Tag Archives: Review

New Music Review: Klauss Goulart – Absolute Chaos E.P.

It’s a welcome return to a familiar face for regular Coldharbour Recordings followers. Klauss Goulart carves an E.P. full of grooves, energy and catchy melodies. With previous bangers under his belt such as “Turbulence” and “No Man’s Land”, Klauss Goulart presents his first work for the label in over two years.

The first track on this E.P. is “Absolute Chaos”. This track off the bat starts with a nice solid beat to draw you in before fizzling out and turning into a driven mid section. The thing that really brought this together for me personally was the hollow knocking sound overlaying the synth, a very nice touch. The last half of this track has a very big room sound. When I dropped this song at my last show the magic happened all through out the track, but the last-minute is when the dance floor erupted. Klauss is right on track with this song and it came together perfectly.

Next track is “Legions (Original Mix)” which will catch the attention of the big room lovers, with a tough rugged bassline and an unrelenting melody boasting plenty of power. I have to say, playing this at a venue on a professional sound system sounds amazing. This track is the definition of a driving dance beat. It kept the club goers moving and smiling when “Legions” was played during my set. Klauss also throws in a true trance fell at the end of the track which shows how much talent is within him. Not only do I see “Legions” as one of my favorites, but I see this song providing many smiles for crowds in the near future. Once again great work!

The last track on this E.P. “Nayana (Original Mix)” has the most true trance feel for me. Such a great way to showcase that Klauss has so many aspects of blissful sound to give. The first time I heard this track was during Global DJ Broadcast and I feel in love immediately. This track has my favorite build of any on the E.P.  This is what I like to call a “Hands Up” song. So many melodic harmonies just make you want to close your eyes and disappear into trance heaven. I can only hope to hear this song at a festival to get the true feel of what a song like this can do to a crowd. I actually closed my show last night with this song and it felt like everyone was amazed with the sound and the heart put into this track.

The Absolute Chaos E.P. is a great showcase of all the amazing talent that Klauss Goulart has. This E.P. I believe covers almost every sound of great trance there is. “Nayana” is my personal favorite but with these three tracks its hard to pick.

Take a listen below and be sure to purchase the Absolute Chaos E.P. on Beatport or iTunes.

Follow Klauss Goulart:
Website:  www.klaussgoulart.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/officialklaussgoulart
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KlaussGoulart
YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/klaussgoulart
SoundClound:  https://soundcloud.com/klaussgoulart
Beatport:  http://www.beatport.com/artist/klauss-goulart/110696
iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/pt/artist/klauss-goulart/id322915186

New Release Review: KhoMha – Hydra E.P.

KhoMha remains as one of the most exciting new talents of dance music and the year 2013 will have provided the Colombian wonder with plenty of memories. The Hydra E.P. rounds off an incredible 12 months for Mr. Roberto Alzate Pasos. With several Coldharbour Nights before the year rounds out, he isn’t finished on his pursuit of ascension just yet.

“Hydra” is a good track from the get-go. With a nice initial build, this track goes into a minimal preview of the end of the track. The synth sound in particular is very  inspiring. It’s what I like to call a “hands up”  sound and after one listen you can understand why. The second build in this track is where it really started to happen for me. After the drop you can hear the original line from the first portion of the track with a big room sound added. Overall I would say this is a solid track by KhoMha.

The next track on E.P. is “Drummer”. This track is a very driving, with a sound that you just want to hear on an impressive festival sound system. Again, KhoMha impresses with another great mid line to this track. The musical engineering going on here is quite impressive. KhoMha makes musical masterpieces like this really come to life with his never-ending twists that will keep drawing you in for another listen. I have to admit, I listened to this track a few times and each time I heard something different that made the track better. I see this becoming the base for some great trance remixes.

Now on to the last track “Kadence”, which is one of my personal favorites on this E.P. From the beginning this track has festival and club written all over it. This is one of those tracks, that when played the crowd will just erupt. The first 60 seconds of this track is the definition of what a driving beat is. When the mid synth kicks in you can’t help but to smile when you here the magic happening in your ears. Once that drive is over, “Kadence” kicks back in with a similar beat as to the first minute but with a more hollowed out punching sound. I see this track becoming a staple at many festivals and clubs as a go to trance track.

