We ask “What are you listening to right now”, and get a nice five-track playlist. We really love these posts because it’s always intriguing to get a glimpse of an artist’s personal tastes. In our latest installment of the “My Top Five Favorite Tracks” we bring you a select playlist from the Scotland born DJ/Producer Chris Lake. The description with each track is his own thoughts on why he chose it as one of his top five favorites right now.

1. Chris Lake – Build up [Ultra] – My new one, and it doesn’t mess around! Straight to the jugular music for those parties where you want to send the crowd crazy!

2. John Dahlback – Grunge [Mutants] – This guy is on fire right now. The bassline on this is insane!!!!!!!!

John Dahlback – GrungeDownload audio file (01 Grunge (Original Mix).mp3)

3.Taurus & Vaggeli – Transporter EP [Rising Music] – I love these guys, but they’re some of the biggest pranksters on the planet. They also make fantastic club tracks, and these are 2 of the best examples. Played them both throughout my summer residency on the Amnesia terrace in Ibiza, and they were both highlights.

4. Hatiras, Will Bailey, Nom De Strip – Swagnum P.I. [Hatrax Records] – BRILLIANT club tool. This was a big part of my shows I played with deadmau5 over the holiday period. Drives the crowd insane!

Hatiras, Will Bailey, Nom De Strip – Swagnum P.I.Download audio file (Swagnum P.I. (Original Mix).mp3)

5. Tommy Trash – Monkey See Monkey Do [Rising Music] – Tommy Trash is the hottest dance producer to come out of Australia since Dirty South, and he knows how to nail big room tracks with real attitude. One of my favorite producers right now, and a top bloke to boot.

Tommy Trash – Monkey See Monkey Do Download audio file (Monkey-See-Monkey-Do-Original-Mix.mp3)

Just in today – Miike Snow’s music video from his song, Paddling Out. This video has a sci-fi, Twin Peaks-esque vibe and follows the character John Noel through a transformation. It’s funny, creepy, and even gross at times. We love it.

Right off the bat we’re going to hit you with a dirty new track. Cazzette dropped this in December in a guest mix for Avicii’s podcast. What was once a pop song destined for too much play in the top 40 lists is now something that will shred a dancefloor to pieces.

The build up in this track has beautifully composed synths intertwined with Rosette’s sexy vocals. While the drop is absolutely filthy, the track still maintains some of it’s original appeal, which is necessary for a great remix.

Ian Carey feat. Rosette & Timbaland – Amnesia (Cazzette Another Sugar Hunt Mix)Download audio file (2ohd.mp3)

Many would agree that Cape Town, South Africa is one of the most beautiful and dynamic places on the globe. Fitting that the music written by Civil Twilight would take on their city’s diverse and powerful nature. Lead singer Steven McKellar’s vocals come from an eery place not commonly found in alternative music and his band’s beautiful piano and string melodies provide the perfect bed for his vocals to dwell within. Chicago’s LoBounce picked up on the richly emotional vibe in Civil Twilight’s debut single “Letters From The Sky” and ornamented it with just the right balance of stripped down piano and heavy bass. LoBounce also did a nice job of stuttering out the vocals and infusing epic string chords of his own along with the grinding synth lines. All around this track will take you to a place that soars as high as Cape Town’s Table Mountain and beyond.

Civil Twilight – Letters From The Sky (LoBounce Remix)Download audio file (Letters From The Sky (LoBounce remix) 320.mp3)

Swedish trio Turn Off Your Television take their influences from pop across the decades, and create beautifully sweet and twee tunes. ‘I Just Cleaned The Floor’ is one such track, and sounds like a long-lost Two Door Cinema Club hit (with just a hint of Belle & Sebastian). One for fans of jangly guitars and bubblegum lyrics, Turn Off Your Television have the potential to be massive this year, and one listen of their back catalogue will have you craving more.

One of San Fran’s hottest talents, Shlomo, is back. The follow-up to his debut record, ‘Bad Vibes’, is the ‘Vacation’ EP. Focusing on quality over quantity, the EP proper is just 3 songs long. The highlight of ‘Vacation’ is ‘wen uuu’, which Shlomo’s labelmate Salva has reworked into a stunningly low-key electro banger. With its soft yet dark beats, ‘wen uuu’ tugs at the heartstrings. The ‘Vacation’ EP is out on February 7 via Friends Of Friends.

The modern electronic music landscape is flourishing with producers who crash through genre categories like a bull in a china shop. The lines between dubstep, electro, progressive and house have been blurred to oblivion, creating a whirlwind of hardcore sounds that sweep through venues and clubs all over the world leaving a path of destruction in their wake. Take the Atrasolis remix of “Showdown” from UK producer XKore for example. With a progressive intro, broken beat electro drop and dubstep bridge this track surveys the hardcore landscape with precision. So turn it up loud and forget all about the genres you used to know as you melt your face in the brave new era of 2012.

