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Pose‘s breakthrough star Billy Porter isn’t having any of Kevin Hart’s nonsense. In our recent profile of the Golden Globe nominee, Porter offered an insightful perspective on the blockbuster comic’s past homophobic tweets and remarks, which have since led to him stepping down from hosting the 91st Academy Awards. “People think that words don’t matter,” he says. “Because it’s not about you having a joke. That’s not what it’s about. I’ve seen people and I’ve heard people who are not homophobic who do gay jokes. And you can tell that they’re not homophobic. “I think Monique, a long time ago, she did a joke about butt sex,” he continues. “It was a whole thing about butt sex and ‘the gays,’ you know. And the punchline was something like, ‘Yeah, but don’t knock it till you try it!’ … but she’s not a homophobic person. She’s not saying, ‘If I come home and my four-year-old son is playing with a baby doll house, I’m gonna break it over his head and tell him it’s gay.'” Porter is referring to a past tweet of Hart’s that dates back to 2011, where he admits, “Yo if my son comes home & try’s 2 play with my daughters doll house I’m going 2 break it over his head & say n my voice ‘stop that’s gay’.” (Read: Pose Dazzles and Challenges Throughout Its Landmark First Season) “That crosses a line,” Porter insists. “Because that allows your fans to think that [you can] hit somebody because you don’t like them. You don’t like their sexuality, ‘so I can bash you in the head.’ We’re not doing that anymore. And that is what Pose challenges. “That’s what we’re saying,” he adds. “Y’all don’t get to have that language no more without somebody on the other side challenging that. You had long enough to spew that darkness into the world without somebody on the other side shedding some light on it. We’re done with that.” Porter goes on to discuss the threat at large, arguing: “It’s march-into-the-streets time! We have an administration that thinks that it can, with a sentence, erase a whole group of people. And we’re not going to do anything about it? Transgender people don’t exist? Fuck that. “I say to Kevin Hart, and I say to D.L. Hughley, I say to those people who think that they don’t need to apologize for shit and dig their heels in their toxic masculinity: But you want your rights! You want people to stop shooting your children in the back? But yet still, you turn around and oppress other people the same way you’re being oppressed. Fuck that. Fuck you. We’re done.” Read Associate Editor Allison Shoemaker’s full interview with Porter, which goes deep into his role as Pray Tell, specifically his musical and sartorial selections and what that incredible name might say about the character who bears it. Source

YouTube‘s copyright protection system has some seriously glaring flaws — and instead of falling victim to the system, one content creator is fighting back. TheFatRat has initiated a petition to fix YouTube’s copyright protection system, which overnight has garnered over 20,000 signatures and counting. Recently, the YouTuber had one of his most popular videos stolen from him. An unknown company by the name Ramjets made a copyright claim and YouTube didn’t ask questions before revoking the true owner’s rights. So, TheFatRat’s video with over 47 million views continues to make $3,000 per month for an apparent fraud. According to TheFatRat, YouTube said, “they don’t mediate copyright disputes and I have to resolve the issue with the claimant.” Of course, Ramjets has failed to return his emails — so that was a dead end. Perhaps this happened to TheFatRat so he could bring more attention to the issue, though obviously that wasn’t the original intent. Through his petition, TheFatRat and 20,000+ more people demand YouTube to “treat claimants and the content creators equally instead of assuming claims are always correct” and “remove claims when they are obviously false.” Sign here. TheFatRat – How My Video with 47 Million Views Was Stolen On YouTube This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Petition With 20,000+ Overnight Signatures Demands YouTube To Fix Its Copyright System Source

New Year’s Day is often reserved for The Twilight Zone, where everyone can anticipate the next 365 days with paranoid parables that have continued to haunt generation after generation. However, New Year’s Eve now belongs to Reno 911! — at least, this year. As Entertainment Weekly points out, Comedy Central will air 37 episodes starting on New Year’s Day, and before you scoff and say, ‘Well, I already have the whole series on DVD,” here’s the catch: The original cast reunited to host the damn thing. Yes, stars Thomas Lennon (Lt. Jim Dangle), Robert Ben Garant (Deputy Travis Junior), Kerri Kenney-Silver (Deputy Trudy Wiegel), and Carlos Alazraqui (Deputy Sergeant Class III James Oswaldo Garcia) are all back in half a dozen PSAs. Already, you can catch two of ’em below, which deal with “Family Feuds” and “Dungeon Amnesty”. Both should give you an idea on whether or not you should stay glued to the couch and sit through all the commercials in between. The marathon begins on December 31st at 9:00 A.M. EST and continues until 4:30 A.M. EST on January 1st. Here’s hoping this drums up some interest for another revival, especially given that those Netflix rumors from years ago never amounted to anything. Reno 911! originally ran on Comedy Central for six seasons that spanned from 2003 to 2009. In 2007, the series made the leap into theaters with Reno 911!: Miami, which starred the original cast and moved the action to, um, Miami. Source

