Dance music & news

As originally published by Allie Gregory on Exclaim!Landing neatly between the worlds of Justice and Dan Deacon, with just a touch of 2010s Dan Snaith, Rich Aucoin's Synthetic Season 2, the second of four instrumental albums — made using about 40 synths from both Calgary's National Music Centre and L.A.'s Vintage Synthesizer Museum — is an evolution of the Halifax-based musician's explorations found in the JUNO-nominated Season 1. Removed from the tangles of lyric writing, Aucoi

As originally published by Alex Hudson on Exclaim!A trio of Latin pop superstars are sitting the road together, as Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin and Pitbull have announced the Trilogy Tour, which will be crossing North America this fall.The musicians will be on tour for nearly two full months, from October into December. In that time, they will play lots of US dates, plus three Canadian shows: Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.Pitbull said in a statement, "It's a true honour to tour with Enrique

As originally published byEmilie Richardson-Dupuis on Exclaim!Lots of new things for Berlin-based DJ/producer LSDXOXO as he celebrates the launch of his new label Fantasy Audio Group (F.A.G.) with a new single "Double Tap," and the announcement of a new EP, Delusions of Grandeur (D.O.G.), to be released September 22 under the new label. Delusions of Grandeur "was created as a bridging of worlds for what people know my sound to be and what it will become over the span of my next few pro

As originally published by Calum Slingerland on Exclaim!Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have lined up their next soundtrack. The Nine Inch Nails duo will compose music for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, the forthcoming animated feature written and produced by Seth Rogen.News of Reznor and Ross's involvement with Mutant Mayhem, which also stars Rogen, was shared earlier this month by Tony Hawk in an episode of his Hawk vs Wolf podcast.The mention soon found it

As originally published by Calum Slingerland on Exclaim!The legacy of footwork music begins with RP Boo, who released what is widely considered the style's first-ever track in 1997 with "Baby Come On." Elements of this song — the looping vocal stab, further sample splicing and active drum patterns — have proven foundational to the development of footwork as tempos quickened and compositional horizons expanded, leading the music from its Chicago club beginnings to dance communities ar

As originally published by Ben Okazawa on Exclaim!NBA Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O'Neal is preparing to defend his title as "the biggest DJ in the world" at Calgary Stampede this summer under the moniker DJ Diesel. Shaq is no stranger to making music, with 1993 platinum hip-hop album Shaq Diesel already under his belt when he retired in 2011. Since then, rave leader DJ Diesel was born, performing at various festivals around the world, including Forbidden Kingdom, Lost Lands and Lollapaloo

As originally published byEmilie Richardson-Dupuis on Exclaim!Toronto DJ/rapper myst milano. has announced a new album, Beyond the Uncanny Valley, out August 25 via Phantom Limb in the UK and Halocline Trance in Canada. Beyond the Uncanny Valley will pay homage to the African diaspora by revisiting the Black roots of electronic music. The album incorporates elements of Canadian house, Detroit electro, Chicago footwork, UK jungle and dubstep, Jersey/Baltimore/Philly club, Southern hip-hop an

As originally published by Calum Slingerland on Exclaim!Loraine James has detailed her fourth studio album. The English producer will share Gentle Confrontation on September 22 via Hyperdub.Gentle Confrontation follows a year that saw James release a pair of albums in Julius Eastman homage Building Something Beautiful for Me and her self-titled debut as Whatever the Weather. The 16-song album is said to explore relationships, understanding and "giving back a little

As originally published by Ben Okazawa on Exclaim!Roosevelt has shared his first single since signing with Ninja Tune. The German electronic artist sings over a driving, synth-led beat of his own making on "Ordinary Love." Along with the release, he announced that he'll be heading on a tour of North America this fall. The 39-show road trip kicks off in Santa Ana, CA, on September 21 and stops in Vancouver (October 7) and Toronto (November 3) along the way before wrapping up in Atlanta, GA,

