Prior to her life in the music industry Robyn found herself providing the voices for a number of animated films, including the Swedish/Norwegian film “The Journey to Meolonia” and “All Dogs Go to Heaven”. Having recorded and performed theme songs and self-written songs on the television at the age of twelve, following her graduation of middle school, the singer singed to Ricochet Records Sweden. The collaboration between Robyn and producer Max Martin and Denniz Pop provided the
Robyn’s first taste of the pop world was when she signed with RCS Record in 1994 and released her debut single “You’ve Got That Somethin’” and later the Swedish breakthrough track “Do You Really Want Me (Show Respect)” both of which subsequently found their way onto Robyn’s first full-length album “Robyn Is Here” released in October 1996. The album topped the Swedish charts and re-released over a year later in the U.S. the track “Do You Know (What It Takes)” reacher the top ten, as did “Show Me Love”.
Robyn’s sophomore release in 1999 of “The Truth”, an autobiographical album, didn’t receive the international release of its predecessor, as the record label didn’t think there would be any appeal in the U.S. The hit single “Electric” was extremely popular throughout Europe and the album was just pipped of the top-spot in the Swedish chart. The same year the singer collaborated with the Swedish musician Christian Falk, as well as becoming UNICEF ambassador, and left to travel the world for two years.
Her return brought a change of label, from RCA to Jive Records, and a new album “Don’t Stop The Music” released in 2002, which remained an exclusive Swedish release. Tired of the lack of creative control and inspired by fellow countrymen The Knife, Robyn terminated her contract with Jive records, formed her own label Konichiwa in 2005, which propelled Robyn’s creative license and musical success. Robyn’s self-titled album released in the same year saw the Swedish singer earn multiple Swedish Grammy Awards for, Best Album, Best Female Pop Artist, and Best Songwriter. The ballad “With Every Heartbeat” reconfirmed Robyn’s place within UK chart reaching No. 1.
2010 brought a whopping three albums from the songstress, the two mini albums “Body Talk Pt.1”, “Body Talk Pt. 2” and the full-length “Body Talk” choosing Diplo, Röyksopp and Snoop Dog to collaborate on the releases.
Tiësto has used various stage names over the course of his career, but Tiësto, which is a variation on a childhood nickname, has stuck. From his multiple Grammy nominations (and Grammy win!) to his accolades from Rolling Stone and Mixmag to his certified gold and platinum hits, Tiësto remains one of the world's top DJs – no easy feat for an artist whose career has spanned decades.
After dominating both the house and trance worlds, Tiësto has successfully brought his brand of dance music to the masses with his latest release, A Town Called Paradise, and through collaborations with artists like The Chainsmokers, Martin Garrix and Oliver Heldens, to name a few.
In addition to headlining the world's biggest festivals and holding residency in Las Vegas, Tiësto cultivates new sounds within the genre through his record labels, Musical Freedom and AFTR:HRS, and through his weekly radio show, Clublife.
Outside of the dance world, Tiësto is a frequent collaborator and remixer to the biggest names in music, including Beyoncé, Kanye West, Coldplay, Sam Smith, Major Lazer, Calvin Harris and many more. Most recently, Tiësto and John Legend teamed up to reprise their 2015 Grammy-winning remix, "All Of Me," with a summer 2016 anthem, "Summer Nights."
To top off his near-constant touring schedule and unwavering commitment to producing some of the world's best music, Tiësto has extended his sensibilities into the tech and lifestyle sectors, acting as an advisor to startups like Splice and Dubset and crafting his new re-designed mobile app to create an engaging, interactive experience for his fans. His current partnerships with T-Mobile and Budweiser prove his indisputable worth as a global ambassador of dance music culture.
Not afraid to put himself out there, Tiësto has created a brand of music, which is instantly recognizable and enjoyable. He has also achieved many firsts in his career, including being the first DJ to play live at an Olympics opening ceremony, and will certainly continue to innovate within the industry for years to come.
Never one for convention Kieran's first release under the Four Tet pseudonym was a 36 minute, 25 second single long single entitled 'Thirtysixtwentyfive'. Since then he has continued to release singles, EPs and LPs full of his complex electro/rock hybrid sound. His first album was released in 1999 and was entitled 'Dialogue', it received positive reviews from NME for its innovative sound.
He released a number of EPs and demos before 2003's 'Rounds' LP became Hebden's first appearance on the UK album charts. He toured his unique brand of folktronica around the country and into Europe with a live show often described as unpredictable and improvisational. The 2010 album 'There Is Love in You' is Four Tet's only album to break the UK album chart top 40 to date.
Despite a lack of commercial success, his critical acclaim and talent as a producer has allowed him the opportunity to work with some of the biggest artists in the industry. He has remixed works by Aphex Twin, Anti-Pop Consortium, Bonobo, The xx, Super Furry Animals, Foals, Black Sabbath and many more. Recently he has been working on exciting new collaborative projects with Burial and Thom Yorke. His latest solo album 'Beautiful Rewind' was released in 2013 and holds a MetaCritic score of 79/100 after receiving rave reviews from Spin, Fact and others.
