Fresh Hex - Big Party

Maybe I'm just in the mood for Henrik The Artist and Trippy Turtle tomorrow (RSVP/Tickets), but I can't get enough of this new Fresh Hex track, "Big Party." He's tagged it PC Music, and it definitely makes sense, with it's bubbly pop production and overflowing energy. It's bright like a starry night sky, but also violent like a supernova. The vocal chops are absolutely intoxicating; as effervescent as a glass of champagne, and just as satisfying. And of course it's not all about the electrifying top-line, the bass is brilliantly designed, giving the track the oomph necessary for club play. I can only imagine how well this would go off in a kawaii/nxc set, maybe I'll get lucky and hear it tomorrow, once can only hope.
Bring "Big Party" with you wherever you go with a download here.

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Bump In The Hump Sneak Peek: VANRIP & Truth x Lies - What Is Love

After quite some time without hearing a peep from VANRIP, he's back with an explosion of new music. Two weeks ago we had his song "The Coast" and since then he's dropped not one but two new tracks. Just over a year ago he took on the classic "Music Sounds Better With You," this week he's again taken on a blast from the past in Haddaway's "What Is Love." Teaming up with New York City's Truth x Lies, the trio has transformed the eurodance track made famous by Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan's "The Roxbury Guys" into deep driving house. The bass bonks brilliantly amidst strings giving the vintage vocals a new and eminent allure. Catch it on Bump In The Hump tonight and stream/download here.Once again I'm bringing back the Weekend Warmup, as I will do all this month (see my A November To Remember post to prepare), this week showcasing Henrik The Artist, who opens for Trippy Turtle, Friday at Velvet, and Great Good Fine OK, Saturday at The Garrison. I've also got big time tunes from the legendary likes of Tiga, Adam K & Soha, Carlo Lio and Jacques Greene. And as always I see you off with the fire finale with bangers from Botnek, Torro Torro, Motus and more. Listen live from 6-8 PM EDT here, or find the full episode after the fact on Mixcloud here.

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A November To Remember

I've spoken/written about it being club season ad nauseam lately, so I'm here put an end to that with one fell swoop. This November is going to be one to remember; as you can see above, there are at least a dozen artists I'll be making my way to the clubs to see. So read along below as I do a quick detailing of the 5 Ws, setting up the massive month of music ahead. I'll include links to tickets, Facebook event pages and most importantly, music to whet your appetite. Hope to see you out!

NOV 3 - Trippy Turtle w/ Henrik The Artist @ Velvet Underground
November starts off with a bang, with perhaps my most anticipated show of the whole month. I've been waiting for Trippy Turtle to come for years and even more so for Henrik The Artist, who I've gushed over several times on this blog. In my eyes there is no better Jersey Club bootleg artist than Trippy Turtle nor is there a more kawaii chiptune composer than Henrik. Over the past while, I've found my feet more glued to the floor than ever, but I'm confident the craziness that these two will conjure from the speakers will have me back bouncing up and down like I were a teenager again. The Velvet Underground is perhaps the perfect venue for such a wild and wacky show (RSVP/Tickets).

NOV 4 - Great Good Fine OK @ The Garrison
To be honest I can't remember where/when I first heard GGFO, but I do know that the song I first heard, "By My Side," immediately gripped me. Jon Sandler's falsetto vocals are stunningly beautiful and play perfectly with the sublime synth pop construction of their songs. They're funky and groovy and I can't wait for their vibes to wash over me in the comfy confines of The Garrison (RSVP/Tickets).

NOV 11 - RL Grime w/ graves & Kittens @ Danforth Music Hall
Trap titan RL Grime brings his Nova Tour to the big stage, with support from graves and Kittens. Other than TNGHT, no one has made a bigger or longer lasting effect on trap than RL. All evidence (his most recent releases "Era" and Halloween VI) suggests this is going to be absolute madness. Add to the bill rising stars and badasses in their own right, graves and Kittens, and you can see why this is a can't miss event for those that demand the best booty and brain shaking bass (RSVP/Tickets).

NOV 17 - Pete Tong @ UNIUN
Now most people know Pete Tong as the inimitable voice behind BBC Radio One's Essential Mix, but less know about his mixing and production abilities. While he skews more towards baleric, which doesn't really suit Toronto mid-November, he is of course incredibly versatile, dabbling in all things electronic and dance. Even if he breaks out just one of his Classic House orchestral pieces, the trip to UNIUN is well warranted. Expect the atmosphere to be warm, friendly and fun (RSVP/Tickets).

