steve lawler

Toronto Techno Titan Sydney Blu Contributes ‘Momento’ to VIVa Music EP

Darren Ressler Leave a Comment

sydney blu momento viva music

Regular readers of Big Shot will remember that earlier this year Toronto techno multihyphenate Sydney Blu penned a Movement Detroit 2016 photo diary for us. Blu made her pilgrimage to the annual Motor City technofest to see friends, enjoy DJ sets by peers like Seth Troxler and A Tale of Us, and throw a shindig at Bleu nightclub where she was joined on the decks by an all-star lineup including Christian Martin, Gene Farris, The Saunderson Brothers and Landis LaPace.

After an eventful 2016, she’ll begin 2017 by contributing her red-hot tech-house monster “Momento” to VIVa Various Artists Club Cuts 2 EP on VIVa Limited, a series VIVa MUSIC boss Steve Lawler launched in 2015 to curate “unpretentious party jams made for the floor.” The three-tracker, which is out on January 13, 2017, also features featuring contributions by Claire Ripley and David Keno & Dalson.

Says Ms. Blu of her debut track for Lawler’s label: “I’ve been a fan of Steve Lawler’s since his Lights Out compilations. He used to come play at The Guvernment in Toronto when I was a resident there and played the best sets in the main room. It’s an honor to be signed to his label VIVa.”

VIVa Limited Club Cuts series 2

Premiere: System2 – “Hypnotic Carpet”

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System2 Everybody's Freakin

Steve Lawler’s VIVa MUSIC continues to flex its mighty A&R muscle, signing promising talent and pushing dance music to the max with each release. In May, we introduced you to new signings Alex Neri and Federico Grazzini and now we have the pleasure of premiering “Hypnotic Carpet” from Mancunian duo System2‘s upcoming Everybody’s Freakin’ EP.

Comprised of Tez Hurst and Danny Hevingham, two veterans who’ve recorded under a different guise for Get Physical, Nervous, PIAS and Cécille Records, System2 have been deep in the mix for years and clearly know their way around a DJ booth.

Their musical savvy and technical flair is evident on the aptly titled “Hypnotic Carpet,” a rolling boil of a track peppered with spacey vocal samples and swirling sounds that we’re betting — if played on the right sound system — could evoke an out-of-body experience.

Listen on proper headphones and be prepared to go on a magic hypnotic carpet ride.

System2’s Everybody’s Freakin’ EP is out June 15, 2015 on VIVa MUSIC.

Premiere: Alex Neri and Federico Grazzini – “Desert Rose” (Federico Grazzini Mix)

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Alex-Neri-and-Federico-Grazzini-Desert-Rose

Steve Lawler‘s VIVa MUSIC proves yet again why it’s one of the most consistent house labels in the game with Alex Neri and Federico Grazzini‘s sprawling upcoming effort, “Desert Rose.”

The result of an improvised jam session between two of Italy’s rising DJ/producer stars, riffing on melodies and beats on vintage analog machines (Roland TR909, Jupiter 8 and Moog Voyager) led to this back to the future gem which glides along the border of house and techno.

Listen to the world premiere of “Desert Rose” (Federico Grazzini Mix) below, and be sure to snatch it up the 12″ out May 11 and digitally May 25, 2015.

Premiere: DJ Le Roi’s “Future” (Flashmob Remix)

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DJ Le Roi

Steve Lawler’s VIVa MUSIC continues to blaze new trails in dance music, serving both as a forum for releases by big-name artists and rising talent. The label shifts into high gear this month with the upcoming release of My Mind EP, a splendid three-tracker from emerging Swiss mixmaster DJ Le Roi (pictured above). Known for crafting club tracks for choice imprints such as Hot Creations, Culprit, Get Physical, Objektivity, Noir Music and Defected, DJLR starts off his year with a trio of absolutely sublime house tracks.

flashmobWe’re thrilled to world premiere the remix of “Future” off the EP reinterpreted by the equally buzzworthy Italian duo Flashmob (pictured, right), who regular readers will remember crafted a stellar Big Shot Guest Mix last October (listen to their mix here).

Soak up the Milan-based twosome’s stripped down re-rub of DJ Le Roi’s floor mover, and get your groove on!

DJ Le Roi’s My Mind EP is out January 26 on VIVa MUSIC.