Sephyx & Robert Falcon work their magic on the huge ‘Heart of Gold’

Musical trailblazer and an international icon David Guetta teams up with Marten Hørger, one of the leading forces in the global Bass House movement to release their new single, ‘The Freaks’, a powerful future rave track complete with low-pitched, distorted vocals, and gigantic builds perfect for the dancefloor and beyond. In early September 2022, Hørger tested the first demo of ‘The Freaks‘ at Burning Man. The following day, he performed it at David Guetta’s show in Essen, Germany.  Guetta and Hørger had been in touch for a while, and had long wanted to collaborate on a track – finally, with ‘The Freaks’, an idea was born that was musically tangible for both of them. They started sharing their ideas on it, making tweaks, sending demos back and forth, testing the record during their tours over the following months. After David’s performance at the FIFA World Cup in Doha, Qatar, they felt the track was finished and quickly found a home for it with What A DJ / Spinnin’ Records. Whilst having recently received the title of ‘Producer Of The Year’ at the BRIT Awards, David Guetta is on a hot string of club releases. He has gone from strength to strength with his underground-focused Future Rave project alongside MORTEN; the duo released their eagerly awaited Future Rave EP ‘Episode 2’ in November, which featured the powerful lead single ‘You Can’t Change Me’ with Raye. In addition, David has massively impacted the club scene with his collaboration ‘It’s Ours’ with ARTBAT and Idris Elba, his acid-fuelled remix of Sam Smith & Kim Petras’ ‘Unholy’, and a huge remix of the hit single ‘Bad Memories’ by Meduza. ‘The Freaks’ with Marten Hørger is another great addition to this impressive string of club hits. Already reaching the #1 potion on 1001 Tracklists trending chart, ‘The Freaks’ which will definitely be heard in the festival season to come. Available now on all platforms, get  your first listen to ‘The Freaks’ below!

Australian duo Teddy Cream are back in full force with a hip hop flavoured dance track that screams party. ‘Dancer’ is a collab with Atlanta’s Benji Reyes; the renowned producer who has made a name for himself flipping tunes and going viral with millions of hits across YouTube and TikTok. Lending his vocals to ‘Dancer’ is artist, rapper, and singer-songwriter Truent, whose style is inspired by chart-topping rappers such as Drake, Lil Wayne, Eminem and many more. “Dancer is one of our favourite records and collaborations with artists living over 15,000 kms away,” explain Teddy Cream. “We all have a little dancer in us and we hope this song we loved making can help people get up and get dancing, especially as it comes into spring/summer in Australia.” “I always wanted to make a dance song with some hip hop elements sprinkled in,” says Benji Reyes. “My favourite part is definitely the drop. When the hook comes in and you hear the catchy line, added with the groovy bass line, it’s hard not to want to bob your head or get up and dance.” Vocalist Truent adds, “Me and Benji have worked on previous records together and I loved how those came out, so I knew it would be easy to make another hit. Teddy Cream added their sauce and gave us that extra push to turn our demo into a hit record!” Teddy Cream is Brandon Mangion and Vincent Calderone, two lifelong friends who began producing together at 13, touring at 18, and dominating dance music not long after. In 2017, their reworks of Sonia Dada’s ‘Lover’ and Daryl Braithwaite’s hit ‘Horses’ climbed the ARIA Club Charts and Spotify Viral Chart and amassed over 4.5 million combined streams. Their 2019 release ‘Summer Jam’ has over 5 million streams and charted across Europe, with follow up singles ‘Home’ and ‘Better Now’ proving them a force to be reckoned with in the dance music landscape. Known for their high energy DJ sets, their live videos have already amassed over 6 million likes on TikTok and tens of millions more views on Facebook. Benji Reyes is a music producer/DJ from Atlanta, Georgia. He started his music career a few years ago by doing unofficial remixes of popular songs namely Drake’s ‘Hotline Bling’ and Post Malone’s ‘Congratulations’ which went viral on Vine and TikTok alike amassing millions of streams. Following on from his successful remixes he began releasing original music independently in 2018 and his first song, ‘Double Tap’ gained millions of views on YouTube. Truent is a recording artist, rapper, and singer-songwriter from Cartersville, Georgia. He started writing raps at the age of 15 and recording original songs at 18. Truent is known for his versatility, melodic style, catchy hooks, and intricate flows which culminate to the qualities of a true hit maker. A dance pop tune sprinkled with dark hip-hop elements like ‘Dancer’ is bound to make crowds go wild, and with Teddy Cream returning to the touring circuit in early 2022, dancefloors won’t know what hit them.

