Dance
Page: 75
Elvis Presley and Britney Spears debut on Billboard‘s multi-metric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart (dated Jan. 21) with “Toxic Las Vegas (Jamieson Shaw Remix)” at No. 26. The track earned 493,000 U.S. streams and sold 500 downloads in the Jan. 6-12 tracking week, according to Luminate.
Heard in the 2022 Presley biopic Elvis, and released Jan. 6, the track is a mash-up of two classics from different eras: Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas” and Spears’ “Toxic.” “Viva,” credited to Presley with the Jordanaires, reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964; “Toxic” rose to No. 9 in 2004.
Elvis director Baz Luhrmann compared the King of Rock and Roll to the Princess of Pop in an interview with entertainment.ie last June. “Just like Britney, who creates the quintessential ’90s pop music, you’re richer than God and you’re in the Hollywood bubble,” he said. “That’s what happens to Elvis. He’s gone from being this rebel, this punk, deeply steeped with his Black music friends doing radical music, to suddenly being isolated in Hollywood doing pop.”
The star pairing gives Presley his inaugural appearance on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, which premiered 10 years ago this month. It’s the eighth placement for Spears, who earned her second No. 1 last September, alongside Elton John on “Hold Me Closer.” (Spears first led with “Scream & Shout,” with will.i.am, on that inaugural survey, dated Jan. 26, 2013, beginning a five-week reign.)
Concurrently, “Toxic Las Vegas” opens at No. 12 on the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart, eclipsing the peak of Spears’ original “Toxic”; although its release predated the chart’s 2010 inception, “Toxic” hit No. 31 on that chart’s first edition in 2010.
On Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales, Spears has three No. 1s and nine top 10s among 23 appearances. “Toxic Las Vegas” is Presley’s second hit there, following “Don’t Fly Away (PNAU Remix),” billed as by Presley and PNAU (No. 18, last July).
Meanwhile, “Toxic” marks the latest revival as a mash-up for the enduring song: In early 2022, “Toxic Pony,” a blend with Ginuwine’s No. 1 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs smash, and a No. 6 Hot 100 hit, from 1996, reached No. 7 on R&B Digital Song Sales and No. 40 on Pop Airplay, among other showings.
Skrillex, Fred Again.. and Flowdan fly into the top 10 on Billboard‘s multi-metric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart (dated Jan. 21) with “Rumble,” up from No. 15 to No. 10. The song, released Jan. 4 and which debuted on the Jan. 14 tally from just two days of data, reaped 2.8 million streams and sold 1,000 downloads Jan. 6-12, according to Luminate.
“Rumble” marks the sixth top 10 for Skrillex and the first each for Fred Again.. and Flowdan. Skrillex boasts one leader: “Where Are You Now,” with Diplo and Justin Bieber, for two weeks in 2015.
Concurrently, “Rumble” roars on Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales (13-4) and enters Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs (No. 11).
But there’s more from Skrillex: His “Way Back,” with PinkPantheress and Trippie Redd, opens at No. 13 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. The track, which starts with 1.8 million streams, is Skrillex’s 38th entry, dating to “Right In,” which hit No. 24 just after the chart began in January 2013. “Back” marks the third appearance for Trippie Redd and the first for PinkPantheress.
‘Seventeen’ at 50
Wuki, aka DJ/producer Kris Barman, debuts on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with “Edge of Seventeen” at No. 50. It’s Wuki’s first solo Billboard charted title, following a run with Innerpartysystem, which hit the Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart with EP Never Be Content (No. 15, 2011).
“Seventeen” – with unbilled vocals by U.K. singer Clementine Douglas – is a cover of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Fleetwood Mac legendary singer Stevie Nicks’ classic “Edge of Seventeen (Just Like the White Winged Dove),” which scaled Mainstream Rock Airplay (No. 4, September 1981) and the Billboard Hot 100 (No. 11, April 1982). More recently, Miley Cyrus interpolated the song, with Nicks, in “Edge of Midnight (Midnight Sky Remix),” a reworking of Cyrus’ “Midnight Sky,” a No. 14 hit on the Hot 100 in 2020.
