Post on 16-Apr-2017
transcript
Bamboora
“For me, this year’s highlights were playing a packed stage at Counter Point Music Fes<val, ge>ng my first original played on Hardwell and Dannic's radio shows, playing on Evolu<on and I Heart Radio, and playing back at Mullins Center in Amherst aHer a two-‐year ban on shows.”
D-Lux
“The absolute highlight for me was having my first produc<on included in the Dancing on the Charles Vol. II compila<on on Soul Clap Records. It's been an exci<ng process, aHer all these years DJing, to start over as a producer. Opening the main room at RISE for Mike Swells, opening for DJ Tennis at RE:SET’s 3-‐year anniversary, and My Favorite Robot at Bijou were my favorite performances this year.”
Mike Swells
“In my eyes, 2014 is the year where our new genera<on of American electronic music fans started to grow up. No longer are ‘EDM’ and ‘bro-‐step’ the flavors du jour. Deep house and techno have gained momentum, thanks largely to the genres being made more accessible by ar<sts like Claude von Stroke and Richie Haw<n. Much credit must also be given to event producers/promoters like Insomniac (EDC), Made Event (Electric Zoo), and Ultra Music Fes<val, all of whom diversified their fes<val programming with forward-‐thinking sounds from around the world. We all knew that EDM would be the gateway; it’s great to see new faces finally star<ng to discover deeper shades of sound.”
Photo by Roger Piche
LeahV
“I’ve had a monumental year of bookings. My best yet -‐ opening for A-‐trak, Jacques Greene, Omar S, and the legendary Francois K -‐ were individually amazing experiences, but my crown jewel of 2014 was being direct support for James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem at The Museum of Fine Arts. [James] was the most humble and kind dude I've had the pleasure of working with. He came through early to check out my set -‐ kind of rare for ar<sts of his magnitude – brought me many flu tes o f champagne , and complained about the lame requests he was probably going to get and how he wasn't going to play any of them. It was a glorious moment. I leave 2014 feeling grateful, mo<vated, and ready to bring more ruckus to Boston's scene.”
GLOWKIDS
“Playing around the country, growing with the iExperia tour, building our interna<onally renowned blog, and gaining a loyal following along the way.”
Photo by Chorale Miles
DJ Dolo
“Personally, I'd have to say being featured on ‘Sway In The Morning’ on Shade 45 was my biggest highlight. Music industry-‐wise, the rise of SoundCloud is really helping producers’ careers.”
Photo by Dawn Kingston
Damien Paul
“2014 brought a tremendous amount of change for me, both personally and professionally. Leaving one of my longest standing club residencies gave me the opportunity to focus on developing my sound and style while branching out to new venues throughout New England. The most pivotal moments this year happened at an aHer-‐hours club called Therapy in Providence, Rhode Island. Being given the opportunity to play two gigs, both alongside notable ar<sts who have inspired me throughout my DJ career, stands out as a tremendous honor that I’m quite thankful for . I opened for Pleasurehead, one of my first inspira<ons in trance music and a huge contributor to the underground electronic scene in the Northeast. Another night, I played alongside the interna<onal techno legend, Jay Lumen.”
Photo by Dave Yang
Mr. McNeill
“2014 has been a bit of a strange year for myself and DJ’ing. It had to take a back seat for the first half of the year while I was finishing up my last semester in school. Even though the par<es were going well through it, my enthusiasm for DJ’ing itself was waning a bit by the the <me school had wound down. But, I found myself buying vinyl again and playing strictly vinyl sets. It helped me get my mind back into the music and gave me back the sense of apprecia<on I had for DJ’ing when I first started years ago. I started hun<ng vinyl down again and looking for records that wouldn't make it to a digital release so I could really make my sets stand out. Vinyl saved my DJ life in 2014. That was the biggest thing to happen to me this year in DJ’ing. As for best party moment, I'd have to say the party we just did with Felix Da Housecat. Best vibe and crowd I've seen in Boston in a long <me. We need more of that!”
Photo by Dilven Photography
Deadpool
“Opening for Sick Individuals and Stafford Brothers at Prime, and playing at Tight Crew’s DDR party.”
