Ultimate Music Experience Sound Clash: Bassnectar, Zedd

We’re starting to get very excited for Ultimate Music Experience, taking over Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark on South Padre Island, TX this March 13-15th. Join the celebration during your Spring Break vacation and buy your tickets today!

For our next sound clash, we’re pairing two of our artists who have an ever-evolving style. Though one is known for his open format, and the other for his clarity, we’re looking forward to Bassnectar and Zedd performing at Ultimate Music Experience this year!

Bassnectar

artist bassnectarHaving been actively DJing and producing since the early 90s, Bassnectar is far from a new jack in the music industry. With some of the most devout fans on the globe, Bassnectar continues to wow audiences with his amorphous and ever-changing music tastes.

In some of his early productions like “Pennywise Tribute,” “Killing in the Name of,” and “Boomerang,” it was quite obvious that his original influences included metal and rock bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, and Nirvana. Juxtaposing samples of heavy metal with overwhelming basslines, Bassnectar was also influenced by Orbital, experimenting with varied chord progressions. Using various music programs to make his genre-bending sound, his open-sourced musical format is unlike any other artist in the industry. Bassnectar describes it perfectly, “My influences are not necessarily how I sound, they include everything from NWA to Simon & Garfunkel to The Cure to The Field Of Dreams Soundtrack to Sibilant & Metal Spark to Cannibal Corpse, Exhumed & Emperor to My Dying Bride to FreQ Nasty, Tipper, Ed Rush & Optical, to Frank Zappa to The Who to Boards Of Canada to REM to Salt N Peppa to Run DMC to Led Zeppelin to Grave to Disembowelment to Beethoven and Mozart to Oizo, Mr. Rogers, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Mr. Mayagi, to loma prieta earthquakes to Native American flute music and the soft humming of my mother. I guess Bassnectar is an amalgamation of every sound I’ve ever heard, mixed with ultra wicked basslines.”

Closing out 2013 with the massive release of his Take You Down EP, Bassnectar is currently hard at work in the studio. Expect to hear new music from the leader of the Bass Heads as we power through 2014. Bringing his special blend of music to Schlitterbahn Waterpark for Ultimate Music Experience, get ready for Bassnectar to take you down this March 13-15th. Tickets are stil available, so buy your tickets online today.

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Zedd

artist zeddBorn in Russia to two musicians, Zedd was already playing the piano and drums when he was only four years old. Later relocating to Germany, the young talent began his career in the music industry in 2002 when he played drums for German band Dioramic. But after hearing by French duo Justice, Zedd began exploring the world of producing electronic music.

Though he has only been producing since 2009, Zedd’s list of career accomplishments are rather impressive. After winning two different Beatport remix contests, Zedd released his first original track “The Anthem,” in 2010 and broke into the Beatport’s Top 20 electro chart. Following “The Anthem” was his remix of Skrillex’s “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites,” which also climbed its way to #2 on that same chart. In 2011, Zedd’s reach soared to new heights after releasing “Shave It” on OWSLA. The release peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot Dance chart.

Though his early work became known for its electro house influences, his releases as of late have a wide range from progressive house, dubstep, pop, and even classical music. His album Clarity showcased Zedd’s evolving style, incorporating more soft pianos, experimental samples like a ticking clock, and the use of orchestral strings.

Known for his larger-than-life sets, we can’t wait to get some clarity with Zedd when he takes the stage at Ultimate Music Experience on South Padre Island, Texas. Tickets are still available, grab yours online today!

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Ultimate Music Experience Artist Profile: Keys N Krates

artist keys n kratesKeys N Krates are creating music unlike anyone else right now. Having a name for themselves by performing their hip hop and bass-heavy influenced sounds at clubs and festivals around the world, what sets this Ultimate Music Experience outfit apart is the fact they play live as a band.

