It’s not to say that Gryffin‘s originals aren’t indefectible in their own right, but whenever he inserts his one-of-a-kind vein into another artist’s work, he consistently elevates the track to an entirely different degree of mastery. Nearly a year to the day of the delivery of his freshman full-length LP, Gravity, and after sharing both “Hold You Tonight” with Chris Lane and “Cry” with John Martin in the new year, Gryffin is revisiting his remix roots for the first time since last summer’s take on Shawn Mendes’ “If I Can’t Have You.”
Tate McRae’s “you broke me first” has made the rounds just about everywhere over the past few months and any Gryffin fan, new or old, could immediately recognize that McRae’s lionhearted vocals were a qualified prospect for Gryffin’s reimagining purposes. Reminiscent of his earlier frontline revisions of CVRCHES’ “Clearest Blue” and Bipolar Sunshine’s “Daydreamer,” the remix sees Gryffin dive head first into the mellowed-out original, translating Tate McRae’s downcast sentiment into his staple propitious and acoustically-driven house tactics.
Featured image: Spencer Miller
Tags: Gryffin, tate mcrae, you broke me first, you broke me first remix
David Dann, the visionary music curator responsible for breaking the careers of ZHU, Gallant, and THEY., is back from a seven-year hiatus to relaunch his own artist project. The Mind of a Genius founder has returned to the studio to release his new single, “You & Me,” featuring French vocalist NICOLAS.
“You & Me” serves as not only a song for the quarantine age, with lyrics like “I can feel the distance in between us,” but also as a return to Dann’s live performance roots. It’s the type of deep house track that instantly transports you back to the dance floor. NICOLAS’ pitched down vocals present a bittersweet tone when paired alongside Dann’s chilled out sonics. It’s the perfect combination of introspective and euphoric stylings that will serve well for both home listening and those late club nights.
Dann’s return to the studio began during a night out at a club. After being instigated to step behind the decks at his birthday party in August of 2019 at LA’s Sound Nightclub, a spark awoke within him. “This was something that I forgot I even had in me.” He explained in a press release. “Performing live brought so much joy not only for myself, but for so many people around me. It was something that I had put to the side for so long, but recently had felt like something was missing in my personal expression. After that show at Sound, I rediscovered that love of performing, and that really reinvigorated me to give a serious solo project a shot.”
The seven years he took off from making music, however, did not mean he was sitting idly by. Over his 15-year career, he’s gone from DJ to music curator to label boss, taking on the challenges of bringing genre-defying talent to the market and carving out a path for others to follow. Lucky for us, “You & Me” is just the beginning. He plans to drop what he describes as a “visceral and cinematic music video to follow, which [he thinks] fans will find gripping like a classic action movie, but with vulnerable moments to match the song’s ethos.”
Electric Zoo is returning in 2021 with a new theme and fresh lineup!
With all festivals (more or less) cancelled this year, one of New York’s premier electronic festivals returns in 2021 with Supernaturals, a theme that opens the door to a host of decorations and set designs that should make the mind spin. Along with it, a lineup that is definitely worthy of your return to the festival grounds, should festivals return by then.
Scheduled for September 3-5, Labor Day weekend next year, you’ll have the chance to see Alesso, Kaskade, Zeds Dead, Seven Lions, Illenium, Liquid Stranger, Tiesto (performing a sunset set), deadmau5’s Testpilot alias, and more. There’s plenty of up and coming names on the lineup too, like Moore Kismet, Sippy, and JVNA.
Tickets are $250 for 3-day GA and an expensive $500 for VIP, though each comes with the option for a payment plan to make things easier. Check out the full lineup below and go here to buy tickets.
Revealing Phase One of our Supernatural artists for Labor Day Weekend NYC 2021! ?
Finding and choosing your artist name can feel like a very heavy task.
You want to pick something that fits your style while also feeling unique and true to yourself as an artist.
On top of that, you don’t want to pick something cheesy, dated, or something that has already been taken before.
Today we are going to talk about that. We’re going to go through:
How to pick your alias (and how to avoid getting caught in an indecisive spiral)
Whether aliases are even important
Things you must check before choosing a name
Some creative tools for generating artist name ideas
Examples of artist names and why they work
Let’s start by establishing if you even need an artist alias yet.
