Melisa Yuriar – Saint Audio

Inside the Groove: Never Dull on Disco Revival, Sampling and Spinning Joy

Alberto De Santiago doesn’t just make music — he curates joy. Better known as Never Dull, the San Diegan multi-instrumentalist is helping lead the disco house revival with a style that’s equal parts cheeky and soulful. His sets, shimmying from silky disco into high-energy house, are peppered with playful samples (think, Mousse T’s ‘Horny’) that [continued]
Portola Festival returns to SF with XTINA, LCD Soundsystem, Moby, & a stacked dance floor

San Francisco’s other music festival is back. Portola returns to Pier 80 on September 20–21, and is bringing one of the most exciting and eclectic lineups on the national festival circuit this year. Now in its fourth year, Goldenvoice’s electronic-leaning weekender has garnered a reputation for pulling off what few others can: bridging decades of dance history with the sounds [continued]
Essentials: “Revolution” (ft. Gil Scott-Heron Sample) – TSHA

“The revolution will not be televised…“ By now, you may have already heard snippets of this new house cut by UK DJ, TSHA, featuring one of the most widely-recognized verses penned by American poet, Gil Scott-Heron in 1971. Out now via TSHA’s new imprint/party/radio show, Jackfruit, “Revolution” features vocal samplings from Scott-Heron, who conceived of [continued]
From ‘Sugar Trap’ to LETHAL: Rico Nasty Returns with New Album, Tour & acting debut

Rico Nasty is having a LETHAL year. The rapper has officially entered a brand new era with the release of her third studio album, LETHAL — out now via Fueled By Ramen. Marking a fierce return for the PG County, Maryland artist, the album showcases the feminine rage and trap prowess that originally catapulted her to rapper-rockstar status, [continued]
Essentials: “Oh LaLa” – Justine Skye, KAYTRANADA

Montreal’s favorite son has teamed up with R&B artist-actor Justine Skye for what could very well be the hottest single released this summer. The house cut is vocal-driven, and features syrupy vox from the American singer-songwriter — and additional vocals and writing from New York tastemaker-wordsmith CAKESDAKILLA and ATL’s Baby Tate, formerly Yung Baby Tate [continued]
Concerts, cocktails, y cultura: Hammer Museum’s free courtyard music series returns

Free for good (since 2014), UCLA’s Hammer Museum summer concerts are back for another season of music in the courtyard. Indie shoegaze ensemble Dummy takes over Hammer’s courtyard on July 17. Maral (think, Iranian folk meets experimental dance music) and Krautrock-psych pop duo Peaking Lights round out the roster. Very Be Careful is bringing their [continued]
Essentials: “Lovin’ You” – Broken Hill

“I was made for loving you baby, you were made for loving me…” These words were originally rendered by American rock band KISS in 1979 in what is now recognized as one of the band’s most popular singles of all time, “I Was Made for Lovin’ You.” Aussie producer Broken Hill has reimagined the single [continued]
VAVN on LA debut with Soul Food Music Collective and his latest Alter/Ego release

Surrealist wave-trap producer VAVN is a standout in the genre, and is set to make his Los Angeles headline debut June 29th at Catch One. For the uninitiated, the DEF alumnus incorporates elements from trance, rap, and progressive house genres to create a stirring, dark blend of imaginative, entrancing, and immersive wave music. A true [continued]
‘EcoSystemS’: Soul Clap on new music, tour and conscious clubbing

Sustainability is at the forefront of concerns for millennials, Gen Zers, and especially Xennials, who make up a large portion of audiences at music events annually. Event organizers in the US and abroad have begun introducing initiatives to produce more environmentally-conscious parties, but what about artists? “Tastemakers can be role models for younger generations, especially [continued]
Behind the Decks: Rising DJ clubaction’s Meteoric Year

“Club Action, get down on the floor!” clubaction—the dynamic force whose name is derived from the 2008 electro-hip-hop hit on Shunda K & Jewel B‘s debut LP, “Futuristically speaking…Never Be Afraid“—continues to captivate dancefloors from across the Bay Area to Los Angeles. The Academy of DJs graduate has experienced a meteoric rise in the past [continued]