XKore – Showdown (Atrasolis Remix)Download audio file (showdown-atrasolis-remix.mp3)

Montreal based Christian Srigley and Leighton James are back again with another track under their their seen-all-over-hype-machine moniker, Adventure Club. The duo officially released this as of yesterday, just two weeks since the release of their last track, “Do I See Color”.

The DJ/producer duo has created an absolutely stunning vocal dubstep track in their remix of Foxes song, “Youth”. Their melodic-synth driven style plays so incredibly well with Loui Rose Allen’s voice, that you can’t help but play it again and again.

Foxes – Youth (Adventure Club Dubstep Remix) Download audio file (foxes-youth-adventure-club-dubstep.mp3)

As all of you know, we have been pretty stoked lately, listening to Moguai’s latest EP, Mpire. Thanks to mau5trap we were not only able to premiere a couple of tracks from this 13-track auditory journey last week but we also got the opportunity to talk to the man himself.

Before we jump right into it, below is a sampler of what you will find on Mpire, released January 30th.

Q: We do not know of many EDM producers that have listed punk music as one of their first influences, how do you think this translates to the music you produce today?

A: Maybe it´s more the attitude then actually the music that influences me, but I generally love music that transports energy. And Punk has a lot of it!

Q: Not having ever produced music myself, I always wonder if DJ/Producers ever have a gut feeling that a particular track is going to do well, can you talk a little bit more about one of your firsts singles ‘U know Y’ and the reception it got early in your career?

A: I think I speak for every musician when I say that you can´t predict how your recent track will be received, the outcome is always surprising. When I made ‘U know Y’ I didn´t knew what a massive influence this record would have on my life and career. And I can remember that after first listen people came to me and said something like: “What´s this? It´s not Techno, it´s not House, it´s not Breaks.. there is no ways you will have success with this track!”. Luckily they were wrong

Q: Being an international dj/producer, born in Germany and constantly touring around the globe, what is the main difference between the European and American electronic scene? In terms of culture, reception, and crowds at shows.

A: Playing in the US now is like a timeshift 15 years back for me, because you can feel that vibe that we had in Europe in the 90s. America is just beginning to discover the benefits of EDM, and I´m really glad to be a part of this! Except from the level of enthusiasm, people in the States seem to be much more open-minded than in Europe. It´s e.g. no problem if Skrillex plays the mainstage right after a Trance set.. Something you can´t really think of in Europe right now.

Q: If you had to describe your style of music in 3 words, what would they be?

A: Electronic, emotional, vintage

Q: 2011 was a huge year for EDM music. With every passing year EDM expands exponentially, tell us about your favorite upcoming artists for last year. Anyone we should watch out for in 2012?

A: There are so many young talents out there, but Zedd had a great 2011, and I´m sure he will kill it in 2012!

Q: Tell us more about you first contact with Joel Zimmerman (deadmau5). Any advice for upcoming producers that can help them connect with more attractive labels/artists?

A: I personally met him almost a year after my first release on mau5trap before one of his gigs in London. I was the support act for his UK tour, which was a great experience for me. He is a nice and gentle person, and an incredible artist.

I think the best advice for upcoming producers is to create their own style, be unique, and don´t try to copy someone else.

Q: What are your plans for the next 6 months?

A: Touring and promoting the album will take most of the time. But there are also plans for remixes, and some great collaborations to which I already look forward!

Q: And lastly, a curve ball, what animal do you think best represents your style of music?”
A Hawk maybe? Elegant and majestic

Australian indie pop group Antonio Paul first made a name for themselves with the Treasures EP, a collection of upbeat D.I.Y. tracks that they were able to create by slaving away on a sample pad, an iPad , and a guitar.  They’ve come a long way since then, having played Groove in’ The Moo in May of last year, opening for bands like Jinja Safari, and using organic drumming (see the video for “Sweet Wine”).

With the End Of The World EP, released on January 13th, the band hopes to maintain the momentum they found on Treasures with songs like “City Dreams”. I think they’ve done it. End of The World is an upbeat and ambitious work, blending influence of punk and american grunge with the bands already indie pop sound. Count on fast and melodic delivery, technical guitar leads, and pounding bass drums driving the EP forward.

Buy the album HERE.

Antonio Paul – Into the NightDownload audio file (Into the Night MP3.mp3)

Antonio Paul – Made in China Download audio file (Made in China MP3.mp3)

Antonio Paul – Sweet Wine Download audio file (Sweet Wine MP3.mp3)