TheMusic.FM sat down last night with Thomas Gold, one of the DJs who is part of the supporting cast of tonight’s second and final Cosmic Opera debut in New York.

Dan Price: Tell me about Cosmic Opera. We are all so curious to experience this event. Do you have a DJ set planned, per se, and how much input did you and the other artists have in terms of how the event works?

Thomas Gold: Actually I did not have that much impact on planning. But as you said, it’s going to be a special show. It’s not just DJs playing one after the other — it’s more like they combine the classic stuff and the artistic stuff with the music. My part is to do an intro. That’s a transition between the artistic performance before my set and I will take over the music from the girl or the dancer. That’s my part. After my set I will pass it on to Axwell who comes on after me.

I prepared a special intro track, which starts with classical orchestral instruments; like strings, and violins and woods. It turns into one of my own tracks, I don’t want to say which one — you’ll have to see. I am very excited too; I never heard this track in this way. It’s funny because I tried to translate one of the lead melodies of the track into a classic melody and you will recognize it. Same goes for the end of my set, I prepared a special track that is unreleased and ends with some orchestra drums.

The whole thing should be a journey. That’s what we talked about when we were planning the event. It will take the audience through a journey through the night by combining these styles.

Read more of the interview after the jump
continue reading "Interview with Thomas Gold: Cosmic Opera, Producing on the Road, and More"

The Governors Ball is happening on June 18 at Governor’s Island. As promised, there are no overlapping sets. Each stage has a five minute gap between performances, giving you plenty of time to hop from stage to stage.

Things kick off with Outasight at 12:15pm followed by Reptar at 12:50pm. The festival builds to a great closing run of artists beginning with Neon Indian followed by Big Boi, Empire of the Sun, Girl Talk and closing with Pretty Lights. Expect a late night as Pretty Lights hits the Big Apple Stage at 10:30pm with no end time. Stay hydrated and get your dancing shoes ready.

Be sure to check out the Governors Ball website for ticket info, transportation information as well as other activities during the festival such as beach volleyball and the Ben and Jerry’s Scoop truck providing some icy cold non-alcoholic refreshment.

Full schedule after the jump.
continue reading "The Governors Ball Announces Set Times, Interview with Pretty Lights"

SEBASTIAN DRUMS & AVICII – My Feelings For You

I was lucky enough to get an exclusive interview with Swedish producer/DJ Avicii before he took the stage at Pacha NYC on Saturday April 23rd (expect that review shortly).

The last year has been huge for you, you did an essential mix, had 3 sets at Ultra and even played the closing party at Mansion. How are you handling all of this success?
Avicii: I’m trying not to think about it that much. I just enjoy traveling and DJing so much. I just go with the flow.

I really enjoy your music, it has such a beautiful feel to it. As a kid did your parents enroll you in music lessons? How did you become so musically skilled?
A: I played some guitar before, (laughs) very badly. Then I downloaded my first sequencer, and just got hooked right away. I kept spinning, almost 24 hours a day, just making music.

How did you get into electronic music? I know your first produced track was a remix of the Commodore 64 “Lazy Jones.” So what was the first CD/Track, artist that you heard that made you say ‘Hey I want to make this kind of music?’
A: Daft Punk was what I think first got me into EDM in general. Then, I started listening to Steve Angelo, Sebastian Ingrosso, Eric Prydz, and all the Swedish house producers and they got me into house.

Read more of the interview after the jump
continue reading "TheMusic.FM Exclusive Interview with Avicii"

Here’s what happened when I sat down for an interview with Moby after his epic Ultra Music Festival set. Moby’s new album, along with a book of photos he shot while on tour and throughout the creative process, are both titled Destroyed and will be released on May 17. I asked him about the new album and his thoughts on the evolution of the electronic music scene.

Can you tell me a little about the inspiration behind the new album?

The music was written usually in hotel rooms late at night, because I had had insomnia. So the ethos of the record or the aesthetic of the record is one of a city at 3 in the morning when everyone is asleep and you feel like you are the last person on the planet. It’s being by yourself, alone, in an empty hotel room, and how on one hand that’s disconcerting but it is also sort of comforting.

Moby – Be The One

continue reading "Moby Chats with TheMusic.FM at Ultra on New Album, Photo Book, Electronic Scene; Hear New Tracks, Remixes"

 
“It’s a comfortable time for making music … which is good because it encourages a lot of different people to express a lot of different points of view.”

TheMusic.FM was fortunate to get the chance to chat with Andrew Wyatt of Miike Snow this week. The busy man and band just kicked ass at SXSW, played three sold-out shows in NYC, and have a long road ahead with plenty of touring and festival stops. We highly recommend that you catch them when they come to a city near you.

Miike Snow - Billie Holiday.mp3
Miike Snow – Billie Holiday [MP3]

Miike Snow - Billie Holiday (LightsoverLA Remix).mp3
Miike Snow – Billie Holiday (LightsoverLA Remix) [MP3]

We caught your performance at the Bowery Ballroom (our review here) and thought it was a great show. After selling out Music Hall of Williamsburg, Webster Hall, and the Bowery Ballroom and announcing a date at Terminal 5, how do you feel about the rise in popularity?

Andrew Wyatt: Every time you make something, in particular this case, we didn’t have terribly high hopes for it. It’s just one of those things, I guess. We try to interpret it as a phenomenon and not take it personally.

So now the mask has come off, have you noticed a difference in the interaction between yourself and the music and the fans with the music?

AW: I still think that given who we are and what we like to do, I think what we like to do as a unit, the three of us. I think we would still prefer to maintain the focus on some kind fantasy rather than something real; a personal mythology. With us, I would much rather, and every single person in the band would rather, create something fantastical. I still don’t think our faces per se are super important to the music.

I can see that, considering that it seems like, with the music, there is this deconstruction of pop. You have the veneer, shine and production to it but there is something more to it. It sort of disassembles the components of it and makes it modern. Do you have a certain thought process or a philosophy going into creating music?

AW: I think because all three of us have long histories in music and have been in a lot of different kinds of situations with regard to making music, we have a lot of different types of music floating around in there. Once you’re in the process of making music, it doesn’t behoove you to stop and figure out where it comes from and where it’s going together in a way that’s traditional or that sounds “right” to the ear.  So I think some of it might sounds a little bit wrong to the ear which is, in my opinion, is a good thing as long as you can say something consonantly.

What does saying something consonantly mean to you and do you think that kind of example has lost its way in modern music?

AW: No, I think there are lots of examples and people.
continue reading "Interview: Andrew Wyatt of Miike Snow"