The week of Sunset Music Festival 2019 is finally here. As we approach the highly anticipated Memorial Day Weekend here in sunny Tampa, FL, we take pleasure in looking at some of the hidden gems on the SMF lineup that deserve some spotlight, and to spread some awareness to those planning to attend. Of course, you have your marquee headliner names that will certainly draw plenty of attention throughout the weekend; but this lineup is peppered with some delightful talent across the board.
For day 1, Saturday May 25th, the Horizon Stage presented by Gary Richard’s (Destructo) AMF is looking like a hot spot for anyone in search of some unique groovy tunes. Embedded in this stacked stage lineup is a name that everyone in the Dirtybird fan base and house music scene has been raving over the last year, and that is none other than Omnom.
Cody Lee, aka Omnom, exploded into the house music scene after having one of his breakout tracks, “Fo Free,” heavily supported by a Dirtbird fan-favorite duo, Walker & Royce. It wasn’t until Dirtybird Campout East that the label’s beloved leader Claude Vonstroke noticed Omnom’s, “Fo Free,” received such a big reaction from the crowd when Walker & Royce dropped it during their b2b set with Claude.
After that, the rest has been history for the young producer. Omnom has performed tons of shows over the last year, as well as releasing some big tracks like “Goin’ Dumb” EP featuring “Goin’ Dumb” and “Know I’m Bad.” Omnom’s signature style of tech house that is not your traditional boots n’ cats sound is what catches our attention to check him out live this weekend. You’ll get plenty of those bouncy Dirtybird style, cartoonish house beats that most American house music fans know and love. Be sure to drop by the Horizon stage early on day 1 to check out Omnom serving up some delicious tunes at 5:15-6:15.
(New York, NY, May 17, 2019) — elrow returns to Brooklyn Mirage on July 27 to continue its New York City residency and announces its phase one lineup featuring one of the biggest names in house music, platinum-selling artist Erick Morillo for Rowllywood, a Bollywood-themed extravaganza. DJing for nearly 30 years, mixing house, techno, tribal, and Latin sounds in his music, the founder of the highly influential label Subliminal Records has become a fixture at top clubs all over the world. In what promises to be one of the biggest New York shows in quite some time, this will be the first time the hometown legend plays elrow stateside.
To accommodate additional fans and to add yet another dimension to the revelry, the 10-hour outdoor gathering will expand indoors with West Coast Burning Man-style party collective Desert Hearts (Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, and Marbs) taking over Kings Hall. According to MixMag “One thing is certain: Desert Hearts is a peculiar celebration, but in all the right ways. It celebrates community, freedom of self-expression, participation and positivity through a colorful, techno and house music lens.” The Desert Hearts ethos aligns perfectly with elrow’s free-wheeling, fantasy-driven spirit and makes for a natural collaboration that offers adventurous music fans an immersive experience unlike any other on the party circuit.
Rowllywood’s talented roster also features tech-house favorite Dennis Cruz, elrow resident Toni Varga, UK sensation wAFF, and a special birthday celebratory set by Miss Jennifer. Rounding out elrow’s phase 1 announcement are special guest Bontan, a b2b set between psychedelic synth heads Rybo and Lubelski, and a set by Israel’s Shalev. Altogether, the lineup offers a kaleidoscopic soundtrack for elrow fans who have come to expect the best in international entertainment. Michael Julian, the Special Advisor to the CEO of elrow states, “We added a second stage so that we can welcome more New Yorkers and countless elrow fans flying to Brooklyn from all over the world for this festival, which will feature 10+ hours of music on both stages by undoubtedly the biggest lineup to ever perform at any elrow in North America. This show will be as epic as our global outdoor fiestas in Ushuaia Ibiza, the newly launched residency at Encore Beach Club in Vegas and many other legendary venues.”
Themed after a Bollywood film production, Rowllywood will feature a mind-blowing set — embroidery, incense, statues of deities everywhere, and a spectacular Taj Mahal with a pantheon of gods and goddesses overlooking the fun. Thrown into the party are snake charmers, fakirs, street traders and, if his carpet doesn’t get testy, maybe Aladdin will fly in from Persia for a good time. The film directors will be following you with their cameras, so it’s time to put on your veils, saris, henna and silk. You are center stage in this mega production and Mumbai is waiting. Following 3 sold-out shows at Brooklyn Mirage and Avant Gardner, elrow is once more expected to sell out this event.
