When we think of live music these days, its hard to not rank Big Gigantic as one of the growing greats.”We’re always just trying to learn from where we were at, from what we’ve done, and really try to push the envelope” expounds Big Gigantic producer and saxophonist Dominic Lalli, “Getting better, getting bigger, we’re definitely in that business.” Performing on a level that rivals any touring group in music today, Big Gigantic has gotten in the habit of doing things huge. On the front-end of their Winter Tour 2013, Dominic and drummer, Jeremy Salken are prepping for the biggest Big Gigantic tour yet. We had a minute to catch up with Dom yesterday and posted our phone Q&A below.
The Big Gigantic Winter Tour 2013 kicked off last week with a handful of dates in the south with support from trill twins Two Fresh. The tour features a brand new stage design that is bigger, badder, and better than anything you have seen from Big Gigantic before. With thirty stops on the tour, there is so much to look forward to. “We’re playing some awesome venues that we’ve never gotten to headline”, Dom excitedly explains, “We’re going to lots of places we really love to go too. It’s cool to be back in a lot of these cities”. The tour continues with support from Kill Paris, Manic Focus, and HeRobust on select dates.
We are also excited to hear that Big Gigantic is planning on releasing a new album come Fall. Dom tells us about keeping his production levels high on the road, “I’m always trying to figure out how to become more efficient. All I’m doing is working on music the whole time on this tour.” he explains. We are thankful for that and can’t wait to hear what the dynamic duo have in store for their fifth album. For now we can be sure to sneak some previews of the new tunes on this tour.
You can catch Big Gigantic on any of the Winter Tour 2013 stops. Big G rolls into Michigan this Friday, February 8th for a sold out performance at The Orbit Room in Grand Rapids followed by a huge show on Saturday, February 9th at Royal Oak Music Theater in Royal Oak. Get your tickets now because you definitely do not want to be left out. “This tour is turning out to be the best tour ever,” Dom proudly boasts and we look forward to being able to attest to that!
WIN TICKETS TO SEE BIG GIGANTIC IN MICHIGAN:
Watch Last Year’s Curated Conversation Vol. 3 with Big Gigantic on Youtube:
There are some up-and-coming producers that stand out as that special gems in the pile of jewels. Manic Focus seems to be one of those gems. We have been fans and friends of Minnesota born/Chicago based producer since we first discovered his music just a couple short years ago. Since then, Manic Focus has been proving to the world why he is the next big bass producer. With two original albums, a remix compilation, and a huge catalog of singles under his belt (all for FREE DL), Manic Focus is a slave to the music. Whether it’s hiding in the studio or spending weeks at a time on the road, the madman won’t stop.
Coming off a huge NYE show with Big Gigantic & GRiZ in Chicago plus a few dates with Future Rock in the Midwest, MF is well rehearsed on putting the show on the road. Manic focus is now gearing up for a dozen dates on the Big G Winter Tour. In honor of the tour, Team MF released a smooth promo video that features a brand new track from the genre defying producer entitled “Free Man” that can be heard on the road and will be on the upcoming EP from the bass master. With all of this excitement in the world of Manic Focus, Curated Music found it fit to catch up with the young gun. You can read the interview below:
Curated Music: Your sounds reach a multitude of genres. How do you decide what type of track you are going to produce? Manic Focus: It really depends on my mood and life experiences. I made We Won’t Land at a time when I didn’t have a lot of gigs and several of the gigs that I did have got cancelled due to crappy promoters. Many people told me that I shouldn’t quit, so I put those emotions into the track. When it comes to remixes, I usually like remixing tracks that my friends suggest. The Mad World remix was my friend Ryan’s idea. I had started working on it in the fall of 2010 but then lost interest in working on it, and Ryan bugged me for months to finish it. I’m glad he did, it turned out nicely.
