Midnight Conspiracy and Cenob1te have joined forces to create the all seeing, all powerful, all mind-blowing EYE. This ELECTRO BANGER was built to control the minds of massive crowds through the powers of heavy drops, dirty bass and haunting vocals. Available now on Beatport by way of Manufactured Music, The Eye is the work of two-thirds of the collaborative trio that is DEAD FAME, which includes Midnight Conspiracy, Cenob1te and Kris Barman from the legendary Innerparty System, so keep an “eye” out (that just happened) for more DEAD FAME collaborations. For more info about the Chicago based production duo Midnight Conspiracy, check em out on Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud! Don’t forget to check out our exclusive interview with the crew after the jump!

Midnight Conspiracy & CENOB1TE – The Eye (Original) by Midnight Conspiracy

Recently Gem caught up with Midnight Conspiracy on a roof-top at the iconic Bar Smith’s “Sticky Fingers!“  party in the heart of downtown Phoenix. Check out Gem’s interview with them below, and make sure you check out midnight-conspiracy.com and catch them on tour, because their live sets are a can’ t miss event!

What is the weirdest thing that has happened on the road?
DJ booths can get pretty crowded with girls dancing up on you and spilling drinks all over the equipment. Sometimes you just have to ram your ass into them to create more space, but this one time in San Francisco as we were playing, I backed into this girl to create some space and then I turned around to see her giving our friend a… Read More

Exclusive Midnight Conspiracy Interview with Bangerz Only

Mere months ago, if you were to find yourself discussing the “future” of Electronic Dance Music, the name Mikkas is one that would have certainly been brought up. Fast forward a few months and with the bangin’ Syndrome EP release via Big Fish Recordings as well as his chart topping remix of Porter Robinson’s – Unison, ripping up Beatport, it has become quite apparent that the future is officially NOW for the 25 year old Danish producer. We recently caught up with Mikkas to delve into his world of balancing label deadlines with a full college course load, future projects, production software and much more. Get to know one of our favorite producers even better by looking him up on Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud and of course mikkasmusic.com! Interview after the jump!
Mikkas – Syndrome (Original Mix) by MikkasMusic

Porter Robinson – Unison (Mikkas Remix) PREVIEW by MikkasMusic

INTERVIEW:

Bangerz Only: What is your musical background and what ultimately led you to producing dance music?

Mikkas: My musical background is probably as limited as it gets, which should be a good indicator that anyone can start producing. I started producing when I was around 12 years old with no musical knowledge other than my immense passion for music and sound. I didn’t play an instrument and I really didn’t feel the need to play one at that moment. If I could go back now though, I’d love to learn to play the piano or maybe the cello.

I don’t really remember listening to anything else than electronical music back then – I absolutely LOVED guys like Vangelis and of course the great Jean Michel Jarre. The melodies these guys could create was spot on for me, but it was first when I heard the likes of Cosmic Gate and Rank 1 to name a few that I felt a sudden urge to make something like this for myself. That perfect blend of strong kicks and driving basslines combined with beautifully crafted melodies just hit a nerve with me. If I were to say it very short, Cosmic Gate is the reason I started producing EDM (Electronical Dance Music).  

Bangerz Only: You produce in multiple genres including Electro-House, Trance and Progressive. Do you have a favorite genre, and why?

Mikkas: If you had asked me this question a couple of years ago the answer would have been Trance and more precisely in the harder spectrum of Trance. Today it’s much more difficult to answer because so much have evolved in every genre. Trance has become slower and much more progressive over the time, while a lot of House has become much more melodic. All genres are borrowing from each other, and this is also why we see so many sub genres at the moment. Trouse WTF!? Right now I really dig the Electro scene, and especially tracks that have a melodic touch. For me it is important that a track isn’t just great as a club track, it should also be something I could listen to while I’m riding the train or walking in the park. Maybe I’m just getting old but I absolutely loathe Dutch House, since it doesn’t do anything melodically for me.

Bangerz Only: Rumors are flying around Twitter that you and Lucky Date have a collaboration in the works. Is there any truth to that and can you elaborate?

