Salacious Sound » Interview

Download the Basic Physics full-length album [Interview + MP3]

Cal — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:46:58 +0000

In advance of his first full-length effort I interviewed Alex Syse, aka Basic Physics, so that you guys might get a taste of the man behind some of 2011′s biggest and baddest blogosphere bootlegs. That’s often a dirty word – bootleg – in this industry. It usually connotes a lack of originality, and almost invariably a lack of production quality.

But Alex is breaking that mould, and constantly pushing the talent behind his very popular work forward. In just a year, he’s come from receiving over a hundred thousand plays on his Ghost on a G6 mashup to releasing a 16-track album loaded with both originals – a big step – and the quality bootlegs we’ve grown used to. I’m taking my first listen now, and I’m impressed. There was obviously a ton of care and attention to detail that went in to this album.

Download the full album for free at the bottom of the interview, and support Basic Physics on Facebook.

Cal: A/S/L?

Alex: Alex Syse, The Northwoods aka Minneapolis, Minnesota

Cal: What is your background in music? How were you trained?

Alex: From an early age, I was interested in how music was made. I had a brief stint with the piano, guitar, and drums in middle school but the simplicity of being limited to one instrument was always a turnoff to me. However, this helped lay a foundation to know what was in key, how to play certain notes, and how composition worked. After middle school, music took me on a journey from hip hop to jam bands (I saw Umphrey’s Mcgee nearly 100 times) to indie rock and finally electro. As college began in 2007, MSTRKRFT, Daft Punk, Justice, and Pretty Lights were in constant rotation on my iPod. After listening to countless electronic artists, it gave me the itch to dive into creating my own music. After acquiring Ableton Live, I began sifting through the manual and the whole trial and error process. It was during this time that Girl Talk was blowing up. I had the opportunity to see him at Summercamp in 2008 and that sparked my interest to not only listen to more mashup music, but create music of my own.

Cal: How would you describe the genre of music you make/perform?

Alex: The genre of music I create would be categorized as Electro / Hip Hop / Pop Mashup, but I don’t want people to be afraid of that word (“mashup”). Like all genres, the mashup game is saturated with lots of artists and various styles. When I’m producing a mashup, I want it to be big, memorable, worthy to be considered one of the best, and in most cases, should make you want to dance your ass off. Some people like to do it for fun. I want to do it for more than that.

Cal: In your opinion, which is the manliest instrument? (physical/virtual/corporeal)

Alex: The “Magic Pipe” that That 1 Guy uses during his live sets. (If you don’t know, get familiar!)

Cal: I noticed that there is a bunch of rocketship / space / blastoff type imagery and language surrounding the album launch – any particular reason?

Alex: The first album I released was “Nightlife in the Northwoods” in April of 2011. The goal with that project was to get my name out there. With the album titled “Lift Off”, I’m hoping it will do just that, lift off my career. I would like to think I’m one of the best in this genre and I hope that this album gets the attention of many. Besides taking my career up to different level, I thought it would be fun to run with the “Lift Off” concept. Apollo 13 was one of my favorite movies as a kid and once I found soundclips from the film, I had to use them! The album art, created by the great Joshua Bull, was his interpretation of “Lift Off” and I thought he did a phenomenal job.

Cal: How many tracks have you made which haven’t made their way on to the internet?

Alex: Roughly 20, including 3 original productions. Patience is critical when transitioning from mashups to originals.

Cal: So your name is Basic Physics – which of Newton’s laws is the best? Why?

Alex: Newton’s Third Law: To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. I think this one is the easiest to understand so it is my favorite. Anything with an equation (Newton’s Second Law) is in a league of it’s own.

Cal: The genre-space you are making music in is competitive, wouldn’t you say? What do you think Basic Physics brings to the table that gives you a leg up on the competition?

Alex: Absolutely. The amount of mashup / DJs that have sprung up in the past year to year and a half is staggering. The emergence of a DJ being a “rockstar” has turned a lot of people on to EDM and producing in general. Since I started in the Spring of 2010, I have learned so much from a musical standpoint and a marketing standpoint (graduated with a Marketing degree this past December). At the end of the day though, my drive and passion to succeed in music will be my greatest attribute. I have so much more planned then just mashups and I can’t wait to release it to everyone.

Cal: Any goals for your production career that you’ve set? (short or long-term)

Alex: Transitioning to more remixes and originals is in the short term goals. I’m ready. As far as longer term goals, I would love to collaborate with some of my favorite producers down the road, get official support from some of those artists, climb the Beatport charts, meet Pete Tong, play at the likes of EDC, Ultra.

You’ve got to have a dream. If you don’t have a dream, how are you going to make it come true.

The truth about the Midnight Conspiracy [interview]

ReySon — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:16:44 +0000

Behind every conspiracy theory there exists a modicum of truth. In the case of the Midnight Conspiracy, however, you should believe everything you’ve heard. Spread the word; this isn’t a fire drill.

They surprised fans recently with an unannounced preview of their new “Eye Live” laser light show during a sold out headlining event at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. “We’ve been working on the new stage setup over the winter and just wanted to take this bad boy for a test run,” said Louis Kha of Midnight Conspiracy. “We don’t quite yet know how to drive this sucker nor are we done building it, but the lights turn on and the engine revs up so that’s a start.”

