Better late than never, here are our pictures from Mondaybar Lucia Cruise!
Lineup: Markus Schulz, John O’Callaghan, Eric Sneo Live, Sergei Shkuroff, Jochen Miller, Josba, Heatbeat, Tempo Giusto & Jace, O.B.I., Stenis & Ezitsuj, Da Tweekaz, Tatanka, Zany, Panic, Dyprax, Miss K8, Alter Nature Live and Electro Sun Live
MondayBar Lucia Cruise, Silja Galaxy, Stockholm – Åbo, Sweden – Finland, 2012.12.15
Pictures: 129
Better late than never, here are our pictures from Mondaybar Lucia Cruise!
Lineup: Markus Schulz, John O’Callaghan, Eric Sneo Live, Sergei Shkuroff, Jochen Miller, Josba, Heatbeat, Tempo Giusto & Jace, O.B.I., Stenis & Ezitsuj, Da Tweekaz, Tatanka, Zany, Panic, Dyprax, Miss K8, Alter Nature Live and Electro Sun Live
MondayBar Lucia Cruise, Silja Galaxy, Stockholm – Åbo, Sweden – Finland, 2012.12.15
Pictures: 121
I hope everyone had a really good new years eve! What better way to spend your new years day than writing about your top ten classics of 2012. I don’t mean the tracks from 2012, but my most current top 10 classic tracks of all time.
Last time I actually did a top 10 of classics were in 2008 and then the list looked like this:
1. Chicane – Offshore (Disco Citizens Remix)
2. Energy 52 – Cafe Del Mar (Three ’N One Remix)
3. Gat Decor – Passion (Original Mix)
4. Veracocha – Carte Blanche
5. Subliminal Cuts – Le Voie Le Soleil (1996 Way Out West Club Mix)
6. Y Trax – Mystery Land (Original Mix)
7. BT – Flaming June (BT & PVD Mix)
8. Dumonde – Tomorrow (Moogwai Remix)
9. Solid Sessions – Janeiro (Armin Van Buuren Remix)
10. Solarstone – Seven Cities (Atlantis Mix)
So what has happen since then? Which track has climbed? Which new track has entered the list? Which track has left the list?
Well, let’s start from the top:
1. Chicane – Offshore (Disco Citizens Remix)
Still my number one of all time, so timeless. So simple but yet so advanced. I’m really intrigued with the smash hit that Nick Bracegirdle managed to make. Big in the charts aswell as to the clubgoers and still driving clubbers to madness when dropped by their favourite DJ.
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2. Energy 52 – Cafe Del Mar (Three ’N One Remix)
Still no 2 on my list. The great buildup before the amazing breakdown is still giving me major goosebumps. Many have tried to make a better remix but none has made it (so far)..
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3. Veracocha – Carte Blanche (Original Mix)
Climbed one position since last list and such an amazing track. Ferry Corsten and Vincet De Moor’s classic track will always be in my top 5. The explosion after the piano-breakdown is simply a masterpiece!
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4. Cosmic Gate – Body Of Conflict (Club Mix)
The first newcomer on the list. The original track is really good but the Club Mix is something completely different. All the small effects, the sweet bass and I just love what they did with the vocals.
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5. Ferry Corsten vs The Thrillseekers – Sublime (The Thrillseekers Remix)
New on the list and actually a track that I completely forgot about. The warm sounds from The Thrillseekers makes this track simply amazing. I just love the disted lead-synth. So epic!
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6. Solid Sessions featuring Pronti & Kalmani – Janeiro (Armin Van Buuren Remix)
Climbing 3 positions and getting a well deserved place just outside the top 5. Remember the firt time I heard that track on Armin’s radioshow, A State Of Trance. Blew my mind! The vocals together with Armin’s buildup will always keep a legendary-status in my book.
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7. BT – Flaming June (BT & PVD Remix)
Flaming June keeps it’s position from the old list. Just love the piano in the track and the amazing work that BT and Paul Van Dyk put into the track. So old and yet so fresh.
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8. Solarstone & Jes – Like A Waterfall (Deeper Sunrise Mix)
A newcomer to the list and so magical. Just love the buildup with all the effects aswell as Jes’s amazing voice. Did I mention that I love the piano? The Deeper Sunrise-remix isn’t available on youtube so I had to go for the club mix instead.
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9. Gouryella – Walhalla (Original Mix)
Ferry has always been my biggest idol when it comes to trancemusic and together with Tiesto he accomplished some really nice gems. Although only releasing 3 tracks togehter, all of them are still legendary. What I really love with this track is the amazing buildup after the breakdown with the piano.