Formed in Toronto by drummer Adam Tune, the trio, made complete by synth/keyboardist David Matisse and internationally award-winning turntablist Jr. Flo, came together in 2008 with the sole purpose of bringing their blend of live electronic instrumentation to the stage. Matisse says, “We all met through a mutual friend (Abby) and had the same idea to form a band that messed with DJing and sampling with live instrumentation. We started jamming together and it all of developed from there into us touring as this live remix band, and then eventually making our own music playing it in our live show.”

Often called the world’s only “trap band,” the boys were reluctant to accept the title at first, but now have learned to embrace it. Tune explains, “At the end of the day, people are going to call us whatever they want. We are referencing everything from classic house music to Timbaland in our beats, but I think the trap references tap into what the current sound is, and we are okay with that.”

In 2009, the boys released Live Re-Mixing 101, showcasing a series of tracks that journeyed a history of hip hop and dance music that was stripped apart and rebuilt in real time. Featuring some classic tracks from Mos Def, Tribe Called Quest favorites, The Fugees, Dr. Dre, and Simian Mobile Disco, that same year, the trio was named one of URB Magazine‘s “Next 100.” “We never really saw that as pressure, Flo says, “we were just stoked at the recognition and some of the doors it opened for us.”

Working with producers like GRANDTHEFT, Keys N Krates started working on their own sound. Their first EP Blackout, released in 2011, was fueled by fat bass lines, synth chords, and live instrumentation with just the right amount of electro influence, proving that even the cleverest of hip hopper can rave once in a while too.

What truly separates Keys N Krates from the mass of newcomers out there is the unique, completely live show. Flo explains it best, “Our live show is what really gave birth to this whole thing. At first we just really wanted to do something new and cool that was live, so we started with doing these live remix/covers of rap tunes and jamming on those. We always wanted to be a modern party band so we very early on wanted to draw on pop culture references to get people into it right away. However, we eventually started making our own beats and music that was more bass driven so we had to figure a way out how to play that live and keep with our mantra of doing everything 100% live with no backing tracks. So we replaced our live kick with a trigger kick that plays a lot of 808s and punchy kicks and that was kind of the game changer for us, in having a bigger more bass driven sound, and also having our own original beats incorporated into our show. So now when you come to see us it’s a lot of our own music but mashed up with familiar samples and references. It’s a party.”

Still celebrating the release of their most recent body of work, the SOLOW EP is out on Dim Mak Records in September 2013. We hope to hear the banging single “Dum Dee Dum” when Keys N Krates make their way to South Padre Island to play at Ultimate Music Experience. Tickets are still available online.

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Ultimate Music Experience Sound Clash: Carnage, Sandro Silva

We’re less than a month away from heading to South Padre Island for the 2014 edition of Ultimate Music Experience. Starting with the official pre-party at Clayton’s Beach Resort with Steve Aoki on March 12th, the next three days will see UME take over Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark with sounds from some heavyweights in dance music from March 13-15th. Tickets are now available, buy your tickets online today!

Though we aren’t usually ones to brag, our UME lineup is massive this year! We’re so honored to hear and host many fresh, exciting, and diverse sounds from the handpicked roster. For this sound clash, we’re pairing two of our performers who are shaking up the “standard” forms of production. Though one is known for introducing the world to festival trap, and the other for carving a nîche in the Dirty Dutch sound, get ready for two very different epic performances by Carnage and Sandro Silva when they make their way to UME.

Carnage

artist carnageCarnage has had a tremendous impact on dance music this past year. From being selected to play some of the biggest festivals in the world, to introducing fans to a new sound by making a name for himself in the big room house circuit, this Ultimate Music Experience talent is unstoppable.

After bursting onto the scene with his remix of Hardwell’s massive single “Spaceman,” Carnage was the first to fuse two very distinctive sounds to create “festival trap.” Incorporating lively stab strings in his early productions, much like the big room style, Carnage paired the familiar sound with bass heavy trap beats. Tracks like “Bang” and “Turn Up” with Borgore were international hits, inspiring many to try the new style out for themselves – even UME veteran Tiësto has dropped some productions from the Chipotle lover. Not wanting to be pigeonholed to one genre, Carnage’s latest releases see him exploring new styles, “If I want to make a rap record I make it; if I want to make a house record I make it. If I want to make some pretty shit I make some pretty shit.”