The Swedish sensation Tove Lo is a Stockholm born songwriter, Sweden's answer to La Roux. Her mixture of synthesized beats and pop melodies evoke those of her British counterpart, but there are elements of many female pop acts in her music. From Taylor Swift to the more edgy, surreal pop musician BANKS.
Her debut EP 'Truth Serum,' was only released in March this year, transporting Tove into the world of music fame and success. But her album was eagerly awaited by fans when her single back in 2013 'Habits' teleported her into the limelight. She had gone from zero to dance hero. Her song would be played all over the radio for weeks and DJ's were banging out her tune night after night across the world. She was now a world success!
Her EP continues to shine months after its release with tunes such as 'Not on Drugs,' and 'Thousand Miles' pushing Tove along the road to glory. Although a pop act by origin, Tove does have that edgier, mysterious side to her which does drift her away from the likes of Taylor Swift, and rightly so. She deserves to have her own light on her, a dark gloomy mischievous glow of a light.
But in September Tove Lo declared her debut album fit for release, and 'Queen of the Clouds' was finally out in the charts. She is currently touring around the world, and is set to play Electric Ballroom in London which will be a fitting place for the pop starlet.
Interestingly Tove has also written songs for other artists including Cher Llyod and Girls Aloud. Tove is the next song writing genius that female pop needs.
Sweden's pop dignitary, Robyn – usurping the crown from ABBA – is an exemplary talent. She's equal parts brutally honest, gut-wrenchingly agonising, jaw-pain hilarious and boogie-bait. There's nary a popstar around with more party-galvanising choons that the Scandinavian star. Utilising her native region's famous knack for incisive Top 40 infernos and striking synth-based salvoes, Robin Carlsson (alter-ego of Robyn) oozes brilliance from nigh every pore. Tracks like “With Every Heartbeat”, “Call Your Girlfriend”, “Hang With Me”, “Dancing On My Own”, “Dancehall Queen”, “Cobrastyle” and “Criminal Intent” are blinding examples of her igniting, invigorating pop grandeur – almost every track on the Body Talks trilogy is a genuine hit – but with the addition of her new material, collaborations with Röyksopp, any performance will be encrusted with singalong rampages.
With palpable emotions, reworkings of album paeans (into cranked-up megaliths), technicolour garments, pitch-perfect delivery, neon belligerence and swaggerlicious movements, expect AV perfection from Robyn.
Let's just say that Swedish House Mafia opened my eyes to a world of love. I attended the EDM group's concert in Madison Square Garden back in 2012 on the 'One Last Tour'. It was my fist Rave type of performance and easily the best.
As i waited for the show to begin i hardly knew what to expect. SHM kicked off the night with their hit single, "Greyhound" accompinied by impressive visuals and an energy unlike anything else i had experienced. I truly felt alive for the first time in my life, now knowing what i had been missing. Their repertoire, songs from their album 'Unitl Now' released in 2012, were strung together and played back to back, just as a story would unfold and cease to have any pauses. I was on a journey. A journey that included some of the most intricticate and pleasing sounds i had ever heard.
The most special thing about my night spent with SHM was the way their music brought the audience together. Accompinied by my four friends, we were surrounded by a crowd of people who geuniely were happy to be there. Everyone wanted to take care of each other, whether it was lifting someone up on your shoulders or a simple smile, everyone was loved. I think that this is the best message that an artist can send and create; pure love and compassion between strangers through their love of music.
Did an amazing job performing 3 songs. A great pleasure to have her perform close to home. She did everything she did to make the concert experience lively, while also performing. She also seemed very nice and energetic to the audience.
I hope she returns here soon for a future concert anywhere in the Bay Area. I wish one thing that could be done is to meet the artists after the concerts. Definitely some room for improvement, With that being said, it was a great first time concert experience.
Songkick did a wonderful job of tracking my artist if they toured close to home, and promptly announced the dates when scheduled and I bought my tickets once they went on sale.
It’s hard to capture the energy of a Tiësto show by simply writing about it. The EDM powerhouse has become the epitome of a commercial success, having managed to break out of EMD-heavy countries including his native Holland, penetrating formerly untapped markets to become a global reference for EDM in the past decade. His music has changed significantly over the past few years, mostly in an effort to break into the commercial market, which he’s managed to do with a range of female vocalists featured on tracks which have since become club anthems. Still, that means his shows have only become that much bigger, performing with synth-heavy, beat driven tracks in front of massive crowds all over the world. From headlining EDM festivals like the world-renowned Tomorrowland in Belgium, to hitting all major hotels along the Las Vegas strip, and even having a regular residency on Spain’s party island Ibiza, there’s no limit to where Tiësto will go.
