Well, TomorrowWorld is officially underway, as of today, and a good lot of you are gearing up for three days of dance music heaven. We’re admittedly jealous, considering we’ll be in our respective states, probably just getting caught up on Narcos. Netflix and chilling aside, we have another piece in our TommorrowWorld playlist series, coming from former Resident Artist Justin Jay.
For those of you who are heading to the festival, this playlist should provide ample vibes for your pre-party shenanigans. For those of you who won’t be attending, this is still perfect to carry you through your work week and into the weekend.
If you find yourself in the company of the former, make sure to catch Mr. Jay on the Pete Tong stage, Saturday, from 4:00PM-5:30PM. You won’t be disappointed.
Alright, ninjas. We’ve been hooking you up with free entry to Beta over two years now. We know you’ve had some epic times, catching some of the most legendary talent EDM has to offer, and we’re on board to keep this thing going. So, we’re once again giving you an opportunity to check out the best night club in North America for free. What all do you have to do to get in? It’s pretty damn easy. Just follow these steps:
– Head to the front door and enter the club before 11 pm
– Show this post to the cashier (Valid for 21+ only)
– The deal is valid for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
See you on the dance floor.
Benny Benassi - 9/24
’Benny Benassi & Marc Benjamin ft Christian Burns – Who I Am’
Every time we hear a new song from Texas-based Conner Youngblood, we have to stop and ask ourselves, “Why isn’t this kid blowing up right now?” Not to discredit the success he’s already experienced, especially given the reach of tracks like “Australia” and “The Warpath.” But, in our eyes, Conner Youngblood should be a household name. He’s been a long-time favorite of ours, both within TMN HQ, and individually amongst writers, and it can’t be too much longer before droves of others are proclaiming the same.
There’s a certain casual, unassuming, and welcoming vibe from Youngblood’s music. It’s not pretentious. It’s not overly complicated. It’s just…good. “Birds of Finland” shows us that again, as we experience a blend of experimental and familiar. We’re welcomed in by strange, vocoder-filtered vocals, oriental-style strings, and understanded piano keys. The song transitions into a powerful, building folk song, highlighted by that voice we’ve come to know and love through the years.
“Birds of Finland” can be found on his upcoming EP, Generation of Lift, due out October 9th.
It seems like it’s been ages since we first came across the incapacitating and hauntingly beautiful voice of Ms. Ofelia K. In reality, though, it’s only been a handful of months since we fell head-over-heels with “White T-Shirt.” Like a pleasant, unexpected text from a long time friend, this impressive indie chanteuse has come back into our lives, and we’re pretty damn thrilled about it.
“Gone” draws listeners in with a slow, calming, piano-driven build, which eventually leads us to those softly-sung vocals we’re so easily enamored with. Coupled with a reverberating beat, playful synths, and subdued percussion, “Gone” will quickly have you lost deep inside your own mind, and blissfully so.
We’ve had the pleasure of watching PatrickReza evolve over the years, continually relishing in his inventive tunes, regardless of genre. Now, we get to see the next step in his evolution, as he turns his attention onto providing clean water for people in Kenya, Uganda, India and Haiti.
Fans of Reza won’t want to miss the opportunity to win a pair of his signed SOL REPUBLIC headphones. On top of the chance to pick up this legendary piece of memorabilia, each entry will buy water filters which can provide a person with clean water for a year. Think about it this way – if you contribute the minimum ($2), you’ll provide 40,000 gallons of clean water to those in need. Pretty insane, right?
To highlight his recent campaign with our buddies over at Cadence & Cause, Mr. Reza has dialed up an absolutely filthy mix, which includes a few unreleased tunes, as well as some of his favorites at the moment. If you’re really feeling it, you can get it for free by entering to win his headphones. That’s also the only way you can figure out what the tracklist is too.
It won’t be long before Minneapolitans, St. Paulites, and the rest of Minnesotans find an all too familiar second meaning to the line “I Can’t Feel My Face.” Whether or not this stellar remix from Twin City-based producer/DJ had that in mind when he stepped into the studio will remain unknown. What we do know is this – this remix/cover, which was dialed up by Truancy and vocalist Ian Everson, will certainly heat up the dance floor for the coming months, providing not only Minnesota, but the rest of the country with a vehicle to warm themselves up while cutting some rug.
In a city where bass and big drops reign supreme, this up-and-coming producer is being hailed as somewhat of a hometown hero, serving up those who want to populate the early morning windowless warehouses. One listen through this artful house interpretation should have you feeling the movement he’s currently spearheading, by means of a driving kick, funky bassline, enveloping melodies, and those sultry vocals.
As he’s done in his own scene, Truancy (with the help of Ian Anderson) separates himself from the pack of other producers across the globe who took on this wildly popular song. To top it off, this remix is a prelude to something bigger than himself, which will be coming out next week via the charitable music platform, Cadence & Cause.
We suggest you stay tuned and find out what exactly that will be.
Cat”a*clasm\ n. A breaking asunder; a violent disruption.
The creative process is a fickle beast. There are countless factors that can adversely affect you – from work, to romance, to the very environment that surrounds you. We certainly understand these trials and tribulations, to a degree, even though what we’re doing is on a much simpler level than creating music.
Crywolf recently experienced a collective of aforementioned factors, which lead him to do something completely outside the box. Yes, plenty of artists, whether they be writers, painters, or musicians, have gone to a secluded spot, far away from society, to draw some inspiration. Few have chosen to fly halfway across the globe to obtain said inspiration. The end result for Crywolf is a body of work known as Cataclasm, which was written in a village in Iceland.
At the beginning of this year, I started feeling super discontent with where I was musically and creatively in general. I felt stifled from being so deep in the music industry – felt so much pressure to be so many things I wasn’t. I decided to get away for a month and a half to a cabin in the remote Icelandic village of Bildudalur, population 65, to intensively write and record the skeleton for my debut album. What I returned with was more than I could have dreamed of, and I am ridiculously proud of it.
Fans of Crywolf will once again find themselves pleasantly lost in the vast soundscapes, and that gorgeous vocal tone that they’ve come to love and appreciate over the years. Those who haven’t crossed paths with this brilliant, young musician, will have their eyes and ears perk up at the hauntingly beautiful collection of songs.
To highlight this life and art-changing experience, Crywolf has put together a mini documentary series, which kicks off here, today, on The Music Ninja. The song featured in the video is “Rising, Rising,” which will be found on this upcoming LP.
I wanted you guys to be able to follow me on this journey, to be able to see everything that went into this album; the trip to get there, the process of sourcing equipment, the isolation, the moments of inspiration, everything. One chapter of the series will be released with each of the singles from the album, each one named after a different Icelandic stave, which were symbols used in 17th century Iceland thought to have magical powers.
The first episode, Lásabrjótur (Lock-breaker), represents breaking free of the norms and standards that I am used to in my music. It documents the process of getting to Iceland, sourcing equipment, and trying not to freeze to death.
