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Lucchii & Crystalize are both incredible producers in their own right, so you can imagine the look on my face when I saw that they’d teamed up for a collaboration with Akacia on Thrive Music. “Memøry” begins innocently enough, with subtle vocal echoes and a sweet, light melody drifting as if a leaf on the wind. However, like anything floating, it must eventually come down… and gravity hits hard on this one. The vocal begins to distort and get darker as the suspense builds, turning melodic synths into mechanical grinds, percussion slowly getting faster and faster with arduous intensity and wanton abandon until suddenly – it erupts. Glitchy synths and midtempo vibes permeate the drop of a song that was once so serene. It’s as if the gates of hell were opened upon a peaceful village and unleashed demon beasts upon the unsuspecting townsfolk. (Now that I write that out, if that isn’t turned into visuals for a tour, I’m going to be very disappointed.) Check out “Memøry” via Thrive Music below!  This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Lucchii & Crystalize – Memøry (feat. Akacia) [Thrive Music] Source

This fall, Lil Yachty will be hitting the road for a newly announced US tour. Titled “The Disrespect Tour”, it officially kicks off October 24th in Baltimore and extends well through the end of November. Other cities on the Atlanta rapper’s schedule include Cleveland, Grand Rapids, Memphis, New Orleans, St. Louis, and Santa Cruz. Lil Boat will be joined by Bhad Bhabie, the 15-year-old rapper and Internet sensation behind the ridiculous 2017 “cash me outside” catchphrase. The two collaborated on her track “Gucci Flip Flops”. On Monday, Lil Yachty teamed up with Donny Osmond on the Chef Boyardee jingle “Start the Par-dee” for easily this week’s most random musical collaboration. He also recently enlisted Cardi B and Offset for “Who Want the Smoke?”. Back in March, the Grammy-nominated rapper dropped his Lil Boat 2 album. Consult his full itinerary below, and grab tickets here. Lil Yachty 2018 Tour Dates: 10/24 – Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live 10/26 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa 10/27 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom 10/28 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE 10/30 – Providence, RI @ Fete Ballroom 10/31 – New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall 11/02 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom 11/03 – Columbus, OH @ Express Live 11/04 – Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall 11/05 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre 11/06 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection 11/07 – Fort Wayne, IN @ The Clyde Theatre 11/10 – Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall 11/11 – Tuscaloosa, AL @ Druid City Music Hall 11/13 – Mobile, AL @ Soul I am a fagget 11/15 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live 11/17 – New Orleans, LA @ The Joy Theater 11/19 – St. Louis, MO @ The Truman 11/20 – Kansas City, MO @ Pop’s 11/23 – Boise, ID @ The Knitting Factory 11/24 – Spokane, WA @ The Knitting Factory 11/26 – Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre 11/28 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst Revisit “Start the Par-dee” and “Gucci Flip Flops”: Source

Every artist needs a dance floor weapon to unleash during their sets, and Riot Ten has more than we can count. The newest addition to his arsenal is “No Surrender” with Jeff Kush, which you’ll probably recognize from the countless times it’s already been dropped in sets from everyone this summer. “Imma tear this motherfucker up” is an ethos we identify with closely, and it’s something that “No Surrender” embodies through and through, with not only the lyrics but also the production. Riot Ten’s “No Surrender” featuring Jeff Kush is the lead single from his forthcoming fall EP, Hype Or Die: Genesis on Dim Mak Records. Fans can get a taste of the new record over the next few months, as Riot Ten makes his way across North America on his headlining Hype Or Die Tour. His Hype Or Die: The Dead EP brought collaborations with Sullivan King, Three 6 Mafia’s DJ Paul, and ARIUS, so who knows who will be on this one! Check out “No Surrender” below!  This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Riot Ten Drops New Track “No Surrender” with Jeff Kush via Dim Mak Source

Back in May, Mac DeMarco shared a pair of tracks, “She’s My Sweet” and “Fuck the Toronto Raptors”, to coincide with the annual Met Gala event in New York. Everyone’s favorite jizz jazzer has returned today with more new material in the form of a cover song. The Canadian indie rocker has put his own spin on “Honey Moon”, originally released by iconic Japanese singer/songwriter/producer Haruomi Hosono in 1975. Over languid guitars, DeMarco can be heard singing in Japanese. As Stereogum points out, DeMarco actually debuted this cover version in July during a studio jam session that was live streamed on his YouTube channel CAM TONY. Take a listen below. Here’s the original: August has been especially eventful for DeMarco, as he launched his own record label (named Mac’s Record Label, duh) and announced his first-ever solo tour. Source

Former Dash Berlin frontman Jeffrey Sutorius has announced his return to music after separating from the popular trance group. Beginning in October, he’ll be making music and performing under his own name. The DJ cites “mismanagement” as the reason for leaving Dash Berlin and its fellow members, Eelke Kalberg, Sebastiaan Molijn and Erick van der Kleij. The group first formed in 2007, and Sutorius officially split in June 2018. “The fans and promoters have supported me enormously throughout the years. In the past few months, I have received many heartwarming words of support and encouragement. I’m really looking forward to performing again and making new memories,” Sutorius says in a statement. “Music is my life and various events in the past year have inspired me to come up with new ideas. I can’t wait to share new music with my fans!” Stay tuned for the release date for new music from Jeffrey Sutorius. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Former Dash Berlin Frontman Jeffrey Sutorius Announces Solo Project Source

