Time Warp USA allowed techno lovers to bask in all the enchantment that typically goes down at their flagship events in Germany amidst the beautiful New York City skyline. The renowned festival took place right in the heart of Brooklyn's thriving electronic dance music scene at the esteemed Brooklyn Navy Yard warehouse. Following previously successful renditions of the leading indoor techno festival in the city that never sleeps. The Time Warp USA production completely exceeded our expectations, and we're still buzzing from the beauty of it all. 

Photo Credit: Tyler Allix

After missing out on all of the festival's glory last year, there's no way this year's grand return of the highly-awaited festival on this side of the Atlantic wouldn't come back even more incredible than ever before. From the moment we walked into the venue and heard that first rolling techno bassline, there was just something wondrous in the air. We could feel it.

From the gate, the energy radiating throughout the venue was palpable, vibes were unmatched, and it was apparent that every single attendee in sight was ready for the immersive two-day adventure full of nothing but the pure, soulful techno that was about to go down. While there are a plethora of reasons why Time Warp USA 2021 ranks at the top of our list, read on to learn the top five reasons the indoor techno spectacle completely exceeded our expectations. 

A Stunning Wide Array of Talent

As per usual, Time Warp USA was a top contender for many North American techno lovers simply because of its phenomenal lineup of artists. As a leading international festival, Time Warp remains consistent with its exceptional selection of astounding talent. This year, attendees were blessed with techno icons Ricardo Villalobos, Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler, Pan-Pot, Ben Klock, Marcel Dettman, Nina Kraviz, Richie Hawtin, Reiner Zonneveld, Stephan Bodzin, Adriatique, and many more. It's unique to encounter a two-day indoor festival of this range in The States with a lineup as impressive as this.

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Photo Credit: Offbrand Projet

Even in Techno, There is Diversity


If you're a true techno snob, you know that an abundance of distinct sub-genres exists under the techno umbrella, and Time Warp USA displayed that impeccably all weekend long. Techno has no boundaries, and getting to witness such extensive, mesmerizing soundscapes for two days straight was invigorating. There's nothing quite like going from being utterly mind-blown at an electrifying, hardcore DJ set to then feeling chills going down your spine while soaking up the beauty of a live instrumental ensemble just a few minutes later. The flawless intertwining of DJ sets and live performances across both floors throughout the weekend really did it for us, and we have the festival's ideal programming to thank for that. 


Photo Credit: Off Brand Project

Two DJs are Better Than One


This was the case with all of the extraordinary b2b sets we witnessed at Time Warp last weekend. Most artists on the finalized lineup are legends in the game, each bringing their specialized musical expertise to the table in their unique light. But when two first-class artists join forces on the decks and become one during a quality event such as Time Warp, everyone in attendance is bound to be left speechless. Witnessing Jamie Jones b2b Seth Troxler, Ben Klock b2b Marcel Dettman, Ricardo Villalobos b2b Craig Richards, and Mink b2b O.Bee made our Time Warp USA experience more powerful. What a tremendous combination of dynamic duos!

Photo Credit: Off Brand Project


Stunning Production and Otherworldy Design


While many indoor festivals exist around the globe, Time Warp's futuristic production quality is astronomical compared to the rest. The time, effort, and dedication to create this mind-altering, otherworldly visual and audio experience for attendees were evident throughout the festival's duration. The production team did a remarkable job curating this innovative playground of light and video architecture for attendees to indulge in fully. No matter where in the festival we resided, all our senses became instantly enlightened as we completely transcended into another dimension. This hypnotizing sensory overload was only yet another fascinating element of the entire Time Warp USA experience.


Photo Credit: Off Brand Project

There's No Better Place For Techno Than A Brooklyn Warehouse


Vibes and location are essential, and nothing makes a festival stand out from the rest other than when these two components are completely in sync with one another. The festival's 2019 production took place in upper Manhattan. While that was a legendary experience of its own, there was something quite unusual about this recent 2021 edition that took place in the most industrialized part of Brooklyn. Something about a techno-driven festival of this magnitude taking place in a warehouse locale deep in an underground music-loving city such as Brooklyn made it just that much more intriguing. Techno lovers from all over the nation migrated to the city to share space, which is a beautiful concept. 

Photo Credit: Off Brand Project

A music festival surpasses the rest for various reasons. Still, when attendees' and artists' energies align with the festival curators' intentions, that's when all the magic happens. If you've ever had the chance to partake in any previous Time Warp production, you know exactly what we mean by this. Time Warp never fails to leave both its attendees and performers in absolute awe, and this most recent techno-filled celebration in the states was nothing short of legendary. Until next time Time Warp USA!

5 Reasons Why Time Warp USA Was Worth the Wait

One of the most fascinating aspects of music is the relationship between artists and their chosen apparatus of creation. Jimi Hendrix didn’t simply play his guitars; he had a relationship with them. Every time he stepped into the studio or onto the stage, he further explored that relationship, and listeners continue to marvel at that exploration to this day.

Lubelski, the ascending LA-based producer, DJ, and label boss of Percomaniacs, has a studio full of different apparatuses of creation. And his latest LP, Happy Accidents, out now on Dirtybird Records, explores his relationship with modular synthesizers.

Where traditional, non-modular synthesizers retain a particular sound pallet, some of which have become unmistakable throughout decades of electronic music (the low-end womp of the Roland TR-808, for example), modular synthesizers allow the artist to create sounds that have never existed before. 

Every different knob and cable on a modular rig alters the sound in its own way. There are infinite configurations and settings, and that level of creative control opens the door to pure improvisation. 

Lubelski, real name Jake Lubell, crafted Happy Accidents through improvisation, and the title of the album refers to the basis of all 12 tracks.

“A happy accident is a found sound,” says Lubell over a recent Zoom call. “I’m letting the music itself be found in my modular jams. It’s not anything that’s pre-conceived. It’s finding the music as opposed to sculpting it.”

During Summer 2021, Lubell broadcast a series of modular jams on his own Twitch channel, under the same name: Happy Accidents. Every track on the album resulted from these jams in some way or another.

“I was able to go back into those individual recordings and nitpick what I wanted to use,” Lubell says. “Maybe I liked the drum idea and I would use that, or maybe I just like one little lead and I would start a new song based on it.”

Every time Lubell started a new stream, he searched for something he didn’t know that he wanted to find, a relationship with his modular rig that he likens to a conversation.

“It’s a conversation between me and the synthesizer,” Lubell says. “I might say for it to do something, and then it tells me something back that I didn’t expect.”

This relationship with modular persisted long before Lubell even started the Lubelski project. While attending UC Santa Cruz, he took an electronic sound synthesis course, and the school housed an extensive modular rig that students used for assignments.





One key aspect of modular synthesizers is they can grow to immense sizes. A single modular synthesizer holds a series of different modules. There is no limit to the total number of modules a synth can include, and each provides a unique quality to the music. 

Lubell used roughly 20 different modules in his setup for a Happy Accidents jam. Artists like deadmau5 and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails have synthesizers composed of hundreds of individual modules.

Each module furthers its relationship with the hardware, refining its ability to make music that sounds unequivocally singular.

“It’s like the LEGOs for adults,” says Lubell with a laugh.

Lubell applies jargon comparable in its esotericism to constitutional law or nuclear physics in discussing modular synthesis. Using terms like “ring modulation attenuation” as casually as most people use words like “the,” which expands further as he describes techniques he applied during the Happy Accidents jams.

“One thing I really love doing is throwing a pitch sequence on a filter cutoff with a high resonance on a filter. You can get these really interesting tones that you can’t get just by sequencing the pitch of an oscillator,” Lubell says. “The pitch comes from the resonance of the frequency as opposed to the actual pitch of the thing making the sound. If that makes sense.”

Most people would have lost him at pitch sequence. However, Lubell has been fostering his relationship with modular for years. It also makes sense to someone like DJ, producer, and head of Dirtybird, Claude VonStroke, who has his own decades-long relationship with synthesizers and electronic production.

Lubell and VonStroke, real name Barclay Crenshaw, had been in close proximity long before Lubell began producing Happy Accidents. 

Lubell put out his debut EP on Dirtybird, Impulse Response, in November of 2019, with a second EP, Lost My Senses, landing in September of 2020, as well as several offerings on different Dirtybird compilations.

As a seasoned Dirtybird Player, Crenshaw asked Lubell to contribute to Dirtybird Live, Dirtybird’s Twitch channel, over quarantine. Most of the programming centered around DJ sets, but Lubell had something different in mind.

“I didn’t want to be another DJ doing a DJ thing on Twitch. Everyone was doing that,” Lubell says. “I felt like I could really take the opportunity to dive into the live modular stuff.”

And so Lubell started Patchwork Sessions, a weekly live modular session very similar to Happy Accidents. The primary difference between the two shows is Patchwork Sessions wasn’t building towards a specific outcome. 

Crenshaw was aware of Lubell’s relationship with modular. Yet, after witnessing Lubell captivate audiences during Patchwork Sessions, Crenshaw asked Lubell for an LP’s worth of material based on modular sessions, a humbling and contemplative moment for Lubell.

“I’ll be totally honest I was a bit reluctant at first,” Lubell says of releasing an album on Dirtybird. “I have a very big vision for what my music should be, and I didn’t want to relinquish creative control of an album to somebody else, but luckily Barclay trusted me. He said ‘This album is about you. I want you to do your thing.’ So it felt really great to have someone I’ve looked up to for years ask me to do something like that.”

Following Lubell’s agreement, he migrated to his own Twitch and launched Happy Accidents. Crenshaw gave a strict deadline for the album, so Lubell spent six weeks streaming jams and then another three weeks dissecting and reworking the recordings into the final versions for the record.

The album took nine weeks from conception to completion. The result of the expedited process is 12 heavily technical tracks balanced by a sense of raggedy humanity. 

The improvisation in the jams provided an authentic quality to the foundation of each track while the quick turnaround left limited time to scrutinize the minor tweaks. These tweaks exist as little reminders of how despite house music’s metronomic underpinnings, there is room for some soul, some mortality, an idea advanced by Lubell’s relationship with production.

“I know myself, and if I keep working on something it will be a totally different song,” Lubell says. “I would rather call it, be done with it, and move on to the next project.”

Perhaps the only track on the album that received meticulous attention to detail was “Ice Cream Cone,” the co-production between Crenshaw and Lubell with Life On Planets contributing vocals. 

“[Crenshaw] is way more of a perfectionist than I am,” Lubell says. “He really knows his production and how he wants things to sound. He’s like ‘If it’s not perfect, I’m not putting it out.’ He’s sort of like the Gordon Ramsey of dance music. If it doesn’t taste good it’s not going on the plate.”

Lubell finalized the bulk of Happy Accidents in three weeks. Crenshaw spent over two weeks on “Ice Cream Cone,” by itself. Yet despite their completely inverse relationships with their creative apparatuses, they explored those relationships together. It’s truly fascinating, and the listeners get to marvel at the results.

Lubelski's 'Happy Accidents' LP Explores Improvisation and Modular Synthesis

It goes without saying that 2021 is a particularly poignant year to count what we should be thankful for. Actually, maybe it does need to be spoken because being vocal about what you're grateful for is necessary. And after the dumpster fire of 2020, counting our blessings in 2021 should be required of everyone.

Dance music's return to festivals and clubs in many parts of the world was welcomed with open arms and shuffling feet. And the epic festival season that unfolded in the last half of the year was unlike any other. The house and techno community has much to be thankful for.

While we don't need a holiday to remind us to be grateful, it doesn't hurt to have the reminder. We asked a few Gray Area friends and family to share what they are most thankful for in 2021. As you read ahead, take a moment to reflect on the friends, family, events, tracks, and experiences that made 2021 an incredible year for you. We're thankful for the dance music community and you.

