Author Archives: Patrick Barry

[TMN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW] Art Department

Posted by Patrick Barry - April 30, 2014

Art Department Official
Much Too Much

Known for their pulsing, progressive live performances, the Canadian music production duo known as Art Department has quickly made a profound impact on the underground deep house scene. The sensual dance swagger put together by vocal dynamo Kenny Glasgow and No.19 record label founder Jonny White has elevated them to be considered some of the top DJs in the world right now. From Ultra Music Festival to Coachella, along with an upcoming set confirmed on the Hyte stage at Mysterland, Art Department’s momentum continues to gather devoted followers with every show. The two recently released a new track available for free download on Soundcloud called “Heartbreakers Techno”, which was featured not too long ago on Clayton’s Friday Party Playlist. We highly recommend you give their latest release a listen, and be sure to groove to Art Department’s recorded live performance from the BPM Festival this year in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

We recently had the chance to catch up with Kenny Glasgow and Jonny White prior to their performance at Ultra Music Festival. They let us in on some exciting news and upcoming projects, and gave us some perspective on what they’re trying to do with their music.

TMN: I’m here with Kenny Glasgow and Jonny White of Art Department. Jonny, you’re the owner of No. 19 records, correct?

Jonny White: Yeah.

TMN: I hear that you guys have a five year anniversary coming up. Is that right?

Jonny White: Yeah we’re celebrating 5 years and it’s fuckin’ flown by, right!? (Looks at Kenny) So yeah we’re really excited about that, and we’re doing compilations showcasing a lot of people that have been involved over the past 5 years. It’s mental.

TMN: And what are these parties that you’re throwing?

Jonny White: Social Experiments.

TMN: Tell us a little bit about that.

Jonny White: It’s like everybody does with their label showcases, but we’ve branded ours “Social Experiment”, which kind of describes what we’re doing. We’re incorporating a lot of different genres of music, and different types of artists that are on the label. For me that’s the best way to interact directly with our fans and represent exactly what we’re about. We want everyone to feel that energy from the most current music that we’re releasing, or planning to release over the next while. That’s the concept.

TMN: Why Art Department? How did that name come about?

Jonny White: It’s just a great name I thought.

Kenny Glasgow: It was supposed to be a record label in the early, early days.

Jonny White: I’ve got a list of names for shit, you know, and hopefully I’ll get around to using them for something. Art Department was at the top of the list for a while.
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[TMN DOES MIAMI RIGHT] Ultra + WMC 2014 Review

Posted by Patrick Barry - April 19, 2014

Welcome to my Ultra-world. It is a land filled with sun, sex, sounds, and sea. The energy here is relentless, the pace is fast. People come from around the globe to experience the narcotic pulse of bass that emanates throughout the city. Come with us as we voyage in to the depths of debauchery and dance, and experience the glory that is known as Miami Music Week.

Pool parties are a mainstay of the Winter Music Conference, so let our journey begin in South Beach at the Raleigh Hotel pool for the DIM MAK Miami Beach Party. Here we can observe the one and only Steve Aoki in his natural habitat. Aoki provides copious entertainment for all, and he is generous enough to even give some of his devoted following cake and champagne! Though very little of these accoutrements actually make it in to anyone’s mouths, it’s the thought that counts. Other notables to be taken from the environment are Deorro, The Chainsmokers, 3lau, Felix Cartel, and Autoerotique. Amidst the hard hitting, fist pumping, in-your-face beats that DIM MAK records is known for, we can’t help but to be pleased with the plethora of beauty and movement that surrounds us. A large pool waits patiently behind, framed in a soft blue hue and coaxing weary partiers towards it cool waters with the promise of buoyancy. As the party wanes, we trickle with the masses back on to Collins Avenue and become engulfed in an ocean of neon, skin, and cars that cost more than most families homes.

’New Dim Mak Music!’

Soundcloud

Back across the bay and just a couple miles north of the Ultra Music Festival, we now travel to a chic and sensuous lounge nestled in the heart of Wynwood. The famed area is known for its walls; ever-changing murals blanket the buildings. The crackle and hiss of spray paint can be heard around every corner and an aroma of acrylic permeates the nostrils like a vandal’s potpourri. Be mindful of the razor wire on your right as we meander towards The Social Lubricant. TSL’s staff holds up to the lounge’s name, offering courteous and brisk service along with reasonable drink prices (for Miami). Absorb the deep house beats put on tonight by the likes of underground sensation Thugfucker. That’s right, Thugfucker. While the American and Icelandic combination of Greg Oreck and Holmar Filipsson could certainly play until 5am, the line up tonight will not require them to. Both of the boys are in excellent spirits this evening from the looks of it. Their connection with their crowd is palpable. Each twist and turn of their set seems to mean something, each bassline tickles the stapes in a profound way. Don’t forget about Thugfucker’s buddies either. Matt Tolfrey, Nick Curly, Francesca Lombardo, and many others are here as well to ensure auditory satisfaction. Are you hungry? There’s a sushi bar in the back corner to compliment your ethanol if you so choose…I would highly suggest it, we’ll be here awhile.