NOV 18 - Mura Masa w/ Lunice @ Danforth Music Hall
Both of these amazing artists dropped their debut albums this year, and both are incredibly well respected in the music sphere, just take a look at the long list of features on either album. While both craft incredibly infectious club tunes, the mix of dirty dusters from Lunice and clean crisp cuts from Mura Masa makes for one of the most magical nights in recent memory. Even though this will be the 3rd time seeing Mura Masa in around a year, this is without a doubt one of my most anticipated shows in that same time frame. These a truly two legends, and an absolute can't miss event (RSVP/Tickets).

NOV 23 - Ekali w/ josh pan & Y2K @ Velvet Underground
This month of madness gets capped off with perhaps the most mayhem one bill can handle. By now you better know about Ekali, and to be fair, I've covered just as much josh pan and Y2K as Ekali on this blog. It is however Ekali's Babylon tour and he's got his own stage production set up, although it will likely have to be scaled back to fit Velvet's smaller stage. And while it's a shame (visually), the intimate atmosphere will only improve the onslaught of energy. Each of these three have dabbled in a diverse range of sounds/styles, so I'm not sure what to expect, except the unexpected (RSVP/Tickets).

As above, I'm aiming to attend each of these six shows (health permitting, as my body often fights me following back to back late nights), and as usual I'll likely be live tweeting. Follow me @OggieJames, catch coverage here and on Bump In The Hump, and perhaps I'll see you in the clubs!

Four New FoFoFadi Tracks

Last week FoFoFadi founder Trippy Turtle released his debut EP, and just as that was happening the other animals in the collective began uploading their own tracks. First was Drippy Dolphin with "Heaveeen" as covered here. Then came Cha Cha Chimp with a club flip of Fetty Wap's "679."

While the FoFoFamily is generally more focused on bouncy bootlegs, they've also filled up on feels laden dancehall-esque tunes, perhaps best evidenced in Baile Bear's take on Destiny's Child "Bills, Bills, Bills," translated to "CONTAS." Further mixing fire and feels, Pretty Panda added their Hailee Steinfeld "Starving" remix to the exhibit. All of this bootleg brilliance came to a head early this morning when Faded Fox uploaded "So Into You," saying "forgot to drop this track because I was too faded."

This collection of tracks is about as fun and carefree as you can get, quite the example of the ethos of the FoFoFadi family. Get faded for yourself by streaming below and copping the free download.FOLLOW FOFOFADI RECORDS: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Trippy Turtle Drops 2 Tracks and Announces Tour

Trippy Turtle (the Jersey Club moniker of choice for Lido) has made quite the splash in the last week, dropping original "Animal" last Wednesday, and a collab called "Lettuce" with Soulja Boy, yesterday. Adding to that he's just announced that he'll be heading on what he's calling the "Lettuce Turnip Tour." Starting August 1st in his homeland, he'll head through the UK, Germany, all across the states and end up in Toronto and Montreal, the first weekend of November. Expect the tour to be an explosion of energy, naughty bed-squeaks and fire FoFoFadi tracks. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, so don't sleep! FOLLOW TRIPPY TURTLE: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Mary J. Blige - Family Affair (DJ Artist Remix)

Lately I've found myself getting back into Jersey Club, in part because of new releases from both DJ Sliink and Trippy Turtle. However, there are so many more artists in that vein worth listening to. Point in case: teenage producer DJ Artist. This past Tuesday, he dropped an absolutely unreal remix of the classic Dr. Dre produced, Mary J. Blige track "Family Affair." What makes this mix so good is Artist's use of the iconic strings riffs. He pairs them so perfectly with the percussion and the stabbing nature of Jersey Club. He's able to maintain so much of that delightful lick while upping the tempo and intensity, reworking "Family Affair" into an unholy club killer. It slaps you silly with all the additional effects and beats your brain into a pulp, bouncing relentlessly. It really has everything that I love about Jersey Club: sped up beats, DJ effects, incredible movement and snappy samples. Stream it below. If you enjoy this, I suggest checking out his latest flip, Ellie Goulding's "Burn." His soundcloud is littered with dope remixes so be sure to take the time to check out all 26 of his productions.