Will Clarke

"This year is a particularly meaningful time to reflect and be thankful. I'm both thankful for all of the time I have been able to spend back home in England and I'm also incredibly grateful to be back on the road doing what I love again."

Follow WIll Clarke on Spotify | Instagram 




Tara Brooks

"I'm grateful for the ocean & that I fully committed myself to surfing. Im grateful for everyone's who's believed in and supported me, even when things have felt empty and disconnected. Im grateful for my passion & drive to never give up. Im grateful for my friends, fam, music evolutions, & all of YOU!"

Follow Tara Brooks on Spotify | Instagram


Life On Planets

"I'm grateful for the team in 2021. It takes a village! I wanna say a big big thank you to my manager Jon McDonald for believing in me. His faith in my music lead to some AMAZING opportunities in 2021 including collaborating with Lubelski & Claude VonStroke, playing the Dirtybird main stage, becoming a Twitch partner, getting a ton of music signed to some very dope labels and so much more. 2022 is gonna be a movie. Much love to my teams at 2+2 Management and Liaison. Also a big shout to Moody Jones for taking our collabs sky high!" 

Follow Life On Planets on Spotify | Instagram




Jeremy Olander

"I'm grateful for being back on the road again, particularly being back in NYC, but also for the time I got to spend in the studio and with my family and friends. Living a 'regular' life has definitely had it's upsides but I'm more than ready to get back to business."

Follow Jeremy Olander on Spotify | Instagram




QRTR


"I'm grateful to be able to spend time with all the people I love again, dancing in clubs, grabbing drinks at our favorite dive bars, catching a movie at the theater. I've never been so grateful for the little things as I am now, and I'm looking forward to never taking anything for granted again!"

Follow QRTR on Instagram | Spotify



Dillon Nathaniel

"I’m thankful for my health and my family first and foremost. I am so happy that we have survived such a crazy time and we all get to spend the holidays together again!

“The second thing I am most thankful for is to be able to play shows again. Electronic music has stood it’s ground and we are back stronger than ever. I am so thankful I can hug my fans after my set and be able to continue my journey with music.”

Follow Dillon Nathaniel on Spotify | Instagram




Justin Jay

"Got so much to be thankful for this year. It's surreal to experience live music again. I love how music can bring people together and lift people's spirits even when times are tough. It's been surreal to experience that once again from both the stage and the dance floor. I teared up pretty intensely at my first DJ setback since COVID and have attended so many amazing shows as a fan since. 

"Enjoying live music in person has been such a big part of my life, and I'm insanely grateful to have it back. I'm also grateful to have discovered a newfound balance in my life between touring and staying at home. Leading up to COVID, I was on the cusp of being burnt out from non-stop traveling. It's quite hard to turn down gigs when they're so much fun. However, achieving a healthier balance that enables me to be productive in the studio, stay connected with friends & family and treat my body well has been a game-changer. 

"Above all, the thing I'm the most grateful for is all of the amazing people who are in my life. The isolation of COVID definitely put things into perspective for me about how important it is to not be alone. Real relationships take time and effort to cultivate and maintain, which is something I've been trying to improve on. Very very grateful to be surrounded by truly incredible friends, family, coworkers, fans, and humans. Feeling so much gratitude and hoping for all the PLUR going into the new year! <3"


Follow Justin Jay on Instagram | Spotify

We Asked These Artists What They Were Thankful For in 2021

The United Kingdom is synonymous with a wealthy music culture. The region of approximately 70 million people encompasses countless artistic styles that have influenced the rest of the world. Pushing the boundaries of production and sound, Creamfields is one of the UK's premier dance music festivals. The Cream brand expanded from a weekly house night to a mega-festival, drawing in the biggest names in electronic music year after year. The exemplar of headliner culture, Creamfields harnesses the ability to assemble a perfect lineup, one that is not singular in taste but deeply provocative.

Performing at Creamfields is a right of passage for many musicians, a journey of hard work and perseverance in the nightlife industry. With several best festival awards under their belt, Creamfields reigns as a leader in the marketplace. Since 1998, Creamfields commences the summer holiday in late August, spinning a wide array of genres and tempos. The 2022 release of tickets sold out instantly as revelers were hungry for a return to the dance floor.

The original festival grounds at Winchester, Hampshire, drew in a crowd of about 25,000. From 1999 to 2005, Creamfields transferred locations to Liverpool, Merseyside. During this period of growth, Cream had to shut down its nightclub to focus on Creamfields. In 2006 Creamfields celebrated ten years by expanding to two days and relocating to its new home in Daresbury, Cheshire, where it hosts ten stages and welcomes 250,000 people over the weekend. 

The Cream brand has expanded internationally with signature festivals in Australia, Brazil, Buenos Aires, Czech Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Hong Kong, Ibiza, Ireland, Mallorca, Malta, Mexico, Romania, Paraguay, Poland, Peru, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, & Vietnam. Transcendental tunes have spread to the far corners of the earth, slowly shifting the soundscape of these distant regions. 

At home, stage takeovers such as Mad Decent, Pepsi Max, MK Area 10, and Mixmag have helped transform the musical landscape of the UK.

It was all a dream before Cream was founded in 1992 at a nightclub called Nation in Wolstenholme Square, Liverpool, by James Barton, Andy Carroll, and Darren Hughes. Saturday night was their territory, and they threw down every single week. Cream established itself in the UK nightlife hierarchy for a decade and developed a loyal fan base through its jam-packed lineups with the most prominent local and international stars. 

Alongside being one of the founders of Cream, Andy Carroll was an integral resident DJ, showcasing his calculated tastemaking abilities. Carroll's background in music put him in a prime position to progress the Cream brand. In conjunction with being the A&R at Deconstruction, Carroll and James Barton conceived Olympic Recordings in 1992 that had a poignant run till 2005. Darren Hughes connected with James Barton through a mutual friend. With Hughes' expertise in marketing and Barton's establishment in the nightlife scene, the Cream brand became a household name. 

Hughes left Cream in 1998 to open a nightclub in London called Home. Destined to be a super club, the political atmosphere of London caused more problems than it created. 

In 2012 Cream was acquired by Live Nation, and James Barton became Live Nation's president, further accelerating themselves in the field to compete with the best music festivals in the world. 

Innovation with partnership breeds success, and Creamfields has partnered with many prominent brands to elevate the brand further. Virgin Records released a series of studio mixes titled Creamfields with legends like Paul Oakenfold, Seb Fontaine, Yousef, and Ferry Corsten. Mixmag and BBC Radio 1 have long partnered to bring the Creamfields experience into people's homes around the world. Headlining partner Cinch, one of the biggest car resellers in the UK, provides lucky winners with a VIP viewing deck. Cinch also provides exclusive behind-the-scenes content from Creamfields on its social media pages.   

In 2013, £500,000 was invested in renovations to the festival grounds to weatherproof against the summer showers, and security enforcement has become a top priority. An additional cash injection of £2,000,000 in 2019 proceeded to improve the logistics in the fields of water, security, parking, and many others to fine-tune the process for festival-goers and staff. 

The lighting and visual rigs from a production standpoint are architectural behemoths slowly shifting the possibilities of design. Over the years, the stage design at Creamfields has progressed from traditional to visually breathtaking. Creamfields currently boasts ten stages in its repertoire.  

The ARC and Horizon / BBC Radio 1 stages utilize mammoth LED screens with advanced architectural precision to create visual paradises that are just as breathtaking from a helicopter as they are from the ground. 

The SILO stage features a 360 light array, encircling the attendee to an ancient theatrical ensemble in a metal superstructure. Finally, the Generator stage combines that same industrial warehouse underground feel as Silo while using shipping containers as walls. 

The internal renovations combined with the technological breakthroughs in 2006 saw the implementation of the Creamfields Steel Yard, a neo-metal megastructure built by Acorn Event Structures that won Best Stage by Festival Supplier Awards in 2017 and 2018. 

Steel Yard residencies have popped up in London and Liverpool as they pay homage to the primal roots of electronic music culture. Eric Prydz orchestrated his spectacle titled VOID (Visual Offset Isometric Design) at the Steel Yard in 2019, illuminating the night with an array of bright lights and lasers geometrically positioned from every direction. 

During the '90s, Cream was the epicenter of the dance music world. What started as a fiesta for a few hundred attendees turned into a few hundred thousand. At its height, Cream was a social landmark, filling out Nation with top-level acts. Seas of people flowed in and out of the Cream doors until its final show in September 2002. The venue expanded from holding 400 people to a few thousand. 

Certain places have become the cornerstone of a city; if you ended up in Liverpool in the late 90s, chances are you brushed shoulders with the same energy and motivation. As that creativity oozed through the audience, a new generation of ravers were born, subgenres upon subgenres later. There are special moments to savor, the ones that freeze time or make it fly while the music remains perpetually timeless.

Creamfields: Transforming a Club Night into a Global Dance Icon

The term "Slap House" is currently one of the hottest sub-genres on the dance music scene, but how did it come to be? 

"I actually first heard it called 'Brazilian Bass.' Slap house as a term came to me way later", explains Tribbs a rising slap house artist. Alok, the well-known Brazilian DJ claims that he invented the sound called Brazilian Bass around the mid-2010s, but in late 2016 there is evidence that this morphed into the sound we recognize as slap house. The new characteristic sonic palette first appeared on Alok's remix of "That's My Way" by Edi Rock and Seu Jorge, followed quickly by his single "All I Want" with Liu & Stonefox. Since then, the term Brazilian Bass has gradually become synonymous with Slap House. 

Compared to this new sound, pre-2016 Brazilian Bass featured a similar, attack-heavy bass tone, but was more obviously synthesizer-based, with a less-swung rhythm, and placed greater emphasis on varied and exciting bass tones and sound design, usually with multiple basses playing in an interlocking pattern. 

By contrast, Alok's single "All I Want" features only one bass sound in the main chorus section, a sample-based tone that has the sonic quality of being somewhere between a synthesizer and an organic source such as a real bass guitar. This sound was most likely created by layering two or more sounds together, and then rendered and played back as a one-shot sound, pitch-shifted to the different bass notes via some form of sampler software.

Shortly after this slight change of sound, Alok had a big hit with the track  "Hear Me Now." It's a mellow acoustic-guitar-driven track that features a classic (yet restrained) slap house bass sound in the chorus. The success of that track would probably have brought international attention to the rest of his catalog too.

In early 2017 —likely inspired by Alok's new sound—Lithuanian DJs Lucky Luke and Dynoro began regular releases on the dance label Lithuania HQ. They dubbed their sound Lithuanian house but the parallels to slap house were clear. 

"When everybody in Brazil was soooo over Brazilian Bass, it blew up in Europe," says TRIBBS. 

The earliest European example, Lucky Luke's track "NTFL"  features a typical slap bass drop, among other details that would become de-rigueur for the sub-genre: a triplet-based fill leading into the drop, and something very similar to a deep legato Reese bass (commonly used in D&B) in the verses.

Shortly after "NTFL," Dynoro released his third official single, the global smash hit, "In My Mind." The cover version of Ivan Gough and Feenixpawl's hit of the same name has all the clichéd elements of slap house. And an interpolation of Gigi D'Agostino's 1999 song "I'll Fly With You."

Slap house values simplicity in the drums. A basic deep house pattern in the chorus and little to none in the verses. Add high-pitched lead counter melody in the chorus, and some heavily affected, synthetic sounding vocals with FX swells between sections, and you have a slap house hit.

In 2018, Berlin-based DJ and production duo Vize released the next notable hit of the genre on Kontor Records, "Glad You Came." It was based on the chorus of a 2011 single of the same name by British boyband The Wanted. 

"The first time I heard the term slap house was from Vize. I know this type of sound was very popular in Lithuania and Russia already by then," says Y3LLO KOALA, one half of the duo Sondr and co-producer of Vize's "Kids."

