Monday Choon: Martin Garrix · Matisse & Sadko · BARBZ - Butterflies

 

This track would be familiar to many as Martin as well as Matisse & Sadko have been dropping in their sets all summer long but without the vocals. The official release see's a melodic vocals providing by Barbz to complete this track. Released last week Friday, "Butterflies" is an epic festival type track which brings together the talents of Martin Garrix and the duo of Matisse & Sadko and they create something magical. 

Monday Choon: Above & Beyond - React

 

Following their successful ABGT600 event in Mexico, the London based trio Above & Beyond have released the lead single from their forthcoming 'Tranquility Base Vol.2" EP titled React. The track which has been played for the better part of this year by the group and has delighted festival goers with its multiple tempo changes which pairs well with the heavy bassline. It's already becoming a club and festival hit which will be played throughout the festive season heading into the new year. From the success Vol.1 of the EP brought the group, Vol. 2 is set to do just the same with 5 high energy instrumental tracks, release date of the EP is scheduled for 6th December 2024. 

Monday Choon: Martin Garrix & DubVision - Empty (feat. Jaimes)

Dutch DJ and Producer Martin Garrix has a knack of playing tracks on his sets, the tracks becoming popular but releases them further down the line with a set of vocals on it. His latest offering is no different with the song featured today. "Empty" was first heard at Ultra Miami last year and played in mash up with his track Ocean featuring Khaled but since then he has played it every set, including his mammoth 3 hour set in Amsterdam late last year. The track was official released in the second week of March and is a collaboration with DJ duo DubVision and features the vocals of Jaimes. The track is very much the Progressive type house music we've come to know and love from Martin, its the type of music that uplifts and gets people moving which is why his sets are often the most sort after at large music festivals. With Ultra Miami happening this weekend, we're pretty sure we will hear this banger along with many others from him during his set.

Anjunadeep Open Air - South Africa

Anjunadeep, the renowned UK label is slated to make its South African debut with two incredible events scheduled for this coming March. The first, Ajunadeep Open Air Johannesburg will take place at The River Cabin in Cedar, Johannesburg, on Friday, March 29th, 2024. Followed by Ajunadeep Open Air Cape Town on Saturday, March 30th, 2024, kicking off at The Ostrich in Cape Town.

Anjunadeep promises to weave the label's emblematic, melodic soundscapes and unparalleled production values with the rich tapestry of South Africa's local talent, all set against the backdrop of two breathtaking open-air venues in the beautiful cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town. 

Known for its unbelievable lineups and unique sound, Ajunadeeps's debut in South Africa will be no exception. The shows will feature international headliners Ben Bohmer, James Grant. Jody Wisternoff and Nicky Elisabeth supported by the outstanding homegrown talents of Da Capo, FKAMash, Kareyndasoul, Buhle and Cornelius SA to make this a truly unforgettable experience amidst the natural beauty of South Africa. 

Ajunadeep

London based, independent record label Anjunadeep was set up in 2005 by Above & Beyond. In its early years the imprint existed as a sub-label to parent imprint, Ajunabeats. Initially releasing deep trance and progressive house, Ajunadeep has since evolved its output to offer only the very finest in deep house as well as progressive and melodic techno.

James Grant, brother of Above & Beyond’s Jono Grant heads up A&R for the label and mixes the annual compilation series, currently alongside Jody Wisternoff. The label hosts a weekly radio show ‘The Anjunadeep Edition’, featuring guest mixes from artists on the roster.

A transformative force in electronic music, championing talents like Ben Bohmer, Dusky, Lane 8, Yotto, Cubicolor, and Eli & Fur amongst many others, Ajunadeep's storied history is punctuated with sold-out parties at iconic locations across the globe. Anjunadeep: Explorations, the label's very own boutique festival in Dhërmi, Albania, The Gorge Amphitheatre, and Anjuna Beach in Goa are just a few of the breathtaking venues to have witnessed the singular Anjunadeep magic. 

 With its South African debut on the horizon, the label is set to expand its legacy by captivating yet another corner of the globe. Anjunadeep's foray into South Africa is a testament to its global influence and commitment to fostering a universal love for deep, emotive electronic music. 

