Armani Exchange Styletraxx

Fresh from their recent appearance on ELLEN, Epic recording artists Vedera stopped by the new A|X concept store on Robertson Blvd in Los Angeles to pick up some new pieces from the Spring collection. The band is generating a huge buzz right now - after a featured performance on The Hills last season, opening for The Fray and Jason Mraz, and most recently Jack's Mannequin, their super-hot single "Satisfy" is quickly climbing the charts.

The band brought along a film crew from Hollyscoop.com, to shoot an in-store style segment. Styletraxx will bring you that video when it becomes available. Until then, check out some shots of Kristen May and the boys modeling pieces from the Spring collection, after the jump...

To hear more of Vedera, check out their official website and myspace page.

Be sure check out Lady GaGa's world premiere of "Telephone", her new single off her smash hit album The Fame Monster. The video features Beyonce in what's sure to be one of the most awaited videos of the season. The video premieres tonight, at 11:30 PM (Eastern) on E! News.

Later this month, the epicenter of the global dance scene will be South Miami Beach, Florida. The annual Winter Music Conference attracts ten of thousands of dance fans to its many parties and festivals. Armada Music has caught the Miami feeling in 15 amazing tracks, by names such as tyDi, Glenn Morrison, Dash Berlin, Way Out West, and Mike Foyle. ARMADA MIAMI features essential tunes for everyone that wants the music Miami’s dancing to until dawn.

Don't believe us? Come see for yourself. Three of the featured artists on ARMADA MIAMI will be spinning live at our South Beach store on Wednesday, March 24th beginning at 1PM. Those artists are:

Glenn Morrison (1:00PM - 3:00PM)
Dash Berlin (3:00 - 5:00PM)
tyDi (5:00 - 7:00PM)

Check back to Styletraxx or armaniexchange.com/life for further info, including the full week's schedule of in-store dj performances.

Don't forget to preview/download ARMADA MIAMI on iTunes here.

Preview a track from the album and see the tracklisting, after the jump...

Gorillaz are making their comeback known to the masses and their first single, ‘Stylo’, which will be off of their highly anticipated album, “Plastic Beach” is the number one track on everyone’s playlist. The single also features Bobby Womack and Most Def in the track and to top it all off the Gorillaz just released the official video to ‘Stylo’. Of course, the animated characters are officially back and better than ever and we couldn’t be more excited!!

Mute Records is gearing up on March 23 to release a new album by Goldfrapp a titled Head First. Goldfrapp's last album was released over two years ago! The highly anticipated record will be previewed by a singe titled “Rocket,” which is due for release on March 9.

A press release issued ahead of the release describes the band’s fifth album as their “most powerful trip to date, a speedy rush of synth optimism, euphoria, fantasy and romance. With life affirming lyrics and stellar production it lifts off at full tilt and takes us on a journey to the heart of 2010.”

So, they you have it—an album that promises to take us on a journey to the heart of 2010, and we haven’t even got there yet. Head First was entirely written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, and expect a tour to follow the release of the album.

Groove Armada are back with a new sound. The new album, "Black Light" is a collision of alt and electronic genres featuring vocalist Bryan Ferry from Roxy Music, Empire of the Sun, UK pop star Will Young, and introducing Saint Savior.

Groove Armada were formed in England in 1996 by Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. Their earlier work is laid back chill-out although they have incorporated a lot of musical styles over their career including rap and reggae and have worked with a range of collaborators including Jeru the Damaja, Fatboy Slim and Neneh Cherry.

The bands debut album, Northern Star, released in 1998 gained the band critical praise but it was the follow up, Vertigo, which gained the band commercial success and widespread recognition. Subsequent albums were more dancefloor friendly although their music has gone beyond the clubs and livingrooms to be used in adverts for a range of products including cars, computer games and shops.

In addition to their own work they pair have also worked as producers and are currently working on the forthcoming Kylie Minogue album.

Get ready to hear Groove Armada like never before.

Preview/purchase Groove Armada's 'Black Light' here. (iTunes)

Layering memorable pop-driven lyrics over the crisp synths and pounding beats of progressive house, Morgan Page has emerged from under the radar with a unique sound that connects with dance music veterans and newcomers alike. And with one GRAMMY®-nominated song and two IDMA nominations (Best Breakthrough Artist and Best Progressive House/Trance Track) in 2009 alone, Producer, Remixer, and DJ MORGAN PAGE has firmly established himself as one of the top talents of the next generation of dance music producers.

Driven, technically savvy, and down-to-earth, the Burlington, Vermont native was already hooked on electronic music by age 15. His early exposure to the genre started with radio, inspired by the sounds of local college radio station WRUV 90.1 FM. Only a few short years later, Morgan found himself a DJ at that very radio station, hosting a weekly mixshow that brought him into the world of house music and club culture. It was in these humble beginnings that he set his goals, and he set them high.

Morgan's attraction to memorable hooks and energetic beats, and his singled-pointed focus on achieving a high level of technical skill in studio paved the way for his classic bootleg album, Cease and Desist. With no parts or acapellas, Morgan's remixes of hits from Coldplay, Imogen Heap, and David Bowie quickly became an underground hit and brought him into focus as a bright, emerging remixer.

Morgan Page is now a force to be reckoned with - an established triple threat of DJing, remixing, and original production. This hotly sought after producer and remixer – whose recent mixes include tracks for La Roux, Madonna, Katy Perry, The B-52s, and Yoko Ono – has created a signature style that effortlessly blends melody, harmony, and rhythm – bringing songs to new heights, while never forgetting a sense of song.

Morgan’s first official album release, ELEVATE, established him as one of the brightest rising stars in electronic music, garnering him a GRAMMY nomination for the Deadmau5 remix of hit single "The Longest Road", and two International Dance Music Award nominations as "Best Break-Through Artist (Solo)" and "Best Progressive House/Trance Track" for his original version of "The Longest Road."

Today, Morgan released his long awaited latest album, BELIEVE, featuring the white hot hit, "Fight for You".

Preview/Purchase the new album here. (iTunes)
Check out the video for 'Fight for You" below:

Layering memorable pop-driven lyrics over the crisp synths and pounding beats of progressive house, Morgan Page has emerged from under the radar with a unique sound that connects with dance music veterans and newcomers alike. And with one GRAMMY®-nominated song and two IDMA nominations (Best Breakthrough Artist and Best Progressive House/Trance Track) in 2009 alone, Producer, Remixer, and DJ MORGAN PAGE has firmly established himself as one of the top talents of the next generation of dance music producers.

Driven, technically savvy, and down-to-earth, the Burlington, Vermont native was already hooked on electronic music by age 15. His early exposure to the genre started with radio, inspired by the sounds of local college radio station WRUV 90.1 FM. Only a few short years later, Morgan found himself a DJ at that very radio station, hosting a weekly mixshow that brought him into the world of house music and club culture. It was in these humble beginnings that he set his goals, and he set them high.

Morgan's attraction to memorable hooks and energetic beats, and his singled-pointed focus on achieving a high level of technical skill in studio paved the way for his classic bootleg album, Cease and Desist. With no parts or acapellas, Morgan's remixes of hits from Coldplay, Imogen Heap, and David Bowie quickly became an underground hit and brought him into focus as a bright, emerging remixer.

Morgan Page is now a force to be reckoned with - an established triple threat of DJing, remixing, and original production. This hotly sought after producer and remixer – whose recent mixes include tracks for La Roux, Madonna, Katy Perry, The B-52s, and Yoko Ono – has created a signature style that effortlessly blends melody, harmony, and rhythm – bringing songs to new heights, while never forgetting a sense of song.

Morgan’s first official album release, ELEVATE, established him as one of the brightest rising stars in electronic music, garnering him a GRAMMY nomination for the Deadmau5 remix of hit single "The Longest Road", and two International Dance Music Award nominations as "Best Break-Through Artist (Solo)" and "Best Progressive House/Trance Track" for his original version of "The Longest Road."

Today, Morgan released his long awaited latest album, BELIEVE, featuring the white hot hit, "Fight for You".

Preview/Purchase the new album here. (iTunes)
Check out the video for 'Fight for You" below:

Azuli will release the tenth edition of their annual Miami compilation series early next month, just in time for this year's Winter Music Conference.

As with the series' previous installments, Miami 10 features twenty of the big room tunes you're likely to hear on the dance floor down at WMC. This year's edition is compiled by label boss David Piccioni, and considering that the tracklist includes David Guetta's "Grrr," Dennis Ferrer's "Hey Hey," Sebo K & Metro's "Saxtrack" and more than one offering by Canadian producer Deadmau5, it seems like he's got the Miami Beach vibe pretty well summed up. DJs wanting to get the individual tracks on CD shouldn't worry, as Miami 10 will be available in both mixed and unmixed formats.

Azuli will release Azuli presents Miami 2010 on March 8th, 2010.

Lady Gaga has revamped her Monster Ball Tour for the European leg! She has incorporated a moving car, a complete new wardrobe and brand new choreography. But most importantly. she has added what fans are calling "The Paparazzi Monster" which is supposed to terrorize the audience all through the show. Click on the video above to watch a sneak peak clip of the Monster during her first Monster Ball performance in the UK.

Grammy Nominated MGMT is finally releasing their new studio album titled “Congratulations” this upcoming April. This new album is the follow up to their debut album that put them up on the music map and made them one the of the best indie/experimental artists out right now. Congratulations is a collection of nine individual musical tours de force sequenced to flow with sonic and thematic coherence: “It’s Working,” “Song for Dan Treacy,” “Someone’s Missing,” “Flash Delirium,” “I Found a Whistle,” “Siberian Breaks,” “Brian Eno,” “Lady Dada’s Nightmare,” and “Congratulations.” The album will be out Tuesday, April 12th and I promise to keep you guys updated with singles, videos and details for this upcoming release.

Congratulations will be available for pre-order on the band’s website: whoismgmt.com

Check out this behind-the-scenes video of Rihanna below. The princess of R&B is filming the music video for “Rude Boy,” her third single off of Rated R.

Styletraxx would like to let you in on a little trade secret. The difference between a good DJ and a great DJ is not just the level of talent, but the collection of music. The best DJs search far and wide for the most exclusive tracks. Those DJs that are vinyl enthusiasts have an especially difficult time with this monumental task, which is why they like to covet their sources.

Now the secret - Downtown 304 is one of the best sources for the latest and greatest in dance vinyl (and CDs). The NYC-based online store is coveted by some of the best DJs in the world and vinyl enthusiasts/collectors alike. And since vinyl is making a major comeback, demand for those out-of-print gems is getting even higher and more competitive. It's time to get clicking and scratching, people!

Check out the vid below for a little history of the store.

“What happens in Vegas will no longer stay in Vegas…” – Markus Schulz, Jan 2010.

Touching down in new cities is almost as much a part of being a DJ as working the turntables themselves – a fact that’s never been lost on one of the world’s biggest DJs, Markus Schulz. In the last five years alone his always-rolling World Tour has taken him to more of them than many will see in a lifetime. It’s this ever-transforming melting pot of sound, sight and musical taste that fed his desire to capture them musically. And in 2005 that’s what he started to do…

Since then they have shuttled us between some of the most iconic and best known clubbing metropolises in the world; Miami, Ibiza and Amsterdam & Toronto have all had their clubbing credos encapsulated in mix form.

Markus, himself explains further: “Many people say that you see great differences moving between countries – that’s natural. I actually think though that you experience some fairly major ones just going from one country’s city to the next. That’s long been a source of fascination to me. The City compilations are a great way for me to document a place through music, by picking out and turning the spotlight on exactly which tracks & sub-styles are working particularly well in specific cities that I’ve played & loved. ”

Now at the start of the new decade, for the next installment of his audio-travelogue, Markus is dedicating the ‘10 edition to a place not only increasingly close to his heart, but one that resonates with hundreds of thousands of clubbers worldwide… Las Vegas.

“Vegas has undergone nothing short of a revolution over the last 4 years; one that’s been driven, as much as anything by the casinos”, say Markus. “I don’t think it’s overstating it to say that it’s becoming – or maybe has already become – a new world clubbing Mecca. From the outside looking in, people previously perceived that Las Vegas has been all bright lights, ‘bling, bling’ lane upon lane of slots. Through leading nights like Rain at Fabulous and Moon at the Palms (to name just two), that’s changing very fast. For people who are seriously minded about music and clubbing, it’s going to become a place they have to say they’ve been. Hedonism has never been in short supply there – it’s why they call it Sin City! Come this new decade it might very well start to put the squeeze on Ibiza.”