The Pitch: Sandra Bullock stars as Malorie, a reluctant mother in the midst of an apocalyptic event, in Bird Box, Netflix’s star-studded adaptation of Josh Malerman’s 2014 horror novel. Like the book, Susanne Bier‘s film centers around a feverish rash of mass suicides triggered by the sight of some unformed breed of creature, one Lovecraftian enough to drive whoever sees it to end their life as quickly as goddamned possible. The result is mass chaos and blindfolds galore, what with sight now proving untrustworthy. Malorie, her eyes still untouched, finds refuge in a suburban McMansion alongside a diverse array of survivors, the likes of whom forge a makeshift community before, as is common in these kinds of stories, paranoia and unrest gums up the works. As we follow the fates of this motley crew, Bier’s narrative routinely jumps forward five years, when Malorie and two children brave a two-day sail down a perilous river in search of a new community. Unadaptable?: It’s easy to compare Bird Box to this year’s A Quiet Place, another movie in which horror is intrinsically tied to one of our major senses. But Malerman’s story, which pre-dates John Krasinski’s horror sleeper, is no imitator; truly, it’s infinitely more compelling in its possibility. That said, A Quiet Place, a movie in which the visual is favored over the audial, was made for the cinema. Bird Box, on the other hand, was undoubtedly meant for prose. That proves to be the undoing of Bier’s movie, which tries and, unfortunately, fails to capture everything eerie and ambiguous about Malerman’s text. There, the reader is as cut off from this post-apocalyptic world as our hero; we’re behind the blindfold with her as the weight of this unseen horror encroaches. The horror is in the unknowing, and the point is in the not seeing. Here, Bier wisely shies away from revealing the threat, but is inevitably forced to give it some kind of manifestation, the likes of which — swirling leaves, distorted whispers — are disappointingly plucked straight from the Horror 101 playbook. Unsemble: Eric Heisserer, whose script for Arrival remains an outlier in a career that also includes the awful Lights Out and Extinction, fumbles more than once in his tepid adaptation, but one of his most glaring missteps is the beefed-up ensemble, which expands upon Malerman’s trim set of characters with a silly gang that slots a bleary-eyed Machine Gun Kelly alongside a hammy, lip-smacking John Malkovich. Not only do these characters never develop beyond their established archetypes, but they bring next to nothing in terms of story or tension — Kelly, for example, disappears unceremoniously, depriving us of the MGK death for which one longs (we’ll have to settle for Eminem’s “Killshot”). This influx of personalities also provides a tonal imbalance, with Lil Rel Howery‘s goofy grocery store manager serving up some overwrought mugging that stands out starkly against the film’s otherwise morose tone. It’s only once the herd has been thinned out and the air left uncluttered that some genuine pathos emerges, with Malorie and Trevante Rhodes‘ veteran Tom finding several moments of affecting tenderness. (Ranking: Every Horror Movie Sequel From Worst to Best) Is It Scary? Not particularly, though Bier does cultivate some eerie tension from the story’s central gimmick, limning the tried-and-true horror tactic of Anticipatory Waiting with a lethal edge. It’s thrilling with it works, if only because there’s ingenuity to the idea that you could die via something creeping into your vision. Bird Box really starts cracking, too, once it’s revealed that not everybody dies when they see the creatures; for them, it becomes a religious experience, one worth evangelizing. What she can’t quite capture, however, is the disorientation; she often places her lens behind the blindfold, but the effect is short and static, the gauzy figures beyond never taking a compelling shape. When the monster ostensibly exists just outside the blindfold, it feels like cheating to leave the blindfold at all. But that, of course, wouldn’t make much of a movie. The Verdict: As a film, Bird Box has so much working against it. Not only is there the looming specter of A Quiet Place and M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening (a spiritual forebear), but there’s also the hefty challenge of making sight the enemy in a visual medium, one that Bier has proven herself so adept at capturing. Here, she captures some breathtaking shots of the unforgiving elements — honestly, it’s a shame that so much of the film is relegated to a suburban home — but there’s a fundamental problem here, one of conception, not of execution. Bird Box didn’t need a craftsman, it needed an innovator. It doesn’t help that Heisserer tries to compensate by giving an emotional weight to the creatures; here, they (occasionally; the rules are unclear) manifest as loved ones, giving them a manipulative edge that betrays the faceless menace of the book. In general, there’s a thematic straining, a stab at culling more emotional weight from the narrative than is necessary. Some things are best left unsaid. Some are best left unseen. And some are best left being books. Trailer: Source

Rihanna will return in 2019 with her ninth studio album. The Ambassador of Barbados slyly dropped the news in the comments section of a recent Instagram post. In response to a fan who asked about a release date for her Anti follow-up, Rihanna replied, “2019.” It was reported earlier this year that Rihanna was working on a reggae album. She also recently filmed a secret project with Childish Gambino. Rihanna’s last studio album, Anti, surfaced back in 2016. Source

ZHU‘s magnificent Dune Part II Tour is canceled — and the news comes straight from the source. In a cut and dry post, ZHU braces his fans for impact. “I’m sorry to say Dune Tour pt 2 will be canceled,” he writes. “It is time for me to make new music.” Being that ZHU created one of our absolute favorite albums of 2018, it’s hard to argue with the man. RINGOS DESERT, which fully dropped back in September, explores a vast universe of sound through tales of love and tribulation. While it’s easy to get hung up on its greatness, it seems as though ZHU is ready to keep the train rolling. He continues, “Music that will inspire me and those around me. Music that I can play come festival season.” Whatever comes next for ZHU, we’re all ears. ZHU Cancels Dune Tour Photo via Electric Forest This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: ZHU Cancels Entire Tour To Get Back In The Studio Source

‘Tis the season. In the spirit of the holidays, and what certainly looks like a spontaneous charitable gesture from Postmates, Steve Aoki and the mobile app delivery service partnered up to feed the homeless this Christmas season. In a couple tweets, we know that Aoki donated some of his Pizzaoki pizzas to a homeless shelter in Los Angeles. The collaboration came as part of Postmates’ #BetterThanSanta hashtag promotion, “We’re on a mission to prove, yet again, that we’re #BetterThanSanta by delivering your wildest holiday wishes. Tweet us with hashtag #BetterThanSanta and we might just grant your wish in minutes.” When Aoki challenged them, Postmates definitely rose to the occasion. See the evidence for yourself below. Your wish is music to our ears—consider it granted. — Postmates (@Postmates) December 19, 2018 Shoutout to @Postmates! The real mvp for coming thru and delivering @Pizzaoki to a homeless shelter in LA!! #betterthansanta pic.twitter.com/Ju0Iak4RQf — Neon Future Aoki (@steveaoki) December 20, 2018 This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Steve Aoki Sends Food To The Homeless In Partnership With Postmates Source

Philadelphia rockers The War on Drugs treated their local fans to a holiday gift on Friday night. Halfway though their set at the Tower Theatre in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, they brought out comedian/action star/musician Tim Heidecker to shake things up. “You people love the taste of that sweet, hot, salty ur-iiiiiine?!” Heidecker teased everyone. “We’re gonna change the mood dramatically in the room right now with a little barroom rock ‘n’ roll. Can you guys handle that? The War on Drugs playing some honky tonk music?! Let’s kick it! And let’s kick it hard!” From there, they proceeded to cover Heidecker’s hilarious The Yellow River Boys anthem, “Hot Piss”, which is exactly what you think it’s about, only to take another zag left by covering the late Tom Petty’s “Straight Into Darkness” off his very War on Drugs-sounding album, 1982’s Long After Dark. The latter of which featured assists by Hop Along’s Frances Quinlan and Kurt Vile’s Jelloman brother, Paul Vile. Heidecker is from Allentown, Pennsylvania, so it’s likely he was back home for the holidays, and simply wanted to jam with his favorite rockers. Either way, it was a humbling experience for the guy, as he expressed on Twitter last night: Was a true honor to be part of @TheWarOnDrugs #drugcember shows in Philly this week. Incredible musicians and truly great guys! — Just Tim Heidecker (@timheidecker) December 22, 2018 Watch fan-shot footage below of both performances. The War on Drugs Setlist: Holding On Baby Missiles An Ocean in Between the Waves Pain Disappearing Strangest Thing Arms Like Boulders Hot Piss (The Yellow River Boys cover) (with Tim Heidecker) Straight Into Darkness (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover) (with Tim Heidecker) Red Eyes Come to the City In Reverse Under the Pressure Eyes to the Wind Lost in the Dream Source