We’re really loving Carnage’s latest releases which are oozing with that big room “festival-style” sound but woven into genres like deep and electro house, drum and bass and anything else that strikes his fancy. Marching into 2014 with a documentary and an artist album to be released later this year, we’re ready to turn up with Carnage at Ultimate Music Experience.

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Sandro Silva

With releases gracing many respected dance music labels like Dim Mak, Musical Freedom, Mixmash, Revealed Recordings, and Spinnin’ Records, Sandro Silva has made quite some traction in the four years since his first release, “Prom Night.” The debut track was even picked by Pete Tong as an “Essential Choice” on his famous Essential Selection show. His following release “Told Ya/Blaze” just added fuel to the fire as many headliners championed the track in their own sets.

Crafting a future sound of electro, the tribal loving producer breathed new life to the Dutch house sound, incorporating progressive synths and moombah elements to his productions. Often creating his own synths free of any VST usage, Sandro Silva’s unique style comes from a rather unconventional production techniques, “I really hope to make [my music] even more special than it is now, by using my own unique sounds. I’m trying to be different and original but in a way in which many people can understand it.”

Sandro’s latest release with newcomer Junkie Kid, “Miraj,” is out now on Doorn Records. The Middle Eastern-inspired track layers melodic chord progressions with boisterous horns. Never shy of an iconic show, we are going to have one epic night when Sandro Silva performs at Ultimate Music Experience.

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Ultimate Music Experience Artist Profile: Sandro Silva

artist sandro silvaHaving been making dance music since his early teens, it comes as no surprise as to why Sandro Silva is one of the most sought after artists in the industry today. Infecting the world with his massive productions, there is no doubt this Ultimate Music Experience talent will bring the energy to the anticipated event.

Born Shandro Jahangier in the Netherlands, Silva has had an affinity for music from an early age, “At a very young age. By the time I was 5 I already had a guitar in my hand! Any time I saw a musical instrument I had to check it out straight away. It’s like I had a GPS system for finding musical instruments.”

Armed with a strong knowledge of music theory from his years of piano study, Sandro began his career in dance in 2006 when he was just a teenager, “I was producing dance music for a couple years before I got my first release at 15yrs old on an English record label. It had massive support from Paul van Dyk and other big trance DJ’s.” Releasing a steady stream of releases on some now defunct labels, Sandro started reaching out to artists he’d long admired and was surprised to receive a reply, “I just started to produce tracks, and I sent it to every DJ in the scene. [Laidback] Luke was the first one to respond, and then I just started to grow.”

With Laidback Luke taking the young talent under his wing, Sandro’s career began to blossom, “Luke always had the time for me, despite his crazy schedule, to give feedback and to support me with everything! It all began with ‘Prom Night.’ I sent this track to him a couple years ago and he loved it and released it on his record label with a remix from the man himself!” “Prom Night” was featured as an Essential Choice on Pete Tong’s renowned BBC radio show, introducing the Dutch talent to a brand new global audience.

And the hits have been pouring in since. Tracks like “Told Ya” and “Epic” with Quintino have been championed by some of the industry’s biggest hitters in sets at every major festival and event around the world. The latter of which, released on Musical Freedom, has acquired over 15 million views on YouTube and hitting platinum in Holland and gold in Belgium.

Sandro finished out 2013 on an impressive high note with “Puna” on Spinnin Records and “Payback” out on Hardwell’s Revealed Recordings. His latest banger, “Miraj,” a collaboration with Junkie Kid, was listed in the New and Noteworthy spotlight on iTunes USA. Bringing his ruckus catalogue to South Padre Island, we’re excited to have Sandro Silva perform at Ultimate Music Experience, taking over Schlitterbahn Waterpark on March 13-15th. Tickets are still available online, buy your tickets today!

