San Francisco’s Outside Lands Music Festival turns five years old this summer (August 10-12th to be exact), and it’s celebrating with some pretty big name talent. Metallica, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Foo Fighters, Jack White, Stevie Wonder, and Beck top this year’s bill. Other notable acts include Sigur Rós, Justice, Regina Spektor, Norah Jones, Skrillex, The Kills, Dispatch, Passion Pit, and Grandaddy.

Also appearing on the lineup are Big Boi, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Andrew Bird, Explosions in the Sky, MSTRKRFT, Portugal. the Man, Dr. Dog, The Walkmen, Alabama Shakes, Fitz and the Tantrums, Amadou & Mariam, Reggie Watts, Sharon Van Etten, YACHT, Zola Jesus, Tennis, Die Antwoord, Thee Oh Sees, Tanlines, Caveman, Of Monsters and Men, Father John Misty, Tame Impala, Big Gigantic, White Denim, Yellow Ostrich, wallpaper., Trampled By Turtles, City and Colour, and Two Gallants, among others.

Tickets will go on sale Thursday, April 19th at Noon PDT via the festival’s website.

Lollapalooza 2012 takes places August 3-5th in Chicago’s Grant Park. According to Chicago Sun-Times, Black Sabbath will top this year’s bill, performing their only North American tour date of 2012. They’ll be joined by fellow headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack White, The Black Keys, Justice, and Avicii.

Other heavyweights include At the Drive-In, Sigur Rós, Florence and the Machine, The Shins, The Afghan Whigs, The Weeknd, M83, Passion Pit, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino, Miike Snow, The Gaslight Anthem, Alabama Shakes, J. Cole, and Metric.

Also playing are Delta Spirit, tUnE-yArDs, The Tallest Man on Earth, Die Antwoord, Dr. Dog, Dawes, SBTRKT, The Walkmen, Neon Indian, Gary Clark Jr., Sharon Van Etten, Polica, The War on Drugs, Doomtree, White Rabbits, Washed Out, Of Monsters and Men, Tame Impala, Bowerbirds, The Temper Trap, The Black Angels, Bear In Heaven, Chairlift, Oberhofer, First Aid Kit, and JEFF the Brotherhood.

The festival’s electronic stage, Perry’s, will also return, boasting a lineup that includes Bassnectar, Kaskade, Santigold, Calvin Harris, Nero, Knife Party, Little Dragon, Skream & Benga, Zeds Dead, Big Gigantic, Sub Focus, Porter Robinson, and Star Slinger.

Three-day and VIP passes are currently on sale via the festival’s website.

But band member Gaspard Augé will never tell you this. In partnership with fellow Frenchman Xavier de Rosnay, Augé only wants to appeal to human emotion, to the romanticism and imagery of everyday life. Producing music is less about the interpretations of journalists and critics, but more importantly a form of self-preservation, a means to protect the band’s innocence, youth, and therefore the freedom of their music.

And fresh from performing at this year’s Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Justice is now off to the west coast to promote their sophomore album, Audio, Video, Disco. Next stop: the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, whose attendees hold high hopes for the French duo’s performance. Consequence of Sound had a chance to chat with the mystical Monsieur Augé while he was taking a breather before the next leg of touring.

So, to start off, how was Ultra? I heard you guys played an epic performance, brought a whole new swag to the stage.

Well, it was good fun, though we found the crowd a tiny bit quiet. But with the extra lighting we got from the Ultra stage, we were able to enhance a few moments.

I watched A Cross the Universe last night, and it seems like you portrayed the audience in the film to be much more enthusiastic. How has the tour for your sophomore album [Audio, Video, Disco.] been different?

We were very happy this time around, because we didn’t know what to expect from the U.S. crowd, and it’s been crazier than the first tour so far.

Also, the music for your sophomore album is considerably more rock-influenced, more experimental. How does that change the elements of your live performance? Does it change the face of your audience as well?

Onstage, it doesn’t make much of a difference. We simplified everything, but the core of the tracks are very similar to the new record versions. The crowd is quite similar, even younger in some cities.

Are you bringing in a live band, singing the vocals live? Or is it all pre-recorded?

No, it’s just the two of us. It’s not time-coded. We have all the split parts of the tracks, a few keyboards, pianos to play the leads and the solos, and we’re trying to make the best hour-and-a-half sequence with it.

Let’s move on to your next stop, Coachella! Excited to get over to the west coast?

Definitely excited. It’s the best part of the year for us to go there.

How does it feel to be one of the most anticipated acts at Coachella? And how about that lineup?

I guess Snoop and Dre are the most anticipated acts, but if we can fit somewhere in between, that’s great.

So, bringing it back to comparing your A Cross the Universe tour and this one… how have you grown from your first album to your second album?

We’ve grown up like everybody does, but we still have the same concerns and influences. We didn’t try to renew ourselves or radically change our style; to us, it’s a natural evolution from the first album.

You guys are arguably the modern rock stars, living the “sex, drugs, & electronica” lifestyle. What are your influences, and how much do you feel like you yourself are influencing music?

We’re just trying to make epic, romantic, melancholic pop music – and we don’t feel like modern rock stars either. We try to stay as naive as possible and not know too much about “technicity” to keep the magic.

Humility is key, and your music is incredibly powerful and definitely speaks for itself. I do have another question about your imagery, though, as I believe you and Xavier used to be graphic designers, correct?

Yes, we like to think about videos and artwork.

Part of your and Xavier’s style is to cultivate this imagery around your personas, your music, and the Cross. So, how much is your music dictated by the imagination, by the concepts you’re trying to convey? Versus, how much is your music shaping these larger, philosophical messages you’re trying to communicate to the audience?

There is no other message than simple emotions, from epicness to melancholy. And so the visual side of Justice is there to support those emotions and to propose something we find relevant. Or not propose, but give to people.

So, would you say your goal is to merely speak to our emotions – to speak to what makes us inherently human?

Lyrics-wise, we try to be universal without being too stupid, like “get your ass on the dance floor.” But we’re not Bob Dylan either — that’s a thin line. The best definition of our lyrics is something we read on the Internet; some guy said it looked like they were written by some 14-year-old in the back of the classroom.

So, you’re like teenage angst for the 21st century!

We’re not trying too hard. We just make music in a very naive and romantic way.

Well, I like the subtle romanticism. I can say for me, your music has held many special moments… traveling on a train in Amsterdam listening to “Planisphere”… road-tripping to Yosemite rocking out to “Valentine”…

[Laughs] You do know how to listen to our music. Those places are perfect to listen to it.

So, one last question… a fun one. Can you give me a good story from your tour? Or maybe just recount some of the people you’ve met? It seems your travels in A Cross the Universe were part antics, part satire of Americans. I’m sure this tour has been just as interesting.

Well, every night is a funny story, because we’re 14 French guys stuck in the same tour bus. It’s almost like a traveling sect.

Planning to get married again during your time in Vegas [the 4/19 show]?

It will depend on how drunk I am… or if you’re around, who knows?

Photography by Cap Blackard and Michael Zonenashvili.

Lollapalooza will reveal its 2012 lineup at Midnight on Tuesday, April 11th. However, over the last week, the festival has hinted at a number of potential acts with a series of ads displayed both online and in Chicago train systems. These ads have contained song lyrics from Jack White, Sigur Rós, Bloc Party, Justice, M83, The Weeknd, Santigold, Die Antwoord, Twin Shadow, The Big Pink, and Kimbra. (Click on each link to see the lyric in question.) Update: New ads are hinting at Dawes and Washed Out.

Based on tour schedules, other plausible acts include The Black Keys, The Shins, Passion Pit, Childish Gambino, Sharon Van Etten, The Walkmen, and tUnE-yArDs. You can stay up to date on all the latest Lollapalooza lineup news and rumors at Festival Outlook.

Lollapalooza runs August 3-5th at Chicago’s Grant Park. 3-Day and VIP passes are currently on sale at the festival’s website.

According to the company’s website, “DayGlo Color Corp. is the world’s largest manufacturer of daylight fluorescent pigments. We develop technologies that improve and enhance any color, from subtle specialty effects, to glow-in-the-dark pigments, to our classic range of fluorescents.” One might argue they not only improve and enhance any color, but also human beings – that is, if Ultra Music Festival is any indication.

Throughout the festival’s three-day excursion, which sets down on Bayfront Park in Miami each March, thousands upon thousands of festivalgoers brand themselves with the stuff. Anywhere else this style would be considered fashion suicide, but it’s posh within the festival’s confines. In fact, if you don’t have any sort of neon, sparklies, or what have you, it’s as if you’re not one of them. No kidding, they’ll probably think you’re a narc.

As kitschy as DayGlo appears to the layman, it adds an aesthetic that’s oddly futuristic in scope. It may seem uniform, but when everyone’s showcasing radiant blues, yellows, pinks, lime greens, et al., it’s hard to imagine you’re anywhere else but some other post-modern world. It’s like you’re in a live-action rendition of The Jetsons, only it’s really loud, everyone’s zoned out on alcohol or drugs, and even the robots are cute.