’Thugfucker live’

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We’ve shown you South Beach and gone underground in Wynwood, so let’s venture now to what everybody has been waiting for; let’s go to Ultra Music Festival 2014! A cab is necessary because parking is the worst clusterfuck you’ve ever seen in your life. I am scheduled to interview Art Department, Paper Diamonds, and Vello Virkhaus prior to partaking in any of the festivities. You’ll notice that there, regrettably, is no press area within Ultra’s grounds…there IS, however, a mega yacht docked right next to the grounds that we can use. After delightful conversation coupled with a Krewella photo-op and a chance brush by with Zedd (he has sparkly eyes, pay no mind to my screaming “Zedd! You’re awesome!”), we tromp through the hidden workings back stage to make our way over to the Underground stage. Cue the sensory overload!

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[House] EDX – Cool You Off

Posted by Patrick Barry - April 19, 2014

EDX
Cool You Off

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EDM powerhouse EDX has recently come out with an ultra-clean dance tune called “Cool You Off”. I envision this tune played at a Miami pool party (granted, I am bias).

Hot crowd, chill vibe, copious libations. The bass line on this one is deep, the kick is peppy, vocals are smooth and relaxing. I would loop this thing on 16 bars for 20 minutes and no one would give a damn. Sip on a mojito, relax by the pool, and blast this baby to get everyone dancing and feeling fantastico.

House

Exclusive Interview with Vello Virkhaus, Founder of V Squared Labs

Posted by Patrick Barry - April 7, 2014

While covering Ultra Music Festival in Miami last weekend, we had the opportunity to catch up with Vello Virkhaus, the founder of V Squared Labs (http://vsquaredlabs.com/project/ultra-worldwide/) and official VJ of Ultra since it’s inception. Mr. Virkhaus was recently named #35 on Rolling Stone’s list of the top 50 people in EDM to date. What followed was a candid discussion about his past, present, and future projects, along with some of the more intimate details of how the amazing visual production at Ultra comes about.

TMN: Vello thank you so much for coming and speaking with us at The Music Ninja. Our readers are really interested to hear about what you’re doing and where you’re at. So first of all, how’d the show go today?

Vello: Everything is running really smoothly and it’s great to see the vortex come to life. I happen to love vortexes, they’re a personal favorite.

TMN: Now what do you mean by Vortex exactly?

Vello: As a visual artist, this stage. The designer who created it made it in kind of a radial array that recedes in space, so it has an effect that’s like a tunnel almost, which we call a vortex, or wormhole, which has a lot of movement. So it’s a really complicated surface and it’s awesome to see it mapped out. I’m really proud of our team this year. On an engineering and deployment level, we’re pretty small scale for a large festival like this, which has been good. We have more room in front of us, which is nice.

TMN: How did V Squared get started up?

Vello: I guess my first big entertainment project was with Korn in California. So Korn got me in to doing more concert visuals for rock bands…EDM actually lead to Korn, and then Korn went back to EDM so we’ve all been spinning in strange circles with people like J Devil coming out with his whole, evil-self, dubstep thing and being progressive. So it’s a nice circle. So we started there and it’s been growing slowly every year.

TMN: You have an art background correct? You went to Kansas City for a while I think?

Vello: One year there, and then I had my little rebellion, and then I moved to Chicago and went to the art institute there. So yeah I did my tenure, climbed the pole to my bachelors and then went in to post-production.

TMN: You had some other projects prior to V Squared as well?

Vello: Well, we really started in Ultra with Rabbit in the Moon. They were our first collaborators, and that brought me to Florida. And through Rabbit in the Moon, and Dave, and all the original people who were in this scene, they brought me to Ultra and brought OVT, our first company, in to do visuals. It’s been a cool growing process. So, from the beach to here, on the yacht, is like a time warp almost.
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[Event Review] Coastline Festival – West Palm Beach/Tampa

Posted by Patrick Barry - November 28, 2013

Photo credits: Jason Koerner.

’Passion Pit – Constant Conversations (Alternate Version)’

Soundcloud

We had the opportunity to attend the inaugural Coastline Festival 2013 on November 11th in West Palm Beach, FL. Located at the Cruzan Ampitheater. Turns out someone had the bright idea to get a bunch of food trucks, a multitude of beer breweries, and some of the finest names in indie music to come together and sustain/entertain the fine folks of South Florida.

