How to Have a Great Night (in any dance-music situation)

Bass blasting my body back and forth, thrashing my way through the throngs of people to the front, I make it to the heart of the action.

The bottom-end punch and the high-end screech tell me not to hold back, so I don't.

Lights lights lights.

"Is he on cocaine?" they ask.

No, bitches, I'm high on these electric beats.

I'm dancing for a cause -- gonna spark a sick dance party. Summoning all my raw energy, I flail my arms higher, I squat lower, I scream louder.

Two songs have passed since I last opened my eyes.

I take a quick look around and...I sparked nothing; people look at me, awkwardly.

It don't matter.

Airplane wings.

Run to the speakers FEEL THE FUCKING BEAT.

Twirl twirl twirl.

Nothing's gonna spoil my night.

***

Walking along Granville Street, my wet t-shirt clings to my body; sweat drips from my beard to the sidewalk. I bask in the revelry of the last three hours.

Tonight's crowd was tame. The magic formula for melting people's faces fizzled out into a whimper on the dancefloor.

This is a common occurence with today's modern, shoegazing concert-go'er.

If you should ever encounter a crowd like this, it is important not to panic -- you can still salvage a damn good night if you follow these simple and easy rules:

     1. Don't give a fuck.


     2. Don't be that annoying person who yells at the shoegazers for
     harshing your buzz. Your good time is not their responsibility.
     Who is responsible for your good time?


     3. You. You alone are responsible for how hard you party. Inspire
     others with your bizarre dancemoves rather than chastizing them
     for ruining the energy.


     4. You have more energy than you think. I know you had a long day.
     Fuck it -- keep going.

     5. Don't give a shit (similar to rule #1).

If we all follow these rules, we can turn this city into a dance mecca.

Let's lose our inhibitions Vancouver.

Party hard. Bring an Aoki attitude to dance shows. Give it your all and look like a damn fool.

Others will join -- or they won't. Either way just dance; make the party happen yourself, even if you're the only one partying.

Be the spark, Vancouver.

Be the catalyst that triggers the next insane dance party that you'll never forget -- even if you're the only one having a good time.

Post some more rules for the dancefloor in the comments section, and if you need some inspiration, then watch this classic video from Sasquatch 2009.

How will Canada/Vancouver make the world dance?

As relatively new mass consumers of dance music, North Americans are considered very open-minded within the DJ community. Artists can play sets which cross numerous genres and the crowd will eat up every minute. Honestly who doesn’t love a little dub in their electro, or a little house in their trance? I say rip down rigid outdated boundaries wherever you can! It allows the audience to fully enjoy a musical journey through the entirety of the complex and multidimensional world of EDM.  

More specifically though, what about Canada? What unique spin does Canada have to offer the world of EDM? To name a few, here are some of the contributions Canada has given the world of dance: Deadmau5, Excision, Datsik, MSTRKRFT, Zeds Dead, Felix Cartel, Sultan, Ned Shepard, A-Trak, and Adventure Club.

But what does this amount to?

For the first time in twelve years a Trance DJ was not ranked number one in DJ Magazines top 100 poll. In the early 1980s Chicago gave birth to House music, the genre currently topping both DJ Magazines poll and top40 charts around the world: of all House DJs David Guetta is the hit-making-genre-crossing king of dance cheese.  This genre shift can safely be attributed to the surge in popularity of EDM in North America. We like our beats big, heavy, and in your face.

But is that it? Is the Canadian mark on the international EDM scene going to be limited to  assisting the world in popularizing an American style of music? Vancouver is a bustling enclave of culture teeming with eager citizens dying to dance. So what’s next? What does Canada have to offer in the evolution of EDM? Will Vancouver leave its mark? Or will we fade into the masses following trends when we could be making them and forging the future of EDM.

I say we choose to dance and take the world by storm. But how?

Sound off below!

Dubstep's Awkward Generation Gap

My First All-Ages Electro Show or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love 19+

Dubstep is taking over the world -- yes, with young'uns too. As cool as I thought I was when I started blasting dubstep and dancing alone in my room, I soon learned that dubstep wasn't all that new. Hipsters had been listening to it ironically for years, and it was also catching on with the younger generation.

I found evidence of this especially young demographic during my first ever dubstep concert. I was psyched for it. No longer would I have to dance alone; I could finally share the experience with others in a big raw sweaty danceparty.