From its headquarters in Barcelona, elrow has taken the world by storm with its unforgettable party style by pairing elaborate production and interactive character performers with the best electronic music, establishing elrow as a global force for circus-inspired parties that have been known to sell out within minutes. Since its launch in 2010, elrow has expanded to six continents and more than 80 cities with worldwide residencies. Hailed as the number one party in Ibiza, elrow also holds lauded residencies in New York, Las Vegas, Madrid, London, Dubai and Amsterdam. elrow has consistently broken attendance records and, in 2018, saw its most successful year to-date, with over 2 million people attending 134 shows hosted across 65 cities in 33 international territories – over half of which were sold out. Tickets can be purchased by visiting elrow’s website, or by clicking here.
(Las Vegas, NV) If you have been living under a rock and are not aware, the famed flagship festival of Insomniac Events, Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas is underway. The age of live streaming music festivals is here, and, for those at home trying not to cry in our beers this weekend, you can at least enjoy the music played from the comfort of your living room.
The EDC live stream will be on four different channels from May 17th through May 19th starting at 6:45 p.m. PT/9:45 p.m. ET daily. Channel 1 of the EDC livestream will broadcast performances from the three main stages — kineticField, cosmicMeadow and circuitGrounds — as well as behind-the-scenes footage, exclusive interviews, plus select sets from other stages, art cars and Camp EDC. Channel 2, meanwhile, will broadcast full sets from kineticFiled, Channel 3 will feature sets from cosmicMeadow and Channel 4 will host sets from circuitGrounds.
The day 1 schedule consists of a who’s who in EDM, but the stream will be limited to just a few acts each night. For tonight, day 1, the stream will feature some selected set with marquee events from each stage: Deorro at kineticField, Gorgon City at cosmicMeadow, and Drezo and Audien at circuitGrounds. Check out the live stream channels below, or visit the EDC live stream link here.
(Atlanta, Ga.) Max Hype, the producer behind the monicker of Protohype, is seasoned producer out of LA who has become a well-known name around most of the EDM fanbase. Max has spent many years in the music industry developing his unique blend of bass music and hip hop elements. He has released tons of noteworthy music through major dance music record labels like Firepower, SMOG, Spinnin’ Records, along with a large catalogue of work to boot. With a savvy understanding of the importance of branding, Max has been able to sustain through the trials and tribulations of making a living in the music business. When Max came through Atlanta on Saturday May 11, we were able to have a chat with him just before his big performance at Believe Music Hall. We discussed a number of different topics like his production process, making sample packs, mentoring young producers, and which fellow EDM acts he’d cast as Game Of Thrones characters.
Credit: Clarke Baena Think Photography
How did the name Protohype come about, and what do you want it to stand for in the bass music genre?
I came up with the word… Man, I wish I had a better story, but there’s really no story about it. When I started the project, I wanted to have something that sounded like a real word; but wasn’t a real word and had parts of real words that were also search engine optimal. You would search it and nothing else but yours will show up. That’s kind of the goal as far as the brand goes, anyway. Look at Herobust, Excision, Datsik, Skrillex- these are all “words” that sound like words. They could be real, but they’re not. So that’s really the story, I sat and I pondered for a long time. It ended up working because it sounds like this mix between Rap and Dubstep. For me, it sounds like this cool thing that’s robotic, but also really cool.
What are some random moments that you’ve found inspiration for a track, or even for sound design?
There was this one time as we were talking about this earlier; I was watching this movie the Witch, I think is what it’s called. There’s this moment during the movie, in the beginning, the sound had this cool low end like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, *imitates wobbling sounds* thing for dramatic effect. Then I thought to myself, “That could be a song.” I paused the movie, and I remade that exact sound I heard, and it turned into the song called, “Beat U Back.” It’s a fairly known tune of mine, nothing crazy. But that’s a perfect example of just being inspired by something completely random that leads to something completely brand new.
Who are some artists or bands that have inspired you to create music?
M83, Tame Impala are some good ones. I also just love classic rock like Queen, and I’m a huge Beatles fan. I even have this massive Beatles tattoo. In the beginning those were definitely the type of music that influenced me to make my own cool music
What pushed you to want to create artist sample packs for others to use?
Originally, the goal was to have multiple revenue streams. I felt like I wasn’t making enough money from shows, and I was just also irresponsible with my money and I just didn’t have enough. That’s really what it comes down to. I know this is what I’m good at, and this is the chance for me to actually develop myself in a learning process. I felt like samples would be perfect. I learned how to make my own drums and how to mix things uniquely. I believe it’s all about just getting better all the time and sample packs… So yeah, initially it was about the money; but it led to this new thing that eventually inspired me to teach.