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Sliink Drops Jersey Club Remixes of Kanye West and Ariana Grande

Jersey Club king Sliink has finally dropped his Kanye West "Wolves" remix. Entitled "Love You" and featuring Gutta, the track was first heard last March in a guest mix he did for Thump (here). It's a classic Jersey Club cut with relentless bouncing, clapping percussion and old school rave vibes. His treatment of the vocals is as strong as ever, not only maintaining much of the integrity of the original, but commanding enough to have the dance floor in a full on frenzy. Like the lyrics the mix is "too wild," and you can pick it up completely free "right now" with a direct download here. Eleven minutes after sharing the Kanye flip, he uploaded his mix of the Cashmere Cat aided Ariana Grande track "Be My Baby." This too has been around for a while (here), although we're finally gifted with the full version. This one is crazy beautiful. From the get go, we're treated to an awesome display of vocal and percussion interplay. It really shows why Sliink is perhaps the premiere Jersey Club producer out there. From the bed squeaks to the drum fills and the vocal chops, everything is on point, proving impossible to avoid Sliink's pulsating power. "MY BAE" is also available for free download, here.With Trippy Turtle making a comeback earlier this week, remixing 50 Cent and Nate Dogg, it seems Jersey Club is back in the forefront. Stream "21" here.

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Ryan Hemsworth - Absolut Night at Velvet Underground

Feels like I talk about Ryan Hemsworth all the time, so it should come as no surprise that I had such a great time last night at Velvet Underground for their special Absolut party. This event had been on my radar since mid September, when the call for RSVP's went out. Oddly the RSVP's didn't seem to play in at all, other than allow Absolut to email us. The initial online list only asked for first names, which they didn't confirm on the way in. This is all fine because it was free entry, which we were reminded of multiple times. "Arrive early to avoid disappointment." And early did people arrive, I've never seen such a long line (in proportion to the venue) 45 minutes after doors. Unfortunately I got there as the same time as everyone else; the line wasn't half as long any other time during the night. Once getting in I was treated to the wonderful surprise of two free drinks. Despite the long wait due to the complexity of the four different Absolut branded drinks, they were well worth it. Velvet was specially made up with installations by Adam Hummell & Shadi Assadin, creating VIP vibes. People were more dressed up than normal, drinking nifty drinks from crafty cups, listening to the coolest mix of music. On the floor the constantly flashing lights in our cups were joined by one of many little artsy touches that made the night so special, some kind of headgear covered in LED lights - a mix of deadmau5 and Rezz.

While I always really enjoy the crowd vibe at Velvet, last night's was extra enticing. People were talking to each other more, having freer fun, all while being warm and respectful. It took me back to the 'good old days,' filled me with nostalgia, and members as though this were South Park. Whether it was the free booze, the extra attention to the visual aesthetic, the incredible curation of the DJs sets, or a combination of all of those, it certainly felt like a night I'll remember fondly. The highlight for me is, as you would have guessed, Ryan Hemsworth's inimitable 'live' mixing style. While technically what he does probably isn't unique, Ryan's multi-track live mashup approach is tremendously enjoyable and well conceived. The constant mixing together of bright, happy, at times kawaii, beats with rap vocals creates an incredible, uplifting cacophony of sounds that shouldn't work, but always does. His sets dart back and forth between solo elements of the two, including many of his own productions, which, if you're like me hits you right in the heart. He mixes so quickly from element to element, you don't have time to get bored let alone shazam it. Not that it'd matter, shazam wouldn't be able to identify much anyway, due to the constant mashing up. Nevertheless, here's a few tracks I did identify last night. FOLLOW RYAN HEMSWORTH: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Lido premieres "Crazy," first track from new album

After gracing the world with his genius revision of Kanye's The Life Of Pablo, last week, Lido's guaranteed that he stays firmly in the spotlight dropping a magical video, "Crazy," the first track from his forthcoming debut album. After having seen his live show, back in November, I can attest that this song and accompanying video perfectly encapsulate his unique and truly inimitable style, both in production and performance. While he didn't actually conduct his gospel inspired tracks, his live play and orchestration was as magical as Mickey Mouse in Fantasia.

This video perfectly showcases his Harry Potter-esque, the chosen-one, level of wizardry alongside bright and sparkling visuals reminiscent of iTunes intergalactic, battling stars. Furthermore "Crazy" as a track in itself, is easily Lido's most complete and mature production to date. His shrewd utilization of all of the best Lido sounds combine with just the right touch of his Trippy Turtle temperament, for the Norwegian wunderkind's most powerful production yet. The vocals and incredible lyrics propel "Crazy" into a category of its own, filling producers around the world with incredible envy. It's hard to believe that Lido can continue to top his already seemingly infinite library of prodigious productions but there seems to be no stopping his genius.

