Tipped as one of the producers to watch in 2011 by Fact Magazine, the hype surrounding newcomer Melé already has heads taking notice. At just 19, he is already recognised as a promising producer with a series of releases that have got both artists and critics hungry for more.

With a unique sound, Melé is capable of delivering on every level – from progressive club music to deeper minimal productions interspersed with deadly deep subs. It’s Melé’s rhythmic inventiveness, and virtuoso touches that really set him apart.

Setting a relentless pace with his own productions, he’s already released EPs on Sound Of Sumo and Mixpak Records. These, and his forthcoming release on Sinden’s Grizzly label, play testament to his prolific producing ability. As for remixes, he’s been working with the best, having been asked to rework tracks by the likes of Mad Decent’s Mumdance and Fools Gold heavyweight, Greenmoney.

Artists like Toddla T, Brodinski, Sinden, L-Vis 1990 and Hervé are already big fans of his work, and club promoters are queuing up to join the party. To say the future looks bright would be an understatement, the sun be shining all day for Melé right now. To quote his mentor, Sinden, ‘Melé has the world at his feet’.

Tracklist:
Mosca – Jager
Floorplan – Baby Baby
Leftfield – Double Flash
Joey Beltram – Game Form
The House Crew – Keep The Fire Burning
Future Underground Nation – Its The Way
Geeneus – Congo
Wiley – Igloo
Ramadanman – Bass Drums
Ruff Sqwad – Mandem
Alias – Southside
Melé – Alot Of Zeros
Plastician – Cha
Wiley – Scratchy Beat Freestyle
Mala – Level Nine
Gucci Vump – L-vis 1990 VIP
Dismantle – Computation VIP
Sinden – Pull Up (Dillon Francis Remix)
DJ Funk – Booty Clap
Loefah – Disko Rekah
Drake – Headlines
Melé – Beamer
Melé – Purple Flowers

If you’ve been paying attention to our Facebook page you’ve probably noticed we posted a couple of snippets from two new tracks by our Swedish friends Savage Skulls. That’s because we will be releasing a wicked new single by the party-starting Scandinavian duo on February 20th, and we’re pretty sure you’re gonna love it!

As you can see the record’s coming out as an exclusive Beatport release, but after two weeks you’ll be able to buy it in all the best digital stores. For now we can’t really say much more except enjoy the previews, check out the amazing artwork and begin doing your stretching exercises because when this one drops you’ll be in for one hell of a workout.

LORIMER SNIPPET by Savageskulls

NO.1 SPOT SNIPPET by Savageskulls

Photograph © Susana Pomba

It’s no secret that we love PAUS around here. Their debut EP ‘É Uma Água’ is still one of our favorite Portuguese records ever, and their powerful new album further confirms that they are here to stay. However, we believe that if you haven’t seen Makoto Yagyu, Joaquim Albergaria, João Pereira and Hélio Morais live on stage, you haven’t really listened to PAUS yet. It’s one of those bands that just comes alive in front of an audience, with positively mesmerizing results.

That’s why we are so happy to announce that the boys will be playing on the main stage of the renowned Optimus Alive festival, which takes place in Lisbon, from July 13th to the 15th. It will be huge and you know it.

A little before that, the guys told us they will be heading North to play a couple of shows in the Portuguese cities of Guarda, Maia and Arcos de Valdevez, and you can learn all about it in the band’s Facebook page. You can’t afford to miss it.

Oporto based party-starting production team Voxels are so excited for their much anticipated Enchufada single ‘Nasty’ that they couldn’t hold it in any longer, and who can blame them with tunes like this? That’s why we decided to give you a little peek inside our first 2012 release, a two-track single that bridges the gap between pumped-up electro and sexy house beats. Check out a little snippet from the title-track below and start preparing yourself for the imminent arrival of one of the most fun and engaging electronic music outfits to appear in Portugal in recent times. Let the nasty games begin!

After listening to the awesome (We Stay) Up All Night remix that our Canadian friends Botnek just gave us, we couldn’t resist asking a few other great producers to create their own take on Buraka’s catchy single. That’s why we approached the talented British beatmaker Star Slinger to show us how he could recreate the track and make it his own, which he did by taking Blaya‘s and Roses Gabor‘s lyrics and turning the track into a dreamy and rhythmic dubstep workout.

How’s this for a happy new year present? Listen and download the track on the player below.

As the new year begins it brings many different reasons to celebrate, which is why we had to do something special for the first Hard Ass Sessions of 2012. The formula stays the same – bringing together our favorite DJs and producers who are moving inside the Hard Ass universe and challenging them to present their own interpretation of the rhythm of the ghettos of Luanda – but the energy keeps getting stronger.

The saying goes “out with the old, in with the new”, and who better to put this idea into practice than our two international guests Melé and Manaré? You already know British wonderkid Melé from his booty-shaking banger Kanopa Riddim, featured on “Hard Ass Sessions Vol.III”, which was made when he was only 18 years young, so we knew we had a little prodigy on our hands. In the last year he’s been racking up points by playing major parties and releasing a lot of cool tunes, so when the opportunity to have him play at our residency presented itself, we just couldn’t say no. This will be his first time playing in Portugal, so be sure to make your way to Lux to welcome one of bass music’s most exciting young talents.

Speaking about young, French bass aficcionado Manaré (formerly called Riot Kid) has just recently appeared on the scene but is quickly gaining everyone’s attention with his debut “Speakeasy EP”, which includes a remix by our friend Dubbel Dutch. Feeling the tropical vibes of the uk funky style, he mixes those danceable rhythms with the typically French humor and “everything goes” approach to production with spectacular results.