As originally published by Alex Hudson on Exclaim!Last year, John Frusciante took a major left turn with : I I ., an electronic album that couldn't have possibly been more different from the music he makes with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Now, Frusciante has teased his next solo release, which marks the return of his solo alias Trickfinger.The release was announced by Evar Records, the label Frusciante co-runs with his partner, the electronic artist Aura T-09. An Instagram post by the label revea

As originally published by Exclaim! Staff on Exclaim!Arriving just in time for the season of bush parties, beach days and late, humid nights, Troy Junker's debut album Wide Awake is here to soundtrack those deep-purple summer memories. The follow-up to his 2022 EP The Highs and Lows, Wide Awake finds Junker teaming up with producers David Ariza and Lantz to craft a set of vibrant, dance-indebted songs that weave hip-hop weight with sleek electronics — it's party music with crowd-pleas

As originally published by Alex Hudson on Exclaim!As Fucked Up and the Halluci Nation hit the road for their co-headling Here's the Unity Tour, the two acts have shared a collaborative single. Listen to "Electroshock" now.The song is a cover of Mexican punk band Dangerous Rhythm. Fucked Up's Damian Abraham sent the song to the members of the Halluci Nation, and when they liked it, he introduced his Fucked Up bandmates to it as well."It took us pretty far out of our usual box," said the Halluci N

As originally published by Alex Hudson on Exclaim!When New Order recorded their 1983 hit single "Blue Monday," they were on the cutting edge of technology, working with brand new instruments to create the song's pulsing new wave dance groove. Using one of the first commercially available samplers, they did what anyone in their position would do: sampled their own farts.The sampler in question was an Emulator by E-mu Systems, which first hit the market in 1981. This sampler used floppy discs to r

As originally published by Allie Gregory on Exclaim!In the midst of their ongoing North American tour behind latest album 10,000 gecs, 100 gecs' Dylan Brady and Laura Les have shared a new visual effort for album cut "The Most Wanted Person in the United States."The song — which samples both "Insane in the Brain" by Cypress Hill and Shannon Elizabeth's lines in Scary Movie — is the fifth from the album to get its own video, following "mememe," "Doritos & Fritos," "Holly

As originally published by Daniel Sylvester on Exclaim!In North America, Goldfrapp will be forever lumped together with the mid-'00s electroclash movement that spawned bygone acts like Fischerspooner, Miss Kittin, and Shiny Toy Guns. But in their homeland, Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory are perpetual superstars, scoring six straight top ten albums (between 2005's Supernature and 2017's Silver Eye) on the UK Official Charts Company. That may be why the debut from the titular Goldfrapp comes of

As originally published byEmilie Richardson-Dupuis on Exclaim!Pierre Kwenders has released a new single, "Niata," from the deluxe edition of his 2022 Polaris Music Prize-winning José Louis and the Paradox of Love, arriving June 30 via Arts & Crafts.Produced by DJ/musician Branko, "Niata" follows the catchy "SMT" (Social Media Therapy), another single released for the deluxe edition of José Louis. "'Niata' is a song that calls to be cautious and careful, reminding

As originally published by Allie Gregory on Exclaim!After sharing its first-wave artist announcement back in March, Montreal's MUTEK has unveiled its full lineup of performers heading to the Quartier des spectacles from August 22 to 27.The festival will host over 80 live performances across multiple venues, including 7 Fingers Studio, MTELUS, the Society for Arts and Technology (SAT), the Théâtre Maisonneuve at Place des Arts, the esplanade Tranquille and New City Gas.The full lineu

As originally published byEmilie Richardson-Dupuis on Exclaim!Golden Features has mapped out a 12-date North American tour running from mid-June to late July.The Australian electronic producer/DJ's Sysiphus Tour kicks off on June 16 and includes a lone Canadian stop at Toronto's Velvet Underground on July 8. Wearing his signature gold mask, the 31-year-old will also make an appearance at the mystical Electric Forest festival in Michigan alongside fellow Foreign Family Collective artists ODE

