In a post released early on February 22nd, the Cosmic Gate official social platforms posted a heartwarming picture which included the brief yet beautiful words to explain the reason for the changes.

“After 27 years together, Bossi has made the decision to step away from touring, and that step means he will be leaving Cosmic Gate entirely,” the duo wrote. “This decision comes with deep respect, gratitude, and friendship. What we built together, side by side, and had the privilege to share with all of you around the world is something truly rare and beautiful, something we are most proud of.”

As most of us either know for personal experience or by following your other favorite touring artists, travel and late nights can catch up. The humanness we all feel is very real, even for those that seem unstoppable. It must be acknowledged and respected when the body says “it’s time”.

Notable Contributions

It would take us some time to go through all that Cosmic Gate has done for the electronic music world. After 11 studio albums, one Grammy nomination (for their remix of Gabriel & Dresden’s feat. Sub Teal “Only Road” on the Anjunabeats), to pioneering “big room trance” and more, it’s clear that the project is still in good hands with Nic and Bossi is departing on top. We should mention too that they were the first ever trance artists to be nominated in this category as well!

Most notable and timeless tracks that came from Cosmic Gate have to be ‘Exploration of Space‘ and ‘Fire Wire‘. They have both been played in countless sets since 2001, representing the moment when trance was unapologetically big, bold, and emotionally charged. Their Wake Your Mind radio show is still going after 12 years, exposing listeners to up-and-coming producers and different trance styles to make note of. It seems they have graced basically every stage that has ever been built on the planet. Both have performed at any festival that would have them. Additionally, as a nice bonus, Cosmic Gate ranked as high as #19 on DJ Magazine’s Top 100 DJs ranking.

Legacy

The responses from the electronic community have been pouring in for the two friends. Reddit and other social platforms have been filled with fans’ memories about Cosmic Gate and the lasting impressions the music will leave on all our souls. Bossi’s guidance, wisdom, and knowledge have always been humbling to the community, and his contributions to dance music are legendary.

Thank you for all the “Happyness” you made together, Bossi and Nic! It’s a beautiful reminder that these artists put it all on the line for their craft. We must remember to enjoy every moment with them while if it’s through our headphones or on the dancefloor. At any moment, things can change.

And finally, if you are able to, buy the ticket and go dance to the music that moves your soul before life does its thing. Best of luck to Bossi and Nic in their new chapters!

The post Trance Duo Cosmic Gate Announce They’re Parting Ways After 27 Years appeared first on EDMTunes.

This time, the spotlight is on RESISTANCE – the stage dedicated to underground electronic music and one of the defining elements of ULTRA’s festival identity. For those seeking a club-oriented atmosphere, deeper sound, and a strong focus on musical selection, the RESISTANCE stage remains the go-to destination for underground electronic music at the festival. She left a lasting impression during last year’s Destination ULTRA edition, and this summer, Ukrainian DJ Korolova brings her signature melodic techno to the RESISTANCE stage. Italian duo Mind Against are known for sets that blur the lines between club experience and live performance, while Slovenian artist Brina Knauss joins the lineup with her versatile blend of deep, progressive, and techno influences.

German live act and musical virtuoso Johannes Brecht is also on the bill, as well as rising British DJ Ginchy, offering a fresh perspective on modern tech house. This year, RESISTANCE will also spotlight a strong presence of local talent – from established names to a new generation of artists shaping their own sound. Representing Croatia, Insolate continues to push her raw techno across both local and European stages. The regional scene gets an exciting twist with a special B2B set from Shipe and Jock, while the lineup is rounded out by Tomo in der Mühlen.

Tickets are still available and can be secured here.

Stay tuned for more news!

The post RESISTANCE Adds New Big Names For Ultra Europe Lineup appeared first on EDMTunes.

When they broke up, they were already going in different directions, musically. Guy-Man[uel de Homem-Christo] seems to be drawn more to the hip-hop realm and Thomas [Bangalter] was also a director.”

-Todd Edwards

Edwards first collaborated with Daft Punk in 2001, providing vocals and co-producing the track ‘Face to Face‘ from their album Discovery. He later reprised these roles on ‘Fragments of Time‘, from their last album Random Access Memories. He says he was impressed by the legendary musicians the duo hired to play on said album, such as Paul Jackson Jr., who had worked with Michael Jackson, and Nathan East and Omar Hakim, both of whom were session musicians for other famous artists.