We’ve also asked the mighty J-WOW to drop by because we know how much you like those impossibly fast beats and huge bass lines that he never fails to deliver. The element of surprise is always a very important part of his sets, but he’s letting you guys in on some of his secret weapons in his recently-dropped “Say Hello to 2012 Mini-Mix”, where you can listen to some of the tracks that Enchufada will be releasing in the next few months. Go check it out! Diamond Bass will also be giving bassheads a reason to shake on the dancefloor, as he’s still on celebration mode after releasing his powerful and mesmerizing single “Lwanda”, closely followed by Rastronaut, who’ll be warming up the crowd as he plays anything from techno classics to the UK’s latest low-end bomb.

Come join us at Lux on January 27th and don’t forget to dress to sweat.

J-WOW (Buraka Som Sistema / Enchufada)

Mélé (Grizzly)

Manaré (Youngunz)

Diamond Bass (Enchufada)

Rastronaut (Circus Maximus)

Like most college dropouts, DJ Skeet Skeet traded in his text books for home-cooked meals when he moved back in with his mom and before he knew it, he was throwing his life away by frequenting the LA party scene. A few too many nights out on the town coupled with an affinity for Lil’ Jon resulted in the birth of DJ Skeet Skeet. Before he knew it, “Skeet” was spinning all over the place – from celebrity hotspots like Hyde Lounge in Hollywood to hipster hangouts like NYC’s Studio B, as well as clubs in the Las Vegas and Atlantic City nightlife scene.

In 2007, Skeet teamed up with LA-natives and longtime friends Shwayze and Cisco Adler to complete the “Shwayze” outfit and they were quickly signed to Geffen Records. In the last year or so, Skeet has further kept his name on the radar with an appearance in the film “The Haunting of Molley Hartley”, which was played for audiences of over 20,000 at festivals like Bacardi B-Live, Bud Bowl and Street Scene. Skeet is currently on tour with Katy Perry on her “California Dreams Tour”, playing arenas filled up with upwards of 20,000.

Tracklist:
Oh Land – White Nights (Skeet Skeet’s Copenhagen Beach Party Mix)
LCMDF – Take Me To The Mountains (Skeet Skeet Moombahton Mix)
Skeet Skeet & Hype Jones – Hold Up
Chiddy Bang – Ray Charles (Skeet Skeet’s Moombahton Mix)
Ralphi Rosario – You Used To Hold Me
Eats Everything – Entrance Song
Ultrasone – Breathe N Pop
Mele & Skeet Skeet – AoHell
??? – Tengastep
Far East Movement – Jello (Unicorn Kid Remix)
Coldplay Ft. Rihanna – Princess of China (Skeet Skeet Remix)
MNDR – #1 In Heaven (Skeet Skeet’s What In Thee Actual Fuck Mix)
きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ – PONPONPON

When others give you lists, we give you music and open the portal for the much anticipated arrival of 2012. If the Mayans are right and the world ends a year from now, at least we’re going out with a bang!

To say goodbye to 2011 and welcome 2012, we’ve asked J-WOW to do a mix to showcase some of the surprises we have in store for the next few months. Here you’ll find tracks by the Swedish duo Savage Skulls, who’ll finally have their own debut single on Enchufada after being featured on the “Hard Ass Session Vol. IV” compilation; as well as T. Williams, who’s coming back with a dancefloor-wrecking new EP after dropping the red-hot “Getting Mine” single; the Portuguese duo Voxels, who you’ve heard for the first time on the “Hangover (Bababa)” Remix EP; Diamond Bass‘ freshly released “Lwanda”; and also a new remix of “(We Stay) Up All Night” by our canadian friends Botnek.

Alongside the forthcoming tracks on Enchufada, J-WOW also selected some of his favorite club tracks of the year for this 15 minute mini-mix, featuring tunes by producers such as Dubble Dutch, Mike Q, French Fries, JWLS, Joakim and Bambounou. But enough talk, it’s time for some music. Hit play and greet the new year in style with this “Say Hello To 2012 Mini-Mix”.

Tracklist

Savage Skulls – #1 Spot [Forthcoming Enchufada 2012]
T. Williams – Synthia [Forthcoming Enchufada 2012]
Buraka Som Sistema - (We Stay) Up All Night (Botnek Remix) [Forthcoming Enchufada 2012]
Dubbel Dutch – Darq [Mixpak]
Mike Q – The Ha Dub Rewerk’d [Fade to Mind]
French Fries – Champagne [Forthcoming Clek Clek Boom]
Nicki Minaj – Did It On Em (JWLS Bootleg) [Downloaded from Soundcloud]
Diamond Bass – Lwanda [Out Now on Enchufada]
Voxels – CUNT [Forthcoming Enchufada 2012]
Joakim & Bambounou – FFWD [Sound Pellegrino]

Our friends from Montreal, the party-starting duo Botnek have given us a late Christmas present in the shape of a great new remix of Buraka Som Sistema’s single (We Stay) Up All Night, of the latest album “Komba”. It’s a good thing that it arrives just in time for the new year, as we’re pretty sure this new version will be tearing up club speakers at the wildest NYE parties in the world. After all, if the Mayans happen to be right we’ve got to party hard this year, just in case.

Thick and fat basslines, heavy pounding beats and laser-gun synths give a clubbier feel to Buraka‘s original track, making sure Blaya‘s and Roses Gabor‘s catchy lyrics will be heard everywhere in the beginning of the year. So press play on the Youtube clip below and get ready to dance your asses off to Botnek‘s amazing remix!