Following a successful year with mega releases, headlining club slots, and festival performances, Newcastle native and progressive house giant Cristoph is thrilled to announce his forthcoming "O2C" North American Fall Tour. Since its debut in Europe and the UK, the “O2U” tour will expand to the States aiming its growth on the rise of progressive house music and techno. The two-month run will begin in Chicago on October 13 the innovative live op-to-close concept will tour across Houston, Brooklyn, D.C., Toronto, Seattle, Denver, Los Angeles, and more dates.
His passion and dedication to his craft and connection with his fans remain a forceful energy to an ever-evolving legacy. Cristoph’s monumental rise in the US music scene is a testament to his unparalleled talent and work ethic. His growing popularity stateside, combined with an insatiable demand from fans and venues, compelled him to make a strategic move. He recently relocated from the U.K. to the U.S. this past year, further solidifying his position as a global powerhouse in the electronic music industry.
At each “O2U” show, Cristoph intends to take the crowd on an intimate and immersive journey through sight and sound. With an open-to-close concept with no zero openers or closing acts, only Cristoph will be the headliner at each event. This upcoming Fall tour will see the electronic music maestro curate an experience like no other. A total of 71 hours of tunes with an impressive 15 show dates.
Techno titan Richie Hawtin has recently announced his latest project ‘From Our Minds’ its next expansion destination, New York. The concept will take over the premiere dance space Knockdown Center in Queens. Earlier this year, the unique imprint made its North American debut in the origin of techno. Detroit. The series made its way to a sold-out warehouse event in Toronto, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and more. It holds a strict no-photo and video policy, making each event a one-of-a-kind experience for those in attendance. Richie Hawtin believes he is helping push the techno scene and sound forward in innovative new ways. Knockdown Center will see this dynamic group come together for the first time on the East Coast.
This evolved from Richie’s CNTRL tours back in 2012, when EDM was booming and mainstream across the US. He toured on a bus across American college cities performing and educating a new generation entering the dance music scene of the origin of techno music. The tour takes its slogan and ethos from Hawtin’s ‘90s label imprint Plus 8 and its ‘From Our Minds To Yours’ slogan, connecting back to the early days of techno. The New York showcase will feature a wave of new techno talent throughout the States, representing the scenes of a wide range of dark, heavy, and euphoric sounds while keeping the original traditional techno elements. Heavy-hitters and craft-makers the lineup consists of visual artists, producers, and DJs such as Korea-born and Tokyo-based, machìna and Detroit natives Tylr and Henry Brooks. Brooks will be joined by another rising Detroit artist, producer, DJ, and visual artist Huey Mnemonic, who aims to both preserve and add to the rich lineage of his region’s homegrown sonic culture by channeling the Black American experience into his work. Canadian artist Barbosa, owner of the Toronto label Heist Mode. Representing Texas is the pair of Declan James and Decoder, who often perform back-to-back as their side project Frame. Out of New York is DJ and producerJay York who runs the vinyl label TOCA Records alongsideDecoder. Completing the ballot is Cali-born, Phoenix-based, Lindsey Herbert first encountered techno on Richie’s CNTRL tour and has been a champion of the sound in the South West ever since. She’s joined by Octopus Recordings artist Michelle Sparks, an artist who has been an inspirational gem in the growth of the underground rave scene.
‘From Our Minds’ is committed to working with independent local promoters who are aware and respectful of the history of techno music. Making the future for techno and its programming, planning, and execution in events. Knockdown Center is home to the club BASEMENT, which has been hailed by locals and touring DJs as one of the country’s top techno sites, drawing comparisons to Berlin’s famed Tresor. The New York edition of ‘From Our Minds’ will take place on Saturday, October 21, 2023, come suited in your blackest attire and immerse in one of the greatest techno vacant in modern dance music.
Sitting on the breathtaking rooftop of the Arlo Hotel in Midtown New York City, dance music DJ, and producer KC Lights emerges for our one-on-one interview., followed by his debut performance at Paradise Club. The Scottish DJ and electric dance producer, real name Kerr Slaven is becoming one of the most highly recognized talents in the scene. Expanding his talent globally, he has a rare ability to integrate underground house roots into a new and unique sound, establishing his own in the industry. After releasing a few major bangers his DJ status skyrocketed to levels beyond belief. The momentum continues with his newest track, which has had many plays and features in festival sets bringing his status to new levels. It is an uplifting euphoric festival piano edit of his 2021 hit “Hold On featuring Kye Sones” that is out now via Solardo’s special SOLA imprint. “I created this edit shortly after writing the original with vocalist Kye Sones back in 2021. I’ve always been a big fan of spinning my songs in different ways creatively. I had this idea of a ’90s piano riff for the drop and the rest came together pretty quickly. It’s been a song that I’ve been closing out my set with for the past year now and the response has been incredible. It’s one of my favorites!” - KC Lights. Once again, KC uses his diverse talents in the studio, offering intricate melodies that invoke a certain sense of bliss. ”It kind of had a bit of a nostalgic vibe to it. - almost quite like the 90s. I decided to go down that route and bring in a, I like the 90s rave theme and minigame M1 piano, and I can breakbeat over the top of it and it was just something that I thought of. I've been playing it out for maybe a year to eighteen months and it was always like my end-of-set track,” said KC Lights. Kye’s vocals float breathlessly on top helping to build toward an epic climax, while having the full complement of KC’s driving piano stabs and a punchy four-on-the-floor groove. KC Lights' career has been on a steady growth spurt over the last few years. His signature sound has opened doors and driven demand for him to remix some of the world's most prominent artists.