Edwards also believes that other musicians should take inspiration from Daft Punk’s creativity and ambition, rather than mourn their breakup: “I think the fact that it was so devastating to people shows that there needs to be more Daft Punks out there“.

“If anything it should inspire people to be more creative and take chances and stop doing the same thing and playing it safe all the time.”

-Todd Edwards

Stay tuned for more news!

The post Daft Punk Collaborator Says The Duo Moved Apart Musically Before Breakup appeared first on EDMTunes.

Ultra finally announced today that its Croatia-based edition will not be taking place this year. This comes one month after a leaked email that was already announcing the cancelation. Ultra later commented on this leak as fake, but we all knew the information in it was most likely true.

All 2020 tickets will remain valid for 2021. In a move that is sure to enrage Miami fans, Europe ticket holders will have the choice to get a refund. However, it’s worth noting that Miami had to be canceled at the 11th hour when most of the money for the event had already been spent. Ultra Europe had the heads-up to cancel its contracts far enough in advance to recoup some losses. More details will be sent by email to the buyers.

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Une publication partagée par Ultra Europe (@ultraeurope) le 22 Mai 2020 à 3 :04 PDT

Having events across 29 countries and 46 cities in the world, Ultra has been hit hard this year due to measures related to the Covid-19 outbreak. First Ultra Miami, then many others such as Ultra Adu Dhabi, Road to Ultra India. Ultra Korea is for now postponed until this 2020 Autumn, so there is still a chance it will be taking place.

What major festival do you think is going to be the first one to resume?

The post Ultra Europe 2020 Canceled; Refunds Offered appeared first on EDMTunes.

“For those asking about new music, [Oliver Goldstein] and I (Vaughn) haven’t worked together in over a year. We still love and respect each other but it wasn’t working out professionally.”

Apparently, Vaughn might continue to release new music under the Oliver alias:

Who Was Oliver?

Ultimately, Oliver has been a beating heart inside the world of dance music. From performing at the world’s biggest electronic festivals, to hand-crafting digital gems in the studio, the producer / DJ duo of U-Tern and Oligee are responsible for some of the funkiest, toughest, and most diverse dance music today. Above all, the duo created remixes for everyone from Chromeo and Foster The People to Breakbot and the techno godfather Juan Atkins. As a result of this split, fans are certainly having a hard time with it. Ultimately, the duo seems to have split on good terms on a personal level. But, it seems that creative and professional differences appeared to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Speaking with Billboard upon the release of their album Full Circle in 2017, Oliver shared some insights into how they think and go about their writing process:

“Obviously we take influence from all kinds of stuff. We’re not really paying attention too much to what’s happening with electronic music. If we wanna make [something], we should make it, not follow trends or keep up with what’s popular. Let’s just do this for us, so it’s a lil’ bit self indulgent in that regard.”

Oliver – Full Circle

In conclusion, all good things must come to an end. In regards to the breakup, Oliver Vaughn did share a recent Tweet. This hints that maybe the music isn’t stopping after all.

What are your thoughts on the Oliver split?

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A post shared by Oliver (@weareoliver) on Oct 23, 2019 at 9:14pm PDT

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The trio explained in their statement that they desire different things at the moment:

“We’ve all grown, as people and as musicians. For almost 20 years, all three of us wanted pretty much the same, but we’ve developed, and realized that nowadays we want different things. If we all wanted the same different things, it would make sense to do that as a different Noisia, but we want different different things.”

In its lifetime, the group has perfected a sound design that has made a huge mark in the electronic music scene. This year, they opened for Zeds Dead at their annual Deadrocks show, and they’re also expected to finish the rest of their shows this year. Additionally, they announced that they would go on one last tour in 2020, and continue their radio show until the end of the year.

Check out the full announcement here.

The post Noisia Announces 2020 Will Be Their Last Year appeared first on EDMTunes.

Now, the former Dash Berlin member has issued a second statement regarding his split from the trance group. In a new statement made in an interview with DJ Mag, Sutorius plans to return to the stage in the coming months under new management. You can read the full statement below.

“I’ve always been open as who I am and how I feel. Not only as an artist but also as a human being. That is why it broke my heart when Eelke and Sebastiaan cut me off from my social media channels last June and that I could not share my feelings with the fans.”

