Not so many years ago a well-known Swedish band released a track that was to take main stage in countless films, TV ads and sporting events around the world. That was Sigur Rós' emotionally moving 2005 release, Hoppípolla (meaning 'jumping into puddles'). Fast forward four years and one of the UK's most respected producers sees his remix climb to No.7 in the national charts. Chicane's Poppiholla not only turns the modern classic into a four-to-the-floor dance anthem, but also manages to retain the emotion and excitement of the original creating a stunning progressive house tune that will be remembered for a long time to come.
Chicane's MySpace / Sigur Rós' MySpace / Buy
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Sunday, 12 July 2009
PODCAST: Future Technology 2.0 - Episode 004
And so we continue to have trouble with bandwidth, the demand for FT2.0 is seemingly just too high for us to cope. Apologies to those who try to download the podcast only to find the bandwidth quota has been used for the month!
Episode 004 brings us to familiar minimal and house territory, with a couple of vocal tracks thrown in for good measure, before winding up with some experimental tech-house sounds. And keep an ear out for a quick excerpt from Bill Bryson in the intro!
Download / Playlist / RSS Link
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
INTERVIEW: Dave Dresden & Mikael Johnston
Neither name is a stranger to dance music having both been wrapped up in the scene for more than a decade. Dresden of course was member of the stellar Gabriel & Dresden while Johnston was defining the San Francisco house sound with Mephisto Odyssey. Together this pair have a chance to make their mark on the dance scene once again, but just how do they plan on doing that? Best of House caught up with the newly formed duo to ask more..
BoH – It’s a new partnership. Would you like to explain how this came to be?
Dave –We met each other briefly in 2000 before I met Josh Gabriel. Mikael was in a band called Mephisto Odyssey that was signed to Warner Bros. I had Mephisto Odyssey on my radio show which was on Groove Radio for a live performance. We continued to talk online about working together but Mikael got busy touring to support his album and I met Josh and started working on what became Gabriel & Dresden.
Mikael – I think that Dave and I always had a natural chemistry from the first time we met, the timing just wasn't there back in 2000. After I left Warner I spent a lot of time producing and engineering and writing music. I was moving more towards vocal-centric material and away from the underground house and breaks sound of Mephisto, although Mephisto is still something that is ongoing. The interesting part about our story is that I actually knew and worked with Josh Gabriel long before Dave met Josh. I had worked before signing my contract at Warner Bros. for Josh's company Mixman, we had even worked a bit on music together as well.
BoH – How would you define your style?
Dave – Sad, sexy and euphoric.
Mikael – It's definitely a hybrid of what we both love about music, not just dance music. We pull ideas from everywhere all the time when we're working on a remix or new song idea. As for how it turns out, I mean I guess it's definitely music that we hope will create a mood and say something that means something to us while retaining at least the appearance of a universal message.
BoH – What qualities do you both possess that will make this collaboration work?
Dave & Mikael – Besides the fact that we've both had a lot of industry experience we also have complimentary talents. Dave has the uncanny ability to pick parts, design sounds and rhythms that are the heartbeat of our songs. Mikael is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and engineer. That might be over simplifying it a bit but in a nutshell that's how we work. We both often work closely with each other on all aspects of a song as well. For instance Dave will come up with melody ideas or Mikael will work with FX to help shape a sound.
BoH – Can you describe the process of how an idea becomes a full track when working as a duo? Does one person take the lead?
Dave – We have both worked apart and together, it depends on the song. Sometimes one of us will have an idea in our head for a direction and we'll assign tasks, like Dave might work on the drum programming while Mikael works on the bass. We'll then combine parts and begin to build the track.
Mikael – Often times I'll play a line, could be a synth pad or lead and I'll shoot it over to Dave and he'll slice it, dice it and effect it into something brand new then shoot it back to me to add to the arrangement. We never really know when we start where it's going to end up even when we feel we have a clear idea of our direction. The song always takes us on a journey.
BoH – How did you manage to bag yourselves a remix of what is already shaping up to be one of the biggest singles of 2009?
