It’s been an awesome twenty four hours. This time last night we were all preparing ourselves to do the Dada since the Swedish duo were in town and it was a friend’s birthday. What a better way to pop her electro show cherry than on her date of naissance and with one of the most entertaining shows out there. Knowing that she had a wicked time in a new scene reminded me why I love electronic music’s effect on people more than any other genre. Let’s keep the good times rolling.
Got some new bangers for you hoodlums tonight. New track from a wicked german producer that was released on none other than Deadmau5′ label. Next, we’ve finally got a new original from the rowdy Montreal melodic dubstep duo. Third is a combination of two new artists worth noting that are on tour with Mord Fustang and skipping Toronto altogether in their tour. No hard feelings, but I may or may not be crying inside. The next is probably my new favourite remix of Levels. As you all know by now, I’m a sucker for 8-bit and this has some of that going on with the perfect dash of wobble and Mord Fustang style melody. Last needs absolutely no explanation. I’ve been waiting for this release a long time, believe me. You all know who he is, so go get it.
I swear I have anxiety. Not even kidding. Considering how I shake like a cell phone on vibrate and my voice sounds like I’m stuck in a freezer anytime I’m in front of a crowd or someone I need to impress, I’d say it’s a fair assumption. I spent the majority of my day stuck in this state from my awkward yet interestingly agreeable attempts at applying for a job. Nevertheless it’s been a stressful evening and relaxing tuneage is essential more now than ever.
There are a ton of artists to watch out for this year and Charli XCX is no exception to that. She’s a nineteen year old talent from London, UK who’s been performing since the age of fourteen. I honestly wish I knew more about her because I’ve been completely mesmerized by her versatile, haunting, and slightly raspy voice all week. The 80’s synths can’t hurt either. With a fresh sound and such a young age, expect big things from this girl in the very near future.
So how about that Internet blackout thing,
Grant.
Ps, If anyone reading knows of a sweet job available in the GTA, hook me up.
Yet another beautiful day in paradise. Dirty slush fills the streets. Bitter cold lingers in the air. Deadlines begin to pile up, and certain people from back home couldn’t seem farther away. Alas, there is hope of a happier place. About a month ago I came across a surprisingly unknown band that resides across the border in the Golden State. Now, wouldn’t that be a nice change of scenery?
Y LUV is an LA based quintet of five young USC students. The writers of Earmilk and Sunset In The Rearview, both reputable blogs, said this wickedly catchy group sounds like the creators of the track of Summer 2011; Foster The People. I strongly disagree. When I heard the awesomeness that is their latest single, I immediately thought of The Temper Trap. But just to make things interesting, Freddy’s voice reminds me of the North Carolina born artist Rick Seibold. I’m a big fan of Rick’s older work, so Freddy, that’s a compliment. Y LUV’s infectious and hopeful sound reminds me why I will always have a soft spot for Indie Rock. Keep an eye on these kids, for I sense their tight knit tracks and whistle-able melodies will take them far beyond the confines of California.
Today is a special day. My buddies DAKK vs SLICE killed it when they opened for Adventure Club last night, and now I have the madness that is to come in a mere five hours to look forwards to. One of my good friends is having his birthday shindig tonight, and countless amounts of hard earned dollars are being pumped into the evening. Yes, we’re going to be those ridiculous people with booths and bottles and all that tomfoolery. Be jealous. Those aren’t even the biggest reason why today is special. A little under a month ago, I managed to get a hold of a major up and comer for an interview before he got some well deserved exposure from my favourite Swedish duo.
Eden Anderson is a twenty one year old producer from London, UK. Make sure to put this bloke on your ‘watch in 2012’ list. With a fully loaded arsenal of potent remixes and a handful of originals on the way, there’s no telling how big of an impact he’ll make on the scene this year. He’s already out-remixed talents such as Uppermost, Swanky Tunes, Vodge Diper, Caveat, and even Kaskade when he won Dada Life’s remix competition. For each remix, he creates a melody which ends up overtaking the original; something incredibly hard to pull off yet he does this on a regular basis. Sign of a future EDM great? I think so.
——————————————————————————————————-
SSOM: How long have you been dabbling in electronic music?
I used to produce rap and hip hop, but I’ve been producing house for the past 2 years! I didn’t start DJing until my first year at college. I wanted to raise more of an awareness for the EDM scene so I set up a student club night where myself and a few local DJ’s would play the latest electronic music to students in my city.
SSOM: In a scene that is quickly becoming dominated by heavy bass and complex beats and sounds, what made you go with the lighter, more melodic approach to electro as an emerging artist?
I love bass, but don’t like making tracks that are all about the heavy bass line because it will just be compared to another track with a heavy bass. There seems to be a competition on how filthy a track can sound, and that’s just not what I’m about. Nobody should underestimate the power of a really good melody. It can infect your mind much better than a heavy bass line can.
SSOM: Just from listening to the melodies you use in all of your tracks, you definitely have a musical ear. Have you been involved in music for a long time?
Though I’ve never had classical training, I played the guitar, drums and piano from a young age, so I guess the answer to your question is yes (laughs).
SSOM: So, you’re a student and music is a hobby for you from what I’ve read. Mind if I ask what you’re taking?
I’m studying music production at music college. I’ve learned a lot about the studio environment and the business/industry aspects of music from attending the college, but all the skills I’ve picked up in my tracks are mainly down to watching a lot of YouTube tutorials (laughs).
