I think it's safe to say that electronic dance music, better known to some as "EDM," has become the dominant drive in modern music culture for the time being. If you find yourself at odds with that thought, just take a look at this year's Grammy nominees.
Skrillex is all over the ballot, not to mention other EDM artists on it like Duck Sauce, Deadmau5, Calvin Harris, David Guetta and, of course, Swedish House Mafia. To top that, Bud Light decided to feature Avicii's hit single "Levels" during their Super Bowl advertisement this past Sunday night.
I've always loved electronic music, even as a child. I have memories of jamming out to Benny Benassi's "Rock ‘N' Rave" album in the car with my grandmother on my way home from middle school. It's funny to think that now everywhere I look, I see a reflection of my younger music years. Not to say that I don't indulge in that type of music any more, because I do — probably way more than I should. With that said, I would like to focus this week's Sound Drip on an EDM producer whom I feel deserves a bit more time in the spotlight: Felix Cartal.
Born Taelor Deitcher, the Vancouver native is no amateur when it comes to producing music. While in high school, Cartal, now 24, was involved in a few bands that catalyzed his desires to dive further into music production. After a few lessons on Reason and Q Bass, he was well on his way. "I was always sort of doing music on the side while I was in school ... [but] it was more of a "Okay I am in school, so I'm not going to sit around doing nothing," notes the young talent, who opened for the notorious EDM duo Justice at his third-ever DJ gig back in 2007 and traveled as an opener for MSTRKRFT on one of their tours.
Live in Mexico City at Bleu Club, Feb. 3, 2010
Known for his innovative, hard-hitting, and bass heavy sound, the Canadian star-on-the-rise has once again turned heads in the industry, this time with the recent release of his new single "Don't Turn On the Lights," (see video below) released by Dim Mak Records. Stemming from his ultimate love of pop music, the new single strays away from his usual style and incorporates a softer, yet catchier vibe with the help of supporting vocalist, Polina. "I think it's reminiscent for people of high school vibes ... like a trip down memory lane," says Deitcher when describing the music video for the newly released track, which debuted on MTV in December.
Video for "Don't Turn On The Lights," the first single released off his up-and-coming album "Different Faces"
With the EDM industry growing this rapidly and the numerous amount of tracks he released this past year, there's no reason why Felix Cartal shouldn't be a frequent come-up on your daily or weekly music playlist.
Unless, of course, you don't like electronic music.
So why are acts like Skrillex and Avicii dominating the music scene, headlining almost every electronic music festival and overpowering the minds of almost every 16-year-old so-called "raver"? The answer is probably a combination of things like social media, the difficulty of finding any "underground" artist on most online music media libraries and a little girl named Molly.
So what can we expect from Deitcher in 2012? For one, the fifth episode of his new bimonthly podcast, "Weekend Workout," came out this week on iTunes. And more importantly, his second album, "Different Faces," is set to debut this March along with a tour following its release. As I am a huge fan of his first album, "Popular Music," I expect nothing but the best from his next work.
Live in San Francisco, CA @ 330 Ritch, May 2011
"My theory of music is that I just want people talking ... if everyone is saying ‘Felix Cartal totally sold out, you have to hear his new single,' it's totally better than [hearing] it just sounds like another Felix Cartal banger," mentioned Deitcher in a recent New Year's Eve interview (hosted by Bionic Beatlab) at Lights All Night in Dallas.
Upcoming Tour Dates
2/2/12 - Victoria, Canada @ Vertigo
2/17/12 - Miami, Fla. @ Space Nightclub
3/2/12 - Tampa, Fla. @ Ampitheatre
4/12/12 - Houston, Texas @ Stereo Live
4/21/11 - Raleigh, N.C. @ Raleigh Amphitheatre
4/28/12 - New Orleans @ Mardi Gras World
Memorial Day Weekend - George, Washington @ Sasquatch Music Festival
6/29/12 - Rothbury, Mich. @ Electric Forest Music Festival
Featuring collaborations with artists like The Sounds and Cassette Kids, "Different Faces" is sure to please your audio-craving ears. Let's hope it's nothing but mind-blowing.
Preview for his second single "Domo," off his album, "Different Faces," set to release Feb. 7, 2012, on Dim Mak Records
Posts in Sound Drip appear on Wednesdays. Follow @bionicbeatlab on Twitter.
With the EDM industry growing this rapidly and the numerous amount of tracks he released this past year, there's no reason why Felix Cartal shouldn't be a frequent come-up on your daily or weekly music playlist.