CM: Are there any specific artists that influence the Manic Focus sound? MF: Moby’s Play album was what really got me into making beats when I was a kid. The Crystal Method was also a big influence. I was a huge hip-hop head too, and grew up listening to Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Eyedea and Abilities….pretty much the whole Rhymesayers label. Today, my main influences are Pretty Lights, GRiZ, Big Gigantic, Bassnectar, Gramatik….too many to name actually. The whole EDM scene is very inspiring.
CM: We are huge fans of your remixes (Red Hot Chili Peppers, MIA, Umphrey’s McGee, an official Rebelution). What makes a specific track or artist more or less appealing to remix to you? MF: While a lot of my remixes come from my friend’s suggestions, the four you listed came about in many different ways. I usually like remixing tracks that have an official a cappella, like Dani California and Bad Girls. The Umphrey’s remix came about from a contest I entered over a year ago, and Umphrey’s provided the stems to the track. My friend Emily hooked up the stems for Rebelution. Basically, if there are stems or a capellas, I’m usually down to remix the track. I won’t remix Katy Perry though.
CM: You are an accomplished instrumentalists. What instruments do you play and have they ever been featured in a Manic Focus track? MF: Piano is my instrument. I can’t play everything I compose, but more often than not if you hear a piano or an organ, that’s me jamming on the track. I play the strings and synth lines on my keyboard too.
CM: You deffinetly have dedicated fans. How do you stay connected with them? How can they stay connected with you? MF: I try to stay connected to my fans by constantly releasing music. I definitely need to up my twitter game. Facebook is really the main way I stay connected with fans. I can also be contacted through my website.
CM: We have imagined you collaborating with a number of different artists. Will our dreams come true? MF: I sure hope so! I have yet to meet a lot of the guys I’d like to collab with, and the ones I have met seem to always be on the move, so there is very little time to socialize. I’m also very new to the scene and honestly feel like a bit of an outsider at the moment, but I have a feeling that will all change this year.
CM: 2012 was a big year for Manic Focus. You crushed Summer Set Music Festival, played a slew of dates with some other awesome artists, released a ton of amazing singles and remixes plus two albums, and ended 2012 with a huge show in Chicago for NYE with Big Gigantic and GRiZ. How do you plan to keep that high level of productivity up in 2013? MF: On NYE I asked Grant (GRiZ) for advice going into 2013, and he said “keep making music”, so I’ve been grinding hard to make as much music as I can. It can be tough to get in the zone sometimes, and its also easy to get burnt out on work, but listening to music while zoning out on Xbox surprisingly helps for coming up with ideas and refreshing my ears. I live a few blocks from Lake Michigan, so I’ll walk there on occasion to clear my head. I stumble a lot too. As much as I try to make deadlines for myself to finish tracks, rushing the creative process is usually a bad thing. It has to flow naturally. When inspiration strikes, I can get my ideas down pretty quickly. I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself to make bigger and better tracks, but I think I’ll be releasing some simpler beats in the near future just so I don’t get too strung out.
CM: You are joining Big Gigantic on a dozen dates next month, are you excited? MF: Hell yea! Its gonna be nuts!
CM: We heard you have some awesome news on the business end of Team Manic Focus. Can you leak anything to your fans yet? MF: 2013 will be crazy. I’ll be playing a lot more shows, and I can’t wait for festy season.
CM: What would be your dream studio setup? MF: Most of my studio is in my laptop, so other than a crazy beast of a laptop, I’d want some place with a awesome view and a mic facing the view so any singers or emcees I’d work with could take in the awesome view while recording.
CM: What equipment are you using in the studio and on stage now? MF: I mainly use an MPK49 and an APC40 to control Ableton and a bunch of plugins, but I’ve got an MPC1000, a KP3, and a bunch of other noise making/warping devices. On stage I’m currently using just my laptop and APC40, mainly because setup and takedown is easy, and it fits in my backpack. I’ve definitely got some tricks in the bag for down the line.
CM: What was your best memory of 2012? MF: The whole year was amazing, but NYE at the Aragon was surreal.
