Day: 2 April 2020

A force to be reckoned with in the drum ‘n’ bass scene, rising star Reaper burst onto public conscience with exceptional remixes of hits from industry titans such as RL Grime, TNGHT, and more. His unique take on the genre quickly garnered the support and attention of powerhouse label Monstercat, and promoter legends Brownies & Lemonade, where he signed a well-received EP with the former and debuted his live show with the latter. Now, he’s back with another heater in brand new single, “Barricade.”

“Barricade” features a full arsenal of Reaper’s tight and hard-hitting sound design, offering a futuristic and forward thinking approach to drum ‘n’ bass. With aggressive underlying guitar shreds, and exceptional drums featured throughout the entirety of the track, “Barricade” continues to build upon the strong production legacy that Reaper has put forth.

SoundCloud is talking about a host of new support initiatives, but there’s one you might want to switch on right now – a direct support button for your profile.

It goes without saying that people across the arts, entertainment, and many other industries are hitting hard times, and not everyone has a strong support net. It also goes without saying that music makers often struggle under the best of circumstances. SoundCloud is the latest in our arena to announce various initiatives – everything from working with Twitch to discounting SoundCloud Pro accounts to a set of news today. That includes $5 million in promotional support and a $10 million accelerator program (Repost Select).

But let’s get to that later, because the simplest thing SoundCloud is doing is to make a prominent link available on your profile page.

The direct fan-support-button is just a big blue box with a link of your choosing. There’s some pre-defined text reminding people that artists are impacted by COVID-19 and health interventions.

Here’s how it appears in action (currently live on the Web; awaiting an official word on mobile):

To add yours, go to your Creators profile page while logged in, and choose the”edit” button on the right. Then click “add support link,” and a new text field appears. Here you can add a link to a number of sites. (Custom links don’t work, but they are taking feedback for services you want if one isn’t listed.)

Supported sites you can link to (for now):

Paypal.me
Cash.app
Venmo
Bandcamp
Shopify
Patreon
Kickstarter
Gofundme

Emphasis mine – it isn’t just about begging for money or passing the hat, because you can also direct people to buy your music and merch on Bandcamp, head to a store on Shopify (where you might even sell synthesizer hardware, for instance), subscribe on Patreon, or support a Kickstarter project.

It’s just a link – there’s no commission that goes to SoundCloud. Basically, it works like the existing links on your profile, but white-listing these sites on which you can get paid. (Oh yeah – you can even link Bandcamp twice, which is what I do; I want people’s support to come in the form of downloading my music, and I still want to list my Bandcamp page alongside Twitter and Facebook.)

Find the instructions here:

Direct Support Link [SoundCloud help]

Blog post: Add this new button to your profile so fans can financially support you [SoundCloud blog]

And an update from CEO Kerry Trainor on everything else

My experience is this: a lot of music lovers want to support artists. As we saw with Bandcamp’s music sale last week, as we’ve seen on Patreon and other services, people are looking for opportunities. That makes it even more tragic that big tech providers like Spotify, YouTube, and Apple tend to focus more on building their platform rather than allowing connections to artists. I hope that this step from SoundCloud is a first step toward more of that kind of direct support.

Stay tuned; we’ll soon talk to SoundCloud about their strategy with creators here, and hopefully unravel some of the other offerings.

But meanwhile, if you’re wondering if you should turn that button on, I say yes!

I was going to add more, but really – just yes.

Deadmau5 has taken to the Mixer platform for his newest experimental venture—crowdsourcing fans to help him in programming new cube show content. The Canadian producer will be streaming his entire catalog live 24/7 while he takes to programming his latest cube prototype through a virtual setup. Fans can interact in real-time with selecting visuals by typing commands, “cube1” or any number up to 229 into the chat. Users can also type in “meowingtons” to summon the mau5’s demon cat, as he runs a lap around the stage.

The mau5trap boss will also be reuniting with Steve Duda under their BSOD collaborative alias for their first release in six years. The new track “No Way, Get Real” is set to land April 10. The Cube innovator took to Mixer to play a TESTPILOT set on March 28.

Join the live stream here.

Photo Credit: Eugene Gologursky / Getty Images

Black Tiger Sex Machine have turned in a new bass weapon, “KILLZONE,” that haunts the senses through a dark passage of ominous ambiance and battering riddim breaks. On “KILLZONE,” the Canadian production outfit proctors monstrous sound design and head banging percussion arrangements to make for a heavy handed new single that follows up on last month’s filthy ATLiens collaboration, “Frequencies.”

Due to COVID-19, the Kannibalen Records executive trio had to unfortunately cancel the remainder of their Futuristic Thriller Movie Experience Tour, releasing this new track as a treat to fans for the missed events. This year, the Canadian bass troupe also teamed up with Blanke, on their collaborative low-end driver, “Time Travel.” Listen to BTSM’s latest below.

Justin Bieber has announced that his 2020 Changes Tour has been postponed due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The tour was set to begin in Seattle Washington on May 14 and run through September 26.

Bieber and his team made the announcement on socials, explaining that the safety of Bieber, the crew, and his fans were of the upmost importance. In the caption of his Instagram post, Bieber writes, “The health and safety of my fans, team, cast and crew is the most important thing for me. The world is a scary place but we will all figure this out together. We held on to these dates as long as we could and I cannot wait to see all of you in person as soon as I can. Be safe and I will hopefully see you soon”

Despite the tour being put on hold, Bieber has continued to release music. On March 28, the Canadian pop star released his Work From Home EP, and he has put out the accompanying music videos from releases on Changes, including the accompanying video for the album’s title track.