Do I Even Need An Alias?
Some people are under the impression that the day you finish your first track you must pick an artist alias.
I would disagree.
An artist alias is something that you should think about while you explore the world of music production. When you get started making music, chances are you’ll want to explore different genres and styles and that could affect what you pick for your alias.
So if you are a new producer who is still learning how to arrange a piece of music you can come back to the name later when you have a body of work completed.
You might be asking, “but I want to put my music on Soundcloud! How can I do that without creating an alias?”
If you are dead set on uploading your music to Soundcloud, I would say just use your given name or a random name. That way you can always pivot later when you are ready to create a brand around your music.
That leads me to my next point. What is the purpose of an alias? Why do you need one at all?
Well, the truth is you really don’t need one. It is just a tool to help you brand your music.
One all-encompassing name that categorizes your music, visual aesthetic, and message.
Can that be your given name? Sure! But you will want to make sure that it helps you advance your brand and doesn’t hinder it.
Recommended: How To Make Electronic Music
When Should I Make A Name?
So now, let’s say you are more advanced in your production style. You have a cohesive body of work, you have developed your own style, and you have advanced to the point where it is time to start developing a brand around your work.
These are a few questions you should ask before deciding on an artist alias and you decide on an idea.
1. Does it have meaning to you?
I probably haven’t played as many out of town shows or done as many interviews as your favorite artist, but I have done a few and by FAR the #1 question I get when I arrive at the venue or start an interview is, “How did you come up with your artist name?”
It’s a very common question.
If you plan on your music taking you to new cities, meeting new people, and moving up in the industry this will most likely be the #1 question you will be asked.
So it is best to have a good answer for this. It doesn’t have to be tear-jerking or have a monumental story behind it but a good story can go a long way.
It can be an excellent conversation piece when your fans tell their friends about your work.
Example: Deadmau5. His alias derived from a screen name on a forum. He literally found a dead mouse trapped in his computer.
He tried to change his name to DeadMouse in that forum but it was too long so he had to shorten it to Deadmau5.
That is a great conversation starter and gives his fans something to talk about outside of his music from the get-go.
Sure, a name generator can be helpful. But meaning always wins.
2. Has it been taken already?
This is a BIG one. Do not skip this step.
Building an artist brand is like building a company.
As you can see, I have a bit of competition on Google.
You wouldn’t want to start a company that shares its name with another already established company. Your alias is the foundation of your brand.
Once you get an established body of work and your fans learn what your music sounds like it will be tough to disassociate the two if you have to change your name later on.
You will want to:
Do a Google search
Check Apple Music
Check Spotify
Check Soundcloud
Check social media
Check and your country’s trademark database
…to see if your alias is available.
If it has been taken by another brand, this isn’t the end of the road.
For example, just because there’s a boutique cola shop with the name you’re planning to use, doesn’t mean it’s completely ruled out. However, you may fight to compete for Google search results.
First, check to see if they have the name trademarked. If not, you can trademark the name so you own it.
Trademarks can be expensive so it should be a decision you are 100% sure of before pulling the trigger.
A friend of mine recently found out that the alias he had been using for 6 years was trademarked by someone who was only using it for 4 months. In order for him to fight it, he would have had to hire an attorney and spent tens of thousands of dollars and countless hours to get it back.
Trademark your names if you can afford to!
Recommended: Marketing & Promotional Tips for Producers
3. Is it easy to communicate?
Do you have a hard time explaining to your friends what your name means and how it is pronounced?
It might be a good idea to simplify it a little bit.
There is always an exception to this rule. Someone might reference an artist with a difficult name to pronounce, spell, or search for it on social media and point to them as a rebuttal to this question.
In essence claiming that this artist with a bizarre, hard to pronounce and spell name is killing it so why can’t I? The point here is to make it easier for your audience in every way to become a raving fan.
Sure, you can make yourself FG42$$!*&$ and be massively successful but it won’t be because of that alias, it will be in spite of it.
You want your grandma to be able to pronounce your name, if she can so can everyone else. The only time I would make an exception is if the story behind the name is so powerful and it fits your brand like a glove.
The adage that, “if you are good enough people will learn your name” does ring true. But if you don’t absolutely need to complicate it, it’s best to keep it simple.