Before Ministry became industrial-metal pioneers in the late ’80s, they were a fantastic synthpop band, highlighted by the 1984 classic goth anthem “(Everyday Is) Halloween”. Cut to Ministry’s Thursday night (December 20th) show at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, and frontman Al Jourgensen busted out the song for the first time in more than 30 years, with Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro and others helping him out. Fan-filmed video of the performance shows Jourgensen introduce the song onstage, saying, “We did a bunch of old shit for you guys, and we’re sick of playing old shit right now, so we decided we’re gonna play something even older.” Uncle Al went on to say that he’s “never done this song onstage.” However, Setlist.fm shows Ministry playing it as late as 1986, but never again after that. Either way, it was a rare treat, to say the least. He then brought some friends out for the “special acoustic version” of the song, including Navarro, classic Ministry member Chris Connelly, current band member Cesar Soto, and musician Dan Cleary. Watch fan-filmed footage below in two angles (wide shot in color and close-up in black & white): We caught Ministry’s show a couple weeks ago at Irving Plaza in New York City, and it was a great gig, but we’re definitely jealous of the LA peeps who had the chance to see Jourgensen bust out a rare classic like “(Everyday Is) Halloween”. Check out our review and photo gallery of the NYC concert here, and read Part 1 and Part 2 of our recent interview with Al Jourgensen. Source

Download | Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | RSS Constant Listeners, we’ve reached the Big 100, and what better way to celebrate than with our second annual Kingmas celebration. No, we did not plan on this, yes it’s a coincidence, ka is a wheel, yadda, yadda, yadda. Grab some candy canes, pour out some egg nog, and join Losers Mel Kassel, Justin Gerber, Michael Roffman, and McKenzie Gerber as they dive into Needful Tweets, take a quick visit to Hollywood King, and empty out a big ol’ Bag of Bones. You’ll even hear Kingmas’ very own theme song, a new earworm by Coach Hop singer-songwriter Charlie Honderick, who joins the Club to discuss his latest songs and anthems. He even shares one incredible anecdote involving Sai King himself. Listen above and stay tuned for the third season to begin in the year of ’19, starting with 1987’s Misery. Until then, leave us a glowing review on iTunes; after all, this is the season of giving, right? We truly love getting those. Chapters include: Intro, Needful Tweets (6:25), Hollywood King (24:30), Bag of Bones (42:35), Interview with Charlie Honderick (2:09:45), and 100th Outro (2:31:00). — Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram — E-mail us tips. Links — Listen and Follow: Coach Hop –Merch: Support The Losers’ Club and Grab Some T-Shirts! — In Case You Missed It: Lobstrosities: The Lawnmower Man — Editorial: Let’s Not Fuck Up This Stephen King Renaissance, Okay? — Feature: Behold, The Stephen King Cinematic Universe! — Guide: Stephen King in Five Films — Ranking: Every Stephen King Movie, Miniseries, TV Show from Worst to Best — List: The Top 10 Stephen King Film Adaptations Source

Noisia’s Invisible imprint has one more deep, dark release for the drum and bass world before 2018 comes to a close in the form of their third installment of the Outlines series. This one features deep, dark, grinding and pulsing tracks from Hybris, Arclight, The Outsiders, Rizzle, Ground and Subtension. The last name on that list is the subject of our exclusive on release day with a track called “Left to Decay,” and it is certainly a highlight. While all the tracks on Outlines 3 follow the Invisible model of deep and dark, most of them are also an homage to darkstep or have a lot of techy vibes. Subtension’s “Left to Decay,” however, shows that deep and dark tracks don’t necessarily have to follow the same techy or snaresy vibes. It’s the loosest definition of drum and bass, in fact, with lots of experimental elements and a melodic vibe. “Left to Decay” opens with a somewhat standard-sounding techy sinewave structure and an airplane sample. The intro builds into the beat and organ-like synths which create the main melody, but there isn’t really much of a discernable drop. There’s a second melody which is made up of a guitar sound and is the only thing left at the break. The second drop is more obvious but as the end section begins the other thing that’s obvious is that the beat has been flipped on its end. Listening to this track one might say it’s even possible that Subtension simply flipped the whole track backwards and made a break to connect them. A DnB palindrome, if you will. It plays the same backwards as it does forwards. Either way it’s pretty, interesting and definitely challenges the notion of what it means to be a deep drum and bass track. All the tracks on Outlines 3 are worth the Invisible name and definitely worth a listen. Hyrbis’s track “Unpleasant Pheasant” coming off the back of Not Bug is just as wacky and vibesy as the EP, while “Swindle” by Ground is a sparsely-rhythmed, pseudo-techy track with a lot of amped up synths. “Dialtones” by The Outsiders is weird, melodic and borders on a deep liquid track while Arclight and Rizzle give serious dark and techstep fusion vibes on their respective “Incarnation” and “Murderous” tracks. So, despite Outlines being focused on deep drum and bass, there is still something for every type of basshead on this EP. More than worth a listen and a cop. Outlines 3 is out today, December 21 on Invisible and can be streamed or purchased on multiple platforms here. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Your EDM Exclusive: Noisia and Invisible Re-Draw the ‘Outlines’ of Bass Music Once Again Source