Of course, there’s more to this festival than just arbitrary fashion decor, but really, that’s the stuff you remember. The music’s great, with dozens of artists pushing their respective genres, but it’s the people and the friendly community within Ultra that separates it from anywhere else. Look, whenever I told friends or colleagues that I was attending Ultra, I was met with sympathetic eyes, as I was shipping off to war, or something really dangerous – clearly they didn’t know what they were talking about.

Photo by Cap Blackard

I’ve never encountered a more jovial crowd, one thrilled to be alive and away from society. Sure, there’s a likely chance the drugs were doing most of the talking for everyone, but at the end of the day, a happy soul is sure better than an angry one. Also, something dawned on me while I shuffled around the park in a glorious stupor: This is the future.

It’s easy to write Ultra off as an escape to “get fucked up and laid”, but when you’re dancing under thousands of intricate LCD lights, ricocheting an array of colors that somehow go with the extraterrestrial music that’s being pumped out on stage, and everyone’s just synched together mentally, there’s something rather spiritually intelligent about it all. It’s as if there’s this higher plain of existence here that’s being attained, and perhaps we’re the fools for missing out.

You don’t even need the drugs to get there; instead, you just have to lose yourself in the ether, and go in with a sense of humor. Otherwise, you’ll begin to really think hell is on Earth.

-Michael Roffman
President/Editor-in-Chief 

Friday, March 23rd

Neon Indian – Live Stage – 5:20 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

“I feel like we’re at a seminar right now,” Neon Indian frontman Alan Palomo observed. “And I should have a Q&A about the effects of having a loud monitor.” After some frustrations with sound check, the chilly Texas indie rockers, with a penchant for ’80s New Wave, submerged in the warbly synths of “Local Joke” just as the sun began its downward shift. It was hot, it was sweaty, but it was fitting. With so many DayGlo enthusiasts everywhere, the band’s glossy, liquified jams (or, just its name alone) felt almost too choice for the scene. For a nighttime act, this daytime set did well enough to entertain the hundreds stalking about and soundtrack the thousands having a frustrating time getting in. Plus, who doesn’t want to dance to “Polish Girl” again and again? -Michael Roffman

Chris Lake – UMF Korea – 5:50 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Located directly in front of the main entrance, the beats pulsing from the UMF Korea stage were impossible to avoid Friday evening. Just two hours after Ultra 2012 kicked off, tech-house DJ Chris Lake was already performing to a tightly packed audience. The UK-bred, LA transplant worked through early monitor issues to develop a double-edged set of beauty and beats. Driving four-to-the-floor tech movements were cut with lush, live female vocals – a body-swaying mixture to help ease revelers into the more foreboding sounds that the stage would offer Ultra Weekend. -Derek Staples

Loco Dice – Carl Cox & Friends – 6:30 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Initially walking into the Carl Cox tent was like wrapping oneself in a blanket of lights and sounds. And if not properly monitored, the melodic tech mixes delivered by Germany’s Loco Dice would ease attendees into an open-eyed trance. Delicate sounds ran through a solid bottom end, like morning dew trickling through porous sandstone. -Derek Staples

New Order – Live Stage – 6:40 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

Technically, without original bassist Peter Hook, this isn’t New Order. But those who gathered around the Live Stage at dusk didn’t care to notice. Dancing ensued from the start when frontman and guitarist Bernard Sumner, donning his own band tee, strummed straight into the stormy distortion of “Crystal”. Tight and kinetic, this UK collective remains a popular export for Americans, especially with still club favorites “Bizarre Love Triangle”, “True Faith”, and “Blue Monday”, all of which were performed with precision for Ultra’s dance-obsessed crowds. Throughout, a couple of the band’s gooey tracks fell flat (“The Perfect Kiss” and “Regret”), but the two-hit punch of “Ceremony” into “Bizarre Love Triangle” and the set’s eventual closer, “Temptation”, showcased an act that deserved a bigger stage and a proper set time. Still, Sumner remained in high spirits: “It’s great to be back. It’s been a long time since we’ve been here – I dunno why – probably because it’s too nice. We don’t do that sort of thing.” There’s that familiar spirit of Manchester eking out. -Michael Roffman

Richie Hawtin – Carl Cox & Friends – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

He may not fill his set with bass drops, but very few DJs deliver with the same level of low end as Windsor’s Richie Hawtin. Atop of the continued floor-rattling bassline, Hawtin mixed in nearly non-existent tones, making you question if you were actually hearing the bleeps or if your brain was simply continuing his well-defined pattern. Hawtin showed no fear juggling the beat and tempo through the mixes. While most DJs rest on the repetitive kick or hi-hat, Hawtin manipulated polyrhythms for jarring transitions throughout the two-hour set. -Derek Staples

Miike Snow – Live Stage – 8:10 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

Maybe it’s that they’re on the coattails of a sophomore LP (Happy to You – due out Tuesday), but Sweden’s own Miike Snow commandeered the Live Stage. They had the tools, too. With a center console stripped from ’60s-era Star Trek, Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg (or, Bloodshy & Avant) constructed all the cherry-flavored hooks and lines that strangle the group’s latest material. Opening with the piano and harmony-led “The Wave”,  this became a set that just did not let up, and all of the new tracks were ready-made for festival crowds everywhere. In fact, with accompanying visuals, tracks like “Devil’s Work” and “Vase” felt rather claustrophobic in the amphitheater setting, and frontman Andrew Wyatt, with his grungy decor, appeared as if he were too contained. Basically, they exuded the confidence of a headliner, and depending on the festival, they may very well be ready. Oh, and has anyone grown tired of “Animal” yet? Doubtful. -Michael Roffman

Skrillex – Main Stage – 9:10 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Just a few years ago, it would have seemed impossible for a U.S. bass DJ to grace Ultra’s massive Main Stage post-sundown, but that was before Skrillex went and won three Grammy’s this year for his West Coast Jump Up. Now having toured the world, Skrillex showcases more substance and control than his earlier drop-heavy bass assaults. With stage production equal to that of his recent Mothership Tour, he had the audience “Breakin’ a Sweat” with his Doors collabo. Skrillex then showed some respect for dub, with a subtle bass remix (for Skrillex, anyhow) of Damian Marley’s “Welcome to Jamrock”. He then worked Avicii’s “Levels” through the bass grinder, adding his signature, mechanical bass growl to the track’s lighter aesthetic.

To the surprise of many, Skrillex went with some straightforward techno mid-set with “Make That Booty Clap”. At one point, he brought the song to such a standstill that you could hear the crowd’s collective inhale waiting for the drop, but no drop was to be had until Skillex blew the crowd back with the newer Wolfgang Gartner collaboration “The Devil’s Den”. The performance may not have included sufficient hyper-drive bass for the die-hard Skrillex fan, but the hour-long performance showcased an evolution in his ability to produce a complex set for an educated, international EDM community – and still get peeps on their feet to rage. -Derek Staples

Kraftwerk – Live Stage – 9:30 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

“Do you think they’re even really doing anything up there,” someone asked me early on during Kraftwerk’s impressive hour-long set. It’s an honest question because, really, the four stoic members that make up the German industrial collective don’t ever do much onstage – at least from what we can see. Instead, they let the archaic CGI animations behind them do most of the work. A minimalistic journey that would have Pixar in tears accompanied “Autobahn”, creepy, robotic dolls (something out of The Twilight Zone) burned into our nightmares during “The Robots”, and a Marxist-like montage sold the crowd on a “Computer World”. In a word, it was weird, but when each member – who, by the way, were dressed in minimalistic Tron-ready suits – exited the stage in procession, it all made sense. The homogenous nature of the four – that structured unity – is downright intimidating with its precise force, and it’s something you just have to witness live to make sense of. Color me jealous: Those sold-out museum shows will blow everyone’s fucking minds. -Michael Roffman

Dada Life – UMF Korea – 10:20 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Olle Corneer and Stefan Engblom of Dada Life are a mirror of the enjoyment shared by their audiences. A pair of sweaty bodies onstage, the Swedish duo produced high-energy, saw-jaw electro-house. Combined with the bright hues of the tent’s massive L.E.D. screens, the continual bass vibrations and hard-splashing synths were a suitable follow-up to all those still ready to rage following Skrillex’s Main Stage performance. And forget hydration, the duo would much rather pop some bottles of champagne during the peaks of the set than be seen with some thirst-quenching water. If revelers wanted to leave with their brain and all body parts intact Friday evening, this set was definitely the one to avoid. -Derek Staples

Nobody Beats the Drum – UMF Worldwide – 11:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

In the shadows of Tiësto’s monster Main Stage setup, the future of Dutch dance music, Nobody Beats the Drum, took to the tight confines of Ultra’s Worldwide Stage. Sjam Sjamsoedin and Jori Collignon mixed hip-hop, breaks, heavy bass, and electro to appease a younger audience that is continually besieged by diverse types of audio. Equipped with a classic analog synth and a table full of gear, the duo continually made eye contact to keep the tracks progressing and the people bouncing across the grass. The only negative was that the experience wasn’t shared with a larger number of people, but my guess is that this won’t be a problem for long. -Derek Staples

Saturday, March 24th

Yousef – Carl Cox Cocoon – 2:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

As the resident DJ at Space Ibiza during Carl Cox’s weekly showcase, Yousef holds one of the most sought-after gigs in the business. He kept early attendees gyrating with soft-drop techno and sexy Mushroom Jazz-esque melodies. To add an element of improvisation, he often mixed in new tracks with live drum pad patters. In line with classic house, Yousef pulled in beautiful male and female vocal samples to add contours to the set and give the audience a bit of a breather. -Derek Staples