‘Dice’ Is Winning
Shifting to the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, Armin van Buuren bursts into the top 10 with “Roll the Dice,” featuring Philip Strand (14-8). van Buuren’s 11th top 10 and Strand’s first, the song is drawing core-dance airplay on Music Choice’s Dance/EDM channel, iHeartRadio’s Evolution and KMVQ-HD2 San Francisco, among other outlets. (The Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart measures radio airplay on a select group of full-time dance stations, along with plays during mix shows on around 70 top 40-formatted reporters.)
After three years of silence and in the midst of an ongoing legal battle, Bassnectar (real name Lorin Ashton), appears to be staging a comeback.
On Tuesday evening, a new mix was uploaded to the Bassnectar Mixcloud account, with the producer’s official Instagram account wiped clean around the same time. Most significantly, however, is a new website, UnlockTheOtherSide.com, which went live around the same time and features the signature Bassnectar logo. Fans discovered the site — the landing page for which was live but password protected on Tuesday evening but is currently offline — with copy describing it as “the new home for the Bassnectar universe & beyond,” according to screenshots reviewed by Billboard.
Access for a membership to the site, according to additional screenshots, costs $150 with an “early bird” discount being offered for $100. Membership promises access to “tickets to curated events,” “exclusive access to music,” archived content, “in-depth conversations,” “unreleased mixtapes and radio shows” delivered monthly, behind-the-scene access, remastered albums, a new album and more.
Despite these developments — which have spurred chatter in online Bassnectar communities on Reddit, Twitter and a longstanding private Bassnectar Discord channel — there has been no official announcement of a return from the artist himself. Ashton’s last public remark was a social media post on July 3, 2020, that has since been deleted, addressing sexual misconduct allegations made against him at the time and announcing an indefinite hiatus. He has not performed any known shows or released any new music since — until now.
On April 6, 2021, Ashton was sued by two women, who allege that he engaged in sexual abuse of minors, child pornography and human trafficking. Just a month later, two more women joined the lawsuit. (One of these women who joined the suit anonymously later removed herself when the court required her to reveal her legal name in order to proceed.)
Ashton, alongside the four other defendants named in the case (his management, label, and others), filed motions to dismiss. On Jan. 11, 2022, Judge Aleta A. Trauger granted all motions to dismiss except for Ashton’s, which was denied. The case is currently in discovery with a target trial date set for September.
Ashton now appears to be taking a comeback strategy with his Bassnectar project that goes directly to fans without reliance on intermediaries such as record labels and promoters, who may be reluctant to work with him. That tactic has already proven successful for Louis C.K., the comic who similarly stepped back from the public eye in 2017 after facing numerous sexual misconduct allegations. (Unlike Ashton, C.K. has not faced any criminal or civil charges.) Three years later — the same length of time as Bassnectar’s hiatus — in April 2020, C.K. announced a new comedy special called Sincerely Louis CK that he released directly to fans through his own website, with no advance notice. That album went on to win a Grammy for best comedy album last year and the comedian is performing at Madison Square Garden next week. He continues to release material strictly on LouisCK.com.
As for Bassnectar, Ashton’s fans appear thrilled about the return of an artist who for many represented the apex of the bass music realm. “THE KING IS BACK!! Happy Nectar Day to all the Fam!!!,” posted one fan to Twitter on Tuesday.
A representative from Ashton did not respond to Billboard‘s request for comment at time of publishing.
Skrillex marked his 35th birthday on Monday by posting a vulnerable series of tweets about the difficulties he’s faced in the past few years.
“Had the toughest year of my life in ’22, as did so many others. I literally found myself with no drive and purpose for the first time in my life,” he began. “My mother passed away a few years back, 2nd day of Lollapalooza tour in [South America]. I never ever coped with it … I drank the pain away and kept going.”