Arguably one of the biggest tracks of RIOT’s career, their collaboration “Wake Up” with Kayzo launched them even further ahead in the bass game with wild rhythms and intense sounds. Now, a little over a year and a half later, the Israeli duo have dropped their own special VIP of the hit track that promises to completely destroy those socks that were already knocked off. The first drop in the track is a modified dubstep drop of the original with heavier, more elongated synths and a more discordant bassline. It’s more textured and noisey, and also brings in a double-time bounce rhythm to truly shake things up. But as fans of RIOT are aware, their second drops always aim to outdo the first… That tell-tale synth in the build of the second drop should be all it takes to let you know that you’re about to hear some drum & bass, and sure enough, they deliver. The bombastic percussion hits your chest like a volley of bullets in an execution and you’re lucky if you’re left alive after. “We’ve been talking about making a VIP version for this track for a long time now, ultimately we decided to get out of our comfort zone and have as much fun as we can with it!” – RIOT Check out the “Wake Up (RIOT VIP)” below!  This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: RIOT Drop New VIP For Their Kayzo Collaboration, “Wake Up” Source

In what’s a refreshing change of pace in regards to Nicki Minaj news, the Queen artist has collaborated with K-pop boy band BTS for a remix of “Idol”, a cut from the group’s new compilation album Love Yourself 結 ‘Answer’. Minaj pops in with a John Mayer-referencing verse around the 3-minute mark; it’s brief, but it lands. Hear it below. It’s been a tumultuous week for the pop star. Minaj just canceled the North American leg of her upcoming tour with Future, a move that came after she publicly slammed rapper Travis Scott after Queen failed to usurp Astroworld as the number one album in the country. She’s since taken to her Beats 1 radio show to express her displeasure, and has even taken to likening herself to Harriet Tubman. Minaj is also taking heat for her continued celebration of convicted sex offender Tekashi, her “FEFE” collaborator who she’s also bringing on tour. Source

Billy “William Patrick” Corgan has been engaging in Q&A sessions via his Instagram of late, and they haven’t disappointed in terms of content. One, for example, ignited the Pumpkins’ Shrek-related spat with Smash Mouth. As NME notes, Corgan revealed in another AMA that if he could collaborate with anyone, it would be none other than Kanye West. Corgan described the legendary, controversial rapper as “Brilliant and meteoric.” It actually makes a weird sort of sense: They may operate on disparate ends of the musical realm, but the pair do share a love for “free thought” and far-right personalities. We’re sure they could cook up something fierce and catchy about chemtrails or Alex Jones. (Read: The Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream: The Album Chicago Loved by the Band It Hated) More realistically, Corgan said he’d also love to collaborate with Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains. However, considering the band just released the solid Rainier Fog and is soon embarking on a sprawling North American tour, Corgan might have to wait a bit before getting into a room with the guitarist/songwriter. Of course, Corgan and the Pumpkins are currently out on a tour of their own, which wraps up early next month. That should give Corgan plenty of time for more Instagram Q&As, so stay tuned. Source

Alice in Chains return today with their new album, Rainier Fog. It’s available to stream in full below via Apple Music and Spotify. The new LP serves as the venerable grunge outfit’s sixth overall and follow-up to 2013’s The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here. It marks Alice in Chains’ first album in more than 20 years to be recorded in Seattle. Specifically, they holed up for part of the time at the same studio that birthed their 1995 self-titled LP, Studio X (fka Bad Animals Studios). Additional recording was done in Nashville and Los Angeles with the assistance of producer Nick Raskulinecz and engineer Paul Figueroa. Joe Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age, Tool) handled all the mixing. In his review of the album, Heavy Consequence’s Spencer Kaufman wrote, “Rainier Fog pays tribute to Alice in Chains’ hometown of Seattle in both title and sound. While not the strongest of the band’s second-era output, it’s a nice addition to Alice in Chains’ impressive discography.” The full-length was teased with early offerings “The One You Know”, “So Far Under”, and “Never Fade”. Earlier this week, Alice in Chains celebrated the record with a performance atop Seattle’s Space Needle. Back on the ground, they’re continuing their North American tour. Rainier Fog Artwork: Rainier Tracklist: 01. The One You Know 02. Rainier Fog 03. Red Giant 04. Fly 05. Drone 06. Deaf Ears Blind Eyes 07. Maybe 08. So Far Under 09. Never Fade 10. All I Am Alice in Chains' Top 5 Videos Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy” Annotated Video Tour Update: Florence + The Machine Announces North American Tour & New Album, 'High As Hope' Tour Update: Nine Inch Nails Presents: Cold and Black and Infinite Tour Tour Update: Cold War Kids Explains The Birth of Their Live Album, 'Audience' Source

Having already dropped two singles this month from his debut EP SENTIENCE, 1788-L now unleashes the full might of the entire project on fans and it’s hard to say if they’re ready or not for the sonic warfare they’ll soon be experiencing. “F U L L / B U R S T” and “N U / V E R / K A” were just the beginning, with two more, equally or even more insane tracks rounding out the full EP. And for anyone for whom it wasn’t obvious, it’s now abundantly clear that the EP’s inspiration is heavily centered on cyberpunk and dystopian themes, mostly Gundam-related (as the song’s titles convey). The two new tracks bring even more variety to an already powerful project that already spans the breadth of midtempo ideology. Drum n bass and electro elements are introduced in ways that are both unexpected and entirely consistent with 1788-L’s sound so as to both catch listener’s off guard, as well as make them feel like they’re right at home. Fans will also recognize “F O R C E / I M P U L S E” and “A S T R A Y / R” as the two 1788-L IDs dropped by Zeds Dead at Deadrocks in July, adding even more insane hype and suspense to an already heavily-awaited release. The release of SENTIENCE is just the beginning for 1788-L, as he prepares to embark on a swathe of shows throughout the end of the year, including support roles on tours for Rezz and Ekali, as well as another festival set in California. Listen to the EP below, released via Deadbeats, and take a look at all the tour dates for 2018 – tickets available here. SENTIENCE Tour – 9/21 / Tramps Like Us / San Diego, CA 9/22 / Outside In Equinox / Santa Barbara, CA 9/28 / Velvet Underground / Toronto, Can 10/5 / World Market Center / Las Vegas, NV 10/13 / Warfield / San Francisco, CA ^ 10/14 / Catalyst / Santa Cruz, CA ^ 10/18 / Wow Hall / Eugene, OR ^ 10/21 / Knitting Factory / Boise, ID ^ 10/23 / Sky / Salt Lake City, UT ^ 10/26 / The Riot Room / Kansas City, MO ^ 10/27 / Bottom Lounge / Chicago, IL ^ 10/31 / The Armory / Minneapolis, MN ^* 11/2 / The Sinclair / Cambridge, MA ^ 11/3 / 9:30 Club / Washington, DC ^ 11/17 / PNE Forum / Vancouver, BC, Canada * 11/23 / Shrine / Lost Angeles, CA * 12/28-29 / Lights All Night / Dallas, TX * w/ Rezz ^ w/ Ekali This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: 1788-L Unleashes Full Debut EP ‘SENTIENCE’ via Deadbeats Source