“After the insane touring schedule of the past 10 years, at the end of 2017 I started to develop small pains around my body. Lower back, shoulders, heels, etc. And it didn’t recover that well. The pain just kept on bugging me. So I decided to take the first two months off in 2018 for a full physical check-up. During that check-up and recovery period, I was pressured by my booker to do a show in China [in January]. Mid February, I continued my tour doing a.o. mainstage Ultra 2018 and mainstage EDC 2018. Literally, just before the Ultra show my (now ex-) booker Van der Kleij cut off his communications with my tour manager (Borys). Eelke and Sebastiaan apparently supported that decision. From that day, my tour manager was only allowed to talk & discuss with the booking assistant, and only during Dutch business hours, from Monday to Friday from 9 to 5, which was weird seeing that I was travelling all around the world and through all time zones. ‘Good luck!’ he ended his message.”

“In the beginning of May 2018, there was a phone call between my tour manager, Eelke, Sebastiaan and Van der Kleij in which they discussed some upcoming shows. I was in the room when they spoke. My touring manager warned them that the touring schedule was too hard on us. The shouting from the management and booker towards him was so loud that by even not using speakerphone I could hear it on the other end of the room. They told him to think about the fans we would be disappointing and the money we would be leaving on the table.”

“This was the straw that broke this camel’s back. I knew it was time for action because this is simply not right. I couldn’t accept this, and I decided to stop working with the Van der Kleij booking agency.”

“All this happened against the background of questions regarding mismanagement. I kept running into a wall where management and booker weren’t open for any talks or discussions. Eventually we planned a meeting for the 29th of May this year. On the 28th I returned from touring and on 30th of May A State Of Trance Poland was on the bill, a country I missed a lot, and I haven’t been to in quite a while. When my tour-manager and I came home, the management cancelled the meeting because they ‘saw no relevance’ in having such a meeting to discuss.”

“This is where I broke down mentally. I get really emotional thinking about all this. Why do people do this to each other? On the day the meeting was planned I went to see a doctor who diagnosed me with a burnout and told me to take a break from touring. One of the first things I did was call Armin van Buuren notifying him that I just wasn’t able to perform on ASOT in Poland. In the weeks that followed I finally found time to think about all that happened in the past decade, and it came to me clearly that all these years I’d only been focussed on my physical health, and completely neglected the mental impact of travel, being away from home for months on end, a constant pressure to fulfil a killing tour schedule while disconnected from friends and family.”

“Like I said, one of the first things Eelke and Sebastiaan did was to freeze me out of the social media accounts. So the only way of communicating left to me to be able to inform the outside world about what was happening, was to release a press statement where I addressed the core of my decision. To add insult to injury, Eelke and Sebastiaan filed a claim against me that by not fulfilling the shows that were booked at that time, I was breaking a contract, and they wanted to force me to continue touring, or else I would have to pay a penalty of EUR 100,000 per day that I refused to do so. Eventually, the court denied that claim.”

“Coming back to  my burnout. Some of my close colleagues, friends and family already had questions about my touring schedule for a long time. I didn’t see it as a ‘rough’ schedule because I always looked only at the physical health standpoint and I love interacting with the fans. People may know I have a sporting background playing soccer in The Netherlands for major soccer clubs. While touring I mostly kept myself in “health” with fitness (Man On The Run), and after a while, I actively started practicing Bikram Yoga. I thought I was healthy and fit. But that was clearly not the case.”

“So this summer I stayed at home, in The Netherlands, which was experiencing the hottest summer ever measured in our country. Other than that it’s been a blurry reality. I didn’t shave for months, and the only things I did was eating ice cream, watering the plants and walking my dog. It was one of the few things I could make myself happy with, besides doing nothing and trying to get out of misery and all blackness. Towards the point of deciding to continue under my own name and with lawyers going back and forth, my girlfriend Joyce and I got the opportunity to get married. A super small, intimate wedding but at the same time a super important step with my Joyce as my rock behind me, loving and supporting me all the way going into the future.”

“As to my health now, I think I am getting where I want to be. But this time I will take care to make it sustainable, and to keep my life balanced out. Obviously, I have to take care of the past emotionally and financially, but I am also really looking forward to connecting with my fans again.”

Have the reasons why Eelke Kalberg and Sebastiaan Molijn allegedly registered Dash Berlin under their own names become any clearer to you?