The “Eye Live” setup features a 15-foot LED structure in the shape of their mysterious “Eye of Providence” logo, accompanied by an equally eerie laser light show. The official debut will come on March 2nd at the 5000-person Congress Theatre in Chicago with Zeds Dead, Dillon Francis, and AraabMuzik.

In collaboration with Lucky Date, their ‘Veyron’ Remix EP has taken temporary shelter on Beatport until it can find a nice home with sufficient wattage. This firmly packed bundle of remixes is not to be overlooked, check Beatport!

Support Midnight Conspiracy on
Facebook | SoundCloud | Twitter

ReySon
Do any of you meditate?
Midnight Conspiracy
Yes, but not at our shows. It’s too hard to concentrate but we’re working on it.
ReySon
If I say the words New World Order, HAARP, Chemtrails and fluoride, what comes to mind?
Midnight Conspiracy
That 99% of all conspiracies are garbage, but it’s the 1% you need to focus on.
ReySon
You mentioned in a previous interview that your goal is to be invited into the Illuminati, why?
Midnight Conspiracy
We’re more likely to get kidnapped by them rather than invited.
ReySon
Where do you see EDM heading in 2012?
Midnight Conspiracy
Towards the greatest bubble of the 21st century, but what a wild ride it’ll be!

ReySon
Name three items in your fridge right now!
Midnight Conspiracy
Coconut water, grapes and miso paste.
ReySon
Which program or app makes your life that much better?
Midnight Conspiracy
GPS. It makes traveling too easy. It feels like cheating. A lot of these programs and apps take all the fun away from life.
ReySon
Are you guys vegetarian/vegan? If not, any plans to become so?
Midnight Conspiracy
No, but we love the vegan restaurants in LA. So I’d make the switch if we moved out to LA, that is, after a stop by Umami Burger first in Hollywood.
ReySon
Name a country you would love to visit in your touring future.
Midnight Conspiracy
How about a city-state? Singapore. We just really love Asian food.
ReySon
Tell us a, joke!
Midnight Conspiracy
I just saw Newt Gingrich say he wants to colonize the moon and make it the 51st state if he becomes president. A moon base? What a joke.

Support Midnight Conspiracy on
Facebook | SoundCloud | Twitter

Remember, until Jan 31 every “Like” on my Fb page results in a .50cent donation divided between Oxfam, Save The Children & The Salvation Army. Change the world!
Cheers,
Corey

Dose Of Prinzregent w/ Interview

ReySon — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:33:01 +0000

Can anyone guess the age of this fellow, Prinzregent? Mid 20′s you say? Guess lower. Late teens you say? Guess lower. This tween is but a mere 14. The spirit and energy that surrounds us is inspiring the young – and the very young at that – more and more. Joshua here has a god given talent and at a tender age of 14 his destiny is bright, and i do mean bright. Josh, congratulations for what you have accomplished thus far, really. With his birthday being around the corner in February it makes you wonder if he will be rocking out beside the likes of Avicii on that day. It could happen at this rate. If you are wondering what his Germanic artist name translates to in English, Josh says that his artist name stands for a man who leads the government affairs as a representative for a prince when he isn’t able to work. But the real reason why he chose the name was because he lives on the Prinzregenten street. Friends, if these words can’t sway you enough I always like to let the music to do the real talking, so listen on! But first, here’s a concise and brief interview with the kid…

Prinzregent Interview

ReySon
You’re 14 my young man, ONE-FOUR! So bloody young, how do you feel? When did you first download a sequencing program?
Prinzregent
How do i feel? Good Question, I feel great with some occasional setbacks. It’s hard to cope working on music while studying for school. I downloaded my first sequencing program when I was 13, it was FLStudio.
ReySon
Where do you live and what do you like to do in your spare time when you’re not producing these masterpieces?
Prinzregent
I live in the really beautiful city of Munich, Germany. When i am not producing I mostly listen to music from other artists or simply meeting friends, mix with them and so on.
ReySon
What do you see for yourself in the future? What would you like out of life?
Prinzregent
What i really want to do in life is just keep making music and DJing in my life. I want to become bigger and better out of every track I produce and every mix I create so that I can share great music with big crowds.

Support Prinzregent on
Facebook | SoundCloud | Twitter

Remember, until Jan 31 every “Like” on my Fb page results in a .50cent donation divided between Oxfam, Save The Children & The Salvation Army. Change the world!
Cheers,
Corey

Interview: Michael Woods

Cal — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:21:30 +0000

Michael Woods is a Londoner, DJ/Producer, classically-trained musician with a penchant for analog devices, a Ministry of Sound resident, and many other things which, in short, have made him a dance music sensation over the last couple years. He’s remixed and collaborated with heavyweights Deadmau5, Mark Knight, and Funkagenda to name just a few, and has a recent release on Calvin Harris’ label Fly Eye Records:

…And I have managed to get in a short, yet very cheeky interview with the star that is widely admired by the dance music elite and his global fan base. In it, I uncover some of his deepest weaknesses and misgivings, and his willingness to have sex with a bug lady.

