electronic dance music – that lemon life

Until the sun comes up

Hola everyone.

So, I went to a gig yesterday. I know, what a surprise. Me going to a gig… that never happens. It’s not like I go to one every two weeks now. No big deal. But yesterday was a one. A big pretty big deal. And yes, I know, I say that about every single one, but it really was special. Because it wasn’t just a rock or indie gig, like usual. No no no. Yesterday, ladies and gents, I finally, after so many years of waiting and hoping, got to see the genius that is ZEDD live. I still can’t believe that I’m actually able to say this. I’ve seen Zedd live. What a time to be alive.

You might wonder now why it took me so long to see him. Well, you might as well ask him that, because I feel like some miracle happened when he decided to go on tour in Europe and not just America. And, of course, I know that he focuses on playing in clubs and at festivals and the US is just the number 1 spot for that. And he lives in LA, so it totally makes sense. Which just makes me even happier that I was finally able to attend one of his shows. And he did not let me down, not at all. I’m still on such a high. And my EDM gig addiction is back and stronger than ever. If I could push a button to rewind it all, I’d do it in a second. I’d just relive it over and over and over again.

But before I get into his show, I need to praise the venue Printworks in London for… being what it was, basically. Because it was freaking fantastic. I’ve never been to a place like this. It was so cool, I can’t even fully describe it. It was a factory hall, but wasn’t at the same time and had the highest ceiling ever and looked and felt very industrial but in the best possible way. You know what, I think you should just see it for yourself – click here to check out the website. Basically, it was the best venue for a concert like this and I can’t wait to go there again.

So much about the venue – now let’s talk about the real deal. Zedd. And his freaking jaw-dropping show. As already mentioned, it was my first time seeing him, so, frankly, I didn’t really know what to expect. Like any other EDM fan, I always thought that his music was amazing, but I never really listened to it, as it tends to be quite poppy. But obviously, I also knew that he was an incredible live act, so not going to his show wasn’t an option. And I don’t know what my expectations were, but Zedd crushed them. The show exceeded even my craziest dreams, it was that good. The visuals were absolutely amazing and don’t even get me started on the music. I’d call myself a fan of House and I’m especially into those drops that you don’t see coming. The deep, slow, intense ones that don’t make you jump but moreover lose your mind. You know the drop is like that when everyone around you goes “OOOOOHHHH” as soon as it arrives. And that didn’t just happen once last night. I actually found a compilation of his drops, so if you want to find out what I mean, just give the video down below a listen. I think it was this mix of his radio hits and other popular tracks (he even played Bohemian Rhapsody with literally the best drop ever) with those breathtaking electronic drops and his own remixes that made the set so damn good. Thinking back to it, there’s literally nothing I would change about it. Complete satisfaction. Also, I might add now that Zedd, or may I say Anton, isn’t just freaking talented, but also very very cute and I love that he still has a German accent in his English. Too cute.

I think the last cherry on top was actually the overall feeling I had throughout the show, which wasn’t just thanks to Zedd and his music, but also to my friend, who had kindly said yes to coming to the show with me and who I’ve now infected with my addiction, which makes her my official EDM buddy. Here’s to fighting for Tomorrowland tickets and me dragging her with me to Amsterdam to ADE next year. Dancing around in that big hall, being squished in-between that huge crowd of people, with Zedd in front of us playing his heart out and the beats blaring in our ears and hearts and the lights flashing in our faces – that’s heaven right there. And definitely an experience I’ll never ever forget. I already can’t wait to do it all over again sometime.

Also, if any of you guys are fans of EDM and ever get the chance to see Zedd live, please don’t miss out on it. Honestly, you will not regret it, I swear. He really is that good and definitely deserves all his success. Another musical genius. And another memorable, uber-phenomenal concert experience for the books. And with that we’ve come to the end of today’s post and my fangirling about last night. As always, I hope you enjoyed this post and I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions, so please don’t hesitate to leave them down below. And, of course, I wish you all a great weekend and thanks for reading. x

Tim’s last farewell

Hola everyone.