Can you tell if someone has used one of your presets in a track, and if so, how does it feel to know you helped them create it?
If they did, I would know. It’s more like the guys who use those sample packs are younger kids that I probably don’t know about. Randomly, bigger Dj’s would tell me, “Your drums in that pack were sick!” That’s usually what I spend the most of my time on- the drums. I’d say that drums are my pride and joy of production. There will be plenty of people coming to me saying, “Oh man, I use that. I use snare three… blah, blah.” It’s more about honestly helping out the young kids that don’t know how to make their own drums, you know?
Artists choose to do many different things with their money, but you tend to choose to be more charitable than most. What about giving and helping makes it more important to you than frivolous spending?
Well, I do a lot of frivolous spending, and I think that’s the main reason why I even cared to do charities in the first place. My mom is a social worker, and my dad is a special educator with a master’s in special education. I was just raised to be giving and help others. One day my mom told me, “You have money and you’re not giving it to somebody!” And she was right. That’s when I started the puppy group thing; so I think it all really comes down to my mom showing me the way.
What’s a simple, yet important piece of advice you give the people that you mentor, which is often overlooked?
I would say to have your brand and identity. I believe the brand to be an extension of who you are. There can be no element of fake anywhere. If you’re doing something to get something that is not what you would normally do, people will know. Also, I don’t think people spend enough time making music, to be honest; it’s a full time investment. I understand people have other things going on in life, too. Some people can make excuses about other obligations for why they can’t as well. If you want to be in this, then you have to give it your all. If you’ve got five main things that you care about like video games, your family, your dog, work, your girl, you have to sacrifice at least two of those. They say, from sacrifice comes bliss. You have to give up something that matters to get something that matters more.
I heard you went to college in Arizona, and you reside in Nashville now. What’s the more crave-able cuisine, the true southwestern or good ol’ southern comfort?
For me, it’s a good old Southern comfort for sure. I love Mexican food in general, but honestly, I love Tex Max more than southwest Baja Mex. I mean if you go to a place southwest like New Mexico and get their authentic food, it is so good.
Personally, I’ll take a traditional southern meal over anything.
If you had to choose, real deal enchiladas or Nashville hot chicken?
Nashville hot chicken, probably. I dunno, man, I had enchiladas tonight actually. But I would say a hot chicken, because I love chicken.
From your social media, I can take it you’re an avid Game Of Thrones fan. If you had a chance to recast some of your favorite GOT characters with your favorite DJ’s/Producers, which of them would you cast?
Oh Man. I’m going to have to bring in 12th planet first, because 12th planet also is like a Game of Thrones superfan. I would cast 12th planet as Tyrion, because 12th planet literally knows everything about everything. He just knows! You can talk about the 1950 Chicago cubs baseball team, and he’ll know the roster. That’s definitely a Tyrion thing for sure. I think I would cast Herobust to be, let’s say, Jamie; but not really, because he’s good looking and stuff. So I want to say he’s Jamie, but I almost want to say Herobust is Cersei.
Is he evil?
Yeah, he is like the evil, smartest, and probably the victor. Okay, let me think. I have to start with my good friends. Name another DJ I’m friends with…
Figure?
Figure would be Euron or Tormund. Actually, Figure would be Tormund for sure. It’s hard to think of anyone else that I’ve collabed with. Wow, that’s a good question! I honestly think those three are pretty accurate and I don’t want to break the accuracy, so I’ll leave it at that.
Can you name anyone that could be Jon Snow?
I feel like Jon Snow would be Skrillex, the one everybody loves and he’s going to be the hero. He’s the leader, so I think Jon Snow is definitely Skrillex. Yeah.
Some of the characters are hard to match up because they’ve changed so much. You’d need to pick a character that’s been the same the whole time, like Jamie or Daenerys. I think Daenerys would be Alison Wonderland. I don’t even know Alison Wonderland personally, but it just feels right.
To wrap things up, what’s in store for Protohype for the rest of 2019?
A whole lot of music is in the works. Not so much with touring, though, because I’m spending so much time making music. This time next year, we’ll be crazy with getting back out on the road. But for now, it’s going to be a lot of music, and a lot of work with Dead Beats.
Protohype is no stranger to the always evolving EDM game. Max Hype has known not only for his heavy bass rap infused tracks, but also for creating a new genre Dub Hop by mixing those two together. His unique style quickly gained popularity in both worlds and created a vast fanbase that is eager to break their necks when the heavy hitting producer comes to a city near you.