Cal: Forums: love em, hate em, or just ambivalent?
MW: I don’t really use forums to be honest, unless I have a problem with my Mac in which cases they are extremely helpful!

Cal: What song did you end your last set with?
MW: I like to end my sets with ‘First Aid’ but it always depends on the gig.

Cal: If you could instantly master another language which would it be, and why?
MW: Spanish – I’ve been trying to learn for years now but I never seem to have the time it takes to master. My mother speaks Spanish so would be cool to have a conversation in Spanish with her!

Cal: How many pizzas would you estimate you have eaten in your entire life?
MW: I estimate 7576 pizzas.

Cal: Would you rather lose your hat or your watch?
MW: Lose my hat – I’m always losing them anyway!

Cal: Would you rather have sex with a girl who had a bug head, or a bug who had a really hot face?
MW: Someone’s been reading my Tweets! I’d have to say the former.

Cal: If you could revive any dead musician for 24 hours, who would it be and why?
MW: It would have to be Chopin so I could ask him about a piece of music I had to play for my grade 8 piano exam.

Cal: What did you do the last time you took a rest/vacation?
MW: Watched TV and ate a pizza…in bed.

Thanks Michael, and best of luck in 2012! See you at the festivals and in Ibiza!

Avicii Interview

ReySon — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:19:04 +0000

[UPDATE: The track previously attached and included in this post was mis-titled "Avicii & Alesso - The Rules Has Changed". This latter track is actually titled "Archie.V - Magic Is Timeless". I sincerely apologize for the error, i did not do my homework and this consequtial lack of research has made my blogging credibility seem worthless. In the future i will make it my mission to check the facts. My whole-hearted apologies once again.]

While he made the biggest of strides in 2011 it seems dazzlingly comforting to imagine what Avicii and the At Night family have in store for us in 2012. I’m thrilled! Perhaps its time to take the reigns behind the decks of another BBC Essential Mix (wink, wink, wink). Kicking off the new year with the single most selfless act i’ve seen in the EDM industry so far Avicii and the team are at the forefront of the love movement that accompanies our culture. The House for Hunger Tour hits cities around the USA beginning Jan 5 and aims to raise $1,000,000 for those in need of one of the most essential things: food. We were given the very kind opportunity to catch up with Tim during the holidays and here’s the result. I hope you all are having the best of holidays so far, be safe and…have fun!

Support Avicii on Beatport | iTunes | Facebook

ReySon
Tim, considering that you are currently sick i must say you are a trooper for taking on this interview so thank you. Plenty of ginseng my friend! Okay, 2011 has been a monumental and eventful year for you and the At Night family – to say the least – nice work, really. What’s your new years resolution coming into 2012?
Avicii
For 2012 Im gonna just keep doing what Ive been doing in 2011, keep up the touring and alot of studio work! Theres alot of really big stuff coming up for next year that I’m really excited to be able to show you guys! (see flyer below)
ReySon
Do you enjoy any winter sports when your not cooped up in the studio? Should i be keeping an eye out for a few EDM celebs on the slopes in Sweden? Haha. Or, perhaps you’ve taken up surfing being in LA so often?
Avicii
Haha I used to ski before but seeing as I have almost no time off anymore its really hard to find the time for it!
ReySon
With the Christmas holidays now in our rearview mirror for yet another year, what did you get your folks this season? Most of the times the hardest gifts for to get are those for ma & pa, haha.
Avicii
I brought my parents over to the states for a two week vacation, this way i was also able to celebrate christmas with them!
ReySon
With intensive touring comes the grateful opportunity of visiting so many cities and the cuisine that accompany them. You must have savored a few meals while on tour, do any stand out? Perhaps a particular dish or have you been pigging out on In-N-Out burgers…don’t lie? Haha

Avicii
Hehe well thats one of the plus sides of this profession, that I get to eat at some of the best restaurants in the world, but even so its really hard with a busy schedule to stay away from fast food. I really enjoy the sushi at Nobu! One of the best food experiences ive had so far though was at a lowkey brazilian meat restaurant in Sao Paolo!
ReySon
If the genie from Aladdin were to grant you three wishes, what would you wish for? Remember, you can’t wish for more wishes, that’s one of the rules! Haha
Avicii
Haha hmmm I would probably ask for health, wealth and happiness for me and the people close to me.
ReySon
Pancakes, waffles or crepes? Pick one!
Avicii
Crepes!
ReySon
How do you drink your coffee? By the off chance you don’t drink coffee, what’s your favorite energy drink? I have to know whether to bring you a cup of java or a case of energy drinks the next time your in the neighborhood (Toronto). Haha.
Avicii
I dont really drink coffee ! If i had to choose it would be red bull!