In the waning days of 2001, it seemed impossible to determine the more omnipresent fixture on the lawns of America: Santa Claus or the American flag. “This is the most decorating we’ve ever seen,” a Knights of Pythias chairman told The New York Times in a Christmas Day report from the heartlands of Illinois. “Probably 80 or 90 percent are making sure they have at least some bushes or trees that have red, white, and blue in them.” The first holiday season post-9/11 would unfold like an uneven pageant of patriotic values, cobbled together from idealized versions of an America that no longer existed, unchecked racist bile towards the Middle East flowing freely, and the true, terrified state of our union. The nation was stronger, more united than ever before according to every newscaster and politician, but you’d be hard-pressed to find an adult in America that didn’t flinch at the sound of a low-flying plane while holiday shopping that winter. The complicated state of yuletide cheer certainly wasn’t lost on Sufjan Stevens. A recent graduate of The New School, Stevens found himself a few stops from Ground Zero when he released his glitchy curveball of a sophomore record, Enjoy Your Rabbit, a week after 9/11. Both fascinated by holiday music as the soundtrack of the holiday’s most capitalistic tendencies and appreciative of its heart-on-sleeve emotion in times of need, Stevens gathered his arsenal of instruments, recruited frequent collaborator Matt Morgan, and recorded Noel in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Originally sent out as a gift to friends and family, Stevens’ first EP of carols is markedly sparse and folksy in Rabbit’s wake, regifting holiday relics with tender care and tacking on two smirkingly titled originals in “We’re Going to the Country!” and “It’s Christmas! Let’s Be Glad!” Noel’s shining moment comes with its unlikely closer, “Amazing Grace”. In most religious songwriters’ hands, the most ubiquitous hymn on Earth would probably not get any invites to secular holiday parties, but Stevens’ rendition lands as both a sincere carol and a sigh of relief after the year preceding it. Nearly two decades removed, Noel, Vol. 1 stands as a rare holiday time capsule that hasn’t joined the ranks of dated or problematic Christmas collections, simply by being an unadorned document of an artist and city in the midst of rebuilding. Nine EPs and 100 recordings later, Stevens has undoubtedly accepted his reputation as a Bing Crosby for the thirtysomething NPR listener. His ongoing exploration into the heart of the holidays is as much a part of his mythos as his Illinois-era butterfly wings or critics debating whether he was serious about completing the 50 States Project or not. Still, Songs for Christmas’ 42-song collection arrived with a bit of ambiguity in 2006: was it the rare Christmas compilation that knowingly tackled the tradition’s lack of self-awareness or an overstuffed offering to the eternal holiday music cash cow? You can make a case for both; conflicted feelings over forbidden love are standard emotional territory for Stevens and his love for Christmas might be his most burdensome. Undoubtedly, though, Songs stands as a unique, extended glimpse into one of the millennium’s foremost folk experimentalists cutting loose during the making of his most beloved stretch of records. While most Christmas covers fall limp with unoriginal arrangements, Stevens might be the rare artist where getting too cerebral and ornate is a bigger concern. 2002’s Hark, Vol. 2 finds him moving wildly between hushed hearth-side sing-alongs (“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”, “Only at Christmas Time”) and cheery pocket orchestras (“Once in Royal David’s City”, “I Saw Three Ships”), a chaotic preface to the maximalist folk to come on 2003’s Michigan and 2004’s Seven Swans. Even as Songs’ tracklist reads like an overzealous caroler’s “Twelve Days of Christmas” (three versions of “Emmanuel”, two helpings of “Lo! How a Rose”, and a seven-minute version of “What Child Is This”), there’s a feeling somewhere between Hark and Ding! Dong! Vol. 3 of Stevens considering a bigger mailing list for his yearly EP Christmas card. “That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!”, a snapshot of a family in disarray delivered with the kind of fingerpicked tenderness Stevens would later perfect on “For the Widows of Ypsilanti” and “John Wayne Gacy, Jr”, is unanimously the one Songs original that become a modern indie holiday classic in its own right, but it’d be a disservice to crown it the brightest homemade ornament on the tree. “Did I Make You Cry on Christmas Day? (Well, You Deserved It!)” details a relationship dying at the hands of seasonal depression, buoyed by the persistent chirp of an EKG. Of course, Sufjan copes with it in the most Sufjan Stevens way possible: passive-aggressively writing poems about his partner that “aren’t very nice.” “Hey Guys! It’s Christmas Time!” similarly lives up to its hammy title, bringing out a fuzzed-out side to Sufjan that worships Dinosaur Jr., but still gets stoked about getting permission from his parents to stay up past his bedtime. Ultimately, though, it’s the set-closing Peace, Vol. V that shows Songs’ ability to move past your standard Christmas carol regurgitation and craft something original out of a holiday compilation. Boasting six originals from the post-Illinois era, it’s hardly a reach to suggest the transition from Illinois to Adz becomes more linear thanks to Peace. “Get Behind Me, Santa!” is a horn-heavy cousin of “Chicago” featuring back-and-forths between Santa and a non-believer, but even that showdown feels minuscule on “Jupiter Winter”. Mixing heavy Christian imagery with a longing for the intergalactic, “Jupiter” and the set closing “Winter Solstice” would be right at home on Songs’ follow-up, 2012’s Silver & Gold, while avoiding the dizzyingly abstract turns that made Silver’s 58 songs an overstuffed odyssey. Whether the thought of Sufjan’s carols makes you want to board up your door or your devotion to indie folk’s Christmas ambassador knows no bounds, Songs doesn’t exist to convert or change, but there’s plenty to admire beyond its abundant runtime. In Stevens’ Christmas universe, Santa is “a bad brother breaking into people’s garages,” awkward neck-kissing under mistletoe is cause for guitar rock celebration, and plans of hijacking snow plows to deliver cookies easier are plausible, but the dismal notes of time’s passage and worldly woes puncturing the holidays are never far behind. Especially in the wake of this year’s hellscape of headlines, Stevens’ persistent wrapping and unwrapping of the Christmas classics is a comforting tradition to return to, but would be nothing without its introspection and thoughtfulness. The whiplash between parade-sized horn sections, banjo-laden odes to the season’s darker corners, and the beginnings of Sufjan’s age of Adz is perhaps not ideal listening for your office holiday party, but Songs for Christmas intimately achieves what most holiday compilations only aspire to. It recognizes the heartache, greed, and tears awaiting every holiday season and, for two hours and change, makes the bold request to forgive, forget, and earnestly enjoy the small glimmers of good left to cling to. Essential Tracks: “That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!”, “Did I Make You Cry on Christmas Day?”, and “Holy, Holy, Holy” Source

The biggest Drum & Bass and Dubstep party in the world is returning once more to the Belgian city of Antwerp and they’re not messing around. Rampage is coming back to dominate for their 10th anniversary on March 29th and 30th with another monstrous lineup. Some incredible artists taking the stage are Excision, Sub Focus, Andy C, Herobust, Alix Perez, Funtcase, and many more. With being one of Europe’s biggest gathering, the event has successfully expanded to two days and is doing so with more than 30,000 people expected to attend with people flying in from more than 55 different countries. Although the music is the main act of the event, the visual production has been deemed a key part of this event as this is one of the reasons this has become a regular concert for all drum & bass fans all over the world. All of the magic will happen at the Antwerp Sportpaleis, one of the largest indoor venues in Europe and one that becomes an immersive and breathtaking rave haven. Check out the lineup below and get your tickets here. LINE-UP: EXCISION (can) ANDY C (uk) SUB FOCUS & WILKINSON (uk) DIMENSION (uk) DION TIMMER (usa) DJ HAZARD (uk) FUNTCASE (uk) HEROBUST (usa) MURDOCK (b) MACKY GEE (uk) ALIX PEREZ (uk) DJ HYPE (uk) DUBLOADZ (usa) DRUMSOUND & BASSLINE SMITH (uk) FEINT (uk) FOX STEVENSON (uk) KOVEN (uk) MC MOTA (b) SPAG HEDDY (nl) TANTRUM DESIRE (uk) BENNY L (uk) BREDREN (b) BUKEZ FINEZT (b) CULPRATE (uk) DISPROVE (it) INFEKT (de) KANINE (uk) K MOTIONZ (uk) MUZZY (uk) MVRDA (uk) OBEY (nl) SHIVERZ (uk) SIMULA (uk) SIGNAL (nl) SKEPTICAL (uk) T>I (uk) HARRIET JAXXON (uk) LIZ-E (uk) M-ZINE (b) ONE87 (b) PHASE (b) SCEPTICZ (b) TEKITOKA (cr) The post Rampage-Worlds Biggest DnB Event Returns to Antwerp appeared first on EDM Maniac. Source

A 22-year-old man has been arrested for pushing massive quantities of ecstasy said to be worth over £1 million, or 1.26 million in USD. According to reports, the seized MDMA amounted to more than 45 kilograms. In a joint effort between Police Scotland and the National Crime Agency, the arrest was made in the Rosemount area of Aberdeen. Following an “intelligence-led operation,” the suspect was arrested for his alleged involvement for both importing and supplying the Class A controlled drug. Police Scotland spokesman said point-blank: “As a result of the investigation and enforcement action, over 45 kilograms of MDMA (ecstasy) with an estimated street value of over £1,000,000, has been recovered.” Source: Belfast Telegraph This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: RAID: £1 Million In MDMA Seized, 22-Year-Old Man Arrested Source

