Blog - EDM

Two Georgians recently dominated in Newark, Jersey—one in the octagon, one behind the turntables.

The thunderous energy that propelled Merab Dvalishvili to his dominant title defense over Sean O'Malley at UFC 316 carried seamlessly into the evening's official afterparty, where Georgian culture took center stage. The night was soundtracked by Dvalishvili's compatriot, G ORGY.

The DJ, whose real name is Giorgi Bagushvili, delivered a pulsating set that transformed the post-fight celebration into a cultural showcase. The Tbilisi-born, Vegas-based artist's high-energy performance served as the perfect soundtrack to commemorate Dvalishvili's third-round submission victory at the Prudential Center, which marked the bantamweight champion's second successful title defense.

c/o G ORGY

The DJ's Georgian-inspired beats turned the afterparty into an impromptu showcase of Georgian heritage, uniting fighters and fans still buzzing from witnessing the MMA superstar's dominant performance. Dvalishvili is now on a 13-fight unbeaten run, which includes wins over former UFC champions Jose Aldo, Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo.

"Just this guy from Georgia, from this war-torn country who just embraces that f*cking grind at a level that nobody else can compete with, and when he gets in the ring, no one can match his cardio," UFC analyst Joe Rogan said of Dvalishvili on a recent episode of his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. "No one can match his pace. He melts the greatest of the greats."

Led by the sounds of G ORGY, the evening highlighted the increasingly global nature of mixed martial arts, where victories in the octagon can spark cultural celebrations that bridge continents and communities.

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Chris Comstock has spent years hiding behind a marshmallow head, crafting saccharine EDM drops that soundtracked countless Fortnite montages. Now he's trading the Marshmello helmet for a microphone with Underbrook, a pop-punk band for which he's serving as lead singer.

The band's lineup brings together a star-studded group of creatives from across rock and alternative music, comprising guitarists Jake Torrey (Linkin Park, Twenty One Pilots), Josh Strock (Motionless In White, Machine Gun Kelly) and Danny Couture (Bring Me The Horizon, 24kGoldn) as well as bassist Hayden Tree (Crown the Empire) and drummer James Brownstein.

According to a press release, Underbrook is not merely a side project for its six members, but a "full-scale band with its own identity and mission." The group counts iconic rock bands The Strokes and New Found Glory as prevailing influences, as well as Two Door Cinema Club and The Story So Far.

"This isn't a nostalgia play—this is who I've always been at my core," Comstock explained. "Underbrook is about channeling the emotions and chaos that shaped me, and giving them a voice through the music that first made me feel understood. 'Heads Up' is just the beginning."

c/o Press

Whether or not punk purists embrace a band fronted by the guy who brought us EDM anthems like "Alone" remains to be seen, but we'll soon find out after today's release of "Heads Up," Underbrook's debut single.

Released independently, the track manages to thread the needle between nostalgic pop-punk charm and modern production polish, sounding less like a vanity project and more like a band that's been grinding in dive bars for years.

You can watch the official "Heads Up" music video below and find the new single on streaming platforms here.

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This is an opinion column. The thoughts and viewpoints expressed are those of the author, Dominic Lalli of the influential electronic music duo Big Gigantic.

Where do you go after a brighter future?

When starting to think about what comes next for Big Gigantic, my mind immediately goes back in time and I wonder, "What has this all been about? Who was I back then when we started Big Gigantic, and what am I now all of these years later? What has been the main theme that’s been driving this train throughout the process?"

I start to think about how the words "Brighter Future" seemed to start to define who we were and what we were about as a band—and as people, ultimately. We want to, and wanted to, help people and change people’s lives through our music and in and around our musical community and our communities where we live.

I thought to myself, "What is the extension of a 'Brighter Future,' and what happens after that? What’s the next story to tell on this journey?"

A word came to mind: "Fluorescence." In essence, a light. While Brighter Future expresses hope and positivity and a future that is illuminated, "Fluorescence" is that light, and the brightness has arrived—and it’s glowing within, in the present moment. Fluorescence is the embodiment of the light that Brighter Future promised.

Fluorescence is internal energy activated. It represents soulful ignition, emotional depth and creative spark.

Where A Brighter Future seeks light, Fluorescence becomes it. The future became brighter, and now we’re glowing in it—softly, vividly, unexpectedly.

Being able to step back and look deeply into what I wanted to create moving forward with Big Gigantic, I decided that with Fluorescence I wanted to have a foot firmly planted in the past while, at the same time, confidently stepping into the present and the future—all the while knowing the environment that we exist within.

The first two singles that we’ve recently released are a statement into that firm foot in the past and what has gotten us to where we are today, with a unique twist on that environment that we exist in as a band/DJ. Funky beats, sax and horn leads, and hard-hitting bass vibes throughout—with a unique, soulful twist to the music.