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Ultimate Music Experience Sound Clash: Tiësto, Boys Noize

Ultimate Music Experience will sneak up on us and before you know it, we’ll be catching some rays and dancing all night at Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark this coming March 13-15th. Have you grabbed your tickets to the show and the pre-party yet?

In this edition of our Sound Clash, we’re pairing two very respected pioneers of their respective styles. Though one is known for his soaring strings and the other for his metal-tinged electro, we’re honored to have Tiësto and Boys Noize join the lineup for this year’s anticipated Spring Break event.

Tiësto

artist tiestoNow celebrating his 20th year in the dance music industry, Tiësto is unequivocally one of the pioneers of the genre. With his early days creating hardcore and gabber influenced tracks, the Dutchman’s style has seen an evolution to the fullest end of the spectrum. Most notably known for his efforts in trance, Tiësto is responsible for many classic anthems. Tracks like “Traffic,” “Flight 643,” and his remix of Delerium’s “Silence” exposed the UME talent to mainstream audiences, the latter of which spent four weeks in the UK’s Top Ten chart and reached #3 in the Billboard‘s dance chart.

His fourth album Kaleidoscope, released in 2009, is still considered his most experimental. Featuring hits like “Feel It In My Bones” and “I Will Be Here,” the album showcased Tiësto’s talents outside of trance, ranging from electronica, indie-dance, alternative rock, trance, and house. One of his latest efforts, and regarded compilations, Club Life: Volume Three Stockholm features that big room sound that the legend has been sporting as of late. Tiësto’s latest radio-ready single “Red Lights,” shows off the Dutchman’s softer side with light guitar strums, thus proving his ever-evolving sound. If you’re ready to feel it in your bones, come join us in South Padre Island for Ultimate Music Experience on March 13-15th.

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Boys Noize

artist boys noizeHailing from Hamburg, Germany, Boys Noize has been putting in work as a DJ and a producer for half his life. His jaw-dropping sets have gained worldwide recognition because of his impeccable mixing skills and mesmerizing visuals. His early releases in 2004 made it on labels like International Deejay Gigolos Records, Kitsuné Music and Turbo Recordings, but the following year, saw the launch of his own imprint, the now famous Boysnoize Records.

A frequent entry on industry “Best of” lists, Boys Noize has become one of the most valuable electronic artists. Known to merge various styles to create a unique and innovative sound, his influences stem from hip hop and disco roots as well as heavy noise, distortion and electro sounds. Often weaving a mix of electronica with some off-kilter melodies, classic house sounds, and fidgety blips-and-beeps, the Boys Noize recipe is an infectious and energetic one.

Still celebrating the release of his international hit EP Go Hard, we’re ready to do just that when Boys Noize performs at Ultimate Music Experience, taking over South Padre Island’s Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark on March 13-15th.

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Ultimate Music Experience Artist Profile: Zedd

artist zeddZedd may be one of the younger artists gracing the charts today, but his knowledge and understanding of music theory shows a maturity in his work that far exceeds his years.

Born Anton Zaslavski in Kaiserslautern, Germany, the Ultimate Music Experience talent was lucky enough to be surrounded by music from the day he was born, “Both of my parents are musicians, which meant that I was encouraged to play the piano when I was four years old. I then started recording my first songs at the age of six. I started playing drums at the age of 12 and have since played in a post-hardcore/rock/metal band – I have had a pretty much classical education.” But if you ask him, it’s that education that has been quite beneficial in the studio, “I have only really been producing electronic music for about two years, so I am still a relative newcomer to this type of music. I suppose I have been able to progress my development to a satisfactory level quite quickly because of my musical background. However, I still feel I am just at the beginning and look forward to each new track I produce and to learn more about the processes.”

The year 2009 proved to be an influential one as it was the first time Zedd had heard electronic music, “I was in a rock band back when  came out, and I was so inspired by it that I started making electronic music for fun. I made some songs and people really liked them, so I kept going with it, and here we are today.” Armed with an impressive musicality and background in instrumentation, composition and production, the jump to electronic music was an easy one.