The concert was Nero. I walked through the door of The Vogue with my two friends and immediately felt the bass beat against my chest. Revved up, I charged through to the front -- but something was off. Soon it became clear: the gratuitous and decadent style of the eponymous Roman dictator was reflected uncomfortably in pre-teens with soothers and glitter makeup and the stench of pre-pubescent hormones.

It was awkward.

I love big sweaty dancepits, but two seconds in this debauchery would've required a strong legal defense. I wanted to call their parents: "Bring your kids home. Watch Barney and Friends with them in a safe environment. Cleanse them of this place! What are they doing here?!"

Instead of watching wholesome television, these middle-to-high schoolers were taking their shirts off and writhing in a massive heap of awkward body movements (they were stealing my dancemoves). They were staring glassy-eyed into the patterns their friends were making with their multi-coloured finger lights. They were wearing stuffed-animal backpacks that carried minimal storage space. What was the purpose of it all?! Never had I felt so out of place. Never had I felt such self-righteous indignation. Never had I wanted to dance more to Nero's "phat beats," but these urges were being perpetually thwarted by the spectrum of responsibility that was now shining through my newly discovered conscience.

After the show, me and my buddies went to McDonald's. Unbeknowst to us, however, we had been followed -- in line behind us was half of the audience from Nero. All of their glitter, all of their running mascara, all of their thin patchy mustaches dripping with sweat, all of their shiny young acne'd faces were revealed to us in a horrific fluorescent relief.

When the disappointment of this show had faded, I started to reflect on this experience with a clearer head.

I was forgetting that I used to be this young: I used to be driven by lust and confusion and the urge to be seen as a rebellious youth. Not that I ever acted on these impulses -- I had the decency to repress these urges, alone in my room weeping to the sweet sounds of Korn as they evoked a young angst that I had no idea how to express. Why couldn't these kids be as repressed as I was? Or, at least, why did they have to express their desires so confidently (if awkwardly) in front of my withered and weeping inner-child?

I wasn't angry about their need to express themselves in whatever angsty way they deemed necessary at the time, as they role-played their favourite youtube videos in front of me -- I was more angry that they had to do it at my concert. My inner child was supposed to unleash itself. I was supposed to be dancing like a maniac with my shirt off in a heap of age-appropriate bodies as we all heave up and down to the polyrhythmic beats of Nero. But they took that from me with their...with their inappropriate youthfulness! I couldn't get craycray when I was feeling such a strong biological and social imperative to act as a good role-model for these kids.

And they made me feel OLD too! Little brats.

The younger generation can keep their all-ages shows -- I'll feed my inner child with the other adults in the beer garden.

DEADMEAT: A trip worth taking (March 10th, PNE Forum)

The energy is palpable the minute you step onto the PNE Forum grounds: the air buzzes with excitement and the crowd is ready for one hell of a good time. Upon entering the Forum, party-goers are instantly struck by a wave of energetic house music. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike are setting the tone for the night; they give the large venue a homey feel, as though each and every concert goer is a VIP.

With almost no light show Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike work furiously to mix their music live, showcasing their talent as true DJs. Transitioning from Knife Party’s Internet Friends to Nicky Romero's Toulouse, Dimitri/Mike lace Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech into the background, making for one of the strangest yet most enjoyable musical highlights of the night. It feels right: it's as if Martin Luther King had written his speech hoping that one day it would be complimented by a heavy bass line. As Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike close their set, the fist-pumping crowd comes to a standstill; the heavy weight of anticipation blankets an already amped crowd. We wait for Datsik.

—Suddenly—the lights go out, the bass drops and in a flash the tone in the room changes. It is a dirty little dubber's dreamland: thousands of chest cavities violently rolling from the musical vibrations like whitecaps on the open ocean. You don't just hear Datsik’s set -- you experience it. You feel it.

Datsik’s performance overflows with youthful energy, quickly infecting the crowd and making it apparent that he is having as much fun as we are. Bouncing around on stage is Datsik's entourage, including a character that reminds me of Turtle from HBO’s Entourage (and sounded like Lil John?). If nothing else it adds to the anything-goes party atmosphere: they take turns chugging from an oversized bottle of Crown Royal with a camera attached to it. How Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous is that?

As his set continues, Datsik plunges into his version of Skrillex’s Cinema – thrusting the audience into a labyrinth of obliterating bass. You feel as though you're wandering though true darkness with nothing but bass to create a sense of reality. It is what the bass-heads paid for and they love every minute of it.