Mikkas: Haha rumours travel fast I see! Jordan and I both use Propellerhead Reason as our production tool which is pretty rare in this business, so it was only natural for us to get in contact. I really like what he has gotten out of Reason so I wouldn’t deny the opportunity to work with him in the future. Right now we are just playing around with the idea of doing a collab, so nothing concrete is in the works if that is what you’re asking .

Bangerz Only: You are starting to get the chart success that you deserve. For all of the up and coming producers reading this, describe what it’s like to finally see your name on the Beatport charts?

Mikkas: It’s great and all but at the same time it feels a bit shallow to tell you the truth. The charts are just a popularity contest and it doesn’t really express the quality in the music. Some would say that quality can be measured in popularity, which can be true, but what if some tracks aren’t even considered in the charts? A site like Beatport manages which labels that are allowed to have releases featured on their site, which is understandable because they want to make sure that their site contains the best of the best, but who are they to judge? Shouldn’t this be the costumers choice? If I hadn’t just released my remix of “Unison” and signed “Syndrome” to a well renowned label like Big Fish, I bet “Syndrome” wouldn’t even have entered the Top 100. So much for faith in my own music huh? But with that said, I am really appreciative that people are starting to notice me more, and I have to remember that marketing is a very important thing in this business.

Bangerz Only: Without giving away all of your secrets, tell us why Reason is your favorite production tool?

Mikkas: I “grew up” with Reason and that probably has a big thing to do with it. Normally I’m not scared of changes but every time I work in fx Cubase I don’t get that certain feeling of playfulness that Reason has. The way that you have a virtual rack that you can flip around and plug in the virtual wires is just such a fun way to visualize your tracks. Also I love that everything you need is in this program, you don’t really need all those fancy vst’s to create great sounding music. It forces you to be creative in a way that I don’t feel in other production tools. A lot of producers today use programs that support vst plugins and by using Reason I think I am automatically separating myself, thus making my music sound unique, since I can’t use Massive and Sylenth. J Vst plugins are awesome though, don’t get me wrong!

Bangerz Only: Your most recent release was a massive remix of Porter Robinson’s – Unison off his Spitfire EP. How did you hook up with Porter Robinson as well as Skrillex’s new label OWSLA? Describe your experience working with some of the biggest names in EDM.

Mikkas: I’ve known Porter for many years through underground music forums and we have always had a mutual respect for each other and our music, so when Porter approached me regarding making a remix for his new EP I was of course honored, I would have done the same for him. To be featured on this EP beside some of the biggest players in this business is a massive pat on the back from Porter and I am very grateful for that. He even told me I could choose to remix either “Unison”, “Vandalism” or “The Seconds”.

Bangerz Only: Your Syndrome EP was an absolute masterpiece. What ultimately led you to signing the EP with Big Fish Recordings and how did you decide who would do the remixes?

Mikkas: Thank you! Well, I actually sent my track to Porters managers and Porter of course and they hooked me up with Lazy Rich and his label Big Fish. It’s a great label that helps out a lot of aspiring producers and has an excellent reputation in the Electro scene, so releasing “Syndrome” through Big Fish was only natural. The remixes were the labels choice, I didn’t really know both Michael White or Atomic Drop but they all did a solid piece of rework on “Syndrome”.

Bangerz Only: Who are your biggest inspirations in life and music?

Mikkas: It’s really hard to answer this question without the regular tacky answers. Let’s just say that the people next to me inspire me. Music and movies inspire me. My music is very often inspired by other producers and composers which I think is very common. I love when producers push the boundaries and dare try something new which is something I also try in my music. Sometimes I like to shake things up and produce something completely different from what I normally do. It’s good exercise and who knows, maybe something unique can come from it? 

Bangerz Only: Do you have any upcoming plans for a touring?