The demographic of the festival-goers was truly diverse. The crowd ranged from teeny boppers and hipsters in wayfarers, and even an occasional neon-attired Aussie. The bands people stated they were there to see were almost as varied as the crowd themselves. With indie power houses like Passion Pit, Two Door Cinema Club, and Matt & Kim headlining, it was surprising how many fans listed other acts as their most anticipated. LA based Fitz and the Tantrums had a strong showing of listeners, along with the Cali quintet The Neighbourhood, scoring significant mentions during our very unscientific polling.

’Matt and Kim – Let’s Go’

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Matt & Kim blew us away with their dynamic stage presence and command of the crowd. Balloons, drummer booty shakin’, and gangsta beats all intertwined between energy filled tracks left us flabbergasted at what a two person band could do with their time slot. Two Door Cinema Club opened their flood gates of auditory excellence upon us as well. Their harmonic crooning coincided with punchy bass lines and meandering guitar riffs to provide an almost surreal experience. The effect was so powerful that after their third song we overheard a gentleman next to us proclaim, “Dude, I’m going to download EVERYTHING from them!” Noob.

’Two Door Cinema Club – Next Year (Radio Edit)’

Soundcloud

Music wasn’t the only attraction at this unique festival. The “Food Trucktopia” put together by event organizers was a thing of culinary beauty. Featuring mobile restaurants from all over South Florida, the lines for all the trucks stayed packed throughout the event. Our personal favorite delectable cuisine option was “Ms. Cheezious”. We’re no stranger to her sexy sourdough, and Ms. Cheezious truly brought out her very best for the occasion. The West Palm crowd knew quality when they tasted it, and Ms. Cheezious sold out their stock of grilled cheese goodness, well before the other trucks hit their breaking point. Other fan favorites were “Fry Daddy”, serving up delicious fried…everything…and “The Rolling Stove” with their bodacious brisket.

There’s nothing better than coupling the best grilled cheese sandwich you’ve ever had with an ice cold beer. Coastline Festival ensured a fine selection of craft beers were at our disposal for just such a chance. “Craft Beer Cove” provided an oasis of microbrews for us to sample, most noteworthy on our radar being Florida representatives “Funky Buddha Brewery” and “Tequesta Brewing Company”.

Bathrooms were plentiful. Service staff was courteous and knowledgeable. Security was present and alert, yet unobtrusive. Vendor booths were original. Artists were talented and inventive. The acoustics at the venue were excellent. The light show was awe inspiring. Coastline Festival was a complete success in our humble opinion, and an experience we hope to have again this time next year. Bravo!

[Event Review] Adrian Lux – LIV, Miami

Posted by Patrick Barry - September 8, 2013

Adrian Lux & Marcus Schossow
Wild Child feat. JJ (Radio Edit)

Soundcloud

Mr. Lux has made a name for himself with his hit singles “Teenage Crime”, “Strawberry” and “Can’t Sleep” off his self-titled debut album with Ultra Records. This year Adrian has been keeping busy traveling the globe on his DAMAGED Tour. Known for wooing crowds the world over with a diverse array of hip-hop, electro, and pop influenced tracks, Adrian Lux left us thoroughly impressed with his performance.

Prinz Adrian Johannes Hynne, better known as Adrian Lux, has a flare for the dramatic though his look is simplistic. Dressed in a dark tee shirt and devoid of jewelry, Adrian lets his enthusiasm for his music take the limelight. His choice in tracks and the emotion he exudes as he’s playing them speaks to his DJ prowess more so than any flash could. Miami EDM fans are known for having high standards and being tough to please. When you have a world class DJ (or 4) in your backyard on any given week, it’s easy to understand that one’s threshold for getting crazy on the dance floor may be elevated. Adrian Lux’s mix of perfectly timed build ups, unrelenting bass lines, and fresh remixes of fan favorites left us dancing like mad and begging for more.

We would be remiss to not address the environment in which this dance-fest took place. LIV, located within the luxurious Fontainebleau Resort in Miami Beach, is in the upper echelon of dance clubs worldwide. The audio-visual production incorporated in the LIV experience is truly breathtaking. Lasers, fog cannons, blanketing amounts of confetti, balloons, foam glow sticks, and even a train horn all combine with the stunning beauty of the residents of Miami to provide an occasion worthy of cherishing. The staff at LIV is courteous, the drinks are strong, and the organization within the venue is mathematic. When LIV’s ambiance is combined with the expert DJ skills of Adrian Lux, the end result is something very special.