Rounding off his set Datsik throws in some great mashups: he couples 90's hits such as House of Pain’s Jump Around with Skrillex’s Reptile. Unfortunately, the time comes for Datsik to give the crowd a break from thrash-dancing and a moment to recuperate before Steve Aoki hits the stage.

Exploding on stage Steve Aoki promises the crowd a special set of all Aoki exclusives. Starting on a high note he launches into his first track, a party starter from his new album "Wonderland;" Steve Jobs. One of Aoki’s greatest talents is that his main focus is cranking up the energy in the room. His entire set is a rocket-fueled climax following songs like Tornado, alongside crowd favourites Turbulence and Warp.

Aoki is more than attentive to the audience's needs, keeping them fully nourished throughout the show: bottled waters are tossed from his turntable, an oversized plate of beef is used like a Frisbee to shower the audience in beef jerky during No Beef, champagne is sprayed from his mouth directly onto party-goers' gleeful faces, and there were no less than three cake face-plants. There is no arguing it -- Steve Aoki is one of the most interactive DJ's in the world. On two occasions he sets out on a pleasure cruise grabbing his iconic yellow inflatable dingy as he flies off the stage to sail the seas. Aoki lives in a world of perpetual good times.

I still have not yet mentioned his truly eye-catching stage setup. Aoki’s glowing name adorned on giant LCD screens, act as a constant reminder of who is providing the crowd with this break from the monotony of our daily lives. Closing his set with his remix of Kid Cudi’s Pursuit of Happiness, and it all makes sense: Steve Aoki’s goal in life is to help crowds around the world in capturing a fleeting brand of happiness. For a few hours he succeeds in taking thousands into his outrageous world where the pursuit of happiness becomes a reality.

Three separate acts. Three separate vibes. Each individually worth the ticket price, the hangovers, and the memories.

Feed Me With Teeth: A Night for the books (March 13th Commodore Ballroom)

From the streets you could see the windows of the Commodore vibrating in excitement and hear explosive beats rushing through the open doors out into the crisp night air. More then a few curious passersby stop and listen—stare—and if I were them, I'd have picked up a ticket out of curiosity.

Taking my first step onto the Commodore’s legendary bouncy dance floor it became clear I had been missing out on an essential dance music experience. The sound was crystal clear -- I’m talking impeccably perfect. There was room to sit or dance. There was almost no bar line, and the decor set the perfect tone for a swanky underground dance party.

With AC Slater helming the DJ booth the crowd is worked towards dance nirvana. Mixing top forty hit makers like Drake and Kanye/Jay-Z’s  Ni**as in Paris with heavy bass lines including a sample of Nero’s Crush, Slater explores the limits of bass, refusing to drop a beat simply to rattle your rib cage: his drops are expertly timed as if he has an innate ability to read the audience perfectly and play us all like dancing puppets. A headliner in his own right, Slater got the night off to a great start.

After warming up the crowd, Slater stepped down, leaving the stage for Feed Me. The crowd grew silent and waited with baited breathe. We had all seen videos of his Teeth stage set up but no one really knew just what to expect. As the curtains dropped and that devilish glowing smile illuminated the Commodore you realized that this was going to be better than any huge set production: it was intimate and Teeth’s magnificence struck you in the face leaving you unable to look away. For many it was a real debate: dance or watch the stage show?

Complex layered electro heavy bass washed over the audience. There was elegance to the beats, as though someone was speaking to you in a different language. You slowly became transfixed by their accent, drawn in, hanging on to every minute transition, every drop. Feed Me’s music gave off an aura, a fully formed persona that infected the room. 

There were nice breaks with bass heavy hooks giving way to almost trance like euphoric melodies and innocent 8-bit sound bites. Then, without fail, right as the crowd was ready for another shot of energy -- the bass dropped in perfect time. Feed Me's diverse musicality ensured that his audience is never bored. 

Coming out of a particularly beefy hook a familiar voice erupted over the audience. Joel Gardiner of Pure Pwnage fame (if you haven’t seen the web series it’s worth the time) launched into an over-the-top first person shooter tirade in One Click Headshot. Instantly the crowd’s energy spiked into frenzy as they screamed “BOOM HEADSHOOT” at the top of their lungs throwing their guns into the air. And then—wait for it—the drop. One final war cry of “headshot” and everyone was jumping and dancing as one.