Just a few months after he started working on his production, Zedd won two Beatport remix contests with Armand Van Helden / Strictly Rhythm’s Remix Contest and Fatboy Slim / Skint Remix Contest. The wins caught the eye of Skrillex who signed Zedd to his new OWSLA label. He also grabbed the attention of executives at Interscope who helped release several official remixes for artists like Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, P. Diddy, Swedish House Mafia and Skrillex.

His first original release “The Anthem,” cracked into the Beatport’s electro house Top 20 chart.The following releases “Shave It” and “Slam The Door” dominated Beatport’s overall charts for weeks at a time. In 2011, his remix of Lady Gaga’s “Marry the Night” landed on the deluxe edition of the pop star’s album Born This Way and his remix of “Born This Way” appeared on Born This Way: The Remix, which boosted his number of fans – especially after he was the only opening act for the Asian leg of Lady Gaga’s world stadium tour “The Born This Was Ball.”

In 2012, Zedd signed with Interscope records and released his debut LP Clarity in October. The first single, “Spectrum,” featuring singer/songwriter Matthew Koma, was a hit climbing into the the Top 10 on the iTunes dance chart and holding on to the #1 spot on Beatport overall chart for almost three weeks. The track then soared to #1 on the Billboard Dance Club Song chart and was ultimately named their Dance Club Song of the year as well as iTunes Breakthrough Album of the Year (Dance) for 2012. The stats from the title track are even more impressive. “Clarity” debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at 86, peaked at 8, and is Zedd’s most successful song in the US and worldwide. It has sold over 1,200,000 copies and just recently won the 2014 Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.

Often pegged as an “Artist to Watch,” Zedd’s latest single “Stay the Night” is already #3 on the UK music charts. We will definitely be staying the night when Zedd performs at Ultimate Music Experience on South Padre Island, Texas on March 13-15th. Tickets are now available online, buy your tickets today!

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Ultimate Music Experience Artist Profile: Paper Diamond

artist paper diamondPaper Diamond is a one of dance music’s buzzing artists creating a unique sound unlike anyone any of his peers. Using a varied tech-friendly workspace, this Ultimate Music Experience talent oozes productions rich in bass driven beats, catchy vocals and melodies.

Hailing from Colorado, Alex Botwin has been a bass mechanic long before his Paper project. As a part of The Pnuma Trio, Botwin played bass for the outfit since their inception in 2004. Fusing classical, jazz, funk, hip hop, and drum and bass, the group’s releases were lauded for their individuality with the media dubbing them “Music of the future.” After the group parted in 2010, Botwin found himself going back to the drawing board, “Basically, I had all this music that I had no outlet for. Pnuma was my dance music project and since I wasn’t having any reason to focus on that, I decided that I needed a new outlet to be able to make whatever else I wanted besides. For a while I was making music as Alex B as well, which is a downtempo project. But I wanted some separation from me personally and my art, and I wanted to freely make dance music if I wanted to–or make whatever type of music I wanted. So that was what led me to start the project.”

That project is of course Paper Diamond. When it came time to release his debut album Levitate, he called an old friend, “I became good friends with Derek Vincent Smith from Pretty Lights. It’s funny, he used to open a lot of Pnuma shows and now he’s obviously massive–huge beyond everyone. As much as people wanna not believe it, he kind of changed everything for livetronica music.” Armed with a vast treasure trove of music that he’d been working on, the two started brainstorming, “Basically, I made all this music, and I hit Derek up and was like, ‘You know, I heard you’re starting a label. We’re homies. I wanna run my new record by you.’ I gave him my new record. We talked about all the songs, and he gave me some ideas. Then I went back, and we ended up putting it out.”

After Levitate was released in 2011, Paper Diamond began gracing more and more lineups and flyers – and not just because of his stellar productions, but for his on stage presence as well. Known for his interactive live sets, versus the conventional DJ setup, Paper Diamond on stage is feast for the senses. His dynamic performance makes every show a unique experience. Gearing up for 2014 “Cold Crush” tour, Botwin gave his fans a scoop of what to expect, I’m using my iPad on stage to control two computers, one has Ableton to play the music, which then sends a MIDI signal to the second computer, where I can control all of the LEDs and live visuals on stage that will capture the nonstop energy of my set. So basically, I get to represent myself in not just a musical manner, but I get to provide an overall visual experience for my fans as well.”