Mikkas: It is so damn tempting to just quit school and tour the world playing my own music – it would be a dream come true – but my inner sensible voice keeps telling me to wait until I’ve finished my education as a digital performance designer. I live in Denmark and most of my booking offers are in the US, so going there would take a lot of my time, so I either need to wait until I’ve got my degree or quit completely. I am done in a year, so when the time comes I will be touring the world. Can’t wait to rip peoples ears off.

Out today on Bazooka Records and available for purchase via Beatport, Dallask’s highly anticipated new single, Jupiter is primed blow up dance-floors and take over the Electro House charts.  The 20 year old Floridian has been tearing it up recently, with countless remixes, the hugely successful Front/Back EP, and now the release of Jupiter, a track that could easily become his biggest success to date. We recently caught up with DallasK for a quick interview to find out more about one of our favorite producers. For even more information on DallasK, be sure to follow him on Facebook, Twitter & Soundcloud. Make sure you pick up this release by purchasing it from Beatport and supporting a producer who has provided us with countless FREE bangerz to share! purchase link

Los Angeles based production duo Liberty burst onto the electro house scene with their redux of Vindata’s – Night Sky (purchase remix here). The redux was the highlight of an EP filled with great remixes, and almost over night the track exploded across the blogosphere and was recently named a top 10 must hear indie dance track by Beatport. Anxious to prove that they were not a one hit wonder, Dan Alm & Jeremy Grasso hit the studio, this time coming up with something completely different but just as bangin! Their latest release is a chilling remix of Drivepilots’ – Devils in Milan, that brings comparisons to Lazy Rich’s remix of the Alex Kidd tune, Unholy Grail. We caught up with Liberty to talk about their recent success, solo projects and some hard hitting questions about Disney movies and alcohol. The guys from Liberty were also kind enough to drop us an exclusive mash-up you can only find here at Bangerz Only!! For more Liberty updates and information make sure your following them on Facebook!!

Drive Pilot – Devils In Milan (Liberty Redux)

Huoratron vs. Cataracs – Gbay Down Low (Liberty Mash-Up)

Lets kick this off with everyone’s favorite generic blogger question! How did you guys decide on the name Liberty?

Liberty’s theme ties in with our solo projects “My Teddy Eats Children” & “The Executive” in an epic story that we want to reveal a bit later….. when we have money to do cool things with it haha.

Your remix of Vindata’s – Night Sky has gathered a ton of momentum, not only on the blogs, but was recently named a top ten must hear tune in indie dance by Beatport. Did you anticipate the remix to generate this type of buzz so quickly?

We didn’t expect nearly the amount of hype it received, but we certainly hoped for it!  It was really exciting to find out how well it was doing on beatport and all the support we had from our newly growing fan base.

Your latest tune, a remix of Drivepilot’s – Devils in Milan has an awesomely, dark and ominous sound. Did you make a conscious effort to follow up Night Sky with something completely different?

Not at all. What we did to Devils In Milan just felt like the right thing to do. The more conscious effort was to show everybody where our influences come from, while making a dramatic & heavy track that could kick off a set.

Do you DJ together as Liberty? Can we expect any tours in the near future, or is production the main focus right now?

Yes, currently our live show is two guys bringing the energy with a set of bangers, but could be expanded upon in the future!  When we perform, we are not the type of group to have one guy doing all the work while the other stands there with his hands up. We’re both doing everything.  At the moment our main focus is production.  We don’t want to be one of those groups that are just known for their remixes, so we’re dedicating all our time to writing the best originals we can.  When we feel we have a solid foundation of music under our name, you will definitely see us out on the road!  Hopefully within the next year

Do you typically share the same creative vision when working on an original track or remix? How do your individual production styles compliment each other when working on a new tune?

Yes, surprisingly we do. There’s been more moments that we can count on our hands and feet where one of us is trying to spit out an idea; and before we can say the idea, it’s already been drawn down.  When we write, we tend to get a bit competitive, but not in the sense that either one of us is trying to be the star of the show. We both just end up 1up-ing each other almost every time one of us throws an idea out there. We’re definitely aware of each other’s talents; so it’s not all competition between us; but sometimes, just for fun, we like to see who’s idea was better.

