The Glitch Mob brings West Coast Sound to Winter Music Conference 2010, delivering a hybrid musical experience of heavy-slamming electronic music with backbone of hip hop beats, infused with the sound of the future and knocked over the head with ridiculous waves of rib-crushing bass. 

The three-man mob is made up of Edit, Ooah and Boreta who talks to DF5K about the group’s plans for Miami, their upcoming tour and the new Glitch Mob album dropping later this spring.

Is this your first time to Winter Music Conference?

This is the first Glitch Mob show at WMC. We’ve been before individually.

What are you looking forward to most about your trip to Miami?

The beach! And awesome Cuban food.

The Glitch Mob is playing at the Ultra Music Festival on March 27 on the Biscayne Stage. Do you guys do anything differently when playing at massive raves as opposed to smaller concerts?

We don’t change our set depending on where we’re playing. It will get modified over time as new songs are added and we come up with new things to do. But in general, we just do our thing.

Will it be all business for the Glitch Mob in Miami, or are you planning on some pleasure as well? Any particular parties you are excited about attending or artists that you want to hear?

We are looking forward to hearing some great music on the amazing sound systems and hanging out with folks down there. Miami is such a unique vibrant place, there’s really no place like it. We can’t hang out long though because we have to get home and keep practicing our set for the upcoming tour.

What can fans expect from the Glitch Mob’s new album dropping this year? Does it have a name yet?

Our debut album Drink The Sea will be coming out on May 25th on our label Glass Air. It’s a culmination of many many many hours in the studio, and it’s a whole new direction for us. We’re really excited to share it with everyone.

What have been your favorite festivals to perform at so far?

That’s hard to say. Every festival has it’s perks. Playing Lollapalooza last year was amazing – it’s a giant festival smack dab in the middle of downtown Chicago. Playing alongside artists like TV on the Radio, Tool and Animal Collective was really inspiring.

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The Glitch Mob is playing at the Ultra Music Festival on March 27 on the Biscayne Stage; you can also catch them on their upcoming tour with Free the Robots and Deru which kicks of at the Coachella Music Festival in California.

The Glitch Mob’s new album Drink the Sea comes out May 25.

Download the first single, “Drive It Like You Stole It” for free right here.

The Glitch Mob performs at Lollapalooza 2009

Last week I had the honor of catching up with world renowned trance DJ, remixer and producer Ferry Corsten to ask him a few questions about his plans for the year and Winter Music Conference 2010.

Ferry was particularly excited about the debut of his new tour, “Once Upon A Night: The Experience,” which is taking off on March 27th at this years Winter Music Conference. And although I only had a few minutes with him, it was clear just how passionate Ferry is about his music, how energized he is for Winter Music Conference, and everything to come after his much anticipated tour debut date.

The “Once Upon a Night: The Experience” concept is super innovative. Explain how you were inspired to break up your set into times of day with sunset, night, and sunrise. Nowadays trance music, the style of music that I’m known for, is so varied with so many possibilities, so many influences of different genres within that particular genre; house, techno, breakbeat, etc.  It’s really cool to, as a DJ, get a little freedom right now! It’s really cool to do your own warm up, closing set… This was the whole idea with the release of the compilation mix, especially with all of the tracks being unreleased and especially produced for the album. It gives it a bit of an exclusive touch as well.

Can you tell us what we can expect from your tour concept and the debut party which is set for the 27^th at Miami hotspot Karu and Y? Yea, this is the first time we are doing the show! The whole visual thing alongside of the other DJs (Note: Ferry will be playing with trance DJs Cosmic Gate and SolarStone)is exciting.  I will be playing multiple tracks from “Once a Upon a Night” with tailor made visuals and interactive text, stuff like that! It’s going to be an all visual, six hour trip!

Thoughts on Karu & Y?: It’s just a big, square box. It’s perfect for your own production. It’s not a massive venue, so it still has a nice intimacy, and it is suitable for some extra stuff around your show. That is what I love about it.

