hearts (The Chainsmokers Remix)

Smallpools - Dreaming (The Chainsmokers Remix)

0190 - The Weekend of a Lifetime

Let me tell you all an incredible story.  Friday was one of my friends birthday parties and I was one of three DJs that were there and got to mix.  I recorded part of my funk set and will be uploading it with a free download (its not perfect and has a few flaws but its pretty solid) for funky friday, just need to cut it to the good parts!  It was quite the epic night, but nothing compared to where I would be 24 hours later.

So on saturday,  I got to go to the Seven Deadly Spins Rave at Animarathon at BG on Saturday, and got to see three incredible DJ's play their hearts out.  DJ4X played a sick set, DJ Paladin blew me away with a kick-ass Hardcore Dance Set, and my boy DJ XMFD set the floor on fire with a legendary electro set.  I think I lost my shit the most when XMFD came in during the Hardcore set to help out Paladin, who was having some electronic issues, and dropped Rainbow Road by nanobii.  My friends said on a scale from 1-10 I went from 8 to 14 in a flash.  Seriously, everyone I had come with was in the XMFD posse, and I believe we started about 80% of the "TURNT UP" parts of the show with our cheering, ridiculous dance moves, and general insanity.  I type this to you Monday morning with no voice, my entire body still on fire, my finger wrapped in gauze, and the biggest fucking smile on my face.

Also, if you live in Columbus and want to come see Carousel with me tomorrow just let me know.  Even tickets at the door are under $20.

Sadly no mashup today because I honestly didn't have a free second this weekend between partying/raving/and not sleeping because I was so hyped from the nights before.  Instead I have two great tracks for you.  The first is from Felipe Maxim, a great electro track called Bandit.  Nothing extremely heavy, just nice and driving beat that keeps you on your toes with great interjections.

The second is one of the best Drum and Bass songs that I have found in a while.  The Smooth's Remix of James Arthur's Track Get Down has every necessary part of an incredible track.  Melodic breakdowns, killer buildups, and extremely well matched vocals.  Not too heavy, not too pop, just right exactly in the perfect middleground.  Check these two out and let me know what you think!  See you tomorrow!

Felipe Maxime - Bandit

James Arthur - Get Down (Smooth Remix)

0189 - Double Dose

Today I have two tracks for you.  One funky and one chill.

The first is a new electro swing on a bit of slow side.  Much more relaxing and not as heavy of a track but still great.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

Dimaa - Andrew

The second is a turbo chill track that is just super relaxing.  Not really much that can be put into words, you just have to sit back and listen to it for yourself.

Last Island - Tibet

 

0188 - A new side of the Pegboard

Everyone who comes here semi frequently knows that I am a big fan of The Pegboard Nerds, and their usually electronic and house sounds have always hit me in a good place.  Well they are back with something a little off their usual song and dance.  Coming into a new genre, hard dance, they make a splash with a huge track called Hero.  The track has the great vocals that can be easily associated with their name, along with the new twist of hard dance.  This usually isn't my favorite genre but Nanobii and now this track are starting to change my opinion!

Pegboard Nerds (feat. Elizaveta) - Hero

0187 - The booty gets touched twice

A wonder wednesday to all of you.  Hump day and the week is almost over, I know some of you are having rough weeks so take a deep breath and let the music take you on an escape from your stressful lives.  Two tracks for you today.  The first comes from Markus Schulz off of his new album Scream 2.  To be honest the entire album didn't move me very much but this was the one exception off of that album.  Great vocals with a good message, great bass, and a very tonal drop that surprised me a whole lot.  Overall a really great track, check it out!

Second up today is a big heavy electro track from Noisestorm.  I can see this track getting massive amounts of club play/remix potential/mix potential.  With a very heavy bassline and melodic interludes taking you in and out, it has great potential.  At first listen i was a bit bored, but after listening to it again I saw that it really is a great track.  Listen to it and tell me what you think!

Markus Schulz - Revolution

Noisestorm - Surge

0186 - Bouncy House

No, not the castle you always wanted for your birthday party when you were a kid.  House music that just has the tonality that just makes it seem to bounce and elevate your state of mind.  This is a perfect example of that kind of genre.  Still very true to house roots but has instrumentation that just isn't heard very often and changes the entire expectation for what is coming next.  Let me know what you think of Joonas Hahmo's track, Boeing.