The rest of the music on Fluorescence continues to evolve and push the boundaries of what Big Gigantic is all about.

We’ve invited longtime friends and next-gen producers along for the ride in some of our favorite songs that we’ve created as we continue on this journey to evolve and grow into creating music that is special and unique and really resonates in our incredible community of listeners, artists, fans and general lovers of music and community.

We look forward to everyone hearing the full body of work that is Fluorescence, and we can’t wait to get back out on the road and play this music—as well as all of your favorite Big Gigantic music—live and direct to you.

We've been so excited to get back out and celebrate with everyone.

Alesso has released an official remix of "Ascension," the lead track from the original music suite created for the Esports World Cup 2025, the world's largest esports and gaming event.

The original composition, created by Edouard Brenneisen at London's iconic Abbey Road Studios, features Grammy-nominated cellist Tina Guo. Alesso's version transforms the orchestral piece into a high-flying festival track, combining his vintage progressive house sound with the cinematic style of Guo, who has contributed to high-profile projects like Hans Zimmer's score of DC's Wonder Woman 1984 film.

"I'm a huge fan of esports and gaming tournaments—I'm a gamer myself, so combining my two worlds into one on this remix felt so natural," Alesso said in a statement. "Creating this alongside Tina was incredible. We were able to create something that truly brings listeners into another world."

Ariel Horn, Executive Producer at the Esports World Cup Foundation, said the collaboration aims to strengthen the link of gaming and electronic dance music. 

"Gaming and EDM have moved together for years, from Marshmello's Fortnite show to major esports collaborations like League of Legends and VALORANT's work with Zedd," Horn explained. "With Alesso and Tina Guo, we're building another bridge."

The remix is part of the "EWC Music initiative," a program designed to create an original musical identity for the tournament, which is set to begin July 7th in Riyadh. The initiative launched in April with a four-track collection and will continue with live performances and global fan activations throughout the seven-week competition.

The 2025 Esports World Cup tournament will feature 2,000 elite players from over 100 countries competing for a record-breaking $70 million in prizes across 24 games. Post Malone is scheduled to headline the opening ceremony on July 10th. Tickets are available now.

You can find Alesso's remix of "Ascention" on streaming platforms here.

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Electronic dance music has claimed the top spot among genres that help gym-goers achieve personal records, according to new research from the telehealth company Levity.

The study, which analyzed 185,798 tracks from workout- and gym-focused Spotify playlists, found that EDM tied with hip-hop and R&B as the most effective music for breaking through fitness plateaus.

EDM enthusiasts also demonstrated remarkable staying power, averaging 46 minutes per gym session, trailing only metal music fans in workout duration. People who listen to metal while exercising are most likely to "max out" on lifts, according to the study.

The late Swedish icon Avicii is the top EDM artist for listeners in the gym, with Calvin Harris and Tiësto taking the next two spots, respectively. Survey respondents who preferred electronic beats also reported improved focus and endurance during their routines.

Elsewhere in the study, hip-hop and pop emerged as the most popular genres in gym playlists, which should come as no surprise considering their domination on major streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Drake appears most frequently, followed by Taylor Swift.

You can read the full study here.

mau5trap, the storied electronic music label founded by deadmau5, has launched "Airplane Mode," a continuous YouTube channel dedicated to progressive house and melodic techno.

The 24-hour streaming channel features music selections curated by the mau5trap team specifically for listeners seeking background music for concentration or relaxation.

"Whether you're tuning in to tune out, or looking for the perfect background music to elevate your space, this 24/7 radio stream is your passport to deep vibes and low-altitude cruising," mau5trap said. "No turbulence, just pure vibes."

mau5trap has kicked off the channel with a selection of 100 tracks, which they've also compiled into a Spotify playlist for streaming.

The move to a space that has historically been dominated by the woozy beats and analog warmth of genres like lo-fi and chillhop represents a fascinating counterintuitive bet that techno and house music can cultivate concentration just as effectively. While the former genres fosters focus through ambient passivity, the latter achieve it through active engagement, using propulsive rhythms and extended arrangements to mirror the flow state many seek while studying.

The launch follows the acquisition of deadmau5's masters and publishing catalog, as well as that of mau5trap's, by Create Music Group in a deal valued at $55 million. With the new streaming channel, it seems Create is making good on their stated intention to "work to introduce 'the mau5trap legacy' to new generations of fans."

You can tune into "Airplane Mode" below.

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TikTok: tiktok.com/@mau5trap
Facebook: facebook.com/mau5trap
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After fans waited almost a year for new music, Swedish House Mafia have delivered a new single that's literally about waiting.

The storied electronic music trio have returned with "Wait So Long," their first original music since "Finally," a collaboration with Alicia Keys that dropped back in August 2024. The track "ushers in an exciting new 3.0 era for Swedish House Mafia," according to a press release shared with EDM.com.

