The Illuminarti Blog

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: BEAR WHO?

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:59:27 GMT

Bear Who? has a firm grasp on this ever changing EDM scene. He is a hybrid with DJ skills and fantastic vocal abilities. His style is like no one else and discography is innumerable. I came across Bear Who? when his vocals were featured on Turn It Records' first release, "Diga Me" an enormous collaboration by all three parties (Gina Turner, Laidback Luke, and Bear Who?) and ever since then have been hooked.

Bear Who? went above and beyond my interview standards when he recorded an amazing Q&A for all Illuminarti members to enjoy.

Special thanks to Bear Who? and Gina Turner for making it happen!

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SOCIAL CLUB X DJ MAG FEBRUARY MIX BY NOUVEAU YORICAN [MIX]

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:12:01 GMT

DJ Gina Turner and Laidback Luke join forces to give you 36 minutes of Nouveau Yorican in Social Club and DJ Mag's February Mix. A lot of great material in this mini mix. Download it if you with it. #NouveauYorican

Things you might like:

Giovanna by Gina Turner via Beatport

New 'DIGA ME' EP by Nouveau Yorican release date; February 12, 2013 via Beatport

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Bro Safari, Heroes X Villains & Brillz @ Stage 48 NYC TICKET GIVEAWAY [EVENT PREVIEW]

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:21:16 GMT

Bro Safari, Heroes X Villains, and Brillz will be stopping by Hell's Kitchen's new multi-level hot spot, Stage 48, and running an all night trapathon on Saturday, February 16th, 2013. A lot of new talent has arisen within the genre but Bro Safari is holding the belt in the trap game and It's about to go down.

Like this post on Facebook and retweet on Twitter for a chance to win 2 GA tickets.

Doors open at 7:00PM

18+ Event

General Admission tickets still available at FANFOUND.COM

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Diplo @ Mixx AC [EVENT REVIEW]

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 03:02:17 GMT

01/20/2013 - Diplo's Trap Hawk Down was a four show performance starting in Baltimore, making his way over to his hometown of Philadelphia, continuing to Atlantic City, and wrapping it up in New York; making it not your typical Sunday night. Diplo traveled to each location by helicopter which made it possible to host this unheard of series of events. I was fortunate enough to catch the performance at the Mixx in the Borgata Hotel. The Mixx resembles a lavish mansion with private VIP rooms upstairs, tables downstairs, and a two floor stage with an enormous LED backdrop.

Diplo's performance began a little after 12:30 AM and lasted for the majority of the night. Just your average booth, but Wes spiced it up with dancers posted on platforms on both sides. The dancers were dressed in neon bikinis, splattered with paint and plastered with Diplo across their abdomens. There was also some kind of hype man dressed as a fox wondering around the party.

Diplo is on his high-end fashion game. Whether it's Maison Martin Margiela shoes or custom Major Lazer letterman's jackets, dude is always looking fresh to death. The jacket he sported to this performance I had never seen before, a black leather letterman jacket adorned with patches featuring skulls, M's, I's and possibly a Major Lazer emblem. After the party got going Diplo removed his jacket revealing a tee from the upcoming street wear brand HBA (Hood By Air). The sound system was on point and I enjoyed tracks like Rihanna's 'Pour It Up', a new single of Major Lazer's album #FREETHEUNIVERSE "Bumaye", and the legendary 'Express Yourself'. The performance was unique as it always is with Diplo and I'm sure each location had a different selection of music from start to finish with Diplo's 9 hour, 4 city, extravaganza.

Things you might like:

www.hoodbyair.com

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Afrojack & Diplo @ Pier 94 NYC [EVENT REVIEW]

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 03:01:30 GMT

12/30/2012 - RPM Presents and Pacha NYC really outdid themselves with an event where all the artists could easily be considered headliners. Walking into Pier 94 on this chilly evening, I couldn't help but notice how the weather had little to no effect on New York City's EDM fanatics. It felt as if you were at a summer festival; girls barely clothed but still rocking their boots with the fur and guys in an array of rave wear. The morale was extremely high and you could feel it in the air, literally, a 133,000 square foot sauna. The venue is enormous with multiple bars and a VIP section lining the walls of the hall on risers, creating a clear view of the stage. Also, there was a giant futuristic vehicle of some sort in the center of the room that was used as a secondary dance platform. Atop were dancers in outfits full of feathers and glitter that you couldn't help but shift your focus to.

Diplo performing at Pier 94 on December 28, 2012.

Sazon Booya, a young moombahton duo with an insane hype man dubbed Mysterio, were the first performance to catch my eye. Blasting jaw dropping sounds artists wish they could have come up with flawlessly and setting the tone for the entire event. Sazon Booya's set came to a conclusion, but that did not stop Mysterio from crowd surfing and hyping up the ravers during the following artists performances. As per usual, the most exciting part was when Diplo took to the throne. The fans were hungry and Diplo fed them exactly what they were craving; a unique mix of hip hop favorites, moombahton, and the highly explosive new genre, trap music. Recently, Diplo has been erecting his own Twerk Wall within each venue to allow his fans to get their interpretive dance on. A place to take snapshots and post it to social media with the hashtags #TWERKWALL… but that is not the only place where all the twerking went down.

