^^Stage magic as I’d like to call it^^ It’s been way too long since my last post. The Star Stuff crew has been to some great shows and had some great experiences, more recently coming off Snowball 2013 which I would call a huge success – it was very well done, organized, and some of the most fun I’ve had in a long time.  I wanted to post a more extensive review, but..well..I won’t go there. My favorite was dressing up:

We’ve also been to some great shows including The Presets, The XX, and some more underground disco dance shows including Bixel Boys, Moon Boots, Steffi Graf, and my new favorite duo featuring our very own Collin McKenna, Keepers!

So far the start to a great summer I’d say, with an influx of recent albums, including some very highly anticipated sophomore albums and ‘sequels’.

Here’s some of the more well known of what I’ve been listening too the last few weeks and months:

Most recently, and one I’m most excited for, is Empire of the Sun’s sophomore album, “Ice on the Dune“. I thought nothing could ever compare to “Walking on a Dream” but wow this second album is amazing!

Rolling stone has the whole album streaming, enjoy it while you can! Here’s the link!

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/empire-of-the-sun-aim-for-american-pop-radio-on-expansive-new-album-20130610

In case that link is down when the album comes out next week, stream “Alive” here:

What would this post be without mention of Daft Punk’s ‘Random Access Memories‘ – maybe one of the most anticipated albums in a long long time – Get Lucky set the stage, but I’m mixed on the album, I like how they went outside of the box and just did whatever they felt like doing, without worrying about expectations, what they’ve done in the past, or what the critics may or may not think – but after listening to the album over and over I felt a lot more to be desired, depending on your mood some songs you have to completely skip, depending on if you want something slow, or dancey, the versatility is good, but sometimes not so much if you’re going from start to finish. Here’s a popular remix of Doing it right to check out:

Doin’ It Right (feat. Panda Bear) The Golden Pony Remix

Yeah Yeah Yeahs put out a great new album, fourth album, yes, but I’ve been loving it:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Sacrilege

I’m really excited for the new MGMT album but not sure what to expect. I remember seeing them at Coachella in 2010 and they played their new album at the time, Congratulations, and people were unhappy they didn’t play enough from Time to Pretend/Oracular Spectacular. I for one was in the same boat and wasn’t really feeling Congratulations, but  it definitely grew on me.  As for this 3rd album, honestly who knows, I think we’ll have to wait and see. For me it’s hard to tell from the only song they have put out so far, but I do like the sound:

We’ll be keeping an eye out on this one – one of the favorite concert memories I have is seeing MGMT in the rain at Red Rocks Amphitheater.

Another album I didn’t think I would like but thoroughly enjoyed was Entertainment by Phoenix – before never being a big Phoenix fan this was one that I kept on repeat for a while, check out this Entertainment Remix:

Phoenix – Entertainment – Blood Orange Remix

Hard to believe this one has been out since September of last year – Co-exist from The XX – but it was still one of my long-waited sophomore albums and it definitely lived up to the talent of the first.

There’s also definitely some more alternative albums that came out that are perfect for summer, some other interesting albums I’ve found and been listening too, maybe I will save those for another post! For now, enjoy the above and have a great weekend!!

BONUS: Since they always put on a great show:

Presets – Promises-Lifelike-Remix

Hello space creatures! Jeremy here, writing words, for you to read. To commemorate my first post on this blog, I’d like to highlight one of my favorite festivals, Lightning in a Bottle. In recent years you may have heard the term, “Transformative Festival” used to describe events. This category of festival not only provides live music, but also daily yoga classes, workshops on metaphysics, permaculture, and other topics in the broad spectrum of “conscious living”. LiB has been on the forefront of the “transformative festival” movement since its inception in 2007′, and each year they build a beautiful village for attendees to explore.

The grounds are segregated into 2 distinct areas; the music stages are in one area, and the Temple of Consciousness lies in another area. This bisection gives the participant a unique opportunity to tailor make an experience that fits them. In the music zones you’ll find mainly DJ’s playing. Last year there were 3 stages, theLightning Stage, which is the largest stage, the bamboo stage, 2nd largest, and the Woogie, which is without question my favorite stage- granted its the smallest, but many of my favorite LiB sets took place here. In contrast, the Temple of Consciousness is a space with numerous large scale altars, a huge yoga space, and on the Temple Stage there is also music which features mostly live musicians, with more of a “world music” sound.