Johannesburg and Cape Town, get ready to dance under the African skies with Anjunadeep's unforgettable vibe!

Monday Choon: MEDUZA - Phone ft Sam Tompkins & Em Beihold

 

Italian music producing trio, MEDUZA who are famous for some of their tracks "Piece of your heart", "Bad Memories" and "Lose Control" to name a few are back and just dropped another banger titled "Phone". The track dropped just over a week ago and has already been hitting the top social streams gaining about 300K views on YouTube. Phone, features the vocals of Sam Tompkins and Em Beihold and like all MEDUZA's work has a catchy undertone that hooks you in from the first verse, so much so that when they played it a festival a few weeks ago, they guys were surprised that most of the crowd knew the words by heart already! The track was played live at the groups recent show at Brooklyn Mirage to an amazing reception from the crowd, it probably is one of their best tracks so far and a I blody love it so I'm sure you will to. 

Monday Choon: W&W x Ben Nicky x KEVU - Freed From Desire

 

The cult classic track from Gala Rizzatto "Freed From Desire" has resurfaced on many scenes in the past few years, be it football games, clubs, festivals and other events which are in a party atmosphere and you can't blame the masses for taking to the track as its catchy, easy to sing and got a great beat. Seeing the success its been having, the hard trance duo W&W decided to team up with Ben Nicky and KevU to make a rework of the track, giving it a trance and hardstyle feel but still keeping the beat as close to the original as possible. I was a bit pessimistic about the track at first, given that these guys do like to go hard on their drops, which would completely ruin the track for what it was, this isn't the case though as I was pleasantly surprised by the drop which incorporates some trumpets and beats that are have a vibey bassline. All in all its a great rework of the track and one thats sure to get the clubs and parties going. 

Ultra South Africa 2023

After close to a three year absence, South Africa's biggest dance music festival returns in 2023! Yes, Ultra South Africa is back to hit the African continent in March next year, bringing you the biggest names in the electronic dance music industry to perform live, in our backyard. Interesting to note that South Africa was the only country to host an Ultra festival in 2020 prior to the world going into lockdown and while the world has slowly opened up and eased restrictions since March this year, most of the festivals in the Americas and Europe had us suffering with major FOMO while we sat and watched them on the live streams so you can only imagine how much us locals are raring to go! 

Ultra SA 2023 in its 8th edition will be hosted in the two host cities as normal, starting with Cape Town on the 10th of March 2023, at a new venue of Kenilworth Racecourse and the following day, March 11th in Johannesburg at the Expo Centre in Nasrec. Tickets are on sale now, via the official website, www.ultrasouthafrica.com with tier 1 tickets selling out fast for both venues! So avoid disappointment and register for your Ultra Passport now!

Corona Sunsets Festival - Johannesburg

 

Corona Sunsets Festival returns to Johannesburg on the 29th of October. With a brand new home in the picturesque grounds of Huddle Park in the centre of Linksfield, JHB, the 2022 Corona Sunsets Festival will bring the magic of the sunset to the middle of the city.

Nothing beats the refreshing taste of an ice cold Corona with a wedge of lime as we celebrate the magic of the setting sun at another world class event. 

From exploring our crafter food stalls, signing up for mixology sessions or dancing to the beat of your crew getting involved in a drum circle - this is what happens when friends come together and create unforgettable moments!

Join us to relive the magic with incredible local and international artists and all of the beauty and brilliance that this event always brings.

Monday Choon: Armin van Buuren feat. Maia Wright - One More Time

 

Trance legend Armin van Buuren has dropped an absolute fire track smack bang in the middle  of festival season in Europe. "One More Time" which dropped a few weeks ago, with the official music video being released on Saturday has been a hit since its debut and with getting rave success at Ultra Europe and most recently Tomorrowland this past weekend. It's a festival type track, an anthem of such that has a great feel good factor to it, on the vocals is Maia Wright and she keeps the energy going with her amazing sound, couple that with the rousing harmonies and euphoric beat drops from the track, its no wonder that it's getting the amount of airplay as it is. This track comes off Armin's upcoming album "Feel Again" so be on the look out for more from the Dutch maestro. 