Support Avicii on Beatport | iTunes | Facebook

Project 46 Interview

ReySon — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:43:13 +0000

Who is Project 46? Where have you been! Coming out of the gate with more force than Chuck Norris’s bicep, this dynamic duo is showing the world first hand what they came here to accomplish. Chart topper after chart topper, P46 has definitely stolen some of that EDM spotlight this year. Im excited to see what 2012 has in store for these boys. For those of you not well versed in Project 46, we have the the full scoop – and then some. Enjoy…

Support Project 46 on Facebook | SoundCloud | Twitter

ReySon
Ryan, it’s a real pleasure to have you here on the site, tell me a bit about Project 46. What have you been doing to keep busy, but most importantly where did you boys come from? You boys sort of appeared out of thin magical air and hit the scene running in all the good ways.
Project 46
Project 46 is a collaboration between myself and Thomas Shaw. We honestly have just been spending ridiculous time in the studio the past five months making music, planning our releases and continuing to learn. We were introduced by a mutual acquittance and I guess the rest we like to refer to as divine intervention. We have both been lucky enough to have been able to focus a lot of time on this and are fortunate to have some good friends that have taught us the ropes early on, all of that has contributed to the solid foundation we have now!
ReySon
It seems as though you have the ultimate blueprint to success, so keep doing what your doing obviously! Now, regarding this collaboration, it strikes me as somewhat of an unorthodox collaboration. I mean, Thomas does come from west coast Canada and you from the east. Take me into a typical production session between the two of you. Step by step.
Project 46
I guess it may seem unorthodox from the outside looking in, however with technology we are able to easily share project files. I think there is a lot of artists that are using technology to there advantage for collaborations now. I think that it’s going to become more and more important with the hectic tour schedules that seem to be part of the business.

However in our case, we are avid Skype users. We log in and use the share screen option. It really makes us feel like we are in the same room! We have also been lucky enough to have been able to spend 2 weeks together in the past 4 months.
ReySon
Two weeks out of four months is not a bad ratio, could be worse. Are there any plans on somebody moving permanently to the other? And speaking of plans, since the new year is fast approaching, what are your plans for 2012? Do you have any target goals in mind, or are you just going with the flow?
Project 46
I don’t think either of us really needs to consider moving. If things work out well it will put us on the road a lot more. That should give us a lot more time to work together. To be honest, a 5 hour flight within the Canadian borders isn’t really a big deal. As for plans, we’ll have a lot of really big official remixes coming out in early 2012. I guess the main goal is to get out and play some shows in as many markets as possible. We are seeing offers coming in from around the world now which is a really good sign. We would also really love to play a big festival this year. Besides that, we just plan on working hard in 2012!
ReySon
Looks like the hard work is already paying off ten-fold my friend, working hard in 2012 might send you to the moon! Im excited for you guys! Lets talk about this work, how do you guys go about making music? When you sit down to make a track, what’s the first thing you typically do?
Project 46
We always start with melodies. We typically number our melodies we come up with until we find one we like! Sometimes it can take some digging, our current project is currently at melody 35. Once we decide on a melody we have a good 30 hours of work ahead of us.
ReySon
Sounds like a very unique production method. Has there ever been a point where you got to lets say melody 99 and then just said f&$% it and botch the whole project? lol.
Project 46
Well since the melody is normally the beginning of the project, I think if we quit at 99 then we would have to retire. However with that being said, there is a lot of times where you think you like a melody and get going, just to find its not what you want. Doesn’t take long for a week to go by just to find yourself on the drawing board again with nothing to show for the last week LOL.
ReySon
Haha! All those dollars spent on coffee/energy drinks gone to waste. darn! Now on the flip-side of everything, when your not in the studio toiling away at work work work, what do you find yourselves doing or spending most of your time doing other than music? Is anybody a closet knitter, a mean fisher, a father of 10? haha.
Project 46
We are in the studio a minimum of 50 hours a week right now …So besides the odd Call of Duty session, there really is not much more to talk about. lol
ReySon
Haha, that is respectable. You must however still listen to a lot of music on your spare time…so what would be your top 10 tracks on your playlist at the current moment?
Project 46
Here we go:
.1. Dirty South & Those Usual Suspects feat. Erik Hecht – Walking Alone
.2. Avicii & Nicky Romero – ID
.3. Avicii – Fade into Darkness (Albin Myers Remix)
.4. Kele vs Sander van Doorn – What Did I Do (Feat. Lucy Taylor)
.5. Michael Calfan – Resurrection (Axwell Recut Club version)
.6. Spencer & Hill & Nadia Ali – Believe it (Cazzette’s Remix)
.7. DEVolution feat. Amy Pearson – Good Love (Alesso Remix)
.8. Coldplay – Paradise (Fedde Le Grand Remix)
.9. Avicii – Levels
.10. Michael Woods – Last Day on Earth
ReySon
Top notch choices if i may say so myself! You seem to have selected a bit of Avicii for your playlist, is he a major influence in your work? On the polar opposite of things, how do you boys like your eggs in the morning? haha.
Project 46
Ha Ha, yeah Avicii has been an influence, but you can’t just help but to include multiple tracks. The guy is just killing it. Poached eggs for me, and I am sure Thomas is allergic to eggs along side everything else in the world.
ReySon
Haha, poor guy! How can anybody live without eggs? I mean, no french toast! And yes, Avicii definitely takes home the cake this year (allergy pun intended). Once again, completely on the flip-side of things, what’s your stance on glowsticks? I know how much certain dj’s “love” them, haha…
Project 46
Well, Although I really really hope we don’t take a few off the head during our shows, I can’t see why people are so against them. I believe it gives people the freedom to express themselves and that is an important part of EDM. Larger artists are compensated really well for there performances, so if they take the odd glow stick to the head, it should be laughed off.
ReySon
Haha, right on, couldn’t agree with you more. Whats one or two glowsticks bonking you in the head every show…big whoop. lol. Last question here before we part ways, whats your new years resolution?
Project 46
I don’t think either of us has ever been able to see one through the entire year, therefore we are going to take the fifth on this one.
ReySon
No worries, you still have two weeks left to think of one, haha. Thanks again! Any final words?
Project 46
Gotta give a massive shout out to everyone that has supported us. Family, Friends and our fans. Also a lot of notable artists have taken the time to kinda support & help us get to the next Level. The list is really to long to menton them all, but a huge Thank-you to Adam K, ARNEJ & Marcus Schossow. Their advice and brutal honesty in our earlier pieces really helped us get started on this amazing journey!
ReySon
Cheers! Happy holidays
Project 46
Likewise! Thank you!