I encourage everyone to watch the absolutely BEAUTIFUL video recap made in 2012.-

We have been blessed with an absolutely killer lineup. Below I’ll highlight some of my favorites.

Nicolas Jaar popped on my radar right before Coachella last year, and having just seen him play an amazing set in Boulder last Sunday, I’m even more excited for a second dose.

Worthy blew my lid the first time I saw him at Burning Man 2012. Great techno from SF’s Dirtybird Records.

Christian Martin’s DJ sets are some of the wildest ever. I can almost guarantee he’ll play a day set, and its gonna be bonkers.

Desert Dwellers are a group of 2 DJ’s who mix yogic dub. I always listen to desert dwellers when I meditate.

Phutureprimative is another DJ who’s synths sample more sitars than saws. <intentional toungue twister>

Below is a mini mix of all original material.

This year LiB will be held at Lake Skinner in Southern California, not far from Temecua. This will be the first year LiB is at this location, and when they announced the change, I’ll admit I was bummed. But the photos of the site look amazing! The Do Lab is calling this their best site ever, and I trust them. The dates are Thursday July 11th-Sunday July 15th. Four stacked days of music, and introspective adventures. We’re getting very excited for another amazing year. Be sure to check back at Star Stuff for our full coverage of the event. Until then this is Jeremy signing out.

For more information about Lightning in a Bottle, and to purchase tickets, visit http://lightninginabottle.org/. Follow LIB at http://www.facebook.com/LightningInaBottle or The Do LaB at http://www.facebook.com/thedolab or http://www.twitter.com/thedolab.

FULL LINEUP:
Purity Ring

Nicolas Jaar

Rusko

Tycho

PANTyRAiD

Paper Diamond

Emancipator

Lee Burridge

GRiZ

Miguel Migs

Eskmo

Tim Green

François K 

Lucent Dossier Experience

Cari Lekebusch

Blockhead

A.Skillz

gLAdiator

HeRobust

The Polish Ambassador

Joel Mull

Gigamesh

Acid Pauli

Thugfucker

Random Rab

Worthy

Kastle

Christian Martin

Papadosio

Lusine

Phutureprimitive

Marques Wyatt

Goldroom

Blackbird Blackbird

Jason Bentley

Psychemagik

LowRIDERz 

ill-esha

Kalya Scintilla

Andreilien

Desert Dwellers

Gladkill

Pumpkin

Kaminanda

Eprom

Giraffage

Herbert Bail Orchestra

Maxi Storrs

Sorne

Eduardo Castillo

Vokab Kompany

Haywyre

Patricio

Oscure

Black 22s

ChrisB

jobot

Crywolf

idiot Savant

Sammy Bliss

Odesza

Sex Pixels

Aaron Snape

William Close and Earth Harp Collective

Loomer

Joplin

Cameron Angeli

Our very close friend option4 has finally released his latest masterpiece “Do Work” for FREE via his Soundcloud page. Chances are, if you’ve been to any one of the many events the man has played over the passed 6 months, you’ve heard him drop this deep dark techy beast. The release also features a brilliant remix from Bit Funk. He adds a catchy vocal loop and sexy synths to provide a much brighter version of the tune. As a bonus, option4 also had an awesome video put together to accompany this momentous occasion and sadly we’re having issues with our Youtube player, but you can check that out HERE. Meanwhile both versions of Do Work are available for your listening and downloading pleasure below.

Show Me will be included on his debut EP and follow up to his massively successful collaboration with Anna Lunoe Real Talk. The EP is slated for release this coming Monday (April 8th) via the always consistent Future Classic imprint.

Days like today are a very pleasant reminder that Spring has officially sprung. That said, we feel like a sun kissed concoction of deep and sexy grooves from Swedish DJ Chris Jylkke is an order, how bout you? The man has made an name for himself almost off DJing alone which is truly a testament to his impeccable taste. That taste is put on display wonderfully here as always. Enjoy!

