All posts by Dave Jurgens

About Dave Jurgens

Dave Jurgens is a writer and musician who has been a regular contributor to the Philippine News, Faces of Rock, and the Greensheet magazine and a guest writer for Schulz Army. He is currently at work on his first novel The Devil’s Orchard, a hard-boiled sci-fi story. Dave plays drums and lives in San Rafael, California with his wife Suzanne, three cats and their rabbit Lorenzo.

Facecdown Markus Schulz

Review: Markus Schulz Featuring Soundland “Facedown”

Markus Schulz has partnered with Kazibo on his latest track “Facedown” which features Soundland. The song is a remarkably ambitious musical turn for Schulz featuring an anthem indie art rock theme showing off yet another impressive side to his talent as a fresh and relevant modern songwriter. There are two versions of the song.

The acoustic version of the song begins with a hooky, catchy, jangly acoustic guitar riff surprisingly reminiscent of something you would hear an indie band playing at a coffee shop. A kick drum propels the song along at a head bobbing pace and then drops into a chill indie feel as vocals skillfully guide the track along on a journey that appears to tell the tale of a couple’s shattered dreams and unrealized ambitions. The main jackpot of the song is the subtle synth keyboards propelling it underneath which takes the listener on a beautiful emotional ride the sound of which reminds you of times riding unicorns and horses on a merry-go-round as a child.

The club mix of “Facedown” is even more ambitious. Once again the song begins with the same indie guitar riff but underneath it is Schulz’s synth keys out of the gate beginning to build the song soaring upward. A short time later the indie vocals kick in and the song soars higher but without any drums. And then the vocals stop and the keyboards shatter through the song building it higher and higher with bass and rising tension until a thick kick drum pulsates throughout the song making it irresistibly danceable. As it builds into a frenzy the song goes to a drop until once again it is just guitar, keys and the vocals which builds it up all over again. After the song builds for a while the song quite suddenly explodes once again into drums and a full orchestra of both real instruments and DJ beat magic. Only an artist of Schulz’s stature could have attempted something so musically innovative and unlike the character’s in his lyrics he has exceeded expectations quite handily.

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Website  | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | SoundCloud | Beatport | Spotify

 

KhoMha’s track “Hydra” featured in the New Jason Statham Movie ‘Wild Card’

 

KhoMha’s song Hydra is featured in the new Lionsgate film ‘Wild Card‘ starring Jason Statham, Stanley TucciSofia Vergara and Jason Alexander. Here’s a synopsis of the movie:

Nick Wild (Jason Statham) is a Las Vegas bodyguard with lethal professional skills and a personal gambling problem. When a friend is beaten by a sadistic thug, Nick strikes back, only to find out the thug is the son of a powerful mob boss. Suddenly Nick is plunged into the criminal underworld, chased by enforcers and wanted by the mob. Having raised the stakes, Nick has one last play to change his fortunes…and this time, it’s all or nothing.

The track “Hydra” begins dramatically with a build up which sounds like crowd horns from the World Cup, the drums continuously are staccato in doubles and triplets with the keyboards building into a crescendo until it explodes into a silky smooth, velvety pulsing rhythm.  The serene rhythm is interrupted with a boom and the song starts building with a psychedelic phasery rhythm sound and then transitions into the main hook of the song which is a beautiful hammer of triplets on the keyboards which makes you want to start dancing.

The hook fades away into a chill rhythm but not for long as the massive build up begins again which sounds like a jumbo jet screaming down a runway crossed with a wailing bomb siren  and a thudding bass drum.  The build creates more and more tension until a double bass drum fill smacks down and the main hook of the keyboards rises into the song, sounding like the namesake of the song itself–a mythological hydra, screaming and wailing away with sounds of beauty, making you want to jump up and dance as second rising keyboard builds the song to new levels of ecstasy.

KhoMha has taken his playing to yet another level with this track.  This song is definitely worth repeated listening and shows he is becoming a true master.

‘Wild Card’ will be out March 31st and available on Blu-Ray or DVD. Watch the movie now at select theaters or rent online:

iTunes
Amazon Instant Video
Google Play

KhoMha’s track “Hydra” is available at:
Beatport: http://bit.ly/clhr167bp
iTunes: http://bit.ly/clhr167itunes
Spotify: http://bit.ly/clhr167spotify

Review: Odesza Feat. Zyra – Say My Name (Markus Schulz Remix)

Markus Schulz’s remix of the song “Say My Name” by electronic duo Odesza features the singing of Zyra aka Alex Cheatle. Schulz’s remix immediately improves this chillstep track picking up the tempo with an infectious beat at 128 BPM making it danceable. The driving hi hat, kick drum beat gallops alongside a pulsing bass line that Schulz purposely never quite lines them up together, this creates a musical tension which later becomes released by a beautiful keyboard melody he layers on top of it, a few strategic hooky notes that form a melodic bridge to push the vocal melodies into the stratosphere.

The main singing hook is not even singing but her vocals at a variety of different keys that sounds like she is holding a note at different ranges. Zyra’s vocals are quite melodic, her singing is high and beautiful, chopped up like a beat that sprinkle into your ears like rain pattering on a roof top.

Lyrically the song appears to be talking about a girl waiting for someone to ask her to dance, “I wanna dance with you, so take a chance.” Unfortunately no one is asking her to dance and so she sits alone feeling like she has a scarlet letter on her like an outcast, “Cause nobody knows it better than the girl in the corner with the scarlet letter and while you’re watching you may think that she doesn’t matter but no one knows you better.” We’ve all been there and we can all relate which is what makes this song an instant classic.

“Say My Name (feat. Zyra)” remixed by Markus Schulz is from the full-length album ‘In Return’, out now on Counter Records (an imprint of Ninja Tune).