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Another new entry. Above & Beyond’s music has always fascinated me, especially the Oceanlab-moniker together with Justine Suissa. Her amazing voice together with Above & Beyond’s music is simply a match made in heaven.
So what do you think? What does your top 10 classic list look like?
(Click in the black box!)
The year of EDM 2012.
2012 started like every other year, with some drunk new years resolutions, at a rooftop terrace, looking out over a snowy Stockholm, the mandatory cheap champagne and all friends cheering and laughing.
Although 2012 was just a child then, I don’t think anyone could know how it would turn out.
If I look back over the past year I can say it has been a really great year, music-wise at least.
This year is the first year Electronic Dance Music has been accepted in Sweden.
Not that long ago, people said that everyone who listen to house/trance/etc is a drug addict and should be put away in some prison for disturbing the peace.
Back in 2011, a huge party called Majestiq 12 was cancelled due to high costs for the police force that had to be there to make sure no one is taking drugs or fighting.
When this happened we were many who thought that this was it, no more festivals, no more arena-sized parties with Electronic music.
But, 2012 something happened. The big 2-day outdoor festival Summerburst was broadcasted LIVE on Swedish Public Television, with djs such as Tiësto, David Guetta, Sebastian Ingrosso, Nicky Romero and Calvin Harris.
Summerburst had over 65000 visitors during it’s four days (two days in Gothenburg and two days in Stockholm), and that was just the beginning.
The Swedish wonderchild Avicii played for three sold out shows in front of 34000 visitors in Stockholm Globe Arena (at that time the biggest concert venue in Sweden), and the Swedish House Mafia had three sold out gigs at the newly built Friends Arena, housing a total of 120000 visitors over the three shows.
This is something a EDM-fanatic like me only could dream about a few years ago.
But, somehow, if we look at smaller promoters, it seems like the people has abandoned them, unless there is some Hardstyle-dj or similar playing. Then it’s full house.
Our scene has changed, and it’s sad to see what it has become, and the Swedish EDM-scene has grown huge this year, and the trend seems to be never ending. More and more people attend the biggest event and leaves the smaller to die.
Our beloved Swedish promoter Monday Bar, who has celebrated their 20th birthday this year, have had an great year with a lot of parties. First off was the Springbreak Cruise onboard the 203 meter long Cruise ship Silja Symphony. This vessel is a little special since it has an 140m long shopping street on the inside. This was of course the main floor with Ferry Corsten and Headhunterz as headliners, among other great dj’s.
In 2012, we launched our new design layout, making us the only Scandinavian EDM-webzine based in Sweden.
We launched with some new functions, among others the Classic for the Weekend, which has become a really popular part of the page. Our writer Niklas has not yet run out of classic-tunes to write about, and I don’t thinK he will either.
Another great thing with the re-launch of bejbi as a webzine, is that we now can write about parties, music, lables and basically everything. This will be more noticeable in 2013!
This year was also the start of an new era of bejbi.se’s podcast. We merged us with the talented dj Tatsumi Suzuki’s podcast #podgressive, and it has been a success. We now have over 4000 listeners every month, and it rises every day!
Our plans for 2012 was to have at least one party together, and in June 9th it was time. We had a SummerJam-party at the nightclub Slakthuset in Stockholm and the party was nothing else but a success!
We also did a really fun collaboration together with Future Sound of Sweden and Kidson Mediaproduction in Zandvoort, just outside Amsterdam later in June. We held an Swedish midsummer night, with an all star swedish lineup. It was an unofficial warm up to the Luminosity Beach festival.
I for one can say that that was just the beginning!
Music wise this year has been really strange. The mainstream radio stations in sweden has begun to play some sort of EDM. Which has lead to a lot of great music coming out to the wider masses here.
Unfortunately it’s mostly Swedish House Mafia and Avicii, but sometimes a real piece of gold sips out, like Porter Robinson – Language.
There has been a lot of great releases this year, and it has been a tough task to come up with three top tracks but I’ll give it a try.
My top three with trance-tracks this year would be
3 Luigi Lusini & Starchaser ft. Molly Bancroft ”All I want” Matteo Marini mix
A beautiful vocal trance track that unfortunately didn’t get as much time in the spotlight it deserves.
[spotify:track:3VXDuubG7IGOWQU76XVaoh]
2 Porter Robinson – Language
What can I say, this is the Trousetrack of 2012, love it in every way, every part of it!
[spotify:track:3tDRu7QhSQ2tV2fjK3UCXx]
1 Ummet Özcan – The box
Tune of the year! Heard it the first time at Luminosity Beach Festival in June and loved it right away!