Support Project 46 on Facebook | SoundCloud | Twitter

Interview: Pleasurekraft

Cal — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:35:49 +0000

Few artists come close to doing anything as exciting or innovative in 2011 as Pleasurekraft. My introduction was a sort of baptism by fire – after a VIP shuttle with Skrillex’s tour manager and visual productions guy, and a golf cart ride backstage, I came upon Pleasurekraft playing for an audience of several thousand at this year’s Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas.

I’ve spent my time in Ibiza, and I agree with the criticism that tech house can sound pretty homogenous sometimes. Not with Pleasurekraft though. Their unique blend of hooky-vocal-sampling and hedonist aesthetic lends itself to instantly recognizable AND lasting, substantive, memorable tunes.

Pleasurekraft will be in Toronto on New Years Eve, playing at Loft 5 Eighty! I’m also super proud to announce that I will be supporting the night. Tickets and comprehensive information here.

Full tour listing at the end of this article!

Pleasurekraft Official Site | Soundcloud

The Interview:

Cal: The artwork for Satyr Song looks vaguely like a penis with wings, am I right? What’s the backstory there?

Pleasurekraft: Actually we had no say on the artowrk – in fact what I actually suggested to 1605 (Umek’s label) was something along the lines of a Satyr – the half man half goat beings from Greek mythology that were all about pleasure – but the artist who does all of 1605′s artowrk doesn’t take art direction from anyone (including Umek) and just delivers what he wants – so that being said – I personally never looked at the Satyr Song artowrk and saw a penis with wings, but perhaps the fact that that’s what you saw maybe says more about you! ;P

(Cal’s note: my favourite track of the year!)

Cal: If you had a clay phallus hung outside your front door would you hope it would bring you luck or fertility?

Pleasurekraft: We don’t need any more fertility on this planet – there’s already too many of us here – give me the luck baby

Cal: What does the word hedonism mean to you? What bearing, if any, does it have on your life and music?

Pleasurekraft: Well – unless the Hindus & Buddhists are right, in which case we’ll keep coming back and living this life over and over again until we get it “right”, it looks like we only live once. But who knows. If we do only live once – you certainly want to make sure you make the most of this one chance you have been given to experience this amazingly beautiful, sometimes disturbing, and always interesting thing called life. Experiencing everything life has to offer full on is what hedonism is about to me.

Cal: Wine or nymphs?

Pleasurekraft: no comment but isn’t that kind of like the chicken or egg question?

Cal: I have a bag of marshmallows. Do you want one now or two in the future?

Pleasurekraft: Depends, is there a fire around? I only like toasted Marshmallows, otherwise I don’t want any.

Cal: Aside from phone and laptop, what is the most important item in your travel bag? Why?

Pleasurekraft: Deodorant, and ear plugs! I think both for obvious reasons!

Cal: What country has the best beer?

Pleasurekraft: Belgium + Germany have the best beer. HOWEVER – as far as a simple beer just to be had with some simple food – nothing too cerebral – I personally love Mexican beer (and I’m not talking about that Corona bullshit)

Cal: Wrapper on or off?

Pleasurekraft: I don’t even know what that means lol.

Cal: You are charged with presenting 3 awards to edm artists for 2011: rookie of the year, most improved, and mvp. Who are your picks?

Pleasurekraft: Fuck. I wish you hadn’t said EDM artists, it would have made my choices so much easier. To be honest I really don’t listen to much EDM when I am not going through promos or listening to things on Beatport – I think it does a disservice to the music you make if you listen to that very same genre all the time. The best EDM is made by producers who draw their inspiration from non EDM sources in my opinion – but lets see if I can give this a shot…

1. Rookie of the year – defining rookie in terms of a timeline is tough – but I’ll say for this case Mike Vale
2. Most improved – again difficult one here – as improvement for me here would be just change of production genre – for me I would say Miami’s Jesse Perez – who used to have a more prog/electro sound, but as of this year has been churning out some great techy numbers on his fine fine label called Mr Nice Guy
3. MVP – Again a toughy here – but I find myself playing alot of Hungarian producer Belocca’s stuff lately – so maybe him?

