Electric Zoo ’13 Artist Spotlight: Laurent Garnier
Laurent Garnier is arguably the biggest dance music heavyweight set to grace the stages of Electric Zoo next weekend. Make no mistake -- he might not sell tickets like Tiesto or make fans scream like Sebastian Ingrosso, but in terms of longevity and significance, Laurent Garnier's career is quite honestly second to none on EZoo's lineup. Garnier is, of course, French but made a name for himself in the early heyday of house music in the UK -- joining Haçienda resident Mike Pickering under the pseudonym DJ Pedro right as Detroit techno and Chicago house began to creep onto foreign shores.
Essential Mix Review: Hot Since 82 looks back on meteoric rise, cements validity of hit-making powers
Hot Since 82 has had an engaging last few years. The Leeds based artist -- whose real name is Daley Padley -- only made the switch to his creatively tipped moniker two years ago. He released “Let It Ride” on Noir that blasted off a fruitful ascent into the house music spotlight. He followed up with records on renowned imprints like Defected and Get Physical -- bringing to fruition monster releases like his remix to Yousef’s “Beg” and the Forty Shorty EP. More recently, his distinct bass line work was called upon by Rudimental and Green Velvet – tracks that are seeing constant rotation amongst the industry’s top talents. He used his invitation to Pete Tong’s legendary Essential Mix to stray from the obvious crowd pleasures and don on his personal musical exposition -- playing cuts from acts such as Dixon, Agoria, and unreleased material from the man himself.
Solee – Sommerliebe (Eelke Kleijn Remix)
The remix package for Solee's impossible addictive "Sommerliebe" came out last week on his own Parquet Recordings, and among efforts from lesser known names like Roland M. Dill and Normandie, lies the work of the young and buzzworthy Eelke Kleijn. Where Solee's original is deep and weighed down with its techno-bordering-on-trance bassline, Kleijn's remix injects a substantial dose of both punchy drums and shrill samples reminiscent of Ten Walls' inescapable "Gotham" or Life and Death artists.
Electric Zoo Showcase: Drumcode, 17 years of Swedish techno stability in the making
As part of the lead up to this year's Electric Zoo and the buffet of electronic music talent that'll come with, Dancing Astronaut is proud to showcase some of the artists, cooperatives, and labels that'll be representing in full force at this year's event over Labor Day Weekend. Every year at the Sunday School Groove tent on Randall's Island provides a haven of nefarious delight for those festival goers seeking solace from the hyper-energized main stage crowds, and this years among appearances from headliners Danny Tenaglia, Dixon, Laurent Garnier, and John Digweed, Drumcode Records will take center stage in time for Day 3.