This E.P. is perfect for every listener. No matter what you are looking for it can be found in the Hydra E.P. I played each of these tracks at my show last night and the crowd reaction was very good. The two tracks that seemed to hit it off the most was “Kadence” and “Drummer”.

Great job on the Hydra E.P. KhoMha!

You can purchase the Hydra E.P. on Beatport by clicking here.

New Release Review: Markus Schulz – Remember This

Markus Schulz has delivered another fantastic track, this time under W&W’s Mainstage Music label.

“Remember This” has a phenomenal sound from the very beginning. The build in this track is short and sweet, leading right into the speaker crunching sound that is a surefire way to get people buzzing at any show or festival. You can close your eyes and almost picture that huge Markus Schulz smile as he watches the crowd erupt to this blissful track.

The mid portion has an inspiring and invigorating sound that will uplift anyone listening to this track. As much as I liked the first minute with the hard-hitting festival sound, the middle and end of the track drew me in twice as much. You can feel the passion that was put into every bit of this by Markus Schulz.

“Remember This” is already making huge headway and after one listen any trance lover could understand why. I actually played this track at my show on Friday night and the club goers responded just as I thought they would, smiling faces and dancing feet. Thanks Markus for confirming yet again why we all love your music so much!

You can now purchase “Remember This” on Beatport by clicking here.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/117918354″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Markus Schulz and The M Machine UStream Q&A

Markus Schulz and The M Machine spent about a half hour on UStream doing a Q&A. The first video has the beginning to end, some of which probably wasn’t supposed to be broadcast at the beginning and end but it was so we’ll post it! At the end there’s talk about a possible second show at Avalon in LA on May 12th since the first show sold out quick.

Here’s a few things discussed in the broadcast:

  • Music getting better over time
  • Memorable shows in Buffalo (which SchulzArmy was a part of and reviewed here: http://bit.ly/ZYtGK7), Charlotte
  • How the tour has been going
  • Bringing a big stage on tour
  • Challenges of the tour
  • How this tour and come together
  • KhoMha paying his dues and that he loves Daft Punk

And more!

Video streaming by Ustream

If the above embedded video happens to disappear here’s the portion that was supposed to be broadcast:

Video streaming by Ustream

Review: Scream Bus Tour Slaying at the Lizard Lounge in Dallas

Operation: Unicorn Slayer
Review of Markus Schulz – Lizard Lounge Dallas Show April 19, 2013

I boarded the plane to Dallas with high anticipation and excitement knowing that I was going to see Markus Schulz perform. This was my first Markus Schulz show, and it will not be my last. I posed with the SchulzArmy flag before the doors opened for the night and people really were receptive to me. I felt like a rock star or something like that. I got my ticket and went in shortly after 9.

The Lizard Lounge, for those who have never been, is a great club. The atmosphere is very gothic and full of energy. The staff was extremely nice to me. I managed to get a sneak peek of the Scream World Tour Merchandise (at that moment, we were not allowed to purchase anything yet as they were still getting situated). Having the SchulzArmy flag certainly made me feel proud. I had pictures galore taken of me holding it.

Being that the main floor wasn’t open just yet, we were ushered into the video room and was instantly greeted by monitors blazing visuals set to the music. I considered that a warm up of sorts.

Finally! We were all told that we could enter the main floor and we were allowed to purchase merchandise. First of all, I hit the merchandise area and purchased the Unicorn Slayer shirt, Markus Schulz tank top, and also a Scream CD for him to sign after the show. After I paid for the goodies ($45), I went to the main floor.

The local DJs who were in support of the show (Kids With Weapons, Johnny Funk) went first. Their sets were pretty good, but more techno styled mixed with familiar dance tunes. They played for a while for sure. During the Kids With Weapons set, the sound went out causing the crowd to be unhappy. The DJ looked mortified, but once the sound came back, the club was hopping again!

The M Machine Scream Bus Tour Dallas Lizard Lounge

The M Machine was next to perform. Now, I am not too familiar with their music, but I was highly impressed by their set. The music was brilliant. Lots of complex layers and sounds, highs, lows, and everything in between. On the LED screen, The M Machine’s logo was bright and bold. They apparently designed the graphics for the show. I have to say that the graphics had an industrial, Pink Floyd – The Wall, feel to them. People were having a great time!