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Ookay - Rockin' Around (and other EDM Holiday tracks)

Yeah, yeah I know Christmas is still more than a month away but I've literally seen Elf on TV at least a dozen times already, and Home Alone has been making the rounds as per usual. I think it's fair game to make my first holiday inspired post. I basically always have the TV muted in the background, and I've seen both the Wet and Sticky Bandits take a beating multiple times now. I've got to say its much better without their stupid comments but awesome music instead.

Is it just me, or do Harry and Marv look like a trap duo, a la Caked Up?

All of this Home Alone trapped out thought reminded me of Ookay's remix of the  Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree." Over the years there have been a whole slew of EDM remixes of holiday tunes, in an effort for labels to capitalize on the excessive number of Ugly Sweater Parties, Secret Santas, and sloppy work holiday blow out bashes. A couple years ago Mad Decent did "A Very Decent Christmas" auto tuning many of their hit tracks to sound like classic Christmas tracks. A year before that Monstercat had done the same thing with slightly more success, having their producers create new and original content that just sounded as though they were holiday material. And just this past year Jersey Club took its turn flipping Christmas, with both Hoodboi and Trippy Turtle creating originals. Even Borgore got in on the action, proving we are in the end of times, giving his "Unicorn Zombie Apocalypse" too much eggnog, turning it into the "Unicorn Christmas Apocalypse."
For a long time now, the Brenda Lee track has been my favourite Christmas track alongside the always awesome "Feliz Navidad." So obviously I jumped at the opportunity to download a remix of Rockin' Around. The reality is no there are really no good EDM holiday tracks, but everyone is going to find one that they can stomach; after all isn't it all about the thought and feeling attached to a gift. And the reality is all of these tracks are gifts, go ahead and download them for free. Lastly, I was watching Stephen Walking on twitch this week work on a couple new tracks, so I thought I'd show off his addition to the Monstercat Christmas Album, "Sleigh Ride."

Lido Live at The Hoxton (Review)

I've finally had enough time to decompress and reflect on an absolutely amazing night, Friday at the Hoxton for Lido's live performance. It was everything you'd expect and more, particularly because of the surprise appearance of Santell, Lido's most recent collaborator on The Passion Project. Upon arriving at the Hoxton just before midnight and the crowd was already feeling it. It was the first time I'd ever seen dance circle in the Hoxton, and this one was prolonged and featured a wide range of skills from people eating it and a couple deadly battles of carpet cutters. The length of the circle was aided by the opening DJs' long tracks. The one track that stood out to me was a remix of classic Timmy Thomas track "Why Can't We Live Together," which has now been famously sampled by Drake for "Hotline Bling." It's a great remix that culminates in a heavily string aided drop but doesn't stray too far from the original. I'm hopeful someone can identify the remixer because I'd love to add it to my collection; listen below...

I'm not sure who the openers ended up being, as I'm fairly certain the above video isn't either of hrmxny or GrandBuda. Someone said that they had merged this show with another so perhaps these guys were headliners from another event I didn't know about. Regardless, I was there for Lido, who hit the stage shortly after 12:30. And this is how it happened...

Lido Live at The Hoxton (Preview)

I've been waiting for today since the first of June, as it was the first day to order Lido tickets for his November 6th live performance at The Hoxton. I've been a fan of Lido and his side project Trippy Turtle for more than a year. I missed his Trippy Turtle set last fall because of a wedding but nothing like that was going to stop me seeing his live set up this time.

What makes Lido special is his pure, unadulterated love for music. From what I've heard of his live performances, his passion pours through the numerous electronic devices that he brings to life with his beautiful remixes and awe-inspiring originals.

Ever since his remix of Disclosure "Latch" became a viral sensation after RL Grime dropped it at last year's Coachella, as you can see here. Or listen to the full quality original below:

You can find a copy of all of his amazing remixes including the aforementioned Disclosure mix, as well as a brilliant versions of Alt J, Banks, Bastille and Bill Withers. All you have to do is play his trademark on his official webpage at http://www.lidogotsongs.com/  (hint: M-J-T-F)


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