Protohype’s immerse music production along with his energy create an unforgettable experience for his listeners. From beautiful and chill tracks like “Fly” featuring Alina Renae’s beautiful vocals to an ultimate headbanger “Are you ready” with our favorite EDM pioneer Excision, Protohype proved us that he is not only an extremely talented producer but also a the one who creates a must hear sound. He’s also not scared to help out the up and comers with his wide collection of free sample packs that can be found on the Internet. From diverse Dubstep samples to MIDI files, he shares it all so you can create a heavy banger riddim track. His writing techniques are the ones to be praised for.
This weekend you get a chance to catch Protohype, Slimez and Xaebor at Believe Music Hall. Don’t sleep on this show! It will be an insane celebration of heavy grimy and nasty Dubstep tunes mixed with all kinds of ridiculousness to make you headbang till dawn and lose your mind.
The tickets are still available at Iris’s official website click here for tickets. Also, be sure to celebrate your Cinco de Mayo weekend in style at Believe Music hall with some special themed margaritas in mango, strawberry, skinny, Texas, and pomegranate flavors. Every pomegranate margarita sold will go towards Enduring Hearts charity, which is a pediatric heart transplant fund. We are also giving away two free tickets to this event, which can be found on our instagram page. We will see you at Believe Music Hall!
IMAGINE CREATES AN UNBELIEVABLE FIRST ROUND LINEUP FOR SEPTEMBER 20-22, 2019 EXPERIENCE Atlanta, GA (April 23, 2019)– After giving fans a glimpse into Chapter Six of the aquatic fairytale, with the release of the theme for Imagine 2019- “What Lies Deep at the Bottom of the Ocean,” the first round lineup is finally here. Featuring a series of mind-blowing headliners, as well as talent that underscores the depth of this annual announcement, fans are once again invited back to this aquatic mecca September 20-22, 2019. Headlining artists joining previously announced Seven Lions, include: Diplo; REZZ; Above & Beyond; Alison Wonderland; Zeds Dead and Marshmello. With still more headliners to be announced, this initial collection of top tier names are joined by over 30 additional artists.
Featuring four main stages, with more stages and artists to be announced, Imagine’s immersive aquatic fairytale will permeate all areas of the festival- from the infield to deep into the early morning in the camping areas. Additional artists on the 2019 performer lineup include: Oceania Stage: Alan Walker; KSHMR; Matoma; 1788-L; Ghastly; K?D; Leah Culver; Said the Sky and Svdden Death. Amazonia Stage: Louis the Child; Tipper; Cherub; Detox Unit; GoldfishPhantoms and Thriftworks. Disco Inferno Stage: Claude Vonstroke & Dirtybird Players Stage Takeover; Anna Lunoe; Dr. Fresch; J.Philip; Justin Jay; Justin Martin; Nora En Pure; Rusko; Wax Motif; Grave Gang and HE$H. Aeria Stage: BT; Darude; AK1200 and Reid Speed.
“Finally we are able to let the cat out of the bag and show our fans what has taken many months to curate,” says Iris Presents founders Glenn and Madeleine Goodhand. “Each year we challenge ourselves to top the previous lineup and that is proving to be more and more difficult. We are thrilled with the initial lineup and have many more gems to reveal over the next few months.”
General Admission is available now starting at $199 for a 3-day pass and $249 for a 3-day pass with camping. VIP passes with express entry into festival, exclusive viewing areas, VIP bars and lounges, and private air-conditioned VIP trailer restrooms start at $299 for a 3-day pass and $329 with a 3-day pass with camping. Payment plans are available for a downpayment as low as $57.00, where fans can elect for four low monthly installments. Tickets are available online at www.imaginefestival.com. Imagine Music Festival is an 18 and over event.
Imagine Music Festival is produced by Iris Presents. Visit www.imaginefestival.com for the most up-to-date information.
Within a couple of years Nitti Gritti reached incredible heights in the EDM industry. And it’s not without a reason. Nitti showed us that he could become anything, his style can’t be described as a one specific genre because he constantly breaks the rules and merges different worlds of one spectrum in his versatile and explosive sets showing us that it’s okay to be different. From his mellow and beautiful Ricky Mears project to playful and goofy Nitti Gritti one, Ricky was working hard to be where he is now. From rap, trap and dubstep to future bass and even poppy production for Enrique Iglesias, Nitti gets down to the nitty gritty with his producing. Ravers Choice got lucky to catch his astonishing performance at the District in Atlanta, and not only did this set surprised his fans with thoughtful production and unexpected drops but Nitti also brought out a special guest who made all Atliens go even harder.