His ever-expanding shows project an incomparable aura and energy from crowds heavily under the influence of his music (and likely other substances). His In Search of Sunrise and Club Life series albums epitomize his live sets, while his five studio albums with their countless remixes ensure an insane amount of ammo for his live performances. It seems like Tiësto never stops performing, and it’s almost like there’s nowhere he wouldn’t go to rouse the crowd.
Four Tet – aka Kieran Hebden – is probably the DJ I’ve seen live the most times. He’s a fairly ubiquitous figure, seemingly DJing at every single festival, both in the UK and Europe. As a producer, Four Tet is one of the leading artists in UK electronic music, having pushed the boundaries of intelligent dance music with his early forays into folk and jazz-laced electronica. But it’s his take on house, garage and bass music that really changed up the game, ever since his There Is Love in You album dropped in 2010. Hedben has an otherworldly talent for incorporating accessible melody into an otherwise authentic dance song, and his downtempo productions are often layered with pretty sound effects and samples.
His DJ sets are impossible to predict since he is such a versatile selector and moulds each set to his surroundings, but they are always thoroughly enjoyable. I’ve seen techno heavy sets, such as at Plastic People in London where he dropped his Burial collaboration ‘Moth’, as well as jungle and house sets at certain festivals like Field Day. I personally think Four Tet is at his best when he pulls from all shades of his palette during one set, such as at Worldwide in France where he effortlessly mixed his own heady productions with latin jazz, soul and contemporary techno music. Lovely.
I first heard Tove Lo on the radio, briefly for about 24 seconds, it was the end of her Habits (Stay High), and from that point forward, I was a fan. Tove Los music will vibe with anyone that can connect with being what we call "The Wandering Heart", as well many others, who can individually connect with any one of the songs topics individually. All of her music is about love, but to me focuses more on being a Wandering Heart. Someone who is always in love, searching for love when they do not have it, falls hard, quickly, fast, passionately, truly, but is unable to maintain the eternal flame of love to sustain a relationship, always searching for someone to make them feel that fire, just one more time.
Tove Los sound and lyrics are amazing. If you are able to understand their true meaning, they are capable of helping you through difficult times, and help heal.
I saw her concert and the Metro in Chicago. I have never been TO a concert, or a standing one. The whole crowd in your face thing was very, woah for me, took a backhand to the face from a wandering hair flip. Think I need to to more concerts. The stage was set up awesome, and the whole crowd was vibrating with anticipation.
I watch Tove Lo live performance videos all the time. Watching her live, was SO much more incredible. You can tell that she feels her music, that she wants to give you a good performance. She engaged with the audience a lot, and also put the mic at the audience and let us sing a few times. I love artists who enjoy getting their fans into their performances because it makes it more personal, and more intimate that performance. Its YOUR show that day.
She made several "runs" in her songs, that were unique, and I had not heard her do them that way in the recordings I have watched of other live, and definitely not the actual album. Another mark of a true artist and musician to me, because she strives to give each audience a unique performance.
I would list what songs I like, and why, but I am serious when I say, there is not a single song, on the album or not, that I do not like. Songs like Paradise, Not Made for this World, both incredible. Songs in collaboration like Stranger with Seven Lions, and Run on Love with Lucas Nord.
I have purchased two of her deluxe albums, and there is not a single song on it, that I do not like, and I would like to believe, if you listened to the songs she has put up on VEVO, that you would find a connection in each one, even if that period of your life has passed, and you simply connect with the song and reminisce, and you would buy the album yourself, or maybe a song or two.
The day of my concert, nothing went to plan, tons of stuff went wrong. The moment Tove Lo walked onto stage and started to sing My Gun, none of it mattered anymore. I couldn't take pictures or video my phone was in my pocket, like a siren, she had me fully entranced in her music, my arms went up and I belted every lyric with her. That's how good she is :-p
If you have the album, and you want to see a concert and don't know who to see, go see Tove Lo.
It’s important to point out that, just because 2manydjs and Soulwax involve the same people - specifically, David and Stephen Dewaele - and just because the pair often play shows that involve both sides of their musical careers, with both of those acts involved, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t entirely distinct entities, not least sonically. Where 2manydjs, perhaps unsurprisingly, have always been very much a dance act, Soulwax has seen the brothers explore the alternative rock scene, instead; for proof of their early credentials, consider the fact that their debut record under the moniker, 1996’s Leave the Story Untold, was produced by none other than Queens of the Stone Age collaborator Chris Goss. In the years since, they’ve gradually begun to work in more and more electronic, synthpop and dance influences into their sound, whilst keeping it entirely separate from their work as 2manydjs. Their live shows, as Soulwax, continue to incorporate a full live band, similar to, say LCD Soundsystem, with the rhythm sections key to a sound that, with its repetitive and often droney nature, is not too far removed from krautrock. The pair continue to play regular Soulwaxmas events at the end of the year across the UK to packed rooms; nothing’s been announced for this coming December yet, but certainly keep your eyes peeled.