Oh, Paris. Not only does the zillionaire heiress have problems DJing (remember her horrific DJ debut in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2012?), she’s also not so good on social media.
Hilton apparently ran into DJ/producer Armand van Helden of Duck Sauce at Coachella and was so excited that she took a photo with him. According to Rumorfix, Hils posted it on Instagram with the caption, “Backstage of Sahara Tent with ATrak & Barbra Streisand.”
While Hilton was savvy enough to connect the dots between Duck Sauce and their monster hit “Barbra Streisand,” she mistakingly ID’d A-Trak — who wasn’t in the photo — instead of van Helden.
Oops.
A-Trak commented, “I look a little different on here.” The photo was later taken down.
What did the always reserved Armand van Helden think of the incident? Well, he certainly didn’t tweet about it: van Helden has a Twitter account but has yet to tweet — ever.
Paris, the universe is definitely trying to tell you something.
Wednesday of Miami Music Week launched with what was promoted as a “We’re All Friends! 8 hours and 8 labels Beach Party” featuring A-Trak, Boys Noize, Skrillex, the electro disco-house sounds of Bromance and more. When a promoter and artist manager e-mails you and asks, “Can I really not tempt you to the pool party tomorrow?” and it’s featured poolside at the lovely South Beach Raleigh Hotel, with this lineup, how could you pass. A 45-minute downpour only added to the intensity of the crowd’s passion especially when it was an all-hands-on-deck moment literally as almost all of the featured artists gathered on the stage for a few rounds of tracks.
An impromptu interview with Chicago house great Felix da Housecat gave some insight to his cherished EDM roots and what EDM artist he’s feeling these days as a rising star in the business. Spoiler alert: his response was Boys Noize who minutes later spontaneously appeared at the poolside lounge interview sight where the two proceeded to offer their mutual appreciation for each other’s contribution and influence on the scene.
Concerned about missing the minimal timeslot of the multi-faceted South African duo of Dominic Peters and David Poole (better known as Goldfish), the mad dash across the street to the Gale Hotel rooftop presented a pleasant surprise result. Goldfish’s set was delayed due to the earlier downpour and they were just now setting up for their timeslot. Once settled their creative utilization of an electric up-right bass, saxophone, keyboards, flute, the Roland MC 909 sequencer/synth and vocals created an upbeat, funky, jazz, African-influenced dance music so pleasantly and surprisingly unique. Massive imagery spanning the façade of a nearby midrise projecting the artistic, cult, martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the multi-colored sky from the post-storm setting sun, and the aroma of the jerk chicken and rice available at the rooftop event offered the perfect elements to the outdoor set.
Midweek Miami nightlife was in true form as always during Miami Music Week presenting an eclectic palette of choices from the drum ‘n’ bass of Andy C, Goldie and Ed Rush & Optical at Therapy to the Kyau & Albert and Dennis Sheperd event at Club Euforia. LA’s DJ Kristina Sky, DJ duo Myon & Shane54 and Anjunadeep’s DJ Jaytech were on hand at Euforia to show support, network and mingle with fans. Jaytech was honored to hear Kyau & Albert play his recent smash hit “Stranger” offering a lip-synch rendition from the VIP. Closing time at 4am at Euforia on this particular night was still not an indication that the Miami nightlife was over and that fans were turning in for the night any time soon.
Las Vegas’ club scene continues to explode with Light at Mandalay Bay and Hakkasan announcing they will both open in April. Light, a state-of-the-art nightclub operated by Cirque du Soleil and The Light Group, will present resident Nicky Romero, Clockwork and Andy Caldwell on April 26, followed by resident Axwell with Hook N Sling on April 27. The club says it has “confirmed partnerships” with world-renowned DJs including Skrillex, Sebastian Ingrosso, Alesso, Baauer, Thomas Gold, A-Trak, Mat Zo, Otto Knows and many others.
Hakkasan, a five-level culinary/nightlife experience, will open its Las Vegas outpost on April 18 at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino. The club, which is sprawled out over 10,000 square feet on the fifth floor of a spectacular building, will also feature state-of-the-art design and technology , promising DJ talent including Tiësto, Calvin Harris, deadmau5, Steve Aoki, Bambi, Bingo Players, Bob Sinclar, Dada Life, Danny Avila, Fergie (DJ), Hardwell, Laidback Luke, Michael Woods, NERVO, Quintino, R3HAB and Tommy Trash.
The influx of nightclubs in Sin City will no doubt be a boon to DJs given that both clubs are well financed. But will both clubs’ deep pockets lead to a bidding war for DJ talent? We’ll find out soon enough.
Today we received a missive in our inbox stating that venerable DJ/co-owner of the mighty Fool’s Gold label A-Trak had started his own travel blog, Infinite Legroom. We thought the concept was interesting given that DJs rack up a lot of air miles, spend countless hours traveling and regularly experience the world out of a suitcase. “I decided to create the one-stop destination I longed for,” stated A-Trak. “After years of learning the hard way, I can finally share my Tao of travel.”
When we clicked on the link we were taken to the site (which is part of Complex Media’s vast portfolio of online properties) and were immediately barraged by an massive screaming video ad for the Marines. After silencing down the ad, we perused rather dull posts about American Airlines merging with US Airways, flat seats on Iberia Airlines, Delta Airlines and Starwood Hotels Crossover Rewards, and the Frequent Flyer Miles Bible.
Ho-hum.
The Marines ad followed us on every story we read, and we weren’t sure what what was more annoying: the brief stories broken up into segments forcing you to click through again and again to get to the end or the bylines by scribes sans last names (Lauren K, Nathan C, Chris T, etc.).
While it’s true that it takes time for a publication to find its legs, let’s hope that future content features more of A-Trak’s engaging personality and anecdotes from his many travels. That’s a site I’d bookmark and follow any day.
Hi. My name is A-Trak, but at the airport they call me Mr. Macklovitch.
As a DJ, I might perform in Tallahassee one night and Tel Aviv the next. And what I’ve come to realize is that strange things can happen when you fly around so much. For instance, I never set out to become an expert in toiletry cases. But when you spend more time in hotels and airplanes than at home, your suitcase becomes your home and you start paying excessive attention to things like zippers and 4-way wheels. Inadvertently, your knowledge expands like an inflatable neck pillow.
However, with the exception of small talk with my DJ colleagues, I could never find a resource that compiled the ins and outs of travel. On occasion, while roaming on Boingo hotspots, I would dream of the ideal travel website. And then it hit me. Like a gate agent paging me to the courtesy telephone, I was summoned by my new vocation. Just like that, I decided to create the one-stop destination I longed for. After years of learning the hard way, I can finally share my Tao of travel.
Whether you’re cashing in your first air miles, wondering if noise-canceling headphones are really worth purchasing, or searching for a good place to eat burritos in Beijing, Infinite Legroom will advise you. And it’s all at your fingertips.