Skream + Benga – UMF Brazil – 3:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Seminal UK Dubstep DJs Skream + Benga have accelerated the evolution of the genre since joining forces. Once known for their dark, grimy productions, Saturday’s performance was a clinic of Jump Up and bass-heavy electronica. The duo scrapped all melody for underground bangers, made even more raw by the hoarse vocal accompaniment of MC Sgt Pokes. For everyone who felt the U.S. had the market cornered on bass music, the performance opened many ears to the ultra-aggressive, half-time, UK Bass sound. -Derek Staples

Nadastrom – UMF Worldwide – 4:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

The leading ambassadors of Moombahton – Dirty Dutch slowed to the tempo of reggaeton – Nadastrom are a perfect fit for the sunny embrace of Miami’s Bayfront Park. Set against the backdrop of a pristine, blue sky and million-dollar yachts, Dave Nada and Matt Nordstrom kept the gorgeous international crowd dancing in a picturesque scene that seemed too surreal to actually be possible. West Coast Jump Up was a bit of a death knell to actual dancing in clubs, but Nada’s brand of bass music added mounds of sexiness back to the dance floor. -Derek Staples

Little Dragon – Live Stage – 5:00 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

There are a lot of faces to Little Dragon – not literally, but sonically. They shift from tribal trip-hop to “audibly okay” synthpop to soulful electronica, sometimes in the same song – actually, almost always within each song. That’s an intriguing element to the Swedish outfit and an attribute that could work to their advantage onstage – not at Ultra, however. Blame it on the picture-perfect sunny day, or just an all too early time slot, but the genre-hopping collective just felt sort of staple. Frontwoman Yukimi Nagano exhibited the only energy onstage, playing well to a devoted audience, but her surrounding band remained tranquil throughout. The percussion-heavy jams stocking each track offered moments of interest, but overall, it just didn’t do anything for me. -Michael Roffman

12th Planet and Skrillex – UMF Brasil – 5:00 p.m

With so many DJs in one place during a long weekend, surprises were bound to happen. And few surprises could be any more explosive than a tag-team set by bass juggernauts 12th Planet and Skrillex. Not announced until the day of show, the UMF Brasil tent was packed to capacity with ravenous bassheads ready for a non-stop serious of drops and Jump Up electro-energy. The set included recent collab “Right on Time” and the raucous remix of Nero’s “Guilt”. The duo also managed to separate their individual aesthetics, 12th’s focus on the darker UK Bass and Skrill’s love for West Coast electro-house. With bass literally vibrating the room and two ill-advised drops reverberating in my headspace (Skrillex fans sure love to share), photographic evidence just couldn’t do the set justice. So, please enjoy the vid below courtesy of Bassmaxx. -Derek Staples

Metronomy – Live Stage – 6:00 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

English indie pop export Metronomy crafts flavorful electropop. Sure, it’s a genre that busted at the seams half a decade ago, but the group offers a slight spin on it: The bass takes precedence over the synths. Bassist Gbenga Adelekan’s bevy of lines undulates behind Joseph Mount’s vocals, infusing this quasi-electro funk that’s been a longtime coming for the genre – at least successfully. Through catchy, bubbly tracks like “Heartbreaker”, “Some Written”, and “Everything Goes My Way”, the group offers a tangible, catholic collection of genre shake-ups. The latter track runs off vocals by drummer Anna Prior, whose purple getup sparkled in the evening’s setting sun. Later in the set, the Live Stage erupted with smoke and pyro, after which Mount exclaimed: “There’s nothing more shocking than pyrotechnics when you don’t know they’re gonna happen.” Yeah, their surprised expressions were about as priceless as that highly aggressive jam they segued into at the end. -Michael Roffman

Duck Sauce – Main Stage – 6:45 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

No duo seem to have more fun at the decks than A-trak and Armand Van Helden (aka Duck Sauce). Backed by a massive inflatable duck, the duo resurrected smile-instigating disco tracks, keeping the mood light in the late afternoon sun. After beginning the set with “aNYway”, the visuals went dark for crowd favorite “Big Bad W0lf”. Not only did the duo turn the mix all the way down to build a tension among the crowd, they actually managed to initiate a daytime howl from the entire Main Stage audience – one that held around until set end for the hysterical “Barbara Streisand”. None of these hijinks distracted the two artists, each masterful at mixing, track selection, and working in tandem to bring the most out of one another. -Derek Staples

Carl Cox – Carl Cox Cocoon – 7:30 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

No one owns the tables like Carl Cox. A behemoth of a man, Cox counts down the transition between tracks with exaggerated arm motions, then jumps into the decks for the mixes. Often playing four or five tracks at a time, the set was deeply layered with hard dance and techno, keeping both the mind and body busy. The sensory overload continued with a visual onslaught. Lasers, mass amounts of smoke, robots, and hypnotic screen images completed the experience that was Carl Cox. The repetition of most house sets makes two hours nearly unbearable for bassheads and electro-junkies, but pulling away from the dynamics 0f the Cocoon was almost impossible. -Derek Staples

M83 – Live Stage – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

It was a short-lived dream of an epic set that never was. After attracting a mammoth crowd (the weekend’s largest for the Live Stage, at least at the time), minutes inched past eight o’clock, and yet Anthony Gonzalez and his team couldn’t be found. Instead, technicians raced about the stage, fiddling with wires and looking horrifically scatterbrained. Oddly enough, the crowd livened up – no thanks to the onstage DJ, who was relegated to essentially “babysitting” the sea of souls – and dancing ensued. Ten minutes passed, then 20, then 30, and eventually 45 minutes, most likely when M83 would have stepped offstage. However, this was when Gonzalez & Co. finally were OK’d to go on, but only to perform two cuts: “Midnight City” and “Couleurs”. The situation altogether was disappointing, but the band slapped out more energy than any act all weekend. At one point during “Couleurs”, Morgan Kibby fell to her knees as her hands just laid waste to the keys floating above her head, while newcomer Jordan Lawlor climbed up on anything he could get his feet onto, demanding the claps from the crowd. It wasn’t a great first visit to Miami for M83, but the devoted thousands who remained only proved that they’re wanted back very soon. -Michael Roffman

Justice – Main Stage – 9:40 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

The French duo’s fan base arrived in full force Saturday. From painted crosses to already-fading band shirts, one couldn’t look around without seeing some sort of allegiance to Justice. So, yeah, the Main Stage was overstuffed and continued to fluctuate as the two issued their aggro-dance-y disco to much fervor. Now, it’s easy to toss around religious connotations – you know, because of the whole cross thing – but shuffling around with thousands of fans during an extended performance of “Audio, Video, Disco” might be enough to make an atheist a true believer. The track’s greasy arena rock standards delivered all the sensationalized giddiness that one reads about in retrospectives only it felt earnest. And for a crowd that held up shirts reading “Bitches Love Bass” or, um, an inflatable penis, this was the closest thing to church they’ll ever experience; there wasn’t an ounce of negativity in the air. Justice led the procession with blunt, minimalistic force, and they exorcised any and all demons. Also, chew on this: Who else could throw in a drop as long as John Cage’s 4’33″ WHILE offering (what appeared to be) The Black Panther Salute? Not even joking. -Michael Roffman

Dillon Francis – UMF Worldwide – 10:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

If this is the ADHD generation, Dillon Francis should be its musical figurehead. Francis continually switched between bass aesthetics – from a brain-jarring remix of “Right on Time” to a Luvstep take on Rihanna’s “You Da One”, complete with the slowed-up half-time of Moombahton. When not at the knobs adding the Moombahton flair to tracks like “Me & You” by Nero or Steve Aoki’s “Keep on Dancing”, Francis kept busy interacting with the crowd, pointing to the loudest fans and making funny, sometimes overtly sarcastic, banter behind the decks. In a show of great humility, Francis welcomed stage headliner, and BBC Radio 1 tastemaker, Annie Mac onstage during the close of his set and thanked her for helping him along in his career. -Derek Staples

2manyDJs – Live Stage – 11:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

2manyDJs are truly a multi-media experience. Dressed in crisp, five-piece suits Saturday evening, David and Stephen Dewaele worked their mashup skills on tracks such as MGMT’s “Kids”, 2 Unlimited’s “Let the Beat Control Your Body”, “Master of Puppets” by Metallica, and Blur’s “Parklife”, all with absolutely hilarious takes on their album covers. The visuals were taken to the extreme for a mashup of Boyz Noise and Erol Alkan’s “Lemonade”, where the cover seemed to actually be playing tennis.

The set ended as an absolute bash. After taking the crowd to “Out of Space”, the duo performed their take on Nirvana’s “Lithium”, while the famous baby from the Nevermind cover was barraged with trash from a rather grungy pool party. And nothing closes out a set like five straight minutes of confetti floating across the live stage. -Derek Staples

Avicii – Main Stage – 11:00 p.m.

Photo by Music Obsessed.com

The Madonna rumors started circulating early on. Whispers around the park hinted that the Material Girl would be appearing onstage sometime Saturday night. She spent the day in South Beach promoting her new LP, MDNA, so why wouldn’t she stop at that little electronic festival across the bay? As with anything nowadays, it became the worst-kept secret, and pretty much everyone knew she’d be appearing with Avicii at the Main Stage.