Whats the latest with your solo projects?

Jeremy: I’m about to release my first EP “11PM,” for My Teddy Eats Children. The EP is going to include the original tracks “11PM” and “Don’t Shuffle With Squeaky Shoes;” plus remixes from Cyberoptics, The Executive, and Chrispy.  I’m still waiting on the remixes so the date is still uncertain, but I’m praying that is out by March.  And, I recently released a new track on Valentine’s Day called “The Atrocity;” just to keep the interest alive, you know. I don’t want to get too deep into the new track because my main focus is the 11PM EP.
The Atrocity by My Teddy Eats Children

Dan: My new solo project, “The Executive” is a completely new identity for me and is under much development.  He will be an expression of my heavier, stranger side.  That is all I can say at this point in time…the rest is classified.

Who are your biggest musical influences as a Liberty and as solo artists?

Jeremy: The Bloody Beetroots, Danger, Marcus Schossow  & I’m going to sound like a total douche but I’m VERY influenced by Bach & Mozart

Dan: Danger, Boys Noize, Chemical Brothers, Crystal Castles, MSTRKRFT, and surprisingly, Nine Inch Nails.  Without Trent Reznor, I wouldn’t be the musician I am today!

Lightning Round:

Vodka RedBull or Jack N’ Coke?

Dan: Jack N’ Coke.

Jeremy: Vodka Redbull

Favorite place to grab a bite after-hours?

Dan: Nothing beats Fred 62, best late night meal, guaranteed.

Jeremy: Carl’s Jr. Look at dan trying to be cool hahahah.

Deadmau5 or Skrillex?

Skrilly.

Aladdin or Jifar?

Dan: Aladdin definitely gets more pussy.

Jeremy: Disney can suck my dick……. Aladdin….

Vinyl or CDJ’s?

Dan: Vinyl all the way…it’s so much more REAL.  I learned to spin with a pair of Technics, a shitty mixer from the stone age, and a couple boxes of 90s EDM vinyls.  Definitely gives you respect for the old school!  But I do love the sexy knobs and lit up buttons of a CDJ…

Jeremy: Virtual DJ hahaha kidding. Vinyl for sure.

Lady Gaga or Madonna?

Dan: Wasn’t Lady Gaga the one to rip off of Madonna and every other original artist from the past 40 years?  Madonna.  Madonna would be my first choice in bed as well, I bet it would feel good, since she’s LIKE A VIRGIN and all…plus, have you seen that Gaga bitch without make up?  She looks like someone poked-her-face a little too much.  I’m so punny.

Jeremy: Madonna hands down. When i was a kid; the only english radio station my mom would listen to was KIIS FM and all they were playing at the time was Madonna. Besides, Ray Of Light is the best song ever!

Favorite Electro-House blog?

BANGERZ ONLY!! without a doubt.

Le Castle Vania is living the EDM dream as a globe-trotting  DJ, chart topping producer, record label head-man and event-promoter extraordinaire. Not many people in the increasingly populated world of house-music, have built a resume’ comparable with LCV in just one of these industries, let alone, do it in all of them. For his first project under the now iconic name Le Castle Vania, the DJ formerly known as “Lies In Disguise” remixed  Snowden’s single “Black Eyes” and the track received heavy support from the blogs and in the clubs. Needless to say, he hasn’t looked back, releasing countless remixes and original tracks, all while touring non stop through every continent except of course, Antarctica. Now he is in charge of his own indie label, Always Never Records which possesses a BANGIN’ roster of top notch remixers. Always Never just dropped a brand new release, featuring a gauntlet of remixes for Rrrump’s – Chubby Decker, including one from Le Castle Vania himself and label mates, Street Lurkin (listen below). The entire Chubby Decker EP is currently available on Beatport and iTunes for purchase. Bangerz Only!! caught up with Le Castle Vania amidst the chaos of a California tour. We had to find out more about his legendary FUCK YESS party in Atlanta, what he has in the works as far as producing and not to mention finding out just how he juggles his demanding schedule as an EDM mogul!! For more information about all that is LCV and Always Never Records be sure to visit lecastlevania.com and alwaysnever.com and don’t forget twitter! @LeCastleVania and @ALWAYSNEVERrecs

Rrrump – Chubby Decker (Le Castle Vania Remix + Street Lurkin Remix) *Preview* by Le Castle Vania

Let’s get right to it. You have a batch of remixes on the way that will be released through your label Always Never Records. Should we expect that signature “in your face” Rock-Electro sound that you’re famous for??