Multiplatinum cross-genre phenomenon, artist, producer, and DJ ILLENIUM unveils his latest single entitled “Wouldn’t Change A Thing” featuring Thirty Seconds To Mars. The song notably marks the first new music from legendary, record breaking band Thirty Seconds To Mars in three years. “Wouldn’t Change A Thing” sets the stage for the Deluxe Edition of ILLENIUM’s fourth full-length album, FALLEN EMBERS, on October 22, 2021. It will be the inaugural release under his newly minted deal with Warner Records. The single fuses ILLENIUM’s immersive and cinematic production with a heavenly and hypnotic vocal melody from Thirty Seconds To Mars frontman Jared Leto. Backed by Shannon Leto’s powerful drums, icy synths pulsate in the background before a shuddering dancefloor-ready groove takes hold. Meanwhile, Jared Leto projects the hook loud and clear, “No matter what happens, she’s a fatal attraction to me. I wouldn’t change a thing.” In the accompanying Visualizer, images of flames, rain, and sparks underline the track’s emotional intensity, bringing the words to life. For the Deluxe Edition, ILLENIUM notably reupped, reloaded, and recharged this opus with five new songs. Among the new material, Virtual Riot expands “Blame Myself” featuring Tori Kelly with a new Remix, heightening the tension and release with an unpredictable glitchy breakdown. From the frenetic bounce of “Hurt Like This” to the guitar-laden crunch of “Superhero,” ILLENIUM presents the most complete and comprehensive vision of Fallen Embers now. Tallying over 400 million streams, the original FALLEN EMBERS boasted a series of anthems, including “Nightlight” (150M global streams), “Hearts on Fire” with Dabin feat. Lights (60M global streams), “First Time” feat. iann dior (50M global streams), “Sideways” with Valerie Broussard and Nurko (25M global streams), and “Heavenly Side” with Matt Maeson (5M global streams). Impressively, his career total streams have now eclipsed 5 billion and counting. Earlier this year, ILLENIUM performed a four-set show at The Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium, making him the first artist to ever perform at the venue. The first three sets at the show commemorated his previous 3 albums – Ashes, Awake, and Ascend. The night ended with a final set, bringing closure to the story of the previously mentioned albums and starting a new one with Fallen Embers. Throughout the summer, he also shined at festivals such as Lollapalooza, Breakaway Music Festival, Life Is Beautiful, and more. Now, he illuminates electronic music brighter than ever with Fallen Embers Deluxe Edition and much more to come.  

Nicky Romero, MARF and Wulf’s summertime hit “Okay” receives a dancefloor-friendly remix from none other than dance music veteran Afrojack. Taking the original’s emotive vocals and gentle melodies, Afrojack turns the track on its head with a goosebump-inducing buildup and driving, rhythmic bassline that will drive crowds into a frenzy at the next festival or club night. The addition of classic big-room sounds and deep, growling bass is a testament to what has made Afrojack a fan favorite for over a decade. His sound fuses perfectly with fellow Dutch veteran Nicky Romero, making the remix of “Okay” a real treat for any dance music fan. More great remixes of “Okay” will be released on Protocol soon. It’s also worth mentioning that 2 months ago Nicky Romero remixed Afrojack & David Guetta’s hit “Hero.” After taking the world by storm with early hits such as “Legacy” with Krewella and #1 single “I Could Be The One” with Avicii, Nicky Romero quickly proved that his talent is ever-evolving and here to stay. After launching his Protocol Recordings imprint in 2012, the renowned performer, producer, and label head continued his personal successes with a string of high-profile releases, ranging from collaborations with Armin van Buuren, David Guetta, Mike Williams & Amba Shepherd, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, W&W, DallasK & XYLØ, Timmy Trumpet and Steve Aoki & Kiiara to remixes for the likes of Robin Schulz, Kygo, Rita Ora, Steve Aoki, Martin Garrix, Jess Glynne and more. While showcasing his label’s roster via his weekly Protocol Radio show, Nicky Romero continues to innovate and evolve during these unprecedented times in the music industry. In 2020 he launched his alter ego Monocule, which is dedicated to Nicky’s never-ending passion for darker and underground vibes. Nicky Romero keeps proving his ability to turn into gold everything he touches. Since he exploded onto the scene with his hit single “Take Over Control” with Eva Simons over a decade ago, Afrojack has become one of the most influential music names in electronic dance music today. It’s no wonder – with an impressive resume of originals and remixes as well as headlining sets at some of the world’s major clubs and festivals, he has made a massive imprint on the culture we know and love today. His career has seen gold star working with David Guetta, Timmy Trumpet, Martin Garrix, Hardwell, Sia, Chris Brown, Pitbull, Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Steve Aoki, Ty Dolla $ign, Luis Fonsi, and Rae Sremmurd among others. He also serves as the head of his own record label Wall Recordings and is a constant fixture as the Top 10 of DJ Mag’s annual Top 100 DJs poll. Out now via Beatport and all popular streaming platforms, get your first listen to Afrojack’s remix of “Okay” below! Article photo by Rukes