“I’ve been here in spirit for many years, but it’s good to finally be standing on the stage, looking at all you people who have come here from all around the world,” Madonna exclaimed, after observing the evolving blanket of flesh before her. ”In my world, the words ‘music’ and ‘dance’ are not separated. Electronic music has been a part of my life since the beginning of my career. I can honestly say that a DJ saved my life.” She gushed about Avicii some more, insisting she’s a “huge fan,” and then coquettishly asked, “How many people in this crowd have seen Molly?” It all felt forced and made even more transparent once Avicii opened his set with a remix of “Girl Gone Wild”, during which Madonna stood beside him wearing her MDNA shirt.

After the whole scheme, Avicii was left to his own vices. What’s odd, however, is how much of a promotional push Avicii received at Ultra, as well. Street teams handed out I Heart Avicii pins all day, while others wore shirts with the same logo. Also, regardless of the international acclaim, it felt odd that he followed Justice, who arguably closed the night proper. Still, the Swedish DJ (who probably had everyone swooning with his choice looks) had a pretty good night. Not only did he receive a resounding endorsement from Madonna, but he also had fireworks to end his set. Basically, you’ll hear more about him this year. -Michael Roffman

Sunday, March 25th

SBTRKT – Live Stage – 3:30 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Having yet to see SBTRKT perform his self-titled album live, I was especially stoked for this set. However, after technical difficulties cut into the set time and extra time was shaved to set up for Flying Lotus, the set came and went in what seemed like 25 short minutes. SBTRKT (nee: Aaron Jerome) was joined onstage by Sampha, which was billed as SBTRKT Live, and the two brought tracks “Living Like I do”, “Pharaohs”, and “Wildfire” to life with the use of a table full of tools and a complete drum kit. Each track was edited from the album cuts, with “Wildfire” receiving a dark, two-step remix. Perhaps most surprising, other than the brevity of the show, were the vocal talents of Jerome, who performed and looped most of his vocals live. -Derek Staples

Flying Lotus – Live Stage – 4:40 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Flying Lotus (born Steven Ellison) has always crafted a unique style of low-end-heavy, beat-driven, instrumental hip-hop. On Sunday, those beats received some lyrical flow courtesy of Brainfeeder’s Azizi Gibson. Flylo even showcased two of the tracks he produced for the up-and-coming emcee. The effort was noble, but Flylo’s production had enough depth and power on its own to outshine the freestyle attempts of Gibson. One unexpected bass drop alone had enough force to blow Gibson’s nonsensical verses backstage. Flylo continued to show some love for another young rapper, Odd Future’s Tyler, The Creator and his demented “Yonkers”. But Flylo didn’t just let the track play out, chopping the track up to add 8-bit elements and a boosted bottom end. To finish the set, Flylo went hard, cuing up Waka Flocka Flame’s ”Hard in da Paint”.

Minor note to Ellison: Fans understand the need to promote, but please leave Gibson in LA next time. Or just have him make a little less noise over the delicate, complex nature of your productions. -Derek Staples

Magnetic Man – Live Stage – 6:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Following Skream + Benga’s high-energy Saturday performance, fans of the UK brethren just weren’t sure what to expect of Magnetic Man’s Sunday evening performance. Joined by producer Artwork, the set was exemplary of the more melodic side of UK Bass. Once again joined by Sgt Pokes, the emcee’s gruff vocals added harsh contrast to the project’s more atmospheric tones, especially during “Getting Nowhere”, which featured the vocals of John Legend. The three-piece settled into a trance-like dub production style until Pokes asked the audience if they wanted to jump, which sent Magnetic Man into a frenzy of darting synths and ratcheting bass lines. Magnetic Man saved their most recognizable tracks, “I Need Air” and “Perfect Stranger”, until the crowd reached full capacity nearing the ending of the set. To cap off the epic performance, Katy B joined the guys onstage and sang “Perfect Stranger”, complete with booming fan interaction.

Bloody Beetroots DJ Set – Live Stage – 7:20 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

The founder of the Bloody Beetroots, Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo, once publicly pondered on his genre, settling on the term Contemporary Electronic Dance Music. But when it comes to his DJ sets alongside Tommie Tea, the sound is simply clashing electro-house at its finest. Be it dancing, jumping, or moshing, it’s almost impossible to be still when SBCR is donning the black Spider-man mask behind the controller. With the sun setting, the redesigned stage setup took full effect for bangers “Warp 1.9″, “Push the Tempo”, and the metal-infused “Church of Noise”. After nearly an hour of mayhem, BBR changed course to end the set, jumping down from behind their wall of lights to spin the Isley Brothers and “Shout” with the audience. -Derek Staples

Chase and Status – Live Stage – 8:45 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

After 27 hours of electronic music, Chase and Status were like the deathblow to any remaining grey matter. Saul Milton and Will Kennard produce some of the darkest, most intricate drum and bass, half time, and drumstep around. Combine that with the abilities of live drummer Andy Gangadeen, the guitar skills of Milton, plus the vocal assault of MC Rage, and you have arguably the most entertaining live bass music outfit currently around. What separates Chase and Status is their ability as musicians, not simply producers. “No More Idols” had an amazing build and melody, and just when the song was about to reach its peak, we were blasted back into our seats with the intensity of the bass. As Milton joked, “This is the Unites States of Bass, and we salute you Chase and Status.” -Derek Staples

Armin Van Buuren – Main Stage – 10:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Between 2007 and 2010, the Netherlands’ Armin Van Buuren held the crown as the world’s number one DJ. Through his “A State of Trance” podcast, Van Buuren has introduced countless electronic fans to the freshest in trance music and also helped shape the style of the genre. If Sunday night’s set was any indicator, lush, vocal trance is a thing of yesteryear, replaced by hard-hitting techno phrasing, periodic sub-bass lines, and the occasional sing-along vocal loop. To add to the communal nature of his music, nearly all of the words for the tracks were displayed across the L.E.D. panels of Ultra’s Main Stage. No track received a bigger rise from the audience than The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside”, which was accompanied  by a bright, yellow techno smiley face on the massive screens.

The set was not only a celebration of trance, but a massive party for the international electronic music community. Flags from around the globe could be seen with a simple turn of the head, “hellos” and “I love yous” were shared in a myriad of languages, and thousands of people danced like fools together as if no borders, feuds, or wars existed. During that one hour, people could lose themselves within those repetitive beats, content with the pure happiness that had settled over the massive Bayfront Park crowd. -Derek Staples

Gallery

Photographers: Cap Blackard, Matt Rainey, and Derek Staples

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The Osheaga Music and Arts Festival returns to Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau from August 3-5th. The Black Keys, Snoop Dogg, Sigur Rós, and Justice top this year’s bill, and they’ll be joined by MGMT, Florence and the Machine, The Weeknd, Bloc Party, M83, Franz Ferdinand, Metric, and Garbage.

Also playing are Passion Pit, Yeasayer, City and Colour, Brand New, Young the Giant, Portugal. the Man, The Walkmen, ASAP Rocky, Zola Jesus, Atlas Sound, Amadou & Mariam, Black Lips, Little Dragon, Calexico, The Black Angels, Gary Clark Jr., The Ravonettes, Of Monsters and Men, Kathleen Edwards, Austra, Tame Impala, Zeus, The Death Set, Freelance Whales, Michael Kiwanuka, Bombay Bicycle Club, Plants and Animals, Madeon, and Zeds Dead, among others. Check out the lineup in poster form below.

Additional acts and the daily lineup will be revealed in April, and you can stay up to date with all the latest Osheaga news at our Festival Outlook.

Three-day passes will go on sale Friday, March 23rd at Noon ET. Visit the festival’s website for complete ticketing info.

Unknowingly, for the rest of the night I had subscribed to a different electronic-music subculture that has traded its neon for leather and glowsticks for holding up the horns in the air. I felt as if I’d been welcomed into a strange family whose members will wrap their arm around a complete stranger to jump with them non-stop for two hours. And hell, I liked it. To the unknowing observer, the crowd at London’s O2 Brixton Academy may have been attending some sort of strange religious gathering, a good deal of the audience sporting home-made cross shirts or even cross tattoos. Sometimes they didn’t even clap during a break, instead they opted to cross their arms in the air.

However, saying I’d walked into some weird religious ceremony wouldn’t be entirely inaccurate. It seemed the crowd had been waiting to see Justice long enough to warrant considering the audience were waiting for their messiah to return. When a melody would kick in on any of the tracks, the audience turned crunchy electronic sounds into chants and wails as if they were in some strange industrial choir.

Barring my cultural-anthropologist approach to identifying how homogenous and dedicated this crowd was, let’s move onto music. Listen, I know some people didn’t like Audio, Video, Disco, me included. And I know it’s not justification to say a live-show validates an album, but at least this live show gives the album some context. It became apparent that Justice may have built the album around a combination of different influences but also built it around the idea of meshing the new music with the heavier sounds from Cross. The “Imperial March”-stomp of “Genesis” opened the show, and its sister song “Horsepower” blended perfectly with it. The screechy prog guitars over the booming orchestration blended, as it would continue to for the rest of the night. In fact, the only song that didn’t get the treatment of being combined with another was “Audio Video Disco” which closed the set in all its untouched glory.