So if you are still unsure of what direction you want to go when choosing your alias. Here are a few different naming styles you can choose from.
Descriptive:
This one is the most obvious direction. A name literally describing what it is you do. This one works well with companies but can also be good for a musician.
Examples: Netflix, Dropbox, EDMProd
Suggestive:
This style implies a specific attribute about yourself or your style. If you want to convey a message about your work in the name alone this is the style for you.
Examples: Delta Heavy, RL Grime, Boombox Cartel, Sub Focus
Metaphorical:
Metaphors compare unrelated subjects by referring to one thing and meaning another. The name typically has a subtle connection to what your music conveys.
Examples: Marshmello, NGHTMRE, Eliminate, Nonsens
Neological:
Coming up with your own word can be a great approach. Using pieces of existing words or names to create your own is a creative way to catch someone’s attention.
This is the one I chose for my artist name – Haterade.
Other examples include: San Holo, Shadient, Taska Black, Flosstradamus, Skrillex
Historical:
Your name could have a historical connection. For instance, naming yourself after an influential figure’s signature technique or after a historical figure in your industry.
This is what companies like McDonalds use – name after the initial restaurant owners.
Examples: Camelphat
Arbitrary:
This one is where you can get creative. You can name yourself any word made up or not. It’s important to consider a personal connection you have to the name but usually isn’t apparent at first glance.
Examples: Avicii, Rezz, Flux Pavillion
Moving Forward With Your Artist Name
After picking one of these styles you will want to really think about the name you choose thereafter.
Picking an artist alias is almost like getting a tattoo. Sure, you could get it removed but it is extremely expensive and hurts like hell.
So be sure that you believe in the name with full confidence.
One way to get around the full commitment right off the bat is to do a ghost test drive of your name for a while.
Start saving projects with that alias, create a Soundcloud, make a Gmail account. You can test drive it for a couple of weeks and see how it feels before committing to it publicly and investing money into the branding side of the project.
One very important thing to remember when you are closing in on a name is to not tell a bunch of people before making that final decision.
My mom always told me, “When you get ready to have a kid, don’t tell anyone what you are planning to name him/her.” “People love to tear down name ideas until after the kid is born.”
This is a perfect analogy to naming your artist project as well. Sure, people still might poke fun at the name from time to time. But once you commit to it people are much less likely to give you their input.
If you really need help (and I mean really need help not validation) ask a close trusted friend.
Explain your reasoning behind your thinking, what the name means to you, and ask if they get it. They don’t have to like it 100% just as long as they understand it.
Finally, your name doesn’t have to be perfect.
You don’t have to have the most intricate story behind it or sound the coolest or be the most clever. Your music is more important.
As long as you are ok with telling complete strangers what your artist alias is, and have a story behind the origin of the name you are good to go. Even using your given name and changing your last name is a great option.
There are countless examples of this in the EDM world most prominently Martin Garrix.
It’s much less about what the alias is than what it means to you and your fans. Sure, having a catchy cool name is awesome but if it doesn’t have any emotional weight behind it other than “I thought it sounded cool”, it won’t stick.
Don’t rush into it, take your time. Sit with it. See how it feels. Once you feel confident about it, pull the trigger and start building around it.
Haterade is a veteran trap music producer from Southern California. With over 10 years experience in the industry he has had support from outlets like Trap Nation and many top tier DJs. He also runs an educational Youtube channel called The Productive Producer where he shares production hacks and producer lifestyle tips to promote longevity in your music career.
Rising Australian duo dekleyn just released their debut self titled LP and it is magical. The 12-track-project is filled with alt/dance-pop vibes from start to finish that will surely have you moving and groovin’ by the time you’re done listening fully through. dekleyn started writing the album shortly after the release of their “Thrive” ep back in July 2019, then after almost a full year of writing, recording and producing, making sure each song was sounding just as it needed to be, they had it all finished up in June 2020. Check out a quote from the rising act below and under that stream their debut LP!
“This album is the product of a year of hard work and many years developing our skills as songwriters and producers. It symbolizes a turning point in the evolution of dekleyn and it has been a huge stepping stone toward our next phase.” – dekleyn
With four Gianni Blu originals already to its distribution credit, the European imprint has invited Blu back for a fifth ChillYourMind outing, enacted with “What It Feels Like.” With the gilded finish of his prior single “Like Gold” still glinting, Blu initiates a stylistic overhaul on his latest.