The Beginning:
Following an explosive few years, Scotland's multi-talented musician, DJ, and producer has firmly established himself as one of the most exciting up-and-coming talents on the scene. He grew up on a small island off the West Coast of Scotland, the Isle of Bute, and music grabbed his attention from an early age. His love for composing and performing led him to an honors degree and multiple awards at the University he attended. After a trip to Ibiza in his teens, KC Lights fell in love with electronic music. This new passion, along with his electric musical background, has evolved his expansive production range and uplifting DJ style, with fans touting his unique take on house music.
“I remix all of my records, all of the titles. It's kind of the way that I write. I think just because of the way I describe the way I am creatively or the way I write, I'm like an ideas guy. I just always have a million ideas. When I'm working on a record, even penning down one version is kind of difficult because I've always got a few different versions of it. So obviously I'll always come up with what version - this is a cool version. Then go in and dig in and mess things around and reimagine it in different ways. It's just something I've always really liked I love remixing. I've got a remix a lot of times and I, I love doing that. Just taking something and kind of putting it in a different context almost and the whole thing I'm thinking about because I've been playing it out and for some reason, the vocal reminded me.” - KC Lights
Last year, ‘Hold On’ was one of the most-played tracks at the iconic festival Tomorrowland. “I had the original track ‘Hold On’, that was such a big song for me. It was strange that I did this new edit over, but there was just something that could help me. I never actually expected it to come out. I just couldn't put it for me. It came out in Solardo's label Sola.” He continued about how he teamed up with Solardo to release the remix on the label. “Mark Richards from Solardo reached out to me one time. I've made those guys a few times. They're great guys. I look up to them. Mark made me one day and said, ‘Have you got any tunes’? We can hear the label. So that was the first one I was saying. I'm saying it was right away because it was just a demo I'd been sitting on and he loved it and said, cool, let's do it. Let's put it out.' It was super simple. It was nice when that happens. It doesn't always happen that way, but it is nice when it's that straightforward. I think as an artist, what's important is just having that kind of approval from someone like that in the industry.”
KC Lights - Hold On (Festival Piano Mix)
From then on ‘Hold On’ has exploded into a popular frenzy with elite artists playing it their sets on a global spectrum. Plus, he performs and plays it in his energetic sets in Ibiza, Mexico, Europe, and his favorite festival Tomorrowland. “I played main stage Tomorrowland last year, which is probably one of those bucket lists. It seems for almost any electronic artist. That in itself was special. Just being there, not even a performance side of it. It's just such an insane experience. It was an insane experience, just the whole setup there was immense, catering to the hospitality. That's a special one! There are more like 200,000 people a day or something, that's just in the variety. I played loads of super cool little boutique festivals around the world as well. I was just out seeing Mexico and near Cancun for you to be a festival, which is like a really small boutique festival. That was nothing like I'd ever played before either. It was so much fun. Everyone was just having the best time,” replied KC Lights.
Talking about Tomorrowland made me think about the time I went, it has been eight years since I was in the most detailed and breathtaking festival. It's a global party, everyone all over the world travels to Boom, Belgium a small town outside of Brussels to camp, party, and connect for the three-day festival. “We need those days and people. I think what's cool about it is what they've captured in their experience. Just treat it like you're kind of in another dimension almost. I think that's what's cool about it every detail, everything. I got to when I arrived and we went to this, huge artist village and there are 40,000 people there. One of the producers said, 'We like the idea of being unique. So we rather than kind of commissioning someone else to make all this stuff for us. We just do it ourselves.' So no festival in the world looks like that. I think that's probably why they are what they are. You can't go anywhere else to experience that. It's one of them.” Plus a magical moment happened during his set which almost holds a special place in his heart for the festival. “Someone actually, it is on the live stream as well. My set was recorded on YouTube and someone proposed to their partner during my set. It's cool that it's captured on camera as well. I have no idea how I would try to reach out to them somehow. I have no idea who they are but that's cool. Do you know what? It's probably even in the comments section on YouTube. I've not even had a look. I mean, the other thing as well is people love investigating online. So I'm sure if I just put up a post saying, can we find these people? Well, we didn't take that long,” said KC Lights.
