A-TRAK
Electric Zoo's Phase 1 Festival lineup has just been announced! Taking place Aug 31 - Sept 2 on Randall's Island here in NYC, this year's festival has THE biggest names in EDM. Check out the killer lineup that includes Pretty Lights, Above & Beyond, Laidback Luke, Hardwell, Martin Solveig, Tiesto, Steve Aoki, David Guetta, A-trak, and more. Get your tickets while you still can!
The 11th annual Camp Bisco Music and Arts Festival (July 12-14) announced their lineup today. With over 100 performers this year, the roster is packed with some of the biggest names in electronic music. In other words, get your tix before they sell out!
Check out this incredible lineup:
The Disco Biscuits; Bassnectar; Skrillex; Amon Tobin ISAM; Crystal Castles; Atmosphere; Big Boi; Shpongle presents The Masquerade; A-Trak; Lotus; Simian Mobile Disco (DJ set); Dada Life; Zeds Dead; Porter Robinson; Portugal. The Man; Big Gigantic; Bonobo (DJ set); Zedd; Mimosa; Daedelus; Holy Fuck; Mord Fustang; Break Science with Chali 2na; Kill the Noise; Rubblebucket; Gramatik; Tycho; Star Slinger; NiT GriT; Brothers Past; Archnemesis; El Ten Eleven; Craze; Alvin Risk; The M Machine; Zoogma; Eliot Lipp Live; 3LAU; Mansions on the Moon; Future Rock; Minnesota; The Knocks; Abakus; Thundercat; Shigeto; Ill-Esha; Killabits; Lance Herbstrong; Mux Mool; Orchard Lounge; Virtual Boy; DrFameus; Nick Catchdubs; Codes; JWLS; Star Eyes; Mindelixir; The Nadis Warriors; Paul Chambers; Inspired Flight; Freekbot; Alpha Data; Kung Fu; Manhattan Project; Rich Aucoin; HOTTUB; Xylos; Spiritual Rez; Bird of Prey; Revolvr and Michett and many more.
Big news has dropped today in the festival circuit: New York’s Governor’s Ball has officially announced its 2012 line up. For those not familiar with the Ball, it’s a two day fest featuring diverse tunes, a myriad of activities, and all the usual shenanigans that accompany any outdoor music festival. Situated on Randall’s Island—stock prison backdrop included—this fest boasts headliners Beck, Modest Mouse, Chromeo, Ducksauce, and Passion Pit (to name a few). Interspersed throughout the two days, the line-up looks fiendishly delicious, with June 23 & 24 shaping up to be quite the weekend.
After discovering house music in 2010, I dabbled in the different sects of electronica and found myself in love. In March of 2011, I made my official crossover from rap-enthusiast to househead when I attended Ultra Music Festival. Nearly a year later, I cannot wait to return to my stomping grounds and once again bask in the harmonious music and beating sunshine.
Last year’s festival was an incredible experience, but as a newbie, I had a lot to learn. The low-point of my weekend was when my ticket was ripped off of the lanyard strewn around my neck by a drunken fool. The maniac grabbed the ticket that was hanging above my chest, and ran. Luckily, my mother had always instilled within me the importance of self-defense, so I lunged at the crazy kid who attempted to steal the $275 ticket and returned the item to its rightful owner... me.
For many, there's nothing better than the thought of beating the winter blues by sitting poolside, sipping cocktails, and soaking up sunshine; as your luxury cruise ship sails around the blue waters of the Caribbean. But this New Year, some may beg to differ.
In a spirit that pushes the envelope and perhaps foreshadows the massiveness of 2012 that is to come, Holy Ship! sets sail today, January 6th, well-equipped with all of the above, and a bit more. Ever wanted to rave barefoot on a private white sand beach? Play poker with Steve Aoki? The world-class cruise liner MSC Poesia redefines upping the ante by providing guests with five on-board venues, multiple world-class DJs and 2,500 of their new best friends. Fatboy Slim, Laidback Luke, Skrillex, A-Trak are just a few among many that will hit the decks on the decks, and around the clock music will have passengers dancing up a storm, whether from their private cabins below or up above overlooking the Caribbean Sea. If a break from dancing is needed, the on-board spa is equipped with a steam room and Turkish bath, and, for any experienced festival goer, the concept of a post-show massage as luxurious as it gets.