From the first electrostatic sizzle of the opening seconds of Clinch’s elegy to Rain, ‘Las Vegas’10’, clips the city under the microscope and begins its DNA decode. Interwoven in its genes is the deep, house-ish overture of Dakota’s ‘Sin City’ (its title self-explanatory); the skittering electro squall of Arnej’s ‘They Need Us’, the super-fluid melodica of Rex Mundi’s ‘Opera of Northern Ocean’ and the attacking, rapacious bass of Phynn’s remix of Mike Foyle & Statica’s ‘Deadly Nightshade’. Each track that comes to ‘Las Vegas’10’ discs has either been successfully test-fired by Markus in L.V. or comes with the awareness of a man who knows exactly what will find the centre of the dancefloor there.

Check out Las Vegas '10 here (iTunes).

“What happens in Vegas will no longer stay in Vegas…” – Markus Schulz, Jan 2010.

Touching down in new cities is almost as much a part of being a DJ as working the turntables themselves – a fact that’s never been lost on one of the world’s biggest DJs, Markus Schulz. In the last five years alone his always-rolling World Tour has taken him to more of them than many will see in a lifetime. It’s this ever-transforming melting pot of sound, sight and musical taste that fed his desire to capture them musically. And in 2005 that’s what he started to do…

Since then they have shuttled us between some of the most iconic and best known clubbing metropolises in the world; Miami, Ibiza and Amsterdam & Toronto have all had their clubbing credos encapsulated in mix form.

Markus, himself explains further: “Many people say that you see great differences moving between countries – that’s natural. I actually think though that you experience some fairly major ones just going from one country’s city to the next. That’s long been a source of fascination to me. The City compilations are a great way for me to document a place through music, by picking out and turning the spotlight on exactly which tracks & sub-styles are working particularly well in specific cities that I’ve played & loved. ”

Now at the start of the new decade, for the next installment of his audio-travelogue, Markus is dedicating the ‘10 edition to a place not only increasingly close to his heart, but one that resonates with hundreds of thousands of clubbers worldwide… Las Vegas.

“Vegas has undergone nothing short of a revolution over the last 4 years; one that’s been driven, as much as anything by the casinos”, say Markus. “I don’t think it’s overstating it to say that it’s becoming – or maybe has already become – a new world clubbing Mecca. From the outside looking in, people previously perceived that Las Vegas has been all bright lights, ‘bling, bling’ lane upon lane of slots. Through leading nights like Rain at Fabulous and Moon at the Palms (to name just two), that’s changing very fast. For people who are seriously minded about music and clubbing, it’s going to become a place they have to say they’ve been. Hedonism has never been in short supply there – it’s why they call it Sin City! Come this new decade it might very well start to put the squeeze on Ibiza.”

From the first electrostatic sizzle of the opening seconds of Clinch’s elegy to Rain, ‘Las Vegas’10’, clips the city under the microscope and begins its DNA decode. Interwoven in its genes is the deep, house-ish overture of Dakota’s ‘Sin City’ (its title self-explanatory); the skittering electro squall of Arnej’s ‘They Need Us’, the super-fluid melodica of Rex Mundi’s ‘Opera of Northern Ocean’ and the attacking, rapacious bass of Phynn’s remix of Mike Foyle & Statica’s ‘Deadly Nightshade’. Each track that comes to ‘Las Vegas’10’ discs has either been successfully test-fired by Markus in L.V. or comes with the awareness of a man who knows exactly what will find the centre of the dancefloor there.

Check out Las Vegas '10 here (iTunes).

Check out the new behind the scenes photos from Riahnna’s newest single and upcoming music video “rude boy”. Previously, Rihanna shared that the costumes she is wearing for the video shoot have Jamaican vibe. "A lot of my videos are really dark and edgy and tough. 'Rude Boy' is more playing along the lines from my roots," she said. "We used a lot of color, but also the costumes were very Jamaican dance-hall queen type." As you can see from the photos, the video indeed will be different than the previous videos she ever made.

"Rude Boy" is taken from Rihanna's fourth studio album "Rated R". Its music video is directed by Melina Matsoukas and scheduled to be premiered this coming Thursday, February 11.

Today, the eagerly awaited 2010 debut album from the fast rising singer/songwriter/producer, V V Brown hits US Stores. V V, who made the Top 10 of the prestigious BBC Sounds 'Poll' of new artists to watch out for in 2009, has been previewing songs from the album on her recent live appearances with the likes of The Ting Tings, Ladyhawke, Florence & The Machine and Antony & The Johnsons.

Although V V has been heard to call her mix a “musical mashed potatoes,” betraying her unassuming side, the truth is that with TRAVELLING LIKE THE LIGHT, she does justice to a long tradition of strong, individual female voices that have had the power to define their times -- Alicia Keys and Amy Winehouse, prominent among V V's immediate inspirations. Since the European release of her album in mid-2008, V V has left an exciting visual trail of official video clips and fan-posted television, online, and festival appearances all over the cybersphere. In all of these, she's an absolutely luminous presence, vocally, visually and creatively.

Check out VV's new album here (iTunes).

Congrats to A|X favorite dance-diva Lady Gaga for taking home two Grammys - one for best dance recording "Poker Face" and the second for best electronic/dance album "The Fame."

But before she was a Grammy Award Winner Lady Gaga and after she was Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta she was Lady Gaga - just a simple girl working the club and music festival circuit to follow her dream to be a STAR.

The incredible Lady Gaga performed at the A|X Music Lounge during Winter Music Conference 2008 and Armani Exchange has gone back into the video vault to bring you this exclusive footage. Check it out on A|X:TV.

Don't let the title fool you. This is no ordinary elevator music...

Legendary London nightclub Fabric, fresh from celebrating its 10th birthday has just released a major quality compilation that represents their refined and polished club as well as their supreme taste in house music.

The compilation is not one to be nailed down to just one genre. According to dance music blog Beatportal, who put it best, "As expected from Fabric, the artists and tracks on ‘Elevator Music’ share no allegiances stylistically, with anything from UK house, to Portuguese garage, Bristol dubstep, and Boston electronica among the 16 tracks, although it could be said that they represent the very cutting-edge of electronic music."

Quite frankly, if today's elevators still played music, this is definitely a compilation that would give you the best ride up (or down).

Preview and purchase 'Elevator Music' here. (beatport.com)

Tiesto is without question the undisputed master of the turntables and is known for his spinning across the world. However, the new video for his track featuring superstar Nelly Furtado from Tiesto's Kaleidoscope album, shows that his good looks and charm can also win over the hearts of even the most indifferent of women. Given that the high production value of the video matches the excellence of the hit song, it is a MUST WATCH.

Watch as a group of friends try to cheer up a heartbroken newly single girlfriend by going to a Tiesto show. Just when hopes are high and they are all entranced in the music, the ex bf shows up canoodling with another girl. But now what is a pretty young girl to do? Try to win back the ex? Leave the club? Or does music get her to do more?

Because, honestly, who DOES want to be alone?

Find out:

After doing their Homework in 1999, to making a Discovery in 2001, we thought 2007 was the last time Daft Punk was going to feel Alive. MTV News sat down with Dave Kosinski, director of the new Tron Legacy movie, who let the world know that he is having Daft Punk work on the soundtrack. Over a plate of pancakes at 101 Coffee Shop in LA, the director sat down with the French electronic duo, donned in their signature helmets, to discuss their work with the film. Kasinski said that group was already highly influenced by the original Tron movie. So after countless orchestras that have done the music for all Disney movies and the original Tron movie, why the sudden change? He claims that alongside his love for Punk's genre of music, he wanted to match the "visually-forward" theme of the film into the music; "I wanted to try something fresh and different." Well, we know to say the least Daft Punk has always been fresh and different, and with them the Tron Legacy will be the harder, better, faster, and stronger sequel that Kasisnki expects it to be.

Though we now must ask, how do you enjoy a good stack of pancakes with a helmet on?

Catch the movie poster and a movie still after the jump...

The lineup for the eleventh edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which takes place this April 16-18, has officially arrived, and it’s about as hot as the sometimes triple-digit temperatures the Southern California festival is known for.

Headliners Jay-Z, Thom Yorke and the recently reunited indie-rock demigods Pavement join a host of indie-kid all-stars (MGMT, Muse, Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, Passion Pit, Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear, Florence and the Machine), as well as formative Brit icons (Public Image Limited, the Specials, Echo & the Bunnymen, Gary Numan), and assorted rarely-seen-live legends (Sly and the Family Stone, De La Soul, Grace Jones, Faith No More).

Here is the complete line-up:
FRIDAY APRIL 16: Jay-Z, LCD Soundsystem, Them Crooked Vultures, Vampire Weekend, Deadmau5, Public Image Limited, The Specials, Grizzly Bear, Passion Pit, Echo and the Bunnymen, Benny Benassi, Fever Ray, Grace Jones, She & Him, Erol Alkan, The Avett Brothers, Calle 13, The Whitest Boy Alive, The Cribs, La Roux, Yeasayer, Lucero, DJ Lance Rock, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Proxy, Ra Ra Riot, Deer Tick, Wolfgang Gartner, Aeroplane, Iglu & Hartly, Sleigh Bells, P.O.S., Baroness, Hockey, Little Dragon, White Rabbits, Wale, Kate Miller-Heidke, As Tall as Lions, Jets Overhead, Alana Grace, Pablo Hassan.

SATURDAY, APRIL 17: Muse, Faith No More, Tiësto, MGMT, David Guetta, The Dead Weather, Hot Chip, Devo, Coheed and Cambria, Kaskade, 2Many DJ's, Major Lazer, Dirty Projectors, Gossip, Z-Trip, The xx, John Waters, Les Claypool, The Raveonettes, Mew, Sia, Camera Obscura, Tokyo Police Club, Porcupine Tree, Old Crow Medicine Show, Aterciopalados, Bassnectar, Frightened Rabbit, Dirty South, Flying Lotus, Corinne Bailey Rae, Pretty Lights, Shooter Jennings, RX Bandits, The Almighty Defenders, Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros, Craze & Klever, Zoe, The Temper Trap, Portugal. The Man, Band of Skulls, Girls, Beach House, Steel Train, Frank Turner.

SUNDAY, APRIL 18:

Don't forget Coachella is known for it's surprise acts as well.....

Tickets on sale January 22, 2010 at 10 am!!!

Known for his ability to play anything, and do it well, Vancouver’s DJ Neoteric has kept busy playing many of the best parties and the biggest clubs across North America and Internationally. His renown tracks and remixes have gotten support from the likes of as A-Trak, DJ AM, Diplo, Switch, Steve Aoki, The Rub, Dave Nada, Stretch Armstrong, Smalltown DJs, Annie Mac (BBC), and many others.

His group with prodigious producer U-Tern, Smoke & Mirrors, is the latest signing to Grammy-nominated Switch’s (M.I.A, Santogold) Dubsided Records, with an EP due in the coming months. Already in high demand, they’ve dropped a crushing remix of Tittsworth’s ‘WTF’ featuring Pase Rock and Kid Sister, available on Plant Records, and a forthcoming remix for Major Lazer (Diplo and Switch), among others with a focus on diverse and unique sounds, tailor made for the clubs. He is also the co-creator of the popular ‘White Light’ mix series.

Neoteric has headlined some of the biggest and hippest clubs in North America including DJ AM’s ‘Banana Split Sundays’ @ LAX, Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak Tuesdays @ Cinespace, Circa Nightclub in Toronto, Plush in Vancouver, plus many large festivals, such as the We Love Sounds Festival in Sydney, Australia, and Shambhala Music fest in BC. Neo’s shared the stage with the likes of M.I.A, Raekwon (Wu-Tang Clan), A-Trak, Cut Copy, Kool Herc, Fake Blood, Diplo, Simian Mobile Disco, The Presets, Jokers of the Scene, Surkin, Drop the Lime, Nadastrom, Top Billin, Friendly Fires, DJ Falcon, Devin the Dude, Masta Ace, and countless others!

His strengths lie with his great ear, high energy sets, flawless mixing, and ability to adapt to any situation. Whether it’s playing a fast-paced, party rock set to 1500 people, or playing the latest bangers to 200 sweaty kids in a dive bar, DJ Neoteric fits the bill. With acclaimed mixes released and planned, and upcoming tours in the US, UK, Europe, Asia and Australia, the future looks bright for this hard working Canadian!

Check out and download the White Light 18 playlist he produced for the The White Light Mix Series blog. See the tracklist, after the jump.

On February 5th world famous DJ group, Swedish House Mafia, will make their New York City debut performance at M2 Ultra Lounge. Axwell, Steve Angello, and Sebastian Ingrosso will be keeping the 21-plus crowd on their feet from 10pm to 5am.

Get your presale tickets and more information here.

Just as we reported earlier here on Styletraxx, 23-year-old Gossip Girl actress Leighton Meester will release her first full length electro-pop album early this year and she told People Magazine she's loving the chance to get on stage and do her thing!

"I'm just having the time of my life, and I hope it continues." Leighton said. Her second single will be a collaboration with Lil Wayne, titled "Make it Rain."