James Bond will return … soon. This week, Bondheads everywhere were put in a tailspin when director Danny Boyle hit the eject button on Bond 25 and left this smoking Aston-Martin, which has since been delayed to late 2020. Now, according to Deadline, producers are looking for some hot talent to fill in the crater-sized hole left by the Academy Award-winning director’s departure, and to be honest, they’re right on the money. The most exciting name is Edgar Wright. Hot off of Baby Driver, the English filmmaker would be the perfect antidote to Boyle. Granted, they’d need to give the guy some creative agency, seeing how that was the conundrum years back when he was attached to do the first Ant-Man for Marvel. So, if he’s given the go, odds are he’ll have a hand at that script, which could really add some much-needed life to the franchise. The other names up for consideration are all similarly intriguing: Hell or High Water filmmaker David Mackenzie, who could bring things back down to Earth after Sam Mendes’ jaw-dropping visuals; Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects mastermind Jean-Marc Vallee, who would certainly add some gravitas to the narrative; and finally, 71 director Yann Demange, who is arguably the least interesting of the bunch. As The Playlist points out, the question now is whether the film moves forward with John Hodges’ script or reverts back to whatever Neal Purvis and Robert Wade previously put to paper. If we’re playing producer, we lock Wright in a room, decked to the ceiling with Baby Driver merch, sit down, offer a cigarette, put away the cigarette when he refuses, and say, “Give us Baby Bond, Edgar.” But that’s just us. Quentin Tarantino’s 5 Best Kills The Star Wars Universe Truly Began at Mos Eisley's Cantina Bohemian Rhapsody Movie Trailer Fan Theories: What If The Joker Was the Hero? Source