What cultures and places around the world have inspired your new double disc set (your self proclaimed “musical journey”)? You sometimes find yourself in one of those places…. like last year in Bali for example, with the hot, tropical air, the breeze, thousands of people in front of you on a tropical island. Its things like that… and the next day, you’re at the airport, and you hear some of the local music. It doesn’t do much at the time, but when you think back, and you hear that sort of local stuff, you think, wow, that night was just amazing! It just reminds you of some of the beautiful trips you’ve made. The things that I’ve picked up along the way I was able to look for when talking to producers for the tracks; this kind of warm, lush, sort of sound… and they were able to deliver for sure!

If you had to pick one, what is your favorite track on your new album? I could never pick one! It’s a toss up between three. But if I REALLY had to pick one (laughs),”Hartseer” by Bart Claessen. It is South African for a broken heart I think!

You’ve been nominated for two International Dance Music Awards. This is quite an honor.  Of the two, which means more to you? I’m pretty excited about both really. Being nominated for Best European DJ, this is cool. But, it’s more the radio show “Corsten’s Countdown.” I’ve been doing this for about two years now. You start doing something, and don’t know where it will go, and all of a sudden (especially in the last year) it takes flight!  It started with Sirius/XM and then all of a sudden we were on 25 stations around the world. It really took off. It’s really cool to see that people sit down, and get excited saying “Oh, it’s Corsten’s Countdown tonight, I can’t wait!” So that I’ve been nominated for that is great.

You are a Miami veteran. What is your favorite part about Winter Music Conference? There is plenty to chose from (laughs heartily)! Whatever you wanna see, whatever you wanna do, it’s all there. My night usually starts at one of the lovely restaurants.

Ah, so what is your restaurant choice? I love comfortable places, and there’s this one little restaurant called Nemo. It has a nice little garden and it’s just a nice little place where we always go, every year.

What is your favorite club to spin at?  And, do you like to hit up the clubs in your free time, or do you avoid the scene when you’re not working? Wow! That is really, really difficult. But if I had to pick a club…. I would probably say Ageha in Tokyo; I love playing in that place! And, with your second question, I do avoid the club scene! It’s a job/fun, but I’m in that environment so many days a week that is a rare moment when I can actually enjoy being home.

Do you prefer a more intimate setting, or do you like the big festival scenes like Ultra Music Festival or Trance Energy? There are really two sides to that. At the end of the summer, after all of the festivals, it’s really nice to be back in a bit more intimate setting. But then you know, after awhile you want to go back out and play for the big crowds, especially when you’re touring with a new show!

Now that you are a revered DJ, who were your own musical inspirations growing up? I grew up listening and starting to understand music in the 80s. So, yea, the 80s era would definitely be my influence.  The early electronic hip-hop, a style of dance that was huge here in the 80s and very cheesy (laughs again).

What is one thing your fans might NOT know about you? I am pretty much the open book! I have had this question before, and I never know what to say. But, for those fans that think they notice everything about you and have an eye for detail, here it is! Whenever I play, I actually wear my headphones the other way around, left is right, right is left. It’s not a big shocker but it just fits better.  I have a funny head I guess? (We laugh)

Ferry also says that although this is his first visual concept tour to debut during Winter Music Conference he is confident that it will be a great place to do this, empathically stating, “WMC is the place to do this! People are there in the right frame of mind, the right mood.”

With the passion and energy of WMC attendees, I have to agree!

Pre-order your copy “Once Upon a Night,” out at the end of March. You can also catch a preview of the new album on March 17^th during Ferry’s radio show, Corsten’s Countdown (broadcasted live on Sirius/XM Satellite radio).