Also, if the rumors of Justice not actually live-DJing their set are still floating around the internet, let’s dispel those. Not only did the two members seem completely engaged in fiddling with knobs, MPC’s, and other things I can’t name, but they even had breaks where they’d play pianos or synthesizers. However, I was a tad disappointed by the lack of pressing play and smoking a cigarette exhibited by Gaspard and Xavier.

As expected, the lighting rig was great. Simple when it needed to be just the cross, and seizure inducing balls-to-the-wall strobe sessions during powerhouses like “Phantom Pt. 2.” And, LED ridden Marshall-Stacks? Awesome.

All in all, great crowd, great production, and one of the greatest and most original live electronic acts around made for a very sensory overloading and engaging two-hour set. I’d always been under the impression that Justice were the DJ’s for the indie kids (other than Daft Punk); however, if groups of 6000+ people keep seeing them nightly at their shows, hopefully that’ll change.

Primavera Sound returns to Barcelona, Spain from May 30th to June 3rd. Acts like The Cure, Björk, Jeff Mangum, Wilco, Justice, Death Cab For Cutie, Franz Ferdinand, Spiritualized, The Afghan Whigs, The xx, Mazzy Star, Yo La Tengo, Beach House, ASAP Rocky, araabMUZIK, and Neon Indian have already been announced.

Today, the festival revealed the rest of its 2012 bill and new highlights include Refused, Rufus Wainwright, Beirut, Chavez, The Pop Group, Atlas Sound, Laura Marling, Sharon Van Etten, The Rapture, Wavves, Danny Brown, Black Lips, Lee Ranaldo, Hype Williams, Kings of Convenience, Archers of Loaf, Dirty Three, The Wedding Present (performing Seamonsters) Girls, Real Estate, The War on Drugs, Saint Etienne, Richard Hawley, Iceage, Japandroids, Thee Oh Sees, Death Grips, Trash Talk, Bleached, Friends, Dirty Beaches, Lower Dens, The Field, Field Music, and Obits. In addition, Big Star’s Jody Stephens, R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, and others will come together for a special performance of Big Star’s Third. Check out our Festival Outlook to see the complete lineup.

Festival tickets are now on sale for 180 € (+ booking fee), however, the price will increase to 190 € beginning February 4th. Visit the festival’s website for complete ticketing information.

As previously reported, the organizers of Primavera Sound are also launching a sister festival in Porto, Portugal called Optimus Primavera Sound. Acts include Björk, Jeff Mangum, Death Cab For Cutie, Spiritualized, Explosions in the Sky, The Afghan Whigs, The xx, The Walkmen, and more. Check out our Festival Outlook for additional info.

This week’s annunciation of the Academy Award nominees has me in an award-giving mood. I don’t claim our weekly Top Tens are an award, per se, but these tracks did beat out a bunch of others from a week that was stacked with good mp3s, and that’s gotta be worth something. When Arctic Monkeys covering Katy B doesn’t make the final cut, you know you’ve got some pretty good candidates. Maybe it was by that same rationale that the academy didn’t grace My Week With Marilyn with a Best Picture nod. But some part of me doubts that War Horse has any place on that list. Has the world gone mad? Is anyone listening? Anyway, the awards go to…

- Winston Robbins
Senior Staff Writer 

Buried Beds – “Children of the Sea”

On the heels of their just-released short film Small Stories, Philadelphia chamber-poppers Buried Beds offer up ”Children of the Sea”, one of several live recordings on the Small Stories EP that accompanies the DVD. A gorgeous, rollicking introduction to the group’s nimble instrumentation and gorgeous harmonies, it’s a promising first listen to the group’s upcoming third LP. Expect big things from Buried Beds, who’ve previously shared the stage with The Head and the Heart and Dr. Dog. -WR

Cold War Kids – “There Is A War” (Leonard Cohen cover)

In anticipation of Leonard Cohen’s twelfth studio album, Old Ideas, Cults, Greg Dulli and numerous others have or are putting out covers of their favorite songs from the singer-songwriter. Tack the Cold War Kids onto that list with this stellar, surprisingly funky rework of the New Skin for the Old Ceremony deep cut ”There Is A War”. -WR

First Aid Kit feat. Conor Oberst – “King of the World”

If an album comes out and contains a track that we hadn’t heard prior to its release, does that track still maintain eligibility for Top Ten status?  Yes it does! Some of the best tracks of all time are located in the dark, dusty corners of albums. This little ditty comes off First Aid Kit’s Lion’s Roar, which dropped earlier this week. The final track is an upbeat piece with a cameo from Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst that comes out of left field in the best way possible. -WR

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Grouper – “Demona” (Dead Moon cover)

With “Demona”, Liz Harris, aka Grouper, gets a head start at beating her 2011 tally of two LPs, an EP and a handful of randomly released songs. Treated with the typically exorbitant levels of reverb that have become synonymous with Grouper, the ghosted track is apparently a cover of Portland punk-rockers Dead Moon’s “Demona“, though I bet the band would have a hard time telling. Breathtaking all the same, though. -MC

Justice – “On’n'On” (Rick Rubin remix)

Justice’s fairly underrated sophomore album Audio, Video, Disco was packed with hard-hitting club moments, but “On’n'On” was not one of them. The French duo has decided to release the single with four remixes done by Tiga, Erol Alkan, Video Village, and Rick Rubin. The last listed is the one that tickled our fancy, with the Beastie Boy producer turning “On’n'On” from a slow, dull march to a full on banger worthy of your soundsystem. The single is out Jan. 30th. -WR

Miike Snow feat. Lykke Li – “Black Tin Box”

I’ve never been to Sweden, but whatever’s in the water there seems to endow one with the gift of pop genius (see: Robyn, Max Martin, ABBA, The Knife/Fever Ray, The Tallest Man On Earth etc.). One of the nation’s brightest stars as of late, the lovely Lykke Li, teams up for with another indie pop trio Miike Snow to keep the legacy with this, the brilliant third single off of the latter’s soon-to-be-released LP. Happy to You, Miike Snow’s second full-length, will be released March 27th on Downtown/Universal. -MC

PO PO – “Final Fight”

Hat tip to Stereogum on sniffing out PO PO, some of the most promising noise/psych rock I’ve heard in a long time. The Philly-based duo is set to release their debut LP, Dope Boy Magick, later this year via Diplo’s Mad Decent imprint – a strong indication of the quality of the music. “Final Fight” is a noisy, drum driven machine that rocks as hard as it trips, and really, isn’t that what psych-rock should be all about? –MC

PO PO – “Final Fight”

SBTRKT – “Atomic Peace”

Once again, the rules of eligibility are called into question for our mp3 column. If a track was conceived in 2009, but never released until earlier this week, should it still be eligible? My ethics are saying yes. Or maybe it’s my ears. SBTRKT dazzles yet again as “Atomic Peace” pumps in and out with a rhythm that sticks to your ribs. Even in 2009, he was carving out his unique sound that you hear today.  -WR

Trust – “Sulk”

Fresh off her success behind the kit for Austra, Maya Postepski will release her debut LP as Trust with Robert Alfons next month. “Sulk”, the last song on the album is a four minute sprawl of moody synths and a hammering, dancefloor-ready backbeat. TRST is due out February 28th on Arts & Crafts. -MC

Young Magic – “Night In The Ocean”

Dream pop seems to be trending at the moment. The vast numbers of up and coming artists with a Dream Pop sensibility are enough to make one’s head spin, but this is a band that ventures to play with genre crossovers. Young Magic’s “Night In The Ocean” has all the familiar otherworldly beats and chords of your standard Shoegaze, but it’s not until the vocals set in that you get a glimpse at why Young Magic is so special. With Beck in slow motion-like intonation and a sweeping chorus of “It’s just another night in the ocean”, Young Magic prove again why they deserve another moment of our attention. -MC

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Rick Rubin’s name can often be found printed next to the word “Producer” on albums for Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys, and Weezer. His latest venture, however, sees him take on the role of remixer. Rubin has reworked Justice’s new single “On’n'On”, and the end result appears as a b-side on the January 30th digital release. You can also stream the remix below (via Stereogum).

Erol Alkan, Tiga, and Video Village also made remixes and those tracks appear alongside Rubin’s. And it all comes wrapped (*digitally*) in that NSFW artwork.

Grab your best spacesuit, ’cause Justice‘s video for “On’n'On”, the latest single from last year’s Audio, Video, Disco, is a brain-melting trip around the Galaxy Justice. With direction by Alexandre Courtes, this intergalactic road trip features shots of naked woman (and by naked we mean exposed internal organs), multi-colored clouds of smoke and light, asteroid belts of massive skulls, a man with slightly more than 1,000 faces, and a giant sword with clearly peaceful intentions. Strap in and prepare for blast-off.

On January 17th, The Rapture will release a three-track EP featuring remixes of their single “Sail Away” by Cut Copy, Aeroplane, and Cosmic Kids. Right now, you can stream all three tracks below.

The Cut Copy remix is a particularly mesmerizing example of musical schizophrenia. At some eight minutes long, the synth powerhouse is comprised of various sonic bits and pieces, like the faint rumbles of disco bass, random, quirky electro noises, shreds of some mutated congo beat, and even a dash of classical piano. It’s a trip through dance music’s history, right there in your headphones.

