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Electronic music has done its best to keep us entertained and distracted in a nice way from this chaos and we’ve witnessed the introduction to a new phenomenon: virtual raves. In the comfort and security of our houses, we can now participate those events without a fear or in most cases without a payment! In this era, online streams became a tool for DJ’s to promote themselves and make sure that people remind them. Let’s accept it: even though you can watch the sets whenever you want and whenever it suits you, the atmosphere and the energy of rave cannot be fulfilled completely at online platforms.
Actually, this type of eventing has becoming the new mainstream in our days and with the right adjustments in our rooms, we can totally channel into rave mode. In this case, why don’t we make a rave just for ourselves?! If you prepared energetic lightings and a dance floor for you, here’s our top 10 online streams and virtual festival performances by DJ’s. For this list, we’ll be including online streams by artists themselves and via various platform and their sets in virtual/digital festivals. We’ll also add the links to those respective performances below the text, for ones who’d like to see for themselves.
10: Monolink for Desert Live Stream
Let’s face it, Monolink is one of the most influential producers in electronic music industry in these times. Including manual instruments effects (such as guitar) and vocal touches to progressive electronic beats differentiates him from the mainstream house music sounds. We can observe Monolink creates a fantasy atmosphere and beguile us by the music he produces. During this new era, he performed in one of the online streams by Beatport, as recently as 9th of July. It was a melodic and rhythmic performance which suits perfectly as background music when dealing concentration-needed issues and the location he’s streaming is just sooo epic. Here’s the link for his amazing performance!
9: Ida Engberg b2b Adam Beyer for MAAC Wild Digital
One true power couple if we ever seen one! This real-life married superstar duo in electronic music world has adapted themselves to the new type of raving. Their set for Music Against Animal Cruelty (MAAC Wild Digital) via Beatport, is both serving a good cause and super enjoyable set. You can easily spot their amazing harmony together and their undisputed talents separately, which makes every second of the set worth to hear. Also, I have to mention that amazing view, they are serving home goals combined with genius musicality in their online stream! What has left to us? Enjoying it!
8: Konuralp for Big Burn Digital 2020
One of the biggest music events in Turkey, Big Burn Electronic Music Festival had been streaming online this year because of the measures. Even though there are obstacles, it didn’t stop the Burn crew and event held place digitally at the very end of June. With an average 20k people viewing online and chatting, this festival has completed its purpose of bringing people together. There are numerous amazing DJ’s performed in this event but here’s an example of one of the most liked performance, by a promising Turkish DJ, Konuralp!
7: Stavroz for Mind in Hangar
…And then the musical genius four-people electronic music band Stavroz was created! Stavroz distinguishes itself from their peers by their high musicality, usage of different instruments and their elegant way of producing music. They make you live a theme in their live performances, which makes them so unique. They’ve been in an online live stream at the end of May called “Mind”, with an extremely well-considered and constructed stage made by Hangar. They’ve performed a soft-chill set which differentiates them from the other entries in this list, yet they managed to enter it because of their good taste in music.
6: Peggy Gou for Boiler Room: Streaming from Isolation
Combining lively vocals with the classic old-school house music samples, Peggy Gou has been a force to reckoned with in the electronic music sector lately because of her one-of-a-kind style in music and her stylish attitudes outside the dance floor. In this performance, she has played her set for Boiler Room, which is one of the biggest platforms in electronic music world. Playing from Seoul, she has been showing her interpretation of house music in the most unique way and we’re mesmerized by the outcome.
5: Amelie Lens for Awakenings Festival 2020
Awakenings Festival, which is one of the most prestigious electronic music events of the world, decided to have a virtual festival with prepped stages and they cannot do anything more awesome! We found the chance to witness amazing performances, including the one made by Amelie Lens. She is one of the most adored figures in techno world, thanks to her high-tempo techno music and her joyful and loveable personality. She has been performing in various acts in the modern era and now she’s participating virtual festivals and online streams. People who has listened Amelie live would agree: she is a very strong and effective live artist and she continued to live with that reputation in this performance. Clear a dance space for you, get your drink ready and start the video; I promise you won’t regret!
4: Umek for Tronic 25th Anniversary
Who doesn’t like an old school, energetic and straight out perfect raw techno?! Umek is a unique representative of traditional rave culture which reflects itself as raw and high-tempo techno with audible bass lines and dirty melodies. He has been streaming for various occasions in these times. His stream for ReConnect via Beatport was also an amazing performance of him, but we’ve chosen Tronic’s 25th Anniversary set for the list because it summarizes the Umek style; energetic, uplifting and old school-raw techno with an epic debut. We recommend you to listen this with speaker or with headphones to better feel the deep techno effects. Just close your eyes, feel the movement and act like you’re in Berlin!
3: Deborah De Luca for ReConnect
This performance is one to beat! With her raw styled appealing music and charming self, Deborah de Luca has been one of the most important figures in electronic music. She has been influencing electronic lovers all around the world even in this time with online streams and sets. This set for ReConnect via Beatport has been a high-energy one and she can deliver the fun, and the extra thing is: she has an amazing view which can be seen in the video. If you’re not familiar with Deborah de Luca or her music or you just missed that live performance, you should check the video!
2: Boris Brejcha in his backyard (w/ Deniz Bul)
Even though it was as early as April, that stream stuck in our minds for so long because it was one of the first online streams have ever tried and it was so uplifting and joyful that you can’t help but remember. You can see how much good time Boris and Deniz were having and you can channel into their good vibes immediately. There is also a cameo by few familiar faces from Fckng Serious label which only makes the stream more entertaining. If you missed this performance, we strongly advise you to check out that link to have an idea about it!
1: Charlotte de Witte b2b Enrico Sangiuliano in Ghent
“Lockdown buddies” Charlotte de Witte and Enrico Sangiuliano have given one of the best b2b’s that we’ve ever seen. With smooth transitions and heavenly- yet unexpected drops, this set is bringing it to home-made dancefloors. Energetic and booming style of Charlotte suited perfectly with the deep and cleverly produced style of Enrico and their harmony on stream is worth to watch! Our advice is to open this video, make it full screen and you will definitely witness their amazing chemistry together and the best part is that you can see them having fun with their music, which encourages you to have fun by yourself! At the end of the set, they left us with one bittersweet emotion: we wish to listen their b2b live one day, will this collaboration happen again? Judging by their tasty set and coherence, the future is bright on this one!
Honorable mentions:
- Tala for Creative State Live
It was a “social distancing rave” more than an online stream organized by Vuse, but we had to mention it in the list no matter what because it was an epic performance and super satisfying to listen! You may saw the extracts or pictures of this performance in Instagram but we promise you: the full set is worth-to-hear gorgeous, and also have to mention: the visuals, music and atmosphere of this stream deserves to be heard and seen. I might listen this set for forever, it is that good. (Oh I even wish I was there by myself!)
- Boris Brejcha’s “Car Rave”
There has been a drive-in rave happened with Boris Brejcha performing, you should be also checking that out! There is not a clear footage of this performance, but you can also check from his social media accounts to find other visuals!
- Germany has started social distancing drive-in raves, as an alternative to the nightclubs, which contributes to development of underground culture, especially in Berlin. This kind of raves has been becoming frequent by time, and fingers-crossed maybe I can witness that kind of event sometime in the future! Check the video-news by Reuters to explore the new way of partying!
Isil Gurmen “igurmo”, 11.07.2020