Corona Sunsets Cape Town - Artist Line-Up

The Corona Sunsets Festival team have their game plan set out this year, with them announcing dates for these years countrywide Festivals last week. In it's fifth year running the Corona Sunsets Festivals kicks-off in the picturesque Cape before making its way to Durban later in the year and thereafter Johannesburg. Starting it off where it all began on the beautiful coast line of the Western Cape, Corona Sunsets 2020 returns to the Bungalow for another epic event with some big name international and local artists. Grab a cold Corona and party the night away to the sounds of international headline acts, Gorgon City, Purple Disco Machine and South Africa's very own global superstar DJ, Black Coffee. Supporting this stellar international line-up is local artists such as Shimza, DJ Maphorisa, Goodluck, Dean Fuel, Bantwanas, Abby Nurock, Strange Loving and Pierre Johnson. 

Don't miss out on that epic sunset moment, as you and thousands of others watch the sun set over the Atlantic, and set the mood for the night. Tickets are still on sale, with Phase 1 tickets priced at R350 available, there after Phase 2 tickets priced at R450 and Phase 3 at R550. For those looking for a big more exclusivity, VIP Table bookings are available for R15,000. This consists 10x VIP table tickets, R10,000 premium bottle service, hosted in the The Bungalow with the best view of the festival, bottle service, private bathrooms and easy access in and out of area. 

Don't miss out on this epic event, get your tickets now from the website: corona.howler.co.za

Monday Choon: Robin Schulz & Piso 21 - Oh Child

With Durban's inaugural Corona SunSets Festival taking place this Saturday, we thought we'd kick off the week with a song from the International headliner for this weekend, Robin Schulz. His latest track has been the centre of most of the advertising campaigns for this weekends Festival and is one that is sure to get the crowd going when the sun goes down. Featuring Piso 21,here is Robin Schulz with 'Oh Child'.

Corona SunSets Festival - Durban Support Acts

As most of you already know, Corona SunSets Festival is hitting the East Coast of South Africa for the first time at the end of September this year, with international head line act Robin Schulz being at the helm, he is to be joined by some phenomenal local support acts who will set the SunSet scene and get the hype going until Robin hits the stage. Today we're going to bring you some background on some of the artist that will be performing at the Shongweni Polo Club on the 29th of September. 

First up on that lineup is Lady Zamar, bringing some femininity to the stage and representing SA house music with her high-energy stage performance, no doubt including her current number 1 'Collide'.  Next up we have everyone's favourite, the Big Dawg of house music in SA, DJ Fresh! His rhythmic beats is loved world over and he definitely needs no introduction. Another local act that needs no introduction locally is Good Luck, Jules and the boys have been making some fresh new music and cannot wait to share it with the crowds in KZN. 

Probably one of the hottest names in the SA circuit at the moment, Timo ODV, he is a multi-talented superstar, and his music if proof of it. Local crooner Matthew Mole will join him and the rest of the lineup with his very SunSet mix of sexy and chill, bringing the crowd closer to the magical SunSet mandala moment. 

Black Motion may have made it big internationally but are proudly homegrown and their African-inspired house music will stand out amongst even the talented cast and their set is surely one not to be missed. Then we have SAMA-Award winning DJ Kent who will be bringing his blend of vocal-infused house music to the stage. Joining him is Congalese superstar, Tresor who brings the cool to the stage with his tropical sounding set, perfect for any SunSet Moment. 

Closing off the night we have two Durban natives, with Memeza hitmaker Benny Maverick and DJ Bashkar who round off the event beautifully, ending the day/night on a memorable note. Early bird tickets for this event is already sold out with the phase 1 selling fast as well! So hurry up and purchase yours now for the inaugural leg of the Durban Corona SunSets Festival. 

General Access Phase 1 - R300 (Final Phase R400)

VIP Final Phase - R600*

*VIP comes with private bar, well maintained private toilets, exclusive access parking and an elevated vantage point for the best views at the festival. 

Corona SunSets Festival 2018 - Durban

Cape Town had their turn, so did Johannesburg and now it's time for Durban to get their time to bask in the beauty that is the Corona SunSets Festival! Yes, you read right, Corona SunSets is coming to KZN and tickets are already selling fast! Having been to the first event at Cape Town, I can honestly vouch for this one, being one of the best parties I've been to in a long time. It's all about the chilled relaxed vibe as the party starts off in the afternoon and mellows into the evening with the sounds of Deep House music leading the way with an ice cold Corona readily available for you at every turn. 