Diplo performing 'Express Yourself' at Pier 94 on December 28, 2012.

Shrieking girls eagerly reached out towards Diplo in the hopes of being selected to express themselves on stage. Diplo carefully picked a handful of the finest women from the front of the rage cage and brought them up onto the stage. Allowing the legendary 'Express Yourself' to commence. Right then and there I knew Diplo had stolen the show. After a nearly impossible set to follow, Afrojack was up at bat. He grabbed the mic and his unmistakable voice echoed throughout the establishment. He brought the excitement of the crowd to an all time high as he gave a shout out to the one and only New York City. Nick's label "Jacked" is a hit making army with hangers full of bass booming missiles. He gave an impeccable performance showcasing him and his posse's new creations. The show was remarkable, but I think RPM Presents and Pacha NYC need to bring Diplo to our city as a headliner… and fast. #FREETHEUNIVERSEE

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Kanye West @ Ovation Hall AC [EVENT REVIEW]

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 02:05:08 GMT

12/28/2012 - When first entering the concert hall I couldn’t help but notice Kanye's notorious 7 screen experience overtaking the stage we've been hearing about since Cruel Summer's premiere in Cannes. The stage was enormous shrinking Kanye's stage presences; I had never seen such a set-up before. I knew instantaneously that Mr. West was going to blow the crowd’s mind with his performance that night. I sat in my seat and within minutes the lights dimmed and the show commenced. The screens illuminated and all lined up perfectly projecting numerous landscapes with a lot of focus on winter, I assume because of Kanye's highly anticipated upcoming album, "Cruel Winter."

Kanye West performing Runaway

Surreal gentle waves of a lake surrounded by snowcapped mountains with flocks of birds and dashes of ice bergs so vivid and to scale you actually felt like he was dancing on ice bergs. The bass in all the tracks vibrated like an earthquake throughout Revel's Ovation Room, beginning with the vocals of a revamped version of the 80’s hit, “Cold As Ice” by The Foreigners. Kanye entered the stage jumping up from behind his slanted stage floor which also had graphics displayed. The tension felt throughout the audience was a sheer mix of anxiousness and excitement. Once visible, a wave of camera phones sprouted to capture memories of DJ Khaled’s voice echoing as he introduced “KANYE WEST,” and "Cold as Ice" faded into the single, “Cold (Theraflu). “

Kanye West performing Cold

He continued with his performance with mega hits like “I Don’t Like,” "Touch the Sky," "Gold Digger," "Birthday Song," “Power,” “Jesus Walks,” and many others. A lot of artists perform the same old songs over and over again, with Kanye you get a perfect mixture between new and old and basically whatever he feels like doing for that event. Each song relaying a different panorama views such as glaciers, and island, and the clouds. The most incredible moment was The Louie Vuitton Don’s rendition of “Heartless.” The stage was illuminated as forest of giant evergreens swaying in an intense snow blizzard. The scene came to life as paper snowflakes were blown around the audience from the ceiling. Kanye livened up the concert by sporadically returning to the stage in various adorned masks. One being made from white feathers resembling the phoenix in his film "Runaway" and the other being completely crystallized in diamonds.

After the performance came to conclusion of course the crowd wanted an encore. So Konman stormed the stage ending a far beyond phenomenal with the epic "College Dropout" single "All Falls Down." Overall, the concert was one to never be forgotten. Definitely worth the combined four-hour road trip down to Atlantic City and back to New York. After the concert I heard quite a few attendees jabbering about no surprise guests, this was one of three solo performances in the USA, next time read the event information before you purchase tickets. In the following performances in Atlantic City Kanye announced he is having a child with girlfriend Kim Khardashian. 10 out of 10. This just leaves me with one question to ask, “AHHHHHH, YEEZY YEEZY HOW YOU DO IT HUH?!”

Afrojack & Diplo @ Pier 94 NYC [EVENT PREVIEW]

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:39:02 GMT

Don't sleep on this people. Afrojack has just added a second NYC date including a show with Diplo at Pier 94 on Sunday, December 30th. Tickets go on sale Thursday, December 13th, at www.RPMpresents.com/pier94. Make the right decision and attend this event.

Ages 18+

Keep up to date with these artists:

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Major Lazer After Party @ 1OAK NYC [EVENT REVIEW]

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:21:07 GMT

10/27/2012 - Major Lazer is a collective of modern day rockstars. The Jillionaire, Walshy Fire, and Diplo will go down in history next to David Lee Roth, Ozzy Osbourne, Jimi Hendrix, and Kurt Cobaine for what they have done with their music. 1OAK was jam packed with all different kinds of ghouls and goblins this past Halloween weekend. Not to mention a mob outside the door big enough to fill the place three times over and enough liquor to flood the place like Sandy did to New York subways. Plain and simple; if you weren't at Terminal 5 or 1OAK (at least one of them) in New York City this past Friday you are a complete and utter fool and missed out on two of the best events this weekend, maybe even this year. The entire Major Lazer crew including the productions newest dancers did their thing on em until early Sunday morning. Dropping bombs like Paul Tibbets; playing some of the hottest tracks from right now, back then, and probably next year as well.

