John Summit returns to Defected for the first time since his 2020 breakout hit.
Beatport’s best-selling artist of 2021, John Summit, returns to Beatport’s number one house music label, Defected, for his latest hit, “La Danza.”
The Chicago star’s new single follows a vast run of releases over the past few months, including “Human” (feat. Echoes) on FFRR, his collaborative tune with Sofi Tukker “Sun Came Up,” his remix of Purple Disco Machine’s “Dopamine,” and more.
With “La Danza,” Summit brings a high-spirited, Latin-infused vibe that incorporates his trademark infectious groove along with red-hot vocals and a butt-shaking bassline.
Join us for a full sensory start-to-finish odyssey through Damian Lazarus’ sunrise set at one of the world’s most transformative and acclaimed parties – Day Zero – in Tulum, Mexico 2024.
Since 2012, Damian Lazarus and the multi-faceted team behind Day Zero Tulum have set out to produce the wildest party in the world. Positioned amongst the ritualistic history of the Mayan people and a future-forward understanding of modern hedonism, the festival sits at the apex of what a rave can be.
Each year Lazarus brings the Day Zero experience to its renowned crescendo, playing straight through the sunrise amongst the world’s most hardcore party people. Relive the magic from his 2024 sunrise set below.
Reflecting on his Day Zero performance, Damian Lazarus tells Beatport…
“The energy at DayZero in January was blissful.
Everywhere you looked people were smiling and feeling the love. You could sense that this gathering of the best party people from all over the world was going to be a very special one. Around 10,000 souls dancing across 3 stages showcasing incredible talent, hundreds of performers, crazy art installations and other worldly immersive areas, this edition of DayZero in Tulum, our 10th, had been electric since the doors opened at 4pm. By the time I’m preparing myself to start playing at 7am, I had been at the festival for over 10 hours, but somehow, I’m full of energy, the natural energy that you can only receive here in the depths of the Mayan jungle.
I have no plan for what to play or how to play it. I have a loose idea in my mind of where to go and when to go there but it’s not an easy task. I start playing in the dark but I’m aware that within 20 minutes the morning light will slowly start to appear and that some 20 minutes after that the sun will rise, and then it’s into the madness of the morning where everyone can see each others eyes properly and start to move collectively into a higher state of consciousness.
I think I brought my A game for this 3 hour set. I knew I was going to continue playing for an extra 2 hours to close the event back to back with Acid Pauli, so I needed to be aware of holding back certain music that could work better later on.
I feel super comfortable with my friends, family and my amazing team around, there is some Mayan magic in me this morning, I’m focused and fluid.
These 3 hours could be one of the best sets I’ve played for some time. I release recordings of my sets very rarely, and filmed recordings of my DJ sets even less so. It’s a big decision to produce a film like this because I believe it’s very difficult to capture the true essence of the festival on a screen. But we decided to try our best by inviting Director Zach Toupin and his team, including 6 cameras and a drone, plus 7 directional mics set up around the main stage. I believe this 3 hour film brings you to the heart of this beautiful, unforgettable morning, capturing the many special moments that unfold before your eyes.
For me this film perfectly captures a moment in time, and the essence of DayZero. I’m immensely proud of it. Please enjoy with friends.”
Listen to Damian Lazarus ‘Day Zero Sunrise ’24 Moments’ chart below, or check it out on Beatport.
The miraculous Barcelona-based DJ/producer and Marginalia label owner Elif shares some of her sweetest dance floor selects for Beatport’s Playlist of the Week.
Hi there! I’m Elif, a DJ/producer from Istanbul, currently living in Barcelona.
I am the founder of the Marginalia label. With my imprint, I aim to create a new home for both emerging and established artists to express their unbridled creativity. I established Marginalia as a platform to support, nurture and develop the incredible output of the producers whose music forms the backbone of my DJ sets.
In my DJ sets I never stick to a certain genre and I love adopting my sound to different scenarios, crowds and vibes. I make lots of Beatport charts throughout the year to mark my favourites so I tried to include fresh tracks in this special one. Enjoy!
Moullinex, GPU Panic – Bring The Lights Down (Elif Remix) [Watergate Records]
I finished this remix last year then it was a long wait for the other remixer to be ready so I’m really happy to finally share my version of Bring The Lights Down with the world.