Photo by Dave Yang
Case & Point
“All of the stuff we've been able to do with the label we are on, Monstercat, has really helped us grow. They have a great outlook on the music industry, and the right a>tude for working with ar<sts and fans alike.”
Kyle Pike
“Seeing Gesaffelstein at Electric Zoo. I bought a single day <cket strictly for him and he didn't disappoint. Also, moving to Boston because I get to hop on Spectrum Radio every week with one of my good friends, Mikey Maags.”
Photo by Conor Olmsted
Jonny Dougs
“Personally, having the chance to play in New York/New Jersey for Life In Color was a defining moment for me. I entered a mix into a contest and the winner was chosen based on votes, mix quality, and song selec<on. Although I placed 5th in votes, the people at Wavo and Life in Color actually took the <me to listen to the mix and chose me as a winner. It was extremely refreshing to know they don't just pick the person who gets a million people on Facebook to vote for them, but they actually look for a quality mix. I got to bring my girlfriend and two best friends along with me, back stage and everything, it was an experience to this day I s<ll think was a dream. As far as for the music industry in general, I love silencing the people who keep wai<ng for the EDM ‘bubble’ to pop. Yes, there was a point where ar<sts and producers were just pu>ng out cookie cuqer versions of other songs. But to me that was a blessing in disguise. Ar<sts were forced to become even more experimental and more original to differen<ate themselves from what became a very similar sound. Carl Cox said it best when sta<ng, ‘EDM's an entry level to dance music.’ Whether you agree or hate on the pop versions of EDM, it opens the doors for people to discover more electronic-‐based dance music. I started out playing mostly hip-‐hop and top 40 for very generic bars. I had that entry level experience with some popular dance music and was instantly hooked. Now as a DJ, I dig a bit deeper to expand my musical selec<on to honor places that play it like RISE and Therapy. These are the best places to find the hidden secrets of electronic dance music.”
Photo by Sam Dahlstedt
Breeazy
“2014 has been a great year for me. I experienced one of the most monumental achievements I could have ever set out to do: played the main stage of a major fes<val by opening EDC Mexico City. The feeling is one I cannot put into words. It was just majes<c. I have also been a part of many amazing shows in the Boston area, being on support for major touring DJs and producers including Eric Prydz, Deorro, PVD, Showtek, DJ Snake, Borgore, Madeon, Galan<s, and many more. It has just been an unreal year for me and I hope 2015 can hold a candle to it.”
Photo by Ancelis Nunez
VOLTRAN
“Flying down to Atlanta, Georgia, to play with my homie Bamboora at the Counterpoint music fes<val and opening for Skrillex at the Mullins Center. 2014 was a big year for music and breaking away from the mainstream bubble. I'm excited to hear the new underground sounds that will be filling in this void. From future bass to future house, I'm excited to see how far we can push the envelope.”
Photo by Gina Manning
Lenore
“An important highlight for Elements was having our 15-‐year anniversary in January.”
Photo by Evan Smith
B3RAO
“Playing several gigs in Ibiza. Definitely a check off the bucket list, and with the countless days/weeks/months I spend in the studio grinding away on music, I hope to be back there soon enough.”
Godoii & Davvid
“Headlining Crush! University was a huge sign of faith in us as a budding DJ Duo from Mike O’Malley, the promoter who gave us our first chance back in March to open for Sound Remedy. We were honestly in shock that in a mere few months we went from a 9:00pm opening set for Sound Remedy, to headlining our own first show. It was a huge success and opened the door for us to subsequently DJ at Machine, Prime, Candibar, Naga, and RISE. Each one of our gigs has progressively had a beqer atmosphere as we’ve grown more c om fo r t a b l e D J ’ i n g i n d i ff e r en t environments and has definitely aided in our development as ar<sts. Each and every single one of our gigs is very special to us because of every fan and friend who stood there with us and made us feel like home in the booth. We are very thankful mainly to them because they are the ones who brought us here.”
Photo by Kevin Du
Scratch ‘n’ Sniff
“The most amazing thing in the DJ community was the 2014 Red Bull Thre3style compe<<on. Undoubtedly the most crea<ve and technically advanced DJ performances in the history of the art. These guys are completely redefining the rules of DJ’ing.”