The electronic star continued: “People ask why ‘I’ve been gone’ or ‘fell off,’ rightfully so. Like I said, ’22 was sort of my tipping point, I had to put everything on ice especially my projects/ career. The truth is I didn’t cancel sunset and movement festival because of my albums. It was because I was working on myself.”
However, the artist born Sonny Moore stated that all the personal and internal work he did has paid off, writing, “For the first time in 4-5 years I’ve found a new sense of peace. It took so much work and sacrifice to get here. There’s my bday tweet to you all.. Turing 35 for me was realizing there are certain f—s you should not give, you’ll be more free for that. Here’s to 35 laps around the sun and to the f—s I will no longer give.”
He concluded with two final thoughts, tweeting, “Lastly, the support you’ve all shown over the years does mean the world and I’ll continue to work on myself and not get into a situation where I have to cancel shows / go into hiding. To quote the wise [woman] @BibiBourelly, ‘yeah it’s deep, but sh– ain’t that deep.’”
Skrillex entered into the new year earlier this month by releasing the ominous “Rumble,” his new collab with Fred Again.. and Flowdan. He then played a surprise b2b2b set with Fred Again.. and Four Tet at London’s Electric Ballroom, and thus far, the single has debuted on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart at No. 15 (dated Jan. 14) before becoming his sixth top 10 hit on the tally the following week.
Read Skrillex’s birthday thoughts below.
Had the toughest year of my life in 22, as did so many others. I literally found myself with no drive and purpose for the first time in my life— Skrillex (@Skrillex) January 16, 2023
My mother passed away a few years back 2Nd day of Lalapalooza tour in SA. I never ever coped with it … I drank the pain away and kept going— Skrillex (@Skrillex) January 16, 2023
People ask why “I’ve been gone” or “fell off”, rightfully so. Like I said , 22 was sort of my tipping point, I had to put everything on ice especially my projects/ career— Skrillex (@Skrillex) January 16, 2023
the truth is I didn’t cancel sunset and movement festival because of my albums. It we because I was working on myself— Skrillex (@Skrillex) January 16, 2023
For the first time in 4-5 years I’ve found a new sense of peace. It took so much work and sacrifice to get here.— Skrillex (@Skrillex) January 16, 2023
There’s my bday tweet to you all.. Turing 35 for me was realizing the are certain fucks you should not give , you’ll be more free for that— Skrillex (@Skrillex) January 16, 2023
Here’s to 35 laps around the sun and to the fucks I will no longer give 🫶— Skrillex (@Skrillex) January 16, 2023
Lastly, the support you’ve all shown over the years does mean the world and I’ll continue to work on myself and not get into a situation where I have to cancel shows / go into hiding— Skrillex (@Skrillex) January 16, 2023
For two decades, Lightning In a Bottle has delivered delightfully kooky, kinda heady and always hyphy fun for festivalgoers from the West Coast and well beyond.
The revelry continues today (Jan. 17), as the beloved California event has announced the lineup for its 20-year anniversary show, happening this May 24-29 in Bakersfield, CA.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Leading the lineup are REZZ, SOFI TUKKER and Zhu, who will all headline LiB’s Lightning stage along with Phantogram, Tobe Nwigwe, 070 Shake, Caribou, DRAMA and many more.
The Thunder stage will host its own headliners Liquid Stranger, LSDream, Tokimonsta and The Glitch Mob, along with LTJ Bukem with Armanna, Meute, Deathpact and more.
On the house and techno oriented Woogie Stage will host Tale Of Us, Diplo, Ben Böhmer, Purple Disco Machine, LP Giobbi, Blond:ish and a crew of other artists. Longstanding LiB artists including David Starfire, Dimond Saints, William Close & The Earth Harp and El Papachango will also be returning in 2023. See the complete lineup below.
Along with the music, the five-day camping fest will host vibey experiences including Interactive yoga and movement classes, talks and workshops, games, races, an 80s prom and other special events. Tickets for the fest are on sale now.