Tenvin – No Control (Aikon Remix)[Marginalia]
Tenvin has been one of the first artists to give me music for my label even before I founded it and I’m glad to finally release his first EP with Marginalia after his track on our first compilation. AIKON is a super-talented producer I admire, and I am so happy to have him as a remixer on the label. This track has been approved by many dance floors.
ĀEMYGDALA – Back On [Amaeo]
Back on is one of my favourite tracks from SKALA and Theologos’s label and ĀEMYGDALA are a solid producer duo to watch.
I was lucky that I got to test this super bomb remix from Animal Trainer ahead of the release. It’s a great rework and works on every dance floor.
Tenvin – Reset (Original Mix) [Marginalia]
Probably the first track I have signed to Marginalia before it was even born. Happy it’s finally seeing day of light. It’s a serious late night weapon.
Althoff – Electric Shivers [Marginalia]
Althoff has been part of the Marginalia family since its first release, with a collaboration track with me. Ahead of his solo EP on Marginalia, he showcased a different vibe with “Electric Shivers” on our compilation. It’s a great opening track that has the potential to start a beautiful storytelling.
Evade – Denae (Abuk Remix) [IAMHER]
Evade made his first appearance on Marginalia on our Bestiary Vol. 1 compilation and he will soon be back with his solo EP. I can never get enough of his music and this remix from another favourite Abuk has been part of my sets for some time.
Marc Romboy, C.A.R. – I Am a Dancer (Skatman Remix) [Systematic Recordings]
Solid high-energy interpretation by the talented Skatman.
TMPL – The Girl In The Room [Crosstown Rebels]
I love everything TMPL does. They are a very talented duo.
Chambord, Myd – Together We Stand (Chambord Remix) [Ed Banger Records]
A great closing track, guaranteed to have all hands up in the ear leaving the crowd wanting more and happy.
Photos: Courtesy of CRSSD Festival | Cover Photo — Rachael Polack
Ten DJs who performed at the Spring edition of San Diego’s bi-annual house and techno showdown, CRSSD Festival, select their top tracks from the two-day event.
Few events have come to mean more to Southern California ravers than San Diego’s CRSSD Festival. Returning to its home at the city’s beautiful Waterfront Park, this bi-annual three-stage event continues to flawlessly execute its eclectic presentation of techno, house, and live electronic music with each passing year.
We caught up with a handful of the talented performers from this year’s Spring CRSSD function — a mixed bag of beloved local selectors and international heavyweights — to find out their favorite tracks from the festival.
Dam Swindle – Alright (Just A Tribute) [Phonica Recordings]
“This is such a massive track for me at the moment; it’s got pretty much everything I love in a peak time banger, whilst not being too hectic. The vocal sample is killer, loads of tension in the breakdown and a super simple acid line that ties everything together really nicely.”
Pilo, Deuce Hurt – Day One (Maude Vôs & Marie Nyx Remix) [Boysnoize Records]
“I may be a little biased here, but my favorite track I dropped in my set was Pilo and Deuce Hurt’s ‘Day One (Maude Vôs & Marie Nyx Remix).’ This is a club remix with a blend of impactful industrial low-end, worldly percussion and vocal chops. Every time I drop it in a set, I feel the energy rise within myself and the crowd. It is not only exciting to play a remix I am extremely proud of but also one that is so meaningful to Pilo. The original and remix honor the life of one of his dear friends, who is the vocalist on the track.”
“My favourite track of the set would probably have to be ‘Lady Danger.’ It’s been my biggest release of the last year or so and it always seems to get a special response. I always envisioned the track being best suited for a daytime vibe, so CRSSD was the perfect place to play it. There was even a girl in the crowd with a “Lady Danger” shirt on!”
Afro Medusa – Pasilda (Knee Deep Club Mix) [Armada Music]
“It’s a classic house tune, one of my all-time favourites as well. The feel-good piano melody seemed to resonate with the crowd nicely, and it felt like an upbeat moment in the set.”
KY WILLIAM
Ky William, Kamino – Gravity [Andhera Records]
“This track is something I can always fit in my sets. I feel like it can fit in the beginning, middle, or end of the set. I find myself always playing music that works for any point in the night. I felt like this was a great track for CRSSD because I was able to keep the energy high while not going too hard being I had an earlier slot and didn’t wanna overwhelm everyone too early on.”
“This was my first time playing at CRSSD Fest and I had a wicked fun time opening up the City Steps stage. Rinsing this new track by Confidential Recipe was certainly a highlight — the build-up and drop had everyone, including myself, super pumped. I couldn’t stop smiling while spinning because the energy in the environment was so positive, communal, and the music was hitting all the right spots.”