As originally published by Allie Gregory on Exclaim!As she gears up for her Boiler Room Toronto set in June, formerly Hamilton, ON-based singer-producer Jessy Lanza has shared details of her new album Love Hallucination, out July 28 through Hyperdub.With news of the artist's fifth studio album, she also shares its lead single, "Midnight Ontario," a team-up with fellow Canadian producer Jacques Greene. The song arrives alongside a music video by Infinite Vibes, which you can watch below.The direc

As originally published by Tom Beedham on Exclaim!Homecoming isn't for everyone. A heavily ritualized institutional ceremony loaded with the bombast and myth-building of parades and faux-military spectacle, typically seized as an opportunity to funnel investment from nostalgic alumni and sponsors eager for a captive audience — it makes sense the phenomenon also brings some detraction.And homecoming means a lot to Vancouver's Jeff Cancade, who makes high-camp electropop as Devours, a self-d

As originally published by Allie Gregory on Exclaim!Toronto-born EDM producer, recent Exclaim! Staff Pick and former New Fave, Caroline Cecil — a.k.a. Whipped Cream — has expanded her North American tour plans behind her latest release, Someone You Can Count On, which arrived via Monstercat in March.The artist has shared new dates across the continent, notably carving out time to perform in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto this summer. Cecil's n

As originally published by Calum Slingerland on Exclaim!Lunice has detailed his second solo LP. The Montreal artist and TNGHT player will share OPEN on June 23 via LuckyMe.Following 2017 full-length debut CCCLX, the 10-track OPEN is said to find Lunice approaching the creative process with a "desire to embrace spontaneity."It also finds him at work with fellow Quebec-born artists like Zach Zoya, Grammy-winning producer DRTWRK, Yuki Dreams Again a

As originally published by Calum Slingerland on Exclaim!Move over, Skrillex: a new collaborative album between Brian Eno and Fred again.. is set to arrive this Friday via Four Tet's record label.Today on Twitter, Four Tet shared that the duo's Secret Life would see release May 5 via his own Text Records, with vinyl and CD versions to follow.Calling it "the most beautiful album of 2023," Four Tet also shared that an internet radio station, secretlife.fm, "has been broadcasting every day

As originally published by Megan LaPierre on Exclaim!Don't let the title fool you: ominous foreshadowing is actually used pretty sparingly on destination heartbreak, the debut full-length release from Vancouver's zensei ゼンセー. The producer builds a starry-eyed lo-fi chill-hop landscape that's maybe more melancholic than anything, and occasionally quite joyful.For me, there's a fine line between ambient music that completely bleeds and blurs into the background and the

As originally published by Kaelen Bell on Exclaim!The Knife's Olof Dreijer has joined forces with Mt. Sims for Souvenir, a new collection of steel drum music. The five-track album is arriving June 9 on Rabid Records, and you can listen to first single "Hybrid Fruit" now.Souvenir is Dreijer's first full-length project as a lead artist since the Knife called it quits in 2014, and sees him reunite with Sims following 2010's Tomorrow, In a Year. The album is described as the result of 10 years spent

As originally published by Megan LaPierre on Exclaim!Do you want the funk? Do you gotta have that funk? Never fear, Chromeo are here with news of a fall tour. The duo of Dave 1 and P-Thugg will be hitting the North American road on the Funk Yourself tour, which includes a trio of Canadian stops in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto.After a one-off co-headliner with Hot Chip at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre next month, Chromeo will start making their funky rounds in Salt Lake City on September 23,

As originally published by Allie Gregory on Exclaim!HEALTH fans, it's time to unplug your butts. Your faves have offered up another helping of their signature industrial rock, unveiling their first bit of new material in 2023, following last year's DISCO4 :: PART II, as well as their Danny Brown-Korn-Meechy Darko team-up.Today, they've dropped "HATEFUL" via Loma Vista Recordings. The Matrix-meets-witch house track was co-written with SIERRA and features backing vocals from DISCO collab

As originally published by Sydney Brasil on Exclaim!Toronto's Prince Josh (née Josh McIntyre) has shared a first taste of his upcoming album. "The Glory (Reprise)" is out now via Hand Drawn Dracula.In continuing his solo foray, the Prince Innocence and former Little Girls member has traded his signature lo-fi sound for more crisp production. "The Glory (Reprise)" is described as a small piece of "a much larger musical puzzle."Directed by Austin Hutchings, the accompanying music video is a