The Sail Away EP is out January 17th via DFA. The band’s latest LP, In The Grace Of Your Love, is available now.

Along with the EP, The Rapture have announced a pair of dates with Justice around the two acts’ respective sets at this year’s Coachella Music Festival. Check out the itinerary below.

The Rapture 2012 Tour Dates:
01/18 – Bogotoa, CO @ Armando Records
01/19 – Bogota, CO @ Armando Records
01/21 – San Jose, CR @ Giralda
01/24 – Santiago, CL @ Industria Cultural
01/25 – Sao Paulo, BR @ Cine Joia
01/27 – Rio de Janeiro, BR @ Ciroco Voador
01/28 – Porto Alegre, BR @ Atlantida Beach
01/30 – Buenos Aires, AR @ Groove
02/27 – Osaka, JP @ Umeda Akaso
02/28 – Tokyo, JP @ Duo Music Exchange
03/03 – Brisbane, AU @ Future Music Festival
03/04 – Perth, AU @ Future Music Festival
03/10 – Sydney, AU @ Future Music Festival
03/11 – Melbourne, AU @ Future Music Festival
03/12 – Adelaide, AU @ Future Music Festival
04/13 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/17 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater *
04/19 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Cosmopolitan *
04/20 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/25 – Lyon, FR @ Transbordeur
04/26 – Paris, FR @ Olympia
04/27 – Toulouse, FR @ Bikini
04/28 – Bourges, FR @ Les Printemps de Bourges
04/29 – Dijon, FR @ Vapeur
05/01 – Oxford, UK @ O2 Academy
05/02 – London, UK @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire
05/05 – Groningen, NL @ Liberation Festival
05/06 – Utrecht, NL @ Tivoli
05/08 – Dusseldorf, DE @ Zakk
05/09 – Frankfurt, DE @ Cocoon Club
05/10 – Berlin, DE @ Lido
05/11 – Brussels, BE @ Les Nuits Botaniques
05/12 – Laval, FR @ 3 Elephants Festival

* = w/ Justice

Other notables include St. Vincent, Arctic Monkeys, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, Justice, Mazzy Star, M83, Explosions in the Sky, Childish Gambino, Flying Lotus, Destroyer, Cat Power, Madness, SBTRKT, Beirut, Amon Tobin, DJ Shadow, fIREHOSE, Miike Snow, The Rapture, M. Ward, Jimmy Cliff with Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong, The Horrors, Buzzcocks, James, EMA, Girls, tUnE-yArDs, and more.

The lineup also packs Wild Flag, ASAP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Neon Indian, Santigold, Modeselektor, The Big Pink, Wu Lyf, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, The Head and the Heart, Laura Marling, Company Flow, AraabMUZIK, Kaskade, Le Butcherettes, Real Estate, Wild Beasts, La Roux, Thundercat, Azealia Banks, Kasabian, Goyte, Manchester Orchestra, Black Lips, Atari Teenage Riot, and more. Check out the full lineup below or at our Festival Outlook.

Update: Tickets go on sale Friday, January 13th at 10:00 AM PT. According to Pop & Hiss, three-day passes are $285, three-day with shuttle are $335, and VIP are $665.

Other notable acts include Skrilex, Duck Sauce, 2manydjs, Groove Armada (DJ Set), Flux Pavilion, Carl Cox, Armin Van Buuren, Kaskade, Bassnectar, Chase and Status, The Bloody Beetroots, A-Trak, Laidback Luke, Little Dragon, Neon Indian, SBTRKT, Flying Lotus, Miike Snow, and Pretty Lights.

Also on the bill are Fedde Le Grand, Knife Party, Steve Aoki, Magnetic Man, Zeds Dead, Porter Robinson, Sven Vath, Sander Van Doorn, Borgore, Doctor P, Metronomy, Jack Beats, 12th Planet, Skream! + Benga, Steve Lawler, Joris Voorn, Katy B, and more. Check out the entire first phase, broken down by day, in poster form below. And stay tuned to our Festival Outlook for additional lineup news and updates.

Three-day and VIP passes, priced at $299.95 and $599.95, respectively, are now on sale. Visit the festival’s website for complete ticketing info.

Justice have scheduled a U.S. spring tour behind their recently released sophomore LP, Audio, Video, Disco. The leg commences with a pair of shows in New York City on March 16th and 17th and wraps up in Vancouver on April 26th. Tickets go on sale Friday, December 2nd via Ticketmaster/LiveNation.

Below, you can find Justice’s entire tour schedule, which also includes dates in Australia, Japan, and Europe throughout much of early 2012. Further down you’ll find the duo’s video for the album’s title track.

Justice 2011-2012 Tour Dates:
12/31 – Adelaide, AU @ Summadayze *
01/01 – Sydney, AU @ Field Day
01/02 – Gold Coast, AU @ Field Day
01/03 – Perth, AU @ Summadayze
01/06 – Melbourne, AU @ Festival Hall
01/10 – Osaka, KP @ Hatch
01/11 – Tokyo, JP @ Zepp
01/12 – Tokyo, JP @ Zepp
01/27 – Clermont, FR @ La Cooperative de Mai
01/28 – Toulouse, FR @ Le Bikini
01/31 – Lille, FR @ Aeronef
02/01 – Nantes, FR @ Stereolux
02/02 – Caen, FR @ Le Cargo
02/04 – Paris, FR @ Olympia
02/09 – Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy
02/10 – Brixton, UK @ O2 Academy
02/11 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
02/12 – Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy
02/13 – Manchester, UK @ Academy
02/22 – Berlin, DE @ ColumbiaHalle
02/24 – Munich, DE @ Kesselhaus
02/25 – Zurich, CH @ DigitalMaag
02/27 – Luxembourg @ Rockhal
02/28 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
03/01 – Copenhagen, DK @ Falkoner
03/02 – Stockholm, SE @ Annexet
03/03 - Gothenburg, SE @ Tradgar’n
03/05 – Brussels, BE @ AB
03/16 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
03/17 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
03/19 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
03/20 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
03/21 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
03/22 – Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
04/17 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
04/19 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Pool, The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas
04/24 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
04/25 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
04/26 – Vancouver, BC @ Forum
06/22-24 – Scheeßel & Neuhausen ob Eck, DE @ Hurricane & Southside Festivals
06/28 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter

* = DJ Set

“Audio, Video, Disco”:

Here’s something to compliment the yams: Lupe Fiasco has finally dropped his long-in-the-works mixtape, Friend Of The People. The effort was first announced back in December 2009 for an Xmas release, but was shelved when Fiasco decided to go climb Mount Kilimanjaro with Jessica Biel. However, the rapper has now resurrected the project to serve as a temporarily stopgap as he gears up for his next LP, Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album. 

In addition to its inexplicable artwork (see above), the 12-track effort includes some big-name samples, with Fiasco working in M83′s “Midnight City”, Ellie Goulding’s “Lights”, and The Glitch Mob’s “Bad Wings”. He also samples Justice on two separates occasions, including “On’n'On” in what has to be the best track title of 2011: ”WWJD He’d Prolly LOL Like WTF!!!”.

Grab your copy of the mixtape here. Below, we have a stream of the M83-sampling “The End Of The World” as well as the tracklist.

“The End Of The World”:

Friend Of The People Tracklist:
01. Introduction (Nero ’2808′)
02. Lupe Back (Nero ‘Doomsday’)
03. Friend of the People (feat. Dosage) (Sebastian ‘Jack Wire’)
04. Double Burger with Cheese (Justice ‘Ohio’)
05. Joaquin Phoenix (feat. Lil Ronnie)
06. WWJD He’d Prolly LOL Like WTF!!! (Justice ‘On’n'On’)
07. Lightwork (Ellie Goulding & Bassnectar ‘Lights’ remix)
08. Life, Death & Love From San Francisco (John Coltrane ‘Love Supreme’)
09. SLR
10. SNDCLsH In Vegas (Kaskade & Skrillex ‘Lick It’)
11. Super Cold (The Glitch Mob ‘Bad Wings’)
12. The End Of The World (M83 ‘Midnight City’)

Audio, Video, Disco is a different beast entirely. Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay (Justice) toured extensively and took their precious time (to the tune of four years) in the studio for this go around. It was a much more practiced, focused pair than the hungry up and comers that entered the studio back in 2007. The result? Justice have successfully crafted a no-nonsense dance album that incorporates an aesthetic seen far too infrequently in the genre: fluidity.

In a genre that lives and dies by ultra one-off hits, a truly “great” dance album is sometimes difficult to come by. An album with a mega hit and one or two more decent songs is all that is required of artists in the world of dance music. But from the beginning Justice have been far from the average.

We’ll get it out of the way – there is no “D.A.N.C.E.” on this album. But as it turns out, that’s what makes it more cohesive than its predecessor. Whether it’s the harrowing, guitar-laden “Canon”, the dance floor bound “Civilzation”, or the simplistic baby-maker “Ohio”, this entire album is fraught with moments that will have you dancing around like a pants-less Tom Cruise in Risky Business.