Featured image: Marka/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Like most artists trying to get through the quarantine, Netsky is keeping hard at work, announcing his first original release for 2020. In addition to a brand new single entitled “I See the Future in Your Eyes” out Friday, April 3, the Belgian DJ/producer will also release a full length LP later this year.

With an Aloe Blacc collaboration in 2019 and a recent machine learning-based remix of Elon Musk‘s EDM debut, the Belgian DJ/producer has kept listeners waiting for something big. Awaiting release on Hospital Records, Netsky took to socials for the announcement, revealing a drum ‘n’ bass lead project. See the full statement below and prepare for a trove of new material from Netsky.

Happy birthday to Dave Smith – founder of Sequential, co-creator of MIDI, and the innovator behind some wonderful instruments and tech that make us smile even when we’re in isolation.

And while it sure would be great to be toasting Dave in person, wow has the Internet contributed – with quite a few Prophets and such in the background.

Artists and other inventors – what a bunch. I can needle drop just to give the range. John Carpenter. Jason Miles. Cory Henry. Roger Linn and Ingrid Linn (Ingrid is also an electrical engineer). Monika Heidemann. Dave Rossum. Suzanne Ciani.

Honestly, watching this, you may start to feel like it’s your birthday, too. And it’s a nice reminder of what talented and nice friends we have in the world of synthesizers – a world that continues to add more of you around the world as inventors and artists and thinkers, all three.

Suzanne even speaks Italian and Roger and Ingrid demonstrate that it’s okay to break out bubbly.

Happy birthday, Dave.

PS, if you want to get the guy a gift – Sequential are also joining in supporting musicians during the COVID-19 crisis.

Dancing Astronaut has partnered with Dance From Home, a charitable, livestreaming festival developed to benefit the PLUS1 COVID-19 Relief Fund to bring dance music enthusiasts live sets from esteemed electronic acts. With a phase one lineup led by ATTLAS, Gene Farris, Tim Baresko, and Anthony Attalla, and more, Dance From Home organizer, Quality Time, seeks to provide listeners with an animated live music experience that will not only appeal to viewers’ sonic sensibilities but also support COVID-19 relief efforts.

To produce Dance From Home, Quality Time is collaborating with Arcade Fire’s non-profit philanthropic organization, PLUS1. PLUS1, which was initially developed to support Haiti, is currently working with fellow non-profit entities, Sweet Relief, the Centre for Disaster Philanthropy, World Central Kitchen, Trans Lifeline, and Partners In Health, as well as local groups across the country to provide assistance to the musicians and other music industry professionals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Proceeds from Dance From Home, collected via Twitch donations, will be split between the online festival’s participating artists and the COVID-19 relief fund, to cover medical costs, lodging, clothing, food, and other vital living expenses for those who are sick or out of work.

Dance From Home is slated for 2 p.m. PST/5 p.m. EST on April 4. More information on Dance From Home will be available on Dancing Astronaut ahead of the live event.

What may seem like an unlikely pairing at first, Rudimental and The Martinez Brothers hit the studio together once more to produce their latest single, “Easy On Me.” Known better for their radio-friendly and more pop-leaning beats, Rudimental have amassed a catalog of various works with vocal artists like Ed Sheeran, Elderbrook, James Arthur, and Becky Hill, which over time has extended their reach within mainstream music. The UK foursome however took to their latest collaboration with a mighty force and forged an impeccable dance floor staple with leading techno duo The Martinez Brothers, who over the course of their career have impressed many with their undeniable steeze and flair.

“Easy On Me” forges a silky, rolling bassline with a lighter touch than the everyday techno track, a signature component to The Martinez Brothers’ musical works. Topped by intoxicating vocals looping throughout the track, the single shares obvious elements of both parties expertise, from the foundational four-to-the-floor beat line, to the infectious, instrumental chords. The single follows up their first collaboration together from 2019, an afrobeat house release by the name of “Sitigawana.”

EDC Las Vegas is reportedly looking to move their annual festival to October 2-4 weekend, Billboard reports. The festival which is currently slated to take place over May 15-17, has been the latest to announce their postponement due to the spread of COVID-19. The Insomniac CEO and festival founder, Pasquale Rotella has taken to social media over the past few weeks to provide frequent updates to fans and followers about the ongoing decisions regarding the festival’s scheduled dates and the possibility of postponing their 20th anniversary to later in the year.

As of March 31, Pasquale updated fans saying an announcement about any necessary changes for the festival’s future would be made later within the week. See his full statement below.

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Focusing on the light. All this time spent working out details for EDC Las Vegas and the rest of our 2020 festivals has got me thinking about the big picture. What’s the value of music festivals in a world that’s experiencing so much hardship? Or if I get super deep into my own head, is what I’ve dedicated my entire life to really even that important right now? Throwing these Virtual Rave-A-Thons and seeing our community come together and dance and lift each other up has been so powerful, and it only reaffirms what I’ve always felt at my core. That what we do—this magic we create together—is a life force. It inspires us to be better. It brings us closer together. It helps us see a brighter and better tomorrow. And that’s exactly what we need right now. This time hasn’t been about whether or not to do the event before it’s safe. That’s never been a question for me. We’re spending so much time on the best decisions for EDCLV because I know how much it means to many of you and we need it to be right. Thank you for being patient. I’ll have an announcement with all necessary changes coming this week so stay tuned. Photo @eastonschirra

A post shared by Pasquale Rotella (@pasqualerotella) on Mar 31, 2020 at 6:47pm PDT

Photo credit: Insomniac