Dave – The A & R department contacted me looking for a Gabriel and Dresden style remix. Upon hearing the parts I felt Mikael (Johnston) would be the perfect person to work with me to help see this remix to fruition. Johnston and I had already been fooling around in the studio since the previous summer. After finishing the Lily Allen remix it was clear that we had the right chemistry in the studio to develop our new duo, so I suggested we call ourselves Dresden and Johnston when it came time to credit the remix.
Mikael – Dave and I have a lot of the same loves and want to go in a similar musical direction it keeps things exciting even when doing more mundane tasks. For instance we both have a love for analog synthesis and vintage analog recording gear. We both love vocals and music that create an emotional response.
BoH – Dave, you mentioned in your MySpace blog with apparent pleasure that you “pulled out the Moog and the Prophet 08” for this Lily Allen remix. Do you have any preference to hardware/software synthesizers when producing tracks?
Dave – Mikael and I both have a love for analog synthesizers. That doesn't mean we don't use software synths, but we will almost always choose the actual analog box over the software equivelent whenever possible. Some of the synths we've been using at our studio are the Prophet 8, Moog Voyager, Roland Super Jupiter, Roland JX-3P, and the Studio Electronics ATC-X. Some of the software synths we use are the Arturia Arp2600, Rob Papen Blue, ES-P, and the Vangaurd.
BoH – Mikael, still working with Orpheos Dejournette as Mephisto Odyssey, how are you going to manage your time between the two partnerships?
Mikael: Actually Orpheos left the band just before Mephisto Odyssey left Warner Bros. in January of 2002. The newer Mephisto Odyssey material that has been released since (mostly between 2006-present) have been produced by myself and Josh Camacho. Josh was our touring DJ back while we were at Warner. He was hired to take Barrie's place in our live PA when Barrie's wife had breast cancer. We were very sad to see Barrie have to leave the project but Josh has been amazing. Orpheos is working on his own solo material which has gone in a very different direction.
BoH – Dave, how is this partnership different from the Gabriel & Dresden legacy? Are you looking to achieve different goals?
Dave – I'm looking to continue where I left off and see where it takes me. I don't think we have any preconceived notions but I feel we're fastly approaching what I'm looking for.
BoH – You’ve both worked predominantly in partnerships. Is there a benefit to this?
Dave – Absolutely, it's great being able to apply your strengths to their strengths, being able to delagate work to one another so things can be acheived more quickly, having someone to bounce ideas off of and tell you when to believe the hype and when not to. ...plus it's just more fun to work with someone else.
BoH – Will you be DJing together as well as producing?
Mikael – Yes, but not immediately, and then only now and again until we release an album or EP that warrants that kind of tour support. In the meantime Dave will continue his fairly vigorous tour schedule on his own. Our first official appearance together will be at a festival here in San Francisco on August 7th (the Best of the Bay festival that's hosted by The East Bay Express).
BoH – What does the future hold for Dresden & Johnston? Are there more releases in the pipeline?
Mikael – So far this year we've done remixes for Lily Allen, Nadia Ali, BT, JD Webb and The Crystal Method. We just finished up The Crystal Method remix today as a matter of fact. We're going to take a short break from remixing to concentrate on finishing original material, including a song Dave started with our friend John Debo and music we wrote and recorded with Nadia Ali in June of this year.
BoH – Which one piece of DJ/studio gear could you not live without?
Dave – A Mac computer running Logic.
Mikael – A Mac computer running Pro Tools HD.
BoH – Which DJs/producers do you think we should be looking out for this year?
Dave & Mikael – Pablo Decoder, Wippenberg, Grayarea, Morgan Page, Serge Devant.
BoH – It’s a new partnership. Would you like to explain how this came to be?
Dave –We met each other briefly in 2000 before I met Josh Gabriel. Mikael was in a band called Mephisto Odyssey that was signed to Warner Bros. I had Mephisto Odyssey on my radio show which was on Groove Radio for a live performance. We continued to talk online about working together but Mikael got busy touring to support his album and I met Josh and started working on what became Gabriel & Dresden.
Mikael – I think that Dave and I always had a natural chemistry from the first time we met, the timing just wasn't there back in 2000. After I left Warner I spent a lot of time producing and engineering and writing music. I was moving more towards vocal-centric material and away from the underground house and breaks sound of Mephisto, although Mephisto is still something that is ongoing. The interesting part about our story is that I actually knew and worked with Josh Gabriel long before Dave met Josh. I had worked before signing my contract at Warner Bros. for Josh's company Mixman, we had even worked a bit on music together as well.