Yes i have quite i few really aggressive bangers coming soon but you know i also always like to mix it up so i  have some cool more disco vibes coming as well.

Always Never Records has some serious talent on the roster. What can we expect from  Always Never in 2011 and how in the world do you balance running a label on top of your touring and production schedules?

Well it has been difficult to run the label and manage to write music and tour my own projects… for now Always Never is a small indie label and we are not really trying to be anything bigger than that… i just see it as a cool fun way for me to help get out music that i like and think is good. That said i do really believe that we have an awesome roster full of talented producers and remixers and it’s only gonna get better as we continue to grow! this year we already have some truly awesome releases dropping starting with the Rrrump – Chubby Decker release featuring remixes from myself, J.Rabbit, Gooseflesh, Paparazzi, and Street Lurkin due out Feb 1st 2011

For all the “up and coming” producers reading this interview and dreaming about getting signed one day, what’s your best piece of advice for them to get noticed in a genre that is currently pretty saturated. What are some qualities that you look for in an artist that would lead to you signing them to Always Never Records?

Two main things other than the obvious good song writing. 1. exceptional engineering. The tracks have to hit right and sound good on a club system to catch my attention. 2. Good branding is always helpful and a big part of the success of the artist.

What does your production setup consist of? Any hardware synths? What are your go to vst’s for instruments and fx? What’s your DAW of choice?

Without giving too much away i will say that i use Logic as my main DAW and that i am sponsored by companies like Native Instruments, Fab Filter, Sugar Bites, and D16 obviously because i love their programs.  I have quite a bit of outboard gear but my go to piece is my Avalon preamp.

A lot of people might not know this, but you got your start spinning Drum n’ Bass. Is that a genre that could possibly influence your production in the future?

Yeah for sure, i have always referenced that sound in some ways and have always used the tricks i learned when i was doing drum n bass waaaay back in the day.

FUCK YES is a party you started in your hometown of Atlanta, GA that has put electronic music on the map, in a city known for hip-hop. How has the scene in the ATL evolved since you started FUCK YES?

Well i think our event really impacted ATL in a big way and really help to kick start the whole scene and movement in our city… it really goes to show you that a handful of people really can do huge thing for music in their cities… more people should get active in getting good music out to the world!

For the past year or so, there have been some rumblings about Bangin’ Electro becoming a dead genre. Obviously we disagree. What’s your take?

Dude what the fuck ever. first of all good songs are good songs… nothing is ever gonna stop that from being true. Second i think there are more people than ever coming out to events and getting stoked on these sounds… when ever something starts to get big or popular of course there are gonna be weak ass haters but at the end of the day artist like myself and Bloody Beetroots are playing sold out shows all over the globe and there is even cool crossover stuff happening with some of the dubstep kids like Skrillex which is all heavy banging music. i think the only reason people hate on heavy or bangin electro is because it became such a flooded genre every little crappy bedroom producer wanted to be a part of that sounds so in turn it just got to a point where there were so many really bad poorly produced songs coming out just trying to be heavy and distorted but those songs lacked the good song writing and engineering that it take to make a great club banger… how ever when a good producer comes out and drops a great well produced banging track and unleashes it on a crowd through a massive sound system and you see that crowd explode into a riot…. well you can’t really argue with that or call it “a dead genre” here are a few prime examples on video – http://lecastlevania.com/media/live-videos/ (i have a new one coming in the next week or two featuring footage from my recent Socal Tour!)