Lightning In A Bottle is a rare gem. While many big time festivals focus their energy on expanding — more events, more attendance, more money — LIB sticks to being the best it can be. For 2019, that means downsizing significantly. Per a statement on r/LightningInABottle, organizers are planning to cut back on the amount of tickets sold for next year’s installment. “Changes ahead for LIB 2019,” the post gives a heads up. “To help create a more intimate festival where we can all focus on making that LIB magic we are going to significantly lower ticket capacity by over 25%.” Consider this a polite nudge to the LIB community — tickets will sell out early. This comes as LIB just experienced its biggest year yet, with “over 27,000 beautiful souls in attendance.” “We are always accepting new LIB’ers into the experience. There is a learning curve to festivaling, especially festivaling like we do at LIB. The Do LaB team are working on ways to educate and introduce everyone to the community better, but it is up to all of us as LIB participants to be stewards and teachers of the LIB vibe.” With this, LIB also introduces The 6 Ways of LIB: Celebrate Life Create Community Respect Yourself & Others Actively Participate Honor The Land Be A Citizen Get ready — LIB 2019 Earlybird Sale starts January 19th and it sounds like this year will be better than ever. LIB 2018 From Above Photo via Jessica Bernstein Photography This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Lightning In A Bottle Plans To Sell Out Early with 25% Lower Ticket Capacity Source

After a headlining tour this year, Gryffin made his national television debut on Jimmy Kimmel last night. He performed his new hit “Tie Me Down” with Elley Duhé, off his new short album Gravity Pt 1. Duhé rocked the vocals while Gryffin played guitar and synths. A drummer kept the tempo while the crowd cheered, and those that knew the words already sang along. The performance sounded well-rehearsed and polished; Gryffin clearly feels comfortable now with live performance as he’s been honing his skills on tour all year. Duhé, of course, also recently worked with Zedd on “Happy Now.” Between her new star power and Gryffin’s songwriting prowess, this one was a sure hit from the start. Watch below. Listen to all of Gravity Pt. 1 here.  This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Watch Gryffin Perform Live On Jimmy Kimmel Source

PLSMA and Billy Zigg drop their latest banger via MMXVAC From the first seconds of PLSMA and Billy Zigg’s “Big Smoke,” listeners are assaulted with daunting levels of sonic brutality. Featuring a collection of elements such as dissonant arpeggios and aggressive vocals, the release builds to the bone-shattering sounds both artists are known for. In the midst of the track’s energy, it serves as a call to turn up, as Rico Act instructs listeners to “light a match and get litty ‘till your body’s smokin’.” Being the solid hybrid-trap banger that it is, “Big Smoke” will have crowds doing just that. Hailing from Tampa, PLSMA has built his name on filthy signature sound and diverse live shows. The DJ/producer boasts a considerable collection of originals and remixes for names like Zomboy, TNGHT, and Ludacris, obtaining the support of Bailo, Pixel Terror, Nerd Rage, and Blunts and Blondes to name a few. With tens of thousands of SoundCloud streams, PLSMA aims to expand his reach with his versatility on and of the stage. Following the success of his debut single, “Bronco,” (which amassed over 20k streams in less than two weeks), New York’s Billy Zigg is looking to dominate in 2019. In a short time, the artist has established a solid foundation for his career with his impressively versatile production skills. With over thirty tracks to be released throughout next year, Zigg is on the right track to grow as an artist and obtain copious amounts of support. Stream “Big Smoke” above, courtesy of Soundcloud. The post PLSMA x Billy Zigg Want “Big Smoke” with Rico Act : Listen appeared first on Verge Campus. Source

We can never get enough Knife Party. The superstar EDM duo gives us a much needed update in their latest podcast, Knifecast episode 10, hinting at big things to come. As 2018 comes to a close, Knife Party is gearing up for quite the 2019. According to Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen, they are getting ready to release a new EP, in addition to new “Pendulum stuff.” They reveal in their latest podcast, we should hear more from Knife Party “within three months.” Knife Party released their Trigger Warning EP in 2015, which birthed “PLUR Police” and more. We’re beyond excited to hear where their sound is at years later. Stay tuned. Knifecatst: Episode 010 Photo via Rukes.com This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Knife Party Reveals New EP Coming “Within 3 Months” Source

The Pitch: Poland, 1942, during the war. Wiktor (Tomasz Kot) is enlisted by Kaczmarek (Borys Szyc), a government sycophant, to oversee a travelling revue of traditional, rural Polish folk tunes. While seeking out future stars for the show, he happens upon Zula (Joanna Kulig), an exceptionally talented singer with a dark past. Zula quickly becomes the centerpiece of Wiktor’s show, but as the years pass on and the cultural/sociopolitical tensions continue to mount, their budding romance is thwarted by everything from circumstance to political repression to the simple, unavoidable passage of time. Love, Mid-Century European Style: Much of the early word around Cold War has situated it as a loosely biographical feature about director Pawel Pawlikowski‘s parents. Yet the kind of intimacy that the film sets out is far less sweepingly romantic than it’s concerned with the ways in which romance can be impeded by everything from war to missed connections to the ill intentions of others. The cruelties which send Wiktor and Zula out of one another’s arms time and again are very much attuned to the era in which the film takes place (across European borders from 1942 to 1957), but their story takes on a grander context as the film unfolds, one every bit as indebted to the classic romantic tragedies of old Hollywood as it is to Pawlikowki’s own family history. Dread exists constantly in the periphery of Cold War. When Wiktor suggests that the two escape Berlin together, it’s far less a question of whether they’ll succeed than which of the forces conspiring against them will interfere first. Pawlikowski employs the same classic 4:3 ratio he brought to his breakthrough 2014 feature Ida, and where in that film he used the relative claustrophobia of that space to speak to his wayward protagonist’s isolation, here he adds breathtaking depth to a frame that seems to always be spilling beyond its own boundaries. There’s a sumptuous quality to Lukasz Zal’s black-and-white photography that grows harrowing as the film unfolds. Whenever the film takes a moment to allow itself to slip into the same starry-eyed reveries as the deeply flawed duo as its center, the perpetual violence of the surrounding world is never far behind. Sad Songs: For a film so steadily concentrated on music, Cold War finds some of its most poignant stuff within silence. After all, most of the film’s singing is aggressively performative; when Wiktor discovers Zula, she’s singing for him in the form of an audition. Later performances of hers will capture everything from the emotional and physical distance of political exile to the ability of a true talent to carry on even with the pressures of the entire known world weighing down on her. Pawlikowski spends a great deal of time relying on his actors to carry some of the film’s most powerful scenes through subtleties and silences, and Kulig in particular is revelatory. Zula begins the film as an enigma and ends it as scarcely less of one, and Kulig’s inscrutable features betray everything from longing to aching need to multitudes of secret intention. Kot is likely affecting, as a hardly innocent caddish type who nevertheless believes, beyond all belief, that Zula is “the woman of my life.” Other loves come and go with time for them both, but even as Wiktor finds himself surrounded by more and more unfamiliar times, Zula remains his constant. If Pawlikowski does occasionally insist on the indestructibility of their love in ways that the film never entirely cements, those emotions are found within his leading performances in spades. Kulig and Kot exude the kind of yearning that becomes impossible to deny as the film presses on, their lovers less star-crossed than doomed by them. The Verdict: There’s not an ounce of wasted motion to be found throughout Cold War. Pawlikowski moves at a fleet pace, trusting in his audience to fill in the gaps that the film’s understated storytelling leaves along the way. As the years press on, the political facets creep in (as they so often do) until they become omnipresent in Wiktor and Zula’s lives. Both time and politics have a way of bending people to their will, after all. The small moments linger the most throughout Cold War, and it’s in those delicate notes that Pawlikowski’s film gains its true resonance. Zula, in a fit of boredom and envy, brings an entire bar to her will in the space of one increasingly frenzied dance to “Rock Around the Clock”. A pair of eyes gaze out from behind a dilapidated church wall, from a world that will never exist again. Tomasz waits at a street corner, smoking a cigarette for as long as he possibly can, hoping that the woman of his life will arrive. And as success and collapse and more darkness still awaits, they hold each other under the Parisian lights, desperate never to let go, knowing all the while that something will force them to before long. Where’s It Playing?: Cold War is out now in NY/LA, and will expand to limited cities in the weeks to come. Trailer: Source