BoH – How would you define your style?
Dave – Sad, sexy and euphoric.
Mikael – It's definitely a hybrid of what we both love about music, not just dance music. We pull ideas from everywhere all the time when we're working on a remix or new song idea. As for how it turns out, I mean I guess it's definitely music that we hope will create a mood and say something that means something to us while retaining at least the appearance of a universal message.
BoH – What qualities do you both possess that will make this collaboration work?
Dave & Mikael – Besides the fact that we've both had a lot of industry experience we also have complimentary talents. Dave has the uncanny ability to pick parts, design sounds and rhythms that are the heartbeat of our songs. Mikael is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and engineer. That might be over simplifying it a bit but in a nutshell that's how we work. We both often work closely with each other on all aspects of a song as well. For instance Dave will come up with melody ideas or Mikael will work with FX to help shape a sound.
BoH – Can you describe the process of how an idea becomes a full track when working as a duo? Does one person take the lead?
Dave – We have both worked apart and together, it depends on the song. Sometimes one of us will have an idea in our head for a direction and we'll assign tasks, like Dave might work on the drum programming while Mikael works on the bass. We'll then combine parts and begin to build the track.
Mikael – Often times I'll play a line, could be a synth pad or lead and I'll shoot it over to Dave and he'll slice it, dice it and effect it into something brand new then shoot it back to me to add to the arrangement. We never really know when we start where it's going to end up even when we feel we have a clear idea of our direction. The song always takes us on a journey.
BoH – How did you manage to bag yourselves a remix of what is already shaping up to be one of the biggest singles of 2009?
Dave – The A & R department contacted me looking for a Gabriel and Dresden style remix. Upon hearing the parts I felt Mikael (Johnston) would be the perfect person to work with me to help see this remix to fruition. Johnston and I had already been fooling around in the studio since the previous summer. After finishing the Lily Allen remix it was clear that we had the right chemistry in the studio to develop our new duo, so I suggested we call ourselves Dresden and Johnston when it came time to credit the remix.
Mikael – Dave and I have a lot of the same loves and want to go in a similar musical direction it keeps things exciting even when doing more mundane tasks. For instance we both have a love for analog synthesis and vintage analog recording gear. We both love vocals and music that create an emotional response.
BoH – Dave, you mentioned in your MySpace blog with apparent pleasure that you “pulled out the Moog and the Prophet 08” for this Lily Allen remix. Do you have any preference to hardware/software synthesizers when producing tracks?
Dave – Mikael and I both have a love for analog synthesizers. That doesn't mean we don't use software synths, but we will almost always choose the actual analog box over the software equivelent whenever possible. Some of the synths we've been using at our studio are the Prophet 8, Moog Voyager, Roland Super Jupiter, Roland JX-3P, and the Studio Electronics ATC-X. Some of the software synths we use are the Arturia Arp2600, Rob Papen Blue, ES-P, and the Vangaurd.
BoH – Mikael, still working with Orpheos Dejournette as Mephisto Odyssey, how are you going to manage your time between the two partnerships?
Mikael: Actually Orpheos left the band just before Mephisto Odyssey left Warner Bros. in January of 2002. The newer Mephisto Odyssey material that has been released since (mostly between 2006-present) have been produced by myself and Josh Camacho. Josh was our touring DJ back while we were at Warner. He was hired to take Barrie's place in our live PA when Barrie's wife had breast cancer. We were very sad to see Barrie have to leave the project but Josh has been amazing. Orpheos is working on his own solo material which has gone in a very different direction.
BoH – Dave, how is this partnership different from the Gabriel & Dresden legacy? Are you looking to achieve different goals?
Dave – I'm looking to continue where I left off and see where it takes me. I don't think we have any preconceived notions but I feel we're fastly approaching what I'm looking for.
BoH – You’ve both worked predominantly in partnerships. Is there a benefit to this?
Dave – Absolutely, it's great being able to apply your strengths to their strengths, being able to delagate work to one another so things can be acheived more quickly, having someone to bounce ideas off of and tell you when to believe the hype and when not to. ...plus it's just more fun to work with someone else.