Joonas Hahmo - Boeing

0185 - 14 songs combined

Happy Saint Patricks Day!  I hope you all had a great weekend, got extra sloppy, and plan to do the same tonight.  If you are in Columbus, you can go see Cash Cash tonight as part of a St. Patricks day party!  Today's mashup is a stellar and out of the blue mashup from Robin Skouteris with artists ranging from Daft Punk to Madonna to Chic.  I expected it to sound eclectic and over the top because most mahsups over 10 songs seem jumbled and lacking form or control.  But this one blew my expectations out of the water, I hope it does the same for you.  Pick up the free download from the soundcloud page as well!

Robin Skouteris - Get Funky (14 track mashup)(Free Download Here)

0184 - Normal Bouncy Friday x3

Since its our return to normal Friday on the schedule, I figured we might as well do something cool and over the top.  So today I have 3 songs for you.  One funk, one swing, and one that is free.

First up, Chill and funk from Shift K3Y.  This one is fast and just has that feel good bounce to it.  The vocals are repetitive but great, and its non stop from start to finish.  This track, Touch, has been in playlist for some time and I am excited to share it with you!

Shift K3Y - Touch

This is my favorite genre to find new artists because it usually feels like there are really only a handful of big names and everyone else is just ok.  Thankfully, through one of the youtube channels that I subscribe (FunkyPanda) and a few other places, I have found that the genre is much more prevalent and kicks SO MUCH ASS.  This one from Stereo swing has the perfect bounce and "get up and move" feeling.  Plus calling it Mr. and Mrs. Swing is kinda funny to me, and it does the genre flawlessly.

Stereo Swing - Mr. and Mrs. Swing

Finally, our last track for the day is another one from SCNDL, the same artist that brought you Bleed, the aswesome bounce song featuring the horns.  This one still has the bouncy feel but is very different in the sense that this is much more house and heavy.  The diversity coming out of SCNDL is awesome and I love it!  Let me know what you think and hopefully we can see more artists like SCNDL and Rezonate trying all edges of the electronic spectrum.

SCNDL - All the People (Free DL Here!)

0183 - Feel The Rush

Today I have an awesome track for you, another great one from nanobii (same guy who did Rainbow Road).  This one is just as good, I wouldn't say its better then Rainbow Road, but don't let that deter you from listening because its the same kinda style, in your face and heavy but extremely melodic and beautiful.  Check it out and let me know what you think!  Nanobii is for sure one of my favorite new artists that I have discovered this year and I am looking forward to more music!

nanobii - Sugar Rush

0182 - The Return to Bangers

Normal week means its back to sharing Bangers on Wednesdays, and this week I have one for you that has been seriously stuck in my head for days.  The vocals are especially great, surprising considering that they are coming from a seemingly generic male voice.  The words stick with you though, i find myself saying "Don't go chasing what's gone, or you won't know when to hang on".  This one may not be a banger in terms of club play and such, but in terms of getting stuck in your head and sticking with you, it goes a long way.  Enjoy it!

Barely Alive - Chasing Ghosts (feat. Spock & Directive)

0181 - The Tuesday Normal

New one from Adhesive Wombat that actually has a very new feel to their usually upbeat 8-beat stuff.  This comes off with a much more rock feel but still has that signature Wombat feel to it.  It's called Grimmlock and its a pretty kick ass piece of music.  Check it out and let me know what you think!  Also, how many of you use tumblr?  A friend brought up that maybe I should run this through tumblr as well.

AdhesiveWombat - Grimmlock

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0180 - Back to Basics

You are all going to hate me for this one but I have to, IT JUST NEEDS TO HAPPEN.  This is a ridiculous mashup featuring the musical styling of Rick Astley, Avicii, and Chumbawumba.  It's  a near flawless mashup in my opinion, seamlessly combining these songs into something that truly blew my mind.  Check it out and don't get mad at me for rick rolling all of you.  Have a great Monday, and I will see you back here tomorrow!

Rick Astley and Avicii - Never Gonna Wake Me Up (Mashup)

0179 - Don't Be Sad

Sadly, today is the end of funk week.  Done be sad though, because this week has been such a resounding success that I plan to do more stuff like this, weeks devoted to a single idea or genre.  Enjoy these last two and we will get back to the normal next week.