Meester is hoping to become recognized as a singer, having been a part of Cobra Starship's hit song "Good Girls Go Bad." She already has her big mentor.

"Recently I've spent a lot of time with Cyndi Lauper, and she's a legend," says Meester. "She gave me the advice: Never sell your publishing, so I'll take that."

The thrill of the stage has Meester hooked. She recently told People "I get more excited than nervous, and I feel like that's the best kind of energy to have." The performance, she says, is "cute" and "sexy."

Speaking of sexy, check out her music video for "Somebody to Love" with Robin Thicke:

A|X Sessions is a new destination on armaniexchange.com where shoppers preview and purchase the music playing in all Armani Exchange stores. A|X Sessions also features celebrity playlists from talent that works closely with or that are fans of the brand.

Like the monthly store music playlists, the 25-song A|X Sessions playlists are created based on a musical or seasonal collection theme (such as "Tough Love" for a retro rocker DJ mix or "Dirty Disco" for a list of sexy dance songs) and always reflect the A|X brand. New A|X Sessions are curated and uploaded monthly via the Armani Exchange website. Links from the A|X Sessions page take users directly to iTunes, where each playlist is organized for purchase in the iMix section of the iTunes store.

The latest A|X Session, Play Hard is a collection of Party-ready tracks that keep it deep when you're playing hard or hard to get. Artists included in the Play Hard Session include Bodyrockers, Kaskade, Axwell, Deep Dish, Cosmic Gate and many others. Check out Play Hard and all other A|X Sessions here.

House DJ/producer Sebastian Ingrosso collaborates extensively with Steve Angello, the founder of Size Records, under a variety of monikers including Angello & Ingrosso. Along with Angello, Eric Prydz, and Axwell, Ingrosso is a member of the Stockholm-based group Swedish House Mafia. Though he'd labored as a house producer for several years prior, Ingrosso scored his first major hit in 2005 with "Together," a collaboration with Axwell that was licensed for major-label release. A string of hit collaborations followed in 2007 — "Get Dumb," billed also to Axwell, Angello, and Laidback Luke; "It's True," billed also to Axwell; and "Umbrella," billed also to Angello — as did an entry in the two-CD Ministry of Sound mix album series Sessions.

Start your 2010 playlist right and check out this new album here.

Recently, Giorgio Armani was asked to create an iTunes Celebrity Playlist. What he provided was a playlist specifically designed for Armani Exchange. About the playlist, Mr Armani stated: "I designed this playlist with the A|X customer in mind. Like fashion, music represents a freedom. It can be sexy, relaxed, energetic, and stylish." What he curated was a 25 track mix that speaks to the history and the essence of Armani Exchange. Artists range from Tiesto to The Black Eyed Peas, from Jay-Z to Hercules and Love Affair. Mr. Armani explains the influence and importance of each track.

Styletraxx is pleased to bring you Giorgio Armani's iTunes Celebrity Playlist for Armani Exchange. Click here to preview/purchase (iTunes).

12 time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys returns with her 4th studio album The Element Of Freedom on December 15. Alicia has sold over 26 million albums worldwide and over 6.7 million digital tracks in the US. Featuring the hits "Doesn't Mean Anything" and "Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart", The Element Of Freedom promises to be one of Alicia Keys biggest releases to date. Released with the RCA and Jive Label Group, this album includes her collaboration with Beyoncé Knowles and many acoustic style tracks including her Empire State of Mind Part II. Also it includes production by Kerry Brothers, Jeff Bhasker, and others. She has said this album helped her overcome a stage of depression that she was living through. Pertaining to her album. Alicia adds, "I found more freedom. Before, I thought I could only show the strong side of me. Now there’s a mixture of strong and delicate. A new sound, a new emotion. That’s a lot of who I am right now"
Take a listen to her new album here.(iTunes)

Check out the track Empire State of Mind Part II below:

Beyonce and Lady Gaga's video for "Video Phone" is finally out! The two make a fierce appearance. Gaga appears mid set of the video in a white get-up matching Sasha Fierce (aka Beyonce). These two show off their vogue-esque dance moves as well as their shooting skills.

This song is featured on Beyonce's "I am...Sasha Fierce" bonus track. The video is directed by Hype Williams and we can call it another one of his expected victories! Let's hope for more collaborations in the future from these two divas.

Normally, Styletraxx picks a particular artist to feature on New Music Tuesday, but this time around, it's a compilation worthy of a big mention. This one comes from Island Def Jam, aptly titled Just Dance 2.

Following in the successful tradition of the first Just Dance album, which took Pitbull, Guru Josh Project, and Kim Sozzi to the masses, the series is back with its sophomore release, Just Dance 2. Once again remixes are gathered from IDJ's biggest talents and put together with Ultra Records' groundbreaking dance anthems. Highlights include Mariah Carey's multi-format smash "Obsessed," the summer anthem "Goodbye" from Kristinia Debarge, and artist/writer/producer extraordinaire The-Dream with "Walking On The Moon." Couple these with the hottest dance artists and remixers in the world, including David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Tiesto, and you have the ultimate dance compilation to keep you warm and happy this winter.

Preview/purchase Just Dance 2 (bonus track version) here. (iTunes)

Check out the track listing, after the jump...

Last night at the Nokia Theatre in LA, stars got together for the 37th Annual American Music Awards. The red carpet included big music artists such as Rihanna and Leona Lewis. Alicia Keys and Fergie looked stunning, both rocking Armani Prive dresses.

Starting off the show was the Princess of Pop Janet Jackson, putting on a well choreographed performance. Her performance was a medley of past and future Number Ones including songs from "Control" to new music including "Make Me."

Rather than shaking it, Shakira stepped onto the stage with female dancers performing "Give It Up To Me". By the end of this number there were women stepping all around the stage and aisles. It may have been the sexiest performance of the night. Other big names hitting the stage last night included Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Jay-Z and Carrie Underwood.

Now for awards- Taylor Swift didn't surprise anyone by grabbing five awards including Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist. Swift accepted her awards via satellite from London. After winning artist of the year she mentions, "Music has never been ultimately about competition". She also thanked the Jackson family after being put in the same category as Michael Jackson himself, who posthumously won 4 awards. Taylor says it was an"unimaginable honor". Other big winners of the night included Black Eyed Peas, Jay-Z, and many more music icons.

On the flip side of things, Lady GaGa didn't take any awards, but impressed the audience by putting on a steaming performance. After dancing around the stage performing her hit single "Bad Romance" she smashes a glass box, then takes a seat as her piano as it burst into flames and performs her single "Speechless". Closing out the evening's performances was a no-holds-barred stunner by American Idol Adam Lambert with "For Your Entertainment".

Get a taste of the night by checking out GaGa's performance here:

Leona Lewis hits us up with her sophomore release, Echo. And while much of the album "echos" back to Lewis' power ballad sound, that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Leona Lewis first came to fame as the 2006 winner of the UK talent show X Factor. Her first album Spirit was a huge hit reaching #1 in countries around the world including both the US and UK. A big part of the album's success was due in part to the massive hit single "Bleeding Love." The song was the bestelling single of the year in the UK in 2007 and in the US in 2008. "Bleeding Love" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.

For her second album, Lewis once again worked closely with her mentors Simon Cowell and Clive Davis. They personally helped select songs and producers. Lewis says of the album, "I titled my album Echo, since an echo describes a big, organic sound."

Echo features a significant number of collaborators including Ryan Tedder (producer and co-songwriter of the first single "Happy.") She also duets with Tedder on ‘Lost Then Found’, and collaborates with Justin Timberlake on ‘Don’t Let Me Down‘ written by Timbaland protege James Fauntleroy. Max Martin has collaborated on the song "I Got You." Others include Ne-Yo, will.i.am and Jay-Z.

Preview/purchase Echo here. (iTunes)

Also out today:
World Tour (Best of 2009) - Markus Schulz
Don't Stop - Annie
Waking Up - One Republic
Number Ones - Janet Jackson

After breaking the silence in her intense interview on 20/20 about her brutal break-up, Rihanna premiered her video for Russian Roulette this past Friday. The video was directed by Anthony Mander, known for his work with Ne-Yo and Jay-Z.
Rihanna's pain is palpable throughout the video. It includes many scenes of her heart bleeding, intense eye contact with sexy Grey's Anatomy actor Jesse Williams, and Rihanna standing in the middle of nowhere, where she is almost struck by an oncoming car. Yet with all that she's been through, she demonstrates that with every challenge thrown at her, she is still able to survive.

Take a look at Rihanna's transition to an edgier side in "Russian Roulette":

Gaga does it again with her new video "Bad Romance", which was produced/directed by Francis Lawrence. Francis is known for previous work done with big artists such as Gwen Stefani and Justin Timberlake.

From the looks of this video, Gaga has given us nothing less than what is expected. The video features clips with many glamour-esque, over-the-top costume changes including the razor blade sunglasses and the fishnet over her nails!
The video will be the beginning of Gaga's transition to a riskier side, which she's been slowly gearing into all along. The song is also featured on her upcoming re-release bonus album "The Fame Monster", hitting stores November 23rd.
Take a peek at her new video to see what the craze is all about:

After being kicked off of Melrose Place, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz seems to have no problem in finding a new gig. She is rumored to play in the musical "Chicago". As reported she is no stranger to the big stage, playing as Roxie Hart in the London Production in 2006. No lip-synching was reported at any of those shows.

Ashlee, Pete, and Bronx moved back into NYC and plan to stay there for the next three months.
The NYC production of Chicago starring Ashlee Simpson-Wentz will start in December, running for six weeks.

Break a leg, Roxie!

Calvin Harris is back with a new hot album Flashback this Tuesday which follows up his previous gold-selling album I Created Disco and Ready for the Weekend. In addition to his own success Harris has worked with Tiesto and Kylie Minouge. WIth his albums fans have come to expect contained uptempo electroclash songs that have an influence from the 1980s.

Harris will not let down fans by featuring new songs on Flashback that are similar to his previous albums. All of the tracks make you want to get up a dance and are already being featured in clubs everywhere. On songs such as "I'm Not Alone" or the Dizzee collaboration "Dance Wiv Me" he shows he has the perfect formual to crafting a pop hit. To purchase this album just click here

After performing at the World Series on Thursday, Alicia Keys and Jay-Z's video for "Empire State of Mind" is finally out. The video, directed by Hype Williams was filmed in New York City's Time Square, Harlem, and Ground Zero on October 1st.

The song is featured on Jay-Z's new album "Blueprint 3", which was released on September 8th. The album is Jay-Z's seventh in studio album, and sold 476,000 copies in the first week, making it his 11th US number one album.
Check out the new "Empire State of Mind" video here....

Katy Perry and 3OH!3 recently got together to shoot their video for their collaborative track "Starstrukk." The shoot took place at Los Angeles County Natural History Museum's Rose Garden in Exposition Park.
The video is directed by Marc Klasfled and Sum 41's drummer Steve Jocz. The video features Katy Perry acting out in the daydream scene. This track will be featured on the upcoming romantic comedy "When in Rome."

Check out the video here..

The wait is over, Rihanna is back at full speed with her fourth original studio album, "RATED R" hitting stores Monday, November 28th.
Her debut song off the album, "Russian Roulette" is written and produced by Ne-Yo, who she has worked with before on songs like "Unfaithful" and "Take a Bow." Other collaborator include Chase and Status, Justin Timberlake, and Stargate.

The track is now all over Youtube. Check it out:

The Grammy nominated artist Deadmau5 is back again with his new album "For Lack of a Better Name", and he is making dance music very exciting once again. The progressive house and electro house producer from Toronto, Canada has come out with "For Lack of a Better Name," the follow-up to his critically acclaimed 2008 debut "Random Album Title." In the new album Deadmau5 takes a different turn by incorporating various styles of music into multi-blocks of songs.

URB Magazine said "the name Deadmau5 has become synonymous with quality progressive house music, and we have learned to expect only the best from him. But here is a step in a new direction for Deadmau5."For Lack Of A Better Name", the follow-up to "Random Album Title", is like no mau5 we are familiar with."Even though Deadmau5 has changed the sound that his overwhelmingly large fan base is used to this album definatly will not disapoint them. URB Magazine recommeds fans to not expect "For Lack Of A Better Name" to pick up where "Random Album Title" left off. Instead, embrace this change in sound and say "Hello" to Deadmau5 2.0." To purchase "For Lack of a Better Name" click here.

In Vegas this past Saturday Justin Timberlake brought together a diverse group of talented artists for his second-annual Justin Timberlake & Friends Concert, benefiting Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Opening the event was Jay Sean with U.K.'s beat box champion MC Zani, performing Jay's hit single "Down". MTV VMA's Best Female Video award winner, Taylor Swift followed, performing "You Belong With Me" and "Love Story."

JT introduced the next artist, Alicia Keys as "one of the greatest musicians of my generation". As she strutted the stage in red pumps, she took a seat at her piano to vocalize "Doesn't Mean Anything". The night's other performances included artists such as TLC, Ciara, Timbaland, Snoop Dog, and to cap off the evening, Justin himself, surprising the crowd with "Until the End of Time."

The Black Eyed Peas just released there third official single, the song “Meet Me Halfway from the Peas‘ latest album The E.N.D (Energy Never Dies). The video is Directed by Mathew Cullen and Mark Kudsi.

The video features the four members of the Hip-Hop group being separated in different places and going on a quest to find each other. Stacy Ferguson aka Fergie is seen in some sort of jungle, while Taboo is an astronaut flying in the outer space near the sun. As for will.i.am and apl.de.ap, both of them are captured on the desert. While will.i.am is riding an elephant, apl.de.ap is walking on foot.

will.i.am has said “This is a very different type of video ... 'Boom Boom Pow' was very futuristic and 'I Gotta Feeling' had a party vibe, but this is more artistic video. It's very arty"

Check out the video for yourself below:

Armani Exchange joins forces with the Number 1 DJ in the universe, Armin van Buuren, to bring you an epic 14th installment of the A|X Music Series: 'Universal Religion Chapter 4 - Special Edition.’ - recorded live at Amnesia in Ibiza, Spain during Armin’s summer 2009 residency.

As part of this special edition, Armin van Buuren’s DJ mix “Best of Armind (A|X Music Edition) is included as a free download on iTunes with purchase.

Armin van Buuren has been named number one in the prestigious DJ Top 100 poll – voted for by over 350,000 people across the world, and an indication of his prolific output over the 10 years he’s been DJing and producing. Being the official World’s Best DJ is just one of his many achievements, but the driving force behind his success is an overriding passion for dance music.

Born in Leiden, Holland (on December 25, 1976) to a musical family, Armin indulged his passion for music from a young age. “I loved dance music immediately – this great rebellious sound that was so different to the ‘beautiful’ songs of the years before.” Armin is a dedicated trance lover, but isn’t imprisoned by a single genre, saying “What makes trance work so well is that it doesn’t stick to one style, and can incorporate electro, minimal, whatever it likes.” His desire to showcase more of the great music he hears, along with the number of people sending him tracks they wanted to release, led to the obvious step of starting his own label, Armada, in 2003.
"This is just what I really want," says Armin. "It’s not just love for music, it’s my passion. It goes beyond liking, and beyond a hobby, it’s about a way of living. Music is essential to my life.”

Universal Religion Chapter 4 -Special Edition is available for purchase here (armaniexchange.com)

Also, check out Armin on A|X:TV when we recently caught up with him as he headlined the Electric Zoo Music Festival in New York City.

Once again, Lady GaGa is proving why she is the new reigning Princess of Pop. Not only does she have the number one dance/electronic album, but she also has four songs currently on the top ten hits in the charts. Lady GaGa is only the fifth female artist to make this achievement, and she joins fellow powerhouses Alanis Morissette, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani and Fergi.

Last Friday Lady GaGa was honored as Billboard's Rising Star, and with her newest achievement she is showing that she is not a rising star but that she has already arrived.To date Lady GaGa has sold over 20 million digital singles and 3 million albums worldwide, which makes her one of the biggest-selling artists of 2009. To listen to Lady GaGa's newest song to the billboards, click here

Bleeding glam instead of love, British balladeer and X-Factor alum Leona Lewis just released the first single "Happy" and will be debuting her second studio album "Echo" on November 17th. The reasoning behind the title "Echo," she describes the album as "a big, organic sound." Echo will feature a lot of uptempo pop, dance tracks and a mix of ballads.

Lewis is in good company on this album. Echo features a talent roster so big, that Leona is sure to overcome the dreaded new artist curse of the sophmore slump. Ryan Tedder, who is the co-writer/producer of "Happy." Lewis and none other than Justin Timberlake recorded a duet "Don't Let Me Down," penned by Timbaland. Another collaborator includes Britney's super-producer Max Martin on "I Got You." This album also features major artists such as Ne-Yo, Will.i.am, and Jay-Z.

Preview/purchase her new single "Happy," here. (iTunes)

One of the world's greatest trance DJs and three time "world's number one" DJ Tiesto is continuing to change the boundaries of trance music with his fourth album being released today. This album features a full roster of artists from global superstars such as Nelly Furtado, Calvin Harris, Sneaky Sound System, to indie stars Tegan & Sara, Sigur Ros' Jonsi, and Bloc Party's Kele Okerke. This combination of musical talent results in a powerhouse collection of single worthy uptempo tracks. The album features songs such as the already popular single "I Will Be Here." Another great track on the album is "Feel It In My Bones," featuring sister act Tegan & Sara, and it is possibly the album's best track. Consequence of Sound has said that "upon hearing each track it’s obvious that the contributions have been selected with a great deal of care." There is simply not a bad track on the entire album.

Kaleidoscope is unlike anything Tiesto has done before in any of his previous albums.In what many see as being a risky move of changing his signature sound that his devoted fans are used to; many critics are deeming this album a success. Consequence of Sound said "This album will no doubt polarize opinion, as Tiesto has turned his back on his past in a number of ways. This is not trance music, but from an objective viewpoint this is far more original than any of his older efforts. That it is commercially focused seems to incite rage in his loyal followers. It was a good choice to make. This album is exciting — the collaborations are perfectly pitched, and it’s a thrill to see what Tiesto will design to accommodate each artist." This album is nothing short of excellence and is a musical dream come true. Preview/purchase the album here. (iTunes)

Before this year David Guetta did not have a fan base beyond the confines of the club his album that was released this year "One Love" has changed that. Guetta is burning up the charts and currently has four out of the ten top dance songs on iTunes. All of his songs feature the intensity that makes his music timeless. Currently his most popular song is "Sexy B*tch" featuring Akon and it reigns supreme on his album. The track is a trancey club banger that is a fusion of R&B / Hip-Hop and Dance music that has been featured on top of the charts since this previous summer. Another hit featured on the album is "When Love Takes Over" featuring Kelly Rowland. Not only are his singles all over iTunes, but his album is still holding on to the number two spot on iTunes, and is number thirteen on the Billboards Dance/Electronic albums. To buy the album just press here

Check out the video for "Sexy Bitch"...

Madonna is back to her dance floor roots with her new single "Celebration" which is one of two new songs on her new best-of set. People find "Celebration" to be a song for Madonna's retro-futuristic fan base and another great addition to her collection of chart glories. Madonna enlisted Paul Oakenfold to help provide a European club feel for this new single, and puts her back in the spot that she loves most - the dance floor. The new single is perfect for the clubs, where her music has spent a majority of its time. Not only will the ever faithful and loyal Madonna fans will be rushing to get this new single, but it is attracting younger generations who did not grow up listening to Madonna.

The new best-of set features not only this new single, but everybody's favorite Madonna hits such as Vogue, Like A Virgin, Hung Up, and one of her newer songs Revolver featuring Lil' Wayne. This album celebrates twenty-five years of Madonna being able to make music that makes you get up and dance. The Los Angeles Times said that "Celebration is an effective look back, a gliding, reassuring number that she hasn't forgotten her beginning." To add on to your Madonna collection or to start one up purchase the album here

To see her hot dance moves, outfits, and new boy toy watch the video for Celebration here

Amerie has just released her new Mad Max themed music video for “Heard ‘Em All,” which was shot in the Santa Clarita desert in California. The video was directed by Anthony Mandler, who also produced Rihanna’s “Disturbia” and “Run This Town.” This new track is off Amerie’s upcoming fourth studio album 'In Love & Wa,r' which will be released on Tuesday, November 3rd. This is the Washington D.C. native's first project under Def Jam, and according to the singer, it's a study in the ups, downs and "universal truths" of relationships.

Amerie says "I didn't really want [to sing about] any idealized version of a relationship. Like, 'Everything's been so perfect and la la la.' It's not like la-la land," Amerie told VIBE last night, standing outside Mr. Chow in Tribeca. "It's more like: Been through some things and it didn't work out, going through some things and it might not work out, or everything has worked out and everything's great now because we went through some things."

"I wanted something mean. I wanted something hard and aggressive with a lot of swagger," Amerie says of the overall sound. "Sonically, it's very hip-hop, rock, and soul. And when I say rock, some people think alternative but it's not that. It's actually late '60s, early '70s rock, like rock-and-roll when it was still very rooted in the blues and very soulful."

Check out the video for yourself below:

Way Out West, a band that has been featured in countless television shows, such as Grey's Anatomy and MTV's True Life, has recently released their fourth album "We Love Machine". Their first single was "Only Love" which featured a package of remixes from Jerome Isma Ae, John Tejada, and Glimpse. "Only Love" has Jonathan Mendelsohn on vocals and some of their original keyboards setting it off. Going further into the album are tracks featuring their lush arrangements that are instantly recognizable as "signature" Wild Out West. While the overall feel of the album is uptempo, they are able to successfully incorporate some downtempo songs, such as "One Bright Night".

Way Out West is planning to tour within the next year to bring all of these long awaited songs to their loyal fan base and new fans as well. Early feedback from fans has them agreeing that Way Out West has done it again and that this album is an absolute must in one's music library. This album has been a long time coming, but shows that it was well worth the wait.

Do yourself a favor and purchase this highly recommended album here.

Check out their video for "Only Love"

Jay-Z’s highly anticipated "The Blueprint 3" album has finally dropped, and it has debuted on the Billboard 200 charts at number one. The album sold about 476,000 copies in its first week, and became his eleventh number one album which breaks his tie set with Elvis Presley’s record. Not only has he beat the king but he also beat out some tough competitors such as Whitney Houston and, the tweens idol, Miley Cyrus.

Kanye West produced seven of the hit tracks on the album including “What We Talkin’ About” and “Thank You”. Not only does Jay-Z have the best producers, but he has all the hottest collaborations. He is able to hit many demographics within the Hip-Hop industry by having artists such as Young Jeezy, Drake, Alicia Keys, and the new sensation Kid Cudi; this is not even including his new single featuring Rihanna and Kanye West in a modern day California Love “Run This Town”.

The Blueprint 3 has received favorable reviews from music critics, such as USA Today who gave the album 3.5 out of 4 stars and praised its lyrical qualities, and stated, “There was a time when a rapper couldn’t expect to last past his twenties. Jay-Z who is nearing 40 and releasing his eleventh studio album shows that for someone who is measured mostly against himself, lyrical dexterity doesn’t have an expiration date.” Do not miss out a chance to see the greatest rapper of our time perform and check out one of his concerts.

Check out the tour dates, after the jump...

The eagerly anticipated new album, "718 Sessions" by legendary DJ Danny Krivit, hits US store shelves and iTunes this week. It is a mix of house classics, hidden gems, and bonafide hits, as well as Danny editing the tunes to perfection, this compilation is amazing. This is the unmixed sampler of this epic mix!

Mr. Krivit is known for his legendary status amongst the young and old alike. As 1/3 of Body and Soul, with global legends Francois K and Joe Claussell, their shows consistently sell out major club venues in New York, London and Tokyo. Danny's 718 Sessions has followed in that grand tradition, and is now the #1 destination for nitghtlife aficionados, selling out venues like Santos Party House, Cielo and Pacha.

Review/purchase Danny Krivit's 718 Sessions, click here (iTunes).

Check out the track listing, after the jump...

Check out the most important poll in dance music - DJmag's Top 100 DJs poll.
This is essentially the only poll that matters to DJs and promoters worldwide. The DJ poll is only voted solely by YOU. Better vote fast, the polls close on September 23rd.

Sign up is simple! Provide your name and enter your details including your email address, the country you live in and your top 5 DJs of 2009.

We want you to vote, so don't hesitate... click here.

But feel free to check out the Official Rules, after the jump...

John Digweed is back again and is out and about and ready to release his next installment of the Bedrock mix series later this year.

After Mr Digweed's ten year celebration of the label, "Past Present Future", the progressive house star is now looking to the future with his Bedrock Eleven mix, that features a staggering twenty-two previously unreleased tracks.

In total, it is going to be a three CD release, in which the first two CDs will be with Diggers blend tracks from the likes of Guy J, Giorgos Gatzgristos, Mutant Clan, Pete Heller, Guy Gerber, James Zabiela, himself and production partner Nick Muir.
The final disc will cater to the DJs with eleven new tracks from the label.

Check out the CD trackslist, after the jump…

Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, better known by his stage name Kid Cudi is releasing his outstanding debut album "Man on the Moon: The End of Day" on Universal Motown Records, today September 15th.

Cudi first gained attention after the release of his debut mixtape "a KiD named CuDi" which he released in collaboration with New York streetwear brand 10.Deep.