KC Lights has appeared live on BBC Radio 1, Ireland's RTE Pulse, Revolution Radio in Miami, and Sirius XM. He's toured the dance world's biggest stages, such as Creamfields; We Are FSTVL, ADE, The Warehouse Project, Ministry of Sound, and Printworks, and headlined tours both in Australia & New Zealand. He has become a regular on the Ibiza circuit, with performances in Amnesia, Hii, Pacha, Eden & more, cementing him as one of the top household names on the scene. He has released other bangers and grown his audience with original records on prominent labels such as Hervé’s ‘Cheap Thrills’ imprint. "Lose It All" gained support from house music heavyweights Rudimental, MK, and Danny Howard, while his next record "No No No" became the definitive Ibiza Anthem of 2015. His momentum has continued with a slew of releases, including his collab with Mike Mago and club hit “Daylight” on Spinnin’ Records, and his latest single “Temptation," released on Danny Howard’s label Nothing Else Matters.
“Playing music out that no one's ever heard before or they can't get their hands on as I always quite enjoyed and got a few legs and things in my sets."
KC Lights
On The Horizon:
His newest release ‘Better Times’ is on Toolroom Records. Giving him consolidation and the boost he needs in the music industry as an artist. We asked KC Lights what was like meeting Mark Knight for the first time after releasing a few records on the label. “I think the first time I met Mark Knight, I played the Toolroom pool party at Miami Music Week, maybe in 2019, right before the pandemic. I think that was probably the first time I met him. Meeting him was cool because he is a really nice guy, really supportive, and you'd be the guest behind the artistic side as well, it's not just a case of here's a track, he'll be giving advice and feedback about the track. He has more of a hands-on approach than I know a lot of other label heads do. This is cool, especially for someone with that status in the industry, it means a lot. Having someone like that get behind you. He's a nice guy.”
Listen to KC Lights - Better Times [Toolroom Records]:
Inspirational Words:
Being a DJ and producer has helped him on both a personal level and a career level. “They're not totally two different worlds if you know what I mean. I think that's why I chose to pursue a career in music because it's just always been my go-to if I'm feeling low, if I'm feeling happy if I'm feeling like I want to celebrate. It's always been something that I've used. I suppose it's a bit of a means and a platform of expression. Being able to take that into and sharing that in my way with other people and allow them that experience.” On a personal level, he continues disconnecting from everything else and only focusing on music. “If I put on my headphones and just show me, I mean, it sounds corny, but like it transports me to another place. I can just escape, I've always been grateful to have that. I think people find that in different areas of life in different ways. The fact that it's so accessible for me, I can just stick on a pair of noise with my headphones and chill or pump me up or whatever, I love that. It is like another world.”
Concluding his interview which was short and sweet, however, it was memorable following his uplifting and energetic performance at Paradise Club. He packed the nightclub with his vibrant set. His momentum is continuing to grow with multiple infectious releases. He’s been inspired by music his entire life and he continues to inspire others with his music. Keep your eyes open for a few highly-anticipated remixes out later this year. KC Lights has built an impressive musical background with fiery ambition and passion for dance music. He created a distinctive sound drive that is undeniable. He’s a humble person and DJ with already huge accomplishments as a music artist. KC Lights is on tour stopping at Austin, Texas, and San Diego then off to Ibiza for the rest of the summer. He will be performing at multiple parties and iconic events such as David Guetta’s F*** Me I’m Famous and headline night clubs at Pacha plus, music festivals in Europe, more dates will soon be announced.
It seems like these days everyone is on way their way to the Afterlife, being one of the biggest labels and brands in Techno, Tale Of Us is bringing its infamous Afterlife to New York and debuting in Los Angeles. From the breathtaking visuals to the spellbinding sets from all the label’s artists coming together for a spectacular event. Afterlife returns to The Brooklyn Mirage for a three-day event on September 8-10 along with the combination of the venue’s prosecution and Afterlife. Recently announced for the first time, Afterlife will bring the magic to the city of Angels for a two-night event at the Los Angeles State Historic Park on October 13 and 14. Both highly anticipated lineups have been released along with tickets. What US Afterlife event will you attend New York or Los Angeles or a true fan go to both.
The highly anticipated event lineup has now been released for the Los Angeles two-day event. Launching on Friday night with Argy, Kevin de Vries, and Julya Karma, the solo project MRAK presents ‘We Don’t Follow’ from Carmine Conte. The second and final night of the L.A. event on Saturday with an equally remarkable lineup with Adriatique, Cassian, and Layla Benitez, and the solo project Anyma presents 'Genesys' from Matteo Milleri. In keeping with Afterlife event tradition, Tale Of Us will close out both nights. The anticipated weekend will feature captivating visuals, and an immersive experience, along with cutting-edge sound and an innovative stage design.
Tickets for both city events are still available. The Afterlife label and brand has had a successful season with sold-out Tulum events, and the new release of the ‘Genesys’ album. Along with the viral and mesmerizing visuals all over social media and the globe. Be a part of the Afterlife movement.
Manhattan’s premiere electric dance festival is returning for its fourteenth installment with even bigger expectations. Since last year’s festival was so much fun we are returning again since we can’t stay away. This Labor Day Weekend Electric Zoo: Hyperspace, the only place on earth where attendees will feel like dancing in the cosmos to witness all planets of sound as they unite. Rejoice once again or for the first time at Randall's Island on September 1 - Sept 3, 2023.