After teaming up with Swedish DJ and producer Alesso on ‘Leave A Little Love’, five-time #1 DJ in the world Armin van Buuren is set to turn heads with his next high-magnitude collab. Together with Australian, award-winning, multi-platinum-selling recording artist Timmy Trumpet, the Dutchman is delivering a tequila-flavoured, Ibiza-tailored smash that makes your heart go like crazy… just like ‘Anita’. Unlikely collaborations produce stunning results more often than not, and Armin van Buuren and Timmy Trumpet first-ever creative get-together is a testament to that. From the colourful intro and catchy vocals to Timmy Trumpet’s infectious trademark trumpets and Armin van Buuren’s devastating drops, ‘Anita’ is one of the most playful and impactful anthems you’ll be hearing this decade. “I’ve long been a big fan of Timmy’s work”, Armin van Buuren says. “His trumpet performances brought something fresh to the scene, and I always love to see that kind of creativity, especially when you mix in those energetic dance moves. I loved working together with him on this track and I can’t wait to play it live during a sunny festival day somewhere soon. That way, everyone can party like ‘Anita’!  “I love collaborating with artists and Armin is an inspiration, someone I’ve looked up to since the very beginning”, Timmy Trumpet adds. “To be finally working with him on a release of our own is surreal! This is a really fun record and I’m very happy we were able to capture the energy we both bring to the table. Can’t wait to play this one live!” Armin van Buuren was voted the #1 DJ in the world for an unprecedented five times. He has ranked in the Top 100 of U.K. magazine DJ Mag for twenty years in a row now with nineteen consecutive top 10 spots, has seven full-length artist albums to his name and recently hit the incredible milestone of 1000 episodes with his A State Of Trance radio show, through which he reaches 40 million listeners from 80 different countries on a weekly basis. In non-COVID times, Armin van Buuren headlined more than 150 shows per year at leading festivals and venues around the world, including Electric Daisy Carnival (Las Vegas, New York), Ultra Music Festival (Miami) and Tomorrowland (Belgium) plus residencies on Ibiza and in Las Vegas. DJ, producer and live instrumentalist, Timmy Trumpet is undoubtedly one of the most explosive performers in the music scene. His impressive catalogue, including his breakout single ‘Freaks’, has reigned in more than 2 billion streams. Last year was gigantic for Timmy. In April, Timmy livestreamed from his Sydney apartment for the very first time, clocking over 7 million views and becoming one of the most watched electronic performances of the year. In the same month, Timmy released ‘Diamonds’ accompanied by the world’s first music video to be entirely shot and directed in isolation, later going on to win awards at various international film festivals. Currently ranked #10 in the DJ Mag Top 100, Timmy’s debut artist album ‘Mad World’ recently surpassed 200 million streams in its first 9 months of release. Out now on all popular streaming platforms, get your first listen of ‘Anita’ by Armin van Buuren and Timmy Trumpet below!  