Hard at work in the studio, this year will see the release of new tunes with never-before-heard collaborations with various writers, producers and singers. Having just announced an eight-month residency at Wynn Las Vegas, the producer released his new single “Black Rose.” This sultry downtempo track shows off Paper Diamond’s versatility and we are thrilled we get to see it live at Ultimate Music Experience on South Padre Island, Texas on March 13-15th. Buy your tickets to the celebration today!

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Ultimate Music Experience Artist Profile: Zeds Dead

artist zeds deadBefore the duo first got together, when people said “Zeds Dead,” they were probably talking about a scene in Quentin Tarantino’s classic film Pulp Fiction. Now, the name Zeds Dead refers to our Canadian talents heading to Ultimate Music Experience this year – coincidentally, it is also a monogram for the members’ names Zack Rapp-Rovan, artist name Hooks, and Dylan Mamid, artist name DC.

The two first paired together in 2004 when they formed their original group, Mass Productions. Hooks says, “We’ve known each other for a long time but started hanging out and making music together about ten years ago. Led Zeppelin made me want to learn guitar which was my first stepping stone to making music and, as cliché as it is, I really wanted to learn ‘Stairway to Heaven.'” Being heavily influenced by hip-hop samples, the first and only release Mass Productions has to date, is their 2007 album Fresh Beetz. Though, after they released the album, the boys had a change of heart, “I don’t remember how exactly I got introduced to dubstep,” Hooks says, “but there was something in the air back then. It had such a great groove, with elements of hip-hop and dnb in it and felt really cool to go to these underground parties and hear that type of music.

The boys made their first outing as Zeds Dead in the summer of 2009 back in their home of Toronto, Ontario. Having been developing their electronic beats, DC and Hooks showcased their tracks at the venue The Social in 2009. After about a year later, Zeds Dead was booked as a weekly for a gig in Toronto, called “Bassmentality.” As a tribute to the friends and fans who were there from the beginning, the two went on to release a track by the same name in 2011.

DC and Hooks gained international recognition long before their first official release by offering free downloads of their productions. Their first self-released freebie was “Journey of a Lifetime” in June 2009. The following year, the two released “Rumble in the Jungle” on Mad Decent. The track went on to reach #1 on Beatport’s breakbeat chart and cemented their position among the bass music’s elite.

Still hot on the heels of their “Altered States” tour, we are glad to have them join our 2014 lineup for the Ultimate Music Experience. Grab your tickets today to be a part of the best Spring Break event for every dance music lover.

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Ultimate Music Experience Artist Profile: Boys Noize

artist boys noizeBoys Noize is one of the few artists who can say that they have been making electronic music and working as a DJ for over half of his life. Quickly establishing himself as an amazing talent behind the decks, his sets have become a staple to festivals around the globe not only for their technical prowess but for their showmanship as well. It’s no wonder Rolling Stone voted this Ultimate Music Experience artist amongst the Top 10 “DJs Who Rule The Earth.”

Born and raised in Hamburg, Germany, Alexander Ridha has been finessing his skills on the decks from an early age, “My first DJ gig was in a proper house club in Hamburg when I was 16, supporting a local hero at the time, Boris Dlugosch. I was playing stuff by Mateo & Matos or Theo Parrish, a lot of Guidance Records releases, a couple of Masters At Work tunes. The first French stuff started to hit hard as well around ’97 and ’98 and from then I got more and more into electro labels like Gigolo Records.” Gaining traction on the DJ circuit, Ridha opened for acts like Felix da Housecat and DJ Hell, the latter of which released some of the earliest Boys Noize singles like The Bomb/Boy Neu EP in 2004.