The album’s greatest commercial success is Day ‘N’ Nite, the song charting well - both in the USA and internationally - and has sold over one million copies in the US alone. The new release is split into five acts, each act transitioning with spoken word narrations by Common. They form a vague narrative about his childhood as a loner to his present-day search for identity and pressure to be great.

In June 2009, Kid Cudi released the single, Make Her Say (originally titled “I Poke Her Face”), which features Kanye West and Common, plus a clever sample of Lady GaGa’s hit single Poker Face.

Cudi's new record also features guests including Kanye West, Common, Snoop Dogg, Ratatat, MGMT, Clipse, 88-Keys and Chip tha Ripper.

Also expected this year: Kid Cudi has plans to release a collaboration album with Chip tha Ripper titled The Almighty Glory. It will drop in the US some time in 2009 and another collaboration album with Ratatat in 2010.

To preview/purchase the new compilation, "Man on the Moon: The End of Day", click here.(iTunes)

Check out his latest interview:
Kid Cudi Trailer (Footage from Deluxe CD / DVD album)

Check out the CD trackslist, after the jump…

Miami's Great DJ/Producer Robbie Rivera has just recently finished his brand new album, "Closer To The Sun" for Ultra Records/Black Hole Recordings. Ultra Records says: "We are now close to the full release of the album's title single on September 22nd."

The new album of the same name "Closer To The Sun" will be filled with the Rivera sound covering a wide-range of styles featuring relentless beats, a driving force of spacious strings and a teasingly long break, which creates the ultimate dance floor experience. The new release includes 15 mixes by the likes of Joachim Garraud, Inpetto, Amo & Navas vs. Les Schmitz, Oscar G, Vandalism, Cinema, and some amazing mixes from the Juicy master himself.

Check out the video for "Closer To The Sun", which was shot in Ibiza on Robbie's birthday this summer:

American Idol’s Jordin Sparks has just released the music video to her latest song, “S.O.S.” from her upcoming album Battlefield. The song is very fun, kind of retro, and makes you want to shimmy & shake all over the place!

The 19-year-old singer will be performing at the 2009 VH1 Divas special. The legendary live concert event will also feature voices like Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Leona Lewis, Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Hudson. The 2009 edition of the multi-artist presentation takes place at Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House. The special will air @ 9PM ET/PT on Thursday, September 17 on VH1. Can’t wait to hear the track? Then check out the new video below:

Whitney Houston performed in Central Park Tuesday before thousands of emotional fans, in a live concert that aired today on "Good Morning America." She performed four songs: "Million Dollar Bill" and "I Look to You" from her new album, as well as classics "My Love Is Your Love" and "I'm Every Woman."

The crowd at Central Park's Rumsey Playfield was full of loyal fans, who came from as far away as Australia and arrived in line as early as 10 p.m. Monday, many them waited hours in the blazing sun for her performance but they enthusiastically sang along with the band during the sound check, and chants of "Whitney, Whitney" rang out before she came onstage and continued to sing along with her throughout her performance.

While "Good Morning America" only planned to have Houston sing three songs, the 46-year old singer out did them by performing four songs before apologizing to the 5,000 fans as she lost her voice while singing. "I'm so sorry. I did 'Oprah.' I've been talking for so long. ... I talked so much, my voice," she said, trailing off. "I shouldn't be talking. I should be singing," she said before breaking into her final, crowd-pleasing number, "I'm Every Woman."

The most honored female artist of all time, Whitney Houston is the only artist ever to have seven consecutive multiplatinum albums, beating out even the Beatles. Whitney’s long-awaited new album, I Look To You, is the first album she has made in seven years. In case you missed this memorable performance check it out by clicking here.

Legendary Trance DJ/producer Christopher Lawrence has been working with his wife Sara Finlayson for fifteen years now. They recently decided to present their work to the public as a new husband and wife duo calling themselves Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Christopher explains: "I've been noticing there's a lot of DJs working in pairs lately. I've often thought it would be nice to have a wingman up there, although in this case, it's actually a wingwoman. I don't know of any other mixed sex DJ duos, let alone any husband and wife teams, so I think we're definitely breaking some new ground here".
"Mr & Mrs Smith' is an opportunity for me to play music that I couldn't normally incorporate into my main room trance sets. There is a right place and a right time for any type of music and the sound we've been working on is perfect for after-hours, industry events like WMC, or side stages at festivals, away from the chaos of the main stage, where true music lovers can get their groove on. This is a sound which is influenced by the many hours we've spent partying at after-hours and in backrooms over the years."

If you want to check out Mr. & Mrs. Smith’s live debut, you must attend the upcoming Burning Man Festival taking place in the Nevada desert on Thursday September 3rd, 2009. They will be performing in the Morpheus Dome at Root Society. For all of Lawrence’s fans, here’s what you should expect: Mr. Smith won’t play the trance music for which he is known! Lawrence says to his trance fans: "I should say to anyone expecting to hear trance from Mr. & Mrs. Smith that they should stay home." His wife Sara comments that the listener can expect some tough, groovy, and sexy tracks ranging anywhere from the house, progressive and techno genres but they aren't making the genre itself a big deal assuming the music itself fits the above referenced criteria.

If you would like to download some Mr. & Mrs. Smith’s graphics, you can get them here.

Check out Mr. and Mrs. Smith tour dates, after the jump…

Defected Records' releases a new 2 CD mix compilation of great house music. Defected Records destination series continues – this time with Hardsoul and Chocolate Puma on the mix. Amsterdam nowadays is considered the “New Berlin” regarding various different kinds of music. It became the destination for legendary parties, clubbers and hedonists alike. Festivals, clubs and beach parties play host to prominent international guest DJs alongside a new breed of Dutch producers.

On this new compilation, Dutchmen Rene and Gascon aka Chocolate Puma drop their impressive new Amsterdam ’09 mix. The latest in the acclaimed ‘In The House’ series, this is the first compilation that focuses on a city rather than an artist – further proof that those in the know are investing heavily in the Dutch capital. “What we wanted to do was to include all the new sounds we bring, such as traditional soulful and to what people call ‘minimal’ today “says Roog Hardsoul (was voted No.1 House DJ of Holland) of their mix. “We wanted to put that all in the mix and not just be about only one sound, so we decided to go across the board. It goes from traditional soulful to minimal tech-house and everything in-between because we’re into so many different aspects of house, and we wanted to show that on the CD”.
Rene says, “we really tried to transfer our energy from our sets onto the mix and are really happy with the result.”
In fact, every track on the compilation – like their live sets – is either a Chocolate Puma remix, production or re-edit, making it part artist album, part traditional mix compilation, but all Amsterdam.

Click here to preview/purchase the new compilation (iTunes).

Check out the trackslist of both CD’s after the jump…

The DJ Music Community lost a shining star this past Friday. Our thoughts and prayers go out to DJ AM’s family and friends. He was a true talent that will be greatly missed.

REST IN PEACE

Beyonce Knowles has been named Billboard Magazine’s “Woman of the Year,”. The Crazy In Love hitmaker has enjoyed another 12 months of stellar successes, with smash hit songs Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) and If I Were A Boy, a number one album, a sold-out world tour, and an invite to sing at U.S. President Barack Obama's inauguration. The multi platinum artist will be accepting this award at the 2009 billboard women in music event held in NYC on October 12th.

The award is given to a female recording artist that has inspired the music business with her success, leadership and new ideas. She will be awarded for her accomplishments over the past 12 months. In the last year, Beyoncé kicked off her world tour "I Am..." in support of her third solo album "I Am...Sasha Fierce," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in November and features the hit singles "If I Were A Boy," "Single Ladies," "Halo," "Ego" and "Sweet Dreams."

Shes not only is talented but the tour also showcased Beyoncé's philanthropic side as she gave 2,500 tickets to families affected by the auto industry crisis in Detroit and joined forces with General Mills Hamburger Helper and Feeding America to deliver 3.5 million meals to local food banks.

The Billboard Women in Music Event celebrates the most powerful and talented women in the music business and is also held in conjunction with the Women In Music Power Players List issue, which recognizes the top female music executives who are leading the industry with their artistic and business vision.

A|X's own DJ Frankie Knuckles from A|X Music Series Volume 2 "Bring on the Night" is highly regarded as the Godfather of Chicago House Music. Back in the day, it wasn’t just a fun night out dancing or hitting a place just to be seen. No, the house music that Chicago’s Frankie Knuckles ushered into the world was about something more. Perhaps there was more heart and soul in the music or maybe it was something even deeper back then.

Knuckles is a NYC-born DJ who was enamored with The Loft and befriended the great Larry Levan. However, it was in Chicago where Knuckles made his mark as a DJ at the famed Warehouse. In fact, the term “House Music” was first used in describing the sounds Knuckles played at the Warehouse. His impact is so great that in 2004 Chicago Mayor Richard Daley proclaimed August 26 “Frankie Knuckles Day.” Beyond the DJ sets at world class venues, Knuckles also aligned with Def Mix Productions and became one of the most in-demand producers and remixers in the world.

MOTIVATION TOO is designed as a way to give back and the first edition MOTIVATION in the series was created as a reaction to the devastation brought on Frankie’s hometown of New York City on September 11, 2001. The main goal of the compilation was to inspire and uplift even at a time when the desire to be creative and artistic might be lost. Knuckles noted that some of the greatest musicians, songwriters and producers he knows have absorbed the compilation and used it to get their day started. MOTIVATION TOO is the sequel and will be released on Nervous Records on October 13, 2009. It’s real quality house music, we suggest you pick it up!

Already riding high with the Top 40 summer smash "When Loves Takes Over" feat. Kelly Rowland, French artist/producer/DJ David Guetta returns with an agenda-setting new album "One Love". With guest appearances by a stellar cast of A-listers including Akon, will.i.am and apl.de.ap of Black Eyed Peas, Estelle, Kid Cudi, Ne-Yo, Novel, Kelly Rowland, and David's longtime vocal collaborator Chris Willis, "One Love" is an ambitious, ingeniously crafted opus that sets forth nothing less than a bold and beautiful manifesto for the global pop and dance audience, blurring the lines between urban and electronic styles along the way. The album also features an exclusive David Guetta remix edit of the Black Eyed Peas #1 smash hit "I Gotta Feeling".

Preview/purchase it here (iTunes)

Check out Kelly Rowland's recent live performance of When Love Takes Over, sponsored by A|X at the Ascension 2009 Beach Party on Fire Island on Sunday, August 16th.

Track listing for One Love, after the jump...

The new “Run This Town” music video from Rihanna, Kanye West and Jay-Z has just been released. The "Run This Town" video will more than likely shock a few Jay-Z fans. Though singer Rihanna is known to be edgy and Kanye West is synonymous for thinking out of the box, Jay seems to allow his artistry to beautify the hard and gritty.

“The song is about evolution and the progress,” Jay has said. “You start out as a new artist and you make your way into the game. You climb that mountain and you get to the top and you put your flag down. This is us putting our flag down. This is Roc Nation. Pledge your allegiance. You’ve got to put your flag at the top of the mountain and say we run this town.”

The threesome will be perform this song on NBC’s The Jay Leno Show on September 14th. Many fans are saying that it is a deja vu of the 90’s hit by Tupac California Love. The trio is also rumored to be a surprise performance at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, so stay tuned for more details on that. Check out the video below!

At long last, Ready For The Weekend is here!

RFTW is of course, the much anticipated, long awaited follow up sophomore album from Scottish Dance artist/producer Calvin Harris who shot to fame with his 2007 debut album, the cheekily titled I Created Disco. After working as producer for Kylie Minogue and being nominated for various awards including a Brit for best single, this is another collection of Pop inspired Dance tracks taking in everything from Electro House to the anthemic Pop Trance of the lead single 'I'm Not Alone'. It also features 'Dance With Me' and the title track.

Ready For The Weekend is ready now for purchase here. (iTunes)

Recently, Mr. Harris has been collaborating with scientists and bikini-clad models alike, on what he refers to as the first ever Humanthesizer - the first human synthesizer. You'll have to see this for yourself...

Mr. Miguel Migs is back!
After releasing the Get Salted series back in 2005, Miguel returns four years later with the follow up compilation entitled Get Salted Volume 2.

The new album will include tracks and remixes by Migs, as well as Fred Everything, Jay-J, and Lisa Shaw. Additionally you will find a couple of tracks that are exclusively released on this mix.

The new CD, Volume 2 will be released on Sept. 22nd, 2009 by Salted music.

To get a taste of the salt, and download the following free track from the upcoming album Lisa Shaw “Like I Want To” (Dutchican Soul Vocal Rub), click here.