Jaminic
“Opening for Claude VonStroke at Therapy. It was one of the first weekends the club was open.”
JesseJess!
“Personally, when I decided to quit my day job to pursue DJ’ing full-‐<me, and shortly thereaHer, I landed a residency with Big Night Entertainment Group. In terms of the industry, a big moment for me was when A-‐Trak put out a PSA to draw a line between DJs and Producers with his ‘Real DJ’ing’ campaign.”
Photo by Kevin Du
Moduloktopus
“Finding myself in music again and not caring about likes, plays, comments, etc. Once you put everything you got into what you do and don't get dragged by the currents of social media, you understand why the people you admire are where they are and where they’re not.”
Photo by Nicky Digital
Wubson
“I don’t do house par<es that much anymore, but the homie who asked me to play is an incredible human being that I love dearly. AHer [playinh], I honestly couldn’t tell you how long, I think it was two hours? I put on a long track to see about ge>ng the next DJ a chance to play. Upon turning around, I realized the amazing horror of that par<cular set. The room had at least tripled in popula<on. This wasn’t a crowd. This was a Hive-‐mind Party Monster... Nine months later, people in Western Mass who I don’t even know s<ll come up to me and talk about how much fun they had at that party.”
Photo by Siouxside
Alyce Currier
“Decibel Fes<val in Seaqle really reinvigorated my love for dance music aHer a bit of a slump; for the last two years it's been a major music highlight for me. They really manage to meld all of the best parts of electronic music culture into one event, and the Ostgut Ton label night, Anjunadeep boat party, Max Cooper's two sets, Recondite, and just the energy of Seaqle were super inspiring.”
Photo by Adrienne Berlin
Andrew Garcia
“The best moment in 2014 for me was the release of Porter Robinson's album. It really influenced a lot of people, me included, and is really where I feel the future of electronic music is going. I think another huge moment for me, personally, were opportuni<es to be able to play the music I love for people who appreciate it; that just makes all the hard work worth it.”
Photo by Conor Olmsted
Richard Fraioli
“For myself in 2014, some of most memorable moments were playing at Ultra Music Fes<val Miami for the 8th year in a row, and finally ge>ng to open for one of my mentors, Laidback Luke. It's been a really busy year for me with ge>ng ready to release a string of original tracks for 2015, and furthering my brand, That MOTHER F#%KING House Music (TMFHM). As for the industry, one of the most significant things to happen in this scene was the massive amount of collabora<ons between ar<sts and a lot of cross-‐genre produc<ons. It's so good to see all different styles and ar<sts come together to make something unique and different. It's all about the music.”
A1exxxan
“Discovering, at Arisia 2014, that the second love of scifi nerds is deep house. Also, being a part of the Together staff (again) was a fantas<c and produc<ve experience.”
Photo by Darkwell Studios
Massacur
“This year has brought successes, not only in my live performances at top-‐level venues with some of the scene’s biggest talents, but also in the management of myself as an ar<st. 2014 has been a year where, despite a rigorous live, I’ve had the opportunity and pleasure of breaking onto the regional and interna<onal radio scenes as well as spending countless hours developing both my original studio produc<on as well as my branding. Of my 150 events so far this year, over 80% were performed in headlining roles which has been an honor when considering that only just two years ago, I was liqle more than a college kid with a laptop and a few friends.”
Photo by David Blazze
Ju Lee
“I got to play at WMC for the first <me, headline RISEAHer-‐hours, and become a resident at the Colosseum in Providence, RI. One of the most memorable moments was during my set at FractalFest -‐ the energy was unbelievable and Aaron Fractaltribe, the person who taught me to DJ, came to the stage, gave me a hug, and told me he was proud of me. It meant the world.”
Photo by Kevin Du
Sir Matty V
“For the industry, the emergence of so many young ar<sts. Guys like Heldens, Tom Newson, Will Sparks, and Madeon are really helping shape so many different aspects of electronic music, which is refreshing. Personally, DJ’ing at Fenway park for the Reebok Spartan Race. That was super <ght.”
Photo by James Coleqa
Noya
“Ali G in the house stole my tune for their commercial, and I opened for Alvin Risk at Therapy with Michael Savant, which was probably the best set I've ever played.”