The Corona Sunsets Festival has lit up sandy dance floors and sunset-loving dancers around the world with its groovy magic and sexy sounds. Durban is next up on the South African circuit with a lineup and production designed to Salute the Sunset like never before. 

Headlining the Durban event will be international artist Robin Schulz,  he is no stranger to the Corona SunSets stage and he brings with it just the right blend of melody and magic to set the scene. For those who have never been to a Corona SunSets festival before, the stage is a giant mandala which illuminates in various colours and lights as the sun goes down, a sight to be hold as you revel in the music. Robin will be joined by a host of local artists who each bring their own flavour and style, which is sure to keep the crowd jamming. 

The venue for this first event in Durban, the Shongweni Polo Club in Hillcrest, a prestine equestrian club with rolling green hills that will be transformed for one day and night only into Durban's SunSet home. It will have a spacious dance floor, the requisite Mandala to salute the sunset, spiritual areas to absorb the collective joy and energy created by this event, vendors, amazing food to keep the energy up and much more.

Full artist lineup:

• Robin Schulz
• DJ Fresh SA
• Good Luck
• Timo ODV
• Matthew Mole
• Lazy Zamar
• Black Motion
• DJ Kent
• Tresor
• Benny Maverick
• Bhaskar

It's all taking place on Saturday the 29th of September 2018, tickets are on sale via NuTickets and pricing are as follows:

	GA	VIP
Early Bird	R200	R500
Phase 1	R300
Final Phase	R400	R600

*VIP comes with private bar - no queuing for drinks, well maintained private toilets, exclusive access parking and an elevated vantage point for the best views at the festival. 

* Prices exclude booking fees

Tickets are exclusively available from www.corona.nutickets.co.za

Corona SunSets Festival 2017 - Cape Town

Following the success of last years event at the scenic shores of Clifton beach, Corona SunSets Festival is back to leave goers mesmerised by deep house sounds and one of the most picturesque sunsets you will see on the African continent. I can personally vouch for this Festival after attending last years and can definitely say it is one that is not to be missed. Even if you aren't the biggest fan of deep house, just the location and the vibe will have you in awe. Set just above the shores of the Atlantic, is the Bungalow in Clifton, with Lions head as your backdrop and the 12 Apostles behind you, it doesn't get better than this. Add to it some awesome decor as well and a line up of the hottest local and international DJ's, throw in some ice cold Corona's and you have one epic jol. The line up for the Festival has been announced and has Jonas Blue and Klingande as headliners with a variety of local support acts which include Timo ODV, MiCasa and Strange Loving. Tickets are on sale now, at NuTickets so get yours now to avoid disappointmend. 

SA on Tap - Craft Food & Music Festival

It's probably one of the best and by far my favourite Craft Beer festival around and it's back this weekend in Durban! It is the biggest festival of it's kind with over 200 different brews, ciders, gins and more featured this year, there is plenty on offer to quench any thirst in the Durban hot sun. Organisers say that this event is built around the people who attend and they want you there this weekend! With over 90% of the tickets sold already, their call has been answered. It's a great outing for friends and families with much on offer. There will be a stage with some great local talent to entertain the masses, Majozi and Shortstraw just to name a few. There will also be a selection of gourmet street food stalls for you to chose from. 

Participating breweries for the event are many of the KZN local brewers, namely Nottingham Road, Zwakala, That Brewing Co, Mag Giant, Sxollie Cider, Growler, Drifter, Clarens, Smack Republic, Copperlake, Eversnos Cider, Standeaven, Time Anchor Distillery, Mainstram, Robsons, Two Okes, Scvenger Brewery, Basset, Great Railroad, Durban Brewing Co, Toti Brewing Co, Clockworx, Dragon Brewing Co, Distillery 031, Poison City and a variety of wine. Apart from featuring their normal range, there will be 32 Festival speciality brews so be sure to inquire about them on the day. 

