Grammy-nominated house music producer and DJ Wolfgang Gartner is set to bring his unique brand of electronic dance music to Northampton’s Pearl Street Ballroom this Wednesday night.
Part of his “Love and War Tour,” the show will feature the California-based producer spinning tracks from his growing discography which includes his full-length studio album “Weekend in America,” released last year, as well as an impressively prolific catalogue of EPs and singles, including his latest that lends its name to the tour itself.
New fans looking to catch up on what Gartner has been up since bursting onto the scene in 2008 would be well advised to pick up his recently released compilation, “Back Story,” which collects his best-known and biggest hits of years past.
A main feature of the tour is Gartner’s new stage show, which includes a mammoth DJ booth Gartner describes on his Facebook page as being “made of metal, steel, LEDs, lasers, and all sorts of other strange parts.”
Known for his maximalist yet melodic take on the electro house genre, Gartner has both chopped Beethoven’s 5th Symphony into a filthy club banger, dubbing it “Wolfgang’s 5th Symphony.” It is arguably his signature track. The DJ has also racked up a list of collaborators that includes the likes of deadmau5, Skrillex and Tiesto.
With the goal of advancing the genre, Gartner has built upon the buzzing bass lines and pounding kick drums of electro house by adding intricate edits to his tracks, causing millisecond-long rhythmic glitches or even switching up synth sounds mid-measure during his often classical inspired melodies.
This new sound, dubbed “complextro” by fellow producer Porter Robinson, has been picking up steam on both on the Beatport charts, where Gartner has had eight No. 1 singles, and on the festival circuit, where Gartner has given critically acclaimed DJ sets at such events as Coachella and Electric Daisy Carnival.
With “Weekend in America,” Gartner added a new hip-hop edge to his tracks, collaborating with rappers Eve and will.i.am, as well as Jim Jones and Cam’ron of Harlem-based hip hop group The Diplomats. The album peaked at No. 2 on iTunes’ Dance chart and No. 1 on Beatport’s album chart.
Joining Gartner on tour will be two young rising talents in the realm of electronic music.
Pierce Fulton, a 20-year-old Vermont native, has quickly been making a name for himself with his expertly crafted electro house and progressive house productions.
Meanwhile, Popeska, a 19-year-old Atlanta native, has been blowing up on internet blogs not only for his intense beats, generally electro house and dubstep, but also for his impressive work ethic. The young producer has released 100 tracks on his Soundcloud page in just two years, gaining many new fans including Gartner, who made him the first signee of his Kindergarten Records label.
This will be Gartner’s second nonstop bus tour of North America, hitting 30 dates in just five weeks, and if past performances are any indicator, it will not be an event to miss.
Tickets for this event are available for $22.50 in advance or $25 at the door.
Gabe Scarbrough can be reached at [email protected].