Check out the trailer for “Once Upon a Night: The Experience”

Pressha is one of the most versatile DJs in the Pacific Northwest and throws down a wild variety of sick beats with impeccable mixing skills, from techno to hip-hop to dubstep to breaks to electro house to drum and bass to glitch hop. Immersed in the party and responsive to the desires of his audience, Pressha loves to create a scorching dance floor riot, and you will find him at Winter Music Conference 2010 playing at SLIPPERY and having as much fun spinning as the dancers who are getting down to his blazing beats.

From an early background mixing hip hop and classic rock, Pressha discovered breaks and was hooked on the chunky, dance-friendly beats, which he was soon playing out all over the Puget Sound region. Now skilled in many genres and a local favorite, Pressha is a regular feature at the Decibel Festival, a resident at several Seattle clubs and was voted to “The Best of 2007” on radio station The Vortex C89.5, where he was also the first Iron DJ, playing three genres in three hours live.

An active member of the Burning Man community, Pressha’s exposure to the slower tempos and world music sounds of the festival has created in him a driving passion for sharing the beat-centric, glitch-hop sound that is sweeping the West Coast. This DJ’s talents are welcome at camp sound systems all over the Playa.

As one of the pioneers of the un-named, bass-heavy genre in the electronic music community of the Pacific Northwest, Pressha will most definitely continue to lay new twists to whatever sound he is playing at the moment. And we will continue to dance.

CLICK HERE to listen and download Pressha’s mix “No One Knows.”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VUCq4jGfCc

Pressha @ Last Supper Club in Seattle

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Name: PrEssHa AKA Matthew McGiveron
Resides: Seattle
Known For: Dirty bass slapping DJ machine who can play for twelve hours straight + mullet fever

2010 Confirmed WMC Parties:

SLIPPERY, THE ONLY Glitch Hop party at WMC @ Club Cinema Upstairs, March 27

Darkfloor, @ Casanova Club, March 28

[youtube id="BBMe6ILp0NY"]

Rusko Destroys the Avalon in Hollywood.

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Name: Rusko
Resides: LA
Known For: Rib-shuddering wobble and oceans of bass

2010 Confirmed WMC Parties: Ultra Music Festival

Additional Information: Facebook Page, Myspace and Twitter

Mishka Presents Keep Watch Vol. XII: Rusko

Photo by Ziga Intihar

A DJ and producer since the early-‘90’s, UMEK’s style has ranged from brutal, alternative electronic sounds (“Ricochet Effect,” “Another Matter Entirely,” “Utopia”) to proper club anthems (“Posing As Me,” “Carbon Occasions”), with a nod to the multitudes of techno in between. With support from fellow global DJ/producers Richie Hawtin, Sven Vath, Carl Cox, Sander Kleinenberg and others who play UMEK’s tunes in their live sets, 1605 has become a go-to label for star DJs in search of excellence.

In the studio, UMEK is not a sentimental producer. He said, “I used to have 40 analog synths and every compressor you can imagine. I was doing music with Atari Cubase and such, but I’m totally digital now. I’m using really cool Apogee soundcards and a super powerful Mac computer. That’s everything I need.” As a DJ, UMEK uses two Apple Macbook Pros to run Traktor Scratch, Ableton Live, Reaktor and a host of other VSP plugins, an Allen & Heath Xone:92 mixer, three Faderfox MIDI controllers, and a Korg KP3 Kaoss pad.

UMEK can be found playing the biggest festivals, including Creamfields and Dance Valley, and he makes dancefloors quake throughout Holland, Germany, the Balkans, Bulgaria, Italy, Canada and the U.S. Each week, UMEK’s 1605 Radio show can be heard on: Proton Radio (Canada), Danceradio (Greece), Pacha Radio (Spain), After Hour Radio (Peru), Danceparadise (Brazil), In The Mix (Australia), Samurai FM (London and Japan), Radio Real (Hungary), and Miami Underground Movement (U.S.) Club dates in New York, Texas and of course WMC!

The godfather of Slovianian Techno talks to Nightlyfe about his experiences in Miami and Winter Music Conference.

1. What have been your Miami and Winter Music Conference experiences been like?

I’ve been to WMC at least five times in the last decade, sometimes only as a visitor on vacations with my friends and I’ve also performed at some parties a couple of times. Until recently I wasn’t really keen on performing in the USA, partially because I don’t like flying and also because of the scene as techno is still very underground genre, especially in the States. But after the recent USA tour (last December) I admit much has changed: the electronic dance scene is the States is growing fast right now, the people are more musically educated in this direction and the whole pop and urban music scene is shifting to more dance oriented sound for the last two years. Techno is still very underground genre in comparison to house or trance but I’ve had amazing times playing in Miami and San Francisco, while New York wasn’t so good, but still decent. Space is still my favorite club in the USA. I was performing at the WMC few years ago and it was the best gig on recent tour, so I can’t wait to be back at Space in Miami and the rest of the USA.

2. What are you looking forward to the most for Winter Music Conference 2010?

WMC is still the place to meet people from the industry in a very relaxed environment. In the recent years these kind of networking events are popping out all around the world. Especially Amsterdam Dance Event has become very important for doing business, but it’s more releases and producers oriented. On the other hand WMC is still focused mainly on deejays and partying. And the fact that is scheduled in the early spring helps attracting Europeans who want to escape the cold weather, I guess. It’s kind of a Spring Break for deejays :). Everything is very relaxed. I like to go there occasionally to do some meetings, greet my colleague deejays, especially the ones from States, have a few drinks and a good meal, suntan at the pool and enjoy some nightlife. I always manage to do some work but I don’t over do it. :)

3. What are your favorite things about Winter Music Conference?

I actually enjoy Miami much more when there’s no WMC. In the time of the WMC everything can be a bit too hectic for me, especially if I have to do some meetings and have to shift locations all the time. So I rather come to Miami with my friends for the vacations. The food is good, I like the beaches, shopping’s great and the nightlife is very diverse. All in all, everything’s in the palm of your hand, you just have to decide how would you like to spend time.

4. With your busy schedule, where do you find the time and inspiration to write music?

I’m in my studio in my hometown Ljubljana, putting final touches on The Unity’s Purple Pills remix. I never have creativity blocks as I have a constant overflow of ideas, and I am quite hyper productive when it comes to working in the studio. I live healthy life with quite a strict schedule, which allows me to regenerate quickly after the weekend. I go to bed on early Sunday and wake up fresh the next morning and I spend most of the week in the studio. I still enjoy producing music very much and, frankly, I can’t imagine doing any other job and having so much fun.

5. I’ve listened to the new album, love it…pure unadulterated techno. What projects are you working on for 2010?

Well, thank you. I’m glad you like it, although it’s a bit dark. I’ve released the second single from my forthcoming second artist album Responding to Dynamics on my label 1605, Sixteenofive, titled “Individual Breath,” just a couple of days ago. Another fresh release is the remix of Thomas Gold’s new track “The Button” on UK label Toolroom Trax. I have few other artists scheduled ‘till the end of April, still have to do some remixes and we’re in the middle of negotiation for the releases on two influential labels. I’m also putting together the remixed version of my artist album right now, with contributions from the hot producers such as Spektre, Christian Smith, Koen Groenewald, Kaiserdisco and Joey Beltram.

6. Is there anyone that you have not yet worked with, that you would like to collaborate with in the future?

I don’t put much thinking in that, as I don’t even manage to put all my best ideas into the music – that’s because of that overflow I was mentioning before. I’ve created a distinctive fingerprint sound that I’m refreshing and taking further all the time and that is my main preoccupation. I’m always open to collaborations – but they have to happen naturally. I usually find more challenge in doing something together with young than big name artists. Those guys can be totally unknown to the scene but if their output and fresh ideas catch my attention, I support them by playing their tracks, remixing their tracks or signing them to my label. One collaboration that is developing really well is co-producing music with young Slovenian trance and house artist Beltek. We did the track Army of Two for Armada last year that really exposed him to the trance audience. He topped that with some of his own remixes and artist releases on strong labels, and this year we might again do something together.