All New Stage Designs
Electric Zoo Hyperspace is a true cross-cultural celebration that will blast attendees across every border of space and time. The Labor Day week festival is set to redefine the cultural landscape with a celebration of a vibrant blend of music, identity, and empowerment. Whether you're a space alien, a creature of the night, or a cyber electro-punk, all are welcome. It’s not just another music festival, it is a dynamic showcase of unity, creativity, and inclusion. This year Ezoo is dedicated to breaking down barriers by providing a platform for female stars spotlight. This year’s lineup will have Honeyluv, So Tuff So Cute, AlisonWonderland,Chelina Manuhutu, Gioli & Assia, and twenty-five more artists taking over the stages. Catch JulietFox, who is making her rare US festival appearance with a thumping techno set, or see twin sisters Coco & Breezy as they don futuristic outfits paired with a vibrant performance. For the first time in Ezoo history will host the first-ever LGBTQ stage, The Dreamland stage for a legendary celebration of love and harmony. An array of LGBTQ artists at Electric Zoo who have made significant contributions to the music industry will perform on the new curated stage. House sensation J.Worra, rising star MooreKismet, and global icon The Blessed Madonna whole is renowned for her work with Dua Lipa, Fred Again.. and more.
All New Stages
The stage is set for one of the best-curated line-ups for a music festival. History will be made with debut groups Dom Dolla and John Summit introducing 'Everything Always'. Plus, new music projects Chris Lake and FISHER who will offer the festival debut of their 'Under Construction brand, freshly fueled by their epic Coachella performance earlier this year that's still reverberating through the internet. Also, supergroup project from Kaskade and Deadmau5 as Kx5. Shining a spotlight on the new and exhilarating stage of MEGAFOX. This collaboration presents a festival within a festival as Cityfox and Gray Area join forces to curate an immersive journey into the sounds of melodic house, tech house, and techno like never before with the soundtrack from Camelphat who share “We can't wait to come back to New York… It's a special place for us and even more special that we are playing on the Cityfox stage at Electric Zoo. Don't miss out!”Defected Records label boss SamDivine, legendary DJ Skream, StephanBodzin(Live), and the fun and exuberant Desert Hearts family plus much more.
EZoo's Golden Hour
In an era where diversity and representation are at the forefront of societal discussions. Ezoo stands as a beacon of progress, evolving themes, and iconic set and production. The festival was established in 2009 by Made Event. The internationally renowned Electric Zoo Festival is one of New York City’s largest music festivals and features the top names in electronic music, bringing a wide variety of acts from around the world and across the spectrum of electronic music’s various sub-genres. International editions of Electric Zoo have taken place in Mexico City, Tokyo, Shanghai, and São Paulo. Known for its cosmic sunsets overlooking the New York City skyline. Years I’ve captured breathtaking sunsets. At Electric Zoo you can catch these golden hour magical sunset sets from The Chainsmokers, Gryffin, Nora En Pure, GRiZ, Kaskade, Tiësto, and more.
The dog days of summer are here, so let's close out the summer with the biggest tracks and anthems released over the last month. The second part of the list of bangers of all the biggest tracks from heavyweight DJs and hidden gems from under artists. Let's soak up the last weeks of summer together with tracks from Defected Records, Dirtybird, and Desert Hearts, plus underground soulful tunes. Get dark and dive deeper into the underground realm and untold stories of artists waiting to share their talent. Listen through and discover unknown DJs and upcoming producers. The third and final edition of the FRESH OFF THE BEAT summer series will be out on the final days of summer.
Chicago’s newest and only festival, ARC Festival which is dedicated to house music and techno, has announced the ARC After Dark afterparty lineups. It is heading into its third year, gaining more popularity from festival-goers plus the consecutive legendary DJs who have performed. It's about time that the birthplace of House Music has its music festival celebrating its roots and culture. The 2023 edition will be taking place Labor Day Weekend September 1-3.
Amsterdam is the mecca of dance music, some of the greatest DJs that have entered the industry over the last two decades have emerged from The Netherlands such as Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, Oliver Heldens, Joris Voorn, and Martin Garix. It's home to some of the most significant festivals in the world like Awakenings, Luminosity Beach Festival, Defqon.1, and in October, the largest dance music conference ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event). One particular DJ and producer from The Netherlands who is rapidly looming in the dance music scene is known as ØSAS ØHM. He has always been passionate about music. The euphoric feeling of making music and showcasing it in his performances translates into a universal sense. “Melodic deep house. I like to use euphoric chords and euphoric melodies, which are energetic but also deep sounding.” His following is strong and he can describe his sound as an emotional feeling instead of a sound to be heard. “Where words fail, music speaks.” - ØSAS ØHM.