Next, the Unicorn Slayer himself went on stage. The crowd went NUTS. When Markus said that the LED screen was so bright that it could give someone a suntan, he was not lying! His logo flashed brightly across the screen followed by the Scream World Tour logo. I felt the heat coming off that screen. Maybe I should have packed sunscreen as well?

His set was magical. He played Scream, Caught, Tempted, Fusion, Love Rain Down, Loops n Tings, Perception, and the ASOT 600 Anthem – The Expedition and other tunes. Someone was bouncing this gigantic orange/red inflatable dinosaur throughout the crowd. Markus managed to take this dino (more like confiscated it) and put his headphones on it. I never thought I would witness a Markus Schulz b2b with DJ Dino.

Markus Schulz Scream Bus Tour Lizard Lounge

A fan next to me threw a luchador mask at Markus. Markus was so happy that he put it on and continued his show for a few minutes before taking it off. The fan was so excited that he and I hopped up and down in happiness and I handed out #SchulzArmy bracelets to him and his friends.

Another highlight of the show was all these inflatable unicorns in the show. I have no idea where they all got them, but they were cute. Markus was handed one during the show, but he gave it right back to the fan.

Adina Butar was there for Caught. Her long hair was up in a high, sleek ponytail and she wore a USA themed bra with black leather looking leggings and her spiked heels. She is so beautiful, angelic even. During the song, she twirled, danced, and even blew kisses to me twice! Being that she is my favorite trance vocalist, I was totally blown away by that. I love her even more now!

Markus Schulz Scream Bus Tour Lizard Lounge

The end of his set was shortly after. I managed to get to the area where he was doing autographs and meeting fans. When I met him, I felt at ease. He made me feel important. I had him sign my SchulzArmy flag, Fluffy, the unicorn, the Scream CD, and a book. I also gave him my #SchulzArmy bracelet! I asked if Adina could come see me and Markus motioned for her to come down the stairs. I was about to take a picture of her and she told me that isn’t the way it is done. She took my camera, came up close to me, and took the picture herself of us. I told her that she was beautiful and she told me that I was too. Before I left, I made sure to give Markus a gigantic hug. Trust me, I did not even care that he was sweaty. I made sure to tell him thank you for being who he is.

I didn’t stick around for much of KhoMha’s set, but the beginning was spectacular. Needless to say, he has an incredible future ahead of him. Markus knows talent when he sees it!

Some of the crowd went outside to this hot dog vendor to get some hot dogs, water, snacks, etc… I met Ben Swardlick of The M Machine. He bought everyone hot dogs and cut up with us for a while. Funny guy!

Bottom line is this; Markus Schulz really is an amazing person. I am super glad to be a fan of his. I am even more grateful that he treats his fans like they are all special and important. His blue eyes sparkle and his smile is infectious. He says he finds inspiration from his fans. Well, after this set, he has inspired me.

Review: Behind the Scenes of the Markus Schulz Scream Bus Tour in Buffalo

The Scream Bus Tour featuring Markus Schulz, KhoMha and The M Machine stopped in Buffalo on April 12, 2013 for the third stop on the bus tour and to say it was an experience would be an understatement. The event was held in the Grand Ballroom which is inside of Statler City, a large 19 floor hotel that was built in 1923. The hotel portion has been closed for nearly 30 years with the lower floors just seeing new life within the past few years thanks to developer Mark D. Croce. The Scream Bus Tour was the first event of it’s kind to be held in the Grand Ballroom and based on how the night went it won’t be the last.

This is what the Statler City Golden Ballroom typically looks like for weddings.
This is what the Statler City Golden Ballroom typically looks like for weddings.

The only thing I had planned for the day was to check out the setup early in the afternoon, meet some friends for dinner and then dance the night away once the doors opened later in the night. What really happened was getting a behind the scenes experience of the nearly nine hour setup along with wandering around parts of the hotel with Markus Schulz and KhoMha and then driving them to Niagara Falls along with Adina Butar.

I’ve worked with the promoter in the past, Factory Nightlife, so I had arranged to arrive at the venue early in the afternoon to be a fly on the wall to write about the setup process right through to the end of the night but they needed an extra hand so I was put to work. I helped move LED panels, wheel crates back to the storage area, carry in the co2 canisters for the confetti canons and label the wires running from the decks to the soundboard. What if I accidentally put two on the end of one chord and three at the other end and the sound was all messed up? What if I dropped and broke an LED panel and screwed up the whole wall? What if I tripped over a laptop cord and busted someones computer? I’ve done all of these things before and more but those thoughts crossed my mind with a tour of this size, no pressure!

