10. Calvin Harris- I was fortunate enough to catch the spinning Scot at Liv in Miami during WMC 2010, and he absolutely killed it. When he isn't wrecking decks at venues around the world, Calvin is delivering bangers, such as "You Used to Hold Me" and the much anticipated "Bounce".
9. Wolfgang Gartner- The Texas native burst onto the scene with some big tracks this past year. "Conscindo", "Animal Rights", and his remix of the Fugees' "Ready or Not" are all praiseworthy efforts, but his crown jewel was smash hit "Illmerica", which may also be one of the greatest music videos ever made.
8. Hardwell- Yet another young up and coming Dutch DJ, Hardwell has produced some of my favorite tracks of the past year. His remixes of Gregor Salto's "Your Friend", Haley's "Physical", and Nadia Ali's "At the End" were all great improvements over the already solid originals. However, his original productions are what solidified his lofty position. His collaboration with Tiesto on "Zero 76" was one of the year's biggest hits; while, solo efforts "Molotov" and "Asteroid" were two of the most underrated tracks of the past 12 months.
7. Kaskade- The highest ranked American, Illinois native Ryan Raddon, better known as Kaskade, absolutely lit it up this past year. Known for his infectious vocal jams, Kaskade released some absolute monsters including "Raining", "Finally", "Dynasty" and my personal favorite "Fire in Your New Shoes". Keep your eyes on Kaskade, as he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
6. Steve Angello- The second of the Swedish House boys on this list reminded us that he can bring it whether or not Ingrosso and Axwell are in tow. Angello had himself a solid solo year with "Knas", "Rave N Roll", "Valodja" (with brother AN21) and his remix of Magnetic Man's "Perfect Stranger".
5. Michael Woods- Although I have yet to see this famed British producer, Michael Woods solidified his place in the top 5 on the strength of his track roster alone. His original productions include "Dominos", "Dropzone", and hit tracks "No Access" and "First Aid". Not content with simply producing his own smashes, Woods was my favorite remixer of the year thanks to his work on La Roux's "In for the Kill", Katie Melua's "The Flood", Kylie Minogue's "All the Lovers", and Moguai's "Oyster".
4. Dirty South- Originals "Stopover" and "Phazing" and remixes of Dirty Money's "Coming Home" and Jeremy Olander's "Airsteala" represented a solid but not stellar year of production for the awesome Aussie. What set Dirty South apart in my mind was his massive set at Electric Zoo in New York, which would have been best in show, if it wasn't for #1 on this list.
3. Avicii- Simply put, the young Swede is currently my favorite producer in the game. The 21 year old virtuoso dropped some serious bombs this past year, including "My Feelings for You", "ID", "Levels", "Street Dancer", "Seek Bromance", and massive remixes of Junior Caldera's "Can't Fight This Feeling" and Nadia Ali's classic, "Rapture".
2. Laidback Luke- Born in the Philippines and raised in the Netherlands, Luke van Scheppingen, aka Laidback Luke, finds himself in the number 2 spot. Luke produced some absolutely stellar tracks this past year, including "Indestructible", "Turbulence", "Till Tonight", and my personal favorite "Timebomb"; remixes of i Square's "Hey Sexy Lady" and Wynter Gordon's "Dirty Talk" round out an ambitious year. Luke elevated himself in my eyes by dropping an absolutely fire set at Liv in Miami during WMC 2010.
1. Axwell- And then there was 1. As a solo artist Axel Hedfors blessed us with "Nothing But Love 4 You" and "Heart is King". At Electric Zoo, Axwell stood head and shoulders above the rest; he pretty much solidified his place atop these rankings that day by spinning the greatest set I have ever heard. Oh and he was part of some little group called Swedish House Mafia.
The transcendent trio of Axwell, Angello, and Ingrosso released the year's biggest (and most remixed) hit, "One", kept their momentum going with the catchy "Miami 2 Ibiza", and put out too many sublime remixes to name here. By headlining some massive shows, including their own rival to Ultra Music Festival, they put their indelible mark on this past year, the year of Swedish House Mafia.
Hope you've enjoyed this feature. The next edition of the power rankings will be released in July/August and will be considerably shorter than this original incarnation (carpel tunnel much?)
Friday, May 27, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
From Russia with Club 13
Been a while since I've posted one of these. Life's been a bit hectic lately, so unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to record any new sets. Until I get a chance to pump out some fresh mixes, I have a bit of a throwback to tide you over. From Russia with Club 13 is actually a live set I recorded back in 2009 at an AEPi party at Tufts. Given this past weekend's Spring Fling, I found it especially appropriate.
Because of the setting, you'll notice that this mix is much more pop/hip hop heavy, but I did my best to spice it up with remixes by Laidback Luke, Steve Angello, Dave Aude, David Guetta, and others. Since this is a little different, I'd love your feedback on whether you want to hear more of this kind of pop/house blend or prefer the straight progressive house and electro I've been pumping out until now.