How are we all doing on this beautiful Friday? I hope you are all well. Sorry for not posting anything on Monday. As I had mentioned in my last post, I just moved back home from Brighton and got here on Sunday night, which means the past few days have been filled with unpacking all my stuff, washing clothes and getting used to the literal hell that is the outside until at least 7 pm. Okay, no, I don’t want to be one of those cringy people who complain about the weather all the time. I actually really love that it’s 8 pm right now and that I’m typing this while sitting outside, still wearing shorts. It’s this warm. Lovely.

But that’s not what I wanted to talk about. Yes, I know, the weather is a highly fascinating topic, but no. Today, I thought, I’d finally write my already announced post about Tim’s/Avicii’s new, posthumous album “TIM” that just got released. Some of you might remember that last time, I briefly mentioned the release and that I had gotten the chance to go to the album release event in London. Which is exactly what I want to fully explain today. And, of course, I want to dig deeper into the whole album and tell you my thoughts. So, buckle up for a hell of an emotional EDM ride.

As most of you will probably know, I’ve always been a big fan of Tim. He was the one who got me into EDM and I, for sure, wouldn’t be the person I am today without him. Which is also why his sudden death last year hit me this hard. It was the first death of a celebrity that really broke my heart. Even more so after watching his documentary “Avicii: True Stories” and seeing how the industry and his idiot of a manager broke him into pieces. In 2016, Tim announced his official retirement. This, on the one hand, made me sad, because I knew that I would miss seeing him live. But on the other hand, I also liked how he had decided to choose himself and his health. Not the business. Not the money. He just wanted to get better. And I really thought he had. But unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. And now after listening to his new album, I can’t help but ask myself if we maybe ignored Tim’s own SOS.

Here the music, which suggests a pure love for life, there the musician, who himself was anything but happy with his own. But that isn’t the only reason why the release of “TIM” is inevitably bittersweet. On the one side, us fans all over the world now get the chance to celebrate twelve new hits, but on the other side, the fact that the artist behind these songs cannot celebrate them with us fills the music with a deep melancholy and breaks my heart a little. A certain, profound mix of emotions I also felt while attending the album event in London one week before the official release. In different cities all around the globe, Tim’s team had put up cubes that fans could walk into and experience his new songs for the very first time. But besides getting the chance to listen to a few seconds of the album, the whole event meant so much more. Because in order to get to listen to the snippets, you had to put your hand on the touchscreen placed inside the cube. The screen then connected itself to another cube in another city where somebody else’s hand had also been placed on it. As soon as the connection had been made, you could actually see the other hand next to yours on the screen and after that, the song started to play.

I know, you could now say that it was all fake and that they just showed some silhouette of a hand, but it wasn’t. I got connected to someone in Stockholm, presumably a girl, as the hand featured a ring. And I know it might sound strange, but in that very moment, I felt such a deep connection to that person. Two human beings, two strangers, doing the very same thing and getting to hear the very same song at the very same second. It was just so special. And it definitely accomplished its goal, as I did not only get to connect to someone who wasn’t even in the room but also to the other fans who visited the cube. I might not have known Tim personally, but I can definitely say that he would have loved this.

Personally, I would say that the album itself couldn’t be more special and emotional and straight up important. Tim himself was always fond of being one of those songwriters who like to mix heaviness with ease. A concept that runs like a thread through all his musical works – as well as his latest pieces. Because, once you look and listen beyond the fantastic beats and euphoric rhythms of the new songs, you suddenly get to hear lyrics like “Can you hear me? SOS. Help me put my mind to rest.” and “And I think I just died. I think I just died.”. And that is why the release is so bittersweet. The lyrics depict the state Tim was in while writing and producing the new tracks before his death in April last year. They tell the story of someone who was lost but still holding onto the last fragments of strength and hope. But it still wasn’t enough. No wonder I had to fight back tears while listening to the album on the tube in London. Crazy how songs can say so little but mean so much.

In addition to these unfinished songs, Tim also left countless demo clips, notes, texts and emails behind in which he described exactly how his new album should sound. Enough material that his songwriting colleagues Kristoffer Fogelmark, Albin Nedler, Vincent Pontare and Salem Al Fakir (Vargas & Lagola) decided to complete the tracks without him, but as close as possible to his visions. The result can be seen as the late testimony of a troubled but inspired musician. Or simply as a palette of excellent electronic beats that never fail to put a smile on the face of any music lover. I, for my part, have deeply fallen in love with the following three tracks, for various reasons. They all feature amazing beats, fantastic lyrics and make me want to listen to them again and again. But most importantly, I adore the stories they tell.

