music Tag

illenium
A fixture in the Colorado dance music scene for a while now, Denver-based Producer Illenium has gone from local favorite to critically acclaimed over the last few years. The twenty-something DJ has been turning heads not only with the high profile remixes that he takes on (i.e. Don’t Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers and Say It by Flume), but also with his original music (Illenium released his full-length album Ashes in February, 2016). Despite being a staple in the Denver EDM world, I hadn’t seen Illenium live until recentlyRead More
It’s quarter to seven on a Saturday night in the heat of summer in Denver. I’ve given myself plenty of time to find parking downtown, but a spot is evading me. I finally find a place to park, sweating a little, both from the heat and from worrying that I’ll be late. I race across a couple busy streets, but make it into the lobby of a swanky LoDo hotel a few minutes before seven. Again, I’ve cut it a little close, but I’m beyond excited to do my firstRead More
The beauty of Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO is the pinnacle of Mother Nature’s impressive talents. Arguably the most beautiful and acoustically perfect venue in the country, if not the world, Red Rocks is a place that artists from all walks of life would kill to play at. Each summer, Global Dance Festival (GDF) brings producers and dance music enthusiasts together for an event that juxtaposes natural beauty with blaring synths, whompy bass, crazy costumes and face-melting light shows. Another year of Global Dance Festival is in the booksRead More
Sketchy Bongo
It’s early on a Friday morning and I’m sitting in my studio apartment in Denver, waiting for a text form across the globe. The message I’m looking for comes through and I press “call” on my phone. It takes a number of shaky rings for the call to connect, but eventually, I hear a surprisingly clear, “hello,” come through. With that, I start into conversation with South African producer/DJ Sketchy Bongo who is currently in Botswana. Producing from a young age, Sketchy Bongo is finally seeing the fruits of hisRead More
global dance festival 2016
It’s the peak of Summer in Colorado and you know what that means- another Global Dance Festival (GDF) is right around the corner. Global Dance Events has outdone itself again, offering a huge lineup to fill Colorado’s legendary venue, Red Rocks Amphitheater, July 8-10. This year’s headliners are dance music heavyweights, Above & Beyond, trap king, DJ Snake, and Colorado crowd favorites, Knife Party. The star-studded lineup doesn’t end there as Brillz, Cash Cash, Dash Berlin, Ephwurd, Malaa, Paul Oakenfold, Tritonal, W&W and a multitude of others will play overRead More

Posted On February 19, 2016By Jackie RodriguezIn Buzzworthy, Music, Music Musings, The Scene

Upside Down & Inside Out

You’ve probably seen them on treadmills. Maybe you haven’t, but you’ve seen them dancing in a backyard. It’s probably the treadmills, though, since that’s what the Chicago-based band, OK Go, is known for– their catchy music and incredible videos and stunts that accompany them in a long, single take– starting with their backyard dance to their song A Million Ways, the video that catapulted them from sophomore artists to the band with the most downloaded music video ever, and continuing with their viral video for Here It Goes Again. ThatRead More
I’d never been to an all trap show before, so I was a bit apprehensive when I decided to attend the Denver leg of Brillz’s Twonkdination tour. I love trap, sure, but a whole night of it? I was worried I couldn’t handle hours of bass and whomp and rap. Still, I’d never seen Brillz live and had only caught a tiny bit of Party Favor at EDC last summer, so I decided to go to the show with an open mind. In the end, I was blown away. IRead More
Scandinavia is often regarded as the birthplace of the World’s hottest DJs, but producer FTampa is proving that great dance music is also created in the heart of South America. Hailing from Brazil, FTampa has erupted onto the dance music scene.   Producing since 2010, FTampa has really come into his own over the last year or so. The young DJ has not only released multiple tracks that have broken the Beatport Top 10, but he also played the mainstage at Tomorrowland Brazil last year. Now, with the support ofRead More

Posted On January 30, 2016By Cat HauslerIn Artist Interviews, Music

Writtalin Artist Insider: Julian Calor

With electronic dance music (EDM) gaining popularity everyday, we see more and more would-be producers throwing their hat in the ring to compete with names like Calvin Harris and Avicii. Not everyone can hang with EDM royalty, but one young producer is well on his way. Dutch-born Julian Calor is only 21, but has accomplished much in his years. Calor got off to a hot start as his first single was released on EDM heavyweight Hardwell’s Revealed Recordings. Since then, nothing has seemed out of reach for Calor. The young DJ hasRead More
Anonymity allows a certain degree of freedom, does it not? Free from the bounds and obligations of ego one can explore the whims of creativity apart from fear of criticism or judgment. It’s a dimension the internet age has afforded us. Behind usernames, proxies and guises our wildest fantasies come true. This liberation erases the boundaries whether they be personal, political, or in the amazing case of Soundcloud and other uploading services, sonic. Such an auditory liberation has given birth to a cornucopia of artists previously unheard by the massesRead More
Decadence 2015
A hush fell right around 9:05 p.m. on night one of Decadence 2015 at the Spaceport stage. The anticipation in the air was palpable as eager ravers looked from the people in their groups to the stage, waiting. With the initial sound from the first song JackÜ played, came a roar that echoed through the massive hall on the top floor of the Colorado Convention Center. From that moment on, the set was a party. Heavyweight producers Skrillex and Diplo, who came together to form their massive side project JackÜ,Read More
As another year comes to a close, another set of New Year’s Eve plans come into consideration. This year, Colorado’s biggest New Year’s party can once again be found at the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver. Celebrating its fifth anniversary, Global Dance’s Decadence will take place on December 30th and 31st and will host its biggest lineup to date. To purchase tickets, click here. Decadence 2015: Must-See Artists I might sound like a broken record, but I mean it when I say that the Decadence lineup this year isRead More

Posted On November 24, 2015By Anthony KozlowskiIn Artist Interviews, Music

Artist Insider: Happy Fangs Bite Hard

“Excuse me, sir. Do you have a minute to talk about rock and roll?” The question comes somewhat meekly during a break in an otherwise vicious wall of sound. Wearing a sharktoothed sundress, Rebecca Bortman looks more Alice in Wonderland than garage rock heroine. Nevertheless, she and her monochrome bandmates that make up lo-fi outfit Happy Fangs serve up the good word of rock and roll with a feverish bite. The night is still young at the Silverlake Lounge in Los Angeles. At 9PM on a Tuesday, I’m usually plopped onRead More

Posted On November 13, 2015By Cat HauslerIn Artist Interviews, Music

Writtalin Artist Insider: A Chat With Borgeous

It’s 10:30 p.m. on a Saturday and I’m standing backstage at the National Western Complex in Denver. I look down at my tennis shoes then readjust the horn on my head, wondering how the LED will look when I turn it on later. Let me explain… I’m about to interview one of the biggest names in EDM and I’m dressed as, you guessed it, a unicorn. Did I forget to mention it’s Halloween? No matter the holiday, I look a little ridiculous, but I’m trying not to let that distract meRead More

Posted On November 11, 2015By Brian WrayIn Artist Interviews, Music

Writtalin Artist Insider: Chill The Giant

CHULA VISTA, CA – No matter your age, it’s always a great time to follow your passion. This is a mantra many of us forget as we grow older, but not Ruben Montoya. Since his early 20s, Ruben has been selflessly producing and engineering music for a variety of other bands, helping them gain notoriety in the local San Diego music scene. But now, in his late 40s, Ruben is finally embarking on a new type of project. His own. This is Chill The Giant. Chill The Giant In 2015,Read More