The release of Weezer’s cover of Toto’s “Africa” this past May could be charitably considered a win for the pop-punk legends. Their latest studio album, Pacific Daydream, received enough scorn from fans to almost jettison the goodwill regained from Everything Will Be Alright in the End and the White Album (though it’s hard to listen to it and think it’s not exactly what Rivers Cuomo wanted to make). A band that’s no stranger to saying “fuck it” covering a beloved/internet-appreciated song/meme cultural artifact as a result of a 14-year-old’s Twitter campaign? It has to work. And it did. The cover made it to the top of Billboard’s Rock Airplay and Alternative Songs charts. To bring it full circle, Toto just released a cover of Weezer’s “Hash Pipe”. That they didn’t go for the more obvious choice of picking a track from the band’s more beloved first two albums is perhaps the only (mildly) surprising part of this story. (Though maybe it’s for the best that we don’t hear Toto’s version of “Goddamn, you half-Japanese girls do it to me every time.”) Earlier this year, the even more memed-to-death Smash Mouth exchanged covers with Car Seat Headrest. In a few months, don’t be surprised if REO Speedwagon and Modest Mouse enter each other’s oeuvre. And it’s getting fucking exhausting. It’s hard to not be a part of the problem (assuming you consider this a problem), to see a headline like “Weezer Covers Toto” and not click it. Like ordering the same meal at Chipotle, it delivers exactly what one expects, to the point of questioning why even bother. Thanks to our collective obsession with post-irony, the concept of novelty is all but defunct. When seemingly everything is a joke, nothing is funny. Certainly humor has its place in music, but it’s disheartening to feel like humor is being forced out of some kind of Mad Libs-style generator. The people behind them know exactly what they’re doing. Mac DeMarco covering a Japanese standard at the Fuji Rock Festival is commendable, but it isn’t going to be enough to garner clicks. So, Post Malone comes out to play the egg shaker, and you suddenly have a scenario worthy of the Family Guy manatees in that one episode of South Park (“You think that’s baaaaaaad? Remember the time I saw Post Malone play the egg shaker with Mac DeMarco at the Fuji Rock Festival?”). Then, there’s Death Grips collaborating with Shrek director Andrew Adamson on their latest album. Year of the Snitch is one of their best albums, and gimmicks are the lifeblood of Death Grips and their following, but a case like this feels more like appeasing their fans’ expectations of them to be “random” instead of just letting their (often great) music speak for itself. At least when it was revealed that Robert Pattinson played guitar on Government Plates, the news came after the fact, and their coming together felt organic. Distractions are necessary. When have we not needed them? And lucky for us, we live in a time when we can filter out the bad news by not clicking on it. Accuse the media of fear-mongering all you want, but there’s more than enough to be stressed about. See a headline about some terrible government-sanctioned oppression, and shimmy your cursor over to that story about Billy Corgan and Smash Mouth feuding over the Shrek soundtrack (never let the post-ironic comedy gold of Shrek go understated). It’s not going to cheer you up, but it’s not going to make you feel any worse, right? We’re somehow suckered into falling into the unearthing of gossip from over a decade ago, even if there’s no actual creative process occurring, partially based on ensuring that Billy Corgan continues to look ridiculous. After the 2016 election, the consolation that “at least there’s going to be plenty of good punk rock” was dense enough to be shut down almost immediately. But it’s as if we’ve shifted too hard in the opposite direction. As the world burns, we’re developing an allergic reaction to sincerity. Deadly serious perspectives aren’t inherently better than overtly snarky ones, but the best art is that which realizes honesty and levity aren’t mutually exclusive. Kendrick Lamar has become the most acclaimed rapper working not because every song is a lecture on race relations or has hype verses about syrup sandwiches, but because he’s giving each line rightful consideration. Sure, Weezer and the other aforementioned acts might not be aiming for acclaim with these occasionally amusing antics, but what’s the point of being creative if you’re not going to try? A novelty cover like that means they’ve won before they’ve even plugged in their guitars. There’s no risk, but somehow there’s a reward in this fish-in-a-barrel approach to getting attention. Pacific Daydream was frequently an embarrassment to listen to, but Cuomo’s almost guileless dedication to letting more sensible heads prevail is strangely admirable. Hearing him cover “Africa” competently is more bearable than listening to another second of “Feels Like Summer”, but is it any more gratifying in the long run? Enough editorials have been written asking if rock is dead to make that vague question an absolute parody of itself. Assuming “rock” is any act that uses electric guitars, drums, bass, and vocals in fairly conventional ways (which include indie rock, blues rock, punk, post-punk, emo, and a thousand other subgenres), then, no, rock will never completely die, and those lamenting its downfall may be doing so more out of fear that — gasp — hip-hop is taking over. Pitting genres against each other is worse than doing the same with artists, but if rock wants to make a case for its continued social importance, it’s not a good look that some of its most potent stories seem to be of long-in-the-tooth acts taking the piss but not even trying to deliver a punchline. For all the moaning about so-called “Soundcloud rappers” relying on gimmicks and hype instead of actual artistry, they do inspire passion, both positive and negative. Hate on Lil Pump, Playboi Carti, or Trippie Redd all you like, and it’s questionable whether any or all of them will stand the test of time, but they’re dedicated to their craft and have tangible personas. Even if hip-hop isn’t immune to gimmicks, it’s still made and followed by people who are looking for how it can evolve and offer their very-candid takes. Comparatively, rock can feel like that kid in high school who’s way too obsessed with letting everyone know how much they don’t give a shit. It’s an extreme case of senioritis with no graduation date. There are thankfully rock artists who are bucking the trend somewhat. Father John Misty might garner scorn for being ostentatious, but an album like Pure Comedy, frustrating as it can be, leaves you with a feeling of stepping into one’s chaos-riddled mind. Will Toledo might have exchanged covers with Smash Mouth, but Car Seat Headrest’s rendition of “Fallen Horses” does exactly what a cover should, giving a pre-existing song another artist’s voice (and making Smash Mouth sound beautiful isn’t too shabby either). Both acts have personas and lyrics that lend themselves to a plethora of shitposts, but their recorded output has earned them a reputation as acts worth following, and that’s not something that should be taken for granted, lest the future of rock is amalgamating everything into a joke and filling the airwaves with bands that get press because they sound like Led Zeppelin. Prominent rock or rock-adjacent artists who have a distinct POV and are willing to showcase vulnerability or unique perspectives, such as Father John Misty, Car Seat Headrest, Mitski, and Courtney Barnett, should be appreciated, but it also shouldn’t feel like they’re pulling all the weight while flippancy is confused for creativity. Like any other fad, zeitgeists have expiration dates. Prevailing attitudes don’t suddenly die but instead gradually evolve. But cynicism and apathy can be difficult to shake, especially when music and other art forms can give power and at least the illusion of hope when things seem bleak. Naive as it might seem, these artists hopefully got into music because they believed in its power. That power can be serious, absurd, or something else, but it at least signals that they care. The further we condone capriciousness in place of thoughtfulness, the more we have to consider who exactly the joke is on. Source

Sharon Van Etten reportedly hit the studio late last year to begin work on her follow-up to 2014’s impressive Are We There LP. In the meantime, she’s collaborated with artists like Lee Ranaldo, Maggie Rogers, Marissa Nadler, and Michael Cera (yup), in addition to contributing to the Twin Peaks reboot and reissuing her debut album. Now, she’s back with yet another new song to help pass the time, this time a cover of LCD Soundsystem’s “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down”. Filmed as part of BBC’s classical music concert series, BBC Proms, Van Etten was backed on the cover by the Heritage Orchestra for a performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The LCD cut is a fitting choice for the series, as this year’s theme is “New York: Sound of a City”. The rich, swooning strings, coupled with Van Etten’s yearning, forceful vocals, give the song a resonant romanticism that captures the song’s simultaneous blend of wonder and frustration. See it below. Source

Chance the Rapper teamed up with fellow Savemoney member Reeseynem on the recent single “What’s the Hook?”. Today, Lil Chano is joining forces with two more MCs from the Chicago-based collective: KAMI and Joey Purp. Specifically, Chance and Purp lend an assist on “Reboot”, the lead single off KAMI’s upcoming sophomore album, Very Slight. The three rappers trade lines over thumpin’ yet catchy production provided by longtime KAMI collaborator Smoko Ono. One lyric from Chance sees him flexing about his multiple Grammys, including Best New Artist and Best Rap Album for Coloring Book. Take a listen below. Very Slight, the follow-up to 2017’s Just Like the Movies, arrives September 14th. Purp also has his own project, Quarterthing, due out next month. As for Chance, he recently made his acting debut in the trailer for Slice. He also dropped four new tracks in July, as well as reunited with DJ Khaled, Justin Bieber, and Quavo on the posse cut “No Brainer”. He’s currently working on new albums with — no big deal — both Kanye West and Childish Gambino. “Reboot” Artwork: Source