[spotify:track:1ALXCNz1kHx80i24kFn1D7]
Let’s see what 2013 has to offer.
We here at bejbi.se wishes everyone A happy New Year!
– Patric, Editor-in-chief.
If you have read my articles, you should probably know that i’m hooked on tracks using pianos. So there shouldn’t be any surprise when i feature an artist that is famous for using acoustic instruments in his tracks.
I’m ofcourse thinking of Mike Foyle and his lovely collaboration with Signalrunners on the lovely track Love Theme Dusk.
English born Mike Foyle started his musical career at the age of 8, playing the Violin. Being raised in a musical family with his father playing the cello, bass guitar and acoustic guitar, there was no question that Mike should play acoustic instruments. His great success as a musician in Southhamptons Youth Sinfonetta Orchestra at an age of 15 eventually gave him the title Concertmaster and first violinist. He continued to study music at De Montfort University in Leicester and finally earned a degree in Music Technology and Innovation in 2009.
The first musical release came in 2005. His first release, Mike Foyle Presents Statica – For Your Eyes Only / Space Guitar was a really decent release. For Your Eyes Only has some great progressive melodies and Space Guitar has some really sweet guitar-playing in it.
Space Guitar was first featured on Markus Schulz’s Coldharbour Sessions before the initial single-release and the single eventually ended up on the Electronic Elements-label, a sublabel to Armin Van Buuren’s Armada Music.
But it was with the second single, Love Theme Dusk that his big success came. The track, co-produced with Signalrunners did get major support by Armin Van Buuren who used it as a signature tune in his playlist. The track was released with a more progressive remix from Mike Foyle and a more trancy remix by Signalrunners.
I just love the use of Piano in this track, you can easily hear that this is made by a guy schooled in classical instruments. A fun fact is that the piano melody was actually written by Dave Schonauer and interpretated by Mike Foyle to a complete success.
The next release, the collaboration with Filo & Peri on Luana is another trancy track. You can easily spot the Filo & Peri-buildup together with Mike’s melodies. This is one of those tracks that i’ve forgot about. Might have to put this on my playlist again.
Another favourite, the 2006 hit single Shipwrecked is simply amazing. The piano in this is to die for. John O’Callaghan vs Mike Foyle’s remix is my favourite version, a massive dancefloor filler. Also take a listen at the Sean Tyas and Gareth Emery’s versions.
Worth noticing is that Armin Van Buuren used a sligthly different version as intro on his A State Of Trance 2006 yearmix. Armin’s version used elements from the chillout-version combined with the John O’Callaghan vs Mike Foyle-version and was simply amazing.
There was also a re-release of Love Theme Dusk in 2006 called Space Theme Dusk. IMHO they destroyed the track, too many layers and what mostly made the original good, drowned in the advanced background music.
The 2007 single, Firefly sounds like a russian lullaby on drugs. Tight buildup, amazing piano in the breakdown which explodes into a pumping dancetrack.
The track Hex under his Bolt-moniker is just crazy. Starts off really techy with some wierd sound effects no real melody, just a wobbly bassline. Don’t know if I love it or hate it.
The next hit, Pandora was a really sweet piano-driven track.It also has a lead that sounds like a violin. The original is really good but i prefer the Blizzard-remix which is more progressive.
Bittersweet Nightshade was another hit single though not using any piano on this. It’s more progressive than the last few tracks. A fun fact is that Blake Jarrel’s version exchanged the lead instrument to a piano.
Sweet Sammy Jane was another piano-driven track and the some girl-sighing/moaning which fits the track perfectly. The piano reminds me of the early Love Theme Dusk/Shipwrecked.
The next collaboration, this time with Augustine Leudar on De Bells Of Nafin is somewhat of a chillout/ambient track. Very different from the other tracks. Only released as a single track on the compilation Armada Lounge vol 2.
Chords Of Life, together with Sparx was a really good uplifting track, although pretty slow. Simply amazing and really well-produced.
Deadly Nightshade was a dark progressive track and came with a really sweet hi-energy remix by Phynn.
Sundown (with Akino Arai on vocals) was the first vocal track from Mike. Though he used bits in the Nightshade-tracks, he has never used full vocals so far. The b-side, Blossom uses really warm pads and a really original melody. Reminds me somewhat of another favourite of mine, Sunny Lax – Reborn (Nitrous Oxide Remix).
In Silver Lake, you can hear Mikes early year as a violinist, the sweet classical breakdown is a true masterpiece along with the edgier darker sounds in the beginning and after the breakdown. A future favourite for sure! It’s very different from all other trance tracks out there.
