Melancholic, dreamy, enigmatic and hauntingly beautiful, Montreal’s APACALDA (also known as Cassandra Angheluta) is creating her own immersive world with a refreshed approach to indie, electronic pop which meets dream wave sounds. 

Her new single, “SSR,” is a nostalgic and acoustic inflected pop song which uses playfulness to communicate a sadness at its core. Cassandra wrote this song due to finding herself in an intimate relationship devoid of any profundity, which she was misled into.

Its lyrics reflect on the choice to embrace ignorance over the glaringly loud truth in front of us, when one is in too deep and cannot fathom cutting one’s losses.

Watch the official video and hear the audio.

The song’s music video portrays contrasts of emotion through the playfulness of the bright coloured field versus the spiraling darkness of the dungeon-like space. These images serve to depict the back and forth of wanting to believe something is what it is not, choosing to ignore the reality to hold on to an idea that is better suited to our desires.

APACALDA, meaning “warm water” in her mother tongue, Romanian, is a reflection of Cassandra’s means of movement through her art and life. A reminder to reconnect to the warm water that can calm and ground you, despite the chaos and unpredictability of outside circumstances.

Creating music has been a means of alchemising her residual emotional traumas from past and present experiences through the one medium that brings any resolve within her. She showcases a unique complexity between the realms of feeling and sound. 

In a collaborative triumph, multi-platinum artists Afrojack and R3HAB – two of the Netherlands’ foremost electronic music giants – have joined forces for their ultimate super-collab ‘Worlds On Fire’, released through Tomorrowland Music today! Their co-produced mainstage-tailored production ‘Worlds On Fire’ comes in the shape of an uplifting festival anthem, exuding energy and passion with an ecstatic drop and vocals by singer/songwriter Au/Ra. ‘Worlds On Fire’ is Afrojack’s and R3HAB’s first new official record together in over a decade.

With over hundreds of millions of plays between the two of them, the Dutch duo and two of the genre’s biggest hitmakers have created yet another dance anthem, designed to ignite crowds around the world. ‘Worlds On Fire’ is part of a collection of exclusive festival releases by Tomorrowland Music under this year’s festival theme ‘The Reflection of Love’, celebrating the return of Tomorrowland after three years by gathering some of the biggest artists in electronic music on Tomorrowland’s record imprint.

Afrojack: “I’m very happy to release this exclusive festival release for Tomorrowland, celebrating the festival’s return after three years! It’s great to be working with R3HAB again, after starting together at WALL, playing many shows together, and now with an exclusive B2B performance at the iconic Mainstage of Tomorrowland. I’m excited to release the first collab in more than 10 years between R3HAB and myself!

R3HAB: “Afrojack and I have been working together since he invited me into his label over a decade ago when we released ‘Prutataaa’. We’ve released a string of remixes for each other later but haven’t created a record together since 2011. That changes today. Afrojack is massively talented, and I’m grateful for his guidance and friendship, from our early days in his first studio to the beautiful stages we’ve shared around the world today. It’s also been a pleasure working with Au/Ra and her incredible voice, we’re glad to have her on with us.”

Au/Ra: “I wrote this song at a time when so many destructive things were happening in our world, it was overwhelming. But I had this deep sense that no matter what, there are people I love who make this crazy place better. I’ll always be there for them, and they’ll always be there for me, no matter how insane things get.”

World-renowned multi-platinum DJs & producers Afrojack and R3HAB have been trailblazing their way through dance music for the past 15 years and will now play an exclusive B2B set at Tomorrowland’s iconic Mainstage during the first festival weekend on Friday July 15.

Dance music legends Dimitri Vegas & David Guetta are teaming up with American singer & actress Nicole Scherzinger and DJ/Producer Azteck to release the official music video for their addictive house single, “The Drop,” available today on YouTube, HERE. The new track is the second official solo single from Dimitri Vegas and is an addictive and uplifting song for the Summer.