HSU Presents Midnight Mafia – Order of the Lotus 2023. Australia’s Midnight Mafia festival is set to return in May this year for its biggest arena event to date. Hosted at the Sydney Showgrounds, Midnight Mafia Order Of The Lotus will bring a new concept to the Showgrounds halls as fans venture to the underground of Harder Styles Yakuza. Hard dance giants HSU Events will once again bring Midnight Mafia to Sydney, but this year’s edition will feature bigger production and an all start lineup that features the likes of Headhunterz, Wildstylez, TNT, Rooler, Gammer and many more. Midnight Mafia 2023 will feature a special “The Journey” performance from Headhunterz and Wildstylez. The new concept style set will feature a 2 hour set which will represent the best tracks ever from those artists, as well as all their new & current music they are making. It’s a journey from past to present! Presale tickets go on sale today, with general release tickets on sale tomorrow from 12pm. Secure your tickets online here. Midnight Mafia – Order of the Lotus 2023 Lineup Heeadhunterz vs Wildstylez TNT Gammer Rooler Psyko Punkz Firelite Bulletproof Mish Party Raiser Sick Mode Suae Hosted by DB8 Event Information Saturday, May 6th, 2023, 4pm to 12am Sydney Showgrounds Tickets Presale Tickets: $169.00 + BF First Release: $179.00 + BF Final Release: $189.00 + BF Hard Copy Tickets: $185.00 Pre-Sale: 12:00pm Thursday 16th March Public Sale: 12:00pm: Friday March 17th Secure tickets online here.

Defqon.1 2023: Bigger and Better Than Ever Before! Defqon.1, the top destination for hard dance on the festival circuit, is gearing up for its biggest edition yet. With over 350 artists scheduled to perform across four days in the Netherlands, the Q-dance-run event is pulling out all the stops for 2023. Expect epic sets from Coone, Angerfist, Headhunterz, D-Sturb, Sub Zero Project, DJ Isaac, Ran-D, and an array of other talented artists. Every year, the worldwide dance music brand draws a huge crowd of more than 100,000 devoted enthusiasts, and in 2023, the size of their already breathtaking production is increasing even more. The event will culminate each day with spectacular closing performances that include endless pyrotechnics and special effects. Hard dance royalty The Prophet is set to perform his last show ever during the closing ceremonies on Sunday, adding to the already intense atmosphere. As the Godfather of Hardstyle, he plans to deliver an unforgettable set at the RED Stage that unites hard dance fans. In addition to the high-energy performances, Defqon.1 has expanded its offerings this year. On Sunday, festival-goers can enjoy a new Air Bed rave while listening to hardstyle renditions played on a concert piano. Those looking for a workout can join the “harder styles workout” on Saturday morning at the UV Stage, where pro trainers will get the blood pumping. Get ready to experience the ultimate hard dance extravaganza as Defqon.1 makes its highly-anticipated return from June 22-25, 2023. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of the action and grab your tickets now!

Following a mammoth debut earlier this year, Melbourne’s Karnival Outdoor Festival returns in 2023. Melbourne’s biggest outdoor music festival is set to return on March 12th Long weekend at Flemington Racecourse. Featuring 28 international & local artists and 2 state of the art stages, Karnival Outdoor 2023 is going even bigger and better. Brennan Heart, Atmozfears, The Prophet, Pysko Punkz, Tatatka and Villain will lead the charge for internationals, with local favourites Anderex, Technikore, Swae, Weaver and JTS are among a roster of top-tier Australian performers who will grace the stage in 2023. With a new larger main stage concept and the return of a bigger Butterfly Garden, Karnival will feature state of the art production and a magical end show. Last year’s edition sold out, so pre-registration is critical! Karnival 2023 Artist Lineup In alphabetical order. Atmozfears Brennan Heart Dimiti K D-ZTURB DB8 Hixxy Miss K8 The Legacy The Prophet Psyko Punkz Stonebank Tatatka Unresolved Vertile Villain Wild Mother Fuckers Zatox Supported by Anderx Colin Hennerz MCD Dean Dee DNA Hunta JTS Overdrive Scott Alert Swae Technikore Toza Weaver Event Information Where: Flemington Racecourse Melbourne When: March 12, 2023 Time: 2:00PM – 11:00PM Tickets Information Presale: Starts 12PM Thursday Nov 24rd (guaranteed price for 24 hours Only) – register online here. Public Sale: 12PM Friday Nov 25th Ticket Prices: Presale Tickets: $159+BF First Release: $169+BF Second Release: $179+BF Final Release: $189+BF