The collaboration with DNS Project on Cayo Norte is a match made in heaven. The progressive beats together with Mikes classical breakdown is so epic. Just love how well produced the track is.
Mike released a 2-track EP under his Bolt-moniker, Buff Monkey / Rascal. Both are a bit darker than his usual stuff. Also, they are more jumpy and not the smooth productions that you are used to hear from him.
Shades Of Red and Shades Of Blue were both a step back to the more progressive side of Mike Foyle. I just love his melodies.
The collaboration with ReFeel on Universal Language is another sweet trancer and used an acoustic guitar as lead instrument.
The collaboration with Mat Zo on Simple Things is back to the more progressive and jumpy side with a really wonderful piano breakdown.
The last track from Mike Foyle was a collaboration with Leon Bolier on Placebo. The track uses Leon’s signature buildup with an amazing viiolin and piano breakdown. There is also a sample of a woman chanting in the track with fits the track perfectly.
I have to say after listening through Mike’s dense material, he has collected quite a bunch of real gems over the years. Many of the well-produced and piano-driven productions he’s released over the years deserves legendary-status. The many collaborations over the years has made his productions tighter and I guess we will hear alot more from Mike Foyle in the future. For a really bright future he has.
Related tracks:
Mike Foyle Presents Statica – Space Guitar (Original Mix)
Filo & Peri meet Mike Foyle – Luana (Original mix)
Mike Foyle – Shipwrecked (John O’Callaghan vs. Mike Foyle Club Mix)
Mike Foyle – Firefly (Original Mix)
Mike Foyle – Pandora (The Blizzard Remix)
Mike Foyle – Bittersweet Nightshade (Original Mix)
Mike Foyle – Sweet Sammy Jane (Original Mix)
Foyle & Sparx – Chords Of Life (Original Mix)
Mike Foyle pres. Statica – Deadly Nightshade (Phynn Remix)
Mike Foyle pres. Statica – Sundown (original mix)
Mike Foyle presents Statica – Blossom (Original Mix)
Mike Foyle pres Statica – Silver Lake (Original Mix)
Mike Foyle & DNS Project – Cayo Norte (Original Mix)
Mike Foyle & ReFeel – Universal Language (Original Mix)
Foyle & Zo – Simple Things (Original Mix)
Mike Foyle & Surpresa – Placebo (Original Mix)
We have come to the end! Some say that the world will end today but we say fuck off and give you the end of year (the world) mixes by Tatsumi Suzuki and Kambiz!
Both me, Tatsumi and Kambiz has been working hard during the month with the tunes. Tweeking and tuning it for hopefully some eargasms.
As some of you might know, Kambiz was on the Podgressive project in the first year. Since then on every December we get all the best tunes in our oppinion and make our end of yearmixes. Patric will also be with us this time summering up his moments of 2012. So, head over to #Podgressive and get your copy!
Merry Christmas and a happy new year wishes,
Tatsumi, Kambiz and Patric
Proteus held his clubconcept Hellfire together with Mondaybar at Kolingsborg in Stockholm. Sidekick and fellow crazyman was Mark EG and Fredrik Grass got the crowd moving.
MondayBar Hellfire Weekend, Kolingsborg, Stockholm, Sweden, 2012-12-01
Pictures: 76
The year of 2012 is about to end. It’s December and it seems to be a white christmas for us here in Stockholm. It all started a couple a weeks ago with really cold temperatures and as you can see on the cover picture taken towards Riddarfjärden and with our city house, it’s not a snowstorm over the water. It’s fog because of the big temperature changes between air and water. We had -10c to -15c that morning. It has been snowing quite some since then and there has been some difficulties with cars that has jammed here and there but overall, it’s beautiful now! I would like to give some credits to my friend Carl Efvergren for the great picture taken from his office that morning. He is btw the lad behind the guitar on mine and Millaways two tunes that we made, Millaway & Tatsumi Suzuki ft. Carl Efvergren – Lynchburg Lemonade and Empire Of The Sun – We Are The People. Check them out and if you would like to have a copy of them, let me know!
As the most of you know. When Podgressive started, the colaboration with Bejbi.se wasn’t started yet. I got this podcasting idea with my friend, Kambiz. We have been playing alongside for several years and we wanted to try this out. So, in January 2010 we launched our first episode. The first six months had lot’s of beginner-fails. Either our voice-overs were too loud, way too low and our self-confidence as ”radio-speakers” were not that high. After a while it all started to sound pretty well. However, the year went by and so did we with the show. Kambiz hopped off the project and I kept on with the show. But, his help on the first year has been crucial for the future of Podgressive. We have and will as in every December have a yearmix put together from each of us.