Cal: Which are more fun: dive bars OR swanky clubs?

Pleasurekraft: def dive bars. I like it dirty

Cal: Pick up lines: art OR science

Pleasurekraft: no contest : Art

Cal: What three songs from 2011 have the most memorable hooks? OR what are your top three most memorable hooks of all time?

Pleasurekraft: I don’t like to do All time things cuz they’re always too much pressure – so for 2011 – if you mean EDM? Style of Eye & Magnus the Magnus “The Antidote” has to be in there. I personally LOVE Format B’s “Country Girl” little hook. Simple but so great for me. And probably this Belocca bootleg I have of Earth Wind & Fire’s “Boogie Wonderland” that just smokes everytime I play it out. Easily one of my fav tracks to play out. Non EDM? Pretty much anything Kanye West did this year.

See you all NYE in one of my favorite cities on the planet : TORONTO!!!!!

Pleasurekraft in your city:

Cazzette Interview

ReySon — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 20:17:25 +0000

Hailing from the country of 100,000 lakes this Scandinavian pair have been adding bucket loads of steam to the proverbial locomotive that is driving the current Swedish electronic music take-over around the world. Globally, folks have begun to wonder if something in the water is causing this outpour of swedish talent. I’ve decided to pack up my 8th grade chemistry kit, pack up a lunch or three, drag my iPod with fresh Cazzette tuneskies and head to lake Vänern – on a quest to crack this case once and for all. In the time being, read up on Seb & Alex…

Support Cazzette on Beatport | Facebook | Twitter

ReySon
Can you tell us a little about your musical background? Where did you boys grow up, and where are you based now?
Cazzette
SEBASTIAN: I started with music when i was 14. My dad had just bought a new computer and a demo version of FL Studio was included. He asked if i wanted to try it out, and it went from there!
ALEXANDER: Actually i have none haha Well at least i never played any instruments until i started fooling around with a keyboard at the age of 16 or so. My father was a big music lover and played the trumpet, that counts right? I grew up in a small town one hour by car from Gothenburg in Sweden but I’ve also been living in an even smaller town called Falun while i was studying music production and engineering at a university. Although, i dropped out when I met Ash and we started CAZZETTE.
ReySon
When you perform, what’s your preferred setup, and how would you describe your sets?
Cazzette
USB-stick & Cdj’s 2000. It’s incredible easy-to-use even if you want to mix it up really technical. I would describe our sets like various kinds of tracks but put together in a way so that it all make sense. Since we love all kinds of music and often find one genre too boring for one set we like to mix it up and keep it fresh. Throw some dub-step in with a lil’ bit of house with a lil’ bit of electro. Its like a perfect dish
ReySon
Did you have any mentors when you were starting out?
Cazzette
Ash (our manager) sure helps us a lot and puts us in the right direction. Nothing really stands out before Ash.
ReySon
When did you first feel that you had finally discovered your own individual style?
Cazzette
Shortly after CAZZETTE was born. It was actually our manager Ash who came up with idea to take the best from dub step and combine with house music – DUB-HOUSE! Fit us PERFECTLY!
ReySon
How do you explain your music to your family members?
Cazzette
“Bom-Bom-Base-Base-Io-Io-BAOW-BAOW.” They just don’t get it although they do like a few of the tracks
ReySon
When you sit down to make a track, what’s the first thing you typically do? How long does a track typically take to make?
Cazzette
I and Sebastian have an incredible work flow. If I cant come up with something, or if he doesn’t, Ash always has a bunch of em’. I would say that we usually are able to produce 3 tracks/week or something like that. It’s important that you can work fast without being lazy though. Then we send them to Ash for feedback and go on from there. It’s like there are three of us in separate studios haha. We try to differ our sound between each production and that is of course some times difficult.
ReySon
When you’re not listening to electronic music, what do you guys listen to?
Cazzette
We like everything from Hip-Hop to cool oldies and contemporary indie, even some nice rock will do it. Totally depends on which mood you’re in.
ReySon
What are your top 7 tracks that you currently have on repeat on your iPods?
Cazzette
.1. TURN – Boss
.2. Swedish house mafia ft. Knife party – Antidote
.3. Lil Wayne – Abortion
.4. Benny Benassi feat. Gary Go – Close To Me (R3hab Remix)
.5. Alesso – Raise your head
.6. Fatboy Slim – Ya Mama (Push The Tempo) (Moguai remix)
.7. Dillion Francis – I.D.G.A.F.O.S
ReySon
Are there any gigs or festivals that you are especially looking forward to playing?
Cazzette
NYE w/ Avicii is going to be an earthquake and Ash told us he just confirmed us on a HUGE European festival which we are not allowed to announce yet!!