Available now on Beatport Odesza feat. Zyra – Say My Name (Markus Schulz Remix)

 

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Lyrics:
I wanna go
So what’d you say
When you gonna let me know
If you give a damn about me

‘Cause you got my hands tied
In my defense
I always fall for confidence
And your compliments look good on me

Cause nobody knows it better
than the girl in the corner with the scarlet letter
And while you’re watching you may think that she doesn’t matter
But no one knows you better

I wanna dance
I wanna dance
I wanna dance with you
So take a chance
take a chance

Oh yeah

I need a sign or a signal
I’ve overthought everything I can think of
Into symbol
I need the coat and your jacket
And the remnants of your cigarette packet

I wanna go
So what’d you say
When you gonna let me know
If you give a damn about me

‘Cause you got my hands tied
In my defense
I always fall for confidence
And your compliments look good on me

Cause nobody knows it better
than the girl in the corner with the scarlet letter
and while you’re watching you think that she doesn’t matter
but no one knows you better

I wanna dance
I wanna dance
I wanna dance with you
So take a chance
take a chance

Oh yeah

Review of New World Punx at A State of Trance 600 New York City

After seeing KhoMha’s show on a Friday in March in New York City, I was excited to see the super duo New World Punx (NWP), consisting of Markus Schulz and Ferry Corsten play at a State of Trance 600 on Saturday. The show sold out in one hour at Madison Square Garden, a massive arena which hosts the biggest sporting events in New York, a sign of just how big trance music has suddenly become today.

Markus Schulz is often described as a DJ’s DJ, a musician who fellow DJs study, imitate and admire due to his amazing skill, vast technical mastery and hooky, vibrant compositions. Schulz was named America’s Best DJ of 2012 by DJ Times.

Madison Square Garden was completely packed to the ceiling with crazy, berserk, screaming fans after I arrived and the show started.  At one point, right before NWP came on, the entire sound system blew up, dying for a tense 10 minutes during which time the crowd nearly turned into a mob. Fortunately the sound was restored quickly and everything was good.

NWP’s set was visceral, ethereal, dark and memorizing. The percussive keyboard style of the group was present in almost every element in their arrangements. At one point, the keyboards turned into a heavy, crushing bass that felt like it was going to vibrate your atoms apart.

New World Punx ASOT 600 Made Event

If Markus is dark than Ferry is light. Their two styles contrast and compliment each other quite nicely much like fire and oxygen. Their set twisted and deftly turned on so many hair pin, musical dimes it made you feel dizzily breathless. Unlike many DJs which just play the same old, tired riff over and over again, NWP didn’t have a set of songs, but instead an aggressive and sophisticated, series of hooks which could have been the basis for a 100 separate songs by themselves. The massive output was mind boggling and it is no wonder that Schulz has played long sets for hours and hours as a solo artist, together the group is a bottomless well of rich ideas.

The light show was hypnotic, an unreal hyper kinetic collection of images that made you feel as though you were in a higher, more enlightened state of transcendental being. It was like staring divinity in the face, both the devil and the angel together in one space, one group, until it was good, much like day and night coexisting to create a full normal day.

It’s no wonder that A State of Trance is one of the most successful world tours today. At the show, NWP not only showcased the future of trance but also set the standard for all live performing acts. If you have not seen NWP perform live it is recommended that you check them out when they come to town.

New Word Punx at ASOT 600 NYC

 

KhoMha Kontrol The takeover of the Sullivan Room NYC

KhoMha, the brilliant, young, rising star of Coldharbour Records was playing at the Sullivan Room on a Friday in March in New York City.  Being in town from San Francisco for A State of Trance 600 New York and looking for something to do, I decided to check him out.  KhoMha was discovered at age 21 when he opened  up for the legendary DJ Markus Schulz.  The feedback I had heard of KhoMha was that he could be the next of King of Trance and even one day as big as Markus Schulz, so I decided to find out for myself if his live performance lived up to the hype.

(Picture courtesy of TranceInNY)

At 1 am the club was packed and it seemed like the crowd was just beginning to get alive like a bunch of zombies waking from the dead.  That is when KhoMha took the stage.  The other DJs had gotten polite cheers and mild applause but when KhoMha started playing the crowd exploded with approval and applause, roaring like a blood thirsty pack of Vikings.

KhoMha’s set was fresh and relentlessly energetic–constantly hammering the delighted, dancing and bouncing  crowd with many unexpected, eye popping wondrous soundscapes that constantly left you breathlessly off guard and always guessing what was coming next.  The crowd roared and screamed the whole time as though they were on a roller coaster at Magic Mountain, except here the magic was from the man KhoMha.

Building ever higher and higher, the DJ worked his fans into a boil of excitement, delivering a performance of increasing musical intensity exploding across the dance floor like visceral bombshells. The man at the DJ deck seemed possessed. Despite the club’s very small size, KhoMha’s music was grand, transcending the physical boundaries of all things and places, emotionally making you feel as though you had been transported into a huge arena show due to the ambitious, risk taking in his music.

The polyrhythmic complexities which frequently appeared in the set clearly  show a twist of a modern, Latin, South American influence from KhoMha who was born in Medellin, Colombia.  The fiery, intense set kept going long after the club closed at 4 am with the crowd begging for more.  If the crowd had its way, the music would still have been playing after the sun came up.

Is KhoMha worth checking out?  Definitely and highly recommended to any trance fan looking for something new and fresh!  How does KhoMha stack up compared to other  artists?  Find out when I post my review about ASOT600NYC.
Here’s a short video of KhoMha from TranceinTOR:
And another video from Dj Wants: