It's always nice to see influential artists receive the accolades they deserve - even if it's arguably a year late. Music streaming platform Spotify recently recognized a handful of artists, tracks and albums in its annual Year In Music top lists, naming Kygo their "breakout artist of 2015."
It's reassuring that even after spending a large chunk of 2015 making radio-ready pop music with the likes of Justin Bieber, Skrillex can still throw down a set of bone-rattling bass music when the situation calls for it. Now that EDC Brasil has wrapped up, a direct recording of his performance at the festival has begun making its rounds on social media.
This fall, we've been fortunate enough to receive not one but two originals from Swedish DJ/producer Olwik. After flexing his progressive house muscles with last month's "Velocity," he's feathered off the gas pedal somewhat to deliver "Fight No More," a considerably more poppy, melodic use of his keen production chops.
Who says you can only remix recent tracks to stay relevant? Andrew Rayel took a break from remixing the likes of Tommy Trash to put his signature sound on a (somewhat) classic, and what he turned out as a result makes for a worthwhile revisitation.
As aftershocks from last weekend's inaugural edition of Insomniac's all-trance festival, Dreamstate, continue to rock the world of electronic music, speculations of a major comeback for trance seem all the more plausible. Being that Paul Van Dyk was a legendary DJ and producer of the genre since back when it towered over other dance music genres, his inclusion on the festival's lineup was practically a necessity - and if you're familiar with his strong convictions regarding musical integrity then you can guess that he had quite a bit to say about the occasion.
Ultra Korea has given EDM fans all across South Korea a reason for excitement. Following another massive year for the festival, organizers have announced that it will span three days in 2016 - and they've released the official aftermovie of the 2015 edition to celebrate.
If what took place at Dreamstate this past weekend in SoCal was any indicator, trance is poised for a momentous comeback. As if seeking to ride the wave of the imminent resurgence, trance icon Ferry Corsten has announced that he will bring back his Gouryella project in 2016, and will soon be announcing a series of live shows set to take place throughout the world.
It looks like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remixes aren't just for Porter Robinson anymore. In conjunction with The Game Awards, none other than big room house megastar Hardwell has delivered a remix of the video game's iconic "Gerudo Valley" theme that marries melodies close to the hearts of a bygone gamer generation with the festival-friendly sounds of the one that followed it.
If you're too burned out on modern pop music to keep up with every single track, perhaps listening one of DJ Earworm's impressive mashups would be a convenient way for you to get a more modest dosage of some of the biggest songs on the charts.
New York City-based techno fans have new cause for excitement, as the Dutch festival brand Awakenings has announced its first stateside standalone event in the form of Awakenings NYC. Organizers gauged interest by curating an Awakenings stage at Electric Zoo earlier in the year, and based on the overwhelmingly positive response they've arranged to transform Manhattan's Hammerstein Ballroom into a pulsing techno monolith for an evening.