Luedji Luna – Banho de Folhas (Maz Remix) [Dawn Patrol Records]
“Banho de Folhas” is a very special song that opened many doors for me. It’s great that through it, I can showcase more of my work to the world, and it was one of the songs that rocked the CRSSD dance floor the most; it was beautiful!
Nils Hoffmann, Kasbo – Running In A Dream (feat. Vancouver Sleep Clinic) [Anjunadeep]
“My favorite track from my set is “Running In A Dream.” It’s a song that’s packed with emotion and has a lot of sentimental value for me. It’s also the title track for my new album, and it is the first track on my setlist, so I always make sure it gets the proper recognition it deserves!”
This is one of our new tracks that we love. It’s got such an amazing break and build-up section — heavy but not too intense — and it gets a really good response every time. It’s the lead track off of our latest Wrestling With New Technique EP on our Hide The Junk imprint, so go check it out!
The artistic polymath, Carlita, speaks with Harry Levin about her diverse musical upbringing, her mentor DJ Tennis, and curating her multi-sensory Senza Fine parties.
Throughout her whole life, Carlita has been submerged in cultural overlap.
She is of Turkish and Italian descent. She is a classical musician who plays piano and cello, but she has also played bass, guitar, and drums in rock bands. In college, she took courses in marketing, computer science, and the music industry.
Such a varied history might cause a bit of head-scratching for most, but for Carlita, real name Carla Frayman, it was the exact path she needed to walk.
“Everything I did in my life, when I look back everything I did makes sense,” Carlita says. “Everything is very connected.”
Now Carlita is connecting all of her cultural and musical interests within her career as a DJ, producer, and party curator.
Her tracks bounce effortlessly from organic house to deep house to electro-pop. “Cash For Love,” her newest single on Circoloco Records, is a sweeping yet groovy house tune. In November of last year, she made her debut on Afterlife with “Ultra Violet,” a melodic track of epic proportions. Her highest streamed song on Spotify with over 7 million hits is “Zorro,” the indie-dance production on her regular home of Higher Ground that flaunts a bright and punchy horn section.
In the curatorial sphere, Carlita is connecting her interests through her Senza Fine parties. Beyond the lineups, which have included revered artists in dance music like SG Lewis, Mita Gami, Jimi Jules, and her mentor and artist manager, DJ Tennis, Carlita curates Senza Fine as a multisensory experience.
She spreads a specific scent in every room of the venue for Senza Fine parties; there are gourmet food options; and she builds the visual aesthetic around the Mona Lisa because the Lourve was the initial inspiration for the parties.
“I found so many parts that I’m interested in, so I decided to bring all of those together and build a community of people who have an interest in these things,” Carlita says.
Carlita has been surrounded by people interested in different art forms since she was born. She grew up in Türkiye, which is culturally diverse by nature given its position between Europe and Asia. Her father is Turkish and her mother is Italian, but her mother is also obsessed with Brazilian culture. She speaks Portuguese and often played Brazilian music in the house when she was still at home.
“Türkiye is culturally super diverse,” Carlita says. “It’s musically very strong. We use a lot of instruments.”
Carlita’s exposure to music led to her playing multiple instruments from a very young age. She started piano at three, and then she was studying cello at a conservatory in Istanbul by eight. She was inspired by her sister, who was also playing the cello.
Soon after learning cello, she had the idea to play in rock bands after watching the celebrated 2003 film, School of Rock.
“The cello player turned into a bass player, and I really liked that,” she says of the movie. “Cello and bass [are] so similar, and I always had so much love for rock music. I still do.”
Carlita was playing in rock bands between her collegiate studies at Northeastern University in Boston (her parents wanted her to study in the US), and living in Boston was another submersion into cultural diversity.
She was making friends with students — from the US and beyond — attending any of the64 colleges and universities in the metro Boston area, including the renowned conservatory Berklee College of Music. Eventually, she and her friends wanted to do some dancing, which led her to electronic music
Carlita graduated at 21, which kept her underage for her entire college experience, but that didn’t stop her from getting into prominent Boston dance venues. Two of her favorites were Middlesex and Phoenix Landing.