Heavy metal and EDM fans get the most lit at shows, according to research. A new study reveals that 62.2% of heavy metal fans get intoxicated at shows. Compare that to 58.7% of hip hop attendees, 46.6% of country fans, and just 39.8% of pop fanatics. Most likely to be intoxicated during an event — EDM fans. In fact, EDM shows up in the top three for all the drugs studied here: alcohol, marijuana, MDMA, hallucinogens, cocaine, and opioids (except for benzodiazepines). Drug use is most common among heavy metal and EDM fans, but the reasonings differ drastically. According to the research, 41% of heavy metal fans say they use drugs at shows to reduce social anxiety. Meanwhile, EDM fans are split between using drugs to increase energy, enjoy the show more, and/or to connect with the artist on stage. Unsurprisingly, MDMA is much more common at EDM shows (25.6%) than at either of the other top genres that dabble with the substance. Reggae comes in at 4.8% and indie rock at 3.0%. Keep in mind — this survey only collected information from 976 people, so the sample size isn’t quite representative. But, you get the idea. See just some of the results below from DrugAbuse.com (via Metal Injection). This might be a good time to add, you don’t need to use drugs and alcohol to have a good time. Most Intoxicated Live Music Event Genres Most Popular Live Music For Alcohol or Drug Use H/T: Consequence of Sound | Photo via Rukes.com This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: STUDY: EDM & Heavy Metal Fans Most Likely To Consume Drugs & Alcohol At Shows Source

Last year, Chicago jazz-rap duo Bonelang delivered their Venn Diagrams EP series, a well crafted, two-part collection of songs that engaged with deep topics such as the self and queer identity. Now, Samy.Language and Matt Bones are following up that release with a new single, “Red Dye #2”. A collaboration with Brainfeeder and Flying Lotus associate Jeremiah Jae, the track is a silky and flowing listen, peppered throughout with jazzy flourishes (think of some of Action Bronson’s singles). It’s what I imagine raindrops trickling down a windowpane in New Orleans sounds like. Check it out below. As Samy exclusively tells Consequence of Sound, “Red Dye #2” comes ahead of a new Bonelang album, due out sometime in 2019. It’s called Sunny, Sonny and took a total of 24 months to write. The album also shares its title with an accompanying book of poetry. Samy spoke further with CoS to offer more insight into “Red Dye #2” and Bonelang’s forthcoming 2019 projects. Specifically, he discussed the significance of the letters “U,O” (seen in the above video) and the creative processes that birthed both the book and album. U,O abbreviation: U, O. was an abbreviation we’ve been using in the interim. It ’s also the title of a book of poetry I’ve written to accompany the album. The body of work around the music is pretty vast; videos, writing, charts, merch, etc. We’re excited to be bringing this work forward. On creating the poetry book: Matt and I like to create a lot of space around the music. Things to draw from as we work through the album’s pallet and all that. So as he’s feeling around on the piano/building compositions/laying the foundational work for the sound, I’m sitting next to him jotting lines. The book started that way but morphed into something bigger. It’s going to come lined with some photography our Art Director Dan Kanvis shot for us, all the lyrics, about 80 pages of poetry, and charts to some of the tunes. We’ve had some fans reach out for charts in the past and we found it really rewarding to see them play the songs themselves and put their own flavors on ‘em. On creating the new album as opposed to Venn Diagrams: The process has been growing. The demoing stage got longer. We had our drummer Zack Marks play over most of the work, whereas Venn Diagrams was mostly programmed percussion. Mattie just finished a masters degree in composition and that certainly had an influence. The tunes were so meticulously sectioned out over time that new information about the songs themselves would show up late in the game. There are some pieces on here that took the full two years to complete – others were quicker; two to three months. Source