For your listening pleasure Iggy N Scratchy Presents: From Russia with Club Volume 13 (320 kbps)
From Russia with Club Volume 13 Set List:
1. Robin S vs. Steve Angello & Laidback Luke- Show Me Love vs. Be (Hardwell remix)
2. LMFAO ft. Lil' Jon vs. Steve Angello & Laidback Luke - Show Me Shots (Iggy N Scratchy Mashup)
3. Will Smith- Miami (Laidback Luke Bootleg)
4. Backstreet Boys- Everybody (Iggy N Scratchy Edit)
5. Rihanna- Disturbia (Bugzz Waiting for You remix)
6. Lady Gaga- Pokerface (Dave Aude remix)
7. David Guetta ft. Akon- Sexy Bitch
8. Madonna- Miles Away (Bugzz Supermode remix)
9. Supermode- Tell Me Why
10. Black Eyed Peas- I Gotta Feeling
11. Haddaway- What is Love
12. Britney Spears- Circus (DJ TAJ vs Matt Green & Laidback Luke Edit Remix)
13. Lady Gaga- Paparazzi (HeartBazz remix)
14. Black Eyed Peas- Boom Boom Pow (David Guetta Electro Hop remix)
15. Guru Josh Project- Infinity 2008 (Klaas Vocal Re-edit)
16. Kid Cudi- Day 'N Night (Crookers remix)
17. The Ian Carey Project- Get Shaky
Because of the setting, you'll notice that this mix is much more pop/hip hop heavy, but I did my best to spice it up with remixes by Laidback Luke, Steve Angello, Dave Aude, David Guetta, and others. Since this is a little different, I'd love your feedback on whether you want to hear more of this kind of pop/house blend or prefer the straight progressive house and electro I've been pumping out until now.
For your listening pleasure Iggy N Scratchy Presents: From Russia with Club Volume 13 (320 kbps)
From Russia with Club Volume 13 Set List:
1. Robin S vs. Steve Angello & Laidback Luke- Show Me Love vs. Be (Hardwell remix)
2. LMFAO ft. Lil' Jon vs. Steve Angello & Laidback Luke - Show Me Shots (Iggy N Scratchy Mashup)
3. Will Smith- Miami (Laidback Luke Bootleg)
4. Backstreet Boys- Everybody (Iggy N Scratchy Edit)
5. Rihanna- Disturbia (Bugzz Waiting for You remix)
6. Lady Gaga- Pokerface (Dave Aude remix)
7. David Guetta ft. Akon- Sexy Bitch
8. Madonna- Miles Away (Bugzz Supermode remix)
9. Supermode- Tell Me Why
10. Black Eyed Peas- I Gotta Feeling
11. Haddaway- What is Love
12. Britney Spears- Circus (DJ TAJ vs Matt Green & Laidback Luke Edit Remix)
13. Lady Gaga- Paparazzi (HeartBazz remix)
14. Black Eyed Peas- Boom Boom Pow (David Guetta Electro Hop remix)
15. Guru Josh Project- Infinity 2008 (Klaas Vocal Re-edit)
16. Kid Cudi- Day 'N Night (Crookers remix)
17. The Ian Carey Project- Get Shaky
Thursday, May 5, 2011
DJ Rankings: April/May part 2
20. Mark Knight- Known primarily for hits "Man with the Red Face" and "Downpipe", Mark's 2010 hit "Conscindo" is a great, light Spring track and has been remixed more times than I can count.
19. Adam K.- A frequent collaborator with Soha, Adam K. produced some massive tracks in the past year. With Kaskade, he produced the catchy vocal hit "Raining" and collaborated with fellow Canadian Addy to give the oft-remixed "Popcorn" a fresh sound. But that all pales in comparison to my favorite song of the past year, Adam's epic vocal hit "Complicated"; if you haven't heard it, do yourself a favor and take a listen.
18. Spencer & Hill- The German house producers are on this list because of 3 great remixes from the past year. This duo is responsible for high energy remixes of Sultan and Ned Shepard's "Call My Name", The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Heads Will Roll", and my personal favorite Afrojack's "Take Over Control."
17. Sidney Samson- The Dutch DJ, known primarily for his 2009 release, "Riverside", finds himself in the #17 spot thanks to 2 originals and 1 amazing remix. Sidney's "Set Me On Fire" is blessed with the infectious vocals of veteran house singer Tara McDonald; while, "Panaroma" goes in the completely opposite direction with some smashing synth sounds. His remix of Rihanna's hit "S&M" brings a funky dance beat to an already catchy choone.
16. Moguai- Although I have not had the pleasure of seeing this German born DJ as of yet, I am comfortable putting Moguai here on the strength of a great year of producing. Moguai's progressive house productions include "We Want Your Soul", "Oyster", "Original Hardcore" and my personal favorite "Optimuum".