After getting a little dirty it was time to head to another room where Markus Schulz and KhoMha and their crew were finishing eating lunch when out of nowhere and a random speaker in the room some Frank Sinatra started playing. The music encouraged everyone to go check out the rest of the building since stories had spread of it being haunted so curiosity was peaked. We went up a pitch black stairwell and into some hotel rooms that haven’t been used in over 30 years. There wasn’t any electricity for lights, just sun light through the windows and flashlight apps on our phones. It was like going back in time especially in a room with what appeared to be an old switchboard. The film crew had joined them at this point as well to film the after lunch portion of the day so hopefully parts of that make the final cut of the tour documentary.

Markus Schulz and KhoMha in front of an old wiring panel.
Markus Schulz and KhoMha in front of an old wiring panel.

After wandering around the venue it was time to drive them to visit Niagara Falls! You would think that a DJ ranked #13 in the world and his small crew would ride in the comfort of large comfortable SUV’s but they had no complaints getting into two small Honda Civics for the ride. The only request for the drive was heat! Spring had not yet arrived in Buffalo. It was just a quick trip to check out Niagara Falls, take a couple pictures and then get back to the venue for dinner and sound check before the doors opened.

Adina Butar, Markus Schulz, Sarah Gianetto, KhoMha, Keith Wozniak, Sarah Rocklin
Representing the ShulzArmy at one of the world’s most famous natural wonders.

As the crew was finishing the construction of the stage there was also a charity event running from 5:30 pm until 8:30 pm using the entire floor that would become the dance floor at 10 pm. It was a bizarre situation to see the room go from business professionals singing karaoke to ravers dancing up a storm. The nearly 14 hours that I spent at the venue sure did make me appreciate everything that goes into these events a whole lot more.

The charity event was over and cleaned up and it was now time for sound check which had been scheduled for 9 pm but things weren’t quite ready yet. Markus Schulz arrived and patiently waited to make sure everything was good to go and stood back watching the venue workers get the floor setup finished. There was a sense of urgency to get it all going but no panic from everyone, just patience in getting everything finished properly. The CDJ’s were plugged in, the sound was tuned, the LED panels were tweaked, wires were covered up, crowd microphones were taped down and the thumbs up that everything was a go was finally given a few minutes after 10 pm and time for the doors to open.

The M Machine went on around 11:30 pm after a local by the name of Jesse Aaron warmed up the crowd. I had heard a number of tracks by The M Machine but never a full set from start to finish. There were some people that seemed a little surprised by the dubstep sounds they played at times but they fit in well of warming up the crowd for Markus Schulz. The M Machine had people jumping at times but overall set the mood with some electro/industrial like groovy beats before the slaying was to start.

When the clock finally got to 12:30 am the room was ready for Markus Schulz. The fast paced two hour set didn’t waste any time jumping into the unicorn slaying sounds of Romper and Loops & Tings early in the set. Hearing Romper live and loud makes it even better in person. It’s great hearing it through your headphones or speakers but in a club it’s a monster of a tune, can’t wait to hear it at a festival. The same could be said of the New World Punx remix of Binary Finary’s trance classic 1998. That’s another track that completely fills the room. Live Forever featuring Aruna by Ferry Corsten was another track that stood out in the set. The stalker anthem, Nothing Without Me had the entire room singing along as did Scream with the voice of Ken Spector and everyone singing “I can’t scream any louder” at the same time. Markus also played the new remix of The New World which was the only tune I recall that he also played in 2010 when he was last in Buffalo. The two hour set was filled a lot more tracks that had everyone dancing up a sweat. This was a set that will be remembered by anyone who was in the building. There’s a recap video at the end of this article.

The original set times had listed Markus to play until 3 am but at 2:30 am he picked up the microphone and thanked the crowd, stated it had been a long two years since he had been in town and then handed over the stage to KhoMha. This was the first time that the time slots had been changed up on the tour and I didn’t hear any complaints from the crowd. KhoMha closing the night instead of opening was a real treat.