Check out the track list and tour dates for GET SALTED VOLUME 2, after the jump…

One of the biggest house music talents, Roger Sanchez will be in London this month. On August 15th the star returns to Ministry of Sound to spin the crowd into a frenzy with a night of awesome house music.
Roger Sanchez is worthy of DJ knighthood, having spread the love of house music for more than two decades! Returning with his eclectic legendary systematic sound, Release Yourself continues to be light years ahead of the game.
After recently releasing Volume 8 of his published Yourself collection in May, Sanchez shows no signs of slowing down. This summer has also seen the recognized icon take Amnesia, Ibiza by storm with his weekly residency dominating the Spanish clubbing island.
Crossing the waters to bring the London crowd some of the magic that has proven successful in Ibiza, Roger Sanchez returns to his only UK residency to inject White Isle vibes and summer sounds.

If it occurs that you are close to the UK this week, Styletraxx highly recommends checking it out.

To purchase tickets, visit:
www.ministryofsound.com/tickets
or
www.ticketweb.co.uk


Cost:
$33 Advance // Early Bird $20 Advance
$10 from 4am 

$10 Students All night


After selling over 200,000 records, garnering massive merchandise sales numbers and selling out venues as headliners across the country, Cobra Starship is back with their latest effort Hot Mess (Decaydance / Fueled By Ramen).

The highly anticipated album comes two years after their critically acclaimed sophomore effort Viva La Cobra, which spawned the MTV favorite singles 'The City Is At War', 'Guilty Pleasure', and 'Kiss My Sass'. With their latest album, Cobra Starship is reaching for Pop stardom. The first single 'Good Girls Go Bad' (Featuring Leighton Meester of Gossip Girl; and written by Cobra Starship, Kara DioGuardi (American Idol) and Kevin Rudolph) is shaping up to propel the pop / rock / dance sensation to just that. 'Good Girls Go Bad' (which world premiered in May on Ryan Seacrest's nationally syndicated Top 40 show) has already been deemed 'The Jam of the Summer' by such mainstream tastemakers as Perez Hilton and Star Magazine.

Cobra Starship is already in rotation at major Top 40 stations nationwide, with the phone request stories and singles sales to prove that the Starship has landed! Expect the band to grow exponentially in their cult fan following while crossing over into the mainstream with the August 11th release of Hot Mess.

Preview/purchase the deluxe version of Hot Mess here (iTunes).

Check out the track listing, after the jump...

The much anticipated 12th annual DJ Awards is coming up! Styletraxx recommends to check it out on September 24th, at Ibiza’s club Pacha. The DJ Awards is one of the most important award ceremonies in dance music industry! Just recently, the nominees for the Awards were announced and legendary DJ ARMIN VAN BUUREN is nominated for both Best Trance DJ and Best International DJ!

The best thing about these nominations is that you’re able to vote for your favorites! Click here to view the list of this year's nominees.

For all fans of Armin van Buuren, check out his upcoming events after the jump…

One of Styletraxx’s favorites, Frankie Knuckles is releasing his new album, “Motivation Too” on October 13th. This will be his first commercial compilation comeback in six years.

Knuckles made a name his self, starting at the Chicago’s Warehouse club in the 80s. He is known for pushing house music movement forward and the phrase "house music" is even said to have originated from the man himself as a tag to describe the music that he was playing in Chicago.

Later, Frankie moved back to his hometown of New York, which was where he found the inspiration to record 2001's Motivation mix.

The catalyst for that particular mix was the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers on September 11th. Frankie recently decided it was time for a follow up, with this year's Motivation Too release.

Be aware, this new release won’t be a retro mix, as most of Knuckles' selections are taken from the last ten years of US house. This one is going to be completely fresh - including cuts from Grand High Priest, Michelle Weeks and Timmy Vegas.

See his comeback live, where he is sure to preview cuts from Motivation Too. Upcoming dates include the following:

Aug 22 Defected In The House presents, Strictly Rhythm
Sep 06 Electric Zoo - Day 2 at Randalls Island, NYC..
Sep 12 Defmix Recordings at Smart Bar

Check out his new tracks, after the jump…

The 2009 MTV VMA nominations are out!!!

Super performers Beyonce and Lady Gaga are the big earners so far with a whopping NINE nominations each for "Single Ladies (Put A Ring on It)," and "Poker Face," respectively.

Beyonce said after the nomination, ”I'm excited and honored to be tied for most nominated for the VMAs. I've been blessed this year to have 'Single Ladies' become a video people really connected with and responded to. I've spent so much time watching all the great versions people created all around the world. It's beautiful to feel you touch people and bring a song to life with a video.”

Britney Spears received seven nominations for her videos for "Womanizer" and "Circus" and a press release from MTV says, "Jay-Z, Green Day, Eminem, Kanye West and Coldplay will each find themselves vying for several moonmen on the big night."

Eminem, Kayne West and Coldplay each received four, while comeback kings Green Day have three and Jay-Z has two.
Hysterical comedian Russel Brand will be returning to host this year’s show -his second year.

The VMAs will take place on September 13th at various locations around New York City, including Radio City Music Hall.

Check out the full list of nominees, after the jump...

With her unique voice, disarmingly frank lyrics, melodic gifts, and exotic good looks, Toronto raised singer and songwriter Anjulie is a commanding new presence on the music scene. On her self-titled debut album out today, the Los Angeles-based songwriter comes across as a confident young woman who examines her life, loves, obsessions, and heartbreaks with fearless introspection. “I think what separates me from other artists is that I write from a really intimate place,” Anjulie says.“ This album is like me opening the door to my bedroom, literally. I come off as being pretty put-together, but my songs are the one place where I can pull the string and unravel. They’re where I can be vulnerable, insecure, jealous, silly, and childlike. It's too scary to do that in real life. You have to feel safe. I only feel safe with headphones on.”

The youngest of four children, Anjulie grew up in the Toronto suburb of Oaksville, Ontario, raised by immigrant parents from Guyana. As a result, her household was filled with everything from Afro-Caribbean calypso, reggae, and South American Latin music, to pop and rock. The mix of music styles has definitely influenced Anjulie’s debut - a sophisticated blend of indelible pop smarts, hip-hop edginess, and world-music spice, topped by Anjulie’s sultry vocal stylings. The confident and eclectic mix of songs on Anjulie’s debut explore a wide range of moods, a sign that she is an artist with a lot of range and versatility. The slinky opening track “Boom,” works a dark, Nancy Sinatra-esque ’60s vibe, while ”The Rain” is a sleek, flamenco-flavored urban gem. Anjulie gets steamy on the feverish “The Heat,” the obsessive “Addicted2Me,” and the provocative “Some Dumb Whore,” before entirely switching gears on the uplifting acoustic-driven “Same Damn Thing” and the lovelorn piano ballad “Crazy That Way.”

It’s not surprising that Anjulie’s debut is as eclectic as it is, as the singer cops to a host of musical influences, everyone from confessional singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette and the always-enigmatic Annie Lennox, to hip-hop mavericks Kanye West and Lauryn Hill.

This week, Anjulie brings her songs to the stage. If you’re in Los Angeles this week, catch Anjulie performing a free concert at LA’s Citywalk this Friday, August 8th at 8pm. More info can be found here.

Anjulie’s debut album can be previewed and purchased here. (iTunes).

Coldplay brought the festival home in spectacular fashion -- literally, if you include the band's "Viva La Vida" French Revolutionary-themed costumery -- with show pieces ranging from pyrotechnics to enormous yellow balloons released into the audience during the song "Yellow."

"As four people from Britain who grew up in the mud and rain, we take off our proverbial hats to you New Yorkers and New Jerseyans who came out to what can only be described as a mud jacuzzi," said singer Chris Martin. He later said the show was "one of the strangest smelling but best concerts we've ever done," referring to the strong odor of manure that had been churned by the storms and lingered over the festival grounds. Coldplay also paid tribute to "absent friends" with an acoustic "Billie Jean" cover and, in one of the more unexpected interpretations of the weekend, Chris Martin's solo piano crooner version of the Beastie Boys' "Fight For Your Right to Party."

Carl Craig’s record label Planet E has a new box set, a special limited edition all-vinyl set of his work as 69.

The set, entitled “The Legendary Adventures Of A Filter King,” features hot tracks including his highly influential breakbeat techno jam "Desire" and a collection of the nineteen best songs from his early 90’s productions.

The famous Dubplates & Mastering studios in Berlin have remastered every single track for this special Edition.

As an added exclusive bonus, the collection also features previously unreleased versions of "If Mojo Was A.M." and "Poi Et Pas."

This box set is super-limited edition - just 500 copies, the first 100 of which will come with a t-shirt designed by San Francisco-based designer clothing company Nice Collective. But be aware of the high cost for the collector’s item, it will cost no less than $245 for the box with the t-shirt, and $210 for the one without.

Check out his new Edition’s tracklist, after the jump...

Once again brunette bombshell Katy Perry has grabbed the number one spot on top-40 radio stations across the nation this week with her new song “Waking up in Vegas”. This is her fourth single out and third to reach number one following “Hot N Cold” and the never forgettable “I Kissed a Girl” off her album One of the Boys.
Perry is only the fourth artist to achieve the honor of three top-40 singles following Ace of Base, Avril Lavigne and Lady Gaga.

Last week Katy appeared on NBC’sToday Show at Rockefeller Center in New York City wearing a one sleeved red sequin mini dress with fuzzy dice of all sizes.

Follow this diva on the rest of her tour:
July 28 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom
July 30 Atlantic City, NJ Borgata

August 2 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless


August 4 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amp.(with No Doubt)


August 29 Los Angeles, CA tba


August 30 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl


September 4 Salem, OR Oregon State Fair
September 5 Seattle, WA Bumbershoot

On Tuesday, 22nd September, A|X Armani Exchange recommends to check out the new album of the electro house wunderkind, Deadmau5. “LACK OF A BETTER NAME”: is the fourth album in his career and it focuses on Joel Zimmerman experimenting with different style of music. Deadmau5 is one of the best artists in the house music scene and he’s already topped the charts of Beatport. And you might get lucky, he embarks on a new North American tour.

His new album release goes further into other territories than ever before. Thus far, the only nugget available from the new Deadmau5 project is Ghosts 'n' Stuff, which was recorded in collaboration with Rob Squire from rock / drum & bass outfit Pendulum.

And while it sounds a lot closer to Deadmau5 than it does to Pendulum, you can be sure his young fans will lap it up, while they book tickets to his upcoming album tour. Just stay tuned for the vocal at the end…cutting!

Check out Deadmau5 For The Lack Of A Better Name US tour after the jump

Deadmau5 video - "Ghosts n Stuff"

A|X recommends to checking out Los Angeles’s new electronic music festival, entitled Convention 101.

The new festival makes it debut beginning Friday September 18th, 2009 through Sunday September 20th, 2009.

Among the acts to perform are Juan Atkins, Misstress Barbara and Egyptian Lover.

The event is both an indoor and outdoor convention and will be held at multiple select venues in the nearby Los Angeles, California area.

This Festival comes to you by Robtronik who organized many successful events locally at King King Club, The Room, Downtown LA, Cinespace, and gorgeous Standard Hotel Rooftop. The location of the initial day and premier of the event has yet to be disclosed, the second day the will held at Lot 613 located at 613 Imperial Street in Downtown Los Angeles, with final day at the Standard Hotel Rooftop at 550 South Flower Street.

Expectation: Three stages with at least 12 hours of music and over 20 DJs and live performers. A partial line up has been compiled with more artists in the process of being confirmed.

Check out the other DJs attending so far, after the jump...

The ultimate summer soundtrack has arrived right on time. Ministry Of Sound's Summer Sessions is a three-disc collection of 60 (yes sixty) uplifting tracks, that straddle the fine line between house and chillout, but remain full of funk all the while.

The first disc is all dance, starting with the recognizable groove of 'Bonkers' by Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden, before hitting 'Hold On' by Lazee (featuring Neverstore) - one of the most exciting new tracks of recent times. Feel good club anthems 'Love On My Mind' by Freemasons and 'Put Your Hands Up For Detroit' by Fedde Le Grand are notable highlights, whilst The Streets (aka Mike Skinner) make a welcome appearance with a new mix of his classic 2002 single, 'Weak Become Heroes'.

Disc 2 is all about the funk. It opens with Estelle's worldwide hit, 'American Boy', swiftly followed by the infectious sing-a-long 'Hey Ya!' by OutKast. The star-studded collection continues with contributions from Jamiroquai, Brand New Heavies, and MOS favourite, Fatboy Slim. Calming down for the final disc,

CD 3 presents 20 chilled tracks. Royksopp, Norway's finest electronic duo, feature with their highly melodic 'The Girl And The Robot', alongside a triumphant cover of St. Germain's 'Rose Rouge' by Analog People In A Digital World. Groove Armada's brand new floor-filler, 'El Padrino', and an exquisite new mix of Underworld's 'Jumbo' are also worth listening out for, before the release comes to a soft, satisfying conclusion with Jakatta's 'Feelin' Blue'.