The birth of social networks like MySpace proved to be very beneficial for the young talent, “I was very lucky, I have to say, because my music was only released on vinyl until then and it was the first time that people everywhere could listen to my music easily. I had a great deal of output at that time — a lot of 12″s and remixes — and it was so lucky that regular people outside of the DJ world were able to listen to my music.” Though his early productions were on respected labels like Kitsuné Music and Turbo Recordings, in order to retain full artistic freedom, Ridha established his imprint Boysnoize Records in 2005. “I don’t compromise when it comes to music,” he says, “I do what I think is cool and what I like and not what the market wants or people may expect. Maintaining artistic freedom has always been the most important thing to me — for my own music and for anyone on my label.”

Outside of his work as a label boss and DJ, Ridha has become a master in the studio. As a recording artist and producer, the Boys Noize sound is unmistakable. Amassing three albums, 2007’s Oi Oi Oi , 2009’s Power and 2012´s Out Of The Black, and countless singles and EPs, his work as a remixer is equally as impressive, making edits for everyone from Depeche Mode, Daft Punk, Feist, David Lynch, Santigold, and Scissor Sisters. Lest we forget his collaborations with heavyweights like Snoop Dogg, Erol Alkan, Mr. Oizo, and more recently, with Skrillex under the moniker of Dog Blood.

Now that the dust is starting to settle from his massive Go Hard EP released in summer 2013, you can find Boys Noize making audiences go hard all across the globe. Catch his critically-acclaimed set when Boys Noize makes his way to South Padre Island, Texas for Ultimate Music Festival on March 13-15, 2014. Tickets are now available, buy yours today!

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Ultimate Music Experience Artist Profile: Brazzabelle

artist brazzabelleIn a very male-dominated industry, Brazzabelle is one woman in dance music making a name for herself all across the globe. Rocking hard with the big boys, both in DJing and production, this Ultimate Music Experience talent is leading the pack of female upstarts.

Known to her family as Brittney Bowles, the Arizona native has always been interested in a variety of musical genres. Introduced to dance music in her early teen years, she immediately fell in love, “It all started when I was about 13. My parents didn’t let me watch TV so I spent an absurd amount of time on the computer and one of my friends introduced me to a production program call ‘Dance EJ’ which I learned the basics of production.” But even though she loved to produce, finances got in the way, “After that it kind of fizzled out because my allowance didn’t allow for me to buy any equipment so I moved onto more traditional instruments and started to play the guitar and bass because I really wanted to be in a band.”

After graduation, Bowles went to work as a fashion merchandiser. Though she enjoyed her time there, a study abroad program to Europe would change everything, “It wasn’t until I studied abroad in Barcelona and became friends with a few DJ’s who encouraged me to get back into it,” she explains, “they told me what equipment to buy and I went home and practiced my little heart out and eventually started playing gigs.”

Back in the United States, Brazzabelle started DJing at many local gigs in her current home of Los Angeles. And by 2011, she released her debut release “Break Your Body.” The sexy track caught the attention of house music lovers everywhere and her success since has been somewhat of a ripple effect as she has earned residencies with several of the West Coast’s most prestigious nightclubs and has been named one of 944 Magazine‘s “Leading Woman in Nightlife.” Brazzabelle has made quite an impression among some heavyweights in dance music. Martin Solveig once said at a show, “Brazzabelle opened for me tonight, but in two years I’ll be opening for her.”

Following the success of “Break Your Body,” Brazzabelle has released a steady stream of mixtapes, two EP’s, including the single “Drop The Beat” featuring Zashanel and remixed Gentlemen Hall’s hit track “Take Me Under.” Recently grabbing some studio time with gLAdaitor, the two released a free download of their rework of TLC’s classic track, “No Scrubs.”

Still honing in on what her true sound is, we’re excited to see what the future holds for this rising new talent. To quote her, “It will always be unique to Brazzabelle.” Her latest festival edit of the classic anthem “What is Love” is sure to make its way in sets around the globe. Come drop the beat with Brazzabelle when she performs at Ultimate Music Experience on March 13-15th – buy your tickets today!

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