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Nero Interview

ReySon — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 21:31:12 +0000

It wasn’t easy – to say the least – snagging an interview with Dan & Joe, but here we are at last! November has arrived and MOvember has taken hold of all the manly faces. All shapes and sizes of staches our raising awareness for Prostate Cancer around the globe. To show my support, im vowing 50cents for each “like” accumulated on the ReySon facebook page for the entire month of November. Prostate cancer is one “like” away from a cure! In the meantime, enjoy this snippy interview and a fresh Dirty South remix of Nero’s, Me and You! Happy MOvember folks! For week one pix of my MOstache, check the FB page…

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ReySon
First off, Dan & Joe, thank you for spending a brief moment with Salacious, we truly do appreciate your time. I realize you slash through dozens of interviews a week, which must drain you, so i will keep this brief.

So guys, your “Welcome Reality” album has been floating among the masses for some time now, have you been receiving the response you had hoped for regarding the album? In addition, how have you two been keeping yourselves busy since the release? Any rest & relaxation?
Nero
Thanks for having us! Yeah the album has had a great response, everything we hoped for. People have been really getting into it as an album rather than just getting into a few of the songs. It’s pretty much a concept album with a lot of the tracks segueing, so we really payed a lot of attention to making the whole album feel like one big extended piece of music split into different tracks. It’s great that people have embraced that.
ReySon
Not too long ago, you pushed boundaries by teaming up with BBC’s Philharmonic orchestra to produce the very beautiful and intricate “Dubstep Symphony”. Now, looking forward, what is next? How will you be pushing those proverbial boundaries?
Nero
That was an amazing opportunity for us, we weren’t very keen on it being dubbed “dubstep symphony” as it wasn’t at all dubstep, we wanted to just blend electronic sounds with orchestral composition that contained recognizable motifs and melodies from a few of our album tracks. We’d love to do more projects like that. I think doing the symphony proved to ourselves that we would be able to do film score work, which is something we definitely want to do. The album was set in a very futuristic techno world so it would be great to score a film in that vein.
ReySon
Looking at your Facebook page, it seems you recently surpassed a fan base of 600k. Firstly, congratulations! Second, how does it feel to have strength in numbers of that magnitude? Think back, at one time, you started with only one fan, that has to hit the heart in some way sometimes.
Nero
It’s crazy how everything has progressed over the last year or so, I think 2/3 years ago we never would’ve thought that we’d have the kind of fan base we have. It’s all been very exhilarating.
ReySon
When one talks about gigging, there comes to mind substantial air travel, how do you boys cope with it? Do you produce, catch up on sleep, do crossword puzzles, or perhaps flirt with the flight attendants? haha.
Nero
We usually just hop into our matter transference beams so travelling vast distances across space and time is pretty much instantaneous.
ReySon
In terms of electronic dance artists, who do you have your keen eye on at the moment? Who do you think perhaps deserves a tad bit more lime light?
Nero
There’s lots of great up and coming electronic acts out there at the moment. Right now we’re most looking forward to the forthcoming albums from Kavinsky and Danger. Both albums are long overdue and we can’t wait to hear them.
ReySon
My final question is an informal curiosity question. Toronto, Canada has a new adrenaline adventure attraction…its called EdgeWalk. Here’s the link: www.edgewalkcntower.ca . Essentially, your harnessed in, you venture 1400ft up the CN Tower, and you walk on the outside of the tower. My question to you, are you afraid of heights, and would you do it? If the answer is yes, perhaps the next time your in our neck of the woods, we should get you boys up, up and outside, haha.
Nero
No, that sounds wretched.
ReySon
Dan & Joe, thanks for your time!
Nero
Cheers mate, lets do this again.

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Nero – Me and You (Dirty South Remix) by 1ReySon

Tits & Clits Interview

ReySon — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:54:08 +0000

FREE! It’s a word that doesn’t come by too often, but when it does you try and take advantage of it. Having recently released their Labyrinth EP to the universe at no cost to the consumer (see bottom of page for download link image), T&C is finally receiving the proper attention they deserve (at least here in North America). Although i may not be a prophet who can foretell the future, i love knowing 100% without a doubt that the future of certain artists is bright. T&C is one future you need not worry about…

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ReySon
Guys, its a real kick having T&C here on SS for an interview, much thanks for both your time! First things first, how are you mates? Big ups on your Labyrinthe EP, it has received nothing but raving reviews from what i have seen!
Tits & Clits
I’m great, thank you! It feels good to read all those reviews, we had been working on the new EP for half a year now. We had done so many remixes, that we really never got much time to work on our own productions and we also didn’t wanna get labeled as only remixers.
ReySon
Time, time, time, or the lack there of seems to be the norm among artists. Well, the wait for some original T&C material was well worth it! I am curious to know though, how did the titling of the EP come about? Do you boys have a deep admiration for Greek mythology?
Tits & Clits
We wanted to have a little bit more of some meaning to our tracks this time than “let’s go” so we got ourselves a bit into Greek mythology, and that’s how we produced the EP, and yes, we love it, the most exciting mythology, isn’t it?
ReySon
It Is! From what i remember. Haha. Unfortunately, the only Greek mythology that ive ever brushed up with was back in highschool when the teacher made us read Homer’s, The Odyssey. I am due for a refresher though! Out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on 2012? I noticed a few triad and triangle applications throughout your facebook posts and album artwork and simply wanted to throw the question out there.
Tits & Clits
As they say, comes the end of the world in 2012, we wanna do a huge party and enjoy our last year!
ReySon
Well count me in! Fortunately, “the world as we know it will end” – not the world itself ;D