As originally published by Allie Gregory on Exclaim!After taking over Frank Ocean's Coachella spot with Skrillex and Fred Again.. over the weekend, and selling out Madison Square Garden with those same collaborators, Four Tet has shared his first original track of 2023.Kieran Hebden has returned with the eight-minute "Three Drums," a fantastical odyssey of atmospheric synths and live drums. It follows last summer's "Mango Feedback" and "Watersynth." The song arrives courtesy of Hebden's own labe

As originally published by Daryl Keating on Exclaim!Have you ever wondered what the planets sound like? Toronto producer Stefana Fratila has, and she went on a five-year mission to find out. Back in 2017, Fratila was looking to represent the planets of our solar system with plug-ins: software within a digital audio workstation that can be used to add instruments or effects to a song. Plug-ins like virtual synths, compressors and equalizers can be crucial for musicians trying to create a par

As originally published by Calum Slingerland on Exclaim!Summer hasn't arrived quite yet, but we expect to hear cuts from Skrillex's latest two albums — Quest for Fire and Don't Get Too Close — all season long. Now, the artist seems to be hinting at even more new material to follow.On Twitter this afternoon, Skrillex appeared to outline that his 2023 will see the release of four albums total. Following "QFF" and "DGTC" are efforts he's calling "SKRLX" and

As originally published by Alex Hudson on Exclaim!Does Diplo's new song sound a bit familiar? On Friday (April 14), the EDM star released "Use Me (Brutal Hearts)" featuring Sturgill Simpson (under the alias Johnny Blue Skies) and Dove Cameron — a cover of a Bedouin Soundclash's 2010 song "Brutal Hearts," featuring Coeur de pirate. Adding to the star-studded nature of Diplo's new reimagining, the video features Sean Penn.Now, the band have spoken about the "genius" new versio

As originally published by Calum Slingerland on Exclaim!Khruangbin have detailed a new series of live albums, capturing performances alongside Men I Trust, Toro Y Moi and Nubya Garcia.Arriving throughout the remainder of 2023 via Dead Oceans / Night Time Stories, a June 30 release captures Khruangbin & Nubya Garcia live at Radio City Music Hall in New York, while an August 11 follow-up presents the band and Men I Trust live at Toronto's RBC Echo Beach. The final LP,

As originally published by Allie Gregory on Exclaim!Ahead of his first live appearances at Coachella this weekend and next, revered UK producer Jai Paul has announced the first-ever vinyl pressing of his infamously leaked 2013 album Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones) via XL Recordings in celebration of its 10th anniversary.Limited to 3,000 physical copies, the album will be available through the artist's website as of today at 11 a.m. ET.The album was previously officially released digitally in June 2019 an

As originally published by Kaelen Bell on Exclaim!Romy has followed up her 2020 debut solo single "Lifetime" and last year's "Strong" with another (ahem) life-affirming banger in "Enjoy Your Life," a fluorescent burst of a song that samples the iconic Beverly Glenn-Copeland's "La Vita," from the new age pioneer's 2004 album Primal Prayer. According to a press release, the song was inspired by a Copeland performance in Stockholm that Romy attended with Robyn. Romy was particularly struc

As originally published by Alan Ranta on Exclaim!Montreal-based turntablist Eric San, best known as Kid Koala, has been one of the most wonderfully inventive and wholesomely cathartic artists of the last thirty years. He's remixed and collaborated with all kinds, touring with everyone from Radiohead and Arcade Fire to the Beastie Boys and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. He also famously performed in Deltron 3030 with Dan the Automator and Del the Funky Homosapien, a dream team that altogether g

As originally published by Allie Gregory on Exclaim!Earlier this week, we got word of a new project from Kaytranada and Aminé dubbed Kaytraminé (naturally), and now, the duo have announced plans for a collaborative album due May 12.Not much else about the team-up has surfaced, however, Kaytraminé have shared the record's lead single "4eva," which features co-production by Pharrell Williams, who also sings on the track.That comes in addition to 30-second sample of new music r