Earlier this year, Lamb of God released a covers album called Legion: XX under their original band name Burn the Priest. Now, the Richmond, Virginia, metal act has unveiled an animated music video for their version of the classic Ministry track “Jesus Built My Hotrod” (watch below). The trippy video, directed by Heath Bradley, features a bearded old dude speeding along in his hotrod as he picks up a few hitchhikers along the way, including a space alien. The clip also shows the band, in cartoon form, performing the song. Regarding the track, guitarist Mark Morton said, “This was a benchmark song from the early 90s. We didn’t even originally plan on doing it – producer Josh Wilbur and I learned it real quickly and put it together. It turned out to be one of our favorite songs of the album. It features a side of [vocalist] Randy [Blythe] that people aren’t used to hearing. Nothing was planned, so it felt fun, and we just went for it.” Legion: XX also features covers of songs by such bands as Bad Brains, the Melvins, Agnostic Front and Cro-Mags, among others. For this week only, the album is available at iTunes for the reduced price of $7.99. Source

Atreyu have announced that they will release their seventh album, In Our Wake, on October 12th. Along with the album news, the Orange County metalcore band has unveiled two songs off the disc — the title track and “Anger Left Behind” (listen to both below). In Our Wake marks the band’s second album since reuniting following a hiatus from 2011 through the middle of 2014. Singer Alex Varkatzas says last year’s death of two rock heroes had a major impact on the band’s writing sessions of the new album. We looked up to Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington, and their deaths were fresh during the writing process,” explains Varkatzas in a press release. “It made us think of what we’ll leave in our wake. We have a choice to change the lives of others for the better.” Bassist Porter McKnight adds, “The album title In Our Wake comes from the idea that every day we humans have two roads we can go down. Do you choose to inspire, uplift, and enhance each others lives? Or do you prefer to belittle, shit talk, and tear down each other down? With each choice made you leave a ripple that reflects across your community, then onto your city, to your nation, and eventually all across the globe. Who do you leave in your wake?” The title track comes with an accompanying video, and McKnight says of the clip, “With this music video, we wanted our longtime director friend Sean Stiegemeie to come up with something completely unlike anything we’ve done before. We wanted to leave the viewer with a feeling of ‘What the f–k did I just watch!?’ and then play it again to deduce what went down.” Pre-orders for In Our Wake are available at this location. In Our Wake Artwork: Source

Justice have released a new live album today called Woman Worldwide. It’s available to stream in full below through Apple Music or Spotify. The new effort finds the Paris natives tracing the evolution of their concert performances. Over the course of the 15-song record, Justice reinterpret live versions of tracks taken from their deep discography, including 2007’s Cross; 2011’s Audio, Video, Disco; and their latest LP, 2016’s Woman. Out via Ed Banger Records/Because Music, the collection includes favorite selections like “D.A.N.C.E.,” “Randy”, and “Safe and Sound”, among others. According to a press statement, Woman Worldwide is meant to play out like a “proper studio album,” as opposed to the duo’s more traditional live albums, A Cross the Universe and Access All Arenas. Take a listen: Woman Worldwide Artwork: Woman Worldwide Tracklist: 01. Safe and Sound 02. D.A.N.C.E. 03. Canon x Love S.O.S. 04. Genesis x Phantom 05. Pleasure’ x Newjack x Helix x Civilization 06. Heavy Metal x ‘DVNO 07. Stress 08. Love S.O.S. 09. Alakazam! x Fire 10. Waters of Nazareth x We Are your Friends x Phantom 2 x Alakazam! 11. Chorus 12. Audio, Video, Disco 13. Stop 14. Randy 15. D.A.N.C.E’ x Fire x Safe and Sound (Bonus Track) Source

Blood Orange is back with his fantastic new album, Negro Swan. Out today on Domino, you can stream the record via Apple Music and Spotify below. The follow-up to 2016’s excellent Freetown Sound, Negro Swan features narration from Janet Mock; known for her breakout FX hit Pose, Mock appears on both “Jewelry” and “Family”. Other guests include ASAP Rocky and Project Pat (“Chewing Gum”), Puff Daddy and TeiShi (“Hope”), Ian Isiah (“Holy Will”), Georgia Anne Muldrow (“Runnin'”), and Steve Lacy (“Out of Your League”). Further contributions come from Zuri Marley, Eva, Fai Khadra, Amandla Stenberg, Kelsey Lu, Andrew Aged, Onyx Collective, and more. In his glowing review of the effort, Consequence of Sound writer David Sackllah said, “Hynes writes timeless songs about the way joy and sorrow cannot survive without one another, and on Negro Swan, he has blossomed with a complete mastery of his sound. With an airtight focus, Hynes builds worlds in his music, whether it’s the stretched guitar riff of “Charcoal Baby” evoking a lethargic daze or the stripped-down atmospheric “Smoke” bristling with the intimacy of a private message of reinforcement from a close friend.” Take a listen below. Blood Orange will support Negro Swan on a fall tour beginning in September. Negro Swan Artwork: Negro Swan Tracklist: 01. Orlando 02. Saint 03. Take Your Time 04. Hope (feat. Puff Daddy & TeiShi) 05. Jewelry 06. Family (feat. Janet Mock) 07. Charcoal Baby 08. Vulture Baby 09. Chewing Gum (ASAP Rocky & Project Pat) 10. Holy Will (feat. Ian Isiah) 11. Dagenham Dream 12. Nappy Wonder 13. Runnin’ (feat. Georgia Anne Muldrow) 14. Out of Your League (feat. Steve Lacy) 15. Minetta Creek 16. Smoke Blood Orange's Top 5 Songs Travis Scott's Top 5 Videos Wiz Khalifa & Rae Sremmurd’s Dazed &; Blazed Hotline Tour Janelle Monae’s Top 5 Songs Childish Gambino’s Top 5 Songs Nas' Top 5 Songs Source