CM: What message is Manic Focus sending out to fans? MF: It doesn’t matter what religious, political, or social views you have, everyone gets down to Chumbawumba. I’ve seen it. Its ridiculous.
CM: Thanks brother! MF: Thanks for the interview! Download the music for free at manicfocus.com
Watch Manic Focus – Winter Tour 2013 with Big Gigantic Promo Video on YouTube:
Krewella is back with their second edition of their Troll Mix. Kicking major ass, Krewella features some of the biggest bangers from all over the world including many of their own hard hitting tunes and remixes. Krewella is releasing the mix series in honor of their huge upcoming performance at Ultra Music Festival this March. Check out the mix and be sure to grab your FREE download!
Listen and Download Krewella - Troll Mix Vol. 2 on Soundcloud:
TRACKLISTING:
Krewella – Killin’ It (STRATUS Remix) / Krewella Music LLC
Xilent – Touch Sound / Audioporn
Krewella – One Minute (Eliminate Remix) / Krewella Music LLC
Jillian Ann & MSD – Quiet Riot (Pegboard Nerds Remix) / Prime Dub
Joachim Garraud & Alesia – Atrium (Designer Drugs Remix) / Dimmak Records
Above & Beyond feat. Zoe Johnston – You Got To Go (Seven Lions Remix) / Ultra Records
Zedd – Scorpion Move (Krewella Remix) / N/A
Nero – Won’t You (Be There) (Baauer Remix) / MTA Records
Modestep – Show Me A Sign (Camo & Krooked Remix) / Polydor
Pendulum – Comprachicos / WM UK
Doctor P – Sweet Shop (Friction VS Camo & Krooked Remix) / Maximum Boost
Krewella – Come & Get It / Krewella Music LLC
Metrik – Freefall feat. Reija Lee / Viper Recordings
Rollz – Triple A / Pilot Records
Krewella – Can’t Control Myself (Protohype Remix) / Krewella Music LLC
Terravita – Spicy By the Glass / N/A
Popeska – Cowbell Boogie / N/A
Krewella & Pegboard Nerds – This Is Not the End / N/A
Chuckie & Junxterjack – Make Some Noise (GLOWINTHEDARK & Wax Motif Remix) / CR2 Records
Gent & Lawns – Turnup / N/A
Sleigh Bells – Demons (Diplo Remix) / N/A
Twinz Beatz – Kronos / Deal Records
Pegboard Nerds – Self Destruct / Monstercat
Porter Robinson & Mat Zo – Easy / Ministry of Sound
Topher Jones & Amada feat. Ido Vs. The World – Hello Chicago (Ashley Wallbridge Remix) / Ultra Records
Krewella – Play Hard / Krewella Music LLC
Porter Robinson – Unison (Mikkas Remix) / OWSLA
Krewella – Alive (Cash Cash & DJ Kalcutta Remix) / Krewella Music LLC
Don Diablo feat. Dragonette – Animale (Skitzofrenix Remix) / Sellout Sessions
A-Trak – Tuna Melt / Fools Gold
Candyland – Castle of Affair (feat. Peter Dawson) / Spinnin Records
NERVO & Hook N Sling – Reason (Cash Cash & The Jane Doze Remix) / Spinnin Records
Heartbreak & JWLS – Pimping / N/A
Clockwork – Squad Up (Torro Torro Remix) / Dimmak Records
Rihanna, The Bloody Beetroots – Cake Cake feat. Steve Aoki (Crizzly Remix) / N/A
Netsky – Detonate / Hospital Records
Krewella – Killin’ It (KillaGraham Remix) / Krewella Music LLC
Big Gigantic‘s popularity has sky rocketed in the last couple years. With a few albums and tours under their belt, Big G has perfected their performances and live sound. Featuring one of the largest light rigs touring in dance music, Big Gigantic brings the heat for each performance, so there’s no doubting that for New Year’s Eve, Big Gigantic partners Dominic Lalli and Jeremy Salken turned up the energy by tenfold! Boasting a sold out performance in Chicago, Big Gigantic captured the night and has now released the high energy, passionate video for all of us to get a little taste of what Big Gigantic can do on stage. Big G starts their National Winter Tour on the 29th and will be on the road (with Two Fresh, Kill Paris, and Manic Focus) up to Snowball and Buku Music Festivals where we anticipate their schedule to focus on a number of larger festivals! Enjoy the amazing video, we love this editing!