Vize followed up in 2019 with "Stars", and together these two tracks brought enough attention to popularise the name that Vize had given their genre. "Vize Presents Slap House," is the name of their official Spotify playlist, which no doubt introduced many to the sound of the sub-genre.

While Vize was blowing up across Europe, 17-year-old producer Imanbek was working in his bedroom in Khazakstan, on an old Windows laptop, cheap earbuds, a copy of FL Studio, and a few classic sample packs from Vengeance and KSHMR. With this simple setup, in less than two hours, he created a global hit. His ubiquitous remix of SAINt JHN's "Roses."

First released as a bootleg on Soundcloud in early 2019, the track quickly gained attention and an official release on Russian label Effective Records. It eventually found its way to Sony Music and commercial radio.

Although the track doesn't feature many of the stereotypical slap house tropes, it fully solidified the sound for the global charts (it peaked on the US Billboard chart at No.4 and reached No.1 in many other countries). The now-famous bass tone is present right from the intro of the song, an unusual technique for a genre that prefers to save the power for the drop.

In recent years big-name DJs like Tiesto, R3HAB, Afrojack, and Robin Schultz have capitalized on the trend while up and coming producers like Hvme, Twocolors, Vinai, and Yves V have broken through by riding the wave.

As each new sound reaches and passes the point of saturation, its creators must keep pushing the boundaries to keep it fresh and interesting. Producers remain hopeful that the sound can adapt to market pressures. 

Y3LLO KOALA muses, "For me it’s got the same energy and power as classic EDM. It’s like the modern EDM right now. The BPM and rhythm lends itself well to both rock and hip-hop, so I’d expect to see some experimentation in these areas. The new Ed Sheeran song "Bad Habits" essentially has a pop slap house drop, so it’s coming into all areas."

Tribbs believes the sound has plenty of places to morph and evolve. "I can see two trends, one of them being back to old 90s UK garage style with some slap house flavours, and the other one will be the dark side of house with just a few slap house elements, and still very car-friendly."

In 2021 we haven't seen much slowdown of the trend, but industry rumblings are that the labels are busy looking for a new sound. Some label A&Rs and managers believe we're on the cusp of a revolution in dance music, that the slap house trend will soon be coming to a close and the next sound of the early 2020s will emerge. For now, this remains to be seen.

Anatomy Of A Trend: Slap House

Every year, as the dance music community looks through DJ Mag’s Top 100 list, it’s never a surprise to see David Guetta at the top. Shoutout to his family. The whole industry relishes poking fun at the list, will the full understanding that we should take it with a grain of salt. But are these lists actually necessary to begin with?

Inspired by Twitter user TokenOfTheMonth, who posts pie charts breaking down the diversity (or lack of) of major festival lineups, I took the liberty of tallying up the racial demographics of this year’s list. Excluding the four anonymous artists (those whose identities are withheld from public knowledge), the racial breakdown is the following:

The “alternative” list, DJMag explains, is “a sister poll that uses Top 100 DJs voting data alongside insights from Beatport to recognize the achievements of DJs from genres recently underrepresented in the main poll including house, techno and drum & bass." It was started in 2018 as EDM artists began to dominate the once prestigious list of dance music’s best selectors. Yet after a year of civil unrest due to racial injustice, is this the alternative we really need?

In 2020 the industry promised to do better. Is this the response we need to each year’s practically unchanging white-washed list? Dance music is made up of so many uncharted territories. Full of diverse artists that don't get nearly the recognition they deserve. These lists could be a way to give a elevate musicians from all over the globe who have pioneered different genres as well as continue to innovate, expand, and trailblaze all facets of the scene.

This isn’t to say that those in either list don’t deserve the hype. They get millions of streams for a reason. But if the point of the alternative list is to acknowledge how male and white-dominated the industry is, why not utilize these high-traffic pages as a vehicle to dive deep into what makes dance music unique—jam-packed with heterogeneity and ingenuity—and push the scene forward?

DJ Mag is also one of the most powerful publications in dance music. One can argue that it does give agency to the people through voting. But when these superlative lists are created—with the knowledge that the industry is broken—the initiative should be taken to make a change that’s more inclusive.

Earlier this year, the GRAMMYs announced that it’ll be the first major award show to implement an inclusion rider. Similarly, the Recording Academy determines the nominations through peer-to-peer voting.

We can scream and shout about dance music being a scene created by Black, Latino, and Queer pioneers all we want, but if we don’t see some actual equity initiatives soon, it’ll just be words with no action.

Do We Need An Alternative Top 100 DJs List?

The Picard Brothers are a Parisian duo that initially got their start in the music industry composing beats for French rappers. Their command of hip-hop artistry eventually led to a debut on the Pelican Fly record label in 2014. The pair went on to produce and write songs for artists like Beyonce, Kehlani, and recently, for rising star Yebba on her album Dawn, produced in collaboration with Mark Ronson.

They won a GRAMMY in 2019 for their contributions to “Electricity” by Dua Lipa and Silk City. These days, their production is a complete modern-day revival of classic French dance music. Their unique contemporary French house production style can be heard on energetic remixes of songs by Disclosure, Flume, and fellow French artist, Myd. 

The purveyors of this modern French house resurgence are aiming to repopularize the subgenre this year. In the 1990s, house music and European disco-inspired the short-lived but heavily-adored subgenre of electronic dance music called French house. The subgenre is characterized by disco, funk, and house music elements like funky basslines, filtered and phased effects on vocals, and songs often feature samples of disco hits from the 70s and 80s.

The French house sound dominated the UK electronic music scene in the late 1990s and then, as the subgenre emerged at raves and clubs, it peaked on global dance music charts. Though French house’s popularity tapered off in the early 2000s, Italian and French DJs remain loyal to the iconic subgenre.

The Picard Brothers made a playlist of their top 9 favorite French house tunes of all time to share with you. In it, you’ll find classic cuts from the 90s and early 2000s, by iconic artists like Daft Punk and Cassius—these French house tracks will have you getting up, getting down, and vibing out! Listen to the Spotify playlist here, and check out their cheeky video for their latest modern French house single Best Of Me, directed by Jay Christiansen.





Demon - You Are My High

This hit song by Demon was released in 1999 and has seen a resurgence among younger audiences lately, thanks to the song’s burgeoning popularity on the TikTok app. The tune is timeless and an earworm—you’ll be singing the bridge long after the song is over. 




The Paradise - In Love with You

Produced by Alan Braxe and Romauld and released on the Vulture label in 2003, this gorgeous track features an ethereal soundscape and beautiful resounding vocals by Romauld. This French house song is essential listening.




Daft Punk - Face to Face

This tune was co-produced by American house producer Todd Edwards and is one of Daft Punk’s most memorable cuts off the electronic duo’s 2001 Discovery album. The song is a moody tale that touches upon themes of miscommunication, love, and connection. Face to Face features a plucky chopped riff, a driving bassline, and undeniably Daft Punkesque vocoded lyrics.








Bob Sinclair - Gym Tonic

This simplistic disco-heavy gym jam was produced by French DJ Christophe Le Friant, who built his career under the name Bob Sinclair. It’s groovy, delightful, sexy, and fun—two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and Back! Back! Back!




Cassius - 1999

Cassius 1999 is the title track off of the ‘1999’ album released the same year, by venerated French electronic producers, Phillipe Zdar and Hubert Blanc-Francart (aka Boombass. Upon its release in the 90s, the song became an instant hit in the UK. The song is an amalgamation of jazzy-hip hop sounds blended with filtered-down disco house. 




Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You

Stardust—the trio composed of Alan Braxe, Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter, and vocalist Benjamin Cohen—released this irresistible dance single in 1998 and immediately disbanded after the single was met with wide acclaim, so the single could retain its magic and mysteriousness, reportedly. After almost two decades, the song still feels as nostalgic and magical as ever.




Cheek - Venus (Sunshine People)[DJ Gregory Remix]

This danceable French deep-house tune is, at 126 bpm, a happy little track that features intensely energetic kicks and distorted synth riffs. "Venus" starts hot, but descends into a slow burner of a house cut, with a quick tempo and fetching percs.




DJ Mehdi - Signatune (Thomas Bangalter Edit)

This track was produced by fellow French remixer and hip hop producer, DJ Mehdi. Inspired by legendary hip hop group Public Enemy, DJ Mehdi’s production style on the original "Signatune" track featured resounding kicks, scratching, and reverberating bass patterns often heard in both electronic music and hip hop. This edit by half of the Daft Punk duo, Thomas Bangalter, is an elevated, pumped-up take on the original yet still stays true to Mehdi’s unique melding of the two genres.




Alan Braxe, Fred Falke - Chrystal City 

Another French house staple by Alan Braxe with co-production efforts by Fred Falke, this funky tune features heavy synth and electronic sounds, paired with samples of the city. The sirens, wind sounds, and answering machine vocals paired with the groovy bass and synth, will make you feel nostalgic.

This Picard Brothers Playlist is a Masterclass on French House

Historically, Amsterdam is one of the most important cities in the world for techno, and Awakening is one of the most important techno parties in Amsterdam. 

As a brand, Awakenings takes on numerous forms. From the legendary festival in the National Park Spaarnwoude, that attracts over 80,000 people every year to their renowned marathon of parties during the annual dance music conference, Amsterdam Dance Event, Awakenings is the place to go for throbbing four-on-the-floor beats from the world’s best selectors. 

Event promoter Monumental Productions BV hosted the first Awakenings nearly 25 years ago in 1997 at Amsterdam’s most famous club, Gashouder. Consisting of a former storage tank with a 2500 square meter interior, this venue epitomizes the gritty and grimy techno aesthetic. It was only fitting that one of the DJs to play their first party was one of the inventors of the genre: Detroit’s Derrick May.

Gashouder has remained the foundation of the Awakenings experience, an experience replete with one-of-a-kind sets and the elated microphone work of the party’s founder, Rocco Veenboer, who serves as master of ceremonies at many Awakenings events around the world. 

Veenboer has every reason to be proud of what he’s built. Over 20 years later, his brand is one of the most sought-after identities in techno, bringing the authentic atmosphere of the genre to places like Rotterdam, Eindhoven, New York, Sao Paulo, and India. 

But the heart and soul of Awakenings remains in Amsterdam. Every year for ADE, Awakenings releases a calendar of events, many of which take place at Gashouder, but the parties frequently land in other venues around the city as well. 

In 2019, there were 11 Awakenings events at ADE. Five happened at Gashouder, featuring epic sets from the likes of live techno composer Stephan Bodzin and the rising superstar Charlotte De Witte.

The other six events happened at Elementenstraat, a warehouse space that was formerly illegal but is now another staple of Amsterdam’s techno community. This is where Awakenings hosted their 24-hour party, a collaboration with Amelie Lens’ party brand, EXHALE, that included an eight-hour set from Lens herself as well as a huge lineup with sets from fellow techno valkyries Nastia and Rebekah.

Even in the face of COVID-19, Awakenings pressed on for ADE 2021 as they are indispensable within the Amsterdam techno community. Restrictions from the Dutch government prevented parties from running past midnight but Awakenings still delivered five shows at Gashouder and three at Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam’s indoor arena with a capacity of 13,000.

In terms of programming for ADE 2021, Awakenings hosted everything from a ten-hour live set from Reinier Zonneveld at Ziggo Dome to a night of Drumcode at Gashouder with favorites of the label like Ida Engberg, Layton Giordani, and boss Adam Beyer.

Unfortunately, Awakenings Festival had to be canceled in both 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, which was a huge blow to the worldwide techno community as the festival is one most anticipated of the year, but the festival will return in 2022 to celebrate 25 years. Awakenings Festival was started in 2001 and now welcomes over 100 DJs across two days. 