7. Coming from someone that has been through the hoops, what advice do you have for any up-and-coming producers?

Working hard usually brings results. I consider myself a talented deejay and I become a good one quite fast and without much effort. On the other hand, it wasn’t so easy for me to conquer the scene as a producer. I didn’t learn to play any instrument as a child. I basically learned everything about producing music on my own, with a help of some guys that are really good producers and sound engineers. I did all the mistakes and I’ve learned from them. So I believe that with strong determination a hard work most of the deejays can learn to produce music. If that doesn’t happen in five years, it’s better to abandon the thought of becoming a music professional and focus on developing your other talents.

The other very important thing you should be taking a lot of care is  your ears. Invest in some quality ear-plugs and wear them always when you are in the club as a performer or a part of the audience.

Regular exercising, healthy living and balanced diet without alcohol, drugs and tobacco will help you stay fit and focused, especially when you have a lot of gigs one after another and have to do the traveling in between them.

8. What’s playing in Umek’s iPod besides techno?

One thing that I really enjoy lately in my personal time is quiet. I’m working with music all the time, as a deejay during the weekends and in studio four to five times a week for most of the day, so I really started to cherish the quit moments. Though I like to turn my iPod on when I exercise. I plug in some radio station with a bit of talking program and mainstream music and this takes my mind off as a background soundtrack.

9. Where do you see the future of techno? Do you ever think that it will reach the masses like trance has?

Music is a constantly developing thing and the taste of key media and the audience is shifting all the time. I’m not sure what will be dominating the electronic dance genre in ten or fifteen years, but I doubt it that it will be techno. Minimal has some mass appeal: the pace of techno music became slower in recent years, and girls started to dance to this music. And that’s always a good sign that the music has a mainstream appeal. Music can be strong, dark, hard, mental … but it will still attract the audience, as long as it’s not too fast. Most of the people do not like to dance too fast and I personally find dancing moves at a bit slower pace much more sexy. And girls like to show their sexiest moves on the dance floor.

10.  A lot of people say techno will always be underground and that’s the way it should be. What do you think?

I agree on that techno will always stay more underground than house or trance. That’s the consequence of the basic blueprint print of techno as a bit darker, alternative, abstract music that is not so radio friendly. I think we were lucky that techno never reached the media appeal of some other electronic dance genres. Some techno festivals can be really huge, especially in Europe, but this is still an underground thing. The mentality of artists and crowd is a bit special. I don’t really think that techno has a mainstream media appeal that could grow really big. And for me that’s good, as everything that grows big and fast also tends to fall deep and with the same or even bigger speed. Techno has its own superstars but continues to be underground because leaders of the genre find it better that way.

For example: Richie Hawtin and Sven Vaeth never do big campaigns for Top 100 DJs voting but they are always placed high. I’m sure that at least one of them could easily enter the Top 10 in the last two or three years that they were really dominating the techno scene, with some decent campaign. But they would not do that, as they are aware this could have huge and unpredictable effects on the scene. Because once you are in the Top 10, the big industry notices you and major labels start knocking on your door. And this is not always a good thing for the scene development. But regardless of their positions on DJ charts and branding, Sven and Richie are considered two main figures on the techno scene and the underground electronic music although they are true pop culture icons and you can read stories about them in mainstream media at the same time. This is that special something that keeps techno in the underground and makes it different, especially from trance, where everything is much more branded and mass orriented.

Is there anything else you want to mention?

I will be playing Ultra Music Festival in as Carl Cox’s guest in his arena along Green Velvet, Timo Maas, Luciano and of course the Carl. And I will be playing Bullit Party as well. See you in Miami!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhpgYuKX_-Y&feature=related

Jesse Rose is currently one of the most in-demand electronic music artists around the world, with seemingly every festival and club on the planet wanting a dose of his delicious Berlin-based bass-driven sound. This pioneer, producer, remixer, DJ and label owner of Front Room Recordings has been making music for over fifteen years and is now an established trend-setter, taking his place amongst the most popular and famous producers in the international electronic music community.

