Tuesday, September 27, 2011

DJ Mag Poll 2011...

So DJ Mag just did their annual voting for the top 100 dj's. I'm sure as usual, the big trance names (Armin van Buuren, Paul van Dyk, and Tiësto) will get the top spots, but of course I had to put in my vote for which dj's I think did the best job this year. 

1) Nicolas Jaar - Hands down the best live performances I have ever seen in my life. A full live band, a small room packed full of people, and a crazy 4 hours of dancing yourself silly make up a typical night with Nico. This year he released some re-edits and mixes of classic hip-hop songs have all quickly jumped to the most played songs on my iPod. I heard his re-edit of Missy Elliot's "Work It" when he played at the Rex and went crazy, one of my all time favorite songs made even better. 




2) Magda - I remember when I first got to Europe, I asked a group of people if it was alright that I put some music on, specifically one of Magda's dj sets. The response "EVERYBODY LOVES MAGDA!" was yelled by a girl in the room. Who I thought was a little known dj from Berlin was really a superstar on the European club scene. I certainly wouldn't have figured this out back in Minnesota. It didn't take me long afterwords to figure out that Europeans really do love Magda, and for good reason; her funky break beat style has the amazing ability to get everyone in the room on their feet and dancing. 



3) Habstrakt - On my quest to find the impossible, dubstep in Paris, I came across a person at the forefront of French Dub. In contrast to American and British dubstep that dominates the scene, French dubstep is stripped down to the very essentials. It's deep, dark, bass filled, and filthy dirty in the best possible way. Habstrakt easily made my top three this year, he exposed me to a whole new subgenera of dubstep, which frankly I like a whole lot more than anything else being put out by the dubstep scene right now. 



4) Bob Sinclar - Sign of a night to remember on the Paris party circuit? Bob Sinclar was probably on the turntables. Frequently showing up at a party and taking over the music became not only common, but expected from Sinclar. Many a nights were danced away behind the dj booth of this man. Something also has to be said for a man who's face is plastered up all over Paris. He was in the media so much that even my sister would comment "I saw that guy, Bob Sinclar on...", the fact that my country loving sister was able to recognize a dj has to mean that dj is something special. 


On a side note, that party in Milan that is in this music video, well I'm pretty sure that was in Paris since I know 80% of the people in it. When Marc and Emmanuel (the two men in the red horned masks) host a party, you go. Bob knows that too, even if he shows up a bit late sometimes!   


5) Deadmau5 - His new album "4x4 = 12" was everything I expected from this soon to be legendary dj. The fact alone that he can sell out a show in Minneapolis goes to show how popular he really is. "Raise Your Weapon" was the one song that stood out, and quite possibly the whole reason that I have him on this list. The smooth, almost trance like sound of classic Deadmau5 is beautifully combined with his new, almost dubstep sound (although dubstep fans are quick to point out that Deadmau5's version of dubstep is anything but). 

Friday, September 2, 2011

Lanvin F/W 2011...


So this has been out for a week now making it's rounds around the internet, but I'm still not sick of it yet. Honestly what's not to love about badly dancing models in beautiful clothes and... a surprise cameo from Alber Elbaz! Fashion that doesn't take itself too seriously; very refreshing.