Although it may just be a small ray of hope in the midst of a tragedy, Tim’s family has recently launched the “Tim Bergling Foundation” to raise awareness for mental illness and suicide prevention in the music industry, which I think is an amazing cause and a fantastic idea. The net proceeds of Tim’s new album also go to the foundation, which I think he would’ve loved as well.

Unfortunately, “TIM” doesn’t give us any answers as to what might have happened to him during the last years of his life. But there is something else in the album – a musical heritage that will shape not only the soundtrack of today’s but also that of future generations. Tim may not be with us anymore, but his music will live on forever. And I know that the world will always remember him as one of the greatest artists. I definitely will.

But what do you think about the album? Do you agree with my thoughts? Please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below, guys. And, as always, I hope you enjoyed this post and wish you all a lovely weekend. And, of course, thanks for reading. x

A Celebration of EDM

Hola everyone.

Do you ever feel like you should be at another place, somewhere else? Yes? Same. This is something that especially happens to me whenever there’s a concert or a festival I really wish I could be at while being stuck at home. Which is exactly what I went through the past week.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while now, you’ll probably know what happened exactly a year ago. ADE. Or one of the best nights of my life. The night I went to Martijns show. The night I danced for three hours straight. The night I definitely lost some of my hearing. And the night I saw Martijn, up close, standing right in front of me, smiling. It was a night and a weekend I’ll never forget.

Which brings me back to present time. And the one event that has been ruling my past week, even though I wasn’t there. You guessed it right – ADE. The best EDM festival – apart from Tomorrowland, of course – and the week where the whole scene, all the DJs, all the fans, get together in the one and only Amsterdam to celebrate this incredible type of music.

But I don’t want to bathe myself in self-pity. I’m still very, very happy to be where I am right now – especially because of one massive thing that happened on Friday, which I’m going to tell you all about at the end. Actually, I want to use this post as a way of celebrating EDM and Marty – who was again awarded as the Nr. 1 DJ in the world for the third time in a row btw – literally gave me the best reason to with the release of his newest EP, which includes five new songs. He released one every single day for the last week, just another reason why last week was way more exciting than I had anticipated.

For me, all of the songs are a masterpiece for themselves and I love how none of them sound anything like the other. And I’m more than proud that I get to share them with you guys. So, let’s go.

Breach (Walk Alone)

This was the very first song that went out on Monday, so just about a week ago. It’s actually a collaboration between Marty and Blinders, one of the DJs he has signed at his label STMPD, known for the bop “Snakecharmer”. And from the very first beat on you can feel Blinders presence in the song. Until you get to the part where a female voice hits you and that’s when Martys fingerprint becomes more visible. Also, the small hints of violins basically scream his name, which I totally love and which seem like a theme throughout the whole EP. Apart from that the song is just a pure banger and literally perfect to get a crowd heated up.

Yottabyte

The EDM lovers among you will probably know the beautiful melody of this masterpiece, which was premiered at this years’ Tomorrowland festival as the opening track of Martijns set. Besides the usual electronic beats, it also features a series of sounds that strongly remind me of the rewinding of a music box and its comforting tune. This is also what gives the song its special feel. And, of course, the beat just drives you into it.

Latency

This is another collaboration, but this time with Dyro. I can still remember hearing this for the very first time this year, Martijn telling the crowd to clap in sync with the beat. It was breathtaking. The intensity of the beat, building up until it reaches its peak, with its harsh electronic shredding in the background, makes you throw up your hands in the air and jump like you’ve never jumped in your entire life. It’s EDM at its best.

Access

Also known as Chinatown, this song is one of the highly anticipated tracks that got hinted by Marty about one and a half years ago during a YouTube live stream. After all this time, it is now here, out in the world. And following the electric beat of Latency, it almost has a sense of cuteness to it. You can feel that Martijn was younger while producing the melody and how he got older and more musically mature during the finish. It’s like you hear him grow up by listening to this song.