Looking back across lineups and schedules for Awakenings Festival is comparable to perusing a text depicting the evolution in the careers of various artists. In 2017, Amelie Lens played the second slot of the day at 1:45 pm. In 2019, just two years later, she closed out the entire event Sunday night. Other artists playing the closing slot that year included MPC master Jeff Mills and Berghain Resident, Ben Klock.

 Unlike many dance music festivals where the opening slots are relegated to local acts and relatively unknown artists, headline-level artists are playing the minute Awakenings opens its doors.

Also in 2019, the impressive melodic duo Artbat opened a stage right at noon, while the heavy techno temptress, ANNA, played at 1:30 pm. Artbat headlines shows in populated markets like Los Angeles all the time, and ANNA closed out a stage at San Diego’s CRSSD Festival in September of 2021. 

With nine stages and top-caliber artists performing from the start, Awakenings is a festival where you show up as early as possible and stay all the way to the end, a clear allusion to how Awakenings has curated events since the beginning. 

Looking back through the archive of previous events (which Awakenings keeps readily available on their website) these parties have always been about the long haul. Back in 2005 none other than Ricardo Villalobos played a warm-up slot at Gashouder rather than closing the evening. 

This idea of coming just for the “headliner” isn’t relevant to Awakenings. These parties are about supporting the culture from the moment the first kick hits until the last song. They were there when it started and they will certainly persist until the house lights come up on the last techno party in Amsterdam.

Awakenings Is A Titan of Amsterdam's Techno Scene

Before the pandemic, Baby Weight (Cara Eser) and Worthy (Kristy) had established themselves within the American dance community as sonic forces. Esser’s blend of bouncy tech house and ability to make pop-leaning vocals still sound underground put her on a path to national headlining status. The DC native was gaining a national following and had cosigns from lauded house acts like Walker & Royce and Shiba San. 
 

Worthy was already a well-established house icon. The San Francisco-based artist and Dirtybird co-founder was an architect of the nu-school West Coast house sound. Her label Anabatic had long been a breeding ground for the future of underground dance boasting releases from the likes of Kill Frenzy, Nick Monaco, Justin Martin, Yolanda Be Cool, and Will Clarke. Her status as a forward-thinking artist was clear.
 

That sense of sonic clarity however wasn’t reflected in their personal journeys. And as the pandemic eviscerated the chance of a certain future in the near term, they were both forced to reckon with an internal struggle that blossomed into two compelling stories that reflect the very foundation of dance music’s cultural beginnings. 


 

Both Worthy and Baby Weight came out as Trans. And while they may not be the first to be open and honest about their struggles and triumphs, they do serve as shining examples of how we can re-establish dance music as a safe space for those who feel like they are on the fringe.

Do you feel like, because you are part of the dance music community, you had kind of a safety net to fall back on when you came out?


Kristy: I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I came out. There was a deep fear that maybe this is gonna destroy my career in some way. And I think that fear just came from the repression that I felt all my life around this, hiding it from everybody. For me coming out was super scary. And I feel blessed to have come out and see the level of support that I've gotten. I feel blessed that I'm in this world, this dance music world that's so accepting and so loving, and I've never felt so much love before. I ended up here for a reason.




Cara: I was absolutely terrified. But ultimately, for me, I was pushed into the deep end by somebody on social media to kind of come out and I wouldn't change it in a million years, because I feel like it was the right kick in the ass to finally get me to kind of openly bleed or share that part of myself with the world. I would say that the response is not surprising from the community. Just because I feel like most people read me as a good person, and I'm a good person first, and transgender second.



Dance music was built on marginalized people, but the scene has changed. Do you feel like your story helps shine a light back on those who don't feel seen?


Kristy: I'm not sure if it has. I know my coming out process has definitely inspired a good amount of people to confront stuff within themselves, including a lot of people coming out as trans to me or queer and saying that my story helped them. 


Cara: The more that you have marginalized voices put in front of people that challenge their worldview, the more you get to normalizing those voices … It makes people more comfortable coming out … All the arrows point to this reality that trans people are part of the music industry. The conversation is not that there is a lack of trans voices. The conversation should really be, the trans voices are here, how do we get those voices shared to more people so that other individuals can feel comfortable enough to then say, ‘Yes, I want to be a part of the community because I see myself, I feel validated, I feel seen, and that there are other people like me in front of me doing the things that I want to do.’





What gives you the strength and courage to be so open and honest about your journey?


Cara: Christy makes me cry once a week at least with her social media posts. I’m legitimately tearing up sobbing seeing her journey. And knowing that she and I are on the same journey together—timeline-wise—gives me a lot of courage because we're going through the same things together. That's what keeps me going.


Kristy: I think it's because I was so closed off for so long that I feel like I need to let myself out there into the world. I know that by letting myself out there I’m helping others process their own journeys. It feels visceral. Like I have to do this. I want people to understand what the trans experience is and how difficult it is at times. But also, how happy it is at times. If I'm helping anybody else and come to terms with being transgender, that is everything for me. Being visible helps others so much.



When did you realize you were trans and when did you decide to be public about it?


Kristy: I realized I was most likely transgender in July of 2020. I was working through the feelings and internal struggle of coming to terms with being transgender into the fall, and I started HRT shortly after because I can sit in therapy for five years talking about this, or I can just get this new life started. Pretty quickly, I was on HRT. I shaved off my beard, [started] dressing a little bit differently, and I was just feeling hidden. It felt really weird to be in front of people and not be my authentic self. I was on a mushroom journey at the end of November and in that journey, it came to me that like “your next step is to come out. You need to come out to the world and shine your light.” 


Cara: I privately came out to myself about six years ago. I had the realization that was simmering under the surface at least since college. But I didn't feel safe coming out to my family. There was also this unfounded fear I had—and it sounds so terrible to say now in retrospect—but I was really afraid that if I had come out, and I was openly queer, that would somehow put me in a corner. And I didn't want to be limited in terms of the kind of shows I played, the kind of bookings I got. 






I came out to my partner in 2019 as non-binary but she knew that eventually, I would come out as full-blown trans. Not to say that identifying as non-binary is a steppingstone of some kind. I felt in my mind that maybe it might be easier transitionally if my family and my friends saw it. It was my intention to come out in 2020. This stranger on Facebook dug into my personal life and made some comments publicly on Facebook about me. I came out as a result of that. 




Kristy, How have you navigated the conversation with your daughter?


I think she had a little bit of a hard time with it at first. I remember she cried to me about me not being my old name anymore. 


I was talking to my ex, having these conversations about gender and this transition and what that entailed. And we would have these intense conversations and at times they would be outside someplace. And obviously, my daughter overheard us. And we were having dinner and my daughter is like, ‘Hey, wouldn't it be funny if daddy was a girl?’ And we were just like, ‘oh, crap.’


We were very honest with her. And she got it. And she understands. And she's been super supportive. She accepts me for who I am. And she's been one of my cheerleaders. And she calls me Mom, sometimes. It feels like she sees me. I was really depressed in my marriage and really cut off from everything that was going on around me. And so, she knows this is the right decision. And she is super supportive of it. And she just wants me to be happy. And I want her to be happy, too.



What is the most striking lesson that you've learned in your journey that you want to pass on to others?


Cara: I would just say the moment you come out publicly, things don't happen right away. And there's this idea that maybe the world all-of-a-sudden gets better, and in some ways it does. But you have to have patience, you have to have resilience. You have to understand that for some people that you're close to, they're losing someone that they've spent a good part of their life with. And for them, it may take some time to process the fact that you're still the same person.


Kristy: It’s taken me a while to learn this is [but] everybody's journey’s really different and you really can't compare where you are to somebody else. Hormones treat everybody differently. And just the process of it all is super individualized. It takes time and everybody moves differently, and you need to be patient with yourself.

Worthy and Baby Weight Are Courageous Trans Voices

Will Clarke, the bearded Britt with the pounding techno beats has completely reshaped his career over the last two years. His shift from Dirtybirdesque house to thumping techno, with a purpose, has been effortless. And the veteran DJ and producer is clearly in the most comfortable space of his career. Releases like "U Take Me Higher," "Hallelujah," and "My Church" (with MK) have proven his aptitude for crafting warehouse-ready cuts that are body rocking and emotionally reverent. 



“I'm trying to write songs that have a bit of a meaning,” Clarke told Gray Area earlier this year. 

He also revealed his dance music origin story. He was first inspired to DJ after seeing 90s icons Faithless perform when he was still quite young. Clarke began DJing as a teenager. And with such a long history, the thought occurred to us that he'd be the perfect person to tap for a playlist of classic techno cuts. His knowledge of dance music is deep, so we knew his list would be a treat. You can check out what he has to say about his favorite jams below, and listen to the playlist via Spotify.

Joey Beltram - Mentasm (1991)

“Absolute belter, I've always loved what Joey did for the techno scene way before I was even working in the genre. However, I recently met him and he’s such a lovely dude which just made it all even better. Do meet your idols, it's key."



Laurent Garnier - Crispy Bacon (1997)

“This came out in 1997, I was seven and it still sounds fucking amazing today and better than most techno tracks currently being released.  If there was an Electronic Music Hall Of Fame, Laurent would be the first person to be inducted”



Maceo Plex - Conjure Sex (2014)

“More of a modern day classic for me, this record just hits different on the dancefloor. Maceo is current day god, everything he touches is unreal."



Jeff Mills - The Bells (1996)

“Do I really need to explain why I love this record? Nope didn't think so”


MK - Burning (1992)

“Yes to all the techno snobs out there saying this isn't techno. No shit Sherlock! It's still better than any record out there and was released 20 years ago”




Bobby Peru, Paul Woolford - Erotic Discourse (Dense & Pika Remix) [2008]

“The original is fucking solid but I remember hearing this in a club once and falling in love with it. It started my love for the Dense & Pika boys who I personally think are some of the best producers around today”


Plastikman - Spastik (1993)

“So simple yet so beautiful, the first time I heard this I was a little confused but after a few listens I was sold, absolute genius record”


Burial - Archangel (2007)

“I have spent many nights in the studio listening to this whole album, it brings back so many memories of when I first started going to Ibiza and I would play his records during the sunset. Again, not quintessential techno but an absolute masterpiece.”


Green Velvet - Stalker (1996)

“I have loved this record for years, played it many times and although its 13:24 long it always amazes me how it doesnt get boring and slams every time”


DVS1 - Black Russian (2014)

“From the first time I heard this I knew it was special and to this day its one of my go to records to put me in a good mood, I love it and it works soooo well on the dancefloor”

Will Clarke Shares His Essential Classic Techno Tracks

This month, we’re celebrating the Latinx artists transforming house and techno music as we know it. Artists on this list originate from Lima, Guadalajara, and Bogota to name a few, but their music transcends borders and even genres. 

These 10 musicians are purveyors of new flavors of house and techno, inspiring their peers in the genre to experiment with sounds, sin miedo. These artists are tastemakers and community builders—working to keep the music scene thriving in their respective cities like Los Angeles and Mexico City, after the past two harrowing years. 

Their projects are infused with the vibrant sounds of colorful indigenous instruments, lyrics of cultural lore, and ancestral wisdom. Get to know these 10 Latinx producers and musicians, you’re sure to see them on the main stage at a festival near you soon enough! 

Sofia Kourtesis 

Born in Lima, Peru, Sofia Kourtesis had a trans-Atlantic education between New York and Hamburg. After organizing many university parties in Berlin, the young jetsetter aptly became a club booker, working some of Hamburg's most renowned clubs such as Prinzenbar, Docks, and Große Freiheit 36. Kourtesis eventually graduated to the mixing deck in Berlin’s Funkhaus and caught the attention of several high-profile fashion houses, like Levis and Adidas. Since then, Kourtesis has played at several festivals and released widely acclaimed projects. Her first two EPs, the 2019 self-titled Sofia Kourtesis and last year’s Sarita Colonia, were both deemed cult hits. Kourtesis’ brand of house music is so uniquely and distinctly hers—much of her work features distorted, harmonized vocals and splintered film samples, expertly weaved into joyful, buoyant house music that only Kourtesis can create. Her latest EP, Fresia Magdalena, is as pulsing as her previous EPs, though more meditative and reflective.