Artist Interview Episode 005: ØSAS ØHM
The Beginning:
In this exclusive interview, ØSAS ØHM speaks about how he got inspired to become a DJ and producer, the person he looks up to, and music. He is still in the underground deep house scene however, he is rapidly growing with his mixes and his debut release ‘When We Were One’ on Sunchild Records. “What got me into music, I think I always had a passion for music, even when I didn't create music when I was very young, I can remember like about ten years ago, my nephew, was a DJ. I just saw that they were always doing stuff with music and I got inspired by that. So the next day I bought a DJ controller and I made music.” He created a unique melodic sound that is stirring a following. “I did a lot of different types of music. I produced hip-hop and house, mainly right now with ØSAS ØHM (pronounced as Ossos Ohm), I think it's really a bit of a melodic deep house. I really like to use euphoric chords, and euphoric melodies, really energetic, but also deep sounding.” His passion is fueled by creating music and developing a signature sound that is unusual and exceptional.
“I really try to go to all the emotions because I think many people say it's only love and light and that's really cool, like the euphoric sounds. But I also like to go to the darker type of emotions and the deeper sounds because they are also part of human life. From a spiritual standpoint you can't neglect them, you know. So I just like to make my mixtapes a kind of journey through all those emotions.”
ØSAS ØHM
His biggest inspiration and the artist he looks up to most is surprising, “it started about six years ago. I always was a fan of Martin Garrix because he was also young and he started young and he was, like in no time he became very famous. It was about six years ago, my mother, met Martin Garrix in Amsterdam. She was in a restaurant, we were friends of hers,” he continues “She met Martin Garrix, he was at dinner with Tiësto so she immediately gave me a call and she said, oh I'm with Martin Garrix in the restaurant so I got him with him on the phone because she just went up to him and we talked a bit, he also gave me his email address and from that on my real goal was to be like Martin Garrix. Not really his sound of music, I got my own sound. But I just really got inspired by his positivity, how he is with his fans, how he communicates with the fans. Just his vibe, I really like that overall said ØSAS ØHM. What Martin Garrix isdoing with his platform now, is he goes to third-world countries and cities and towns and throws shows for them for free, and interacts with his fans. “I really love that about it. He is really doing something for the community and for the people who love him. He's very humble too,“ replied ØSAS ØHM. Martin Garrix is a very humble person for a DJ with that high of a status. He's a very humble person. Throughout the years of being a music journalist, I met him a couple of times he is such a nice person. “It's important to stay humble, no matter how big you are. People really appreciate it if you're humble. Even if you're like so big as Martin Garrix, just have something magical to like to stay humble and don't become too arrogant.”
The Netherlands celebrates dance music as a culture that unifies music lovers all around, excepting everyone. It's been a while since I’ve been to The Netherlands, I've been to festivals and ADE events at Gashouder in 2018 and Awakenings Festival in 2017.“What I like most about the dance music culture, is there's some form of unity. About a year ago I went to Tomorrowland for the first time in my life. My uncle, he works at Jupiler, and BUD and he was able to get me an extra pass. So we went there and it's funny, about two, three years ago, I stopped making dance music, EDM all together because I got a bit of like I got some losses and I wasn't feeling inspired after all and I just said, fuck it, I'm going to do hip hop. Maybe there's where I find my success. I tried and I tried, and then I went to Tomorrowland one year ago and I came back and I really felt that I need to go to the dance music, to the dance music world again. That's just where my passion is and I like how people are feeling connected when they are at a festival like Tomorrowland. Just incomparable to any other music genre in my opinion,” said ØSAS ØHM. It doesn’t even compare to how much effort and passion the festival and event producers put into creating these iconic shows, between the carefully created lineups, the details, food, organization, pyro, and technology. “It's just lovely how the dance music and the dance culture are really integrated into the Netherlands. It's just special. I actually feel blessed that I'm born in this country because of all the other big DJs that came from here.”
ØSAS ØHM's very first moment began ten years ago when he first ever attempted DJing and already produced music at that time. “I think it was like really when ‘Animals’ by Martin Garrix first came out, he really inspired me because it became so big overnight a lot of people say overnight with you really worked I had like two-three years. He wasn't famous at all and he just kept working But like the moment that you really get discovered by a big label and they see the value in you You really can grow and really big really fast and that really inspired me.” Back then, ‘Animals’ was a different and unique sound that everyone couldn’t get enough of, everyone venue wanted him to headline, every media site wanted an interview and his name was on every lineup.
Developing the Signature Sound:
Throughout the years dance music evolved along with artists also evolving, trying to stay current even changing their form and sound. “First of all, I want to put my passion into the music. I want to put my feelings into it. I really try to create a signature sound that nobody has. I also feel like there's in the sound that I have, I'm really into the melodic house. In the last couple of years, I felt a bit of a trend going on. Towards the melodic house and the melodic techno as well the specific genre is getting big, so I'm trying to wave a little bit. Just besides getting a signature sound, because it's just really important, I try to stand out in a way, like when I'm on stage when I'm with people I don't know if I got fans already, but when I got people who really got inspired by my music, just to treat them well and just be loving. Just like Martin Garrix, because he makes incredible music, but a big part of his success is just the person he is and the pureness in himself, you know. That's just, that's really important. It's just all kinds of factors. I think it starts with, of course, just putting the work in, in the studio, and just making something that feels good and it really comes from the heart. Don't try to use a formula to make commercial music that you think can be a hit. Just do something that you love, because it's lasting.” When you listen to his mixtape, it takes you on a journal of emotions. Which is what his main goal was in the process of creating it. You can feel the passion and euphoric feelings through each transition.