The animated music video transforms Dimitri Vegas, David Guetta, Nicole Scherzinger, and Azteck into comic book superhero versions of themselves in an adventurous fantasy world as they race to catch “the drop” while careening past volcanoes, dinosaurs, sea creatures, and more. The visual begins with Scherzinger summoning an energy orb, which floats and turns green before racing away. At that moment, two portals open and our heroes – cartoon versions of Dimitri Vegas and David Guetta – drop down, each in their own futuristic vehicles. Dimitri, in his “Vegas”-plated jet-propelled hover vehicle, races alongside Guetta, who jets in his motorcycle-styled speeder. As they chase the green orb off a ramp, over a dinosaur-embedded volcano, the drop explodes perfectly, just in time to see Guetta leaving his vehicle to catch the orb while flying through the air. Just as he seems to be getting away, Scherzinger transforms into a mythical creature as she trails Guetta’s vehicle. The orb falls off the cliff and into the ocean, where a giant sea monster is lurking. Guetta emerges from the flames of his burning vehicle, scarred and weapon in hand, ready to take on the transformed dragon in a field of flames when Dimitri swoops in with his flying car and rescues him with the two flying away. To be continued…

Dimitri Vegas, David Guetta, Nicole Scherzinger, and Azteck have all released numerous hit songs in the past; however, it’s the first time the four collaborated together to shake up the music industry. The collaboration of legendary dance music artists Dimitri Vegas and David Guetta with Pop superstar Nicole Scherzinger and new age DJ Azteck make for an ideal song to please their fans,  both young and old. “The Drop” starts with a solid electro drum beat that hits the soul with engaging lyrics by Scherzinger’s distinctly harmonious vocals as it draws listeners into a break that head towards the climax of the track and more highly percussive beats. The addictive tune will keep fans fully immersed in its house music vibes as it ends; leaving the listener wanting more of this addictive tune.

Hailing from Vancouver’s North Shore, Rose Ranger’s creative process is inextricably linked with the ocean and mountains that are just a stone’s throw away from her front door. Combined with her love of all musical genres and her utmost appreciation for all the creative arts – the blend creates a dynamic vibrancy in her songwriting process. Now with six albums under her belt, the multi-talented and seasoned songwriter is thrilled to be releasing new music into the world. 

Her new song, “Power,” is about speaking truth to those who are abusing their power. From the personal to the collective – it’s about justice and to finally stand up for oneself and to speak your own truth. It’s about how pain can be transformed into power and empowerment from the oppressive forces that want to keep us down and dim our light. It’s about finding strength in vulnerability and how they are connected even when it doesn’t seem like it.

Power can be used for good over evil as they say. It can be used for positive change or misused and abused. This song illustrates both. 

Rose Ranger’s new 8-song album, Confessions, is produced by Juno-award winner Ryan Stewart and Rose Ranger herself. 

“This album is about finding your inner hero and holding on to that metaphorical hero inside of us all,” says Rose. “Hang out with your allies in life. Don’t waste your life on the people, situations, or environments that try to take you down or drain your life force. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you don’t deserve to go for what you want in your life. It’s worth it.”

There’s nothing easy about wanting someone who doesn’t want you back. Alternative synth pop artist and producer NEAVV’s new single, “Want You,” is a dark jam for anyone having a hard time moving on from the love story they thought was theirs. 

“Want You” was inspired by the end of a relationship with someone who wasn’t being completely honest at the time. It’s a snapshot of what NEAVV was feeling right after it happened. She knew that she deserved better but she was still struggling with wanting and missing that person even though she knew they had already moved on.

NEAVV: When listening to “Want You,” I just hope listeners find a place to sit in whatever emotions come up for them and know that any loss is hard – and it’s ok to not be ok. 

“Want You” is the first song that NEAVV produced on her own. It was written, recorded, and produced by hersel, partly out of frustration from the lack of female music producers in the industry. NEAVV decided to be part of the change, dedicating the past two years to teaching herself how to produce. Along with her own music, NEAVV’s goal is to produce for other artists and help empower other women to learn the same skills in the hopes of increasing female representation on the charts and in the studio.

AUS!Funkt began as an electro project by Serbian artist Jozzef Ladovina of the “Kool Rock Da Pop” band Auf Wiedersehen, which grew into two immigrants and two Canadians who found each other through a mutual love of dark electronic beats and piercing post-punk provocation, and everything in-between. 

AUS!Funkt debuts their full-length record, Turn To Rust, showcasing a diversity of genres —dark-disco, art-punk, surf, funk, darkwave, psych-rock, breakbeat—and promises more dark disco beats to come. 

The titular track signifies the end of something beautiful, and the search for hope and meaning after it’s all over. Despite the bleakness, there is still beauty in “the rust,” and belief that something new and good will come from that obsolescence.

Stream Turn To Rust, a dance record about the issues of our time: social anxiety, systematic oppression, endless information, regurgitated views, and recycled narratives.