This years festival see's it return to the Kings Park outer fields this Saturday the 12th of August, with gates opening at 11am for a day long fun filled time where visitors can enjoy a selction of bews, a gin garndem, lots of games and live entertainment. People attending are encouraged to bring picnic blankets, camping chairs and beach umbrellas. For those bringing children, there will be dedicated child minding areas. Tickets can be bought online via the website and a selction of glasses to chose from. Some of which are already soldout, tickets are R130 online or R150 on the day, on the day tickets are subject to availability. 

Monday Choon: Cosmic Gate & Markus Schulz - AR

Nothing like some Trance to get the week going and today we have got some of the legends in the genre featured on the blog. It's quite surprising that it took them so long to collaborate on a song as both German duo Cosmic Gate and Dutch DJ Markus Schulz have been around for as long as I can remember trance music but anyway, it happened, they made a song and now it's done! If anyone caught the live streams from Tomorrowland you would have already heard of this song by now as Markus played it during his set in the Trance Energy Arena, which I must add was one of the best stages/ arena's I've seen in a long time at a major festival! AR is the name of the collaboration and it debuted at Tomorrowland, not entirely sure on the release date yet but I do have the insert from Markus's set. Enjoy!

Corona Sunsets - Sessions

It's all going down on the 1st of April at Muldersdrift where Johannesburg is set to host the first installment of the Corona Sunsets Festivals of 2017 in South Africa. Since the Corona SunSets Festivals are all about loving and sharing, Corona will be bringing Robin Schulz down to Cape Town the day after the Festival in Johannesburg for a one-day only beach party that will end the summer off in the beautiful groovy way it began, with a Corona beach party. It's all going down at the Grand Beach Cafe in Granger bay on the 2nd of April with a stellar line up that could rival any festival. Joining international act Robin Schulz on stage is a number of top locat acts, consisting off, Timo ODV, Shaun Duvet, Dean Fuel, Richard Marshall and Ivan Turanjanin. 

Tickets are limited and are selling at R450 from the website, (booking fee not included)

For tabe bookings, contact: celebrate@grandafrica.com. 

Share your experience with #CoronaSunSetsZA and #ThisIsLiving on social media. 

Corona Sunsets Festival - Cape Town

As 2016 draws to an end, everyone will be keen on getting on with the festive season and the holidays for most of us. Much attention will be paid to the hottest parties around the country and while most focus will be on the New Years Eve Parties there is no doubt that the biggest one left for the year is the Corona SunSets Festival taking place in one of the most iconic settings in the country, which is also well known for it's epic sunsets, Camps Bay, Cape Town. Taking place on Friday the 16th of December, which is a public holiday, the Global Corona SunSets Festival see's some of the biggest names in Deep House take the stage for what is to be one of the best parties of the year. 

The line up is nothing short of amazing with international artist such as headliners Duke Dumont, Sam  Feldt and Nora En Pure, who are over due to a visit to South Africa. The rest of line up is made up of some of the biggest names in South African house music, Timo ODV, Kyle Watson, Strange Loving, Chunda Munki &; Vimo, Crazy White Boy, Goodluck, Tresor, Sketchy Bongo, Aewon Wolf, Kyle Deutsch, Shekinah, Cara Frew and dj low. This years celebrations focus on the 'mood shift' moment at sunset, ignited by melodic and deep house music a sound that defines the magic of the sunset moment. Corona SunSets is the everyday manifestation of 'This is Living' - the brand's new global marketing campaign that reminds people to go outside, enjoy life and live more moments that matter. 

"Corona believes the best version of ourselves is when we're outside, living life fully," said Thiago Zanetti, Global Vice President, Corona. "Corona is excited to celebrate SunSets for a third year, and to bring people an experience where they can reconnect with their best self, outside. Sunsets mark the transition from the busyness of everyday life to a state of renewal, and it's a moment where we'll united people worldwide in that transformation" added Zannettini.

Festival Details:

Date: Friday, 16 December 2016

Time: 12PM (Noon) - 11PM

Venue: The Corona SunSets Oval and The Bungalow, Clifton

Ticket Details:

Sunrise (Early Bird) tickets: R250  SOLD OUT

Sunshine (Phase 1) ticket: R350     SOLD OUT

Sunset (Phase 2) tickets: R450       SOLD OUT

Eclipse (Phase 3) tickets: R550*

*Prices exclude booking fee

All tickets available exclusively at coronaextra.co.za NOW!