Making the Transition:
His journey is only the beginning with releasing his debut single ‘When We Were One’ on Sunchild Records to his mixtape. He dabbled in making hip-hop but then realized he wanted to re-enter back in the dance music industry not music it's more popular these days globally, but because that’s where he belonged and that’s what his true passion really is. “I'm more proud of all these tiny steps. I don't know if there's particularly one big thing but I think it is because like two years ago I was into that hip-hop. I was only doing hip-hop and it was maybe just a cope mechanism because I didn't want to go back to dance music because I failed the first time and I thought, I will never make it. I think the moment after Tomorrowland that I decided, I'm just going to let go of that hip-hop world, it's not my world anyways. I'm just gonna start pursuing dance music because that's what I really dreamt of as a kid. Those people normally I think they're gonna give up in like two or three years. Of course, there are some producers who just started, and two years ago or two years after that they just got a huge hit and they got big. But 99.99% of the time I think you really need to put at least like seven, or eight years in. Using your dog just making music just doing stuff Before you can actually make something that's worth it and of its labels think oh, I want to sign it one.”
ØSAS ØHM - When We Were One
ØSAS ØHM is working hard in making his true passion into a full-time lifestyle and full-fledged career. Playing at sold-out events and festivals, getting him on lineups to dream festivals like Ultra Music Festival in Miami, and Tomorrowland. This media site is meant for artists such as ØSAS ØHM who is more upcoming in his country but unknown in the states. MyPlayground Media is here to shine the light on the underground on a global base. “Tomorrowland is number one, at the main stage, that's like the ultimate goal and play at Ultra Music Festival in Miami. I like any festival I just like to be connected to the crowd and it can be on a big stage but also on a really small one but I think it's too much land that's like the ultimate goal at least for like the European people I don't think maybe for the American people it's more like Ultra Music Festival. Tomorrowland, it's magical, when you step in there, it's like a fairy tale you're entering with music. It's also like really the vision of, like in the general, in the world. We all have that vision of coming together in peace, with all these wars and things going on, the left versus the right and black versus white in Tomorrowland, everybody is coming together and just loving the music. If like the whole world could be like Tomorrowland it would be amazing,” said ØSAS ØHM. His dream collaboration would have to be Martin Garrix, when asked, “I'm just open to a lot of collaborations. Every artist has his unique sound. I'm just really curious about how their sounds can inspire my sound and not only in that collab but also in the future, how they can inspire me to do new things. Artists to name other than Garix would beI really love Meduza a lot, they're really dope! Also, Vintage Culture, and Rufus du Sol.”
On The Horizon:
The underground artist should be on your radar, between his debut release and mixtape, plus upcoming music in the works. “I'm working on a remix project. I'm doing this for the Armada Music remix contest of Seq. Martino Kill My Heart. It's already finished so I hope that it's gonna be released on Armada Music of course.” He will be on the road soon performing at nightclubs in Amsterdam and throughout the Netherlands. Amsterdam Dance Event recently release their first artists phase it will be the perfect opportunity to showcase his work and network there. He has new projects in the works, going strong never giving up, and maintaining that focus to become a successful DJ. “I'm currently working on two new projects. The other two projects I'm like still working on and I still need to find a label that maybe wants to release them. So yeah, definitely more music coming soon.”
“I'm like the worst self-critic but that's a curse it's also can be a blessing because when I make a track and when I'm often when I make it that's the worst part of it the curse I don't like it when it's finished as I listen to it so many times and I think you need to send it. For the track I do after that, I always try to search for the tiny little thing in the previous track that just didn't work out or just try to fine-tune that. With every track, I try to get a little bit better and that process in itself is already a big motivation for me.”
ØSAS ØHM
Interview Segment: ‘Either/ Or'
Wine or beer?
“Beer, I love beer!
Normal hours or after hours at a club?
"Normal."
American football or football soccer?
“American football.”
Club or festival?
“Festival”
Techno or house music?
“House Music. But I also love techno festivals.”
Walk or run?
“I go running once a week running. Before I go to sleep I always try to go on a walk for 20 minutes.”
Day event or weekend festival?
“Day Event.”
Perform Back-to-back or Solo?
“SOLO.”
Underground warehouse raves or an organized rave at a venue?
“I love the vibe of the underground.”
“Just keep, definitely for the artists who are listening, keep making music, and keep chasing your dreams. Keep loving, because getting your dreams is cool, but if you don't, if you're friends, we're gonna party with you and celebrate with you. The success is not good. You just need people who love you around you. Also just follow Myplayground Media of course! Follow the podcast, and follow you on Instagram. And it would also really be nice if you guys can follow me on Instagram.”