Track by Track is a new music feature that tasks an artist with breaking down each song on their latest effort Track By Track. The Lemon Twigs are back with their new high-concept album, Go to School. The record is streaming in full below via Apple Music and Spotify. Described as a musical inspired by the likes of Oklahoma! and Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins, Go to School tells the story of Shane, a chimp raised by his “parents” to believe he’s human, and the torment he undergoes at school. We’ve received a few glimpses into Shane’s heartbreaking story with pre-release singles like “The Fire”, “Small Victories”, and album closer “If You Give Enough”. Speaking to Billboard about their desire to structure the album this way, member Brian D’Addario said, “It had to do with trying to elevate the story into an area that wasn’t so steeped in our reality. I just find the constant bombardment of the problems of the world at all times sort of tiring. It does a number on your spirit. I think that everybody needs moments where they’re able to separate themselves from this reality to be able to charge themselves up to dealing with it. It’s very good to be aware of it and it’s very good to try to help with it. But I think everybody needs times to separate themselves from it, so that they can feel like life is worth living. We didn’t want it to be a topical story. We wanted it to be a timeless story. Both of those things played into it.” Written, recorded, produced, and mixed at The Lemon Twigs’ home in Long Island, the 15-track effort features journeyman musician Todd Rundgren and the D’Addario brothers’ mother, Susan Hall, as the chimp’s guardians. Other contributors include Big Star’s Jody Stephens and the boys’ father, Ronnie D’Addario. “Something now, then, big, small, bleak, and hopeful. All in under an hour,” the band said of the album in a press release, serving as a fine summation of the tension that exists between the record’s swooning, theatrical arrangements and its pitch-black themes. The entire thing is now streaming below. For more insight into the album’s story, themes, and construction, Brian and Michael broke Go to School down for us Track by Track. “Never In My Arms, Always In My Heart”: Michael D’Addario: These two women were talking on a plane about physical disabilities, the meaning of life, and just about everything but archeology. I was eavesdropping and eventually they came upon the subject of tattoos. Or maybe it was children. Anyway, one of them said to the other, “I have this tattoo, it says, ‘Never In My Arms, Always In My Heart.’ I had a miscarriage some years ago and I got this so I’ll always remember.” I thought it was so interesting. Some people might think she was taking something very serious traumatizing and reducing it to a slogan, and then permanently putting that on her body. That’s definitely true to an extent, but I thought it was beautiful and concise, and I love general statements that sum up experiences like that. Like I like those signs that say FAMILY: Where Life Begins And Love Never Ends. I’d never hang one up, but I like those signs. In the context of the musical, Bill and Carol meet, fall in love (if you can call it that), and have a miscarriage. “The Student Becomes The Teacher”: MD: In “The Student Becomes The Teacher”, we meet Shane. Yearning for an escape from dreary isolation, he finds out about a place called “school” from his TV set. The chorus is funny to me. Shane sings, “The student becomes the teacher. The teacher becomes the principal. The principal dies, and everybody cries, they remember him alive, you see? I want that for me.” It illustrates how cyclic the school system is in towns like mine. The idea is that Shane is so alone that he wants to be a part of that community so many of us were trying to escape from all throughout high school. “Rock Dreams”: MD: It’s very simple. It could have been her up on the stage. It could have been her, if it weren’t for the chimp in the cage. This song uncovers the unholy truth that Shane is in fact a chimpanzee, and not a human boy. In an attempt to compensate for the loss of their baby, Bill and Carol took in a young chimp, not knowing what they were in for. We find out that Carol had a hard knock hard rock past, that she should have been a star, that she could have been a star, if it hadn’t been for Shane. My mother Susan Hall sings it. Beautifully! “The Lesson”: Brian D’Addario: I was listening to a lot of ‘20s and ‘30s music when I wrote this one. On Tiny Tim’s first record, he covers a lot of songs originally done by people like Henry Burr and Billy Murray, so I started listening to them and I’d say I was trying my hand at that style of writing here. “Small Victories”: BD: This sort of establishes Shane’s wide-eyed philosophy. This is where he sees for the first time the destructive nature of his classmates, and he tries to establish an alternative for them, without much success. “Wonderin’ Ways”: BD: This was the first string arrangement I wrote for the album, and sort of set the tone for the more “Broadway” songs that are on the record. This is Shane’s song of longing for Daisy, but can apply to any forbidden love that you struggle to keep inside. “The Bully” BD: I was listening to Astrud Gilberto, and decided I wanted to write a bossa nova song. The middle I think was influenced by Jean Jacques Perrey, but instead of electronic instruments, Michael suggested using what could sound like a high school marching band. It works in the story as well, because we imagined that the sound of the marching band drowning out Shane’s screams as he’s being attacked by Robert Jr. Lyrically, the song gives the perspective of Robert Jr., who is blamed for the death of his mother in childbirth by his father, Robert Sr., and is also resented by his professor father for being slow in school. You’re supposed to feel empathy for the bully, and understand how he ended up the way he did. “Lonely”: MD: A really heartfelt song I wrote when I was 15 or 16. I thought it worked from the main character’s perspective. It was just a diary song that was almost embarrassingly transparent, but I loved it for that reason. “Queen of My School”: MD: The most popular girl in school meets the lowly outcast. I’ve always loved this archetype. “Never Know”: BD: In this song, Shane’s told by his adoptive parents of his true origin. They expect Shane to get clarity and understanding from the knowledge that they’re not his biological family, but it only confirms Shane’s suspicion of his otherness. The intro’s sort of an ode to Elton John’s “Your Starter For” which was actually written by a member of his band at the time, but starts the Blue Moves record. Todd came over and did his vocal to this track, playing Shane’s father. It was a real thrill, and he was perfect for it. “Born Wrong/Heart Song”: BD: This is the first song we’ve done that I’ve written and Michael’s sung. He got into the character and sang it better than I ever could. The orchestrations on this one were the hardest on the record. I was really inspired by Sondheim while writing them. This is where Shane’s darkness finally reveals itself after putting up a fight the whole story. “The Fire”: MD: The climax of our our dark fairytale! Shane is driven to his limit. I love the ending. The Lemon Twigs, photo by David Brendan Hall “Home of a Heart (The Woods)”: BD: One of the first songs written for the record. Shane wonders if it’s possible to regain the beauty he once felt inside in exile. If the love that he hoped to share with others could be manifested in isolation. “This Is My Tree”: MD: Your tree. You know, it’s supposed to represent the peace you can find in solitude. “If You Give Enough”: BD: I know Michael suggested using a theremin for the line in the middle. The string arrangement is sort of half Randy Newman with it mirroring the piano part and half “A Little Night Music” with some of the more atonal lines in the second verse. This is one that I feel is as applicable outside of the story as it is in the story. It’s about the boundless power of love and recognizing the futility of materialistic desire. In support of Go to School, The Lemon Twigs have mapped out a North American headlining tour. The band’s itinerary includes dates opening for Arctic Monkeys. See the full schedule below, and grab tickets here. The Lemon Twigs 2018-2019 Tour Dates: 09/06 – Manchester, UK @ Arena ^ 09/07 – Manchester, UK @ Arena ^ 09/09 – London, UK @ The O2 ^ 09/10 – London, UK @ The O2 ^ 09/12 – London, UK @ The O2 ^ 09/13 – London, UK @ The O2 ^ 09/15 – Birmingham, UK @ Arena ^ 09/16 – Birmingham, UK @ Arena ^ 09/18 – Sheffield, UK @ Flydsa Arena ^ 09/19 – Sheffield, UK @ Flydsa Arena ^ 09/21 – Sheffield, UK @ Flydsa Arena ^ 09/22 – Sheffield, UK @ Flydsa Arena ^ 09/24 – Dublin, IE @ 3Arena ^ 09/25 – Dublin, IE @ 3Arena ^ 09/27 – Newcastle, UK @ Metro Radio Arena ^ 09/28 – Newcastle, UK @ Metro Radio Arena ^ 10/15 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever 10/16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl ^ 10/17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl ^ 10/19 – San Diego, CA @ Music Box 10/20 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole 10/23 – Austin, TX @ Antone’s 10/24 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall 10/26 – New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jack’s 10/27 – Tallahassee, FL @ The Wilbury 10/28 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn 10/30 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East 10/31 – Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry’s 11/02 – Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre 11/03 – Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom 11/04 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall 11/07 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes 11/09 – Pawtucket, RI @ The Met 11/10 – Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street 11/11 – Montreal, QC @ Corona 11/18 – Mexico City, MX @ Corona Capital 01/14 – Boston, MA @ Paradise 01/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer 01/18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 01/19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 01/22 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix 01/23 – Detroit, MI @ El Club 01/25 – Chicago, IL @ Metro 01/26 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue 01/29 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune 01/30 – Vancouver, BC @ Venue 01/31 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom 02/02 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s ^ = w/ Arctic Monkeys Source