Whereas the Italian-Haitian producer’s previous two releases saw him source vocals from serial collaborator D. Lylez, “What It Feels Like” plays host to a cameo from Mingue. Further, although “What It Feels Like” delves into deep house, a subgenre that doubles as Blu’s wheelhouse, Blu’s engagement of the sound on this single differs from what he’s done to date.
Allowing acoustic instrumentation to punctuate the electronic forefront of “What It Feels Like,” Blu integrates texture in an intoxicating amalgamation of acoustic, electronic, and vocal elements that will unsurprisingly further his status as one of the Midwest’s most prominent emerging artists.
Widely recognized as one of the pioneers of the future house genre, French super-producer Tchami has cemented himself in the scene over the past years with his uncanny ability to shake up the dance-floor and produce tasteful four-on-the-floor gems. In 2020 alone, Tchami has co-produced four tracks off Lady Gaga’s latest album Chromatica—including “Rain On Me,” a massive collaboration with Ariana Grande—and has shared a handful of singles in anticipation of his debut album, Year Zero.
Marking his 6th original release this year, Tchami has teamed with rapper Gunna to deliver “Praise,” yet another infectious dance anthem. No stranger to electronic collaborations, since he worked alongside NGHTMRE on the braggadocious trap single “CASH COW” last year, Gunna is able to complement Tchami’s instrumental perfectly. His smooth bars work wonders on top of the producer’s atmospheric production before a minimal yet hard-hitting drop takes over, offering groovy basslines and tasteful leads.
Like Kygo and Thomas Jack and Matoma, Bakermat was a part of the rising tropical/chill house scene in 2013-2014. Over the years, he’s stuck to that sound despite diminishing interest as bass and harder house styles rose the ranks. But back in 2018, he dropped a song called “Partystarter.” It was a wild departure from his previous singles “Do Your Thing” and “Lion,” an almost-indie rock piece full of energy with infectious chants and some gritty guitar riffs.
Little did anyone know at the time that they’d just bore witness to the first single from Bakermat’s upcoming debut album, The Ringmaster.
When I was first sent the album a little over two weeks ago, I hadn’t listened to Bakermat in years. I still remembered him as that one tropical house producer, but the album immediately took me by surprise with the opening track, “Trouble” featuring Albert Gold. With Gold’s sublime voice coming in over mesmerizing strings, it drew me in with such astonishing quickness — I felt myself leaning forward in my chair, waiting for the next sultry chords.
It’s that sort of defiance of expectation that dominates The Ringmaster, a tour de force in surprise and amazement. Bakermat himself serves as ringmaster in this circus of rotating contributing artists, from Gold to GoldFord, Alex Clare, Kidda, Emily Lind and BRÅVES, 7Chariot, and Savannah Jeffreys. Like someone who’s honed his craft, he deftly maneuvers and positions his players in key posts.
“With this album, I am the Ringmaster of my own circus presenting you with a big variety of songs in different styles,” Bakermat says. “I hope the listener, just like in an actual circus, will experience a big diversity in emotions while listening.”
Bakermat has made a Circus a large part of his brand for years. Since starting ‘Bakermat’s Circus’ in 2015, the Dutch producer has developed an expanding community where “artists can push themselves musically, and the audience is carried away by the music, the event, and its extraordinary ambiance.” With his debut album, he now includes himself in that ethos.
Unlike other albums where it might be best to forget everything about an artist before listening, remembering that Bakermat used to produce exclusively tropical house while listening to The Ringmaster actually provides an ironically powerful experience. When you think that his sound used to be so… tropical, and then hear this, each and every chord and synth is amplified.
At only 30 minutes, the 10-track album is fairly short, but never without something to latch onto and remember. Whether it’s the playful “Pretty Little Jaguar” or anthemic “Learn To Lose” or emotionally wrenching “Out Of Control,” The Ringmaster deftly bobs and weaves through genres and influences with an impressive dexterity. The variety of influences entirely by design, as well.
“I made the album ‘The Ringmaster’ to show my diversity as a producer,” Bakermat says, “and to go against the idea that an artist should stick to one genre or style with his or her album in order for it to be a cohesive body of work.”