As originally published by Noah Ciubotaru on Exclaim!Kathy Yaeji Lee, the singer-producer-DJ known simply as Yaeji, keeps four notebooks in rotation, each with its own purpose: one resembles a gratitude journal that encourages daily assessments of her spiritual fulfillment based on a set rubric, while another is reserved for administrative matters, such as meetings and appointments; there's one in which she logs hour-by-hour breakdowns of how her days are spent; and in the fourth notebook, her c

As originally published by Exclaim! Staff on Exclaim!Famously, April showers bring May flowers — but they also bring great new Canadian music! This month's New Faves run the gamut from synthesized folk lullabies and caustic psych-rock to tender emo missives and bright-eyed rap, pulling from every colour in the paintbox. Featuring acts from both sides of the country (and a couple of places in between), April's crew of upcoming artists show once again just how saturated with talent Canada tr

As originally published by Dave MacIntyre on Exclaim!Her name might be Shygirl, but her onstage persona is anything but. The 29-year-old English rapper/singer born Blane Muise has rocketed to fame thanks to her dusky voice, silvery and future-forward sound, and capital-H horny lyricism — not to mention making collaborators out of Björk (one of her biggest influences), Slowthai, Arca, Mura Masa, and Tinashe along the way. On Tuesday night, she showed a raucous crowd at Montreal's

As originally published by Calum Slingerland on Exclaim!Montreal's Piknic Électronik has announced its 2023 lineup, inviting homegrown and international talent alike to electrify the city through three seasons.Running weekly from May 22 to October 2 at Montreal's Parc Jean-Drapeau, artists set to take part in Piknic Électronik's 2023 edition include TOKiMONSTA, Louie Vega, Ben UFO, Kerri Chandler, Chaos In the CBD, myst milano., Ouri, Planet Giza, Jesse Futerman, EEJ

As originally published by Megan LaPierre on Exclaim!When two names combine so perfectly, the people simply can't help but ship it. So naturally, it was only a matter of time before Kaytranada and Aminé realized what they had to do — and now KAYTRAMINÉ is canon.There's not a lot of information on what else it might be, aside from some sort of collaboration between the two artists. They teased their team-up on social media today with a 30-second trailer of sorts and promised t

As originally published by Megan LaPierre on Exclaim!Can you randomly access the 2021 memory of Daft Punk breaking up, or have you repressed it? Either way, Thomas Bangalter — one half of the mysterious former duo — has shed some light on the reason behind parting ways with collaborator Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo on the project they began in 1993.In a new BBC interview, Bangalter expressed the growth of his discomfort regarding the convergence of humanity and technology over the yea

As originally published by Allie Gregory on Exclaim!Having dropped new EP Someone You Can Count On via Monstercat last month, BC-based EDM producer and recent Exclaim! Staff Pick Caroline Cecil — a.k.a. Whipped Cream — has mapped out a tour of North America that includes a handful of Canadian dates.In addition to European and Asian dates included in her world tour this year, Cecil has shared plans for a run of shows in her home country, starting with Winnipeg's Exchange Eve

As originally published by Allie Gregory on Exclaim!After teaming up with Kaytranada and Kelela to co-produce the latter's Raven — out now via Warp — Toronto producer, DJ and recent Exclaim! New Fave alumna BAMBII has shared her first new solo material since last year's "RIDE WITH ME.""One Touch" arrives alongside a visualizer shot by Kit Weyman and edited by Nic Houghton, a bewildering visual slurry that mirrors the musician's blend of dancehall, jungle and DnB."

As originally published by Alex Hudson on Exclaim!Ryuichi Sakamoto has died. He was 71.A tweet from the musician's official Twitter account reveals that he died on March 28. A statement from his management notes, "While undergoing treatment for cancer discovered in June 2020, Sakamoto continued to create works in his home studio whenever his health would allow. He lived with music until the very end."In 2014, Sakamoto announced that he had been diagnosed with throat cancer. He underwent treatmen