Lightning Round:

What’s Le Castle Vania’s drink of choice? Bombay Sapphire Gin and Juice

Favorite place to eat? Fox Brothers BBQ in ATL.& Umami Bruger in LA

Must have item in the Green Room? I have everything i need!

As “luck” would have it, in the last week Jordan Atkins-Loria made his way into Beatport and Hype Machine’s top 10 charts, in addition to having one of his productions aired on BBC Radio 1 for the first time ever. Jordan, who produces and DJ’s under the moniker Lucky Date, is on a roll right now. Not only do his productions BANG like no other, but his YouTube channel has become the go-to spot for up and coming producers to learn the tricks of the trade through his extensive collection of tutorial videos. His latest and most successful BANGER is a remix of veteran House producers Spencer & Hill’s “Dub Disco” which you can preview bleow. Take a trip with us as we delve into who Lucky Date is, and how he used social media, among other things, to accelerate his career to the top of charts. For more information and music, keep tabs on Lucky Date via Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud and of course www.djluckydate.com

Spencer & Hill- Dub Disco (Lucky Date Remix Clip) Out Now by Lucky Date

You’ve got an interesting name, so we’ll use that as a starting point for this interview. What’s the story?

Don’t have a great story for my name.  When I was 7 years old my older sister was 11.  My older brother told me we were lucky because 7/11 are lucky numbers.  I started producing under the name Lucky Date on July 11th (7/11) in 2008.  Now that I think back im not sure if 7/11 are considered lucky numbers, might have just been because my brother worked there at the time lol.

If I understand correctly, you’re from the Bay Area and go to school in Chicago?

I am a Bay Area native.  Raised in Berkeley CA and moved to Chicago for college.  I am still living in Chicago although I am no longer studying.

You are an excellent example of somebody who has taken advantage of social media to market yourself. I first discovered you via your YouTube tutorials, before I had ever heard a song from you. With all these huge placements you’ve been getting lately, how much of your success/popularity would you attribute to your YouTube channel and Reason Refills?

I owe alot to YouTube.  I started posting tutorial videos very early on in my producing career.  Some of my early tutorials are complete garbage. I was still learning how to produce throughout the first year of making videos.  My first video was actually just a copy of a tutorial I found on a forum.  I had searched for videos on how to create the Benny Benassi sound on Reason and couldn’t find any.  I copied the tutorial made the vid and got alot of good response.  I then worked hard to learn how to create synths so I could post more videos.  About a year into it I started getting serious about my own productions and got a lot of support from the fans of my tutorials.

How well have already established producers received your Refills? Any big names have good things to say?

I’ve gotten some good response from my refills.  Not many electronic producers use reason so that limits my market.  I think the biggest names that use my refills are David Guetta and Niles Hallowell-Dhar (Producer for The Cataracs) I think Foamo might use some of my tutorials  because he has put in requests.

How did you learn how to make synths make some of the awesome sounds that you have created or reproduced from other’s tracks?

Most of the sounds I have made are accidents.  A lot of times I will be tweaking sounds and start to hear similarities to a popular synth.  Then I use the little knowledge of sound design that I have to try and mimic the synth as close as possible to the original. I hope to someday take some classes and learn how synth engineering is really done.

Most producers don’t seem as “open” as you are about revealing your production tips. What made you want to be different and help people learn production? Do you still have some secret techniques that you use that we won’t ever hear about?

I think part of the reason I am more open than other producers is because I put out tutorials to help people make the music I love.  I have never been in it for the money and have always though of it as a hobby.  I love learning new things and I get no better satisfaction than knowing that I am helping people create something awesome!  I think that protecting your sound is important as a producer, but there is nothing wrong with helping people learn the basics.

I recently saw a YouTube video where you were criticized for showing people how to sound like the stuff that’s already out there. They think that it is limiting people and not letting them be more creative and make something brand new. What’s your response to this?

Part of what makes dance music so great is that producers are always borrowing, sampling, reinventing, and reworking other artist’s work.  An artist’s creativity does not come from how original their synth is but rather how they are using the synth and how there music affects the listener.  Part of learning how to create something great is by mimicking your inspirations.