Arriving late Thursday night to a long line outside of Lavo, hand picking attendees to join in on the festivities. Making my way inside to the dance floor was a feat in itself, as the club was packed to the rims with the hottest hipsters New York City has to offer. One more trendier than the next, I slithered through the already toasty crowd, all donning a mixed drink in hand. All dressed to impress, party goers were dancing so wild there was barely an inch to move anywhere in the club.
Almost as if it were a cult following, all eyes turned to the DJ booth around 1am when the 1997 DMC World DJ Championship winner, A-Trak opened his set. Never disappointing, the turn-table genius gave the crowd an energetic and diverse tracklist that kept Lavo's walls pulsating until the wee hours of Friday morning. Playing remixes of songs by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Kid Cudi, along with a nod to mega DJ Avicii playing his 2011 club anthem Levels layering vocals by hip hop artists Rick Ross and Lil' Wayne kept the crowd guessing all night long. It didn't matter which track A-Trak decided to throw into the mix, the crowd jumped and sang along to every one.
The internationally known turn-table genius, label owner, and disc jockey A-Trak has been at the top of his game since the age of 15 where he won the 1997 DMC World DJ Championship. That was only the beginning for the beat scratching artist who most currently was hand selected by none other than Kanye West to be his exclusive tour DJ. From stadium performances to intimate nightclub DJ sets, A-Trak is considered an electronic music icon who's record label Fool's Gold can be held responsible for launching careers for artists such as Kid Cudi and Kid Sister.
Heading down to the Big Easy is always a favorite time for us (my fiancé’s a New Orleanian) so when I caught wind of lineup addition’s Snoop Dog and Girl Talk, I knew we had to go. The trek to Voodoo began last Thursday, October 27th, when we flew from NYC to Nola, in excited anticipation of the opening day. After a day of walking around the quarter, hitting up the flea market, costume shops, and snagging a few beignets at Café du Monde, we headed over to check in at the Hotel Monteleone and went to bed early (and yes, it's New Orleans, and drinking is everyone’s part-time job there, but we were too exhausted to go guzzle hurricanes that night).
You started spinning at a pretty young age. What was it like laying your foundation as a DJ at the Spin Academy?
Back then it wasn't about loading up a laptop with the latest house anthems or hip hop edits. It was about digging through crates and practicing everyday. My favorite part about the Scratch academy was learning from the big name DJs that would come through regularly.
What were some challenges of starting out young?
Getting into nightclubs! You had to sneak in or carry some other DJs records.
How were you able to rent out lofts and throw your own parties at such a young age? How does this compare to playing the huge shows you do today?
We saved up money and pooled our resources. You can do anything if you have the right team behind you. Today, life is a lot less stressful. Being an event organizer is hard!
LAVO New York will ring in its 1 year birthday tonight! Featuring beats from Laidback Luke who is known for his thumping , high-energy sets that keep the party dancing all night. Laidback Luke has collaborated with Diplo, A-Trak, Swedish House Mafia, and David Guetta just to name a few. As a special gift in honor of LAVO'S birthday, you can download Laidback Luke’s remix of Anjulie "Brand New Bitch" for free!
Since opening a year ago, LAVO has hosted a continuous list of renowned DJs including, A-Trak, Anane, Avicii, Bart B More, Behrouz, Blake Jarrell, Calvin Harris, Cedric Gervais, Chris Lake, Chuckie, Dada Life, EC Twins, Erick Morillo, Holy Ghost!, Kaskade, LMFAO, Manufactured Superstars, Martin Solveig, Mitch LJ, Rony Seikaly, Steve Aoki, and many more. Tonight marks one year of hot DJs and some of the best parties in the city, so come out and join them for an unforgettable celebration!
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