Joseph Capriati has driven his career to high lengths. The Italian talent had a resident on the legendary BBC1 Radio at the end of 2022. He then took his Metamorfosi party to London for an epic debut at Outernet. Last summer made his mark on the White Isle with immersive showcases of his skills, as well as appearances playing for Circoloco, Paradise, and Solid Grooves. His in-depth techno sound has reached listeners globally becoming one of the highest-ranked techno DJs and producers in today’s dance music industry.
"'Metamorfosi'is a project that does not have fix musical genres nor standards, but it embraces what is the club-night-culture as a whole and anything connected to what the real Ibiza vibes and energies overall are. The whole team is ready to work hard and give it all for this season! See you all very soon in Ibiza - I cannot wait, the dream continues!!” - Joseph Capriat
Can’t make it to Ibiza this year? Don’t FOMO too hard. After a massive weekend in March, party brand Teksupport will welcome back Joseph Capriati to perform at ArtsDistrict Brooklyn on September 2, 2023 - Labor Day Weekend, for a special audio and visual experience. Tickets are available HERE.
On a night at Webster Hall, that's where I first met the trance DJ,James Cottle. “It's Cottle, same as a bottle.” We were there for Paul van Dyk's new event concept Venture X. From then, we agreed to an interview together. Trance music has always been the heart and soul of dance music with the emotional lyrics and chords it's a global genre that everyone can speak. "Uplifting, joy, and happiness to do with trance. There are so many sad things, what terrible things going on in the world. That's why I try to inject a bit of joy and happiness into something out there and that's not to say I don't like making dark styles of trance music. It's something a little bit sad, but it's definitely. Directed towards Uplifting and happy sound.” It's the reason why James Cottle entered the scene and persuade his passion and dreams into a reality. From releasing unique tracks, and performing at iconic trance festivals and events to his weekly Twitch channel, James Cottle is the one to be on your radar.
Born and raised in England, UK - Northeast of the country. At an early age, he discovered dance music. “The year was 2000, the first time I heard trance because my sister was listening to tracks like ATV at home. I started building my music library around 2003 and 2004 when I was leaving high school. I managed to find a lot of Tiësto tracks. Then I heard them in a local nightclub that I probably shouldn't have been going to at the age of 15. I decided I love trance music.” Through the beginning of his DJ career, he experienced different sub-genres and different types of trance music. “In a different direction, I was going to a retro-style piano house night in England. It was a nightclub called Club M, and about 7,000 people would go. It was a huge event, it was a monthly thing”. Cottle then discovered the business side of the music industry and began to hustle his way through. “So trance kind of took a bit of a backstep. There was a lady at work who was buying their Mix Mag, and she just gave me loads of them, like Slammed, The Band On, there was Armin van Burren, Big Room Tracks in 2004, Paul Van Dyk, Return of God MixMag CD, which blew me away. Then after a year or so, some friends who were more into tech house and earlier tech house stuff got some Pioneer CDJs and would go around and have a mix on them. So then in 2008, I got some Pioneer CDJ 800s. That's when I started to learn to mix and download lots of trance music. I didn't have any vinyl decks.” Through discovering more artists that touched his body and soul he was able to create original mixes and tracks. “So from then, I was just all about DJing and I kind of didn't realize the importance of making your own music to promote yourself. I was very single-minded on that subject. Then I bought Ableton Live and started learning to produce music, which took a long time. I also started to work for an events company called Good Grief Events and Tours in England and they were booking DJs like Eddie Halliwell, John McCallaghan, Giuseppe Ottaviani, and the big trance acts. I was getting to meet these people. I was then getting gigs, which it's all part of the process. Soon after, I ended up getting a main room warm-up slot at Digital Nightclub in Newcastle. Probably the longest club in Newcastle.”
After breaking through, he signed his first track with a major label, officially putting his name on the trance map, leading to more releases and appearances at events and festivals. “When I signed my first track to Vander Records in 2016. That was the moment I decided I wanted to do it as a career. But what got me into electronic music was probably, I told you my sister was listening to a lot of trance music. Also before that my, parents were very music orientated. Going back a long time before they had a vinyl playing. They would play stuff like David Bowie a lot.” Many artists and DJs will not make it big in the dance music industry if they don’t have an inspirational icon to look up to. With any genre in any realm of music, a song is always inspired by an old track or beat that was produced in the past. It all circles back to the beginning when I first met James Cottle at Webster Hall who then told me who his number one DJ who inspired him, the answer then made sense. “My number one is Paul Van Dyk, I love his older music and I love his current music. He stayed very true to his sound over the years. Also, I love Alex Moth. I used to listen to him a lot like a while ago.”
Throughout the years he established his style of sound in trance music, teaming up with heavyweight DJs and producers such as Paul van Dyk, “done two tracks together with him but the first one was a proud moment for me.” Plus, Craig Connelly ‘Place in the Stars “Was released on John O'Callahan's Subculture record label. So we discussed potentially doing a second collaboration over a few drinks. I'd been writing some ideas and I sent them over to Craig and he said he liked one in particular. So I end up going to a studio in Manchester. I met John O'Callahan in 2009 when he was playing a trance gig. I was just in the crowd. I went and said hello to him at the end. So then he got a girlfriend and one of her friends is one of my friends. Then we all became good friends over the years.” One of his biggest accomplishments as a DJ was performing at the infamous Ministry of Sound “That was a proud moment then. A dream come true, to be honest with you.”