First up is a chill and funky NuDisco track from Younker.  This one is nice and relaxing and a great chill track.  Not heavy at all, just great melody, great slow use of bass, and stelar composition.  Enjoy this one with your eyes closed and your feet up as you count down the last few hours of class/your work day.

Younker - Renouveau

Last song of funk week is a Glitch track.  It starts out a bit strange but give it til about 1 min in and then you will hear why I chose it for this week.  Its kinda bouncy with a nice big bass, horns, and just a very eccentric tone and feeling.  Check it out, let me know what kind of week you would like to see next!  Have a great weekend everyone!

Filip Rasch - Horny Trumpets

 

0178 - Countdown

Lets kick off day 4 with some more electro swing.

This one is slow, technical, and very well executed.  Not as heavy in your face as some of the electroswing that is out there, but its easily just as good.  The Noisy Freaks really come out of nowhere in a genre with really only 3 or four artists that anyone really knows.  They are for sure on my radar now and I hope to hear more stuff like this from in the future.

The Noisy Freaks - Freaks Orchestra 

The second electro swing track that I have for you today comes to us from Lyre Le Temps.  Actual vocals are pretty rare in electro swing, as most are focused more on the horns and unique musical elements of the genre.  After hearing this, vocals need to play a bigger part in my opinion.  This song is incredible, so bouncy, catchy, and just great!  Check it out, pick up the free download by clicking the soundcloud box, and let me know what you think of today's tracks!

Lyre Le Temps - Looking Like This

0177 - Funk in the Way Back

Today's funk I like to call background funk.  Its not something you listen to for the lyrics or to be engrossed in while in the moment, but its something that you play while you are going about your everyday life that just seems to make moments better.

The first track for today is an electro swing remix of The Young Punx and their track Kowloon Kickback.  Gramophonedzie does a fantastic job of bringing everything together into a great and very complete electro swing mix that has all the elements that make this genre great.  Horns, build, bounce, and everything in between!

The Young Punx - Kowloon Kickback (Gramophonedzie Mix)

Second up is a chill funk track from Weiss, called The Guitar Man.  Its just really chill and feels very great.  I first heard it while washing the dishes the other night and haven't been able to get it out of my head since, it has a very unique feel and sound.  Enjoy these tracks and I will see you back here tomorrow for 2 more funk doses!

Weiss - The Guitar Man

0176 - Funk Of All Shapes and Sizes

The great thing about funk, is that there are so many ways to accomplish the same desired sound.  Fast, slow, heavy, minimal.  All can make a good funk track, it just takes vision and drive for the elements to turn into something amazing.

First up today we have Speaker Bomb and Birdee with a fast paced and in your face track.  This funk is intense and moves quick, not a relaxing funk track by any means.  This one makes you want to get up and dance, do something stupid, and go crazy.  I believe many other places I have found this one are calling it Turbo Funk.

Speaker Bomb & Birdee - Rock the Show

The next track that I have for you is a bit of the polar opposite of the first one from today.  This one is slower, chill as they come, and has vocals that are truly stelar.  Its much more of a sit back and relax with your eyes shut track.  But hey, all funk is good funk, so enjoy The Magician Remix of Clean Bandit's Rather Be.

Clean Bandit - Rather Be (The Magician Remix)

0175 - Five Days of Funk

Today marks the beginning of Funk Week!  A week celebrating new and the best in the Funk genre, the usual week labels will not apply this week (no mashups/bangers) but I will still do my best to make as much of it free as possible!  Two songs a day for 5 days, so thats a damn good week right there.

First up is song that combines all the best elements of chill and funk.  A great and chill intro moving quickly into a bouncy and very funky track.  This one is my favorite off the EP which you can pick up for free!  Check it out!

Rhodz - Boogie Pls! (Free EP Here!)

Also on the docket for today is a really funky and fresh swing track with a very impressive dance from the guys over at Take Some Crime, one of my favorite youtube dance channels.  They are the ones who really got me into the genre, and the dance moves combine perfectly with the horns and old time feel to the track.  Check out the dance skills and the funky ass beat and let me know what you think!

Jamie Berry - Sweet Rascal