The beginning of June brings fresh, high-vibrations from Above & Beyond with anamē, Spencer Brown remixing Kaskade and deadmau5’s side project KX5’s ‘Escape’, Seven Lions’ 10 year celebration compilation and a newer spirit, Messer, showcasing ‘Leather’ that SG Lewis, Hayden James, Amtrac and Moonboots fans should enjoy.
KX5 ‘Escape’ featuring Hayla [Spencer Brown Remix]
As heard during KX5’s (aka deadmau5 and Kaskade) debut set at EDC this past May, Spencer Brown is excited to release his remix of the star duo’s massive single “Escape” featuring Hayla.
Spencer’s approach to the remix is to take the song down the techno rabbit hole, kicking things into gear with a 128 BPM thump. Hayla’s vocal remains in place and prominent throughout, offering a delicate contrast to the resolute beats.
Spencer on his approach and what it means to remix KX5:
“As a teenager, deadmau5 and Kaskade were two pioneers that got me into dance music. ‘I Remember’ was one of the tracks that changed everything for me in high school. Fast forward a decade and I was absolutely honored to be asked to remix ‘Escape.’ I spent months working and submitted the final product. Rejected. Feeling down, I whipped up another from scratch while touring. Rejected. Last shot. I booked a flight home with the intention of making a harder-edged version for my sets. 16 hours of work later, the third attempt was born. The next thing I know, one of the hardest to please (deadmau5) was thrilled with it. So much so that he plays it in all of his sets, including the Kx5 debut with Kaskade at EDC. What an honor! Taking a step back, the remix proves that when you fail, sometimes it’s meant to be. This is one of my favorite productions I’ve made in my career. If I gave up after the first two attempts, it wouldn’t exist. The track has been a mega-bomb in my own sets and I can’t wait for the world to hear it.”
Kx5 is a collaboration over a decade and a half in the making. deadmau5 and Kaskade effectively changed the electronic music landscape when they paired together for 2008’s slow-burning “I Remember” and the influence of their follow-up “Move For Me” cemented their influence as the standard. Both tracks peaked at No. 1 within a week of one another on Billboard’s Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart. The GRAMMY-nominated artists’ paths crossed again on 2016’s ominous “Beneath with Me” featuring Skylar Grey.
In July 2021, Kaskade made history as the first public concert performed at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium. The sold-out show featured a surprise set by deadmau5 and had the two artists reuniting again for a set to close the show. Most recently in May 2022, KX5 performed their debut set at EDC Las Vegas which included a live performance of “Escape (ft Hayla)” alongside Spencer Brown’s Remix.
Above & Beyond and anamē – ‘Gratitude’ (feat. Marty Longstaff)
Following the release of their long-awaited collaboration with Above & Beyond, anamē release two remixes of ‘Gratitude’ (feat. Marty Longstaff). Debuted during Above & Beyond’s sold-out London festival at The Drumsheds in 2021, ‘Gratitude’ is both a jubilant vocal ballad and a tough, dancefloor filler.
During Above & Beyond’s winter tour, which sold nearly 70,000 tickets across the USA, the significance of this record to the group’s dedicated fan community was immediately apparent. It has cemented itself as a future classic for Jono, Tony, and Paavo, standing alongside some of their best-loved anthems like ‘You Got To Go’ and ‘Thing Called Love’.‘Gratitude’ marked the debut of anamē: a new alias from Swedish hitmaker Marcus Schössow and production partner Thomas Sagstad.
The anamē mixes are a musical departure from the original mix: the organic ‘anamē AM Mix’ sets a floaty, idyllic mood, while the ‘anamē PM Mix’ delivers darker melodic techno sounds.
‘Gratitude’ also marks the return of Sunderland singer-songwriter Marty Longstaff to Anjunabeats, the voice of Above & Beyond’s ‘Tightrope’ and ‘Flying By Candlelight.’Above & Beyond has announced a string of major festival events for 2022 in London, Los Angeles and at The Gorge Amphitheatre, WA. anamē will join Above & Beyond at Group Therapy Weekender London this September. For tickets visit aboveandbeyond.nu Above & Beyond and anamē feat. Marty Longstaff ‘Gratitude’ (anamē mixes) is out now on Anjunabeats.
Seven Lions presents: 10 Years of Seven Lions
10 Years of Seven Lions’ celebrates melodic dubstep pioneer and leader Seven Lions‘ extensive discography, biggest hits and brand new music. For the campaign, dance music vocal superstar HALIENE recorded a brand new acoustic recording of the massive 2016 classic and collab by Illenium, Said The Sky and Seven Lions “Rush Over Me”. Also included is a new remix of Seven Lions & Kill The Noise’s classic “The Blood” by Abraxis, Seven Lions’ psytrance alias with psy duo Dimibo.
The 10 year campaign directly follows Seven Lions’ mainstage EDC Vegas headline performance and is also accompanied by a decade anniversary merch collection and the first ever mini documentary around Seven Lions’ career, roots, personal life and upcoming projects.
Messer – ‘Leather’
Messer follows 2021’s acclaimed ‘Roses EP’ with his first new music of 2022, the dark and sexy “Leather.” The dichotomy between this stunning new track and Messer’s previous releases is pronounced – with “Leather” revealing a more sensual and r&b-inspired sound.
“Leather” is a sludgy minimal dance track about yearning for a lover that struggles to open themselves up to being loved. This song is the after-hours antithesis to the brighter, more energetic dance tracks on the ‘Roses’ EP.” – Messer
The illustrious GRAMMY Award-winning vocalist Mitch Grassi continues to impress though his solo entity Messer, as the multifaceted project aims to champion freedom in identity, independence, confidence, queerness, theatrics, and romanticizing your life. Messer’s creative expression sees no bounds, as he continues to push the envelope in both the visual and sonic aspects of his project.
