Seven Lions Gets Metal with TMN [EXCLUSIVE PLAYLIST]

Before you get all up in arms about us featuring metal, take a deep breath, relax those fingers hovering above your keyboard, and delete that comment you were about to post below. You’re correct in assessing that we don’t really post metal. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find much on our site, outside of some instrumental post-metal or a handful of heavy dubstep remixes. However, our dojo does have a few metalheads in it, myself included.

But, none of that really matters. This month is all about our Resident Artist, Seven Lions. If you’ve paid any attention to him through the years, you know he has deep adoration for blazing fast, intricate guitar work, head-banging breakdowns, and guttural growls. With that in mind, we asked him to put together a playlist of some of his favorite metal songs.

So, stretch out that neck, throw on your headphones, and get ready to rock.

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Seven Lions talks touring, Opeth, and Starry Night Stout [TMN EXCLUSIVE]

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We took a trip down memory lane to see just how long we’ve been covering the larger-than-life basslines and heavenly, melodic synths crafted by Jeff Montalvo, better known as Seven Lions. It’s been over four years since he first popped up on our radar, and since then, he’s graced the pages of our site time and time again.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s kept tabs on his impressive list of successes over the years, from stellar releases, to unforgettable festival performances. His brand presence has become a household commodity, with many eagerly expecting to catch his sets, whether it be at their favorite club, or the most sought-after festival.

As we continue our Residency with Jeff, we decided it would be a good time to catch back up with him after all these years.

TMN: First off, thank you for coming onboard as our Resident Artist for the month of October. As long time fans, it’s an absolute pleasure to have you. It’s also been three years since we last interviewed you, so it’s great to catch up. Let’s start things off by talking about your most recent release, “Rush Over Me” which you worked on with Illenium and Said the Sky – two Colorado boys. How did this collaboration come to be?

SL: Actually, I had met Trevor in Denver a long time ago when he gave me a flashdrive. The funny thing is – I get those a lot, but a lot of times I don’t have the time to actually listen to them. With Trevor’s, I actually did and it was really good music.

I hit them up and was like, “Hey, I need some fresh ears on this. Do you guys want to collab on this?” Then they worked on it, then I worked on it, then they worked on it.
Continue reading

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[Resident Artist of the Month October] Seven Lions

It was early in 2012 when we were introduced to the now ubiquitous dubstep Producer/DJ Seven Lions. He has been capable of not only contributing to the evolution of dubstep, but mastering the interlacing of soothing extended vocals and melodies. Early on, as dubstep hit America, many up and coming producers were primarily going for sonic aggression, while another sub-section of electronic artists, including Seven Lions, prioritized on well-crafted harmonies above all else. Fast forward 4 years and it is still true today. A Seven Lions track can caress you into a soothing mental trance and equality shake you to the core, all the while providing a fresh take on the genre. This obviously brings us to his latest EP Creation. The collection of tracks are much rooted in organic elements than his previous work, providing a new marriage between the acoustic and the electronic worlds. Following a new approach to producing, Seven Lions explains,

This time, songwriting really took place on guitar. There are more acoustic elements in the songs, and that ties it together. I wanted to get a little more experimental. I didn’t worry if something was going to be a big banger on the dancefloor or not. I just made what felt right at the time.

And he absolutely nails it.

This, along with many other reasons is exactly why we are extremely humbled to introduce our next Artist of the Month of October. There are many artists we admire, but not everyone has stayed as consistent about evolving their style as we have seen from Seven Lions. During the following weeks we will bring you more insight into his world, exclusive new tracks and a few surprises in between.

In the meantime, we highly encourage picking up tickets to one of his upcoming shows. Aside from what you’ll witness in the video below, you’ll also be helping support the fight against cancer through the tour’s charitable partner, Fuck Cancer.

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[Drum & Bass] Decade Of Viper LP

2014 marks ten years in the game for Viper Recordings, the popular UK drum and bass label ran by producer and DJ Futurebound. The past decade has seen the platform gain considerable success, signing some of the scene’s most impressive artists and releasing a string of classic tunes that will be played for well over the next ten years. The label is choosing to celebrate their birthday by putting out a brand new compilation, “Decade Of Viper”, filled with both exclusive tracks and a set of classic Viper tunes that have been doing the rounds at D&B nights since they were first unleashed.

The array of artists that feature on this LP is quite astonishing – from Sigma to Delta Heavy, The Prototypes to Koven. Previously unheard music takes the form (amongst many others) of Tali “Forces”(Trei Remix), Smooth & Futurebound “Savoy Affair” and Cyantific “Bring You Love.” There are twenty Viper favourites on this album, ranging from DC Breaks “Halo”, Smooth “Virgo Cluster”, The
Prototypes “Pale Blue Dot” and Seven Lions “Below Us” ft. Shaz Sparks.

It’s certainly been an impressive decade for the Viper family, and we’re looking forward to the next one. The “Decade Of Viper” LP is out now, and you can purchase a copy here.

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[Show Preview] Zeds Dead Altered States Tour – Mile High City 10/11

Watch out Colorado, Zeds Dead is bringing their Altered States tour to the 1st Bank Center next Friday, October 11th. If we weren’t excited enough for the Canadian duo to bring their insane base to the mile high city, the line-up for this whole show is one for the books. Joining ZD will be the Chicago trio Krewella whose music has been tearing up the radio waves and capturing new fans everyday. Also Paper Diamond, Seven Lions, Green Lantern, Candyland and Branchez will all bring their diverse music styles and their crazy musical talents. To the fans in Colorado, don’t miss this show, don’t miss this show oh yeah, and don’t miss this show.