Ahead of LiB, event producers The Do Lab will return to Coachella to host their annual stage at the fest. The lineup for this stage — known for offering a loose, playful and musically impeccable vibe to Coachella — will be released in the coming months.
“What I do know is that for most people, music is a safe space, a place of comfort, a place of joy, a place of release,” Do Lab Assistant Music Director Tadia Taylor told Billboard in 2022 of curating the lineups for LiB and Coachella. “Being in a position to expand all of those emotions and expand the palette and the expand the people and share it all, I could never dream of anything more.”
The underground is massive, and now, immersive. On Tuesday (Jan. 17), New York City-based underground dance music promoter Teksupport is announcing a collaboration with ArtsDistrict Brooklyn, a 25,000-square foot venue offering cutting-edge 360 degree projection mapping, a revolving stage and state of the art audiovisual technology. This series will feature high-caliber producers playing in venue, the tech capabilities of which will make for whimsical, visually stunning art-forward dancefloor experiences.
Located in Greenpoint overlooking the East River, the indoor-outdoor space (which was formerly the House of Vans skatepark) offers skyline views of Manhattan. This creative canvas will feature some of the key names in underground dance music for the series, which will extend through 2023.
The shows launch with a double-header this weekend with a Jan. 20 performance by Nina Kraviz and Magdalena, and a Jan. 21 show from French duo KAS:ST and German producer Kevin de Vries. A showcase during New York Fashion week (Feb. 10-15) will feature Seth Troxler, HVOB, Carlita & Ahmed Spins. (This event will be hosted by Carlita’s Senza Fine series.) Additional names and dates will be announced in the coming weeks and months.
Teksupport, one of the scene’s most respected underground house and techno promoters, has previously hosted shows in similarly unique venues, including a submarine factory, navy yard, subterranean ballroom and Grand Central Station.
“Teksupport is reimagining what is possible in electronic music in NYC, and we are thrilled to provide a platform for innovative artists and TekSupport’s unparalleled events,” Jacob Feldman, ArtsDistrict’s Chief of Business Development, says in a statement. “Our shared passion for pushing boundaries and providing a one-of-a-kind experience for our audiences makes this partnership one that will allow us to bring a truly immersive and unparalleled electronic music experience to New York audiences.”
This week in dance music: Everything But the Girl announced their first album in 24 years is coming this April; Calvin Harris, The Chemical Brothers, Eric Prydz’s renowned HOLO show and a strong crew of other dance acts were included on the 2023 Coachella lineup, Marco Carola, Camelphat, Gordo and more were announced for March’s SXM Festival in Saint Martin/Sint Maarten, The Chainsmokers shared some personal news, Iranian producers Dubfire, Lady Faith and Starfari reflected on the ongoing protests in Iran, the aforementioned Harris shared a selfie of he and longtime collaborator Ellie Goulding in the studio together, Richie Hawtin announced an education-focused techno tour happening this March, Skrillex, Fred again.. and Flowdan’s “Rumble” debuted on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs and Insomniac Events announced a rave cruise called, naturally, EDSea.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
That’s a lot! But is there more? You know there’s more. Let’s dig in.
M83, “Oceans Niagara”
Prepare thyself. M83 is back, and we’re going “beyond adventure” into epic territories where synths shine like neon diamonds and the horizon glows in massive walls of sound. “Oceans Niagara” is a cinematic overture of a lead single, the first taste of things to come from the project’s forthcoming album Fantasy, due out March 17. The album is the first from M83 since 2019’s DSVII.
“I wanted this record to be very impactful live,” says M83’s Anthony Gonzalez, the man behind the music. “The idea was to come back with something closer to the energy of Before the Dawn Heals Us. The combination of guitars and synths is always in my music, but it’s maybe more present on this new record than on the previous ones.”
“Oceans Niagara” is bold, explosive and mostly instrumental. It’s got a cool, colorful music video that feels warm and fuzzy with ‘80s nostalgia. It’s definitely got us hyped for this new era.
