In a dark kitchen in the middle of a sweaty night in Las Vegas, all 6’4” of Dan Reynolds is hunched over a laptop, slapping beats on the table and crooning lyrics into a tiny microphone. Before long, he and the other three members of indie rock band Imagine Dragons would be playing “It’s Time,” that same laptop-demo-turned-supersized-anthem, from the roof of a parking garage to a wave of thousands of screaming fans. This song title to the single from their 2012 debut KidInaKorner/Interscope release “Continued Silence EP” is an all too apt descriptor of the band’s hard-earned success—but it’s also emblematic of the deep-seated anxiety Reynolds and the rest of the band experienced leaving behind any realistic expectation of a normal job to do the thing they love most.

A third-generation Las Vegas native, Reynolds is no stranger to the adage “the house always wins,” choosing to pave his musical career with a near obsessive work ethic and hundreds of unused demos rather than roll the dice with the first songs that sprung from his mouth. It’s no surprise, then, that he was drawn to guitarist Wayne Sermon, another founding member of Imagine Dragons. Having practically grown up in a recording studio and graduated Berklee College of Music, Wayne had been practicing his guitar through meals and other socially inappropriate situations as long as he could remember; he challenged Dan in a way that was both uncomfortable and exactly what they both needed. When they began writing songs together and recognized something special was happening, Wayne called up his Berklee friend Ben McKee, who promptly dropped out of school with only a few credits left, moving across the country to play bass for the band. This sort of reckless/genius behavior is typical for Ben, who has an uncanny penchant for spicy food and a suitcase full of unbelievable road stories. More recently, the band was joined by drummer Daniel Platzman, another Bostonian schoolmate who seems way too nice to be playing rock and roll until you actually see him in action.

Several tours and three self-released EPs later, Imagine Dragons had made a serious name for itself, particularly in the west coast circuit. Although their songs vary from nearly whimsical and light to brooding and powerful, listeners are drawn to the inherent honesty in the music. The only rule of thumb for the band, it seems, is to write from a true place; the result is songs that literally run the spectrum of human emotion. Attend a concert, and it becomes clear that the live performance of deeply personal songs has a real effect on people. And the band itself is not immune, as demonstrated when Dan literally passed out into the drum set during a finale song, sending cymbals and drum stands crashing while the rest of the band played on until the close.

Great songwriting is bound to be noticed eventually. As proof that the harder you work, the luckier you get, one of those people who noticed was Grammy winning producer Alex da Kid (Eminem, Rihanna). Alex and Dan began collaborating on projects, and soon the band had developed a relationship with Alex and his team. The alchemy resulting from Alex’s hip hop sensibilities and Imagine Dragons’ anthemic rock is nothing short of explosive. The byproduct of this creative collision is “Continued Silence,” a six song in-your-face sonic grenade that breaks musical boundaries and yet is strangely relatable by its improbably diverse audience.

Despite it all, on any given day when they aren’t on the road playing shows, you can still find Imagine Dragons huddled away in a rehearsal room somewhere, banging out song after song in search of the next perfect track. Like most things in Vegas, the band is angled at going big or going bust. For the sake of those who love great music, we hope it’s the former.

Deutschrap (München) /  "NTV" EP: 24. April 2017.
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Munich born A_P_F_L., alias Actionschorle, blends fast-paced house, introspective dub, and dynamic breaks. As co-leader of institut.world, his sound embodies the spirit of disco Munich, heavily influenced by UK elements.

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Who we are: we are a record label, like many others are, but we're a whole lot more than that. We are the baby of Lars. Lewerenz, who began to release our music, the music of his friends, his adopted family, in 2003. Which was a good decision, we've celebrated ourselves for this everywhere in the meantime. Cuz Audiolith Youth is everywhere. And we're there with it and down with it. We're coming to your town, and we're listening to what you have to say, and we'll see each other in the streets and we'll be wearing the same t-shirt. Your style is important to us, cause you like our mix. So you become part of it, cause everything fun and authentic goes, cause we're don't dig getting in trouble but rather get on parking lots. On which we rave. We drink our beer. But don't close our heads. We dance and sing songs. Cause we're way hotter than the crap they try to flog at you in Discounterland. Don't listen to them. Loosen up. Blow your mind with good music.
    
Who we are: Wir sind ein Plattenlabel, wie tausend andere auch und wir sind noch mehr als das. Wir sind das Baby von Lars. Lewerenz, der 2003 begann, Musik von uns, seinen Freunden, seiner Wahlfamilie, zu veröffentlichen. Das war gut, denn deswegen feiern wir inzwischen überall. Coz Audiolith Youth is Everywhere. Und die ist mit uns und wir unten mit ihr. Wir kommen auch in deine Stadt, und wir hören dich an, und wir seh'n uns auf der Straße und wir tragen das gleiche Shirt. Dein Style ist uns wichtig, weil du unsern Mix magst. Dann bist du mit dabei, da alles geht, was Spass macht und echt ist, weil wir nicht auf Ärger stehen, sondern auf Parkplätzen. Auf denen wir raven. Wir trinken unser Bier. Aber machen nicht den Kopf zu. Wir tanzen und singen Lieder. Denn wir sind geiler als der Scheiss, den sie dir verkaufen wollen in Discounterland. Hör nicht auf die. Mach dich locker: Blow your Mind with good Music.
    

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