Welcome to the late edition of Survival Sunday, folks. This week, the biggest and most influential list of the top DJ’s in the world was released and, if you didn’t hear about it, let me recap for you. The DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJ list is compiled every year from votes from fans of electronic music around the world and stands as the single most salient list of its kind in the entire scene. DJ’s fees for shows are often based off of their position on the list and it marks a huge point in a producer/DJ’s career if they can make it onto the list, even more so if they make it into the top 10 or 20. While the list does serve more as a popularity contest (evidenced by artists such as Afrojack, Deadmau5 and Avicii making it into the top 10) than anything, it’s importance cannot be underestimated, as an artist’s potential is only as big as its fanbase.
Over the past several years, the list has been dominated by trance artists which seem to remain the most celebrated worldwide despite the rise in the popularity of several subgenres of EDM. In fact, Armin van Buuren had held the number one spot 4 years running and was widely expected to take the crown for this year as well. However, in an extremely notable upset, David Guetta, undoubtedly fueled by his success in the pop music realm, surpassed the reigning giant this year to earn the title of the #1 DJ in the world. While Armin still was able to secure the number two spot, this represents a huge shift in the way in which EDM is being received the world over and how other artists have been able to reach a wider audience due in part to the rapid spread of interest for EDM.
Unsurprisingly, DJ’s like Avicii (who climbed 33 spots in this year’s list) and Skrillex (who managed to make it to #19 despite being absent last year) were featured high up on the list compared to their relative lack of popularity on last year’s list. Arty (who jumped 53 spots!), Martin Solveig, and Kaskade were all able to make it to the top 30 this year. Even Dada Life was able to jump up over 30 spots. And, Nero and Porter Robinson, two of the most talented producers on the face of this earth in my opinion, both were able to make the list, even if they were lower down than they deserve to be. Anyways, like the Oscars or the Grammy’s, this list only exist for the purpose of scrutiny and debate (and David Guetta even got boo’d when he took the award for the number one spot) but we can’t help but analyze and interpret its meaning as it relates to the increasing audience for electronic music across the globe. [Check out the full list here]
Well, now that that’s out of my system, let’s get some music going! Dillon Francis officially released his newest track this week IDGAFOS (which, if you didn’t know, stands for “I Don’t Give A Fuck Or Shit”) and, while any certified DF fan will certainly recognize it, the quality (and name) of it represents everything that’s awesome about this guy.
This track I was going to post last week but decided not to. But after an amazing week on the Beatport charts, I felt I had to share it.
Fatboy Slim – Ya Mama (Push The Tempo) [Mogaui Remix]
Our boy Mord Fustang has done it again with his remix of “In The Air”, the amazing new track by Morgan Page. If you know anything about electro house, you know Mord Fustang makes gold.
Morgan Page – In The Air (Mord Fustang Remix)
Finally, some new Skrillex that I can actually really get down with. This song he’s been dropping live and it’s been previewed all over the internet but it’s finally here for us. The samples remind me a lot of the Skrillex I fell in love with back before he was selling out shows every single fucking night. Hope to hear more like this from him.
BONUS: Savoy released their newest remix this week for free, which you might recognize from their Fall mix that I posted about a few weeks ago. Great song for the fall/winter spirit… plus the Colorado-sourced producers kill it in everything they do.
The Mama’s and The Papa’s – California Dreaming (Savoy Remix)
That’s all from me for now but this week we have an awesome Halloween mix coming at you guys so keep your eyes and ears open…