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.

November 20, 2013

Monstercat 015 – Outlook [Artist Compilation]

by Jake Groch EDM, Funky, Happy, Heavy • Tags: 7 Minutes Dead, Astronaut, Barely Alive, Bijou, Braken, Charlotte Haining, Chris Ramos, Compilation, Complextro, Deutgen, Direct, Droptek, Drum and Bass, Dubstep, EDM Blogs, electro, Electro House, Electronic Dance Music, Eminence, Favright, Feint, Fractal, Glitch Hop, Haywyre, Hellberg, house, Insan3lik3, Jake Groch, MC Flipside, Mitchell Claxton, Monstercat 015, Monstercat Media, Monstercat Records, Mr. FijiWiji, Muzzy, Nitro Fun, Outlook, Progressive House, Project 46, Protostar, Rager Onions, Rameses B, RedMoon, Rezonate, Rogue, SCNDL, Seri, Showcase, Soulero, Splitbreed, Stephen Walking, Taylr Renee, Televisor, Teqq, Timmy Trumpet, Tülpa, Tut Tut Child, TwoThirds, Veela

Everybody’s favorite Canadian label is back at it again, compiling another showcase featuring a slew of the up and coming talent Monstercat Media has to offer. We have said it before, but we might as well say it again. Monstercat Records has a knack for unearthing some of the most progressive and undiscovered EDM artists we have the pleasure of stumbling upon. Thus proving yet again that independent labels (especially given today’s EDM climate) possess “the ability to reshape the music industry landscape, while [still] supporting up and coming musicians”.

Monstercat’s outlook on their role in the electronic dance music community is certainly something to be admired. While the larger labels bank off of seasoned producers guaranteed to rake in the cash with each successive release, Monstercat Media nobly adheres to the road less traveled, championing an audience for those producers hiding in the weeds. Speaking of Outlook, that just so happens to be the name of their 15th compilation release. You see? It all comes full circle here.

Notable tracks from this spectacular, two and half hour showcase of EDM prowess include: Rogue‘s out-of-this-world release “From the Dust” (which is featured on his brand new EP), glitch-hop sensation Haywyre‘s “Back and Forth” from his A Song Per Week series, and Hellberg, Teqq and Taylr Renee‘s massive progressive house smash “Air” (we are particularly infatuated with this one).

To be completely honest, selecting a couple tracks we especially like is total bull shit. Every single track on Monstercat’s release of Outlook is worthy of it’s place on the compilation. Without those furry felines hailing from Vancouver, we would never have been introduced to artists like Favright, Rameses B, Mr Fijiwiji, Insan3Lik3, Project 46, 7 Minutes Dead, Stephen Walking, Fractal, Televisor, Eminence and Soulero (who all happen to have at least one jam on this CD).

Support on iTunes: monster.cat/1dgCwjx
Support on Bandcamp: monster.cat/IfQHqo
Support on Amazon: monster.cat/1dZuojR
Support on Google Play: monster.cat/188HEUU

November 14, 2013

Timmy Trumpet & SCNDL – Bleed [Monstercat] (Melbourne Bounce)

by chasgoudie EDM, Funky, Happy • Tags: Bombs Away, Bounce music, Chas Goudie, Deorro, EDM, EDM Blogs, J-Trick, Melbourne Bounce, Monstercat, SCNDL, Timmy Trumpet, Will Sparks

It’s a brand new form of house music taking the dance world by storm. It’s similarities mirror that of Dutch house, however this time the evolution of EDM has taken a trip down under.

Welcome to ‘Melbourne Bounce’.

In the past, we’ve highlighted some of the pioneers of this up and coming Australian based genre. Artists like Bombs Away, Will Sparks, J-Trick and Deorro have paved the arduous path into EDM relativity for new up and comers like these next two trailblazers to change the game up with their exotic and intriguing style of music. It’s official: The United States has finally succumb to the lively Aussie spirit – evident by their energetic, hyper-sexual taste in all things bouncy (music and bust). Characterized by a (chromatically tuned) ticking intro, a whistling break, and the ever identifiable “drag-rap” vocoder on vocals, bounce music has transformed into something quite stimulating for both the mind and body.

Although that sort of depends on your age and social status (i.e. Do you like to get down?).

SCNDL and Timmy Trumpet are two artists relatively unexplored on this side of the pond. Does that idiom apply if we’re not going to Europe? Either way, that’s a big pond. Why do people use such a misleading phrase?

Anyways, these next two artists have spawned somewhat of an anomaly in the current realm of EDM. By merging the aforementioned qualities of a quintessential bounce (specifically Melbourne) tune with the sheer elegance and allure manifested in Timmy’s trumpet, these two new Monstercat signees have created an utterly breathtaking composition with upper management written all over it. It’s not too often two completely disassociated elements of music can so eloquently coexist.

Hats off, gents. Hats off.