I have been working on my set with Ableton for a while and I’m truly impressed by all the great artists that puts together a yearmix every year. It takes time and a lot of knowledge to mash the tracks up and at the same time still have the right build through the entire set. In writing moment, the set is about 60min and with a little more than 30 tracks. I think the final result will land on 75 minutes and about 40 tunes. Hopefully the result will be in your taste!
This year has been really intresting. A year when Podgressive got a bit more serious. Much thank’s to Patric and his ideas and help and of course our great artists and the fact that we see more and more subscribers and feedback. That is something that makes you keep on with this. We would like to thank WEZZ DEVALL, MARCUS SCHOSSOW, CONCHA, MICHAEL CASSETTE, KIMONO, AMEX, KOLIZZ, AUSTIN LEEDS, MATT STELLAR, JOHAN MALMGREN, AYDA, EMRAH CELIK, ORKIDEA, WALD, JOHAN VILBORG, AMAR.S, KAMBIZ, TECHNOPHOBIA, CONTACT, VAN DRESEN, MARCUS STORK, SKYRACER, ZACHARIAS TIEMPO and SANDE for your great dj-sets, they have been appreciated!
It’s time for the last toplist for the year of 2012. Some released, some not, some new and some not. Theese songs has made my month!
1. Emma Hewitt, please marry me! This tune has the perfect balance. A modern electro, progressive, vocal track that has made my month!
This week’s article is about a small project who only released 4 tracks. Their biggest success was known under 2 names, the initial name and the soundtrack-name. So which track am I thinking of? It’s ofcourse Watergate – Heart Of Asia (DJ Quicksilver Remix)
Watergate is David Haid, Orhan Terzi and Tommaso De Donatis. Orhan is most known as DJ Quicksilver and Tommaso is the producer behind DJ Quicksilver and also known under some additional 25 aliases/projects.
The Watergate-project was started in 1998 and heir first release, The Battle (also known as Mull Of Kintyre) contains a bagpipe-sample inspired from the hit single Mull Of Kintyre by The Wings (ex-Beatle Paul McCartney’s old band). The track peaked at no 20 in the German singles chart.
Their second release, Watergate EP contained 3 new tracks. Maid Of Orleans (The Battle 2), Chi Mai and Fire ’n Spice. Maid Of Orleans was a cover of an old OMD-track with the same name and Chi Mai was a cover of Ennio Morricone’s track with the same name
But it was with the third release, Heart Of Asia that the big success came. The track was heavily inspired by Ryuichi Sakamotos 1983 track Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence which was on the soundtrack to the movie with the same name (starring David Bowie and Ryuichi Sakamoto amongst others).
The track came with remixes by Dj Quicksilver, Hemstock & Jennings, Des Mitchell, James Holden, Rising Sun & Astro.
Heart Of Asia peaked at no 3 in the UK singles chart. It was later re-released as Merry Christmas Mr Laurence (Heart Of Asia) in 2001.
It was later covered by Jamaster A as Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence.
Worth noticing is that there was a bootleg floating around called Waiting For Tonight In Asia mashed with Jennifer Lopez’s popular track, Waiting For Tonight. The bootleg was done by a guy called Mixmachine. He did some nice mashups back in the days.
There was even an album, the 1999 title The World Of… which contained 13 tracks including the singles mentioned above.
The last release from Watergate was the 2002 collaboration with Mythos (of Mythos ’N Dj Cosmo-fame) called A Neverending Dream which was a vocal track. The track got pretty catchy lyrics and came with a pretty hard remix by Hennes & Cold.
So what can be said about Watergate which I havent mentioned above? Well, not much I guess. When I first heard Heart Of Asia, i was blown away with the track, especially in the breakdown. When I later heard the Jennifer Lopez-bootleg I fell in love again.
And that love has so far lasted for more than a decade.
Related tracks:
Watergate – The Battle(DJ Quicksilver Video Mix)
Watergate – Maid of Orleans
Watergate – Chi Mai (Ayla Remix)
Mythos & Watergate – Neverending Dream (Hennes & Cold Rmx)
Jennifer Lopez Vs Watergate – Waiting For Tonight In Asia (Mixmachine Mashup)
Paul McCartney & Wings – Mull Of Kintyre
OMD – Maid Of Orleans
Ryuichi Sakamoto – Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence
Ennio Morricone – Chi Mai