Follow Sofia Kortesis on Instagram | Facebook | Soundcloud

SandJake 

After spending a few years creating and djing independently around Spain, Sandro Merlucci and Jacobo Morata decided to meld their professional projects into one musical persona—Sandjake. The Madrid duo’s discography hovers over tech-house territory, though many of their latest drops have a classic house sound, heavy on drums and synths. 

Follow SandJake on Instagram | Facebook | Soundcloud

Ela Minus 

The Colombian composer is finishing up her BBC Radio 1 residency this Thursday and has recently announced she’ll be supporting Caribou on his 2022 tour. Her work has a consistent theme, that dissent is vital and necessary.  “I want people to feel like they have the power to change the world,” she recently told Pitchfork. The techno producer believes that small acts can lead to big changes. Her debut album, acts of rebellion, is as jarring as it is hopeful. Minus creates powerfully evocative techno that is layered and driving with breathy, minimalistic vocals—it’s a beautiful combination and a unique one at that.

Follow Ela Minus on Instagram | Twitter | Soundcloud

Suricata

26-year-old Mexican musician Suricata, produces house music, big-room, and electronic dance music in Mexico City. He incorporates indigenous sounds into the context of rave culture in Mexico City’s electronic music landscape through his work. “Music is not the expression of ideas but the experience of ideas, that same fact has always made sound the perfect tool for self-transformation,” said the house artist. He works with Drecords.mx in the neighborhood of La Doctores in México City, whose current roster includes other Latinx techno and house acts, Kitschy Kitsch, Prudd, and CasaNegra.

Follow Suricata on Instagram | Soundcloud

Prudd

Prudd has DJed in clubs all around Mexico City, London, Palma de Mallorca, and Tulum within the past decade. His projects are hypnotic, filled with plenty of layers of oscillating deep chords and rhythms. This Latinx DJ, hailing from Guadalajara, México, doesn’t shy away from experimenting slightly into the realms of dub techno and minimal house. His latest EP features expertly integrated sequencers and intensive drum machines to create these warm, memorable techno tracks you won’t readily forget. 

 Follow Prudd on Instagram | Soundcloud

Leimantour 

Born in Monterrey, Mexico, the LA-based producer known as Leimantour brings live instruments to his mixes and does his own vocals and live percussion. Leimantour’s latest projects fluctuate between melodic house & techno, and progressive house. His work is powered by driving basslines and vibrant sounds and melodies that ricochet throughout his projects, inspiring a fresh take on techno and house music, ultimately honing his unique recipe of music. Leimantour is a tour de force, and one musical act not to be missed.

Follow Leimantour on Instagram | Soundcloud

El Irreal Veintiuno

Bryan Dálvez is a Latinx producer and visual designer based in Mexico City. His musical endeavor, El Irreal Veintiuno, hybridizes euphoric sounds with peripheral tribal rhythms to explore new possibilities within contemporary Latinx club music. Dálvez’s music strikes perfectly between ancestral spirit and electronic dance music. He regularly DJs throughout Mexico City and is highly active within the capital’s electronic music scene. His latest releases are introspective and incredibly danceable. Tracks dropped within the last year have ranged from footwork-cumbia anthems to dance-floor ready tribal house cuts, intense and full of personal and mythological narratives.

Follow El Irreal Veintiuno on Instagram | Twitter | Soundcloud

Kaleema

Argentinian violinist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Heidi Lewandowski, known in the Latinx electronic music scene as Kaleema, produces uplifting, experimental electronic music. The classically trained artist released her debut album in 2017, Nómada, which was positively received, in large part for her seamless execution of pairing irresistible hypnotic electronic elements with traditional Latin American instrumentals. Kaleema’s latest studio album, Útera, is an immersive experience—one that is full of sophisticated electronic arrangements that merge into downtempo and elegant, electronic ambient sounds.

Follow Kaleema on Instagram | Twitter

Pelada

Pelada is a Montreal-based electronic duo that produces a blend of techno and club music featuring themes of power, gender, and environmental politics. The duo consists of Tobias Rochman, who produces for the duo, and vocalist Chris Vargas. Their work as Palada spans various styles of dance music from house to cumbia. Vargas’ cutting vocals and biting lyrics sung in Spanish, paired alongside Rochman’s pulsing techno music, create a dynamic listening experience. 

Follow Pelada on Instagram | Twitter

Mitú

Mitú is Colombia’s best electronic music act. The duo, formed by Julián Salazar on synths, and Franklin Tejedor on percussions, create techno with a primal flavor. Salazar played guitar for Bomba Estéreo for over a decade and Tejedor comes from a lineage of San Basilio de Palenque musicians—the town was the first free black town of the new world, and as such was classified by UNESCO as an Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Tejedor previously played drums with Las Alegres Ambulancias, San Basilio de Palenque's most iconic band. The history of their lives and careers have inspired their latest works, which contain overarching punk themes reflective of society’s oppressive structures.

Follow Mitú on Instagram | Twitter

10 Hispanic House & Techno Artists to Watch

Hispanic artists have played a prominent role in dance music since its inception. Their contributions to the culture can’t be understated. Dance music history is synonymous with the rise of Latinx producers in mainstream music. And as music has evolved, those artists have continued to be the backbone of the culture growing into global superstars.

 Hispanic DJs played a vital role in developing dance, hip hop, and pop acts. People like DJ Charlie Chase paved the way for the DJs of today. He was a member of the Bronx hip hop crew The Furious Five. Led by legendary DJ Grandmaster Flash, they were architects of the hip hop movement in the late 70s and early 80s.

David Morales, the DJ turned super-producer, helped change the face of remix culture with his multiple credits for Mariah Carrey. His work on "Fantasy" earned him a GRAMMY. He was one of the first producers to work in parallel with an artist on a remix, completely reworking their music. Before Morales, it was unheard of to have the remixer in the studio with the original artist.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we'd like to shine a light on the icons who continue to influence house and techno.

 

Louie Vega 

Bronx-born Luis Ferdinand Vega Jr. was born into a musical family. His dad was a jazz saxophonist, and his uncle was a singer in a salsa band. “Little” Louie started DJing at 13, and over three decades changed the face of dance music countless times. He held residencies at New York institutions like the Sound Factory and Studio 54. Vega was also one-half of three-time Grammy-award-winning duo Masters At Work with Kenny Dope. They became sought-after remixers when dance music was still in its infancy and worked with Michael Jackson, Donna Summer, Earth Wind & Fire, and Madonna. He continues to etch his mark on global dance music culture today. His 2020 release, “Let It Go,” is the perfect example of the Nuyorican Soul sound he established with Kenny Dope in the mid-90s. A masterful blend of classic soul, Latin sensibilities, and house music.

 

 

Oscar G 

Award-winning DJ and producer Oscar G’s sonic footprint has endured for over three decades. The Cuban-American artist kicked off his career as one-half of the group Liberty City. Tracks like "Some Lovin,'" and Interceptor's, "Together," on their label Murk quickly found their way into the sets of Danny Tenaglia and Junior Vasquez. The four-time ASCAP songwriting award winner has officially remixed pop icons like Madonna and Jennifer Lopez. He continues to educate dance floors on the intersection of Latin American music and dance with residencies at Space Miami and Pacha, where he regularly transports dancers on 12-hour marathon journeys. 

 

Rebolledo 

Mexican-born, multimedium artist Rebolledo is noted as a forward-thinking artist and self-described Experience Creator. His creativity expands beyond his bass-forward psychedelic beats. As one of the creative minds behind the Burning Man art car, the Mayan Warrior, he exhibits how music, visual art, and cross-continental collaboration coalesces in one epic ode to movement and sound. He also brings a unique slant on music as part of Pachanga Boys with German producer Superpitcher. Their lilting tribal beats are the perfect engine for sunrises over the Playa. In 2014, FORBES Magazine named him one of 50 Mexican creatives with the most worldwide influence.   

 The Martinez Brothers 

The Martinez Brothers were born for a life of performance. Their father instilled a love for a diverse set of influences early on. He put Steven and Chris in church bands and encouraged them to collaborate with older musicians. Growing up inspired by house, disco, salsa, and soul, their musical selection is always ahead of the curve and versatile. They were noticed early on by New York legend Dennis Ferrer, who became a mentor and signed them to his label Objektivity. In 2011 they began their decade-long residency at DC-10 in Ibiza. They have become fashion icons, producing music for Givenchy and starting their own line with Seth Troxler, Tuskegee. In 2014 they did percussion for the Nile Rodgers album, It’s About Time. They were the only artists not associated with Rodgers band Chic invited to contribute.

 

Luciano

Luciano was born in Switzerland but moved to Chile when his parents divorced at age 11. He carved the path for dance music to flourish in Chile. When Luciano began DJing in the late 90s at 16 years old, rock music was the sound of the clubs. He worked tirelessly to legitimatize techno in Santiago. In 1999 he moved to Europe, just after he DJed for Chile’s installment of Love Parade, proving his years of hard work paid off. His work is heavily influenced by his Hispanic heritage. He incorporates the rhythmic sensibilities of traditional Chilean music into his music, be it minimal techno or tech house. 

 

DJ Sneak

Dj Sneak may be a polarizing figure in house music, but the Puerto Rican artists’ contributions to the culture are clear. Sneak was one of the many Chicago legends who worked the counter at Gramophone Records. He met Cajmere—aka Green Velvet— while working there. He helped launch his career as part of the second wave of house music makers in the Windy City. Sneak has released over 10 albums since 1996. He was name-checked on Daft Punk’s 1997 record, “Teachers.” And went on to write the lyrics for their 1997 release, “Digital Love.” His rapid-fire mixing skills continue to make him a crowd favorite around the world. His infamous I’m A House Gangster brand is all about bringing house music back to its roots and drawing the focus away from the sounds of commercial dance music.

 Ricardo Villalobos

Ricardo Villalobos is a Chilean-born DJ and producer who came up in the early 90s in Germany. While he never envisioned himself as a musician, he eventually forged a path that saw him travel the world studying percussion, a skill he applied to his expansive music. Known for his winding compositions, his gorgeously minimal tracks stretch and swell, incorporating influences of his home country and organic worldly soundscapes. His 2006 single “Fizheuer Zieheuer,” is a 37-minute long epic based on a horn sample from a Roma folk song “Pobjednički Čoček" by Serbian group Blehorkestar Bakija Bakić. It’s evidence that Villalobos is one of the few in dance music to push the envelope. Renowned for melting the dancefloor into a mass of liquid minimal bliss, he was selected as Resident Advisor’s top DJ of the year in both 2008 and 2010.

 

 Hernan Cayetano 

The Colombian-born DJ founded BAUM nightclub in Bogota. Before it closed its doors in 2020, it was Bogota's premiere spot for house and techno. Built in an old home that sat abandoned at the center of the capital city, Cayetano envisioned a nightclub and community building project. The tree growing through the middle of the house became the central focus of the DJ booth. And the community that coalesced around the club was truly unique. Despite the club's closure due to increasing residential complaints, Cayetano continues to produce BAUM Festival, which returns to Bogota on May 21, 2022. As a musician, he blurs the lines between house and techno. He can be found on the exclusive circuit of global festivals captivating dancers with his compelling sound.  