SSOM: Have you had the chance to dazzle the live public with your style yet? If not, any plans to?
Only a little, but nothing major yet. It’s definitely something I want to pursue this year!
SSOM: I’ve definitely got you on my ‘keep an eye on’ list, so aside from the possibility of live shows, what can the world expect from Special Features in 2012?
What I really want to work on over the next few months is making people realise that I’m not essentially a remixer but an artist, and I’m gonna do this by putting out a lot more original work.
SSOM: If it weren’t for ChubbyBeavers.com, I would have never found your old original work. Please tell me there’s an EP in the works with more original sounds?
Maybe.. You will have to wait and see 😉 I have a few collabs in the making with some talented up and comers and I can’t wait to release them to the world!
SSOM: Definitely looking forwards to it. How do you feel about winning the Dada Life remix competition and getting some serious exposure? I’d imagine your inbox must be flooding lately.
Surprised but obviously over the moon. It has been great promotion. A lot more people are finding out about my music because of the competition and that’s what I’m constantly trying to achieve when I put up my remixes. My main goal is trying to reach out to as many people as I can, because I believe that to be successful in such a competitive industry, you have to take that just as seriously as the music. As for the e-mails, they’ve been pretty crazy! I’ve had to make sure to flag the important ones so they don’t get lost under all the others (laughs).
SSOM: What’s your setup for production?
Simply a laptop running Fruity Loops and some headphones right now. I have a midi keyboard but it’s locked in the basement and rarely comes out!
SSOM: I always like to know what other artists choose to listen to. What are your top five tracks/artists lately?
Madeon – ‘Icarus’
Mat Zo – ‘Fractal Universe’ (oldie but a goodie)
Zedd – ‘Slam The Door’
Mord Fustang – ‘We Are All Connected’
Phaeleh – ‘Afterglow’ (Chilled and a bit dubsteppy. One of my all time favs)
SSOM: One last thing, why Special Features?
The true origins of SF are mysterious and many of my friends claim to have bestowed it upon me, but regardless of this, it is a name that has stuck throughout my teenage years.
——————————————————————————————————-
I cannot stress enough how much talent this guy has, and I cannot wait to see how far his musicality will carry him. Considering he’s also in school for the very industry in which he’s breaking into, I’d say he has a bright future ahead of him.
Cheerio,
Grant.
Dada Life – Happy Violence ft. Sue Cho (Special Features Remix) [PurchaseOnly]
This morning I woke up, looked out the window and thought to myself “It’s on Toronto.” The first snow has fallen, meaning my death is slowly creeping up on me, especially seeing as I don’t have a proper winter jacket yet. I figure if I layer like it’s nobody’s business I might be able to get by with minor frostbite. Regardless, as usual some pump up tunes are essential for this cold, bitter, Friday night.
The first track is my current favourite from a twenty year old up and comer from Chicago that will have you closing your eyes and taking a moment to just relax. The second is a needle in a haystack of other remixes that a beautiful girl passed on to me. The third is my new top remix of Dirty South’s already fantastic track. Next comes from someone that I know not a thing about, the complete opposite of the final hurrah of the night. One of my good friends, Dave, is DAKK from the Vancouver duo signed to UK label Audio Rejectz. Tonight they’re opening for the increasingly popular Adventure Club so if you’re in the city of rain and mountains, head to Celebrities and see if you can make your way in to support this abundance of talent. Can’t tell you how choked I am I can’t be there.
This site encourages the support of readers in the form of an income for musicians. If you love the music, show some love to the artists by buying their records, merch, or most of all going to their shows. It is the way that they make a living and without them our world would be awkwardly quiet.
The music featured on this blog is available for sampling purposes only.
Live DJ sets and tracks included on mixtapes are hosted by a third party site.
If you are an artist or label that would like to see your songs removed, contact information is on the 'About' page.
How to download songs
Taking the music featured here with you wherever you go is easy.
Being a musician is an income for most, so this site encourages readers to act accordingly. [Purchase] links to iTunes, Beatport etc, will always be included if the artist does not provide the song for free.
If the artist has provided the track as a [FreeDownload], simply click on the hyperlinked track. The download should start immediately, but sometimes artists ask humbly for a Like on Facebook, or an email address to provide you with updates and exclusive content.
I’ve been keeping this wicked Californian duo under wraps for a little while now. I first came across them while procrastinating late one night on Vimeo and I stumbled upon Logan’s personal channel. There were tons of amazing videos of intimate recording sessions with other artists, but when I started watching a live rooftop session […]
Today is a special day. My buddies DAKK vs SLICE killed it when they opened for Adventure Club last night, and now I have the madness that is to come in a mere five hours to look forwards to. One of my good friends is having his birthday shindig tonight, and countless amounts of hard […]
Back in September, I’d received an email that I embarrassingly overlooked in the midst of all the music submissions and suggestions for this site. This last month, I received yet another email containing the same artist’s work, but the difference was that a link to the entire album was provided. I swear I listened to […]
More of his tracks have topped various electronic music charts around the world than most producers could even hope for. He constantly drops the most jaw dropping, heart stopping tracks that make you want to drop everything and let loose. He started up and runs the label Big Fish Recordings, where heavy talents such as […]
We live in a strange time. We live in a world where people perceive other people through what information is provided about them on social networks. We live in a world where anyone can become famous overnight by simply putting a thirty second clip of stupidity on YouTube. We live in a world where more […]
somesortofmusic. 