For more information on the Corona SunSets experiences, please visit www.CoronSunSets.com

Day of the Dead with Daniel Ricciardo

F1 moves to Mexico this weekend and as the cars line up to take on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit, the guys down at RedBull Racing decided to have some fun first. With the race weekend coinciding with the popular "Day Of The Dead" celebrations in Mexico, Daniel Ricciardo decided to join in on the festivities. On Wednesday night, the Red Bull Racing driver entertained a thousand people in a stunning celebration of the The Day of the Dead in Mexico City. The Australian switched the asphalt racing track for a big metallic dome with dancing skeletons and symbolic elements to fly through the air, challenging Death to complete the original altar.

F1 returns to Mexico for the second year running after a long absence in the sports and PUMA threw a huge party in a unique Red Bull Racing style. Daniel was joined by some special guests and symbolically set an offering through four big moments. The talented Mariana Echeverria personified as "The Catrina", hosted the even that included the versatile warrior Uriel del Toro, a flight through the air spreading Cempazuchitl flower petals by the beautiful model Gabi Graff, and some skeletons riding motorcycles. In the final act, the F1 driver lit up the fire inside the Offrendome, after defeating Death in a thrilling battle. 

Have thrilled the crowds in something other than a racing car, Daniel had this to say about his experience, "I love the day of the dead celebrations here in Mexico City and the way everyone is dressed up in skulls, it feels like we're in a movie. The Mexicans passion for life and their passion for remembering those who are no longer with us is also fascinating. It was a great event today and it was cool being a part of it. I want to thank PUMA for making it happen."

In closing, head of PUMA Mexico, Mario Olvera gave Daniel a skull lithography made by a Mexican artist as a gesture of appreciation for being part of the celebration of the The of the Dead with all the united talent, and as a homage for his bravery.

Ultra SA 2017: Phase One Headliners

With Early Bird tickets selling out in a flash, the wait was on for tier 1 tickets to go on sale yesterday but along with the second wave of ticket sales , organisers dropped the names of two of the headliners that will be gracing the Main Stage next year at both Cape Town and Joburg shows.

First up we have David Guetta, it will be the first time for the Frenchman to play at Ultra South Africa. Having visited the country over five years ago it was about time he made a come back. He has had many hits over the past few years, being one of the firt DJ's to excel in the commerical sector with many of his tracks making the top 40 charts on various radio stations. This earning him a cult status and saw him catapult his career, since then he's played at many major festivals as well at this years opening and closing ceremonies at Euro 2016. He is no stranger to the Ultra family as he is a regular at Ultra Miami and also recently played at Ultra Europe. South Africa has much to look forward to from him. 

The second headliner needs no introduction, Ultra South Africa will always hold a dear place in his heart as it was the first Ultra Music Festival he played at and was such a hit first time round that they brought him back the very next year. Who am I talking about? None other that the prodigal son Martin Garrix! The young Dutchman is back after skipping last year and was actually brought back because of high demand by you the fans. Yes, such is his talent, he has continued to make multi-platinum tracks and play on the main stages of all the major festivals. I'm sure he is just as excited to be back in South Africa next year. 

With tickets selling fast on the website: www.ultrasouthafrica.com , I suggest you waste no time in booking yours to avoid disappointment. Those ticket and venue details again:

City	Cape Town
Date	Friday, 24 February 2017
Venue	Cape Town Stadium

General Access	VIP
Tier 1: R750	Tier 1: R1300
Tier 2: R850	Tier 2: R1600

  

City	Johannesburg
Date	Saturday, 25 February 2017
Venue	Nasrec Expo Centre

General Access	VIP	VVIP
Tier 1: R800	Tier 1: R1400	Tier 1: R3000
Tier 2: R950	Tier 2: R1800	Tier 2: R4000

*Prices not inclusive of booking fees.

Follow Ultra on their various social media streams for updates on the event.

Twitter: @UltraSA 

Facebook: Ultra South Africa

Instagram: ultrasa
Website: ultrasouthafrica.com