“I was not able to get in all the time, but I would get in when my fake IDs worked,” she says with a laugh. “Those were small clubs where you can easily see the DJ and live acts. I remember watching Fatima Yamaha very closely playing the synths. I got super impressed. Seeing Blessed Madonna and so many amazing artists. I got super influenced by all of them.
Carlita was set on becoming a DJ after all the influence she received from these nights out. Serendipitously, the owner of BIJOU, another club in Boston, was also Turkish. He offered to teach her how to use Rekordbox and CDJs, and a short time later, she was a resident at the club.
She implements an intuitive musical sense in her sets, stemming from her diverse musical upbringing.
“I play a lot of tracks that aren’t for the dance floor, on the dance floor,” Carlita says with a chuckle.
Her upbringing also prepared her for the performance aspect of DJing. Despite all her experience on stage with cello, guitar, and now a set of decks, she still considers herself a shy person, but DJing was actually a breath of fresh air in that regard.
“There is less error to [DJ]. In the end, what you have to do is transition and choose the tracks. Cello is a very hard instrument to play. Guitar has the [frets] so it’s easier to find the notes. Cello, you don’t have them. You have to know where [the note] is,” she says. “Secondly, Cello is a much more quiet environment. People are really [focused on] you. Then DJing, the environment is completely different. The focus is on you, but it can be on the dance floor. It can be many things.”
With less pressure on her own performance, Carlita was able to carefully observe how the music she played affected the people in front of her. She realized certain tracks were missing from her sets — moods she wanted to curate on the dance floor that reflected her own shrewd musical taste.
In order to create these moods, she started producing her own music, and her arsenal of instruments has played a role throughout her entire discography.
“I can use all the instruments I play in my music. This is my strength in music production. The live instruments. I grew up with this,” she says. “When I look back, I use everything I learned in my past.”
Apart from using instruments she learned to play in her past, Carlita approaches her releases through the lens of the past. She only wants to put out timeless music, and for a track to be timeless, she needs to test its staying power.
For example, “Cash For Love,” which was released this past January, is over 18 months old. Many of the songs she has coming up for her album are also a year old, at least.
“I try to hold tracks for a year. If I still like them, they’re timeless. If I don’t like it in a couple of months, which happens all the time, I have so many songs that I get bored of very easily,” Carlita says. “‘Time,’ one of my favorite songs I’ve made and one of the most special songs from the album; the first time I performed that track was at Coachella with Tennis.”
Carlita played Coachella last year as Astra Club, her collaborative project with DJ Tennis (she’s playing Coachella again this year on her own, which was her dream since she first attended the festival in 2013). Currently, Tennis is her artist manager, but their relationship was really sparked through DJing.
The second time they ever spent time together, it was for her birthday celebration in the jungle of Comporta, Portugal, four years ago. They played a back-to-back set that unexpectedly lasted for 12 hours until the generator literally ran out of juice. They have been working together ever since.
Tennis is someone who aligns with Carlita’s exposure to so many different cultures. Throughout his career, he has been a manager (he managed Tale Of Us once upon a time) and agent, and he runs his label, Life And Death. He is also a chef who wants to own his own perfume line one day. Carlita has described him as a “unicorn” in the past.
“He’s been a mentor to me since I met him. He has so many talents. Extremely hard worker. Genuinely a good person,” she says. “I find him very inspiring.”
DJ Tennis was the only artist announced to play at Carlita’s latest Senza Fine party last month for New York Fashion Week. She’s hosted a party every fashion week since 2022, and while she’s expanding the reach of Senza Fine to other major cities like Miami and soon London, Fashion Week will always be special to her because it’s another hub of cultural connection.
“I really think that how you dress also expresses your music. Right now, fashion brands are very into music. They like to associate with DJs and artists and how their [brands look],” she says. “I think music and fashion are super connected.”
Carlita isn’t just connecting music, fashion, and other cultural disciplines through Senza Fine; she is connecting people. She opened RSVPs for the first time at the latest party, and 1800 people signed up to come on a Wednesday night.
“I got so stressed out. I checked the list, and I only knew 50 people. Those are my friends. Who are these 1750 people?” she says. But while she was overwhelmed, she loves the Senza Fine community. “I really like the concept of a community. The concept of friends of friends of friends. In the end, that makes for like-minded people.”
All throughout her life, Carlita has been around like-minded people who are universal lovers of culture. Now she is doing everything she can to bring those people together through music, art, fashion, and any other creative pursuit that crosses her mind.
Harry Levin is a freelance journalist living in Denver. Find him on X.