Waiting For Tomorrow

Well, where shall I begin? This is it. This is the song that literally every MG fan has been waiting for (apart from Rewind, Repeat It – can we please release this too? Thank you). This is Waiting For Tomorrow, featuring Pierce Fulton and Mike Shinoda, which most of you will probably know from the band Linkin Park. This masterpiece of a track was first premiered at Ultra in 2016 and has ever since been a recurring highlight during Martijns shows over the past few years and months. Although I already know it by heart just from going to his shows and watching the sets online, it feels damn good to have it finally out there in the world, for everyone to enjoy it. From the very first second on, the song builds up, utilizing amazing vocals, energetic melodies, great percussion just to peak with a drop that turns the whole track into a breathtaking piece of progressive house music. All I can say is that it was definitely worth the wait.

So, there you go guys. That’s what happened last week. I have to say, I do feel pretty sad that I didn’t get to attend this years’ ADE, but I’m already preparing for next year. Also, like I hinted at the beginning, one very cool thing happened just a few days ago, which would’ve never been possible if I hadn’t been in Brighton. Because, guys, guess who got to talk to the one and only Felix Kjellberg, aka PewDiePie. And no, I’m not joking. I did really meet and talk to my favorite YouTuber. And yes, I’m still floating around on a cloud of pure happiness and I don’t intend to ever change that. I don’t want to turn the little convo we had into a huge dramatic deal, but I just want to say that Felix was literally the nicest guy ever. I was quite nervous about talking to him, especially as I know that he doesn’t really like it that much. But I just told him that I loved his videos and thanked him for everything and then let him get on with his day. I don’t get fans who go up to their faves and literally ask them for a picture and then just walk off. That’s not me and that’s certainly nothing he deserves. And I guess, overall it was really a nice talk. Especially as Edgar seemed to really enjoy my cuddles. (Just a little insert by my inner fangirl – OMG, can you believe I really talked to Pewds? How is this even possible? Holy moly.)

Okay, and now I’m going to end my brabble about EDM and special human beings. As always, I hope you enjoy this post. Please don’t hesitate to leave your comments and thoughts down below. I wish you all a nice week and hope you’re all doing good. Oh and guys, just for your info, I won’t be posting anything until next week as my parents will be visiting me and I want to spend as much time with them as I can. Thanks for your understanding. And, of course, thanks for reading. x

High On Life

Hola everyone.

I’m so sorry for the short delay of this post. I just started my actual third job yesterday and it was pretty exciting and pretty cool and also pretty time-consuming, so unfortunately I didn’t get to write anything, but here I am again. And holy moly, I’ve got something prepared for you guys. Some of you may remember from the end of my last post that I was planning on going to another EDM festival to see Martijn again. And guess what, it was freaking amazing. I’m still on such a high, wow wow.

Okay, so, most of you probably know that Marty and his music and his shows mean quite a lot to me. Like, a lot. So when I came home from Amsterdam last October and saw that he was going to headline a festival right here in Vienna, I was more than thankful to hear that and of course had to grab some tickets as soon as possible. You have to know, since 2015, I’ve seen Martijn live every single year, so this has become like some sort of cute tradition. So, getting the chance to see him again this year was like a dream come true. And yes, I’m indeed already looking for ways to see him in 2019. Maybe I’ll fly to ADE again… These shows just top everything else, they’re far too special. But yeah, nothing’s fixed yet, so let’s see where the next year takes me.

Anyways, let’s talk about the most important thing here – the show last Saturday. And holy moly guys, what a show it was. Like I mentioned before, the show was in Vienna, in the middle of a field actually, right at the center of the city. And yes, it was huge. The festival itself is actually a newbie, so it had its premiere last week. I have to say, I really hope that it won’t end up like so many other new festivals here, so like, take place for two or three years and then just stop because there aren’t enough visitors. I mean, of course we have EDM festivals in Austria, two pretty cool ones actually, but none of them are in Vienna, so yeah, in my opinion it was well overdue to have one here. And I hope it gets even bigger than it was this year. We need more cool festivals in this country. Bring it on.

We arrived at the venue/the field at about 3 pm, just in time for Mike Williams, who I really wanted to see and who was pretty amazing, to be honest. As we already had front of stage tickets, I wasn’t really stressing out about getting a good spot and when we got to our dedicated area, there actually weren’t that many people and we quickly found a pretty nice spot right at the barrier. Needless to say that we stayed there the whole day. I mean, if you’re really lucky enough to get such a good spot, you don’t move and give anyone the chance to steal it from you. You stay there, no matter what. The only thing that’s allowed is to move further to the front, which we also did and then ended up in like the third row right when Marty came on stage.