Batwings
“2014 brought the advent of our Dusk Till Done crew, throwing secret and not-‐so-‐secret events in and around Boston and impor<ng talents such as La Fleur, Danny Howells, and Mr. C. With one chapter beginning, another one of mine is either closing or hopefully just changing. Concluding my residency DJ’ing for a na<onal ar<st showcase in Boston, I had the pleasure of mee<ng and mixing for some of our city's finest photographers, graphic and performance ar<sts , musicians, drag queens... you name it. With our director resigning from the na<onal organiza<on, a new/improved event may be rising from the ashes to give even more back to the ar<sts with each showcase. For my first ever real travel for a fes<val, I embarked to Moogfest in NC. Personal fave was seeing both an 80+ year-‐old woman and an awkward high-‐school kid killing the dance floor to Egyp<an Lover.”
Wil Trahan
“2014 was the year I started to see so many new faces on the dance floor and that's what made this past year so great. From my classics party at Bijou, to the 10-‐hour set at Therapy, there was so much energy and that’s what kept me pushing forward.”
Photo by Evan Smith
DUDEnGUY
“We had a goal to play at Royale; we achieved that goal and became monthly residents. Also over the course of the year through our social media outlets, we've been receiving more and more random comments – we have a hard <me believing we have fans, so let’s call them new followers and friends.”
Igor Stelea
“For me, the whole year was really a launchpad into my Boston club gigs, star<ng with Storyville and ending with RISE, thanks to Oxeat and Shikhar in par<cular. Of all those, the highlight so far has been playing at Bijou on July 4th, along with Alex Villa and Richie Santana. In terms of music industry changes, I think in general, 2014 is the year of deep house rising to popularity in the US, as it's ge>ng bigger and bigger here. Techno is also leaving a larger footprint, which I'm very passionate about, having lived in Detroit. I'm pumped the Time Warp fes<val just came to the US in NYC.”
Photo by Dylan Mullen
REDgreenBLUE
“On a personal level, finally having a label get back to me about a demo in a posi<ve way was a highlight of 2014. It was so valida<ng aHer years of hard work honing my producing ability to have someone completely third party to me tell me they thought something I made was worth releasing. On an industry level, a high point to me was when Beatport released a graph that showed deep house had become one of the top sellers. It made me really giddy and excited that it's ge>ng the recogni<on it deserves. Addi<onally, hearing deep house-‐influenced tracks on the radio is kind of a trip, too! I don't listen oHen, but I'm preqy sure I caught the Robin Schulz remix of “Waves” a few <mes over the airwaves in the car.”
Photo by Rachel Lynch
Mikey Maags
“I had two big highlights this year, both part of Beandream Produc<ons’ monthly Binary party. The first was having my own featured night at the end of June, for which I played in between Kyle Pike (who opened) and Convoi (who closed). It was a phenomenal <me! My second highlight was the party’s one-‐year anniversary. Aaron Roy, supported by The Brain Trust, put his faith in myself and two other great DJs, B3RAO and Convoi, last summer to create an awesome monthly dance party. Celebra<ng a full year of success for all of us was proper with great sound and even beqer people is definitely something I will never forget.”
Photo by Parikhal Photo
Convoi
“TomorrowWorld impacted me musically as far as experiencing techno goes. Throughout the weekend, the stages focusing on techno got bigger and beqer, both produc<on-‐wise and musically. Whether it was inten<onal or not, TomorrowWorld maintained a solid and most importantly, CONSISTENT, vibe throughout the weekend. It was definitely felt and appreciated by anyone who chased techno the whole <me.”
Photo by Siouxside
Sterling Golden
“From the final run of the LEGACY dance night, to Sterling Sinn Radio, to joining the Dirty Water News squad, it's been an incredible 12 months. My personal 2014 highlight has to be working as music director & DJ for this year's Boston Fashion Awards, the biggest night on the Boston fashion community's calendar.”
Photo by Derek Image
Achille
“My favorite moments of 2014 werplaying Rise for the first <me, and running visuals in Icon’s main room. I got to play at an ins<tu<on of Boston nightlife and help open Boston’s newest club.”
Photo by Beantown Boogiedown