’Zeds Dead – Shut Up & Sing V2.0 v Greta Svabo Bech’
’Krewella – Live For The Night’
’Paper Diamond & Christian Rich
XIX feat. Angela McCluskey’
’Seven Lions with Myon and Shane 54 – Strangers (Feat. Tove Lo)’
’DJ Green Lantern – Splitting Atoms’
’Candyland & Zak Waters – Not Coming Down’
’Stay (Branchez Bootleg)’
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[Electronic] Seven Lions – Fever ft Minnesota + Mimi Page (Show tonight in Denver)

Seven Lions
Fevers (Ft. Minnesota and Mimi Page)

Listening to Seven Lions today, also known as Jeff Montalvo, it is hard to believe this California native was once a metal and punk-inclined drummer but then again, all of his pieces have some major drum beats that take over every listener’s body. No exception to this is his recently released “Fevers” featuring the very talented Minnesota and the captivating vocals of Mimi Page. This beautiful song captures the very sound that is Seven Lions, a mix of electronic melodies with haunting lyrics and progressive beats. At 1:30, Seven Lions throws down an explosion of impulsive sound that swirls through the eardrums. Montalvo had a unique sound that continues to amaze and wow the music industry as well as his fans, all of them always excited for what he will bring next.

If you are in Denver tonight, be sure to stop by Cassleman’s for the Global Dance Pre-Party where Montalvo will be throwing down his unbelievably impressive music.

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[TMN EXCLUSIVE] Interview – Seven Lions

Seven Lions
Live @ Ultra, OWSLA stage 03-16-13

There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Miami during WMC is absolute insanity. Artists, Label Reps, Publicists, Bloggers and fans are rushing around the streets of South Beach, bouncing from party to party, trying to get the most out of their experience. This year was our first year working it, and we definitely had far too much stacked on our plate.

With that being said, we unfortunately couldn’t sit down with Seven Lions in person. As many of you know from posts in the past, Seven Lions is a TMN favorite. His melodic and often aggressive style is something that’s truly unique. We’ve supported every almost all of his music, and will continue to do so. On top of loving his production, we’re also huge fans of his live show. We caught his set at the Anjunabeats Pool Party, and it ended up being one of the most memorable ones from our trip. We highly encourage you head out an see him live. In fact, if you’re in the LA area, you can catch him this Friday at his first headlining gig in LA at CONTROL.

TMN: It goes without saying that you have been one of our favorite producers of all times, blurring the lines between genres. The Cosmic Love (Florence and the Machine) remix just left us floored. What is your primary source for discovering new independent music?

SL: The internet was my primary means of finding new bands, especially when I was first really finding my love for music early on. None of my friends listened to metal back in the day so I would spend countless hours just searching through websites for bands. When I am listening to more mellow music, like acoustic stuff, I will use Pandora. Also, Erik Mongrain radio is my jam. I don’t listen to a lot of new stuff to be honest. I tend to fall back on metal albums I’ve listened to for years.

TMN: We know you love a good beer, tell us what is your favorite?

SL: Russian River’s Pliney the Elder, or Dogfish head 90 min

TMN: Not a lot of people know this about you but you are a big fan of Metal music, what are some of the bands you listen to and does it influence your music?

SL: Surely does – Ensiferum, Opeth, Wintersun, Porcupine Tree, Cephalic Carnage, Blind Guardian, At the Gates, Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir, Amon Amarth, Novembre

TMN: Out of all the tracks you have released, which one do you think had the biggest impact, not popularity wise, but in promoting what you are all about.

SL: Tyven, for a lot of reasons.


TMN: What do you think is the biggest difference between dubstep now compared to 3 years ago.

SL: Honestly, I really never liked dubstep back then. A lot of really cool/melodic stuff is coming out now, not just dubstep either. It’s for sure changed since I first heard it a few years ago. It seems like most of the popular stuff is really well produced and it wasn’t always that way. I remember one of the things that really turned me off about dubstep at first was how poorly it sounded sonically.

TMN: With every release, your sound keeps evolving, how do you manage to continually come up with a new set of sonic experiences? And how much is that influenced by outside factors?

SL: A lot of influence has come from playing shows lately. The more I play to a larger crowd the more I think about that while writing music. It’s added a whole new thing to think about while composing/producing a song. On the other hand, I have realized that not every song needs to be a dance floor track, when I am working on a song on not worried about how it will sound on a big system, I feel much more creative.

TMN: What is the biggest difference for you between “Days To Come” EP and “Polarize”?

SL: I think Polarize was a collection of songs that I spent years experimenting on and getting my sound right. Days To Come was less experimental and more focused on where I wanted to go with the project.

TMN: Is there anyone in particular that you would like to collaborate with?

SL: Ellie Goulding, Imogen Heap, Sigur Ros

TMN: As one of the most blogged about artists in the scene, often topping the charts on Hype Machine, what role do music blogs play in bringing more exposure to less known artist?

SL: Music blogs are huge. They have as much or more power than a lot of record labels. I feel very lucky to have such support from the community.

TMN: Ok, we know you’ve been interviewed a lot in Miami. We’d like to change the pace up a little and ask you some random questions:

TMN: Who is your favorite bond?

SL: Sean Connery

TMN: What do you do for a hangover cure?

SL: Mimosas

TMN: If you could only have one artist’s music in your ipod, who would it be?

SL: Opeth

TMN: Snap backs or fitted hats?

SL: Mostly top hats or wide brimmed straw hats

TMN: Name three words that describe your music:

SL: “Melodic, Progressive, Heavy”

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