June 3, 2014

Age Is Just A Number: Starring Mr. FijiWiji

by Jake Groch EDM, Funky, Happy • Tags: AgNO3, Alumni, Anjunabeats, Blogs, Brehm, Brendan, Chas, Chicago, Chill, Chillout, Dance, Deep, Downtempo, Dubstep, EDM, electro, electronic, Facebook, Fijiwiji, Galdo, Gesaffelstein, Goudie, Groch, house, Jake, Late, Laura, Major, Mr, music, Myon, Night, Onions, Rager, Recordings, Ride, Shane 54, Soundcloud

On the first occasion in which I stumbled across anything vaguely related to this next artist, Mr. FijiWiji, it was actually a remix of “Fire Inside” by Skrux, a track that The Fij had also remixed, originally by Gemini. After a few listens, I made it a point to expand my horizons and find other renditions of the already legendary original. I was captivated by Brendan Galdo’s (Mr Fijiwiji) ability to synthesize this uncanny, simplistic beauty on each of his tunes (including the “Fire Inside” remix), while maintaining a rather minimalistic production method throughout.

Methodical and deliberate – two words that describe Mr. FijiWiji perfectly.

Additionally, when we say simple, we most certainly DO NOT mean effortless or easy. A production with fewer tracks has little room for error, with less instruments to cover up poorly mastered sounds. Brendan did a particularly great job of making his instruments vivid, crystal clear and incredibly euphonic on his two new songs, “Pure Sunlight” and “Under Your Cloud,” the latter being a remix of Myon & Shane 54 + Late Night Alumni.

It would seem that the future has nothing but great things in store for this 18 year old producer hailing from Pittsburgh. We certainly cannot wait to hear more. Show your love via the links below.

YouTube: youtube.com/mrfijiwiji
Facebook: facebook.com/mrfijiwiji
Twitter: twitter.com/mrfijiwiji
Soundcloud: @mrfijiwiji

May 27, 2014

Monstercat 017 – Ascension Ascends the Label Even Further

by Jake Groch EDM, Funky, Happy, Heavy • Tags: 017, A, Abyss, Aero, Album, All, Aloma, Ambient, and, Ascension, Astronaut, Au5, Away, Bass, Bowtie, Braken, Burke, Bustre, Case & Point, Cassandra, Chas, Cheat, Child, Chill, Chillwave, Choice, Chord, Codes, Covenant, D&B, Dance, Danyka, Deep, Do, Don't, Dotexe, Drink, Droptek, Drum, Drummond, drumstep, Dubstep, Eagle, EDM, electro, electronic, Elizaveta, EMEL, Eminence, Excellent, Eyes, Favright, Feat., Featuring, Feint, Fijiwiji, Follow, Forget, Fractal, Fracture, Frame, Fun, Gamble, Gasser, Glitch, Goudie, Grant, Groch, Halo, Haywyre, Hero, Holly, Hop, Hour, house, Insan3lik3, Inside, It, Itvara, Jake, Jonny, Kay, Keegan, Know, Label, LaMeduza, Late, Limb, Me, Melodic, Mind, Mix, Miyoki, Monstercat, Moonlight, Mr, Munsta, music, Nadeau, nerds, Night, Nitro, Noisestorm, of, On, One, Only, Open, Original, Out, Over, Pegboard, Phosphor, Power, progressive, Quantum, Reach, Remix, Riot, Rob, Rootkit, Rose, Schism, SCNDL, Seconds, SirensCeol, Solange, Soulero, Steele, Stephen, Stonebank, Surface, Surge, Taking, Tech, The, Too, Trance, Trap, Tristam, Trivecta, Tut, Up, Varien, Virtual, Walking, Wanna, Yohamna, You, Zenith

Over the past two years, we have watched this next label transform from the likes of a promising, transgenre EDM collective with loads of potential into the fierce jungle feline you see before you today.

Monstercat is most certainly where it’s at when discussing labels that have set the tone for the next few years of electronic dance music releases.

How, you ask?

Well, that next part is a bit tricky.

To begin, this Vancouver-based music label has elucidated talents from some of the most unheard of, eclectic groups of musicians in all of dance music. Not only have they championed said undiscovered artists onto the scene, but these new talents have proceeded to swell their fair share of waves in this vastly expanding ocean we affectionately refer to as the “EDM-o-sphere.” A quick glance at the “current roster” on the official Monstercat web page will reveal a staggering number of widely popular producers you may not have necessarily associated with MCat.

7 Minutes Dead, Astronaut, Au5, Braken, Case & Point, Direct, DotEXE, Dzeko & Torres, Droptek, Falcon Funk, Favright, Fractal, Haywyre, Hellburg, Insan3lik3, Krewella, Lets Be Friends, Mr Fijiwiji, Noisestorm, PIXL, Pegboard Nerds, Project 46, Rameses B, Razihel, Rogue, Soulero, Splitbreed, Stephen Walking, Throttle, Tristam, Tut Tut Child, Varien and Vicetone.

(Just to name a few of our favorites.)

However, words will only get us so far. You need to HEAR what we mean.

Without hesitation, the fat cats over at MC have released their 17th compilation LP to date. So far, “Monstercat 017 – Ascension” has garnered attention from every corner of the EDM world, making this their most supported album to date! With a four-hour laundry list of tracks, fantastic production quality throughout, and loads of prodigal EDM producers on top of it all, Monstercat presents to you a release that will only serve to exacerbate their stranglehold on the EDM industry.

Keep it up boys and girls.