I could identify tracks like Clique by Kanye West featuring Big Sean and Jay Z, Stay Schemin by Rick Ross featuring Drake and French Montana, Break Ya Neck by Busta Rhymes, Birthday Cake by Rihanna, Did It On Em by Nicki Minaj, and Pon De Floor by yours truly, Major Lazer, but Diplo's phenomenally intricate mixing style made it pretty difficult to tell which was what. One big mixed up "M-M-MAJALAZA!" soundtrack. The bass was thumping (glad I had some ear plugs or I probably still wouldn't be able to hear) and every got extra rowdy for Halloween. The most eclectic set of all times (of course, its Major Lazer). Now a days, everyone is a music journalist, they all have their secret blogs to get the newest coolest material to bump while they do what they do. The performance had a little of everything; rap, raggae, moombahton, dub step, house, and some crazy crazy stuff I can't even put a genre on. With Major Lazer, you get everything. Taking the EDM culture far beyond anyone else's abilities and just being different. I knew there were going to be AT LEAST a few amazing songs I would never be able to find so I whipped on my iPhone and snagged a ten minute clip of their performance. Truly a one of a kind performance, no pun intended. Take a look at the clip and an even closer look to 2:02. Walshy Fire is MC'ing it up. I tried to do some investigating to figure out what the banger was but came up stumped. In my opinion, the track sounds kinda like Original Don, so I have a feeling it's something coming from the Major Lazer camp. We will have to wait and see…that ish cranks though!

Free The Universe.

Major Lazer @ 1OAK NYC 10/27/2012

Purchase Major Lazer's "Jah No Partial" feat. Flux Pavillion via Beatport

Also... Diplo also put out a 3 hour long Halloween Mix via Soundcloud; check it.

Diplo & Friends BBCR1xtra: Halloween Special - October 27th, 2012 by diplo

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Porter Robinson and Zedd @ Pacha NYC [EVENT REVIEW]

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 14:29:36 GMT

10/05/2012 - Recently, I have seen Porter Robinson & Zedd perform at Electric Zoo, Roseland Ballroom, and Pacha NYC, so basically every style venue respectively speaking. Although this review is only on my experience at Pacha NYC, I think it pretty much sums up all three shows considering their mixing style and song selection was outrageously similar throughout. My standards are higher then average and I know most concert goers in the greater New York area are spoiled with top tier DJs spinning at multiple establishments just blocks away on any given night of the week.

Porter Robinson & Zedd are both very capable of making massive house tracks, as we all know from previous productions. However, these two, along with so many other DJ/producers fall comfortable to producing music using the same BPMs and similar sounds, if not the same sound, in many of their songs. Sure, that whiney growling sound does make for a great drop in songs such as Unison or Shave It, but use the sound once and get rid of it, or at least don't use it again until people forget a little bit. Enduring four hours of the Pacha sound system growling at me got boring after a while, so I decided to venture down into the Pacha pit to spice up my night. The songs these two produce are just too similar which reflects in the sets they perform together. I liked how Pacha NYC held Erick Morillo and Chuckie at the same event because how different their music is from each other. There was something for everyone.

Although the night got off to a rough start as the night progressed the show got better. I got to hear a Gangnam Style Bootleg featuring PSY, a song you have heard in some form numerous the past few weeks if you listen to music. I also heard a remix to Porter Robinson's 100% in the Bitch that was nearly as good as the original, which I didn't think was possible. If you've seen Porter Robinson lately you've probably heard the song Believe Me (Botnek Remix) by AC Slater & Xaphoon Jones, which is a tune sporting a jungle vibe definitely worth downloading. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed numerous tracks within the duos set but was just expecting more then what I got. Some of the best tracks I could not identify during the night are probably Porter Robinson or Zedd productions. Overall, I think Porter Robinson & Zedd are great producers that need to spice up performances along with some other DJs and add a little more variety in production style of their songs.

AC Slater & Xaphoon Jones - Believe Me (Botnek Remix) by partylikeusrecords

Reviewed By Christopher Cullen

Photos by Michael Elezovic

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Porter Robinson and Zedd @ Pacha NYC [EVENT PREVIEW]

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 11:58:28 GMT

Porter Robinson and Zedd did work at the Electric Zoo After Party at Roseland Ballroom. This tour is dead on. Seeing both of them perform together was pretty cool and I can see a lot coming from this partnership. Friday, October 5, 2012 is the date Poseiden The Back to Back tour touches down at Pacha NYC! Going to be one of those nights for sure.

Tickets to this event are SOLD OUT except for VIP Tables [CLICK HERE]

Latest tracks by Porter Robinson

Latest tracks by Zedd

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