The only thing that was a bit irritating was the weather. First it was sunny and pretty chill, then it started to rain like button-sized drops and then the clouds literally vanished and the sun got close to burning us all alive. It was so freaking hot, I thought I’d faint then and there. And looking at my friend, I wasn’t the only one. We eventually tried to hide from the heat by sitting down at the barrier and stayed there for like two hours or so. Thank god it got better as soon as the sun went down. And when Marty finally came on, the weather was perfect. I mean, it was still freaking hot, but also perfect.

Oh, here’s the lineup for all the curious EDM fans among you:

Martin Garrix Kshmr Robin Schulz Alan Walker Deorro Alle Farben Will Sparks Mike Williams Tony Junior Third Party Klopfgeister Möwe DJ Selecta Rudy MC Darius & Finlay

I would say that it was a pretty cool lineup and I am really glad that I got to experience so many different DJs and their different styles. Like I said, we got there when Mike Williams was playing and the saw Will Sparks and so on.

And now, let’s get to the highlight – Marty. Guys, I’m just going to say this now and I don’t care what anyone thinks about it, I just freaking love this guy so so so much. I love his music, I love his shows, I love how he makes me feel. I’ve only got love for this guy. And I’m so so thankful for everything he does and for last Saturday, because I seriously had the time of my life. As soon as he went on stage I was in trance. I screamed and jumped around and threw my arms around my friend. And then I slammed my elbow right into the metal barrier with my full body weight and I didn’t even notice it, because of all the adrenaline and the endorphins that were rushing through my body. I mean, I haven’t really been able to use my arm since the show ended, when the pain finally sat in, but it was so worth it. The things you go through for this guy, am I right?

Apart from that little disruption, the show was breathtaking, as always. He played so many new songs and new mixes and jumped around and smiled and just looked so happy. And I still adore him for always pointing at the fans with posters and thanking them during the shows. That’s just so damn cute. And it shows how humble he is, because although he has this huge ass crowd to entertain, he still manages to pay attention to his fans. So cute.

The only thing that I noticed was missing were his Area 21 tracks, which basically are the true highlight of his shows, because they’re just so different from all the others. But oh well, his show was fantastic nevertheless. I really loved it. And holy moly guys, not to be dramatic or anything, but I’ve never sweated so much in one and a half hours in my entire life. That wasn’t just an EDM show and it also wasn’t just a Martin Garrix show, no no no, that was a fully grown rave. Good thing I didn’t give a frick about what I looked like then and there, because I probably looked like a maniac, jumping around and screaming like it was the last time.

But besides all this, my favorite moment has to be when Bonn, a singer, joined Marty on stage and they played “High On Life”, their new single. Apart from being such a special moment due to the lyrics that really spoke to me – I would walk a million miles just to see you smile – (although I usually drive or fly those miles, but I would probably walk too), those were also the three minutes when the stage was fully lit up. If you’ve ever been to one of Martijn’s shows you’ll probably know what I mean. Because they always tend to darken the stage to focus on the background and the lasers and fireworks and so on. But right then and there the focus was on Martijn and Bonn and for the very first time I could see him clearly and then it just hit me that I was seriously standing there, in the crowd, with Marty, the real human being, right in front of me, just a few meters away. I was starstruck. And yes, I cried a bit too. I was just so freaking happy, I couldn’t help myself.

And this is exactly why I love going to Martijn’s show. Because they make me feel like the luckiest and happiest person on the planet and forget everything else. Those are the moments I feel completely free. And I can’t even tell you how thankful I am for that.

So yeah guys, there you go. That’s what happened last Saturday. Like you may have noticed, I’m still overly happy and seriously can’t wait to see him again. Buuut before that, I’ve got quite some things to do, like for example, and now please buckle up, ED’S FREAKING SHOWS NEXT WEEK. EEEEEEEK. Guys, I’m so close to going insane. I can’t believe this is really happening. In just seven days and a few hours and a few minutes, I’ll be sitting in the venue, waiting for the one and only Edward Christopher Sheeran. Oh my god. I can’t believe it. And I already can’t wait to tell you guys all about the shows. And until then I hope you enjoy this little post right here. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And, of course, I wish you all an amazing week and thanks for reading. x