Hello! Had a short hiatus, but we’re back in business. Lets get things moving with a bang shall we? Today we bring you the latest from LA duo Bixel Boys.  An infectious tune that gives Ciara a house make over resulting in an orgazzzmic peak hour heater that’s sure to make the ladies flock to the floor. Rumor has it the duo will be making a Denver appearance soon so we’ll keep you posted on that. Meanwhile, we encourage you to give  Ride a run through below. Did we mention it’s free? If you like what you hear feel FREE to snag their previous release, the Love Like This Ep as well. 

Snowball is officially upon us ladies and gentleman. We’re thrilled to be officially on board this year to provide coverage for this unique concert experience. This marks the 3rd year of the festival and the first year in a new location, the beautiful Winter Park Colorado.  Below you will find an itemized rundown of the artists we’re most excited about seeing.

If you haven’t heard yet, they’ve changed the no re-entry policy. Re-entry will now be aloud up until 7pm making the prospect of catching some of the earlier acts a lot more feasible.

FRIDAY MARCH 8TH

Rumtum 2:30-3:15 Ballroom

This Denver based beat maker is certainly worth checking out.

RAC 4:30-5:30 Groove Tent

Catching RAC at the Groove Tent from 4:30-5:30 will be a great way to keep your blood flowing as the temps drop.

Zion I 5:45 – 6:45 Groove Tent

This duo’s been in the game for well over 10 years now and they’re still making waves with their infectious brand of west coast hip-hop.

Orchard Lounge 6:30 – 8:30 Ballroom

Their mission? “To expose as many people as possible to the artists whom they admire and respect, create unique dance floor memories, and to cross traditional boundaries of turntablism/improv/electronic fusion.”  SOLD.

The Presets 7:00 – 8:00 Groove Tent

Australian Electro rock duo The Presets are practically super stars down under and they’ve made huge waves stateside as well. Their live sets are simply amazing so it might be a good idea to make your way over early to get a good spot.

Kendrick Lamar  8:00 – 9:00 Main Stage

Drank…..

American Royalty 8:45 – 9:45 Ball Room

This LA based 3 piece is gaining some serious momentum right now with their unconventional blend of psychedelic rock & electronica.

SATURDAY MARCH 9TH

We recommend starting your day off with Snowbrunch of course. You can check out the post we did about here.

School Knights 2:15 – 3:00 Ball Room

Another Denver act that is certainly worth checking out.

Steffi Graf  3:30 – 4:30 Ball Room

In case you missed them at Snowbrunch.

Gigamesh 5:30 – 6:30 Groove Tent

After making his first Colorado appearance this past summer, Gigamesh returns to Colorado for the 4th time in less than a year. He’s been an in demand remixer for quite some time and know he’s making serious waves with a string of well received original productions.  Check out the write up we did on him last year here and we highly recommend catching at least a little bit of his set.

Shlomo 5:45 – 6:45 Ball Room

Chopped and pitched down vocals, driving rhythms, subtle samples and air brushed synths embody this young LA based producers unique bass heavy sound. Very excited to see what he brings to the table live.

Polica 6:15-7:15 Main Stage

I wish I knew more, but I only recently discovered the Minnesota based phenomenon known as Polica. I liken their sound to Portis Head with pop flair. 

TEED (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs) 7:00- 8:00 Groove Tent

Prepare to have your mind blown. This chap is a one man power house who seamlessly  blends house, garage, electro and pop to create his trademark highly buzzed about sound. He’s hands down the act I’m most excited about seeing.

Japandroids 8:45-9:45 Ball Room

Most know that we keep our coverage focused on music of the electronic variety, but every now then I like to turn my ears toward some good old fashioned rock & roll.

SUNDAY MARCH 10TH

Aeroplane Groove Tent 4:00-5:00

A healthy blend of electro, disco and house from this dutch producer/DJ is how I plan on starting my day today.

Destructo Groove Tent 5:00 – 6:00

Next up is HARD founder Destructo. Expect the unexpected.

Flying Lotus 7:45 – 8:45 Groove Tent

This beatsmith really needs no introduction as he’s fast approaching legendary status with his steady strokes of musical genius. His live performances are said to be second to none as well.

And there you have it!!! Have fun and be safe. We’ll catch you on the flip side.