“No, unfortunately not. In the court case that was held in July, Eelke and Sebastiaan stated that they registered Dash Berlin under their own names in 2011 to protect it “against the outside world”. Which would make it logical to add me as part owner, but they did not do that, and they still refuse to do so. I believe they have never intended in sharing Dash Berlin with me. They even tried to portrayed me as an act that they invented, and that I was merely a puppet on a string that they could easily replace.”

Can you expand any further on the issues of alleged mismanagement that you outlined in your statement in June?

“I have continuously asked questions regarding the financial matters of Dash Berlin, which are still unclear to me. All that time, I have not gotten facts nor answers. Eelke, Sebastiaan and Van der Kleij still are refusing to provide documents and information, and are forcing me to take them to court. As an example, all booking agreements are in my name (‘Jeffrey Sutorius as Dash Berlin’) but they refused to hand over those agreements, so the court had to force them to do so. It also appeared that Eelke and Sebastiaan signed a label agreement without me whereby they gave the label permission to use my picture, but they never told me about this, nor any other details of the agreement. The court forced them to also give me that agreement. Another example is that only in July 2018 Van der Kleij during the court case told me that he had received a huge amount – more than a million dollars (!) – in tax refunds in my name. They never told me that. I found out because it was part of their submission to the court. I think that if I had not started the court case, they would have never told me that and kept the money for themselves. So I am piecing together all this and other information so that I can make a reconstruction of the past 10 years and stage a final reckoning.”

How have these legal proceedings progressed? Do you still plan on one day being able to perform as Dash Berlin again or are you determined to start anew as Jeffrey Sutorius?

“There has already been one court hearing (in July) thus far. Seeing that they won’t give me any information, there are two hearings planned, both in October. Their whole attitude towards me has been extremely disappointing. So I am determined to continue my journey on my own as Jeffrey Sutorius. After all, that is who I am, and who I always will be. I miss my fans, and I want to return to the stage. The court said that we have to fight out who can use the Dash Berlin name in further proceedings, so using my own name was my only option basically. On the other hand, all the fans are behind me being Dash Berlin. I find this is something worth fighting for. I will continue this as long as I possibly can to maybe, eventually claim the stage again as Dash Berlin.”

What plans have you for the near future?

“I want to achieve things as Jeffrey Sutorius that Dash Berlin never accomplished. The world is my oyster. And I like oysters! I am making new music, and I am beyond thrilled to share this with the world, with the fans. To tell my story and to share it. And to make everyone understand, I am EDM: Emotional Dance Music. Keep an eye out on my socials for where my tour schedule will take me and for release information about my new music.”

The post Jeffrey Sutorius Releases Second Statement Since Dash Berlin Split appeared first on EDMTunes.

On July 6th to the 8th, the highly anticipated event will have you dancing until the sun comes up. That’s right ravers, that’s three consecutive nights of nonstop impeccable beats.

Featuring undoubtedly some of the best artists in the beloved genres, such as Carl Cox, Eats Everything, LOCO DICE, Jamie Jones, Nic Fanciulli, Tomy DeClerque, Paco Osuna, Craig Richards, Marco Carola, Joseph Capriati, and many more, this breathtaking spectacle will be one that you will not want to miss.

Tickets are on sale now. Purchase them here before it’s too late!

We absolutely can’t wait to see what they will have in store this year. If it’s anything like what the organizers displayed last year, attendees will be in for a very special treat.

The post RESISTANCE Returns to Split & Announces Official Lineup appeared first on EDMTunes.

As a seasoned Ultra Miami vet having already been in Europe, I decided to see what the commotion in Croatia was all about. I was curious to know how Ultra’s European sister would hold up against the festival I had become so familiar with back in the States. As it turned out, it held up pretty damn well in holding down its own fort. While not as large as the Miami edition, the output of energy from attendees was all the same, with over 120,000 fans from 148 different countries across Europe, Asia and even the Americas coming to dance together under the Croatian sky. In order to give you a better understanding of the festival, I’ve highlighted both the good and bad that occurred at this year’s event.

The Good

The Hours

Unbeknownst to me, and unlike the Miami festival, Ultra Europe’s hours ran from a little before sunset to close to sunrise, making it feel somewhat similar to another major festival in the U.S. While this was different from the 12pm to 12 am hours I had grown accustomed to, it turned out to be for the best as temperatures were reaching mid to high 90s during peak daytime hours. As the temperatures dropped during the evenings, churning on and dancing through the morning was made that much easier. These hours also meant that you could spend your days recovering on one of Split’s beautiful beaches before doing it all over again that night.