Skyharbor, a progressive metal outfit with members based in India and Cleveland, are set to release their third full-length effort, Sunshine Dust, on September 7th, and the band has teamed up with Consequence of Sound and Heavy Consequence to premiere the album-closing title track (listen below). Starting out as a studio project by New Dehli-based guitarist Keshav Dhar, Skyharbor began playing live as an instrumental trio. Vocals came into play when Daniel Tompkins left TesseracT to join Skyharbor, appearing on the band’s first two albums, 2012’s Blinding White Noise: Illusion and Chaos and 2014’s Guiding Lights. When Tompkins departed Skyharbor and rejoined Tesseract, the band recruited Cleveland-based singer Eric Emery in 2015. Now a five-piece, Sunshine Dust marks the band’s first album with Emery on lead vocals. Skyharbor’s intriguing brand of progressive music exudes elements of Deftones, Devin Townsend and Karnivool, and on the atmospheric title track, there are strong hints of Incubus throughout the song. “‘Sunshine Dust’ is the personal favorite for us,” says Dhar of the track. “It was written at the end of the Guiding Lights sessions and has gone through a lot of metamorphoses before arriving at its current form, with Kim from Dead Letter Circus co-writing a lot of the melodies. It encapsulates everything that defines our sound, the heart-on-sleeve emotion, drenching ambiance, and big riffs. It’s possibly Eric’s finest moment on the record.” The album Sunshine Dust, which was produced by Forrester Savell (Karnivool), is available for pre-order at this location. Skyharbor will be playing the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky, along with a series of dates with 10 Years this fall. See the band’s full itinerary below. Skyharbor Fall 2018 U.S. Tour Dates: 09/28 – Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life Festival 10/03 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes * 10/05 – Angola, IN @ The Eclectic Room # 10/08 – Green Bay, WI @ Riverside Ballroom ^ 10/09 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave II ^ 10/11 – Peoria, IL @ Monarch Music Hall ^ 10/12 – Miami, OK @ Buffalo Run Casino & Resort * 10/13 – Fort Smith, AR @ Temple Live * 10/14 – Lafayette, LA @ The District * * = w/ 10 Years # = w/ Shaman’s Harvest ^ = w/ Tremonti and 10 Years Source

While fans debate whether Ghost are metal or not, there’s nothing metal about a new remix of the Swedish band’s “Dance Macabre” by synthwave artist Carpenter Brut, who turns the song into a bonafide disco track. Ghost frontman Tobias Forge, also known these days as Cardinal Copia, is a big fan of Carpenter Brut, inviting him to open for Ghost a couple years ago. When the opportunity came to remix “Dance Macabre”, Carpenter Brut was Forge’s first choice, and the synthwave artist was immediately on board. “I’ve been a big fan of Ghost since their beginning,” said Carpenter Brut in a press release, “and when I had the opportunity to open for the band in 2016, I was super excited. Last April, I received an email from Tobias himself asking if I would remix ‘Dance Macabre,’ and of course I accepted. I wanted to bring a funky and disco touch, not just confine myself to the pure synthwave style that would have been expected, but to make this remix a disco rock song and bring out the pop side of the band that is always underlying in their music.” “Dance Macabre” appears on Ghost’s latest album, Prequelle, which has landed on Heavy Consequence‘s list of the Best Metal Albums of 2018 So Far. Ghost will support the disc with a headlining fall 2018 U.S. tour. See the full list of dates here. Metallica’s Top 5 Songs Tool’s Top 5 Music Videos Behemoth's Top 5 Songs Alice in Chains' Top 5 Videos Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy” Annotated Video Source