If you’re planning on attending Snowball this year, we highly recommend starting your day off Saturday on festival grounds before they open with Snowbrunch.  Featuring a self service brunch, top shelf cocktails, free product from the sponsors, 10 arcade games and intimate performances from some of Denver’s best up and coming artists. It will be a great opportunity to mingle with some of the performing artists and fellow festival goers, get a good meal in your belly and get your pregame on. All proceeds go to Colorado based non-profit organization Phoenix 999 so it’s for a very worthy cause. Purchase your tickets HERE and check out tunes from some of the artists performing below. See you there!

Does he really need an introduction? He shouldn’t, but just in case Tensake aka Marco Niemerski is a producer from Germany who gained notoriety from his 2010 single “Coma Cat.” His most recent release, a track called “Mainline” was released late last year on house giant Defected and was also extremely successful. Mr Niermerski has also put in extensive remix duty for the likes of Lana Del Ray and Friendly Fires among others. According to Pete Tong, he’s “the man who brought disco back to the dancefloor.”

Niermerski recently had the opportunity to lay down an Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1 and had this to say about it-”I think this mix is really nice, deep and groovy.” “It starts quite slowly; a bit of disco in the beginning, and then it switches a little bit, more house-y and clubby stuff. It also features two unreleased tracks of mine off my forthcoming album.”

Check it out below and enjoy. Happy Monday!

tracklist:

01. Alice Coltrane – Krishna [Avatar Records]
02. Tensnake – Untitled [Unreleased]
03. Move D – Untitled B2 [Workshop]
04. Kruse & Nürnberg – Polargeits Temperature Rise [Exploited]
05. Trujilo – Acapulco Gold (Ron Basejam Remix) [Apersonal Music]
06. Bang Goes – Can’t Hold It [Grubenstrasse Zurich]
07. Du Tonc – Darkness [Cheap Thrills]
08. Nickodemus – Los Tarantos [ESL Music]
09. Galarude – Cero (DJ Harvey Remix) [Internasjonal]
10. Ejeca – Dazed [Needwant]
11. Jan Jelinek – Tendency (Unreleased Tensnake Edit) [Unreleased]
12. Martin Patiño – Your Lips [Cadenza]
13. Anthony Middleton – Till The End Of . . . [Get Physical Music]
14. James Welsh – The Way (Tom Demac Remix) [Join The Dots]
15. Monika Kruse – One Love (Rampa Remix) [Terminal M]
16. Terranova – I Want To Go Out (David Meyer Remix)
17. FCL – It’s You (San Sodas Panorama Bar Acca Version) [Defected]
18. Gerd – Palm Leaves (Deetron Remix) [Clone Royal Oak]
19. Medlar – Knockard Pearl (Detroit Swindle Remix) [Wolf Music]
20. Leslie Clio – Couldn’t Care Less (Iron Curtis Remix) [Vertigo]
21. Hot Chip – How Do You Do (Todd Terje Remix) [Domino]
22. Boe & Zak – Kiss My Cologne [Editainment]
23. Vicky D – The Beat Is Mine (Soul Clap Remix) [Nurvous]
24. T-Coy – Carino [deConstruction]
25. Tensnake – Untitled [Unreleased]
26. Felix Da Housecat – What Does It Feel Lile (Royksopp Remix) [City Rockers]

Off to a good start as far as fresh tunes go this week. Lets start off with Kentucky based producer AMTRAC. He dropped a free EP entitled The Scheme. It includes four impeccably crafted house leaning heaters that revolve around masterfully chopped and pitched vocals. If you live in the Denver area you can catch the man at Norad Dance Bar this Friday night (the 15th) with support from Lust and Need & Necessity.

After a fairly quiet few years LA based duo Classixx have shared the first single from their long awaited debut album “Hanging Gardens.” It’s called “Holding On” and it’s a slice of dance floor heaven. Can’t wait to hear what the rest of the album holds. I guess we’ll have to wait for it’s release on May 14th to find out.

UK based producer Hot Since 82 released his latest EP “Hot Jams Vol. 2″ on Noir Music today. It packs quite a punch with 4 tracks that hold true to his deep, bass heavy groove inducing style and is yet another rock solid release on his already impressive resume. He recently got a chance to drop into the studio with Pete Tong for his 15 minutes Of Fame segment on BBC Radio 1 where he briefly discusses a little more about his back round as well as his take on “EDM.” He also drops an exclusive remix that won’t be available til next month. Check out both below.