KhoMha didn’t waste any time having the crowd KhoMhatized for the last hour and a half until the lights went on at 4 am. The dark and dirty bass lines that come from the tracks that KhoMha plays are what works crowds into a frenzy. Tracks he has produced like Dusk Riddles, Dejavu and Vapour are tunes that will move a dance floor every time. Two other notable tracks that were played were No Saint Out of Me by Orjan Nilsen and the classic iiO Rapture. After his set he came down to the barrier for those still waiting around and took pictures, signed autographs and was genuinely appreciative of all the love given to him by those on the dance floor. It’s easy to see why Markus has taken him under his wing and brought him along on the tour.

The day and night was an amazing adventure. It was a pleasure handing out #SchulzArmy Down the Rabbit Hole We Go bracelets to others that I met throughout the night and all of the pictures taken with the Schulz Army flag. Thanks to Factory Nightlife, Statler City and the entire Scream Bus Tour crew for a great day.

Here’s a recap of the two hour Markus Schulz set from the night:

Updated:

In a recent UStream broadcast the Buffalo show was discussed by Markus Schulz and The M Machine:

Watch the whole UStream broadcast here.

Review: Markus Schulz at the Palladium in Chicago

From EDM Sauce about Markus Schulz in Chicago on April 5, 2013

A dedicated fan on the main floor held up a unicorn head on a stick, and the unicorn head later made its presence on the main stage and within Markus’s hands, proceeded to bob up and down wearing his headphones. Tracks off of Markus’s Scream album – “Love Rain Down,” “Scream” and “Loops and Tings” – as well as “The Expedition,” “Rotunda” and one of my favorites from the night, “Mammoth” by Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, kept the crowd going on their feet for hours.

Read the rest of the review.

Share Your Pics, Videos and Write a Review for SchulzArmy

The Scream Bus Tour starts today in Boston and SchulzArmy.com is looking for soldiers in every city to write reviews for us along with sharing pictures and videos. The reviews can be a long essay or it can be a couple paragraphs. Tell the rest of the world about the venue, the sound, lights and of course the type of set that Markus Schulz, KhoMha and The M Machine plays including any local support as well.

Make sure to use the official hashtag #MarkusBusTour if you’re on Twitter and it can’t hurt to use #SchulzArmy as well.

What do you get? The chance to help grow the army by sharing stories of dance floor mayhem and unicorn slaying. This site is just getting started and we’re looking for you to help us grow. This is one army that should dominate the globe! We may also send you a #SchulzArmy bracelet as well.

We’ll be watching the #MarkusBusTour and we’re always watching the #SchulzArmy hashtags as well. If you’d like to write a review send us an email to info@schulzarmy.com to let us know what city you’ll be in along with whatever you write.

 

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:

Review of Invite Only Event with Markus Schulz at Ruby Skye

Private party featuring Markus Schulz?  You better believe a member of the Schulz Army was in attendance!  The event was the Wargaming GDC 2013 party celebrating their 15th anniversary, more info about them here http://www.wargaming.net/

The crowd inside of Ruby Skye was pretty big by the time I got in around 10:30 but by 1 am only the hard core fans had not been slayed. As Markus’ set started many people in the crowd didn’t seem to know who he was,  it appeared to be their first introduction to his style of  progressive trance.  There was one guy who had travelled from Miami and missed him at Ultra and Mansion and was extremely happy to see him since he is such a huge fan!

Markus Schulz Ruby Skye 1

Markus played a two hour set with a lot of peak hour tunes and others that he usually plays at festivals.  Staples like Apache, Nothing Without Me and Loops & Tings.  Instead of going down the rabbit hole a rabbit appeared for a brief moment with an appearance of the song The Man with the Red Face.  Excellent saxophone in that classic track.

Markus got on the microphone at the end of his set and closed the night with, “Thank you guys for coming out. An amazing party tonight. You guys were really really great. Thank you guys so much. Thank you for having me and I can’t wait to see you somewhere out there.”

I got to speak to him for a moment (security was aggressive to get people to leave the club so he only got in a few pictures). I told him my tour de Markus had kicked off and he said, “Don’t get bored.”  Getting bored seeing Markus Schulz five times within 10 days is not possible.  I’ll also be at A State of Trance 600 New York, the Pacha after party, Bal en Blanc in Montreal and POP 2013 in Oakland.  If you’ll be at any of those events as well look for the Schulz Army flag at each location and say hi!

Some of you may be asking, how did I get into the event?  Showed up and got lucky enough just asking.