Ministry Of Sound have produced a compilation that, despite containing more than three hours of music, never ceases in quality. Besides the suntan oil and the pool, summer sessions is the must have item to top off the perfect summer weekend.

Get it here. (MOS)

Check out the track listing, after the jump.

A|X favorite and world’s biggest DJ, Tiesto announces his new single & North American tour dates.

For Tiesto’s new single ‘I Will Be Here’ the superstar DJ has joined forces with Australian electro pop-stars, Sneaky Sound System.

On Friday, July 17th Tiesto debuted the new single on Pete Tong’s Essential Selection on BBC Radio 1. It will be released on Tuesday, July 28th, on Ultra Records.
 In celebration of the release, Sneaky Sound System will join Calvin Harris as support for Tiesto’s massive Victoria Park headlining concert on July 31st. It will be the first time ever for any single DJ to play this large a scale London concert on their own.

This is going to be another proud moment for Tiesto, whose milestones include performing at the opening ceremonies at the 2004 Olympic games in Athens, earning a Grammy nomination for his last record “Elements of Life” and closing the mainstage at the Coachella festival in California, after the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The new single is in line with the recent remixes Tiesto has been doing with artists such as Bloc Party, Yeah Yeah Yeah's and Calvin Harris. Tiesto himself says about his new release, “After hearing Miss Connie's vocals I immediately wanted to work with her and the band. The song is uplifting, while being a bit haunting at the same time. I like songs that are inspirational and make you think. At the same time, it’s a great dance track with some epic builds and breaks and is going off at the shows every night, which is the most important thing to me.”

The Sydney based trio of Miss Connie, Black Angus and MC Double D make deliciously addictive electro-pop that has been sought after by some of the hottest names in indie, pop and hip hop, including Kanye West (with Connie appearing on his “Graduation” album), Empire of the Sun and Stuart Price (Madonna, The Killers).

While juggling his record breaking Ibiza residency, a grueling summer tour schedule and putting the finishing touches on his career defining new album, Tiesto is also planning the launch of an 18 month World Tour. North America will be the kickoff continent, with more dates around the world to be announced soon. On July 17th, fans had the opportunity to purchase pre-sale tickets for these North American performances exclusively through Tiësto’s brand-new members-only fan site InTheBooth
with regular on sale tickets for North America starting July 24th 
(more dates to be announced shortly).

Stay tuned for more information on Tiesto’s forthcoming artist album and other news!
 More information on Tiesto:

www.Tiesto.com
www.facebook.com/Tiesto 

www.myspace.com/Tiesto
www.twitter.com/Tiesto 

More information on Sneaky Sound System
 


Check out his Tour Dates after the jump...

Defected Records is continuing their digital-only compilation series: Miss Divine, who is a Pacha Ibiza summer resident and mixer of this great new release. She is young and relatively new in the DJ game, but she brings it all - full passion, enthusiasm, energy, drive and an in-depth knowledge of house music.

Defected is quick to catch Miss Divine as a rising star. She comes armed with a CD case full of the records that are bringing the energy of the White Isle to new heights. Miss Divine has delivered a mix full of Summer anthems, including the huge ‘Sinfonia Della Notte’ by Dennis Ferrer, Erick Morillo’s ‘I Get Lifted’, DJ Gregory & Gregor Salto’s Con Alegria’ and ‘Roots’ by Copyright.

Here's a live performance from Pacha Ibiza's rising star, Miss Divine:

Click here to preview/purchase (iTunes)

...and check out the tracklist, after the JUMP...

Monday is perfect time to listen to "Ready For the Weekend" by Calvin Harris. A fizzy pop track, fitting more for a summery Sunday morning, this track shows a progression from Harris' synth production to include a bit of classic house piano.

The video for the track features the Scottish electro singer-songwriter as a knife-wielding mad scientist surrounded by female dancers/test subjects. In "Ready For The Weekend," the title track from his forthcoming second album, the dancing girls wear red leotards to match Harris' magic red mirror/portal, red furniture, etc., until they change into blue and yellow zip-up bathing suits, expanding the colorful palette over, and over, and over, just in time for the weekend.

Check out the trippy video here:

On his latest release "Perfecto Vegas," Paul Oakenfold delivers a double CD filled with his signature melodic progressive trance sound. The release caps and heralds his highly ambitious recent residency at the Palms Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Consisting of 21 exclusive tracks, this powerhouse of uplifting new and familiar music seems to lean less towards the pop of previous Oakenfold, and ventures into unfamiliar territory. This is the new sound that diehards have been holding out for since Oakenfold's Grammy-nominated 2004 album, "Creamfields."

Perfecto Vegas is available for preview and purchase here (iTunes).

The highly anticipated 2009 debut album from Elly Jackson (AKA La Roux), who has everyone from Franz Ferdinand to Daft Punk hailing her as a talent to watch. This self-titled album is a mix of emotions, touching on everything from heartbreak to disappointment to invincibility. Ranging from the high crystal-clean falsettos of `Fascination' to the brooding lulls of ballad `Cover My Eyes' (that features London Community Gospel Choir), the breadth of the album and La Roux's diversity is clear. For Elly and co-producer/ writer Ben Langmaid, La Roux has never been about producing disposable dancefloor fodder. Since meeting four years ago the talented duo's goal was clear - they wanted to bring classic songwriting back into the clubs and charts, and with this album they've accomplished that and far more. You can get your copy when the album hits US stores July 7, 2009.

Electro-dance pioneer Moby publishes one of his most melancholic and majestic soundscape CDs of his career.

Born Richard Melville Hall, 11 September 1965 in Harlem, New York City, nowadays Moby is well known around the world and a leading figure in the commercialization of techno music. In 1991 Moby took the Twin Peaks theme, under the guise of "Go", into the UK Top 10. He is an all around talent and has composed profoundly yearning and lush songs that make you want to cry in joy, sorrow, lament and angst. He's truly a techno master who creates songs inducing mania to sounds that will arouse feelings of pity, compassion, sympathy and sorrow.

His new Album "Wait For Me" is a tender, refined and predominantly ambient CD of electronic music. With help from some adept female vocalists, Moby recorded the whole album from home -in his bedroom, in fact.

We recommend listening closely to some of the great tracks like “Division” laden with vintage synthetic strings. Also, “Hope is gone," which is a balled replete with pathos. "Pale Horses" is a brilliant song that is emotive and grievous. The list goes on…

Check out a recent interview with Moby, here:

Moby DJ Set

Wait For Me can be purchased here (iTunes).

Check out the track listing, after the jump...

On Friday, July 3rd Dutch DJ/Producer Joris Voorn will bring fire into New York's number one house club ‘CIELO” in New York City.
Recently releasing a brand new compilation album titled, Balance 014, Mr. Voorn has has commented that he's 'pushed [his] own boundaries in a technical...musical and artistic way.'

A|X highly recommends that you check out the new release of his stunning 2xCD Balance 014 compilation from EQ Recordings.

With the release of his magnificent Balance 014 compilation, DJ/Producer Joris is hotly tipped as the next big thing. Across two discs and using, rather remarkably, over 100 tracks, Joris constructs a complex, layered and seamless mix of some of the best tech house, minimal and electronic dance music. An epic mix in the very best sense of the word, Joris achieves the rare feat of combining variety and consistency, both on the album and on dancefloors alike.

On his new CD you will find 100 tracks work together in 2 continuous mixes; Joris Voorn draws on a depth of talent unlikely to be repeated on a mix CD compilation. It takes a visionary DJ to combine tracks from Radiohead to Goldie, Leftfield, Jimpster, Aphex Twin, Dubfire, System 7, Minilogue, Cobblestone Jazz, etc.
This CD is definitely not one to skip through...in some cases one track includes 6 different tracks from various artists.

If you are unable to attend Voorn's upcoming Cielo performance, you will get another chance to see the Dutch star on Labor Day weekend when sparks will likely fly as he returns to NYCs Electric Zoo Festival.

To check him out live at Cielo, please be prompt -doors open at 10pm.
$15 Advance Tickets while supplies last at www.made-event.com
Tickets also available at Rebel Rebel, 319 Bleecker St NYC 212.989.0770
Event Info 917.723.9381

www.made-event.com
www.myspace.com/jorisvoorn
www.cieloclub.com

Made Event NYC Upcoming Dates
July 3 Joris Voorn @ Cielo
July 5 Save the Cannibals: D'Julz @ Rebel
July 9 John O’Callaghan @ Cielo
July 17 Matt Darey @ Cielo
Aug 7 D. Ramirez @ Cielo
Sept 5&6 Electric Zoo: New York's Electronic Music Festival @ Randall's Island Park

Joris Voorn - Balance 014 Midori album sampler

Cobra Starship front man Gabe Saporta is hunched over the craps table, a wad of cash in his sweaty hand, while Leighton Meester of "Gossip Girl" hovers above him on perilously high heels. Around them, the smoky nightclub pulsated in full party mode, as pretty people jammed to the music and guzzled bottles of beer. Leighton Meester is fierce the moment she steps into Cobra Starship’s new “Good Girls Go Bad” music video.

The concept of the video is that Meester runs an underground speakeasy, complete with shelves of booze, gambling tables and a dance floor. The band is in charge of the above-ground deli that acts as a front operation to hide the debauchery within. To gain access to the illegal club, patrons must order the correct sandwich and proceed down a staircase. "And if you don't look good, I'm not gonna let you in!" Saporta told MTV News during some downtime on the set, tucked into the Lower East Side.

The infectiously dancey "Good Girls" was produced by "American Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi, and Saporta was initially put off by the fact that the busy producer only had two hours to spend with the band in the studio. Saporta says he gave her a "stinky beat" and popped off a list of foul-mouthed song titles. "She didn't even flinch!" said an impressed Saporta. "She's a New York girl." Together, they dropped the song's hook in no time, and 15 minutes later the entire track was done. "It's, like, the best song on our album," he said of the upcoming August release, Hot Mess.

By the time Cobra and DioGuardi recorded the song, the band had already decided to collaborate with Meester. "I had heard that Leighton was working on a record and I really, really, really wanted to do a song with her, because I'm a big superfan of hers," Saporta said. He recalled thinking, "['Good Girls'] would be perfect for Leighton because it's already kind of her character in 'Gossip Girl,' like the perfect girl with the bad streak." They'd been working together on another track, but Saporta quickly sent her the new song, and Meester took an immediate liking to it. "I thought, 'I need to get on that!' " she told MTV News. "It totally is my sound too. Really fun to dance to it. Very edgy and cool."

The video was directed by Kai Regan and shot on Sunday, May 3 in New York City. Cobra Starship consists of Gabe Saporta, Ryland Blackinton, Alex Suarez, Victoria Asher and Nate Novarro. Check out the video below:

Gossip Girl and IMG model, Taylor Momsen, rocked out with her band, The Pretty Reckless, at the Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood in Tuesday night (June 23). Taylor's band The Pretty Reckless is currently touring as the opening act for The Veronicas. This is the ultimate young, stylish girl tour this summer.

Although the 15-year-old actress’ band may just be the warm up act for the Australian band, The Veronicas T.P.R. seems to be charming a crowd that wildly cheered her and the rest of the band on. Despite the fact that Taylor Momsen is only 15 going on 16, its been rumored that her vocals last night projected as mature and as loud as a Joan Jett performance

Gossip Girl fans have a lot to look forward to with both Taylor and Leighton Meester making music until Season 3 of Gossip Girl comes back next Fall. Another thing to anticipate in the fall is The Pretty Reckless plan to release their very first album.

If you missed the performance, The Pretty Reckless comes through Los Angeles next, check out the remaining tour dates for The Pretty Reckless on tour with The Veronicas below:

June 18 Houston, TX Meridian
June 20 Kansas City, MO Capitol Fed Park
June 21 San Francisco, CA Golden Gate Park
June 23 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theater
June 24 San Francisco, CA Six Flags
June 26 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre
June 27 Vancouver, BC Richards on Richards
June 28 Seattle, WA Neumos

On Wednesday, June 24th Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim is bringing “The Big Beach Boutique Party” to New York's Terminal 5.
A|X recommends that you check him out because this will be his only East Coast performance, according to Mr. Slim's upcoming schedule.

The event’s “Big Beach” theme began back in 2000 and is still going strong nine years later. However, this will be the first time the beach will be brought indoors.

The Japanese electro house artist Shinich Osawa, signed to the Rhythm Zone label, will join Fatboy Slim that night as a special guest.

Terminal 5 is located at 610 W. 56th Street at 11th Ave. Doors will open at 8PM. Advance tickets are available now at the discounted rate of $40. The price will increase to $45 if purchased at the door.

If you can’t catch him live, Cook had some recent US television appearances. Cook, along with BPA partner-in-crime Iggy Pop, took the sounds of the BPA to New York institution The Late Show with David Letterman on June 22nd and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon the following day, June 23rd.