BoH – Will you be DJing together as well as producing?
Mikael – Yes, but not immediately, and then only now and again until we release an album or EP that warrants that kind of tour support. In the meantime Dave will continue his fairly vigorous tour schedule on his own. Our first official appearance together will be at a festival here in San Francisco on August 7th (the Best of the Bay festival that's hosted by The East Bay Express).
BoH – What does the future hold for Dresden & Johnston? Are there more releases in the pipeline?
Mikael – So far this year we've done remixes for Lily Allen, Nadia Ali, BT, JD Webb and The Crystal Method. We just finished up The Crystal Method remix today as a matter of fact. We're going to take a short break from remixing to concentrate on finishing original material, including a song Dave started with our friend John Debo and music we wrote and recorded with Nadia Ali in June of this year.
BoH – Which one piece of DJ/studio gear could you not live without?
Dave – A Mac computer running Logic.
Mikael – A Mac computer running Pro Tools HD.
BoH – Which DJs/producers do you think we should be looking out for this year?
Dave & Mikael – Pablo Decoder, Wippenberg, Grayarea, Morgan Page, Serge Devant.
Thursday, 2 July 2009
PODCAST: Highway To House - Episode 011
Thursday, 18 June 2009
Abramasi - The Way
Released on the Russian No Money No Honey label this tune was fired into the clubs last month. The progressive hit has been an instant success featuring on numerous radio stations and podcasts since. Naturally the next logical step was to feature it on here.. If you happen to know who Abramasi actually is, please let us know!
Buy
Buy
Sunday, 14 June 2009
PODCAST: Future Technology 2.0: Episode 003
We said we wouldn't keep you waiting long, and here it is; Episode 003 of FT2.0. Opening up with some electronica vocal tracks then drifting into some minimal and electro, this mix is the perfect accompaniment to the fine weather the world has been enjoying recently.
And rest assured, the next podcast will be ready to go come the end of the month!
Download / Playlist / RSS Link
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
PROMO: Pick of the week!
Here are the hottest tunes to turn up in our inbox this week.
Keith Thompson - Nature Rise (Jack Smeraglia Radio Edit)
Following his last hit, Break 4 Love the New Yorker's latest release is a vocal treat and will be featured on his upcoming album, Party Starter this autumn. (Right-click, save as.)
Boy Crisis - L'homme (Run Hide Survive Remix)
We stay in the Big Apple for a little while longer as electro/punk rebel Boy Crisis does his thing. This punchy hard-hitting electro track is simply the business. Download it! (Right-click, save as.)
Carl B & Mikael Weermets - Late Night Avenue (Original Mix)
Carl B & Mikael Weermets - Late Night Avenue (Carl B Drum Dub)
The guys over at Nellie Recordings sent over these quality progressive tracks last week. Both mixes are great and you can buy them here.
Keith Thompson - Nature Rise (Jack Smeraglia Radio Edit)
Following his last hit, Break 4 Love the New Yorker's latest release is a vocal treat and will be featured on his upcoming album, Party Starter this autumn. (Right-click, save as.)
Boy Crisis - L'homme (Run Hide Survive Remix)
We stay in the Big Apple for a little while longer as electro/punk rebel Boy Crisis does his thing. This punchy hard-hitting electro track is simply the business. Download it! (Right-click, save as.)
Carl B & Mikael Weermets - Late Night Avenue (Original Mix)
Carl B & Mikael Weermets - Late Night Avenue (Carl B Drum Dub)
The guys over at Nellie Recordings sent over these quality progressive tracks last week. Both mixes are great and you can buy them here.
Sunday, 7 June 2009
PODCAST: Future Technology 2.0 - Episode 003
'So where's the new episode of FT2.0?' you cry - or at least that's what the bandwidth usage is saying. Due to the massive interest in the last episode we're currently struggling to get the next episode up. But it is on its way, so keep 'em peeled!
Friday, 5 June 2009
Wolfgang Gartner - Push & Rise
This funky number was released back in April and brings the talk box to the masses once again. Born and bred on the American west coast, real name Joey has produced a fantastic club-worthy track that gives the genre defining Daft Punk a run for their money. Featuring the French duo's signature sound with some 'tech-house-esque' breakdowns Gartner seems to have found the perfect mix for both the club and radio. Definitely a hit for the summer.
