Bassnectar Vol. 7

Bassnectar just released his newest Amorphous Music mixtape, and it hits hard. E-mailed to me with the tag "Would you like to gyrate? We suspect that you would, so we are giving away the latest Bassnectar freestyle session." Damn right I would, and opening with a remix of Intergalactic by the Beastie Boys is the perfect way to start. Download the mix from his facebook HERE

Have You Heard About Break Science?

Apparently at Electric Forest, they threw down. They throw down everywhere, and with the release of this new album Monolith Code nothing has changed. Download for free complements of the Pretty Lights Music Label, supporting free music and better concerts everywhere. Download Here

EDX

EDX - No Xcuses 047 (ENOX 047) [SiriusXM] by EDX Any friend of Kaskade's is a friend of mine, and EDX just released his first album, On the Edge. This is one of a series of podcasts done by EDX on soundcloud called No Xcuses, which is also the title of my favorite single from the new album. House fans get down. You can purchase the album here on Itunes

Deletah Kills It Again

Ignition by Deletah New song from Deletah! If you haven't heard, Deletah is a dj duo from Oconomowoc, WI, and they're tearing up the dubstep scene in the Milwaukee area. Don't forget to check them out Friday March 16th at the Turner Hall Ballroom where they'll be cookin up in the Bass Kitchen :D Link to the Event Here:

Pretty Lights- We Must Go On

Best possible way to start the morning?  A new Pretty Lights single. Another classic soul sample, "Times Will Get Better."

Zedd's Breakin A Sweat

Skrillex & The Doors - Breakn' A Sweat (Zedd Remix) by Zedd Another bomb remix for the day, Zedd remixed Breakin' A Sweat by Skrillex. Zedd is never one to disappoint, and this song is no different. Almost every DJ at Winter Warmer took a shot at this song, but there is no comparison.It takes the beat up a little, doubling the dance-ability. Success!

Who's F.A.Q?

Gramatik - Itz Over (F.A.Q Remix) by Gramatik For anyone who doesn't know F.A.Q, it's about time you got an introduction. F.A.Q is the guitarist that plays live with Gramatik, and let me tell you, the boy's got soul. We already love Gramatik for is jazzy hip hop beats, but this remix of his song Itz Over has just raised some standards. It's time we start appreciating real instruments again.

Bullshittin On My Coffee Break

This song by The Jane Dozi puts together Bullshittin by Big Sean and Coffee Break by Zed's Dead. It's hard to find rap and dubstep combinations that really nail it, but this is definitely a go-to example.

Straight up now tell me do you really wanna love me forever? Or is this just a hit and run?

J Cole is a ladykiller, or at least this beat is. This weekend's party anthem: Work Out by J Cole. Simple melody and a chorus that every girl will sing along to.  

Winter Warmer Fest

Winter Warmer Fest was a two day music festival held at Olympia Resort in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. The hotel definitely was not prepared for the invasion of ravers that sold out their rooms. Sold on a snowboarding tournament scheduled for Saturday afternoon, the shows in the ballroom were definitely the main attraction. Two ballrooms had stages and lights, separated by a hallway of light reflective fabric that created a tunnel. The second stage had a crazy light setup, with projections on the walls and lazers everywhere. The most important thing I noticed was the consideration of the people attending, everyone was there to have a good time and there was always space. I didn't see a single drunk fight or belligerent person. Although there was a man (?) in a panda suit.

Friday, Paper Diamond from the Pretty Lights Label was headlining. I love the label and everything they stand for in their free music model. I had seen Paper Diamond once before at The Rave in Milwaukee when he opened for Bassnectar, but this small performance blew the first out of the water. Held in a ballroom that could have hosted my prom, the tiny stage was literally two feet off the ground and had no barrier for the crowd. And the crowd was great, everyone was dancing and the front row was open to anyone who wanted to be there. It was so accessible. Furthermore, Paper Diamond put on the most fantastically simple light show I had ever seen, filling the room with colors using standard stage lights and panels. He mixed a lot of fan favorites too, like 100% in the Bitch by Porter Robinson. Maximal Crazy by Tiesto sent us into a frenzy and my personal favorite remix, The Power by Kanye West, was just enough incentive to hop on stage with the rest of the girls (a check off my bucket list). Afterwards I jumped down backstage and met him, which was really cool. He was a super nice guy and it was really cool to be at a show that was held in such a personal setting.

I slept through the snowboarding competition... and the entirety of Saturday afternoon. I could not wait to see Gramatik, who was the real reason I bought the ticket in the first place. Front row again with no problems, the smell of sweat had definitely already settled into the carpet. Regardless, the show was just as amazing the second night. Gramatik had a more simple light setup, using only one lazer behind him and a few stage lights, but his enthusiasm was vibrant enough. Singing along and dancing, Gramatik threw the fuck down. I was excited for his jazzy mixes, which were present and wonderful, but when he blindsided me with dubstep my mind was blown. Gramatik is a great dj, bottom line. He knows what he is doing and how to keep the party going, and when he mixed Pretty Lights I almost lost my mind.

Props to the Van Dyke Collection for this picture of Gramatik

Overall it was an amazing crowd, great shows, and the hotel setting was something I had never seen before but fell in love with. Any time I needed to run back it was just a few minutes away, and there was no freezing wait for a cab after it was all over. The only complaint? Girls: if the shorts youre wearing make your hips smaller than your lower back, size up... for your own sake.

A Farewell to 2011

Kaskade- Turn It Down

Kaskade- Turn It Down (ICE mix)

Kaskade's Fire and Ice was without contest my favorite album of 2011. Even though it was released in October 2011, I cannot stop talking about it. First is Fire, the dance marathon Kaskade we are used to, with features from Skrillex and Dan Black. Alone, Fire would still stand as my favorite album. Then comes ICE, where all the previous songs on the album are mixed by Kaskade himself to be more downtempo. Every song on this album has become my anthem at one point or another, I would definitely qualify it as a masterpiece.