Rose will bring his funk-lined, hyphy electro-house to Winter Music Conference 2010, dropping his playfully dirty beats, twisty sound, and chunky bass on the dance floors of Miami. His track “Forget My Name” was released on vinyl this past December, but after you hear him in Miami there will be no chance of that- the sound of Jesse Rose will be tattooed on your eardrums for eternity.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rjgvLoZCF8
Confirmed Parties for WMC 2010…
March 23: Made to Play & Rekids present Jesse Rose & Radio Slave @ The White Room All Night Long
March 25: Get Physical Beach Party @ Gansevoort Hotel (day set)
March 25: Blue Collar @ Electric Pickle (night set)

The Glitch Mob is coming to Winter Music Conference this year to bring you something different from the West Coast. Made up of OOah, edIT, and Boreta, this group of genre-defying misfits from LA performs live edits of bass-heavy, downtempo, glitchy tunes using several different hardware and software combinations, all designed to rock a crowd. Their shows feature live drumming and programming, most recently using the artistically expressive Lemur MIDI controllers. The Glitch Mob rejects traditional instruments, making their sound fresh and their shows unique. Their freestyle performances are energetic and they work together intuitively, putting on shows that they describe as “the experience of being slayed.”

All three members have issued solo releases on their own Glitch Mob Unlimited label, and EdIT has also produced tracks that have appeared in commercials for Scion, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, and Calvin Klein.

With a quick rise from the L.A. party scene and Coachella to all over the world, don’t miss your chance to see them perform live at Ultra.

The Glitch Mob’s new album Drink the Sea comes out May 25.

Download the first single, “Drive It Like You Stole It” for free right here.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jztRZ34AEcY

XLR8R TV Episode 83: Glitch Mob Street Warfare

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Name: The Glitch Mob

Resides: LA

Known for: Slaying crowds with bass-slapping future music

2010 Confirmed WMC Parties: Ultra Music Festival

Additional Info: Facebook Page, Myspace and Twitter

Dave Pezzner is an internationally respected producer and composer who hails from the thriving electronic music community of the Pacific Northwest, where he is getting so sticky hot that it is only a matter of moments before he explodes like the bombs he drops. Pezzner is half of the powerhouse duo Jacob London, whose signature groovy, funky tech-house sound regularly destroys Seattle dance floors.

Fourteen years of world tours and live performances, fifteen releases on vinyl and at least thirty remixes put Pezzner at the top of his game, with his most recent release on Freerange Records touching on a more sensual and organic house sound. With heart-quickening mixes and deeply emotional music, Pezzner brings his characteristically passionate and sexy sound to hungry listeners at Winter Music Conference 2010, further imbedding his powerful place in the international electronic arts community.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRCiMLtNLHI

Pezzner @ Decibel Festival 2008

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Name: Dave Pezzner
Resides: Seattle
Known For: Dirty sexy beats; ripping dance floors in half

2010 Confirmed WMC Parties:

March 25: OM Records Party @ Klutch

From the comments posted in the last few months on the Uncensored Guide to Winter Music Conference, it is clear that you all have a lot to say about the world of electronic dance music. Visit the 25th Annual International Dance Music Awards Final Ballot to make your voice heard! You will vote for categories in “International Dance Music Awards,” “Business Achievement Awards,” and “Pro Audio Award.”

Make sure to vote in February 26^th!

The International Dance Music Award Dinner and Show begins at 7:00 pm on March 25 at the Filmore Miami Beach. This year celebrates the 25^th Anniversary of this prestigious award ceremony, which is the largest awards show honoring players in the dance music industry.