How did you wind up getting all the placements you have now? Are you signed anywhere?

The first year I was producing I sent out my songs to dozens of labels without response.  I decided to hold off on sending my stuff out.  I worked hard on bootleg remix’s and entered a few remix competitions.  After a while I started getting official remix requests.  A word of advice to up and coming producers: If you get turned down by a label it does not mean your music is bad!  All of my songs that were rejected a few years ago have now been rereleased.  Sometimes labels are not looking for talent but rather someone who has a name.  Hold on to your songs no matter what!

What is your favorite track that you’ve done so far?

Spencer & Hill- Dub Disco (Lucky Date Remix)

Purchase on Beatport

Who would you like to work with that you haven’t had the chance to?

I would love to collab with Bass Kleph, Stupid Fresh, Will Bailey, Lazy Rich, Zedd, Porter Robinson, Hirshee, and many others!

Have you reached a point in your career now where you are able to work solely on music now or do you still have other career plans outside of the music industry that you are pursuing?

Music is my main priority although most of my income is from selling synth patches.  I plan on surviving in this industry one way or another.   I do hope to someday work in social work once my hair gets a bit greyer.

Are there any new tracks, refills, or tutorial videos we should be on the lookout for?

Got a few refills coming out soon! I did not make them but I am sponsoring them.  Got a few originals in the works, a couple remix’s waiting to be released, and three collabs that are almost finished.

What does the future hold in store for Lucky Date?

Hopefully more touring!! I cannot wait to make it out to Australia and Europe. Hopefully South Africa and Asia as well someday.  If you are interested in booking me please contact loper@killpoprecords.com

Southern California’s reigning remix champs are at it again. Vindata keeps amping up some of the hottest tracks from all genres with their dirty bass-lines and grimy synths. Branden “Apollo” Ratcliff and Jared “Ark Angel” Poythress branched out from the group RELIGION to form Vindata and are making quite the name for themselves right out of the gate. Staying true to the original song, and meshing the lyrics with their brand of electro is their signature, and they are pulling it off as well as anybody in the game right now. With four absolutely BANGIN’ remixes already out and an album in the works, Vindata is sending ripples through the electro scene that will soon turn into a tidal wave.  Apollo & Ark Angel were cool enough to send us their remixes of Will.I.Am and Usher’s colabo OMG as well as the remix they did of the Band Of Skulls single Fires. Both mixes are excellent examples of what this talented duo brings to the table, so check them out for yourself!!

Usher feat. Will.I.Am – OMG (Vindata Remix)

Band Of Skulls – Fires (Vindata Remix)

Bangerzonly.com caught up with Vindata and found out a bit more about this SoCal duo, the music they are producing and more!!For additional information, music and updates, make sure to stop by their MySpace page and show some love!!

Have you guys lived in southern california all your life? What influence has SoCal had on your sound?

Well Jared (Ark Angel) is from Colorado but has lived in California for the last 5 years, and Branden (Apollo) has lived in Southern California his entire life. Fortunately Dance music is a fun, lively genre that actually complements life in California. It’s a “feel good” sound. We think if we made deeper, sad, emotional music California would definitely influence us in a different way.

How did you guys join together to form vindata? What was your musical background before vindata?

Vindata was born out of the electronic band “Religion”. Basically we (Branden Ratcliff, Jared Poythress, Nick Dew, and Kevin Stewart) rallied behind the Religion project and promoted it to get our name out. But we also wanted to release different forms and styles of electronic music, and we knew some styles would clash with what Religion has already established. So Vindata was launched to show the world we can do it all. All of us come from a very eclectic background ranging from Hip Hop to Punk to Classical to Indie and even Experimental. Various genres helped shape our sound.

Describe your style for us in one sentence.

Melodic energy contrasted with a rough core.

We noticed you are rocking the m-audio axiom in some of your pics. What does your production setup consist of? What vst’s are you using and what DAW are you sequencing your music with?