Released today via SUPERHUMAN, "Wait So Long" channels the maximalist festival sound that once propelled Swedish House Mafia to the world's biggest stages. But they produce through a more soulful lens here, layering aching vocals atop a heady house rhythm.

"Why do you make me wait so long? So long for your love," the vocals plead.

Swedish House Mafia have mastered the art of absence, and every return feels like an event because they've trained us to treat it as one. And as album speculation swirls, it's hard not to read the tea leaves.

"Wait So Long" arrives after Steve Angello announced a new Swedish House Mafia album during his Tomorrowland 2023 set alongside bandmate Sebastian Ingrosso. Over a year later, Angello revealed they'd recorded the full album, a successor to 2022's long-awaited debut Paradise Again, but ultimately "scrapped it." It's also worth noting that the group recently scrubbed their Instagram, a move that often signals an upcoming rollout.

In the meantime, Swedish House Mafia are set to return to Tomorrowland and Creamfields, among other major global EDM festivals. Fans can expect the trio to "bring an all-new energy to their live sets," per the press release.

You can find "Wait So Long" on streaming platforms here.

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Spotify: spoti.fi/36uoBWe

John Summit and Gorgon City have released a new collaboration, "Is Everybody Having Fun?," a house banger that assumes the answer is yes and dares you to say otherwise.

Revered for their soulful house sound, Gorgon City in 2024 announced their intention to focus on producing "pure club music." That's exactly what listeners are getting with the new single, which blends the duo's North London grit with Summit's Chicago house grooves for a track that operates like a pharmaceutical-grade endorphin machine.

"After years of playing parties together and remixing each others music, Gorgon City and I decided to team up and produce this club weapon meant strictly for dancefloors," Summit commented on Instagram.

Out now via a joint release between Summit's Experts Only imprint and Gorgon City's REALM Records, "Is Everybody Having Fun?" features rhys from the sticks, who delivers his vocals with the urgency of someone genuinely concerned about your weekend plans. Meanwhile, the track's production propels through its battering ram of a drop, where a thick bassline convulses underneath drums you can feel in your molars.

"This song," Summit added, "is a diss track to everyone who stares at their phones and don’t dance."

You can listen to the new collaboration below and find it on streaming platforms here.

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Most house tracks want to lift you off the ground, but Kenya Grace's new single, "Mr. Cool," plants your feet firmly in uncomfortable truths about modern romance.

Grace, the chart-topping "Strangers" songstress and EDM.com Class of 2024 artist, has ironically created a dance anthem about the very romantic emptiness that drives people to dancefloors in the first place. While society celebrates the James Bond fantasy of effortless conquest, she excavates the psychological wasteland underneath with a caustic commentary on hookup culture.

Co-produced with JOYRYDE, the house music virtuoso whose fingerprints have blessed everything from Skrillex's music to festivals worldwide, "Mr. Cool" deploys a heady house beat as Grace dissects the deceptive games of serial daters with a sensual slink.

Her come-hither vocal delivery carries the weight of someone who's witnessed this particular brand of emotional carnage firsthand, ripping into the celebrated player archetype with lyrics that pierce through its cultural glamorization: "I bet he's with somebody, bet she's half his age / Picked her up at 7, fell in love by 8 / But trust me by tomorrow, he'll forget her name."

"Mr. Cool" features additional production from Tony Berg (Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers) and EASYFUN (Charli XCX, Rita Ora). Listen to the new single below and find it on streaming platforms here.

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There's a medical term for what happens when attraction overwhelms basic brain function, and Oliver Heldens and Aevion just turned it into a dance anthem, "Amnesia."

Out now via Heldeep, the track begs the question: How do you remember someone who makes you forget everything else? They've found the sweet spot between euphoria and complete mental breakdown, wrapping frantically love-struck lyricism in a propulsive beat: "Now that I found you I feel something deeper / Temperature rising, caught up in the fever / Head and my heart telling me that I need you / Baby, you give me a case of amnesia."

What's particularly clever here is how Heldens and Aevion's production mirrors the lyrical concept. Time becomes elastic in the track's hypnotic house rhythm, creating its own form of memory loss, much like the narrator has lost track of everything except the object of their obsession.

"The moment I heard the combination of the organic, melancholic piano and the catchy, powerful vocal sample in a demo that my super talented friend Aevion sent me last year, I felt right away that this could become a special track," Heldens recalled.

"Amnesia" marks Aevion's debut on the venerable Heldeep label, launched by Heldens back in 2015. It arrives ahead of a massive summer of shows for the Dutch dance music superstar, including headlining performances at Tomorrowland, Creamfields, Ultra Europe and Parookaville.

You can listen to "Amnesia" below and find the new single on streaming platforms here.

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