Check out Fatboy Slim's performance in Brighton 2008 below:

Check out his tour dates for the summer, AFTER THE JUMP:

Robbie Rivera’s “Juicy Ibiza 2009” is your chance for a sonic escape to the hottest Party Island on earth. A|X Music alum, DJ Robbie Rivera released the new Summer 2xCD JUICY IBIZA. It’s a mix of magical upfront tunes with an impressive roll call featuring Deadmau5, Joachim Garraud, Jaimy & Kenny D, Keven Maroda, Dero, DMS 12, Dean Newton, a host of exclusive tracks from Rivera himself, and many more.

Robbie’s residency, Juicy Ibiza, held weekly at Privilege (the world’s largest club), attracts thousands of clubbers to its dancefloor. Alongside Robbie and a faithful band of residents, you can expect major international names including Kaskade, Inpetto, Vandalism, Joachim Garraud, Stonebridge, and more.

A frequent hit-maker and remixer, Robbie’s been the first on the list for artists such as Felix Da Housecat, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Moloko, Bob Sinclar, Sinead O'Connor, Ferry Corsten, Santana, Steve Angello, Pink, Basement Jaxx, and many more.

His music has regularly packed the dancefloors of Ibiza, Barcelona, Brazil, Poland, Puerto Rico, NYC, and of course, his hometown of Miami.

Robbie’s jewel is his label, Juicy Music. Recognized for quality house, progressive and electro music releases, and a roster that includes world star house music artists like Antoine Clamaran, Coburn Superchumbo, Mark Knight, David Guetta, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, Stonebridge and emerging talent such as Willie Morales, Paul Harris, Louie Padilla, and Rooster & Peralta.

A|X highly recommends to check out Mr. Rivera’s new CD now available on iTunes.

The worlds best known French house music DJ-artist, David Guetta, scores his first U.K. No. 1 single with “When Love Takes Over”, featuring Kelly Rowland.

“Kasabian” is the band’s third released Album and already leads the way ahead of its predecessor at the Chart summit, Paolo Nutini’s “Sunny Side Up”.

The new single is definitely another chart success, making it Guetta’s third U.K. top ten single and creating big buzz for the U.K . release of his new album, “One Love” on August 24th. For further information check out:
http://www.itunes.com

Also, the new single "When Love Takes Over" is officially the new #1 club anthem in the U.S. On top of that, the single is really catching fire at pop and dance radio, with airplay on Z100/NYC, WKTU/NYC, Pulse 87/NYC, B96/Chicago, Movin'/SF and others!

“When Love Takes Over" ringtones are now available in the U.S. from your favorite Mobile Service Provider.

A|X highly recommends to check out his new video:
http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zudbz4hOcbc

The daddy of the electro-techno scene is back once again, with yet another new album for his fans ie all of us. This time it's called He Was King, it's out on Monday 25th August on Nettwerk, and it features yet another about turn, style-wise…well, you can never tell what a Housecat's gonna do next.

Felix really goes back within the scene - he's been around long enough that people like DJ Hell consider him a godfather, and that's saying something. But it was back in 2001 that he really made himself known to the electro generation, when his Kittenz And Thee Glitz album virtually invented electroclash, and he was introduced to a whole new generation who'd never heard his tougher trax before.

So it's no surprise to us that Felix has decided to change the game once again: indeed, that's business as usual with him, as he's always changed his tempo, from album to album, mix CD to mix CD. However, we reckon it's fair to say that this is his most obvious attempt to crossover to a pop audience. Indeed, he admits himself, 'Whereas Kittenz & The Glitz was straight up electro, He Was King is straight Felix Da Housecat pop with a nice electronic feel.

Summer is finally here and so is Hed Kandi …with another tasty 14 songs to wet your appetite on "The Singles". The Disco Kandi label is a collection of the hottest tracks from Hed Kandi's global dancefloors; the ultimate buzz in the world of dance music.



Launched in 1999, Hed Kandi has evolved from humble beginnings as a compilation brand into the global phenomenon it is today. A release of over 60 albums, a number of artist projects, three UK Top Ten singles and a host of Top 40 hits to date, Hed Kandi is now a globally respected brand in the house music scene.

On this Disco-house CD, heavyweights Lucien Foort pres. LFCC, eSquire feat. Soraya Vivian, The Barflyz, Jonni Black & Shena, produce an all-around glittering selection of feel-good summer gems. This remix will certainly get you dancing.

This album has it all: beach house grooves, sparkling vocals, disco-fueled hooks and basslines that will bring the summer right to you!

Wave goodbye to rainy days…

Check it out
!!

NYC icon, world-renown DJ/Producer and Subliminal Label totem Erick Morillo is publishing this years’ edition in the acclaimed Subliminal Sessions Summer Series. The newest edition contains 30 of Subliminal’s best cuts of the year, reflecting the sound of Pacha NYC / Ibiza.

Erick says about his new compilation, “the tracks featured on this mix will be the tracks I will be playing throughout my set this summer. I don't think anyone will be disappointed with this mix”.
Erick Morillo owns the record label, Subliminal, which is one of the most equitable brand names in house music.

Subliminal Sessions Summer 09 has become a genuine reflection of Erick's Subliminal sound: groovy, sexy, glamorous combined with seismic floor-fillers by Dr Kucho!, Deadmau5, Wippenberg and Who da Funk among many others. We highly recommend the new album, as it is unquestionably one of the hottest compilations to get you through the summer!

Subliminal Sessions Summer 09 is released today (15 June) on Subliminal as 2xCD and digital. Keep an eye on 365Mag for an exclusive interview with Erick Morillo!

Subliminal Sessions Summer 09 track-list:

The wait is over -- Whitney Houston is finally making her comeback on Sept.1 with an as-yet-untitled album on Arista Records. For her return, the label has set up a countdown on the New Jersey-bred artist's official site.

Top producers and song writers to the likes of will.i.am, Sean Garrett and Akon,have all been confirmed to aid with her album. "The voice is there; I don't think anyone could ever take that from her. As long as we apply that voice to hit records, she'll be right back where she left off," Akon told Billboard.com back in 2007.

Houston made her first high-profile public appearance at her mentor Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy gala back in February, where she performed a four-song set that included brief renditions of "I Will Always Love You" and "I Believe in You and Me" plus a tent revival-style take on "I'm Every Woman."

Houston has had a rough few years plagued by drug and health issues -including rehab stints in 2004 and 2005 -- a legal dispute with her father, John Houston, rumored financial problems and a troubled marriage to fellow singer Bobby Brown that ended in divorce.

Houston's last album was 2002's "Just Whitney," sold 737,000 copies here in the US.

Check out the making of a legend....

The new album by The Black Eyed Peas drops today and has been off to a blazing start! The first single from The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies), BOOM BOOM POW was also the Peas' very first #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

With The E.N.D., The Peas are poised to continue with the success of Elephunk and their fourth release Monkey Business - they have had multiple hit anthems, such as "My Humps" "Pump It" and "Let's Get It Started" along with "Don't Phunk With My Heart" "Where is the Love?" and "Don't Lie".

In the midst of the success of the Black Eyed Peas, FERGIE released her debut solo album, The Dutchess, in 2006. To date the album has sold over six million copies worldwide and spanned five Top 5 hits. Moreover, Fergie became the first female artist in history to have four consecutive #1 singles (Billboard).

Will.i.am is also a Grammy nominated producer - nominated for the Producer of The Year Award in 2007 and nominated again at the 2009 Grammy's. He has lent his services to some of the biggest superstars in the business; Fergie, The Pussycat Dolls, John Legend, Mary J. Blige, Ricky Martin, Justin Timberlake, Diddy, Nas, Michael Jackson, Usher, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and U2. Besides his music endeavors, will.i.am is committed to social activism and is an outspoken advocate of progressive political initiatives. His "Yes We Can" video won an EMMY and a Webby Award and has over 19 million views on YouTube to date.

The Black Eyed Peas have sold over 20 million albums worldwide, have won three Grammy awards and have been nominated for 11 total as well as awards won at Teen Choice, MTV, American Music Awards, among many others from around the world!

Preview and purchase The E.N.D. here. (iTunes US)

And check out the video for their latest single, "I Gotta Feeling" below.

Bat For Lashes aka Natasha Khan, has released the video for “Pearl’s Dream” from her new album - Two Suns.

The video features Khan running around in a blond wig, as Pearl. Rumor has it that the track was inspired by Khan’s time spent living in Brooklyn (on and off since 2007), where she sometimes dressed up as “Pearl” and went out bars as a destructive, self-absorbed, blonde femme fatale.

Check it out…

Madonna has released a new video for her track "Miles Away" off the "Hard Candy" album. 
The vid is a compilation of performances to the track from the icon's worldwide "Sticky & Sweet Tour".

Next up for the superSTAR will be her sold-out tour dates overseas this summer, followed by the release a greatest hits album which is rumored to include new tracks, her last Warner Bros. release, in September.

Thanks to youtuber “richeemusic” you can check it out here…

Kanye West releases his “Paranoid” video starring Rihanna on his own blog, after yet another unfinished version leaks online, the high school drop out rapper put his foot down and decided to share the much more polished version than the incomplete version that leaked last week. Kanye had been devastated that fans had been exposed to a “video" that was not up to my standards.” The early version of the "Paranoid" video by director Nabil Elderkin described the leaked clip to MTV News last week as a "rough cut." So West took to his own site to post the completed final version, which he revealed was set to debut Thursday.

Kanye had written, “It hurts me to see the old and very wrong version of the ‘Paranoid’ video get leaked all over the net while I was on an 11-hour flight and couldn’t do anything about it. It’s just frustrating when this stuff happens because I really care about the product and, since videos never get played anyway, you might as well tweak them”.

In "Paranoid," an ominous West is featured only sparingly in the clip and takes a backseat to a sexy Rihanna. The "Umbrella" star is introduced in a bedroom scene, as the camera pans over her before a number of shadow-like hands pull the covers away from her. Rihanna later appears in a noir-style car chase. Kanye is in a darker role in the clip, never appearing onscreen for longer than a few seconds. The rapper's characteristics are enhanced at times and appear wolf-like. His eyes flash to reveal narrow, beady pupils, and fangs flash onscreen several times. By the end of the clip, Rihanna returns to bed, tossing and turning, but doesn't wake up. The three-minute video appears to be a bad dream. The director said the clip matches the song's premise. "It's fantasy meets paranoid, when you get into that frame of mind and get trapped into your thoughts," Elderkin explained. "It starts out subtle, but then it just builds. So I wanted to get that into the video, to build that into her dream sequence and get her into that paranoid state of mind."

Check it out for yourself in the clip below:

The Dutch house man Martijn ten Velden recently mixed the seventh episode of the Defected’s Clubland Adventures series. To make the Album unique and to celebrate the 10th anniversary, Martijn himself re-edited almost every single track in the mix.

In an interview he says that in the new episode will be house music with a little bit more techy touch. He says:” I really like some of the new sounds, when a new kind of production style comes out, that’s what really interests me. So I always try to come up with fresh sounds that are really now.” Further he announced that the intro is quite techy, but than it will go into a big house anthem. So it will be a good mix between techy and house styles.

As it’s Defected’s 10th Anniversary, ten Velden tried to keep a bit of that signature Defected sound in there, but also tried to mix some of his personal old favorites along with new ones to make the mix. This herculean effort led to essentially a
re-edit of every single track, putting extra drums over the top, putting acapellas over the top. Ten Velden adds, "I just couldn’t stop because there are so many great acapellas on Defected, so I ended putting a lot of work into it to keep it really interesting, like putting lots of little snippets of old tracks in there from five, six or even eight years ago and tried to make it all sound modern and make it sound now. That was the aim of the mix."

We like what he did with the mix. A clubland adventure indeed. Check out the edits, out today on iTunes US.

It's done! Today, Paul van Dyk released his “best of” album, aptly titled "VOLUME". The East German-born, Grammy-nominated artist is now celebrating over 15 years of musical achievements.

His new album “Volume”, will be available in-store on June 9th, but is currently available digitally via iTunes.

VOLUME showcases van Dyk's talents, both as a DJ and producer. Among the tracks, you will find studio cuts like, "45 RPM" (1994), “Seven Ways" (1996), "Out There And Back" (2000), "Reflections" (2003), and "In Between" (2007). The Album also includes the brand new song, “Home” featuring vocals by Johnny McDaid of Vega 4 who also cooperated with van Dyk on the single “For an Angel” and on the remixed classic “Time Of Our Lives” from Reflections.

To promote "Volume", Mr. Van Dyk will be touring North America in early June as well appearing in a handful of festivals throughout the summer months. Check out his tour page for more dates in your area.

If you haven't seen it already, here's Paul's recent interview at the A|X Music Lounge during Winter Music Conference 2009.