It’s hard to think of a holiday/music combination than EDM and New Years Eve. It’s a holiday you are meant to party. Most major cities have fireworks and some sort of event to attend, but in order to have a real pivotal experience an electronic music event is the way to go. While celebrating the New Year remember, out with the old in with the new, let go of all that does not serve you. Enjoy music from the 10 best New Years Eve events. Odesza photo credit Julian Bajsel 1. SnowGlobe, South Lake Tahoe, CA Snowglobe is honestly a personal favorite of mine. Not just for New Years but for festivals in general. The snow, the venue and a lineup that seems to get better every year, SnowGlobe is truly a one of a kind festival. See the likes of Above & Beyond, Diplo and RL Grimes. A plethora of heated tents and bars make it very easy to warm up when you need to and huge outdoor dance floors to enjoy dancing in the cold. They also have very convenient shuttles from most major hotels in the area and buses from the Bay Area and Los Angeles. This is the perfect New Years Eve Festival for any Californian that enjoys a weekend in the snow.  Listen to SnowGlobe mix from 2017 [free download]: 2. Bassnectar 360, Greensboro, NC It’s hard to think of anyone that will help you celebrate New Years better than Bassnectar. His New Year’s Eve 360 is going to be one for the books. This one-night event features a solid lineup that should help make your end of 2018 perfect. With package deals for a nearby hotel, this inclusive festival makes your night worry-free. 3. Decadence Colorado, Denver, CO Decadence Lineup 2018 Decadence Denver is an event that should be on your radar. Escape the Rocky Mountain cold inside the Colorado Convention Center. Stay warm and party hard in this awesome venue featuring huge dance floors and full bars for those of age. It wouldn’t be a New Years party without champagne. With too many big-name artists to list this festival will be one of the best ways to start 2019. 4. Countdown NYE, San Bernadino, CA Countdown NYE is the best event in a town full of events. Los Angeles California is a town where one doesn’t need to look too far for great EDM events. When it comes to New Year’s Eve 2019, there is none better than Countdown. The drive into the Inland Empire is well worth it for this stacked lineup at this awesome festival. Insomniac is world renowned for putting on some incredible festivals with unique atmospheres and this is no different. Anyone in Los Angeles looking for an experience they will never forget would be smart to head east to Countdown. 5. STS9 4-night-run, Denver CO STS9 returns to Denver, Colorado, this time with a unprecedented 4-night-run featuring one night of Wave Spell. If you have not experienced the wondrous atmosphere Tribe creates to ring in a New Year, we feel sorry for you. Be transported to a dream state by listening to their crisp sounds and spectacular light show. Tickets still available. 6. Lights All Night, Dallas, TX I wouldn’t feel right if I wrote this whole list and didn’t include one event for people who can’t go out on New Year’s Eve proper. Be it work or any number of other reasons not everyone can go out on the 31st. Lights All Night is the perfect festival for anyone in that boat or realistically anyone at all. This festival takes place in that few days between Christmas and New Years that most people have nothing to do. Anyone in Texas looking to get away from the family for two days of raging to amazing music look no further than Lights All Night.  7. OMFG! NYE 2018, San Diego, CA For those in Southern California, I mean way south, look no further than OMFG! NYE 2019 This awesome three-day event in San Diego will help end 2018 right. While San Diego might not get the cold weather associated with New Years or the snow the some of the other events on this list it shouldn’t be ignored for a great New Years Eve destination. Yet another stacked lineup make this party another one to include on your bucket list.  8. Decadence Arizona, Chandler, AZ Yet another Decadence event that will not disappoint. This festival takes place at the Rawhide Event Center in Chandalar, Arizona. With several last-minute additions to the lineup, this festival is not one that you want to miss. Escape that cool high desert air and party your way into 2019 with the likes of Alison Wonderland, Marshmello, NGHTMRE and many more.  9. Snowta, Minneapolis, MN Snowta is the premiere EDM New Year’s Eve festival in the midwest. This annual festival miraculously warms up what has to be one of the coldest places to celebrate New Years in the United States. That icy cold Minnesota air is no match for what will be the hottest dance floor in the Midwest. Taking place in the Minneapolis Convention Center (don’t worry, it’s indoors) this two-night festival has the artist for every sub-genre of EDM fans. Also, including some shows like freestyle motocross and a mega skatepark, there is no shortage of things to keep your mind off of the cold outside. 10. HiJinx Music Festival On December 28th & 29th, Philadelphia will see the inaugural run of HiJinx Music Festival at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The first edition of what is projected to be the Northeast’s largest indoor music festival will host an experience of its own. We will see sets from electronic music titans, immersive sound, top notch lighting and video, art installations, flow art performances, a craft & food bazaar and more! 11. The String Cheese Incident NYE Bloomfield, Colorado This list would not be complete without the addition of electronic music instigators, The String Cheese Incident. Without Cheese, Electric Forest or Hulaween would not be the same, hence the electronic music world would be much less beautiful. With BIG surprises each year, this is an event you need on your bucketlist. Here is to Bill, Kyle, Kang, Keith, Jason and Micheal, thanks for all you do! Somehow, tickets are still available.  The post Select Singles from the 11 Best New Years Events appeared first on EDM | Electronic Music | EDM Music | EDM Festivals | EDM Events. Source

As the year comes to a close, we often reflect and look back on what’s happened over the past 12 months. This is not the case for legendary producer/DJ Paul van Dyk, who relentlessly pushes forward. Paul recently capped off a busy year with the release of Music Rescues Me, his ninth full-length album, earlier this month. The title track was the lead single back in September, and now, the full 14-track LP is available on Paul’s Vandit Records. The album features tracks with many of Paul’s frequent collaborators including Jordan Suckley, Saad Ayub, Delta One and Project 8 among others. The album follows Paul’s previous album From Then On, which was released in September 2017. While many artists in the dance music world have an impressive output, putting out two albums in a 14 month span is pretty much unheard of, but there are few producers who can match the prestige and precision of the trance forefather. 2018 also saw Paul make appearances at EDC Las Vegas, Dreamstate Southern California, Creamfields, and the World Cup in Russia. Paul also successfully launched his new Shine residency at Privilege in Ibiza, which will be returning in 2019. We got the chance to chat with Paul about the new album, his Ibiza residency, his take on the creative process, and his advice for other artists. Hello Paul, it’s been quite a year for you. First things first, tell us a little about the new album Music Rescues Me? What was the process like? How long did it take you? What was the vision of the record? “Making music is part of my everyday life, so basically the ‘Music Rescues Me’ album process started when my previous album, ‘From Then On,’ was finished. My approach to music is very straight forward, no compromises. That is the only way for me to stay authentic and real as an artist.” With the release of your ninth album and a heavy touring schedule this year, how does 2018 stack up compared to the rest of your illustrious career? “It has been a very exciting year with a new Ibiza residency at Shine and amazing shows all over the world at some of the most amazing festivals and clubs.” What’s your take on the state of trance and dance music in general? Are there any producers you’re really fond of or any artists you see on the come up? “To me there is no ‘state of this or that.’ Art and music is an ongoing process of creativity and especially in trance you will find amazing talents and artists who push the boundaries every day. Someone like Jordan Suckley for example, he’s always amazing me through his performances and releases.” You really got out and toured a lot this year, what’s your routine like on the road and how do you stay focused? “Well, there have been busier years. Apparently because of the long lasting impacts of the accident that I had in February 2016, I am only able to do about 50% of what I was able to do before. But I still give everything I have when I’m on stage. That said, my routine is basically trying to get as much rest before and after a show and to live as healthy as possible.” As someone who’s been so successful in the industry for so long, what’s your advice to other people in the industry on how to succeed? “Be authentic, be real. Otherwise you will drown in the soup of marketing driven plastic projects. It’s important to know why you are doing what you are doing.” The holidays are here! Do you have any special plans for Christmas and New Year’s? “We will spend Christmas with family, since they all live in different parts of the world it will include a bit of travel this year.” What’s going to be your focus going forward into 2019? What can the fans expect from you? “I will continue to make music and I am looking forward to another season of Shine Ibiza in 2019.” Finally, Paul had this take on the new album and how he hopes people receive it. “My greatest aspiration for this release is that people – either now, or in years to come – listening to ‘Music Rescues Me’ will find that one of its tracks elevates, alleviates, opens them up, or takes them out of themselves.” Paul van Dyk’s newest album Music Rescues Me is out now on Vandit Records.  This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Paul Van Dyk Talks New Album, Ibiza, Touring, and Career Advice [Interview] Source

