Think all that dubstep you play at home isn’t affecting your cat? Well, think again because apparently a new breed of kitties have cat scratch fever and are itchin’ to get on the decks. Led by DJ Harbulz, Cat Scratch DJ is a cardboard mixing deck shaped cat scratching mat that’ll allow the feline in [...]
After flipping the script countless times as a DJ/producer/label mogul, Diplo continues to broaden his horizons and keep people guessing. In April, he will publish his much talked about book, 128 Beats Per Minute, a diary of his travels from private beaches in Barcelona to a music studio in Jamaica with photography by Shane McCauley [...]
London-based dubstep outfit Nero took 2011 by storm, touring all over the world and issuing their acclaimed debut album, Welcome Reality. Featuring their breakthrough hit “Innocence,” the full-length also contained equally enticing tracks like “Me & You” and “Guilt.” We caught up with Dan Stephens and vocalist Alana Watson before their sold-out gig at Webster [...]
As the year winds down to a close and we look ahead to the promise of 2012, it’s only fitting that we pause for a moment to remember several dance music artists who we lost in 2011. Some of these artists are well known, others aren’t. No matter what their level of profile was at [...]
Body Language — Matt Young, Ian Chang, Angelica Bess, Grant Wheeler — hail from New York City’s best borough (that’s Brooklyn, in case you didn’t know). Having worked in the studio programming for the likes of Passion Pit, Theophilus London, Machinedrum and Fur, 2011 found the quartet further defining their own soulful, synthy sound. Their [...]
Chicago house icon Jesse Saunders, writer of the ’80s house classic “On and On,” continued to hold it down in 2011 from his home base of Las Vegas. This year saw him release his Old Skool New Skool 2 compilation — featuring tracks from Mark Mansion, Alessandro Otiz, Quentin Kane and others — as well [...]
Swedish DJ/producer Avicii (a.k.a. Tim Bergling) catapulted to superstar status in 2011 thanks to his runaway hit “Le7els,” a massive crossover song that sampled “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” by Etta James. In addition to spinning at clubs and festivals all over the world during the year, the 22-year-old’s track “Sunshine,” with David Guetta, [...]
Brazilian electro-house duo Dirtyloud significantly upped their global profile in 2011, releasing an onslaught of tunes like “Needle” on Surfer Rosa and “Nudge” on Dongle Records that turned heads because of their freshness and original. Like their homies Felguk, this year saw the twosome touring all over the world and setting the stage for their [...]
Dutch DJ/producer Marco V‘s career went from strength to strength in 2011, with high profile gigs at super clubs all over the world and various releases on his own labels. We checked in with Mr. V to find out his thoughts on the year. How was 2011 for you? This year was great. I am [...]
While Boston will likely be forever known as a rock town, local DJ hero Joe Bermudez has been championing dance music in Beantown for years, spinning all over the place, remixing his ass off, hosting radio shows and giving a few pints of sweat along the way for the cause. Bermudez, a frequent Big Shot [...]
Swedish native Soso brings an interesting, singular flavor to the vast world of electronic music. Her album, That Time I Dug So Deep I Ended Up In China, found her exploring an array of lo-fi sonic styles and marrying them with traditional Chinese instruments. While the instrumentation is bold and often provocative, the core of [...]
Rising singer Sara Cruz took her career to the next level in 2011 with her track “Every Song” issued on indie label Glisten Music. (Readers of Big Shot will definitely want to seek out the triumvirate of bass-heavy remixes of the song provided by Flore, Scheme and Crystal Clear). Cruz looks back on 2011 and [...]
When life gives you lemons….well, you know what you have to do. Acclaimed UK deep house voyager Charles Webster, who is known for his a slew of alias including Furry Phreaks, Presence, and Megatonk (as well as his countless collaborations with artists such as Tracey Thorn), describes 2011 as “a very tumultuous year.” In spite [...]