“It’s the very first collaboration between my brother Yann Gonzalez and myself on a music video,” Gonzalez continues. “I wanted to create this sense of friendship. Listening to that song, I imagine people running, driving fast or riding spaceships together. It’s this sense of going forward, like a magic potion that you take to discover new worlds. Beyond Adventure!” – KAT BEIN
SG Lewis feat. Charlotte Day Wilson & Channel Tres, “Fever Dreamer”
With two weeks to go until SG Lewis releases his latest album, AudioLust & HigherLove, the U.K. producer has shared another preview in the form of new single “Fever Dreamer.” The song features friends old and new: Canadian singer-songwriter Charlotte Day Wilson and Compton’s Channel Tres, who previously guested on Lewis’ “Impact” in 2020. Together, they turn “Fever Dreamer” into a sultry disco daydream, a romantic fantasy which Lewis says is about “all-consuming admiration for someone.” Wilson’s smoky, rich vocals melt into the flirty bassline and swirling synths, while Channel lets flow his lyrics with his signature suave nonchalance. With a chorus that approaches transcendence, “Fever Dreamer” is near-delirious delight. — KRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ
Whyte Fang, “Transport God”
Alison Wonderland isn’t messing around with her Whyte Fang project, which showcases the Australian producer’s harder, indeed sharper-toothed side. The latest is “Transport God,” a hard, doomy, heady head-banger that delivers the first drop within its first five seconds. And we like that.
The track, like all forthcoming Whyte Fang material, is out via FMU Records, launched by Wonderland last month to service her Whyte Fang releases and music by other rising producers. Whyte Fang will also make its Coachella debut, with the project included on the lineup that dropped earlier this week. — KATIE BAIN
Amtrac, “Heard Me Right”
Time is money, especially when paying for parking in the big city. Thank goodness Amtrac is here to be the change.
The Kentucky-bred, Los Angeles-based artist is gearing up for the release of his forthcoming third album Extra Time, and to celebrate the release of his fourth LP single “Heard Me Right,” he danced through the streets of L.A., walkman and change purse in hand, doling out quarters to unsuspecting parkers throughout the urban sprawl. “It was a fun passion project between me and (director) Greg Sheppard,” he says. “A man takes it upon himself to provide the people of greater Los Angeles with little ‘Extra Time.’ He can dance, he is strong and he has plenty of coins.”
“Heard Me Right” was actually the first song Amtrac finished for the album. It came together during the peak of COVID-19 lockdown in mid 2020, and he says it stood as a “sort of light at the end of the tunnel.” The hazy synth hook does sound hopeful, if a bit trepidatious in its optimism, as Amtrac sings of pieces falling into place and something to hold on to. Let this moving mix of rhythmic bass lines and atmospheric melodies help you to lose yourself in a better tomorrow, and pay it forward if you can! – K. Bein
Ruth Royall, “Walk Through Fire”
Ruth Royall throws her sorrows to the flames on her new single, “Walk Through Fire.” The Bristol-hailing artist, a longtime vocalist for drum & bass producers like Makoto, Pola & Bryson and Mollie Collins, last year stepped into her own solo career. On “Walk Through Fire,” her soulful singing of lost love smolders and swells alongside the raging production, whose increasing percussive energy erupts with the force of a gas explosion — grief and fury, each fueled by the other. “When did we get so lost?” she cries. “I always had my heart on my sleeve / I loved you carelessly.”
“The song is about loving someone so much that you would literally walk through fire for them, but realizing that they don’t love you in the same way,” Royall says. “Feeling like you wasted your youth loving someone who doesn’t feel the same. Giving your whole self to someone and even when you are completely honest they give you nothing back.” — K.R.