Download | Listen via iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS For this special Christmas premiere edition of Miniography, Filmography‘s spin-off series in the off months of the show, the series is heading to Minneapolis, MN circa 1996 for a little trip to the mall with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Jingle All the Way. Host and Film Editor Dominick Suzanne-Mayer is joined by Editor-in-Chief Michael Roffman and The A.V. Club’s Randall Colburn to discuss Schwarzenegger’s transition into family comedies, Sinbad the Bomber, and the film’s capitalist hellscape. We’ll see you in January for the next installment of Miniography and future seasons of Filmography in 2019. Until then, past seasons are currently available surrounding the extensive filmographies of Wes Anderson, Stanley Kubrick, and John Carpenter. Link: The Plantation Fashion Mall photography by Cap Blackard Source

This year in music has seen a lot of ups and downs. Many beloved artists are no longer with us, and so many more have made themselves known. There’s been so much new music this year from so many different sources that it’s often hard to keep track. In the process of the past 12 months, over 100 notable albums in dance music have been released and so many of them are now favorites of fans new and old. It was very difficult to choose our Top 10 Albums of 2018 with so many strong contenders, but we believe that this list is a fair representation of a broad range of styles and influences. Of course, not everyone will agree with our list, and that’s okay. However, there’s no denying that each of these albums has an importance in 2018. Each has influenced scores of fans and for that, they deserve recognition. Here are Your EDM’s Top 10 Albums of 2018. 10. The Glitch Mob – See Without Eyes Spanning eleven tracks, See Without Eyes exposes fans to supremely classic Glitch Mob vibes, courtesy of Boreta, Ooah and edIT. Not counting the singles that have already been released, the album is full of welcome surprises and familiar soundscapes. While it’s not an entirely different or updated Glitch Mob from the one we left in 2014, fans will no doubt be happy to add another batch of releases to their collection. 9. Rezz – Certain Kind Of Magic I’d say that Certain Kind Of Magic feels more cohesive and put together than her first album, and that’s only to be expected after receiving feedback and working harder than ever before. Having 13 and Kotek come back for the second album also gives it a sense of continuity that’s rather interesting, and additions of collaboration with not one, but two mystery producers – 1788-L and Deathpact – gives this album an intense air of mystery, as well. We’ve already spouted on about how much we love “H E X,” as has much of the EDM community as large, but other standouts on the album are “Teleportal” with Kotek and “Toxin” with Fytch. The latter actually happens to be our second favorite track on the whole album, as the combination of Fytch and Rezz is truly something of dreams. And since Rezz never plays out the drop in “Sirens Over Paris,” I feel like this is long overdue anyhow. 8. Golden Features – SECT SECT is a wholly cohesive project, one that works well with each track by itself, but even better as a whole. Each track, from the dark “Medicate” to the comparatively brighter “Falling Out,” works in tandem with each other, building up a foundation upon which the whole project can securely rest. 7. Getter – Visceral Where dubstep and riddim tend to play purely for the club, Visceral is a collection of songs that tell stories, stories of heartbreak, rejection, unhealthy relationships, struggles, and more. They’re not concepts new to music by any means, but Getter is certainly presenting them in a new context. He teams up with a number of featured artists on the album – Audio Opera, Allan Kingdom, nothing,nowhere., Sweetsound, Midoca, Name UL, Njomza, Party Nails and Joji, to name a few – in order to properly convey his thoughts and the result is nothing short of spectacular. 6. G Jones – The Ineffable Truth To say that an album is a journey is often a crutch, a buzzword that we use when we want to say that tracks flow into each other and maybe tell a story. Or perhaps it’s a way to connect with readers using a word they easily understand to offload some of the burden on us writers. But in the case of The Ineffable Truth, it’s no exaggeration or crutch. In a lot of ways, this is probably the most important bass music album of the decade. There are no crowd pleasers, no features, just pure unadulterated sound and creativity. 5. Zhu – RINGOS DESERT It’s hard to conceive a way in which ZHU could have created a more diverse and immersive experience within his own sound than what he did on this album. Each song is unmistakably ZHU, a result of a carefully crafted brand and soundscape that he’s developed ever since he dropped his remix of “Moves Like Ms. Jackson” four years ago. New to his sound are greater risks, more varied instrumentation, and a clearer sense of courage in the sound he chooses to present.  4. Steve Angello – HUMAN Described as powerful, euphoric, haunting, and hypnotic — the producer expresses an array of musical styles over 21 incredible tracks your ears will worship. Familiar songs like “Rejoice” and “Breaking Kind” set the pace before venturing into the previously unheard sounds Angello has been perfecting all this time. Heavy synth work, gospel choirs, eerie vibrations and bass-heavy undertones narrate the album throughout. There’s an ongoing battle between light and darkness and a constant struggle to find peace. But, overall, there’s an optimism heard with HUMAN that can only be explained through Angello’s own story. 3. San Holo – album1 The 12-track album is said to bridge progressive rock with dance music, utilizing a vastly different style of arrangement than most dance music fans are used to. In addition, San brings his soft and powerful guitar riffs into the mix for a deeply personalized production with his signature sound attached to each and every note. There’s no doubt that the album takes a little getting used to. Taking into context the usual format of live electronic music – the DJ set – album1 doesn’t make much sense. Of course, it was never meant to be a purely DJ-centric project in the first place. San has been on stage using his guitar for months now, giving fans a taste of what was to come. 2. RL Grime – Nova The wait for RL Grime’s second album NOVA began as soon as his first album, VOID, dropped. The widely recognized king of trap has always been about more than just his namesake, as he’s explored dubstep, future bass, and even drum & bass in many of his productions. But NOVA is truly peak RL, as the 27-year-old producer ventures into new sounds and personal expressions, many of which we’ve never heard from him before. To say that VOID and NOVA are like night and day, respectively, isn’t an exaggeration. VOID carried with it an exceedingly dark undertone, exemplified in some of its bigger tracks like “Core” and “Scylla.” In contrast, NOVA is a brighter, purer expression of happiness if we’ve ever seen one. 1. Rüfüs Du Sol – Solace One of the biggest explanations for this sound is the switch from major key in Bloom to majority minor keys in Solace. It immediately gives the record a more pained sound. At the same time, lead singer Tyrone Lindqvist provides a sense of dichotomy with his hopeful tone and lyrics. Rather than a monotone sound, this juxtaposition of sounds creates a swirling mass of noise that is all at once both upbeat and forlorn. This dichotomy is unbelievably present in each and every track, weaving its way throughout. This balance of dance floor music and emotional ballad is perhaps no more obvious than on “No Place.” The undertone of horns and grim bass belies the otherwise happy drum rhythm and the backing vocals. It’s easy at one moment to be dancing and the next to be painfully cry-screaming the lyrics into a void.  Photo via Rukes.com This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Your EDM’s Top 10 Albums Of 2018 Source