He continues, “I think despite the big difference in style and genre between some of the songs, the tracks all have the same sound and express the same love for melody and live instrumentation that I have always cherished as a producer. The album consists of both really happy and really sad tunes. Just as life consists of both really happy, and really sad moments. My aim is for people to be cheered up by the happy songs, and find comfort by the sad ones.”
This week, Ed Brew sat down to chat on the EDM Prodcast.
Ed Brew is the CEO of the popular demo submission site LabelRadar. He has an extensive history in the music industry, working with brands such as Universal, Monstercat, Trap Nation, and running campaigns for businesses like EA, HP, and Audible.
We start with Ed Brew’s background, discussing his charity music compilation that launched him into the music industry. He discusses the various jobs he’s had over the past decade, which includes sync licensing, A&R’ing, influencer marketing, running brand campaigns, and more. He also explains how his early music jobs served as a creative outlet, which contrasted from his previous job working at a law firm.
Later on, Ed Brew breaks down the development and growth of his demo submission site LabelRadar. He explains the steps it took to launch the site and for him to dedicate himself full-time to it, offering insights and advice for those looking to start their own business.
Ed Brew also offers his best guidance for independent artists looking to launch and develop their career. He discusses what artists should focus on in terms of branding, outreach, marketing, and partnership in order to make an impact in a very competitive industry. He also explains his thoughts on whether or not producers should get a job in the music industry, and how to effectively deal with the frustration of tracks not getting signed.
The “Love Songs”, “Problems”, “The Next Chapter”, and “Colours” singles were massive teases leading up to the grand reveal of the newest album from Mat Zo. The “Illusion Of Depth” album is the London-born, L.A.-based producer’s third artist LP.This album stays true to Mat Zo’s sporadic arrangement stylistically, but this time around he aimed for a consistent variable.
“I started working on Illusion of Depth because I wanted to make a body of work that was cohesive. I’m usually known for being all over the place, but I wanted to make an album that had unifying qualities. In this case, partly it’s the tempo. Everything on the album is in the 124-128 BPM range, but within that constraint, I still managed to be all over the place stylistically. There’s also a lot more live/non-digital elements on this album than my previous work. I was getting really tired of how clean everything is in this corner of dance music. Above all else, I wanted to make an album with grit, texture, and attitude. I wanted to make a ‘fuck you’ statement to the safe, sugary, fluffy world of a post-EDM trance.” Zo says.
Tracks from the album that fans haven’t had the pleasure of yet hearing do indeed have a large spread of style. “In Media Res” gives off an energetic video game vibe. “Bruxism” features gritty synths, a deeper bass line, and a catchy vocal sample. “Fly While You’re Still Free” is a wonderful nod at 80’s synths and vocals. “Petrushka” is a slow burn with vocal samples that rides the fine line of eerie and blissful. “Dangerous Feeling” combines a trance build with a house drop. “Paralysis” blissful vocals lead to the type of melody that gives of a very ‘encore’ vibe; which is perfectly fitting for a second-to-last track. Finally, “Begin Again” has gentle bell samples in the build and a hyped dirty synth drop is a great finish regardless of the listener’s mood.
Mat Zo joined forces with legendary jungle/D&B MC GQ in “The Next Chapter”. Zo also introduces Atlanta-based Olan in “Colours”,“Problems”, and “Paralysis”. Olan is a singer and producer that Mat has worked with for a number of years.
“A big part of the conception of the album came from working with Olan. She’s a highly skilled singer, songwriter, and producer and we’ve known each other for years. We had been in the studio working on a bunch of material before this, and that helped us grow a common musical identity. When it came to writing this album, we were already comfortable with each other. This allowed the songs on the album, to be honest, opposed to a bunch of toplines plastered on top of already formed tracks. Every song we wrote together is personal, sincere, and holds a lot of meaning for both of us,” Zo states.
Olan adds, “Problems” was a song that came together seamlessly at the time. We wrote the entire song in a day, but its meaning and depth wasn’t clear to me until recently. It feels like a conversation with myself or some inner spirit that’s trying to find some neutral ground or peace when I’m overwhelmed by things I can’t control. The lyrics seem to be about accepting things as they come and trust the voice in my head that tells me to keep trying my best.”
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