Kenny Dope 

Kenny Dope came up in the 80s DJing for block parties in Brooklyn under the name Masters At Work. He famously let Todd Terry borrow the name to record two releases. Todd returned the favor by letting Kenny borrow a drum machine and introducing him to “Little” Louie Vega. It sparked his career as a producer. His 1994 release under the moniker the Bucketheads, “The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall into My Mind),” is an iconic piece of house music. But his career stretches beyond one hit. He was among the first dance music DJs to be commissioned for remix projects from the major labels and helped pave the way for the remix culture that persists today. His expansive catalog includes remixes for Luther Vandross, Daft Punk, Geroge Benson, and Tito Puente.

Nicola Cruz

Ecuadorian artist was born in France and spent his first three years there until he moved home to Quito. His parents encouraged his musical leanings and gave him a drum kit when he was 12. At 25, he collaborated and toured the US with the iconic Nicolas Jaar. His interest in the oral traditions of his ancestors and the rituals of native South Americans inform his explorative music. Highly organic, intensely creative, and strikingly beautiful, Cruz melds the worlds of the traditional with modern sound design masterfully. His blinding creative output saw him release five albums in the last five years while touring regularly. At only 33 years old, Cruz has a lot of musical experimenting ahead of him.

10 Influential Hispanic House and Techno Artists

So much of our recent chat with Shelley Johannson centered around her musical roots. She opened up about the songs that made her fall in love with dance music and how they’ve made such a lasting emotional impact on her life. Her podcast One-Eighty and her Instagram feed perfectly encapsulate her love for moving forward while never forgetting where she came from. She’s a dance music encyclopedia and regularly shares her knowledge with the community.

We thought it’d be a great move to hit her and have her share her favorite classic dance tracks. It was a welcome trip down memory lane for the Toronto-based techno artist. It was also a reminder of the rich tapestry of sounds that have made up dance music for the last three decades.

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And grab a pre-save her upcoming Bedrock Records release here.

 

1. Reese - Rock To The Beat (1989)

Released on Kevin Saunderson’s KMS records this classic Chicago house cut features a slinky soulful vocal from Latonya Saunderson, Kevin’s sister. Saunderson adopted the Reese moniker for the first time on "Just Want Another Chance" in 1987. It was the first time the iconic reese bass was used in dance music, a sound that has gone on to be the foundation of jungle and D&B.

 

2. Age Of Love - The Age Of Love (Jam & Spoon Watch Out for Stella Mix) (1992)

Long before Charlotte DeWitte and chart-topping remake by Charlotte de Witte and Enrico Sangiuliano, this trance classic captivated the murky warehouse dancefloors of the early 90s. The Jam & Spoon remix was released two years after the original and was much more successful than the original. The remix takes its name from Jam El Mar's daughter of the same name. While it’s not the first trance record released, it’s one of the finest examples of early trance.

 

3. Bedrock - For What You Dream Of (1993)

Written by progressive icons John Digweed and Nick Muir, the vocal that carries this rousing emotional beat into the stratosphere was written and performed by noted playwright and vocalist Carol Leeming. It was just one of the many classic dance tunes featured in the movie “Trainspotting.”

 

4. New Order - Confusion (Pump Panel Reconstruction Mix) (1995)

There are few synth riffs more recognizable than the bouncing acid line from this remix. Often mistakenly called “Blood Rave” by The Crystal Method, no such song exists in their catalog. Aside from the distorted vocoded vocal version of the original’s acapella, Pump Panel’s remix bears no resemblance to the original and has become an iconic piece of dance music history all its own. 

 

5. Armand Van Helden - U Don't Know Me (1998)

Armand Van Helden sent German vocalist Duane Harden a loop of samples from “Dance With You” by Carrie Lucas, Plastic Dreams by Jaydee, and oddly a clip from 90s Nickelodeon cartoon Dexters Laboratory, to write a vocal for. What resulted was a disco house tune for anyone that has ever felt judged in their life. Thirty years later it still results in a giant dance floor sing-along.

 

6. Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You (1998)

This is the only release by French band Stardust, made up of Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk, DJ and producer Alan Braxe, and vocalist Benjamin Diamond. The song was originally performed live by the trio at the legendary Rex nightclub in Paris. The lyrics were co-written by the bandmates, and were originally much longer. The shortened version ended up sounding like a mantra, and when completed the trio felt like they had written something groundbreaking.

 

 

7. Mr. Oizo - Flat Beat (1999)

 

Flat Beat was a wonderfully weird beat written for a loveable orange puppet named Flat Eric. Oizo thought it was just a “stupid loop” that he created solely to make Flat Eric dance in a Levi’s commercial. Oizo didn’t even consider himself a dance music producer at the time, but he unknowingly gave birth to the electro house movement several years before it had a name. 

 

8. ATB - 9PM (Till I Come) (1999)

Taken from German producer ATB’s debut album Movin' Melodies, the iconic pitch-bent synth comes from a pipe organ hook played on a guitar. The sultry suggestive vocal from spanish model Yolanda Rivera’s appearance on “The Way You Make Me Feel” by Ricky Rich and Julio Posadas. According to legend, ATB spent just a bit too much time in a studio session, giving the song it’s name 9PM.

 

 

9. Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400 (1999)

I bet you thought the name of this song was Zombie Nation, so did I at one time. “Kernkraft 400” had a slithery hook that was inescapable after its release. It echoed from the rave to sports arena’s around the world. It’s seeped so far into the fabric of popular culture that its become genre-less. Elements of breakbeat, trance, and german techno are all heard, but who cares what genre it is, it still slaps.

 

10. Motorcycle - As The Rush Comes (2003) 

Motorcycle was a collaborative effort between Gabriel & Dresden and vocalist Jes. Released at the height of trance’s popularity, it was a crossover hit in the US and UK. It hit #1 on the US Billboard Dance Charts in 2004, remarkable for an underground record in the pre-EDM era. Proving that sometimes the best things in life come when you’re in the flow, the trip says they wrote and recorded the song in one day.

Shelley Johannson's Essential Classic Dance Playlist

House music was born in the 80s but really hit its height in the 90s. As its sonic footprint expanded, many directions of influence emerged. And in the process gave birth to countless genres making it a global phenomenon. At the turn of the decade, the grips of the house movement expanded to the far corners of Europe. Tracks with origins in Chicago, Detroit, and New York were studied, reconstructed, and sampled. And a vast web of subgenres emerged, elevating rave culture. 

The great producers of the 90s are known for successful singles that grew beyond the rave into mainstream radio culture. Many are sampled, covered, and remixed (sometimes ad-nauseam) today. Below you can dig into some of the house tracks that made an impact in the 90s. 

 

Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You (1998)

A collaboration between Thomas Bangalter (1/2 of Daft Punk) and musicians Alan Braxe and Benjamin Diamond, the track samples the disco classic "Fate" by Chaka Khan. It took house into uncharted territory. The simplicity of this beloved feel-good house track is warm, inviting, and timeless.  




Harddrive - Deep Inside (1993) 

Harddrive is made up of artists Louie Vega and Kenny Dope, a powerful and innovative duo championed by the label Strict Rhythm. Released in 1993, its catchy and evocative hook is sampled from Barbara Tucker's 1993 track “Beautiful People. Since the original release, the song has been remixed countless times.  




Cajmere - Coffee Pot (Percolator) (1992) 

Cajmere—aka Curtis A. Jones or Green Velvet— released this iconic track in 1992 during the second wave of Chicago House. This vocal-heavy track is minimal and raw. Composed of a drum machine, Cajmere on the vocals,  and a bed of silly synth sounds it paved the way for a free frame structure not common in house music. It was also a trailblazer for the tougher sounds of ghetto house.   




CeCe Peniston, “Finally” (1991) 

Background singer turned vocal queen Cece Peniston's bright and colorful  “Finally” was a strong debut for the former gospel singer. Considered one of the top house tracks of all time, it showcases Peniston’s bold voice, a euphoric riff, and chorus quintessential of the disco influences in house music. Next time you go to a festival, count how many times you hear that iconic synth line break through the mix. 




Paul Johnson - Get Get Down (1999)

This smashing 1999 release put iconic DJ and Producer Paul Johnson on the global radar. "Get Get Down" is one of those tracks that everyone has heard at least once. It's beyond catchy and a blissfully simple concept. A bangin' 4/4 beat sampling Hamilton Bohannon’s disco hit, "Me And The Gang." The simple lyrics have made this a nostalgic icon of 90s house. 




Daft Punk - Around the World (1997)

Daft Punk dominated the music scene in the 1990’s so of course, they had to be included in this list. The acclaimed duo’s 1997 track, "Around the World" was their introduction to the mainstream. It's a perfect example of Daft Punk’s French house sound. The robot vocals, with a disco boogie bassline, a sprinkling of synth, topped with a catchy hook. You would never guess that it was recorded in a bedroom. Regardless of the DIY recording, this track retooled dance music as we know it and still echoes today.  




Armand Van Helden (feat. Duane Harden) - U Don’t Know Me (1999)

Armand Van Helden's lengthy discography includes remixes for Tori Amos, Brittany Spears, Katy Perry, and Janet Jackson. One of his most iconic tracks hit the airwaves in 1999, sparking a surge of disco house tracks that dominated dance floors. "U Don’t Know Me" has proven to be a timeless, good vibe creator. The groovy four-on-the-floor beat features the rousing soulful vocals of Duane Harden. It easily tugs on the heartstrings, if it doesn't touch you, you may not be alive.




Deee-Light - Groove is in the Heart (1990) 

The pop crossover trio Deee-light is quintessential as it gets. The 1990s hit single “Groove Is In The Heart" is ageless. The song is full of hype, led by the sultry and charismatic vocals of Lady Miss Kier, backed with a playfully funky '70s inspired house groove. Showcasing influences of hip hop and disco it took the clubs by storm and has appeared on multiple greatest dance hits of all-time lists.




 

Crystal Waters, “Gypsy Woman” (1991) 

This memorable track, produced in 1991 by the Basement Boys harmoniously fuses a crispy house beat with Waters' background in Jazz. House was still very much underground when "Gypsy Woman," was released. And despite its crossover success, Waters kept her day job for two years after the record hit the top of the charts. The iconic heavy bass line layered with chunky, shuffling beats and the iconic keyboard riff tells the story of a homeless woman who panhandled in front of the Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC but still wore her makeup so she should look presentable while asking for money. With that, the hook and perspective of the song were crafted, leading to the first socially aware classic house track to top the charts. 

 




Everything But the Girl - Missing (1994)

"Missing" is a song by English popular music duo Everything but the Girl, taken from their eighth studio album Amplified Heart (1994). It was written by band members, Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt. Released in August 1994 as the second single off the album it was an initial failure until their label Atlantic commissioned a remix by Todd Terry. Re-released in 1995 it received worldwide acclaim, peaking at or near the top of the charts in many countries.

10 House Hits That Defined the 90s

The birth of tech house is symbolic of the tenacity of electronic music. Dance music is malleable, constantly changing, and evolving. This is the key to its decades of success.



Tech house is the warm and funky child of dance music’s most revered genres. A union formed in the ’90s, it’s evolved into the sound of mainstage dance music. Like Chicago house, it’s heavy on loops, vocals, and syncopated basslines. It adds the weight of techno’s percussion and sometimes a touch of acid from the Roland TB-303. By merging the symbolic genres of dance music, a whole new scene developed with new creative feasibility.

Where did this all begin?   

Tech house was born in historic London events like The Wiggle, Heart & Soul, The End, and The Drop. The Wiggle—hosted by Terry Francis, Nathan Coles, and “Evil” Eddie Richards—spearheaded the genre’s modern moniker. According to legend Eddie Richards received a mixtape from Mr. C, a resident DJ at The Drop. One side was labeled “Tech,” and the other side “House.”