Fred Everything is a Canadian-born DJ and producer. He has been deejaying since 1993, and he started releasing his first productions with legendary house music label 20:20 Vision in 1996. From then he began to tour the globe extensively, first in North America then eventually making regular stops in Europe as well. His dedication to House music runs so deep that he even wrote a series of articles for music/culture magazine XLR8R.

Fred Everything has made a permanent impact on electronic music by helping to create the “West Coast Sound,” which is a distinct deep, soulful, and funky house music. He helped create this sound with his labelmates from OM records, infamous producers and remixers like Miguel Migs, Mark Farina, Lisa Shaw, Olivier Desmet, and JT Donaldson. He started his own label, Lazy Days Recordings, and has been consistently putting out hot tracks that always end up high on the charts at digital music retailers like Beatport and Traxsource. His career as a DJ has taken his all over the world- check this write-up of his career from his official page at Om Records:

“With over a Million miles flown taking him all around the world to places he never even dreamed of visiting like Moskow, Istanbul, South Africa, Brazil, Japan, Bulgaria, Honolulu in clubs like Fabric (London), Pacha (Ibiza) Festival such as Montreal Jazz Festival, Toronto JVC Jazz Festival, and lately the 50,000 attended Electric Daisy Carnival. He’s also held down residency at Stereo (Montreal), Next Door (Honolulu), Footwork (Toronto) and his own Lazy Days parties (Montreal, London, San Francisco). There’s also the obligatory Winter Music Conference where he can be seen for 10 years sharing the decks with people like Francois K, Mark Farina or King Britt.”

Fred just released his new February Podcast, so if you want to check out his sound, click here to listen or download. Just remember that when it comes to house music, listening to a podcast through your earbuds is quite different from hearing it live during Winter Music Conference!

[youtube id="kT53uZkjDwk"]

Fred Everything- Revolution

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Name: Fred Everything
Resides: San Francisco
Known For: Fatty fresh dope house music
Confirmed 2010 WMC Parties: March 23: Get Large Miami, March 25: Apt Miami (day), March 25: OM (night), March 26: Lazy Days/Amenti/Solid Tokyo @ Love Hate

Borgore’s Ice Cream EP with Trill Bass is quite possibly the most anticipated releases in the genre at this moment, with several tracks such as “Act Like a Ho” and “Ice Cream” laden with intense snares and wicked wobbles. The gnarly combination of an aggressive style and maniacal attitude has landed Borgore at the crest of the wave of dubstep as it mutates and breeds a thousand miscreant children; this King of Gorestep and his gritty beats will no doubt continue to hack through boundaries with hard-hitting bass and a fresh take on sick sounds.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl45vuToVuE

Borgore Live at SubKulture in Philadelphia, October 2009

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Name: Asaf Borgore
Resides: Tel Aviv
Known For: Ruining dubstep, pornish lyrics and disgusting bass

2010 Confirmed WMC Parties: Future Sound of Breaks 8.0 Massive

Photo by Shauna Regan

From the dirty beach dust of California to the slick sheen of Miami comes a long-locked gentleman who has perhaps done more to spread the bass-heavy, West Coast sound than any other producer from the underground parties of California to the dance floors and air waves of the world.

Many young music fans find their way into the world of electronic music via the Bassnectar path, discovering through one of his performances that they prefer the bouncing beats and dance-friendly tracks to indie rock’s wailing guitars and whiny FML lyrics. Find a noob at at festival on the West Coast, and there is a good chance that it was Bassnectar’s sound that called them to the forest, to the desert, or to whatever underground hippie hub you may be at the moment. And there is a good chance that Bassnectar is there too, about to lay the smack down to a sunrise set in the middle of nowhere for a community of adoring fans.