Well, the VSTs are trade secrets, sorry. But we actually use both VSTs and Hardware Synthesizers in conjunction. As for DAWs we mostly use Pro Tools and occasionally use Ableton.

Your remixes have been making a lot of noise on the internet and beyond. are any of them official remixes? Do you have any official remixes planned?

The only official remix we have right now is Master Shorties- Bringing it Back (Vindata Remix). He’s an amazing UK Rapper that digs our music and is really open to new ideas , so we were really excited to work with him. This remix should be released on Itunes this June.

You guys have remixed some of the top pop tracks into electro BANGERZ!! What does it take for a track to make you say “I’ve gotta remix this” ?

The first thing we look at are Vocals. What are the vocals saying, what do they mean, and can we see people dancing to this. Some tracks have amazing vocals and we love the original song, but they just aren’t dance worthy. We don’t want to compromise the integrity and hard work of another artist. When we do a remix we always adhere to the responsibility and respect we have for the original artist.

Will Vindata be touring outside of Southern California anytime soon?

Touring isn’t set in stone yet. There has been talks about an Australian mini tour and also a Europe tour. But we really want to focus on production first, then tour so that our fanbase is strong and we have great music that people want to pay money to come hear.

Ya’ll have some pretty unique alias’ …. (Apollo & Ark Angel) where did they come from and whats the meaning behind the names?

Apollo is a name that coincides with the Religion theme. Coincidentally, Ark Angel was already using that name under various productions and it meshed well with our theme.

Where will Vindata be 1 year from today?

One year from today Vindata we be touring off their debut album, still working hard in the studio, and enjoying the flourishing world of electronic music.

Bangerzonly.com got a chance to catch up with featured producers Kids At The Bar. Check out what the uber-talented producers/DJ’s have to say about how they got started, what their fans can expect in 2010 and more!!! For more information regarding KATB follow them on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter as well as Bangerzonly.com for future updates!

How did you guys meet and what made you decide to get together and make music?

We were both involved in the rock scene either working with bands, production, or playing.  I (Rad) started djing and getting into dance music around the same time Matt was starting to do remixes for local bands.  We connected at one of the weekly parties here and threw around the idea of doing a remix project.  We sat down and cranked out a remix for our friend John Bourke of !Trash Yourself and here we are.

How did you get into electronic music? Is there a scene for it in Oklahoma City?

Not really sure how we got into it, we kinda just fell into it.  All the Dance Robots, Dance! guys were our friends and they were throwing crazy parties.  I (Rad) started guest dj’ing some of their nights and just kinda fell in love with the culture of it.  As for the scene here, it was huge back in the mid to late 90′s when we were little kids and raves were huge, then died out, but the scene is definitely growing again.  We play a weekly party called Robotic Wednesday, which has a massive crowd every week and lets us bring in amazing DJs from all over such as Kill The Noise, Guns N Bombs, and Toxic Avenger.

What kind of setup do you guys use to make music? What hardware/DAW/soft synths do you use?

We do all production and mixing in Protools. For soft synths, we use a variety but at least Massive, Rapture, and/or Predator is used on everything but we’ll occasionally use an analog synth through a tube pre amp. It just depends upon the track.

What’s your label situation?

We are talking to a few labels but at this current moment we are unsigned.

What can we expect from Kids At The Bar in 2010?

A ton of music! We have an original track about to come out but as for 2010 we will be releasing an EP to start the year out, followed by lots of remixes and shows.

What made you decide to remix Empire Of The Sun’s “Walking On A Dream”? The remix is unbelievable, when did you realize that you had created something special?

We really loved the song when we first heard it, and wanted to make a heavy remix just for our dj sets. It was never intended to be released but after the overwhelming response we got from it, we eventually put it out.

What do you guys do to unwind when you’re not in the studio or blowing minds at live shows?

Hanging with our friends, skateboarding, watching bad movies, and catching up on decades worth of TV shows.

Since you are called Kids At The Bar, we gotta ask, what’s your favorite drink?

Vodka/redbull