Watch Big Gigantic – NYE Aragon Ballroom: Winter Tour 2013 Official Video on Youtube:
Bassnectar premiered this heavy duty remix of the UK dance music power house Underworld’s track “Rez” in Nashville at his Bassnectar 360 event on New Year’s Eve during the ball drop. Live clips of the remix have been floating around the internet along with videos of the epic show since the first, and now Bassnectar has decided to let us hear the full track and will also drop it for digital download plus vinyl for all of his fans. Coming out officially on Feb. 12th, we are keeping our fingers crossed that this is just one of many tunes to be dropped from the Bassnectar camp early this year. Enjoy the tune, and be sure to grab your download in a few weeks!
Hit the road with Chicago’s rising edm sensation Krewella in their third installment of “KREWLIFE” and submerge yourself in their New Year’s Eve extravaganzas. The video focus on the quick rise of the strong trio. Speaking about hanging in the studio last NYE wishing for an appearance at Dallas’ Lights All Night festival to sharing the packed crowd of Lights All Night with all the fellow DJs they have admired for so long. Their quick rise in popularity is truly astonishing but when you listen you listen to their music and watch them perform, you realize why. They are really good at what they do and they have a passion for sharing it with the World. Expect ENORMOUS bounds to be hurdled by Krewella team in 2013! Oh and check out their sick Grassroots California hats!!!
Watch Krewella’s “KREWLIFE” Episode 3: NYE on YouTube:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcDs2kkIwAs&w=560&h=315]
At Dawn We Rage produced an edit of Rap game’s prodigy Kendrick Lamar and dropped it at their NYE events in Dallas for Lights All Night and Pittsburgh for Time Travel. The crowd really dug the trap tune so as New Year gift, they have decided to release the track for streaming and for download. Check it out. DRANK!
We are all so very lucky when STS9 decides to stream their tunes for us! Especially when it is from a night as special as New Year’s Eve. Sound Tribe Sector 9 ended 2012 with a sold-out three night run at Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium. All three nights were packed with special surprises and production that can even amaze the most avid Tribe fan. It was a pleasure to wake up this morning to STS9 posting “So It Goes”, “EB”, and an 11 minute version of “Monkey Man” all LIVE from NYE. ENJOY!
Given it was New Year’s Eve, there is never an excuse to disobey and disrespect a show by attacking the performer. In this case, a crazy (and probably wasted) fan at Bassnectar‘s 360 NYE event in Nashville, TN, climbed on stage and took a dive at the night’s direct support and Atlanta producer Treasure Fingers. Luckily, Treasure Fingers is a boss and can’t be distracted by such a clown. Apparently most the crowd had no clue anything like this happened and all the fans in the crowd were blown away by the night’s music. Check out Treasure Finger’s post via Instagram & Twitter from Jan. 1, the morning after the event. We sure hope this guy gets the black list from all future events!
Watch Crazed Fan Attack Treasure Fingers on Youtube:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBaPFs1ZgT0&w=560&h=315]
When we think of live music these days, its hard to not rank Big Gigantic as one of the growing greats.”We’re always just trying to learn from where we were at, from what we’ve done, and really try to push the envelope” expounds Big Gigantic producer and saxophonist Dominic Lalli, “Getting better, getting bigger, we’re definitely in that business.” Performing on a level that rivals any touring group in music today, Big Gigantic has gotten in the habit of doing things huge. On the front-end of their Winter Tour 2013, Dominic and drummer, Jeremy Salken are prepping for the biggest Big Gigantic tour yet. We had a minute to catch up with Dom yesterday and posted our phone Q&A below.
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