15. Deadmau5-Over the past year I saw Deadmau5 live twice; I loved him at Terminal 5, but thought that his show at the Wellmont Theater was the worst DJ performance I've ever attended. Still, there is no denying that in the past year Deadmau5 has really taken over the Electronica/Dubstep scene, headlining multiple name brand festivals.
14. Chris Lake- Representing Scotland, Chris Lake released some fantastic tracks in the past year. My favorites of the past year include "Secrets in the Dark", his remix of Naline and Kane's "Beachball", and the eerily disjointed electro jam "Sleepwalker".
13. Armin Van Buuren- If this was a career achievement list, no doubt Armin would be right near the top, but I'm just looking at the last year, so AVB comes in at #13. With the exception of "Full Focus", Armin's 'Mirage' album didn't do much for me. Still, the Dutch legend continues to kill it live, and being the most fun, crowd-engaging DJ in the game goes a long way in my book.
12. Tiesto- Perhaps the number 1 DJ of all time, Tiesto had yet another solid year. One of the best live performers I've ever seen, the Dutch legend continues to headline major festivals and sell out venues around the globe. While 'Club Life' continues to be one of the best podcasts out there, Tiesto had only three really notable tracks, "Work Hard, Play Hard", "Zero 76," his collaboration with countryman Hardwell and his solid remix of the already excellent "We Live for the Music".
11. Sebastian Ingrosso- 1/3 of Swedish House Mafia, Sebastian Ingrosso finds himself in this lofty position primarily because of his collaboration work and SHM's amazing live performances. In addition to the SHM tracks, which will be covered in a later post, Ingrosso had some solid duo collaborations with Steve Angello, including remixes of Hard Fi's "Suburban Knights" and Buy Now's "For Sale".
19. Adam K.- A frequent collaborator with Soha, Adam K. produced some massive tracks in the past year. With Kaskade, he produced the catchy vocal hit "Raining" and collaborated with fellow Canadian Addy to give the oft-remixed "Popcorn" a fresh sound. But that all pales in comparison to my favorite song of the past year, Adam's epic vocal hit "Complicated"; if you haven't heard it, do yourself a favor and take a listen.
18. Spencer & Hill- The German house producers are on this list because of 3 great remixes from the past year. This duo is responsible for high energy remixes of Sultan and Ned Shepard's "Call My Name", The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Heads Will Roll", and my personal favorite Afrojack's "Take Over Control."
17. Sidney Samson- The Dutch DJ, known primarily for his 2009 release, "Riverside", finds himself in the #17 spot thanks to 2 originals and 1 amazing remix. Sidney's "Set Me On Fire" is blessed with the infectious vocals of veteran house singer Tara McDonald; while, "Panaroma" goes in the completely opposite direction with some smashing synth sounds. His remix of Rihanna's hit "S&M" brings a funky dance beat to an already catchy choone.
16. Moguai- Although I have not had the pleasure of seeing this German born DJ as of yet, I am comfortable putting Moguai here on the strength of a great year of producing. Moguai's progressive house productions include "We Want Your Soul", "Oyster", "Original Hardcore" and my personal favorite "Optimuum".
15. Deadmau5-Over the past year I saw Deadmau5 live twice; I loved him at Terminal 5, but thought that his show at the Wellmont Theater was the worst DJ performance I've ever attended. Still, there is no denying that in the past year Deadmau5 has really taken over the Electronica/Dubstep scene, headlining multiple name brand festivals.
14. Chris Lake- Representing Scotland, Chris Lake released some fantastic tracks in the past year. My favorites of the past year include "Secrets in the Dark", his remix of Naline and Kane's "Beachball", and the eerily disjointed electro jam "Sleepwalker".
13. Armin Van Buuren- If this was a career achievement list, no doubt Armin would be right near the top, but I'm just looking at the last year, so AVB comes in at #13. With the exception of "Full Focus", Armin's 'Mirage' album didn't do much for me. Still, the Dutch legend continues to kill it live, and being the most fun, crowd-engaging DJ in the game goes a long way in my book.
12. Tiesto- Perhaps the number 1 DJ of all time, Tiesto had yet another solid year. One of the best live performers I've ever seen, the Dutch legend continues to headline major festivals and sell out venues around the globe. While 'Club Life' continues to be one of the best podcasts out there, Tiesto had only three really notable tracks, "Work Hard, Play Hard", "Zero 76," his collaboration with countryman Hardwell and his solid remix of the already excellent "We Live for the Music".
11. Sebastian Ingrosso- 1/3 of Swedish House Mafia, Sebastian Ingrosso finds himself in this lofty position primarily because of his collaboration work and SHM's amazing live performances. In addition to the SHM tracks, which will be covered in a later post, Ingrosso had some solid duo collaborations with Steve Angello, including remixes of Hard Fi's "Suburban Knights" and Buy Now's "For Sale".
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