As Teeth’s smile faded into oblivion and the crowd prepared for an encore John Gooch (Feed Me) spoke to the audience. His words may have been brief, but one thing rang true: he was very humble. He let his phenomenal music speak for itself. After furiously ripping through a single song the encore came to an end but the crowd refused to leave and began chanting one more song, one more song! Although it was 1am and I needed to catch the Skytrain, I couldn’t leave -- I couldn’t tear myself away. I walked toward the stairs, stopped and listened. Halfway down the first flight and I came to a standstill revelling in the sheer greatness of what was still going on. Then, reluctantly, I left and full-out ran for the Skytrain.

It’s clear why Deadmau5 signed John to his label: he has what it takes to be one of the biggest dance acts in the world, and we were privileged to see him in this perfect venue. As an EDM fan you deserve to see any DJ show at the Commodore, and if you’re lucky you won’t miss Feed Me next time he’s in town. It was a night I'll not soon forget.

DJ Dynasties and Nicky Romero

Jay-Z has Kanye West, Lil Wayne has Drake, and Eminem has (for what little he is worth) 50 Cent. Rap dynasties exist, so why not DJ dynasties? Who will inherit the crucial responsibility of keeping the world dancing? 

The artist currently floating between two of the biggest DJ dynasties in the world is Nicky Romero. On one side of the ring we have David Guetta with his near-eclipsing disciple Afrojack, facing off against Tiesto and his growing team of floor-banging artists, including Hardwell and Dada Life. Being backed by either of these DJs would undoubtedly rocket one’s career on an astronomical path towards global dance-floor domination, but choosing a camp means Nicky Romero will be opening himself to the influence of their specialized sound.

            
 I’ve been a big fan of Romero for a while now. When I first heard his remix of Dynamite it was like discovering The White Stripes before they dropped Seven Nation Army – you want to share their brilliance with everybody while at the same time selfishly holding their music as a piece of indie trend-setting euphoria. After seeing Romero at Ginger 62 my mind was made up; this guy was going to be a globetrotting floor-crushing dance god. Now with tracks like Toulouse and Generation 303 currently shaking clubs around the world the cat is out of the bag. Romero even managed to turn Madonna’s lacklustre and ultimately forgettable Give Me All Your Luvin' into a dance-ready beat worth listening to.

After reportedly spending weeks of studio time with both David Guetta and Tiesto, Romero currently tops Beatport charts with two releases: Generation 303 on Tiesto’s Muscial Freedom label and Wild One Two, his Guetta collaboration. So here’s the question: where does Romero’s genius fit?

His track Wild One Two flew to number one on Beatport and has widespread circulation among the DJ community, but the question remains: does the track sound like Romero? What I want more than anything is for his unique sound to stay intact. Most of his tracks leave the room shaking after they drop a heavy bass that sounds as though it’s echoing over an open field; although Guetta has stellar electro chops, he is more famous for his top40 genre-crossing hits. Does Romero need to be a radio success like Guetta or should EDM fans clamber to hold him as a dark little club-goers secret.

Having remixed a handful of Guetta’s songs, Romero takes Guetta’s streamlined dance elegance and morphs it into something more jarring: a good example can be found in his remix of Without You. As for Guetta’s go-to-man Afrojack, stylistically his schizophrenic blips and bleeps don’t match the crescendo of glorious bass which rule Romero’s world. That being said, Guetta’s team could use their star power to elevate Romero in the dance music community, but do they have what it takes to nurture and protect his sound?

Flipping sides to check out the team at Tiesto’s Musical Freedom label and you can have Romero kick’n out the epic motherf**ker (if you haven’t heard that Dada Life track do it now!). Under the tutelage and guidance of Tiesto, who has taken more of a House turn recently with massive tracks like Maximal Crazy, Romero’s style would be welcomed with open arms. The fact is that Music Freedom packs a beat-heavy superpunch: you have the ultra bass-heavy beats of Bassjackers, the outrageous party of Dada Life, the ever-rising Hardwell, and the never-ending remixes of newcomer powerhouse Tommy Trash.

So where should Romero end up? I believe he should solidify himself as the newest, and potentially fastest rising star member of Musical Freedom entourage. I wouldn’t have him denounce Guetta – he can pump out some collaborations and lock in some mainstream hits – but ultimately he should spend most of his time cranking out block-rocking beats with Tiesto and his crew.  

Agree? Where do you think Nicky Romero should settle and grow into newfound superstardom? What other DJ dynasties are strong contenders for the title of Dance Music Royalty? Who will take over and lead EDM into the future?