The Chainsmokers feat. Cheyenne Giles, “Make Me Feel”
Okay yes, The Chainsmokers made headlines earlier this week by disclosing some of the extracurricular activities of their early tour days. (And really, no one deserves to be shamed for sexual choices made among consenting adults!) The pair also dropped a new track, and, much like the news that preceded it, it’s something of a surprise, with the pair — who as of late have been found in a more pop-forward/experimental mode — going full dancefloor, synthesizing ’90s house, tech-house, a lift of the immortal sax hook to The Lafayette Afro Rock Band’s “Darkest Light” (previously borrowed by everyone from Wreckx-n-Effect to Jay-Z) and a funky, big-ass drop. Made in collaboration with San Diego producer and friend of Les ‘Smokers Cheyenne Giles, and — surprise again! — out now via Tiësto’s Musical Freedom label. — K. Bain
Electric Daisy Carnival is hitting the high seas. On Thursday (Jan. 12), EDC producer Insomniac Events announced the launch of EDSea, a festival cruise that will set sail from Miami to the Bahamas on Nov. 4-8, 2023.
This seafaring spin-off expands the list of global EDC events, which includes the annual flagship festival EDC Las Vegas — returning to Sin City May 19-21 — along with EDCs in Mexico City and Orlando. (Previous EDCs have taken place in the U.K., Brazil, China, Puerto Rico and beyond.)
The lineup for the five-day rave cruise will be announced later this year, with cabin reservations becoming available during a pre-sale starting on Jan. 17. (If there are any cabins left, a general sale will begin on Jan. 27.)
The party will happen on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Joy, which, according to the cruise company, can host roughly 3,800 guests. The ship will offer eight separate stages and music venues, along with a go-kart track, a waterpark and laser tag. The four-night bacchanal will embark from Miami and dock at both Nassau in the Bahamas and the country’s Great Stirrup Cay, a regular destination for such music-focused party cruises.
EDSea will technically be the second party cruise on Insomniac’s ever-robust event slate, with the company also producing Holy Ship! Created in 2012 by HARD events Founder Gary Richards, Insomniac gained full control of the event — which also cruised from the Miami area to the Bahamas — when Richards left HARD in 2018, as HARD was by that point controlled by Insomniac and its parent company, Live Nation.
After sending Holy Ship! to sea in 2018 and 2019, Insomniac shifted it to a on-land event — Holy Ship! Wrecked — in 2020-2022 at locations in the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Insomniac tells Billboard that Holy Ship! Wrecked will remain on the company’s event roster.
Skrillex, Fred again.. and Flowdan roar onto Billboard‘s multi-metric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart (dated Jan. 14) with “Rumble” (No. 15). The collab earned 653,000 U.S. streams in the Dec. 30-Jan. 5 tracking week, according to Luminate.
“Rumble” is the 37th chart appearance for Skillex, the 13th for Fred again.. and the second for Flowdan. It’s Skrillex’s 11th top 15 entry and the first since “En Mi Cuarto,” with Jhay Cortez (No. 8, August 2021). Skrillex has scored five top 10s, including one leader, “Where Are You Now,” with Diplo and Justin Bieber (for two weeks in 2015).
For Fred again.. and Flowdan, “Rumble” marks new career high peaks. Fred again..’s “Turn On the Lights Again..,” with Swedish House Mafia and featuring Future, reached No. 16 last August, and “Gassed Up,” by Zeds Dead x Subtronics, featuring Flowdan, hit No. 26 in January 2022.
Concurrently, “Rumble” arrives on the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart at No. 13.
Additionally on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, SLANDER, Said the Sky and Alison Wonderland start at No. 18 with “Picture,” courtesy of 619,000 streams. The collab is SLANDER’s second-highest-charting song among 15, after “All You Need to Know,” with Gryffin and featuring Calle Lehmann (No. 12, 2019); it’s Said the Sky’s first time in the top 20 among four chart hits. For Alison Wonderland, “Picture” is her 13th appearance, tying “High,” featuring Trippie Redd, for her top position (2018).
Looking at the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, a third threesome of acts is making an impact with a third single-word-titled song, as VASSY, Bingo Players and Disco Fries improve after hitting the top 10 a week earlier with “Pieces” (9-8). The track is VASSY’s eighth top 10, Bingo Players’ second and Disco Fries’ third.