Swag Records, a record store located in Croyden, London, and owned by the late Liz Edwards adopted the term and became a hub for the burgeoning subgenre. Swag Records (which opened in 1993) had an in-house record label that birthed a litany of sub-labels that helped form the foundation for early house music. Funknose, Surreal, London Housing Benefit, Pirate Radio, and Uhuru Beats all had a hand in expanding the UK house sound.

The staff at Swag was just as vital to the proliferation of the genre. Carl Cox and Colin Dale may have been its most well-known employees. Producers and DJs like Terry Francis, Jazzy M, Archticht of French Touch, Richard Grey, and Grant Dell also served behind the counter. 

Tech house steamrolled the UK scene. Chicago had house, Detroit had techno, London now had (another) unique sound that defined the dance floor. The emerging genre’s goal was to spotlight the unique local approach to DJing. UK ravers and clubbers had already responded positively to the harder edge of acid house and jungle. Tech house found the sweet spot between heavy and funky.

Labels in the United Kingdom dominated the early days of tech house and were instrumental in defining its sonic footprint. Songs like “Blue Wig” by Terry Francis and Giddy Jackson, “Loop,” by LFO and F.U.S.E. (with Richie Hawtin on editing), and “Tech House” by Mr. C are some of the greatest tracks to come from those halcyon days.

As the ‘90s ebbed into the aughts, tech house drowned under the rise of progressive house and minimal techno. It wasn’t until 2005 when the synth-based, Euro-flavored sound began to prove popular again. M.A.N.D.Y. and Booka Shade’s 2005 classic “Body Language” beautifully reflects the resurgence of the sound with deep clarity. Tech house didn't hit its stride until 2010, though.  

The New Kids on the Block

Labels like Jamie Jones’ Hot Creations, founded in 2010, began to redefine and popularize tech house to the masses. Artists like Steve Lawler, Lee Foss, Miguel Campbell, Solomun, and Marco Carola were responsible for the new class of tech house. Production techniques had progressed exponentially since the early days, and dance music was at the advent of streaming, so tech house could now reach a global audience.

The summer of 2011 marked a turning point. The Jamie Jones remix of “Hungry For The Power” by Azari & III and “Around (Solomun Vox Mix)” by Noir & Haze dominated global dance floors. Even with EDM looming large in the public eye, it felt like a new beginning for tech house.   

In the past decade, dozens of tech house-leaning DJs and producers have risen to prominence and become household names. As a result, Tech house has started to eclipse harder-edged EDM styles as the most popular (or hated) genre of electronic music.

Dubfire, Pan-Pot, Hot Since 82, Fisher, and John Summit are just a small sample of a much wider and diffuse scene that exists everywhere. Most global electronic festivals have some, if not the majority of, real estate devoted to tech house, as it has become the defining sound of the moment in modern electronic music.  

The true legacy of tech house is, much like its original spirit, something both subtle and special. DJs reacting to audiences defined the genre. It was born in a community of dancers, DJs, producers, record shops, and promoters, created in the ashes of genres before it.

The History of Tech House: Dance Music's Beloved and Derided Genre

Colin Tyler and Joe Domingo pulled double duty at ARC Music Festival. Both as the DJ duo GoodSex and as co-conspirators in charge of the ARC Car. Otherwise known as the GoodBus, the art car was central to the festival grounds. It's made from a reclaimed 45-foot school bus purpose-built for spreading positive energy and bangin’ beats. The 10,000-watt four-point VOID audio was at the center of the action and was the perfect spot to enjoy the vibes of a barrage of top-tier local talent.

The GoodBus is an extension of the GoodSex brand of hip-moving beats that defy genre lines. Tyler and Domingo are staples in Chicago and hold residencies at some of its most iconic venues including, Primary and Spybar. They exemplify what makes ARC's production crew so special. A group of like-minded people with a deep love for dance music and the community surrounding it. Chicago is beautiful, vibrant, and united.

GoodSex was one of our first interviews of the weekend. Their sunny positivity, hilarious dynamic, and insight were a preview for the kind of hospitality we continued to receive throughout the weekend. Check out our chat with them. We discussed the importance of ARC’s first year in the birthplace of house music, what makes Chicago such a dope city, and shared some laughs.

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GoodSex Share the Best of Chicago's House Music Community

Hailed as one of the most iconic house artists of all time, Paul Johnson died on August 4th in his hometown Chicago, Illinois. The self-taught producer has ignited dancefloors globally since the late 80s with house hits such as “Get Get Down,” “Let Me See You Butterfly,” and “Follow This Beat.” Johnson’s music has a sincere and addictive quality—filled with soulful sounds and irresistible basslines. We sifted through the Chicago legend’s expansive discography and put together a list of the essentials for your enjoyment. You can stream the playlist on Spotify below.

1. Get Get Down

As infectious as it is iconic, “Get Get Down” is easily Johnson’s most famous track. Released in 1999 and still sampled and played by many DJs today, this track is one that will stay in your mind long after the music stops. The iconic shuffled and chopped sample of Hamilton Bohannon’s 1978 disco tune, “Me And The Gang” is the centerpiece of the iconic dance floor rocker. 

2. The Groove 

The chopped and pitched vocals combined with its groovy bassline demonstrate Johnson’s aptitude for borrowing elements from vintage disco cuts and transforming them into inimitable, gorgeous house bangers. Paul knew exactly what he was doing when he produced this entrancing track. 

3. Hear the Music

One can’t help but also feel the music when they hear this disco-house tune. This sped-up, squeaky-soul track is the title track off of Paul Johnson’s second LP, Hear the Music, released in 1996. The soulful vocals are sampled from the disco-era classic, “Hear Music in the Streets,” by  Unlimited Touch.


4. Music’s In Me (Original Mix) 

The piano riff takes center stage in this swirling spacious disco-house track produced and mixed by Johnson. The sexy bassline and lyrics evoke a euphoric feeling. This sophisticated masterpiece is as delightful as it is enthralling. Keep this feel-good cut on hand for a lively Sunday brunch. 

5. Everybody Have a Good Time

The message from Johnson is loud and clear, get loud (now, this is mandatory), be inclusive, and most importantly, have a damned good time! This track is off of the Various Artists 01 EP released only a few years ago on Black Jack Records, with fellow house collaborators Superfunk, EEEdiot, and Vantage. Put this on and have a good ass time!

6. You Make Me Say Do Be Do

With full-toned drums and subtle bells heard juxtaposing charming Do Be Do’s, it's clear that no one can produce house cuts of this caliber better than Chicago’s own Paul Johnson. ‘You Make Me Say’ is inviting, dynamic and illustrates Paul’s adeptness at combining contrasting song elements, which reveal a tireless house track that just won’t quit.





7. If You Ever Call Me

The looping, hypnotic vocals in this sexy house track are simply iconic. The track features tight mixing by Paul, and the beats are light and fun. This is one to have on your day party playlist.




8. Honest (with Innocent Soul) [Original Mix]

There is no question about it, the loudness wars are real. Allow Innocent Soul & Johnson to show you how it’s done with “Honest.” This track is the one to play at around 2 am, when it’s time for a reinvigorating second wind to bring the party back up to speed. Believe me, you’ll want to turn this one all the way up. 




9. He Loves Me 2 (Paul Johnson Vocal Dub) - Cece Peniston, Paul Johnson, Steve Hurley 

This particular vocal dub is a special one. Paul Johnson's Dancefloor Dub remix of CeCe’s single actually entered the Billboard Hot Dance Music/ Club Play chart in 1999 and peaked at number 24. The vocal dub is a more subtle melodic take on the dancefloor remix, yet just as danceable. 




10. Housebreak Hotel

“Housebreak Hotel” is a continuous, euphoric symphony of strings, cowbell, and a killer bassline. At 128 BPM, this blazing beat is one that will get you up and moving. Paul released this track on the newly established Italian label Discodelic on July 14th of this year as a part of his I Can Make You a Big Freak EP.

The Essential Paul Johnson Playlist

Chicago celebrated the fading days of summer with ARC Music Festival. An ode to the birthplace of house music, the festival brought together a diverse lineup of house and techno artists for a one-of-a-kind open-air event just south of downtown. 

It was a first-time event of this caliber for Auris Presents and the veteran group of Chicago dance music promoters proved that their years of experience were the key to a successful weekend. The finely curated music and art experience rivaled that of European festivals. This kind of event is long overdue. 

Spread out over four unique stages at grassy Union Park, ARC was a carnival of the senses featuring performances from Camelphat, Deborah De Luca, Meduza, Seth Troxler, Fisher, Zhu, Eric Prydz, and more. The international lineup gave just as much shine to Chicago heroes like Steve Gerrard and Hiroko Yamamura as it did to house music legends like DJ Heather, Derick Carter, and Gene Farris.

Here are five reasons why ARC blew us away

The Colors of Elrow

If you had streamers in your cup, you were definitely at the elrow stage. The Spanish experience creators brought the circus to Chicago for the first time. And the tent tucked away behind the main stage was the first to be full each day. The stage was a day-glow flashback to the ‘60s, appropriate for the end of our very own summer of love. It was a party within a party with its tie-dye color palate, vibrant décor, stilt walkers, actors, jugglers, and elrow’s dancing avian mascot, Rowgelia.

The stage produced some beautifully wholesome moments. Like when the crowd erupted in unison as Fisher dropped an appropriate remix of Jefferson Airplane’s, “Want Somebody to Love.” Or when Hot Since 82 spotted a Baby Yoda stuffy raised high in the center of the dance floor, and eventually placed it front and center on the DJ booth to silently watch over the crowd as he closed the festival out. Apparently the t-shirt Yoda is wearing was made by a fan for the DJ's baby, Enzo.

Arius marketing director Joe Calderone said that the elrow stage required 70 pounds of streamers and confetti. If you were anywhere in the vicinity of the stage you would know when the hourly confetti blasts happened because you could hear the crowd shout in collective joy every single time. It’s the first time many at the festival heard of elrow, but it won’t be the last. Elrow returns to Chicago for a full venue take over at Radius nightclub in October 2021.




Extended Sets Are Good for Everyone

Photo Credit: Kursza

ARC organizers clearly understand the value of letting a performer stretch their limbs a bit. Many of the sets at ARC were longer than an hour, with some headliner slots stretching out for two. Longer set times meant artists like Camelphat, who played during a picturesque sunset on Sunday, could take the audience on an aural journey, shift moods, build emotion, and tell a complete story. It also meant that set time conflicts weren’t the end of the world because you could easily bounce between artists and catch enough of each set to make it all worth it.




The Stages Were Works of Art

Photo Credit: Kursza

The festival’s two main stages the Grid and Expansions were an example of how Arius hopes to build unique spaces. The production was impressive, especially for a first-time festival. The Grid, ARC’s mainstage was a magnificent build of cascading shipping containers, a massive mural, and a web of LEDs and lasers that came alive at night. Let's be clear though, it was a captivating spectacle during the day as well. The arena was spacious and the sound was incredible.

Photo Credit: Kursza

Expansions was smaller but a gorgeous work of art just the same. A cross between an alien spacecraft, bird's nest, and a raver treehouse. The natural build felt at home nestled among the trees. It was the proper environment for people to get a little bit soaked in the rain during the Saturday night Cirez D set.

Photo Credit: Lunar Speedboat

Let's not forget the ARC Car! The hometown team took over a purpose-built 45-foot rear-engine school bus for the weekend. With a 10,000-watt VOID audio system and a lineup of local legends, the GoodBus was the smallest of the four stages, but it was mighty.




Community Took Center Stage

The sense of community felt at ARC was undeniable. From the camaraderie between the DJs to the hugs and high fives we saw on the dance floor, there was a unifying spirit that hung in the air throughout the weekend. For many ARC was a return to festivals after a nearly two-year break during the pandemic. So the feeling of being back on the dancefloor amongst our people was palpable. It was also a destination festival, with festivalgoers converging on Chicago from throughout the country.

