Coming off a fresh, uplifting release on Anjunabeats, Kane Michael is back to his ‘Lights Out’ series. While he says, for now, he’s putting his Psytrance efforts on pause, Michael pursues techno with a deep, dark passion. Here’s what he had to say about the track:

“It’s tough trying to put your twist on a track like this, as it’s such a fine line between great and trash, but I’m very proud of this. No nonsense, just a straight late-night techno rework.”

Kane’s edit starts off slow as he introduces the eerie, evolving elements and weaves in the timeless sample. As the song seemingly builds into its groove, he changes it into a smooth R&B vibe that no one with any respectable taste in music would be able to turn down. The song wraps up with a full culmination of all the elements and in a way only Kane Michael could do. Looking forward to the journey of his sound.

Enjoy the track below as a free download, and follow Kane on his socials below.

Irvine grown duo Starfari‘s newest EP is a step above their first release Clear the Clouds. This time, they’re shooting for space with Total Solar. Whereas their first EP featured more tropical and cinematic sounds, their newest EP is an ode to the Great American Eclipse, and the wonders found in exploring the shadows. To that effect, the EP has a much higher energy influence with dashes of world and hip hop.

Hanuman is the heaviest hitting track on the upcoming EP. It features Niko Brahman and Jules telling a story of passion, distraction, the rat race, and being the judge of your own journey. It’s clear to see there’s a level of sophistication and sound experimentation that the homies Ali and Alex have taken on with their Total Solar EP. A few words about “Hanuman” from STARFARI themselves:

“The main thing we’ll vividly remember from this song is that we were writing and finishing it as we were shielding ourselves from the election results coming in back in November. This song is coincidentally about not letting ulterior distractions get in the way of your focus and being the hero of your mind; realizing the courage and strength within you like the Lord Hanuman.”

With a style that’s reminiscent of early Pinback and a dash of Radiohead, Klangstof sends listeners on an ethereal journey through space and time. Every time I listen to them, I imagine I’m driving down PCH, top down, not a cloud in the sky; I’m home. Their name is a combination of the Norwegian word for “reverb” (“Klang”), and the Dutch word for “dust” (“Stof”). Reverb Dust seems fitting, as their guitars, vocals, and synths drift to give you a floating feeling and tease the echoes of an empty room.

Klangstof is nestled comfortably, and borderline unusually, among the Mind of a Genius family, whom you may be familiar with (Zhu and Gallant). As of late, they were picked up to tour with Phantogram and Miike Snow. Be sure to go early, not just to get a good spot (thank you General Admission), but to see them when they make their way to the Greek Theater on Saturday July 1!

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One thing that sets San Francisco apart, as far as cities on the west coast go at least, is its illustrious history. From the gold rush to the tech rush; from earthquakes to fires; from skyscrapers to monuments; the city has been through it all, and for that reason, has a lot to offer. Of the offered, the Palace of Fine Arts is one of the most sensational. The monument was built in 1915 for the World Fair, and I bet they would never have guessed, 100 years later, it would host the premier hip hop and eclectic soul collective in the world: SOULECTION.

Being born and raised in southern California, Soulection’s rise to international acclaim has been nothing less than a wild ride to watch and be a part of. When they come to town, no matter who of their collective will be selecting, we’re there. This time, though, it will be with the historic backdrop of one of San Francisco’s most admired treasures.

Best part? This event is only $20. $20 is a steal just for the lineup: The Whooligan, Sasha Marie, Mikos Da Gawd, and Ryury. I’ve included some music below if you need any more coaxing. Saturday night is going to be about the experience. Come one, come all!

Big Wild | Soundcloud | Buy Invincible

This Friday, one of my biggest inspirations makes his way to San Francisco’s Regency Ballroom. Jackson is a hell of a dude, and his music has a very unique way of giving you energy while immersing you in a plethora of synths in a drum-filled frenzy. Check out what he had to say about his path and process so far:

C+A+D: Let’s start with how I found out about you, through Odesza and when you opened for them about 2 years ago at SXSW. How did that relationship come about and how do you think that made a change to your career?