In one of his interviews he said: “I just like to make a bunch of really cool edits and mashups,” “People expect one thing but then get hit with something completely different.” And that perfectly describes any set he produced so far.
Nitti’s energy is something that I look for in every artist: sheer, powerful and contagious, he goes hard along with his fans to his og tracks like “Crack” or “Money” that slap so haard live, as well as everyone’s favorite all time classics like “Everytime We Touch” by Cascada. Nitti can do it all because he knows how to entertain the crowd without being too mainstream.
And then a special guest appears. And it’s a wild Shaq! The crowd goes crazy cheering him on and waiting for some crazy fun to begin. And the “duo” doesn’t disappoint! The next thing you know- Shaq is starting a pit with all the fans accompanied by his new unreleased collab with Nitti(and maybe Eliminate?). The crowd moves back in anticipation of the drop… the pit opens and the moshing is on! Meanwhile Nitti is doing his signature “Dragon Claws” (lemme call it that, okay?) and headbanging on the stage, showing that hes always just as into his set as the fans are!
Then he drops his infamous 404 Bootleg (Hekler & Gladez – Hard In The 404 (Nitti Gritti Bootleg) and man this track is just ridiculous. His wild and unpredictable edits make this whole experience unforgettable. He throws some hard hitting house in the mix at one point with his remix of 4B’s “Whistle”, but then continues to melt faces, going from build ups such as RL Grime’s “Core” into drops like Excisions “Vault.” Trap heads and bassheads alike find themselves headbanging together, wondering what kind of combination of bass they’ll be receiving next. The entire room is raging!
But of course everyone is anxious to hear his “Lights” remix. The track that put his name on the map. The one that brings the bittersweet ending of his, and dozens of other DJ’s sets, sending the crowd on a nostalgic trip, closing their eyes and singing along. Beautiful San Holo’s tune combined with Kanye’s “All of the Lights” followed by the most melodic, beautiful future bass drop of “Lights” makes you wish this moment would last forever. But it’s over. The crowd chants one final “Nitti Gritti” and the lights turn on. This was a total blast, a night some may not remember, but surely they’ll never forget.
If you think you’ve never heard of Nitti Gritti, well… I guarantee you have! From his original tracks “Money” and “11:25” to his “Bodak Yellow” remix as well as an infamous “Lights” remix that every DJ on every mainstage dropped . For the past couple of years Nitti Gritti was grinding and working hard to deserve his limelight, with remarkable production skills as well as his elusive style that can’t be put under a specific genre. His versatility ranges from trap, rap, to future bass and dubstep. Nitti Gritti has rightfully earned his recognition and quickly got an enormous fan base that always supports his new tracks.
From the small club shows and an Art Car at EDC LV 2018, this year Nitti made his way to Circuit Grounds at EDC LV 2019, a festival that thousands of DJs dream to play one day and millions of fans dream to attend.
But don’t be too upset if you can’t attend EDC, District Atlanta brings Nitti Gritti on April 5th so that you can experience the massive power of his thoughtful production and fun and unexpected set. The tickets are still available on District’s website.
A week has passed since a sold out BUKU took place, but the memories and vibes are still running stronger than ever.
This marks a wildly successful end to the festival’s 7th year taking place in New Orleans, and after attending, it’s easy to see why this annual event has become a crowd favorite.
With ample space to dance, an open layout, an extremely diverse and eclectic lineup paired with perfect execution, this festival has it all. Rarely does a festival pull all of the stops to ensure a unique experience for it’s patrons, but BUKU made sure not to cut any corners.
Logistically, the event ran smoothly, no hold-ups in lines, traffic congestion, or long lines at bars/ water stations inside the event grounds. Stage design was curated with simplicity in mind, hosting stages that were grandiose but didn’t take away from any performer.
All things combined, event coordinators did not disappoint this year. If you didn’t get a chance to make it this go around, we highly suggest you look into considering securing your spot for next year.
We’ve all been waiting for this day, trying to guess and speculate who’s going to be playing EDCLV this year. Pasquale Rotella repeatedly promised us a lineup bigger than ever along with a new main stage production. This years theme is Kinetic Energy. Even Bill Nye is going to make an appearance and lead the opening ceremony. What a twist, huh? Last night Pasquale had an annual live lineup reveal during a Night Owl Radio episode and thousands and thousands attendees and fans gathered around to test their knowledge or try to Shazam it. I feel like Rotella did not break the promise and this EDC is going to be a straight fire. With 8 amazing stages dedicated to different genres and styles, EDC brings some of the biggest and most influential producers of all time.
You can purchase your tickets on Insomniac’s official site.
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