Official MySpace / Buy
Official MySpace / Buy
Monday, 1 June 2009
MUSINGS OF A HOUSE DIVA: Unsung Heroines
For me, the heart of any memorable song is a vocalist's ability to emotionally connect with her audience. Ironically then, with the rise of the superstar DJ over the last decade it is rare to see a vocalist billed as a headliner. While this is a topic for another day, I wanted to give props to some of the ladies that have inspired me to make house music.
Paris Gray and Inner City - Whatcha gonna do with my loving?
Her smooth vocals made this cover of a Stephanie Mills track into an original interpretation. I absolutely love her understated but seductive delivery. I remember thinking, back in the day, that I hadn't experienced enough amour to convey the smooch factor of this track. I was right. I can still only do it justice when I'm loved up to the hilt!
India and MAW - To be in love
Nuyorican soul diva India sings about the joy of being in love with being crass or getting overly soppy. She manages to convey sincerity without losing the uptempo vibe of the track.
Shara Nelson and Massive Attack - Safe from Harm
Good lyrics have always been my thing. I've always believed that singing own thoughts makes one a better vocalist and Shara Nelson provides the perfect example. Her vocals in Safe from Harm make me feel like I'm walking with her, staring down all those dodgy people and hoping my guy will be alright. This is a thought provoking, reflective track from her and Massive Attack, who in my opinion remain unrivaled in pioneering innovative dance music.
Martha Walsh and Blackbox - Everybody
Walsh's superb vocals prove that she can sing anything, including dudd lyrics, and make it sound good. As an aside, the original release of this single was in the Milli Vanilli era, and all to predictably, some brainwave decided to replace Martha Walsh and use a forgettable model in the video. Funny that, as watching Martha would have been far more entertaining than suffering through a charisma challenged woman lip syncing dreadfully.
Paris Gray and Inner City - Whatcha gonna do with my loving?
Her smooth vocals made this cover of a Stephanie Mills track into an original interpretation. I absolutely love her understated but seductive delivery. I remember thinking, back in the day, that I hadn't experienced enough amour to convey the smooch factor of this track. I was right. I can still only do it justice when I'm loved up to the hilt!
India and MAW - To be in love
Nuyorican soul diva India sings about the joy of being in love with being crass or getting overly soppy. She manages to convey sincerity without losing the uptempo vibe of the track.
Shara Nelson and Massive Attack - Safe from Harm
Good lyrics have always been my thing. I've always believed that singing own thoughts makes one a better vocalist and Shara Nelson provides the perfect example. Her vocals in Safe from Harm make me feel like I'm walking with her, staring down all those dodgy people and hoping my guy will be alright. This is a thought provoking, reflective track from her and Massive Attack, who in my opinion remain unrivaled in pioneering innovative dance music.
Martha Walsh and Blackbox - Everybody
Walsh's superb vocals prove that she can sing anything, including dudd lyrics, and make it sound good. As an aside, the original release of this single was in the Milli Vanilli era, and all to predictably, some brainwave decided to replace Martha Walsh and use a forgettable model in the video. Funny that, as watching Martha would have been far more entertaining than suffering through a charisma challenged woman lip syncing dreadfully.
Saturday, 30 May 2009
CLASSIC: Funkstar De Luxe vs. Bob Marley - Sun Is Shining
The majority of the northern hemisphere enjoyed a scorcher of a day today and if a song couldn't be more fitting, this is it. Based on the reggae legend's original masterpiece this remix hit the airwaves back in 1999 and catapulted strait to number one in the UK. According to his website, Martin Ottesen (Funkstar De Luxe) has been busy working on new material. We'll let you know when it emerges.
Funkstar's Website
Funkstar's Website
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
PODCAST: Highway To House - Episode 009/010
Due to our 'outage' last month unfortunately we didn't take the opportunity to feature DJ Copernicus' podcast. The good news however is that this month we bring you TWO episodes of the Fin's top quality deep house selection. Subscribe so as not to miss a thing - even if WE do!Download Ep009 / Download Ep010 / Playlist / Subscribe
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