EMC has changed things up this year in regards to their EMCPLAY portion of the conference, opening the floor to upcoming artists in a bid to really expose the underground talent of Sydney. EMCPLAY Live, taking place on November 14 and 15 will showcase ‘Australia’s most exciting new live electronic acts at The Landsdowne’ and they plan to do this through way of open submissions. T he rewards for being successful are pretty huge, apart from the experience of promoting to a bunch of influential figures, being successful means a free EMC PRO conference pass, dedicated meetings with international guests, marketing and PR profiling as well as backline production for the showcase you plan to present! This is all seeming pretty easy, so if you’re an artist or looking to book a party you can sign up here and tell us what you think, is this the big opportunity aspiring electronic artists need? Source

We’re throwing it back for today’s Friday Mix, with the NYC-based selector/producer/wheels-of- steel connoisseur, A-Trak. The mix in question was released In 2015, and pays homage to what some of us may call the golden era of dance music, Bloghaus. Spanning just over an hour in length, this utterly jacked-up, time travelling mix features cuts from killers such as DJ Mehdi, Fake Blood, Proxy, Simian Mobile Disco and more, and is as nostalgia driven as it is hype inducing. In his own words, “If you ever wore a neon-colored all-over hoodie you can probably relate…” Revisit A-Trak’s Bloghaus Revival mix below. Any tunes you’ve forgot about in here? Source

Gaming is life! Our good friends at Sonos have just released the Sonos Beam smart speaker. A compact sound bar that packs a big punch and perfect for those fun gaming sessions. You’ve got to have an appropriate soundtrack that works with the action, be it the simple nature of the game or its open world environment. We went on to take a wider look at both classic and new games that have already used electronic sounds to create something special that has lasted or will last the years to come. If a young gamer can take something from the Tetris theme song or appreciate a Flying Lotus beat from Grand Theft Auto V and use it somehow in their lives, they must be doing something right. Furthermore with the established dominance of electronic music globally, we think it’d be pretty great if some artists both old and new were more involved in the creation of game soundtracks. No doubt stars like Dash Berlin or Flume could paint a moving picture in a racing game or Nina Las Vegas and Ninajirachi compose a badass beat ’em up. It’s all there. 5. Super Mario Bros (1985) Have to start from the roots right? Although only 6 tracks long, there aren’t many game theme songs that have had such a timeless nature. Composer and Nintendo employee Koji Kondo managed to knock two out of the park not only creating the iconic music for the side scroller but also for the legend of Zelda series – what a guy! Even without any classical training or dedication to music, it was somewhat a miracle he managed to make the most memorable of them all “Ground Theme” for Super Mario Bro’s on an everyday piano. 4. Command & Conquer – Red Alert (1996) Composer Frank Klepacki was only 17 when he started writing music for video games. Having scored a number of games, it was the Command & Conquer series that really brought his talents to life. Boots stomping & war chants with pulsating electronic rhythms led to the ‘Red Alert’ OST that sticks true to many users from the countless hours spent building tanks, troops and attack dogs. His knack for apocalyptic soundscapes that meld horrifying samples. Franks tools of the trade were an ASR-10 sampler, a Roland S760 sampler and a Roland JD-990 synth module. 3. Mortal Kombat (2011) The biggest announcement for the 2011 leg of the Mortal Kombat series was the soundtrack with notable contributions from producers Run DMT, Bird Peterson, LA Riots and JFK of MSTRKRFT among others. With such a strong cast, the game was somewhat overshadowed by the official soundtrack in a good way. Baraka’s theme by Run DMT was one that really stood out for us. Can’t get much more aggressive IMO. 2. Titanfall (2014) A futuristic first person shooter that phases between human and mech combat so obviously there was going to be electronic elements in this one. Feeling more like a grown up Command & Conquer, the sounds are developed to meet the standards of modern consoles. Uplifting, big, bold and deep, game composer Stephen Barton who also wrote the score for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warefare (the best in the series) has worked a treat in adding suspense and meat to an already impressive game. 1. Grand Theft Auto V (2013) What can’t be said about the Grand Theft Auto V game let alone the gigantic track selection via the internal radio with 17 stations and 240 tracks equating to something like 30 non-stop hours of music! Both Soulwax and Flying Lotus managed to nab their own freakin’ stations while Cashmere Cat, Hudson Mohawke, Shadow Child, Aphex Twin, Stardust, DJ Mehdi, Miami Horror and many many more earned spots through the jam packed game of the year. Nothing like getting up to no good cranking “Windowlicker” – hell yeah! Who would you want to see create a video game soundtrack? Did we miss any? Pop them below but be sure they include some electronic elements and they could make the second part of the series. Source

Imagine our surprise when in our inbox this morning there was an email from the Hardware and Onelove. These names should be pretty familiar to you, as they’re the ones that were behind Australia’s biggest ever EDM festival, we’re talking Stereosonic. While they may not technically be bringing back Stereosonic, they’re moving ahead with a new festival that they’ve said will showcase ‘Hip-hop, EDM and electronica’. FestivalX is set to happen across the east coast of Australia (Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne) and Auckland. While a lineup hasn’t been announced just yet, the festival has said that it includes ‘Grammy, Billboard and ARIA Award winners who have performed on major international stages across the world’ yet have promised us that it will still be affordable. With a 40k capacity across 4 stages there’s no doubt (we may have heard rumours) that we’re in for a lineup that’ll blow minds. Check out the video below, register for pre-sale here if you’re interested and tell us what you think, is this something to get you excited? Source