Fan Fiction - when angels s1ng

My cat is running around like a lunatic today, but that may be a result of my repeated play of Fan Fiction's latest release. Dropped just after midnight last night as a part of NITE CORP.'s 13 track LIGHT release, Fan Fiction took on Donae'o and his track with Terri Walker "When Angels Sing."

When you're talking NXC there's very few, if any, that rival Fan Fiction, and this is just the latest example. Obviously this is a tremendous original track (my favourite from Donae'o), but the way it gets transformed here is genius. It's fast and fluttery as with any NXC track, but it's not overwrought. Fan Fiction does a brilliant job maintaining the delicate overture of the original. It remains refined while boosting the energy, like a shot of adrenaline to the heart. It may be my favourite on LIGHT, but there's a few more fire flips, including Machinedrum's "Angel Speak" and Hellberg's "The Girl," all of which are available absolutely free. Add some NITE CORP. to your day and feel a fire lit under you feet. FOLLOW FAN FICTION: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Top 100 Tracks of 2016: 100 - 67

Starting today through Friday, I'll be revealing my list of the top 100 tracks of 2016. The following is my disclaimer, as I feel it's important to preface this list with my methodology. I thought long and hard about this list, what and who I should include, where each track should fall, and how to go about doing that. Should I include multiple tracks from one artist? Am I trying to make a point/statement with my placement of each track? How do I deal with the recency bias, and the counter-effect of that on older tracks? The reality is, this blog is mine and mine alone. It is one man's opinions and despite my claims, that these are the "top" or "best" tracks, they are more truthfully my favourite, and what I believe to be tracks/artists that deserve further praise. I did not conduct any surveys, base the ranking on plays or popularity, but rather I went with my heart.

As you'll see I did include multiple tracks from my favourite artists, as they are, at least in my mind, deserving. You'll also notice a hell of a lot of future bass tracks, as is only appropriate for 2016. I also tried to include a variety of other genres, but it will be clear what my tastes, and therefore favourite genres are. However, I certainly feel like this list ended up hosting very little "club" music, despite spending countless hour of 2016 in the clubs. That being said there are dozens of worthy tracks that I either forgot or excluded. Finally, I'll be posting a soundcloud playlist at the bottom of each post, as best I can, assuming each track is still online. So here we go with the first 34 tracks.

#100: Photay - Trophy
(As featured on EFYE) I had to choose one track from Photay's Sadie EP and as I wrote previously, "Trophy" is bold and beautiful. It's the kind of experimental track that I cannot place into a single genre, save for the catch all category of 2016, future bass. The synth work is brilliant and full of feels. And as you'll see, the progression and movement it boasts is the key to many of the tracks on this list.

#99: Cowboy Rhythmbox - Mécanique Sauvage
This techno joint takes be back to the days when the likes of Gesaffelstein, Justice and the classic Boys Noize and Erol Alkan's collabs dominated my playlists, so it's fitting that it was released on Phantasy Sound. The genius of "Mécanique Sauvage" is its raw hammering style, contrasted beautifully by subtle tweaks and progression. This would absolutely destroy a club.

#98: Terror Danjah - All I Need (ft. Dot Rotten)
I got scared for a second when I saw that this song was on soundcloud 3 years ago! However, it still qualifies for this list as it was only released in August of this year. This is one of the deeper more beautiful tracks on this list. Terror lays down a brilliant beat and Dot displays his vocal prowess in more ways that one. His flow is fire and his words will have you wiping away tears.

#97: Bob Moses - Like It Or Not (Joris Voorn Remix)
(As featured on EFYE) Of the Bob Moses remixes that could have fallen on this list, I decided to go with the Voorn version because of its truly epic nature. The journey Joris takes us on is absolutely breathtaking, it gives the feeling of flying with its soaring synths. At the same time it dives to an unknown abyss, with its dark, almost alarming, bass throbs. Buckle up for the brilliance of Joris Voorn.

#96: Solid Groove & Sinden - Din Da Da (Yolanda Be Cool Re-Jiggle)
This is another one of those tracks that take me back to the "good old days," specifically 2006/7 when the original was first released. I first heard this when RYME played it this summer, ushering in one of my most stanky, screw faces. On a proper system you'll be making the same oo's and ah's as the vocalist, thanks to the nonstop bouncy bass. This is a confirmed club killer.

#95: FrankJavCee - Pop Song (ft. Marionismagical)
(As featured on EFYE) I couldn't do this list without including this brilliant indictment of pop music, as you'll see there aren't many, if any, pop songs on this list. Not that there's anything wrong with them. And that's exactly what this song is about, how can you hate on pop music when you make an awesome pop song. Music is about enjoyment, and I thoroughly enjoy this and all tracks on this list.

Tropkillaz, Oski, Dom Dias & Sevla to set The Hoxton ablaze

Since summer has begun, I don't think I've set foot in a club. Don't get me wrong, I've seen dozens of artists, but seemingly exclusively outside, enjoying the unprecedented warmth and lack of rain. That all changes tonight, as I finally find myself hitting up The Hoxton once again. I was immediately intrigued when I saw Tropkillaz were coming to town, and when Oski was added to the billing I knew this was going to be an event I'd do my darnedest to get to. But it was when Dom Dias, truly one of my favourite producers in the game, was announced as the local support that I knew I'd break any previous commitment to take in one of his rare DJ sets. So in honour of tonight's lit lineup, I'm going to take you through a number of my favourite tracks from each of these artists, in an attempt not just to build the hype but to also rebuild part of my now lost library.