Big Wild: Our relationship definitely helped a lot, because there’s a lot of crossover between their music and my music. Odesza’s fans were able to connect with their music and they become my fans too. It was just a really beneficial relationship for both parts. It’s been cool to get tips and advice from them. Not to mention working with Foreign Family. It was a big difference maker in pushing me to where I am today.

C+A+D: The invincible EP is a perfect summation of you and how your sound developed over the years…My favorite song is between Empty Room and Invincible, which are unmistakably you. What was the most challenging part of putting this EP together? Where did you see the most improvement to your process?

Big Wild: The hardest part about it was just its completion. I had been working on some of these songs for over a year; on and off. It’s really easy to run into roadblocks or writers-block. Through this process, I’ve made changes on how I make music now, so I can make music a lot faster than before.

There would be times when I didn’t know how to make the drop hit harder…or how to tweak this or that. I think that was the hardest part. Accepting that I could keep making changes to the song forever, and it’s never going to be perfect, and to just finish it. That’s a really big part of putting together any kind of project, EP, or even a single. Just knowing when to say, “OK. I’m not really improving the song. I’m just making it sound different.” And that’s crucial.

C+A+D: What other equipment makes up your live rig? Did you evolve your rig from a more basic set up, or has it remained the same since you began performing

Big Wild: I really try to focus on not piling up a bunch of gear and keeping it fairly minimal. I don’t want to clutter my stage with gear and separate me from the crowd. My set up over time has pretty much the same amount of things. I used to use a nord keyboard but on this tour I’m using a keyboard that also triggers samples off my computer as well. I’m happy with how it brings my songs to life in front of a crowd.

C+A+D: If you had a time machine and were able to talk to yourself before your first show as Big Wild, what advice would you give?

Big Wild: Oh that’s a good question. *thinks for a few seconds* If I had to give myself advice, it would be not to overthink everything. Don’t make music more complicated than it needs to be, because I definitely tend to do that. Another thing is to understand the importance of different elements in all types of music and why people would like those things.

It’s important to not get sucked into one part of a song, and focus on all the parts; like the melody of the vocals for example. Understand what goes into making a FULL song, rather than get too obsessed on one specific part of a song. Which I guess goes back to not overthinking it. These are all things that were goals for me on this EP. Get involved with writing the lyrics. Get involved with writing the melody for the singers. Work on these other things that I never cared much about, but now I’m very much into. This EP was a learning experience for that, and I’m at peace with how it came out.

Sango | Monte Booker

Soulection has always been very much welcomed in the Bay Area, and thanks to DJ Dials for booking their crew consistently, their fan base has grown considerably. Last time Sango was in town, he tore apart 1015 Folsom, but over the weekend he upgraded to the beautiful Regency Ballroom for a packed house.

Dials notoriously opens his own shows (I would too), and he can set the tone for any booking he sets. Right from the get go, the vibe was right and everyone was ready for the smooth trimmings of Monte Booker. I had seen this guy’s name around, but this was the first time I got to listen to his music. His set was filled with sultry beats and four on the floor tempos that perfectly complemented what was about to come.

Sango is a legend. As one of the back bones of the Soulection crew, you can always expect for him to bring the heat and keep it unique. His Brazilian and Latin inspired beats always get me going. Everyone was hype from top to bottom, and the night was capped in a way only one of Soulection’s founding fathers could do.

Sángo – Eu Te Devoro

Soulection Radio Show #259 w/ Monte Booker

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Seven Lions has always been at the forefront of ethereal synths, using powerful drums to create his own breed of heavenly dubstep. The kind of stuff that has you closing your eyes and being fully immersed in the sound waves. His massive tour makes way to not one, but TWO nights in Oakland this weekend. The new collab “Rush Over Me” below, is a testament to his style and what to expect at one of his shows.

Seven Lions x Illenium x Said The Sky – Rush Over Me Feat. HALIENE (right click-> open new)