Anyhow, changing from the doom & gloom topic, what’s got to have been your proudest moment as artists?
Tits & Clits
When Felix da Housecat played a track of ours in his Essential Mix for Radio 1, we were really proud, but when we were asked to produce the theme for the film Electro Wars (the documentary about the upcoming electro scene in the USA) we were really proud as well – we made a symphonic cover of a track by Justice, Daft Punk, and the Bloody Beetroots mixed into a medley, the original artists listened to the covers and approved them – that was a huge moment in our lives as well.
ReySon
The approval of Justice, Daft Punk & Bloody Beetroots! That trifecta could make anybody faint. What are your thoughts on the current scene in North America? Its a completely unique revolutionary thing that is sweeping our culture, and as we watch the scene grow and grow we can only ask ourselves, whats next? I do realize you boys are from Budapest, Hungary but its always enlightening to hear an outsider perspective.
Tits & Clits
It’s funny to see how the whole electronic music scene which has a big culture in europe is just breaking through in North America – but a little sad as well – when i hear a Shakira track which samples Major Lazer, Kesha, who is the worst copy of Uffie, we just say why? Some things just should stay underground, mainstream pop happens to kill a lot of good underground styles as it transforms them to a “user friendly” mess… Anyway, electronic music producers nowadays can reach more people, which is a good thing, but i’m not sure if it’s the right people.

I liked it more in Hungary as well, when 2-300 people came to a party who really had a passion for “Electro” music , but in the past few years there are parties with 2-3000 guests too, with people who don’t share that much passion for the music itself, they come because all their friends come, and because of it’s “hip factor”
ReySon
Things have changed, and things are changing, at an exponential rate might i add as well. It’s actually quite entertaining being in the audience here in North America and watching it all unfold in front of our eyes.

You mention that mainstream pop with artists such as Kesha and Shakira tend to kill the underground, but are there any artists that you can think of that have helped our industry grow? Perhaps on a broader scale, are there any artists on our side (the EDM side) that have assisted in driving the growth of our industry. For example, some say David Guetta is a sell out, but that he did many things to push the boundaries of electronic dance music.
Tits & Clits
If i had to name a few artists who are very popular but still enjoyable, forward thinking and aren’t that much of sell-outs, i think i would mention Chromeo, Justice, who could change a lot with their new album, and although its much lighter than the first one, it’s not mainstream in any way. I would list Calvin Harris too if he didn’t make an awful song with Rihanna, hehe…

David Guetta? We rather not even mention that name.
ReySon
Haha, looks like we have something in common. I was sort of disappointed that he was named #1 on DJ Mag’s Top 100. Anyhow, let’s change the subject, haha.

How do you explain your music to your family members? Are they into the music, or is it like talking to a glass of water, haha.
Tits & Clits
My mother kinda likes electronic music, and sometimes i show her some stuff we do and although she states that its hard for her, she likes them. My father? He was a disco dj in the early 80′s, haha so he must like them! He almost also went to see one of our shows but when i told him we start at 2am, it scared him away. Ben?

Well, my parents aren’t interested in electronic music, but sometimes my mom and my 34 year old brother – who doesn’t really like electro music either – says a few kind words about our tracks. They never ask me to explain them what kind of music we make exactly, but some of my friends do, and it’s always hard to describe it to them, because they only know the basic styles: house, techno and disco.
ReySon
Haha, well its good to hear that your folks and family aren’t opposed to your line of work.

When you’re not making or playing music, what’s your preferred pastime?
Tits & Clits
Well, we both are graphic designers, so the visual arts are really important in our lives as well, not to even mention cinema, but we don’t mind drinking a beer or two either, hehe.
ReySon
Haha, I’ll keep a pint of Canada’s finest chilled in the fridge awaiting your visit.

I won’t take up much more of your time guys, but before we part, tell us about your upcoming gigs and releases…
Tits & Clits
Thanks man, can’t wait to drink it! We’ll bring you some pálinka!

Currently we have most of our gigs in Hungary, but we’ll be visiting Vienna, Austria on November 19th, and Zagreb, Croatia, on December 9th as well. We also plan to release a remix EP of our Labyrinth EP around January, with outstanding remixers. Let’s just keep their names a secret for now
ReySon
Awesome!!! Looking mighty forward to hearing what’s to come next! In the meantime, keep hard at work, i’ll keep those beers chilled in the fridge, and we shall chat very soon.
Tits & Clits
Great! Thanks for the interview!

Download Tits & Clits – Labyrinth EP for FREE!!!

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Dead C.A.T Bounce & You Killing Me – Justice! (Tits & Clits Remix) by 1ReySon
Tits & Clits – Icarus /// click Buy for free download! by Tits & Clits
Tits & Clits – Daedalus /// click Buy for free download! by Tits & Clits

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