It maintains a high octane pace for the majority of the album, largely due to the guitar-heavy sampling, their homage to late ’70s arena rock. “Parade”, while the obvious runt of the litter, may very well be a riff stolen from Queen guitarist Brian May’s personal collection. The intro to “Horsepower” could have easily been the intro to any Styx song circa 1975. The sounds are uncanny. And, as luck would have it, vintage arena rock and modern electronic are a winning combination. It’s quite a new look for Justice, but it’s one that fits like a glove. Their sense of grandeur has never been quite at home in the dingy dance club setting, and while this album won’t get them inside arenas, it certainly has the gargantuan sound that would sonically fill Madison Square Garden.

The album takes a noticeable dip six tracks in that’s hard to overlook. “On‘n’On” is a slight deviation from the album’s focus, and while it’s a pleasant listen, it’s the gateway drug to mediocrity. Immediately following on the tracklist is “Brianvision”, a slow, repetitious guitar-driven inclusion that pales in comparison to the others that surround it. “Brianvision” eventually turns to the aforementioned “Parade”, which feels like a very dismal take on “We Will Rock You”.

Fortunately, the album leaps out of the doldrums and regains success with the infectious chorus of “Newlands”, one of the best tracks here. Augé and de Rosnay then take the record in the way that most Justice fans should be familiar with: a massive closer. The title track “Audio, Video, Disco” bids the listeners farewell with a lavish sendoff filled to capacity with equal parts charm and precision.

And though the album is not without its share of flaws, Audio, Video, Disco provides just enough evidence to hint that Justice may be the dance act to eventually lead this generation. There is no mega hit here; surely nothing that will eclipse “D.A.N.C.E.”, but that’s why it works. They’ve crafted a cohesive sophomore effort in a world that doesn’t require cohesion, setting them apart from their many, many peers. That’s admirable.

Essential Tracks: “Civilization”, “Ohio”, and “Newlands”

Starting today, fans everywhere can stream Justice’s sophomore LP, Audio, Video, Disco, in full. Over 11 Euro-fried electronic tracks, those TPS reports and/or bland cup of coffee can become something else entirely – a wildly refreshing dance party. Catch it below now (via NME) and put on those dancing shoes. That is, if they match your khaki slacks and autumn skirts.

Audio, Video, Disco hits stores October 25th via Ed Banger.

Over the weekend, The Creators Project took over a six block strip in Dumbo, Brooklyn, turning an old tobacco factory and an underpass of the Manhattan Bridge into performance areas, where Florence and the Machine, Justice (in DJ set form), Company Flow, Atlas Sound, ASAP Rocky, and more provided a non-stop barrage of sound.

The event also featured two days of art exhibitions, curated by household names like Spiritualized, Animal Collective, Black Dice, and even David Bowie; film screenings; and the premiere of Karen O.’s Stop the Virgens opera. Below, you can find photos of all this and more, courtesy of CoS photographer Nate Slevin.

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Here we are, concluding yet another long week in the chapter of each of our lives. It’s been tough. We lost Steve Jobs, the Yankees choked [ed. not everyone views this as "tough"], and Ashton and Demi are getting divorced. One might want to see what the bottom of a bottle of Jack looks like after a week like this, but I urge you not to do that. Take a little nip if you must, but let our mp3s this week be a helping hand out of the maudlin haze and back up into the saddle, so you’ll be ready to face another long week in the endless succession of long weeks that will make up our long lives.

-Winston Robbins
Senior Staff Writer

Black Taxi – “Tightrope”

This song has has taken up residence on my portable music player, not just because it’s a solid track but because this extended summer we’re having in Chicago needs a themesong. “Tightrope” works nicely in this more poppy garage re-revival track. -JL

Bon Iver – “With God On Our Side”

Don’t forget that everyone covers Bob Dylan because he wrote good songs. And don’t forget  Bon Iver/Justin Vernon has a whole fakebook full of covers at the ready. This song makes too much sense. -JL

Bon Iver – “With God On Our Side” (Bob Dylan cover)

Boris – “Spoon”

The fecundity of Boris tunes this year alone is noteworthy, not to mention that their forthcoming album titled fucking obviously New Album is their third release in 2011, but also their fifteenth of their career. Hearing these Japanese stalwarts play around with pop, noise, drone, and metal has been one of the delights of my year, and  their “extreme pop” here continues the trend. -WR

Boris – “Spoon”

Common – “Blue Sky”

Known for his uplifting, conscientious rhymes, Chicago MC/actor Common takes his work in the exosphere with the ELO-sampling, No I.D.-produced single, “Blue Sky”. The bragadocious nature of hip-hop is given a slice of humble pie thanks to Common’s pious street poetry and a truly elated beat. What’s that they say about the sky being the limit? -CC

Daughter – “Home”

A few weeks back, we dropped a new Daughter track, and it went over pretty well. We’re confident this one will do the same -WR

Justice – “Audio, Video, Disco” Preview

This one’s sort of just like a 4-minute mash-up/straight punch to the face. It’s not technically an mp3 but rather a bunch of samples from the real mp3s of one of this year’s most anticipated albums, Audio, Video, Disco. A gift from the gods. -WR

Memory Tapes – “Slaughtered”

This track begins in some blessed-out head shop, travels to the world of a dark 80s dance club, does a bunch of coke, and then becomes a funky commentary on the 80s dance club era all during its 23-minute lifespan. That’s what we in the “biz” like to call a “Corey Feldman”. “Corey Feldman” away, everyone. -WR

Memory Tapes – Slaughtered

Kendrick Lamar – “Cloud 10″ (Produced by Nosaj Thing)

I’ve said it since I first stumbled upon Nosaj Thing’s music: Nosaj Thing needs to produce some major hip-hop beats. And here we are. He did a beat on Busdriver and Nocando’s Flash Bang Grenada, and now he’s got a cut with hip-hop quick riser Kendrick Lamar. -WR

Lana Del Ray – “Video Games” (Jamie Woon Remix)

Jamie Woon just gave us another reason to fawn over Lana Del Ray. Like we needed more reasons. -WR

Polinski – “Tangents”

Awww, Daft Punk and Explosions in the Sky had a kid! The actual beat is mixed so low that the track feels like more of a space-gaze extra-planetary trip in a slipstream than a French banger, but I like the curious subtleties and the not-so-obvious genre mashups. Polinski is filling a heretofore empty interstellar dance hall/trance pod in my heart. -JL

Justice’s long-awaited sophomore album, Audio, Video, Disco, arrives October 24th via Ed Banger Records. Here’s what it sounds like as a condensed, four-minute medley:

Perfect for anyone that’s part of the ADHD generation, amirite? However, folks looking for full-length listens can hear previously unveiled album cuts “Civilization”, “Helix”, and the title track by clicking on their respective links. The titles of the album’s other seven tracks are underneath.

Audio, Video, Disco Tracklist:
01. Horsepower
02. Civilization
03. Ohio
04. Canon (Interlude)
05. Canon
06. On’n’on
07. Brianvision
08. Parade
09. Newlands
10. Helix
11. Audio, Video, Disco
12. Planisphère (iTunes bonus)

The old saying goes that the third time’s the charm, but what if the previous two instances were actually pretty good? Such is the case for the track “Helix”, the third cut to appear from French electro duo Justice‘s upcoming album Audio, Video, Disco. Following “Civilization” and the title track, “Helix”, which previously dropped in snippet form, is another wonderfully rock-steady cut from the group’s highly-anticipated sophomore LP. Check out out below via 107.7 The End.

Audio, Video, Disco arrives in stores on October 25th via Ed Banger Records.

Fall means at least two things to me: football and listening to music at a different temperature. Walking outside first thing in the morning and hearing Zola Jesus when it’s 57 degrees out is entirely different than when it’s a milky 93 degrees. (Sorry, southern California. Ya’ll got blackouts and heat waves now?). Where warm weather lifts the burden of a song, cold weather adds gravity to it. Summer songs are trickling off now, and whilst I enjoy that fiscal freedom where there’s no heat or air conditioning bills, I’m beginning to dust off those droning, foreboding bummer jams to keep me company for the winter ahead. Summery pop sounds especially frivolous against the fall breeze; everything is more serious. Even these intros, apparently.

