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Pete Tong handed over the decks to Polish duo Catz ‘N Dogz for this weeks’ Essential Mix for what is going to become a staple mix for any deep house fan in the months to come. The alpha males behind Pets Recordings (brought us Eats Everything) took on this honor head on; incorporating some of their newer work while drawing a lot from previous releases and even asking some friends to donate unreleased material for the two hour marathon. Constantly working with the guys of Dirtybird among others, these guys are helping bring tech house back to the forefront of electronic dance music. I really don’t know where to begin on how much I am digging this mix so I will let the release speak for itself..
Whether you’re charmed by their bass-heavy, colourful and always groove-laden DJ sets, drawn in by their arresting live show, weaving your your way through their illustrious output as producers, or delving into the magical tunes curated from their close network of friends, Grzegorz and Wojchiech (or Greg n’ Voitek) are simply two of the hottest house Catz (n’ Dogz) on the scene today.
Download Here or click through to the Soundcloud page..
Headlining clubs, one day ragers, even starring on the big stage at events like Global Dance Festival is all to common for the boys of Zeds Dead these days. Hardly playing in front of a crowd of less than a few thousand has given them exposure beyond their wildest dreams. Mad Decent scooped up the guys a ways back and have helped them release a number of EP’s although they still enjoy releasing that free sheet, with treats like their SnowStorm Mix for Nemo and the very fresh Rachet all within the last month. This exposure has not been limited to the US as Pete Tong recently hired them for a mix of essential proportions. Starting off with a plethora of unreleased and VIP material, ZD quickly want to point out that they are no longer the up and comers. After nailing down many of their classics from the early days, they moved into some heavy remixes before showcasing their collaborations with the big man Omar Linx. The mix has literally a countless number of tracks showcasing not only their vast range of work, but also the progression of genres they have concurred. This is a true coming of age mix for them. I’ll let Bruce Willis do the rest of the intro…
The essential mix series hosted by Pete Tong continues its’ tear during 2013 with a brand new mix brought to you by the tropical producer Tensnake hailing from Germany. Fairly unheard of within the states, Marco Niemerski has been a staple in the underground disco scene that has seen its’ rise over the better course of the last decade. Tensnake is most known for his smash single Coma Cat released back in 2009, but don’t think that he hasn’t been making music since then. On the verge of releasing a new album, Tensnake sneaks in at least two unreleased tracks within the mix and has quite a tour lined up in North America this year. It is about time you became familiar with this cat as he pumps up the disco madness in this week’s Essential Mix (download link available if you click through to Soundcloud)!
Continue reading to see a full list of North American tour dates along with the hefty tracklist used to cfreate this wonderful mix!
Not much needs to be said about this mix! Eric Prydz takes on the prestigious decks at BBC Radio 1 for a third time to throw down an absolutely perfect 2 hour set that truly is essential. Prydz stacks the mix with fifteen unreleased tracks as well as one remix that has only been heard during his live sets. For those who thought his 2007 Essential Mix couldn’t be topped, I think it just might have with his 2013 edition. Prydz has been looking forward to this set with much anticipation and for good reason, I haven’t heard a more complete mix in some time. Pete Tong is starting the year off strong first with the French Express, now Eric Prydz, and not sure if you heard, but Mat Zo makes his debut next week…
When Pete Tong himself says who he thinks are the future stars of 2013, you better perk up and listen. As part of BBC Radio 1‘s January programming, the Essential mix show will be featuring the “future stars of 2013″ as picked by Mr. Tong and his colleagues. His pick to kick off the month? French Express labelmates Perseus and Jonas Rathsman. Also home to indie dance pioneers Moon Boots, Chris Malinchak and Isaac Tichauer, all of whom have been featured on this blog at one point or another, French Express is leading a movement where the sounds are relaxed and the vibes are euphoric, pumping out some of the most emotional and melodic productions imaginable from a electronic label. Hopefully, you’ll recognize some favorites right off the bat and the fun continues on for a full two hours. Can’t say enough about these DJ’s and this label and how excited I am that they are getting the attention they deserve. Tracklist after the jump.
Pete Tong and his infamous program on BBC Radio 1 has completely taken the EDM world by storm and any artist would consider it a high honor to be asked to leave their two-hour mark on the history of the show. Many major artists today got their start years ago by releasing a mix through the show (think Kaskade, Rusko, and MSTRKRFT) and now the entire EDM world stays captivated to hear what artist Mr. Tong deems talented enough to take over a chunk of programming (even though it is in the wee hours of the morning) on the legendary BBC every week. Even though we haven’t listened to every one, here’s a list of some of the standout Essential Mixes from this year that you’re sure to enjoy.
1. Rustie – Perhaps the most compelling case for best Essential Mix of the year goes to this young gun out of Glasgow, UK. Using the opportunity that Mr. Tong offered him to put himself on the world stage, Rustie does not dissapoint with a set so diverse and complex, yet perfectly blended. You may be hearing rock, Southern rap, electro, and god-know-what else all at the same time and not even be aware. The set is a departure from anything you’ve ever heard before yet maintains a listenable quality that is unexpected and welcome. [Tracklist and Download]
2. Eats Everything - One of the hardest working DJ’s in the game today, Eats Everything has been a constant on the underground circuit in England for years. His musical tastes will never make him huge here stateside, but I don’t think he really much cares about that. Just finishing a tour with Tong himself, I was pleasantly surprised with the energy and track selection he provided that evening. The song selection for this mix is made up almost entirely of his personal edits and remixes, just proving how much effort and love he has for the music. [Track and Download]
3. Feed Me - Still in my eyes Feed Me is one of the most underrated DJ’s on the mainstage these days. Jonathon Gooch started his prolific career under the stage name Spor, I highly acclaimed D’n'B artist in UK. When the dubstep bubble hit a few years back, Jon started a “side” project under the moniker Feed Me. This project has grown into his full time gig, now traveling the world with a full stage production titled Teeth. He designed the entire set, just like he designs his album art and personal logo. This set exemplifies his creativity as he plays almost exclusively original work. [Tracklist and Download]
4. Moguai - For a DJ the hardest thing in today’s market is to stay relevant. There are so many new names popping up every year, it is hard to stay in the lime light. Moguai has effortlessly done that, as he has grown up from the German club scene to now still releasing records on labels like Mau5trap. This Essential Mix defines the term German Electro that many believe only Boys Noize creates. Have a listen and you’ll hear why we chose this for the number four spot on our list. [Tracklist and Download]
5. Flux Pavilion - Well this is definitely a case of last, but not least. Exploding onto the BBC Radio 1 decks with Jahova, Flux gives us the hardest hitting Essential Mix to date. Playing everything from classics to unreleased material , he walks us through it all with humor and laughter. Bringing a tracklist of over forty songs, this mix can be enjoyed by all because of the perfect mixing and production that went into it. He is by far one of my favorite performers, with this mix being a staple in my car since it first was release. [Tracklist and Download]
Podcasts & Radio Shows
If you’re a true music junkie like us, you constantly need new music to fill your ears whether it be at work, on the commute, working out, or for the evening activities. We have found that searching for new music can sometimes be tiresome and that it is much easier to listen to someone that has already done it. Most big name acts have started releasing weekly mixes in the form of Podcasts or radio shows like those on Sirius XM and other channels. These mixes become part of our daily lives as they are directly downloaded to our phones and computers giving us all of the music we could possibly ever want. At the very least we hope that this helps you fill those silent hours when you think there is nothing else to listen too. (In no specific order)