“We’ve worked with both Bingo Players and VASSY on previous collaborations, so once we heard about ‘Pieces’ coming together, we had to jump in!” Nick Ditri of Disco Fries tells Billboard. “It’s been awesome to work across the globe on a record like this. It was created in all of our respective studios, from Los Angeles to New York to the Netherlands. Feel-good, melodic dance music is always our sweet spot, and to see this record climb the chart so quickly has been proof that it’s still alive and well. We’re super grateful.”
“Pieces” pockets core-dance airplay on Music Choice’s Dance/EDM channel, KMVQ-HD2 San Francisco and iHeartRadio’s Evolution, among other supporters. (The Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart measures radio airplay on a select group of full-time dance stations, along with plays during mix shows on around 70 top 40-formatted reporters.)
Ten years ago amidst the pandemonium of the U.S. EDM boom, Richie Hawtin read the room and realized not only that a legion of new electronic fans and artists were flocking to the scene, but that many of them had an extremely limited understanding of the origins of the genre or of sounds beyond the mainstage big room style that dominated the era.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The Canadian techno pioneer took it upon himself to be a teacher, hitting the road on the 2012 and 2015 North American CNTRL tours, for which Hawtin hosted lectures and workshops on techno by day, and experiential learning sessions on the dancefloor of the club after dark.
It was in this era that many of the scene’s pioneers expressed their hope (and often their critiques), that U.S. audiences would mature beyond big room and discover the deeper sounds of house and techno, both of course genres made in America, largely among the Black artist communities of Detroit and Chicago.
A decade later, that vision has in many ways come true, with house, techno and tech-house supplanting EDM as the genres of choice among both new generations of dance fans and EDM fanatics who’ve been growing up with the sound for the last 10 years. So, too, has techno faced the same type of mass commercialization that rubbed so many scene pioneers the wrong way a decade ago.
To celebrate the gains of techno and to again educate audiences on the more underground realms of the now commercially popular sound, Hawtin is hitting the road for another educational tour this March. The run will hit eight cities in the U.S. and Canada, extolling the virtues and values of techno by presenting a collection of underground producers making some of the hardest, weirdest, most underground strains of the genre. Each warehouse show will happen in partnership with an independent promoter.
“TEN years have passed since the CNTRL tour, and it feels like we are now deep into a new sound of techno that has completely fused together the elements that we were witnessing back then,” Hawtin tells Billboard. “The huge explosion and popularity of EDM 10 years ago was exactly why we launched the CNTRL tour, going through North America by bus to reach and pollinate the ideals of techno through performances and talks.
“Now here we are, 10 years later,” he continues, “visiting underground warehouse events throughout the country with artists that have come straight out of those times — artists inspired by all types and styles of electronic music, but extremely focused and dedicated to the sound and ideals of techno.”
This From Our Minds – To Be Announced 2023 tour launches on March 10 in techno’s hometown of Detroit, before dipping into Canada and then coming back to the U.S. for shows in Las Vegas, San Francisco and beyond. Venues are yet to be announced. See the complete schedule below.
Joining Hawtin on the tour — which takes its name from Hawtin’s ‘90s label Plus 8 and its ‘From Our Minds to Yours’ slogan — will be a rotation of techno producers including Canada-based Barbosa, New York’s Jay York, Texans Decoder and Declan James, Phoenix-based Lindsey Herbert (who first encountered techno as an EDM fan on the CNTRL tour back in the day), San Francisco’s DJ Deep Pedi and the Guam-born, L.A.-based JIA. Each show will also of course include a set from Hawtin himself.
The tour has been created alongside Canada’s Genova Agencym, founded by Barbosa, Decoder, and fellow artist Garrett Finn (aka Rhyot), who in a joint statement say that “this tour is not just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us as artists and rising professionals to learn and grow, but a chance to inspire and lead the scene as a whole.”
Check out the dates below.