The Location

What makes Ultra Europe really stand out is its location of Split. Split is the definition of a destination festival with its gorgeous beaches and other natural landmarks that aren’t too far away. Spend your day before the festival exploring around Split’s city center or take take a tour of the beautiful Krka waterfalls up an hour north. Want to hit some of the landmarks on your own time? Well then rent a car or scooter for the day and start wandering around. There is so much to do that there is no reason to just stay inside during the day before you make your way to Poljud Stadium. Croatia without the festival is a bucket list goal in itself, so why not knock out two birds with one stone while you’re there?

The Pre and Post Parties

So Split may not have a Miami Music Week the way that South Florida does, but that doesn’t meant that there aren’t parties to go through throughout the week. Ultra curated their own special music week for Split with pre-parties, beach parties, and closing parties for a special 7 days of non-stop music. Nicole Moudaber and Cristoph started the week strong with some techno Thursday night at the Giraffe Palm Beach Club. Located right along the bay by the stadium, attendees got to get a little taste of what was to come with some dark moody beats curated by the techno goddess herself. Following the conclusion of the festival, those who recovered after resting on Monday were treated to a beautiful beach party on the island of Hvar. I’ll tell you, it’s hard not to relax when you’re poolside listening to Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano in seems to be tropical paradise. Ultra concluded their week long festivities with the Resistance closing party on the island of Vis. Those fortunate enough to go were treated to a special back 2 back from none other than Sasha and Nic Fanciulli. Speaking of which…

Resistance

I’ve mentioned it before and I’ll say it again. One of the best things to come out of the Ultra brand in recent years was the launch of Resistance. Just like in Miami, the Resistance arrived in full force in Split. From beginning to end, fans moves and grooved to the sounds of Adam Beyer b2b Nicole Moudaber, Sasha b2b John Digweed, Nic Fanciulli b2b Eats Everything, Marco Carola, and of course Carl Cox. The techno king threw down an unreal three hour set throwing out track after track of raw, unadulterated techno bangers that should not have been missed.

The People!

Some festivals have terrible crowds where people are pushing and shoving each other creating more conflict that unification. This was not the case at Ultra Europe, at least from where I experienced. The fans were genuinely kind and seemed to look out for one another. Making friends couldn’t have been easier on this trip as it was easy to chat up a storm with anyone. During my time at the festival, my friend David and I made new Canadian friends on the first day and ended up hanging with them all weekend. Sure I may have stayed at the main stage a little more than I expected, but meeting new people and making new friends reminded this techno elitist why I fell in love with going to festivals in the first place.

The Not So Good

The Line and Logistics

There weren’t too many things that went wrong with the festival but one of the things that could have been better was the organizational logistics. The second night saw a huge issue with the entrance to the festival where there was a mob of rushing and pushing to get in without any kind of systemized plan whatsoever. It gave me flashbacks to that first day of Ultra Miami 2014 where everyone tried to rush the security guards.

No Free Water

This was my biggest issue with Ultra Europe this year. Any time a festival doesn’t have free water stations they are creating a liability for themselves. This proved to be an issue for press members especially on the first day because we were not given the Ultra wristband to top up funds. Since no vendors took cash or a Visa credit card Friday night, my friends and I were forced to ask strangers to buy waters for us and pay them back in cash (which they did, shoutout to our Canadian and Australian friends for lending a huge helping hand).

The post The Good and Less Good from Ultra Europe 2017 appeared first on EDMTunes.

One of the cooler parts of this year’s Ultra Europe was the abundant amount of B2B sets. Some of the epic sets were Nic Fanciulli B2B Eats Everything, Seth Troxler B2B The Martinez Brothers, and Dubfire B2B Nicole Moudaber. It’s not entirely clear if Ultra wanted to spice things up or just give the attendees even more excitement. Either way, Ultra Europe looked and sounded epic as ever.

If you couldn’t catch the live broadcast online or watch any of the live feed, today’s your lucky day. Ultra Europe was kind enough to record the live sets for everyone to listen to. You can hear them below and keep an eye out for more additions to the live sets list.

https://soundcloud.com/buzzlightyeardoesedm/sets/ultra-toys-go-to-europe

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