James Cottle & Craig Connelly - Place in the Stars
Artists from different genres have been changing their DJ sound and sometimes identity by creating another alias. Sound change is not a bad thing, it's the perfect way to stay current in the music industry and express a different range instead of one specific genre giving artists a bigger platform for more releases. James Cottle was asked if he would ever change his style of sound and explore a different genre. “It's a difficult question. I just love the uplifting trance sound, it sounds so much at the moment. Art is changing its style to stay current. I used to have some quite interesting views. I thought people shouldn't do it, but at the end of the day, these are their main jobs and they need to earn money and they need to feed their families. I've got more of an open mind on it now. Whereas I was probably a lot more narrow mind on the subject a few years ago.” Circling back to where we first met at Webster Hall, Paul van Dyk was not an ordinary trance event. Recently he launched a new event series concept called Venture X releasing a slew of techno and melodic completely shifty to a different gear in music. He completed his tour with positive reviews and maintained his original followers and supporters plus gaining more. “So my view on it is, I like techno a lot, so I don't really have, a problem with people changing the sounds, also like has a lot of like fancy elements in it. It still does it, doesn't it? But I'm not sure whether I considered doing it at the moment. Memories I could take some crossover style tracks, but I wouldn't slow, my sound right down to that speed.”
Paul van Dyk & James Cottle - Vortex
The freshly talented, innovative, DJ and producer has captivated the trance scene with his original tracks and selection. His pure natural skill and the deliverance of each set are what make him shine. His abilities and talents of playing diverse sets are why his highly entertaining and unique and put him on the right path to building his impressive catalog. The process of making original tracks is difficult on its own, but what's the process like for James Cottle? “I would normally start with writing some melodies and then, and maybe just thinking about a point in time in my life, like for a theme, maybe something that's happened or something that's like, maybe it's planned to happen in the future. So the way I work is I would write the main theme with melodies and chords and pads, string sounds, and then a kind of layout of structure with drums and baselines. Sometimes it can take quite a long time and sometimes it can just maybe take one or two weeks to make a track. I would do is I would listen to lots of tracks that I love from other artists. I wasn't feeling so inspired on a particular day, I would maybe listen to Paul Van Dyk one of his earlier albums. I should also say that I like going out for walks as well away from electronic devices, getting away from social media and electronic devices, and maybe spending time with family, and friends. If you're struggling with ideas, just being with family could just lighten the mood up, and then something pops into your mind.”
From the beginning of entering the dance music community, I always loved trance. The three Ts in my life are trance, tacos, and techno. I’ve been to many trance events and shows and they always held a special place in my heart. I ask James Cottle why trance music. Why did you become a trance DJ rather than a different genre? “I think it's so emotional and the melody and riffs are so catchy. I just became obsessed with it. Trance was his calling card, he continues - “It's not to say I don't like other genres of music. I do like techno and things like this. I would go out to a club and see a techno DJ. I think trance will always be the one for me. I'm one of those types of people.” His all-time collab was difficult to answer because he already collaborated with icons such as Paul van Dyk and John O'Callaghan. “If I had to pick somebody else, it would probably be Michelle Jean-Jacques, he's an electronic artist, French. He's been doing it for 50 years. His sound is so weird, modulated synthesized music from the 70s. He's just so forward-thinking, it sounds like striving to expand and push boundaries to warp your mind. I love people like that.”
“Finding that balance is difficult.”
- James Cottle
James Cottle Closing Set at Goodgreef Trance In The Woods:
On The Horizon:
James Cottle is now on tour, he is performing at two iconic Ibiza clubs, Eden and Privileg. Plus, the Ministry of Sound UK, and a few trance festivals such as Marquee Mini Festival “In the summer, I’ll play down in Nottingham in England, it's like a mini-festival with Piotivari, Bryan Kearney, and Will Atkinson. I'm excited about that.” His most recent release is with one of his favorites and close friend Craig Connelly ‘Got to Give’ along with two new tracks still in the works. “I've got two new tracks signed. I believe it's early summer, but I can't say the record there was at the moment. I'm very excited about that. I've been working on a vocal project together with a singer from England.”
“Inspiring words for producers, we're just getting started! I would say YouTube is our friend. There are more music production or trance production tutorials than ever on YouTube. So I would go and check them out. Also, I think it's very valuable for new producers to go and spend time in the studio with a professional and I think it's a great thing. Also, if you're struggling, don't be afraid to ask your peers. The colleagues for help and guidance. So I'm going around, circles on your thinking, you know, you shouldn't ask for help because of the song you're lying and complaining about it. I want to thank everyone so much for their support over the years. I can't wait to show you my new music.” - James Cottle