-Jeremy D. Larson
Content Director 

Kathleen Edwards – “Wapusk” (Feat. Bon Iver)

I’ve been sitting in a newly repainted room for the past couple hours, and the paint fumes may or may not be having a direct effect on why I’m so into this mp3 at this particular moment. But even before the fumes set in, I knew this was a track I’d be including. Full transparency: I only listened to this track because it said Bon Iver on it, and now I’m totally ashamed. I should have been a little more focused on Kathleen Edwards, who will take your heart and crush it to pieces, only to put it all back together again, leaving you one very happy individual. Reportedly, Edwards recorded this in Vernon’s studio on his nylon-stringed guitar, and just like that the song was born. To clarify, Vernon does appear on the track, providing some backing vocals, but he acted mostly as a producer. At any rate, check it out. You’ll be glad you did. -WR

Justice – “Audio, Video, Disco”

It’s going to be a hallmark year in the de Rosnay and Augé households this fall. Not only are they going to follow up their masterpiece of a debut, †, with Audio, Video, Disco, they’re doing it cryptically and systematically, which makes it more fun for everyone involved. After dropping bits and pieces of their first single, “Civilization”, we started receiving word that another was on the way. A live unveiling of “Audio, Video, Disco” began hitting YouTube a week or so back, and now we have the actual studio, followed by one of my favorite music videos this year. It may not be as in-your-face, get-out-of-your-chair-and-dance invoking as “D.A.N.C.E.” was, but it’s teeming with energy and will have no problem winning crowds over across the world as Justice continue to plot their domination. -WR

Los Campesinos! – “By Your Hand”

Everybody, now! “By your hand is the only end I foresee.” Can’t help but fall top over tail for this track; there’s something about resigned fate coupled with indie twee shout choruses that makes me feel like I’m finally understood. -JL

Los Campesinos! – “By Your Hand”

M83 – “Intro” (Feat. Zola Jesus)

For those who haven’t yet heard M83’s blazing album opener with vocals compliments of Zola Jesus, it will blow you away. For those who have, let’s all take a second and just admire what a triumphant introduction this is into the journey that is Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. -WR

Modeselektor – “Shipwreck” (Feat. Thom Yorke), “This” (Feat. Thom Yorke), “Pretentious Friends” (Feat. Busdriver)

Well, you see, I was just gonna include German electronic duo Modeselektor’s collaboration with L.A. emcee Busdriver, but then Thom Yorke took over the internet, as he is prone to doing. So this is a three-for-one deal. Not only do you get to hear both tracks that feature Thom Yorke from Modeselektor’s forthcoming effort, but you can also get your rap fill. Now everybody say, “Thank you, Modeselektor.” I don’t want to say which I like best just yet, but “Shipwrecked” is going to blow your mind. -WR

“Shipwreck (Feat. Thom Yorke)”

“This (Feat. Thom Yorke)”

“Pretentious Friends (Feat. Busdriver)”

Robin Pecknold – “I Let You”

For those of you who aren’t totally Fleet Fox-ed out, we’ve got another cut for you. No word on whether it’s just a solo track that belongs to Robin Pecknold or if we should log this away as a future Fleet Foxes release. Regardless, it’s here. Courtesy of 107.7, stream the track below. It’s a slow, haunting, acoustic track that deals with the usual subject matter: longing, some unnamed characters, and a whole lot of descriptive scenery. -WR

Psychic Ills – “Hazed Dream”

I had a phaser pedal once, and its egregious use on this track is the only real way to use the effect — a smokey backdrop for a lolling psych dream. A slight dream, though, like those pre-somnia lucid ones that don’t quite get away from you. Lead singer of the NYC-based group Tres Warren chose to describe the feeling of the new album as such: “Getting back to something. Feeling a feeling. Shaking out the NY brain boil. Movin’ away from some old bad vibes, by creating some new good ones. Dreaming out the bad. Takin’ it easy on ourselves, and those around us.” There room on that vibe train for one more? -JL

PUJOL – “Mayday”

The sarcastic snarl of Daniel Pujol matches the syncs right up with the pile of bluesy trash that backs him. It truly is filthy, beastly, and brief, and it could underscore any number of montages from fraternal reveries in the back of a pickup truck. But “This song,” Pujol says, “is about my friend Richard Houston attaining maximum grooviness by harnessing different viewpoints to gain a clearer perspective aside from feigning teenage omniscience.” I remember that first joint, too. -JL

WU LYF – “Go Tell Fire (reprise)”

One of my favorite albums of the year gets an alternate ending and some commentary:  ”This cut was always meant to end Go Tell Fire to the Mountain, trail in after “heavy pop” fades. But we couldn’t figure it right; took 10 months of perspective to conclude, Elle rearranged and recorded it last night…” Listen here -JL

Zola Jesus – “Seekir”

The second track from Zola Jesus’s forthcoming album on Sacred Bones — who, as you may notice from Sacred Bone’s previous entry on this list, currently have the most aesthetically pleasing cover layout for a record label around — pairs mood and rhythm in a dark corridor with Nika Roza Danilova’s round voice filling every corner. It’s eerie the way the synths behind the beat sound like they’re playing a totally different ball game, the way pop music should be. -JL

Right above is the artwork for Justice’s new album, Audio, Video, Disco. My nightmares of having to find the keystroke for † continue.

Audio, Video, Disco arrives October 25th via Ed Banger Records. The French electro duo is also releasing a digitial EP based around the album’s title track on September 26th. It will feature a b-side called “Helix” along with remixes from Para One and Mickey Moonlight.

The recently unveiled video for the album’s title track is available for your viewing below.

Have you ever seen Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope? Apparently Justice has. In their new video for “Audio, Video, Disco”, the titular track off their forthcoming sophomore LP, the French dance rockers trick the viewer into thinking its one long shot. It’s very ’80s and, for some reason, also brings to mind the video for Michael Jackson’s “Leave Me Alone”. But if Hitchcock and Jacko don’t do it for you, then perhaps you like Labrador puppies? There’s one in this. Pretty cute, too.

Don’t forget: Audio, Video, Disco hits stores October 25th via Ed Banger Records.

The world of music blogging is a 24/7 job, even on a holiday weekend. Don’t believe us? Just check out what went down in the last 72 hours. Pearl Jam held the greatest birthday party ever, Madonna announced a new album, Wilco released more tour dates, and the Langerado Music Festival scrapped its 2011 plans. And that’s just scratching the surface; your complete post-Labor Day recap is posted below.

News

– Wilco announced a new batch of U.S. tour dates.

– Madonna plans to release a new album in Spring 2002.

– Check out the new single from Justice: “Audio, Video, Disco”.

– Watch Feist perform five new songs from her new album Metals.

– Langerado Music Festival’s planned comeback has been canceled.

– Iconic post-punk outfit New Order is reuniting sans bassist Peter Hook.

– Hear another new song from Noel Gallagher’s solo album: “AKA… What A Life!”.

– Stream new albums from St. Vincent, Neon Indian, Laura Marling, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and A.A. Bondy. Just click the respective link.

– Tokyo Police Club completed their ‘Ten Days, Ten Covers, Ten Years’ project. Hear them cover LCD Soundsystem, M83, Queens of the Stone Age, and more.

Features

– Michael Roffman and Jeremy D. Larson were in attendance for Pearl Jam’s 20th anniversary music festival. Read their recap here, and watch video highlights from day one and day two. Spoiler: Temple of the Dog reunited twice, Julian Casablancas joined Queens of the Stone Age for “Sick Sick Sick”, and Josh Homme returned the favor for “New York City Cops”.

– Continuing with the Peal Jam theme, Len Comaratta dusted off Pearl Jam’s debut LP, Ten.

– Our staff did the impossible and narrowed down a list of Lil Wayne’s 25 most WTF lyrics.

– Here are your top 10 videos of the week. And here are your top 10 mp3s of the week. You’re welcome.

– Austin Trunick reviewed Wild Flag’s CoS Top Star-earning self-titled debut, while Dan Caffrey critiqued The Rapture’s latest, In the Grace of Your Love.

Never want to miss a story? Be sure to follow CoS on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr, plus subscribe to our newsletter.

After this past Wednesday’s tapas-sized sample of new Justice material, hungry fans one and all can quell their appetite with the full version of the electronic duo’s new single, “Audio, Video, Disco”. Give it a spin below.

Those in need of seconds can check out the first single, “Civilization”. The main course goes down October 25th when Justice’s highly-anticipated sophomore LP, Audio, Video, Disco, hits stores via Ed Banger Records.

Okay, so it’s not much, but 107.7 The End has two snippets off Justice’s highly anticipated sophomore LP, Audio, Video, Disco, due out October 25th (via Ed Banger Records). One is 15 seconds of the titular track, the other is 50 highly danceable seconds of “Helix”. Do what you will with them. Ten bucks says someone samples it by nightfall.

Need more? There’s always the current single, “Civilization”. Also, the radio station has a nice track-by-track breakdown of the forthcoming LP. That should keep you busy.

“Audio, Video, Disco”

“Helix”

On October 25th, French electro duo Justice will return with their long overdue sophomore LP, Audio, Video, Disco, on Ed Banger Records. You stream the album’s lead single, “Civilization”, below, and check out the title track here.

Speaking with Pitchfork, Justice’s Xavier de Rosnay said the album was recorded over the span of 18 months in a flat in north Paris. Diamond Nights’ Morgan Phalen, Vincenzi Vendetta of Midnight Juggernauts, and UK singer Ali Love all contributed to the effort, and track titles include “Parade”, “Ohio”, and “Cannon”.

The end result is said to more “rock-oriented” than their 2007 break-out †. de Rosnay also said that while the record sounds a “bit band-y” and was recorded with instruments, the duo plans to keep the “electronic aesthetic” on any eventual tour. “We are not good enough instrumentalists, and the fact that we don’t perform all of this live keeps it on the good side.”

de Rosnay also mentioned that Justice plans to keep their † imagery, but “in a different environment and a different way. We don’t want to give it up yet.” So your old concert t-shirts are safe for now.

Justice – “Civilization”

Following “Civilization”, “Audio, Video, Disco” is our second taste from Justice’s long-awaited sophomore LP, due out this fall via Ed Banger Records. As Pitchfork points out, Ed Banger honcho Busy P debuted the track during a set at this weekend’s HARD Summer music festival in Los Angeles. Check out a decent quality video above.