First we start with the opener, Sevla, who I've unwittingly been aware of for almost a year. Last summer as Diplo and Sleepy Tom's track "Be Right There" was bouncing through the clubs, Sevla and Maliboux were at work crafting one of seemingly dozens of remixes of the massive collaboration. Their ever so slightly pitched up, frantic future bass, and soaring synths take "Be Right There" to a level unheard even in the six track remix package.
Damian Alves, 19 year old, self-proclaimed "TRVP GOD" is truly a master of fire-starting bootleg remixes taking on the likes of Porter Robinson, Deadmau5, Wiwek, Eptic and Habstrakt. His productions with Blvk Sheep, Crankdat and GRMN suggest that he's ready to explode in a ball of blazing hot fire. Expect his opening set to be jam packed with raucous remixes, cranking up the temperature in preparation for the white hot heat of Tropkillaz, Oski and Dom Dias.

While the majority of tonight's lineup focus on lit, trap productions, Dom Dias stands out as perhaps the most versatile and well rounded producer. He may even have the most productions to his name. I'm having a hard time coming up with an accurate prediction as to what the Sinhalese sensation is going to drop. Following the philosophy of "no genres" I expect Dom to bounce around through his endless library of remixes, stoking the fire of the crowd, filling the room with a hazy humidity, that might just explode in a thunderstorm like the opening of his latest production, a hard hitting remix/mashup of Red Hot Chili Peppers.

After back to back Canadians, The Hoxton will play host to two international act from the Southern Hemisphere. Hailing from Sydney, Aussie producer Oski will undoubtedly capitalize on the firestorm Dom Dias has created. Expect to hear a lot of Oski's productions with his tag, "Oh shit, is that Oski?" and a number of exclusives and unreleased tracks. Personally I'll be holding old for his twisted trap remix of fellow Australian L D R U's "Keeping Score," but if we're lucky we'll get to hear ItsUFO's bootleg of perhaps Oski's most lit track, "Keep It Going." It's still not released but you can hear it in fan fiction's NEST HQ Resident Mix 010.

Our other international headliner is the Brazilian 808 bass duo, Tropkillaz. And now that I take the time to really think about it, there are very few producers on the planet that can boast a larger library, in the same amount of time. I still remember my friend first playing "Deixa Eu Dizer" back in 2013. That was my introduction to Tropkillaz, and although it is one of their lighter tracks, it serves as a terrific taster, whetting your appetite for Tropkillaz unique blend of Brazilian Bass. By the time these two take the stage, I expect The Hoxton to be like a scene out of Jumanji with the roof dripping sweat and all sorts of vines and other jungle growth overtaking the dancefloor. Tropkillaz will look to take advantage of this jungle-esque atmosphere, only increasing the humidity and heat, with their blazing bass. They've got a new EP on Mad Decent, Braza Attack Vol. 1, and seemingly endless amounts of booty shakers, both literal bootlegs and twerk inspired tracks. Get a taste below.
As per usual I went a little bit overboard with the taste tests, you won't be able to listen to everything I've posted and still be at the show in time, but at least you'll have these playlists to listen to afterwards and you'll be able to pick out some of your favourite tracks they actually played. Tickets are still available tonight, and I'm sure you can get some at the door, as there's always some held back for first come, first serve. So check out the facebook event, cop the tickets from there or take your chances showing up at King and Bathurst.

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Benzi - Get Right Radio 2015

When Benzi tweeted the following, back in the beginning of December, I've been both obsessed with nightcore and on hype overload waiting for his last mixtape of the year to drop. Originally supposed to see it's release on December 30th, the roadblock that is soundcloud stopped that plan from unfolding.

newsflash 💥 GET RIGHT RADIO 2015 is gonna be 60min of Nightcore. starting off with last song on TWRK VOL7. https://t.co/pXB6Dq68JN @fanxfic

— BENZI (@benzi) December 11, 2015

Here we are not quite a week after its intended release and Benzi has successfully flexed his significant clout with labels and has finally got the mix clear of flags and live for the world to appreciate.
There's no doubt that Benzi is one of the most triumphant and prolific DJs and true master of the mixtape when you consider the ridiculous amount of work the guy does. Both his Girl Trapz and Get Right Radio series have achieved worldwide acclaim. There's no producer who wouldn't benefit from having their music showcased in the finely crafted and produced mixes. But that's not all that make Benzi such a force in the world of electronic music, and verily, music in general. He's half of well known duo TWRK, with eSenTRIK, who have found massive success with both their original and remix productions but their epic and incomparable TWRK mix series, originally airing on Diplo & Friends. Finally, and perhaps Benzi's largest contribution to world of music comes from his seemingly infinite connections in the industry compiling perhaps the greatest DJ catalog, his Live DJ Service. With the number of exclusives and unreleased content in his latest, 58 track, contribution to the world, Benzi has once again proved his production prowess and DJ dominance. Go ahead and Get Right with some of the best of musics from 2015 and hopefully some of those exclusives see releases in 2016. Tracklist below.

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Fan Fiction - NEST HQ Resident Mix 004

NEST HQ co-founder Fan Fiction just dropped the fourth edition of the monthly resident mix series. 

It basically runs the gambit in genres ranging from trance to dubstep to nightcore and everything in between. Lots of the tracks can be picked up for free download including Mat Zo's latest "Don't Say The T Word," Henrik The Artist's flip of Diplo & Liz "Set Me Free," and Tennyson's "Like What?" Stay tuned to Fan Fiction as he's got his finger firmly on the pulse of the industry, with what I believe to be good predictions on what 2016 will sound like: "this year will be a big one for trance, n moombah, n dubstep." Curl up or wil' out in your own personal nest while you pump this 25 minute monster.

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nightcore obsessions

there's something special about these tracks