Bassnectar’s music is drenched in grinding, twising, throbbing, mutated bass, injected into every remix and every original production- fat flat sheets of brain-smacking bass. Lately the producer has been turning more towards banger-saturated sets for maximum crowd pleasure, a tactic that will no doubt go down well in Miami, like a malt-liquor smoothie on the beach at sunset. A lot of producers lay the slams down thick and low like we like them on the West Coast, but only one performer in a lifetime of a thousand shows has ever inspired me to remove my clothing on the dance floor- and it was Bassnectar.

Catch Bassnectar at the Ultra Music Festival this year, and check out this video from his performance at the amazing 2009 Symbiosis Gathering near Yosemite National Park, a near-perfect setting for the festie king:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_afd1p3JRA

Pixies “Where is My Mind” Remix by Bassnectar at Symbiosis

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Name: Bassnectar AKA Lorin Ashton
Resides: San Francisco
Known For: Very popular underground electronic producer with a West Coast cult following

2010 Confirmed WMC Parties: Ultra Music Festival both days

And it was ever since Pete Tong played the track “Faxing Berlin” on BBC’s Radio One that the music of the shy, 29 year-old Torontonian who sleeps on a futon has spread across the world like a colony of rabid mice, taking up residence in the brains of beat-freaks from Seattle to Sydney. Deadmau5 is rearranging the very idea of what a live electronic music performance should be, raising the standard and setting higher expectations of visual engagement. His inventive approach is welcomed by his subjects as are the driving melodies and powerful rhythms that characterize his productions.

But Deadmau5 is more than sweet beats with a fun delivery- his party music is set beyond the boundaries of easy name tags and is tinged with the dark breath of the absurd. His theatrical approach and even his rise to fame symbolize Right Now, and his music exist on the very edge of the modern world, the place where the electronic arts community dances and pushes forward innovations in technology and creative expression.

Deadmau5 reminds us that Right Now is also the Age of the Nerd. Boys and girls alone in front of their computers pressing buttons are conquering the planet, and mad computer skills are trumping social skills as the go-to characteristics to possess in order to succeed in the world. Thankfully for the extroverts, Deadmau5 takes his magic OUT of the home studio and leaves the realm of the socially awkward. Armed only with a laptop, a Lemur touchpad, and a custom-made mau5 costume, he delivers a unique and forceful sound in a way that no one else is doing, convincing every soul on his dance floor that this isn’t just some rat fink shtick.

Deadmau5′ new mix album “For Lack of a Better Name” was released in fall of 2009 right before the producer set off on a massive tour, and you can catch him headlining the Ultra Music Festival this year on Saturday night.

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Deadmau5 performs at Ultra 2008

Essentials
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Name: Deadmau5 AKA Joel Zimmerman
Resides: Toronto
Known For: Destroying dance floors with a mix of genres in a blinking LED Mau5 head

2010 Confirmed WMC Parties: Ultra Music Festival

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HMP36Jb0EM

If you haven’t seen Steve Bug perform, if you haven’t heard Collaboratory or The Lab 02, and if you’ve never run across any of the productions from his label, Poker Flat Recordings – then there is a bright path for you to follow in the near future. Find the Bug, and follow the Bug.

Steve Bug’s productions and live sets define the perfect balance of deep house, minimal, techno and bass music. You can dance, you can nod your head, you can fade away. I’ve had the opportunity to see him in Miami and in Detroit, and each time I catch him is a reminder of why I love this music so much; there are no words to describe the depth and character of sound when it hits in the right place at the right time.

Steve Bug on the main stage in Detroit for Movement ’09.

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Steve Bug on Listed’s Freaky Tikki at WMC ’08.

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Steve’s Bug’s podcast from Save the Cannibals:

Save the Cannibals Podcast #1 – Steve Bug

Essentials
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Name: Steve Bug (Stefan Brügesch)
Resides: Berlin(?)
Known For: Deep techno and journeys into audio chaos

2010 Confirmed WMC Parties: Sunday School for Degenerates, The Freaky Tikki
Productions released on: Poker Flat Recordings
Find Steve Here: Facebook / Twitter / MySpace / Discogs /