Music for heart and feet

"Parable" Out Friday, May 8th! https://ffm.to/parable

http://itsmako.com

When it comes to Hardstyle, it’s impossible to argue the fact that any artist has had a bigger impact on the genre than Headhunterz. From the moment his first records were released, his unique melodic and energetic take on the genre sparked a new movement within the international music scene. A rise unparalleled, Headhunterz continues to take Hardstyle to new heights. 

Willem Rebergen, better known as Headhunterz, kicked off his DJ career over a decade ago. A visit to Qlimax 2003 lit a spark in Willem, leading to an uncontrollable wildfire, as he dedicated himself to becoming the best producer in the genre. His originals, as well as the album he made with Wildstylez under the Project One moniker, redefined the hardstyle sound of the late 2000’s. Headhunterz’ new take on hardstyle music made the genre grow into an international phenomenon and become something worldly. 

From 2014-2017, Headhunterz took on a new challenge and found himself headlining major festivals like Ultra Music Festival, Coachella and EDC, making him explore the boundaries of his own, musical imagination and discover new parts of the world as well as different territories within the electronic dance scene. Though it did trigger his creativity, Willem became homesick, missing his beloved hardstyle scene. In 2017, in front of 60,000 ecstatic fans who thought they had lost their hero, he announced his comeback to hardstyle at Defqon.1. With open arms, the community embraced him, as he travelled the world to celebrate his return with fans, old and new. It took him to 125 performances across 34 countries in 2018 alone, a journey which inspired him to create ‘The Return of Headhunterz’, an album that tied past, present and future together. Surpassing 15 million streams on Spotify, the album – along with his No. 28 position in the 2018 DJ Mag Top 100, showed that, no matter the adventures Headhunterz would undertake, he’ll always find a warm welcome in his home base.

The album also marked the launch of a new label – ART OF CREATION, with his colleague Wildstylez. A creative and dynamic platform that bridges the gap between music makers and community. At the same time, Headhunterz relaunched the HARD with STYLE Podcast, recorded live from a brand new studio, with state-of-the-art equipment and sound. This is where new Headhunterz music comes to life, plans to conquer new territory for his tribe are forged and the one thing reigns that will always remain Headhunterz’ greatest achievement; the music from within.

30 miles west of El Paso, surrounded by 3,000 acres of pecan orchards and only a stone’s throw from the Mexican border, the band Big Thief (a.k.a. Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, Max Oleartchik, and James Krivchenia) set up their instruments as close together as possible to capture their most important collection of songs yet. The band had only just finished work on their 3rd album, U.F.O.F. -“the celestial twin”- days before in a cabin studio in the woods of Washington State. Now it was time to birth U.F.O.F.’s sister album -“the earth twin”- Two Hands. 

In sharp contrast to the wet environment of the U.F.O.F. session, the southwestern Sonic Ranch studio was chosen for its vast desert location. The 105-degree weather boiled away any clinging memories of the green trees and wet air of the previous session. Two Hands had to be completely different— an album about the Earth and the bones beneath it. The songs were recorded live with almost no overdubs. All but two songs feature entirely live vocal takes, leaving Adrianne’s voice suspended above the mix in dry air, raw and vulnerable as ever. Where U.F.O.F. layered mysterious sounds and effects for levitation, Two Hands grounds itself on dried-out, cracked desert dirt. 

Anybody who has borne witness to Big Thief in the wild will find songs they recognize here. Much of the album’s tracks (“The Toy”, “Those Girls”, “Shoulders”, “Not”, “Cut My Hair”) have been live staples for years. “Two Hands has the songs that I’m the most proud of; I can imagine myself singing them when I’m old,” says Adrianne. “Musically and lyrically, you can’t break it down much further than this. It’s already bare-bones.” 

Lyrically this can be felt in the poetic blur of the internal and external. These are political songs without political language. They explore the collective wounds of our Earth. Abstractions of the personal hint at war, environmental destruction, and the traumas that fuel it. Lyrics like “And the blood of the man who killed my mother with his hands is in me/ it’s in me/ in my veins” are genuine attempts to point the listener towards the very real dangers that face our mother planet. When Adrianne sings “Please wake up,” she’s talking directly to the audience. “Attention is power,” she says. “I believe you can manifest something on the other side of the world just by using your power well.” 

Engineer Dom Monks and producer Andrew Sarlo, who were both behind U.F.O.F., capture the live energy as instinctually and honestly as possible. Sarlo teamed up with James Krivchenia to mix the album, where they sought to emphasize raw power and direct energy inherent in the takes. The journey of a song from the stage to the record is often a difficult one. Big Thief’s advantage is their bond and loving center as a chosen family. They spend almost 100% of their lives together working towards a sound that they all agree upon. A band with this level of togetherness is increasingly uncommon. If you ask drummer James Krivchenia, bassist Max Oleartchik or guitarist Buck Meek how they write their parts, they will describe—passionately—the experience of hearing Adrianne present a new song, listening intently for hints of parts that already exist in the ether and the undertones to draw out with their respective instruments. It is an honor to give life to these intricacies. 

With raw power and intimacy, Two Hands folds itself gracefully into Big Thief’s impressive discography. This body of work grows deeper and more inspiring with each new album. While you listen, let your own two hands rest in front of your body with palms facing inward and see what power grows between them.

fable w/ robert miles is out now: www.lsrcity.com/fable

Gareth Emery is one of the most prestigious names in electronic music. A world-renowned songwriter, DJ, and record producer, the British artist is known for racking up millions of monthly listeners, billions of lifetime streams, and repeatedly reaching iTunes #1 in over 25 countries with his prolific discography.

A world-class performer, Gareth’s reputation for jaw-dropping visuals, cutting edge laser design, and live instrumentation make him an undeniable leader in the live space. Millions have attended his headline shows and festivals around the world, and this year he debuted LSR/CITY - the successor to his world famous laser arena tour Laserface - to a sold out crowd during EDC Week in Las Vegas.

In the back half of 2022, Emery will be launching his most ambitious tour yet: LSR/CITY 2.0 will debut never-before-seen technology and a live performance aspect that’s the first of its kind, raising the bar for multi-sensory live concert experiences yet again.

DJ. Funny sometimes.

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