Those who came to the festival went because they hoped to be part of a historic event. Enjoying a weekend of underground dance in the sun with thousands of your closest friends is one of the best feelings life has to offer. There were multiple times I felt the spirit of old-school rave culture.

When you dive deeper beneath the surface, you realize that the sense of togetherness is part of the construction of the ARC itself. The founders include a list of industry legends who helped push the culture forward in Chicago and beyond. They joined forces to build an event company that puts fan experience above all else. Their love for the culture permeated through the festival grounds all weekend.




Chicago is More Than Just a City

The Midwestern charm of Chicago is one of the main characters in the story of ARC. The city’s people are some of the most welcoming and genuine in the country. 

Chicago’s food culture is outstanding. I got a Chicago hotdog and an Italian Beef in the same meal. I skipped the Malort. 

The delightful city that birthed a youth culture movement that’s lasted for nearly four decades is a hearty, honest, and non-pretentious place that is full of natural and architectural beauty. And an amazing music culture that stretches back to the days of the blues. ARC harnessed the vitalic energy of Chicago, its deep-seated history, and charming appeal and put it on display for all to experience. We can't wait to return to ARC for year two.

5 Reasons ARC Music Festival Blew Us Away

Chicago House is one of dance music’s most prominent subgenres. The unforgettable spawn of disco, it boasts stylistic origins from electro, Italo disco, and hip hop. Its high-energy sound is anchored by drum machines such as the Roland 808 and 909. And its heavy use of samplers and synths illustrate the innovation that occurs when technology and art intersect with no regard to the constraints of popular culture.

Chicago House was a direct response to the decline in mainstream popularity of disco. It’s not a coincidence that the birthplace of house music was also the site of one of the most memorable and extreme anti-disco rallies. On July 12, 1979, at Comiskey Park people were invited to burn their disco records on the field. Disco Demolition Night turned into a riot. A substantial decline in radio airplay soon followed as it seemed a nail was put in the coffin for the genre. It can be considered a major trigger of a nationwide sentiment against disco. It forced artists to explore new approaches to create dance music.   

Advancements in music tech helped fuel the rapid evolution of Chicago house.  The Roland 808 and 909 were considered to be commercial failures for the Japanese music instrument manufacturer. Yet in the hands of young hip hop and electronic music producers these discarded artifacts were repurposed and pushed to unheard of limits.

It wasn’t just the music. A cultural movement quickly coalesced in Chicago around the burgeoning genre. People flocked to The Warehouse (or the “House”) the venue considered to be the birthplace of house music. Located at 206 South Jefferson Street in Chicago, The Warehouse was a members-only club patronized by a gay Black and Latino crowd who came to dance to the music played by resident DJ—and "Godfather of House Music"—Frankie Knuckles. He grew up in the Bronx during the early days of disco. His signature sound layered disco or pop vocals, catchy electronic samples with pulsating beats. It became the hallmark of early house, a sound many Chicago producers were beginning to adopt. During his tenure in Chicago, he recorded some of the most influential tracks known to house music. “The Whistle Song,”  ‘‘Your Love,” and “Baby Wants to Ride”  featuring Jamie Principle, still stand strong today as shining examples of the genre. 



Equally important to the birth of the genre is Jesse Saunders who produced one of Chicago house’s first documented singles, “On and On” in 1984. Saunders innovated the sound and advanced the culture. He was a founder of The Chosen Few DJs, a DJ collective that alongside other architects of house music helped spread the sound of Chicago to the world.

Chicago commercial radio’s role in exposing early house records to the community can’t be understated. WBMX featured a stable of leading DJs of the era who were referred to as the Hot Mix 5. Farley “Jackmaster” Funk, Mickey “Mixin” Oliver, Ralph Rosario, Scott “Smokin” Silz, and Kenny “Jammin” Jason.  The Hot Mix 5 was the first house music show featured on mainstream radio starting in 1981. These amazing DJS were remixing songs on the fly, live in the club with reel-reel tapes, cassettes, Casio keyboards, drum machines, and playing the freshest music right off acetates and test pressings. They were widely listened to by DJs and dance music fans in Chicago as well as visiting DJs and producers from Detroit.    

An uptick in the growth in popularity of the genre came with the founding of house-specific labels like Trax Records. When Trax released Marshall Jefferson’s iconic track, "Move your Body,’ Chicago house was catapulted to international attention. 

Other records that followed like “Jack Your Body,” by Steve “Silk” Hurley and “Love Can’t Turn Around” by Farley “Jackmaster” Funk climbed the dance charts in the US, but reached an unprecedented level of success in the UK. Subsequently, house scenes began to appear in New York and London.

By 1988 Chicago house began to decline in popularity in its birth city. Production never stopped though, because the sound was already global. The London club scene hit its peak in 1988, termed the Summer of Love. The emerging rave culture fueled by the introduction of ecstasy can be considered Chicago house’s highest point. Tracks were produced at a rapid rate. And for the first time, Chicago house DJs were invited overseas to showcase their work at massive raves throughout the UK. 

During this time there was a notable shift from traditional Chicago house to acid house, which exploited the squelching power of the Roland TB-303 bass machine. When rave culture migrated to the United States in the 1990s, Chicago House found its revival. Ravers in the '90s looked back to the roots of the music they partied to and realized the importance of Chicago in the zeitgeist. DJs dug deep into the origins and threw classic Chicago house tracks into their mixes. Remix culture began to emerge as producers reimagined iconic tracks. And the sound of Chicago found new homes in San Francisco and Los Angeles.



Green Velvet, aka Cajmere, is one of the most significant contributors to the 90s revival of Chicago house. He left graduate school to pursue his passions of DJing and production. His mission was to throw himself into the energy and lifestyle of house music. Specifically shining a spotlight on Chicago house with his 1994 release on his Cajual Records imprint, “The New Chicago House Sound.”  This again propelled the sound abroad and increased its domestic footprint through the early 2000s. However, the increasing commercialization of dance music coupled with the explosion of other genres of electronic music took the forefront of the dance music scene.   

In recent years with the rise in DJs and music festivals, Chicago house music classics continue to be re-released, remixed, and played in sets with ever-growing traction. The genre that was born over 30 years ago continues to bring people together from all identities. Chicago has ushered in a new wave of artists and DJs that honor its legacy. Artists such as Kayne West, The Blessed Madonna, Mark Farina, and Honey Dijon may not live in Chicago anymore but their craft still pays homage to the genre. Even the iconic Daft Punk has paid respect to Chicago by name-checking the late trailblazing producer and DJ Paul Johnson at the top of their 1997 song “Teachers.”

Needless to say, the momentous genre of Chicago House isn’t going anywhere. Artists will always find a way to revive and recreate classic beats to pay homage to the forefathers of house.

How Chicago House Arose From the Ashes of Disco

There’s no shortage of exciting destination festivals for house heads and techno tourists. And nothing beats the experience of exploring a new city as you take in the sensory bliss of a far-flung festival. From established powerhouses like Awakenings and Creamfields, to underrated gems like Street Parade, let us be your guide as we tour some of Europe's remarkable rave experiences.

Creamfields | Daresbury, United Kingdom | Aug 26-29, 2021

Creamfields is notorious for being the UK’s biggest music festival of the year. Located in the beautiful countryside in Daresbury, England, the four-day campout is a marathon. For those who prefer a race two-day tickets are available. Creamfields features sets from hundreds of world-renowned DJs and incredible live acts. The lineup for this year's sold-out event is absolutely stacked this year, with over 300 performances set to take place.



DGTL Barcelona | Barcelona, Spain | September 3-4, 2021 

DGTL: four letters associated with unmistakable prestige. The DGTL Music Festival is global, with editions in Tel Aviv, Santiago, São Paulo, Bengaluru and Madrid. This sustainable house and techno festival is known for its impressive, raw industrial stages, mesmerizing light effects and visual treats. DGTL Barcelona will take place the first week of September this year at the Parc del Fòrum. A park with a fabulous coastal view and close proximity to divine local eateries and delightful attractions. 

Ticket preregistration is now open.



Lobster Fest | North London, United Kingdom | Saturday, September 4, 2021

London-based label, Lobster Theremin, home of DJ Kush Boogie, Route 8, DJ Seinfeld, Hidden Spheres, and SONIKKU, will make their festival debut with a 50 artist lineup at The Cause in London this September. Lobster Fest is five years in the making, so the house and techno label is pulling out all the stops. The organizers vocalized their commitment to diversity and revealed that the artist lineup will consist of roughly 50% women and non-binary artists and 50% POC & Black artists. Though not released yet, the headliners will span five stages of live music all day from noon to 10 pm. 

Tickets are on sale now

Caprices Festival | Crans-Montana, Switzerland | September 17-19, 2021 & September 24-26, 2021

Outdoor adventurers, rejoice! This Swiss festival takes place in one of the best ski resorts  in the Swiss Alps, Crans-Montana. Not only are the snowy mountain top views incredible, so is the production, line up, and gorgeous glass tents. Don’t think twice about it, come make mountain memories at this stunning party above the clouds! 

Tickets are available now.

Elrow Town Amsterdam | Westpoortweg, Amsterdam | September 25, 2021

Elrow Town is a quirky, colorful whirlwind of a dance party that takes place during the best time of the year to visit Amsterdam. Expect to see plenty of glitter, inflatables, and whimsical characters as you make your way around the various stages in the venue. You’ll leave with confetti in your hair, a smile on your face, and a fortified love for tech house in your heart.

 Tickets are available now.

AVA Festival | Boucher Roads Fields, Belfast, Northern Ireland | September 24-25, 2021 

Hailed as “one of Europe’s smartest young festivals,” by Resident Advisor, AVA is Ireland’s most innovative and inspiring festival yet. The outdoor multi-stage event  pushes boundaries with prodigious music productions and remarkable art exhibitions and installations. Dance under oscillating lights and reverberating beats at this unforgettable avant-garde showcase of music and art in Belfast. 

Buy tickets now


Time Warp | Maimarkt, Mannheim, Germany | April 2, 2022

Boasting six floors of techno and house, Time Warp is on every techno lover’s bucket list. Since 2000, there have been 53 editions, its played host to more than 300 artists, and made over 600,000 dancers sweat it out. It continues to stand out globally due to it’s phenomenal production and incredible headliners. Expect an immersive visual and sound experience from this 19 hour, techno fan-favorite festival.

Tickets will go on sale in late 2021



Awakenings | Spaarnwoude, Netherlands | June 2022 

This European festival is on its 25th anniversary year, and for good reason — Awakenings is the largest outdoor techno festival in the world. Boasting 80,000 visitors in a single weekend, it is undoubtedly the best of all techno gatherings. The festival delivers the ultimate techno experience, with a series of non-stop parties and the best headliners in techno music today. 



Street Parade | Lake Zurich, Switzerland | August 13, 2022

If you love the energy of block parties and the spontaneity of bar crawls, you need to experience Street Parade in Switzerland. Since 1992, this it continues to generate enthusiasm and excitement for techno and house music. Taking place around the culturally rich Lake Zurich, brightly decorated trucks packed with booming sound systems and DJs drive slowly through and around the Lake. In addition, nine stages are planted along the route, headlined by top DJs and other live acts. Watch the city of Zurich come alive, and vibrate to the sounds of house and techno on the lakefront.

Sonus Festival | Zrce Beach, Novalja, Croatia | August 21-25, 2022

From the legendary creators behind Time Warp comes Sonus Festival—a 5-day techno beach party at Zrce Beach in Croatia. The festival is spread out over Zrce’s three world-renowned open-air clubs: Aquarius, Kalypso and Papaya. Experience booming techno sets day and night while taking in the views of the sparkling Adriatic Sea. Have yourself a perfect rave vacation in Croatia next September.

Tickets are on sale now.