Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article reported on the first phase of Imagine Music Festival’s 2021 lineup. The article has been updated to include the full lineup, which was announced nearly seven months later.
After abandoning the event’s 2020 iteration due to COVID-19 concerns, organizers of the beloved Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia music fest Imagine Music Festival have announced the fest’s full 2021 lineup.
The three-day festival, which will go down September 17th to 19th, 2021, doubles as a “who’s who” of electronic music’s most notable artists. In addition to headliners Excision, ILLENIUM, GRiZ, and Kaskade, the lineup features an awe-inspiring list of collaborative DJ sets. Those include Kayzo B2B Subtronics, VirtualRiot B2B BarelyAlive, Carnage B2B Borgore, AdventureClub B2B RiotTen, and a performance from GhostRydr, the collaborative pseudonym of bass house kingpins Ghastly and JOYRYDE.
Fans of Madeon will also be delighted to hear that he will be performing a “Good Faith Live Set,” a stunning visual spectacle tied to the Grammy Award-nominated artist’s sophomore album.
You can find the full lineup via the flier below and purchase tickets to Imagine Music Festival’s 2021 event here.
The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) is offering $16 billion in funding to live venues, museums, theaters, and other entertainment spaces that have remained closed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Applications for relief grants will be available via the Small Business Administration (SBA) website on April 8. SBA Administer Isabella Casillas Guzman said,
“Help is here for venue operators hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The SBA has worked diligently to build the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program from the ground up to assist and address the diverse eligibility requirements of each type of applicant and we will open for applications on April 8.”
Eligible venues may receive up to 45% of their pre-pandemic revenue, with a maximum single grant capping at $10 million. $2 billion of the fund is reserved for venues with more than 50 employees.
In order to be eligible for the grant, venues must first register through the System for Award Management (SAM) website. Some eligibility requirements include that venues must have been operational no later than February 29, 2020, and had a 25% or greater reduction in revenue over the course of the pandemic. On March 30, the SBA will explain the application process during an informational webinar.
The SVOG passed through Congress in December as part of a $900 billion stimulus package. An additional $1.25 billion was allocated to the SVOG earlier this month after President Joe Biden passed the American Rescue Plan, allowing music venues to apply for Payroll Protection Plans (PPP) loans up until March 31.
Initially sponsored by Senators Chuck Schumer and Amy Klobuchar, the SVOG had been a part of the Save Our Stages Act. In October of 2020, Major Lazer and Dillon Francis joined numerous artists to support Save Our Stages during a multi-day livestream.
Tags: amy klobuchar, chuck schumer, covid-19, covid-19 music relief, Dillon Francis, foo fighters, major lazer, music venue, Save Our Stages, save our stages act
Another single from Alan Vega‘s posthumous solo album ‘Mutator’ has been released.
READ MORE: The story of post-punk in 15 classic albums
‘Fist’ follows last month’s ‘Nike Soldier‘, which was the first taste of the late Suicide singer’s long-lost album that arrives via Sacred Bones next month.
Jared Artaud, who helped mix and produce ‘Mutator’, said of the track: “‘Fist’ reveals the album’s archetypal sonic framework of balancing intensity with calm. Music you can meditate to or blast during a protest march.
“Vega was a champion of the underdog. His lyrics inspire strength for the individual to rise up and destroy those destroying us. ‘Fist’ sets Mutator into motion with Vega’s ‘no notes’ mantra and blistering poetic truths that balance a dark vision with hope.”
Vega, who died at the age of 78 in 2016, worked on the music with his widow and collaborator Liz Lamere in the ’90s.
She added in a press release: “‘Fist’s relentless forward movement of the music coupled with Vega’s battle cry lyrics makes it a powerful call for action to the people to muster their power, come together and Make One Nation. The message is timely, the impact timeless.”
Vega and Lamere recorded the eight songs on ‘Mutator’ between 1996 and 1998 in New York City but the project was on hold for nearly two decades before Lamere and Artaud unearthed it in 2019.
As festival season draws near, the coronavirus vaccine is giving hope that some events may be able to take place in 2021. In this case, we see Lollapalooza founder PerryFarrell with a smile on his face as he proudly states, “We’re growing closer.”
In the video below, Farrell gleams, “I hold in my hands my license to party! It’s my COVID-19 vaccination receipt! I will see you at Lollapalooza soon!” The recording was taken days ago and has received much excitement from fans everywhere.
He follows up with an important message: “I was inspired at the moment because I just assumed that everyone knows what the deal is by now (mask up social distance and get vaccinated). That’s really really what we still need to do… but party right now? We’re just wasting our time. It’s not personal- it’s not political.”
Lolla was forced to cancel in 2020, but quickly adapted with a special virtual edition of the festival. The event hosted AlisonWonderland, NGHTMRE, ZHU, WHIPPEDCREAM, BoomboxCartel, CloZee, 4B and more. Watch the replay here.
If Farrell is any indication, this year looks much more optimistic.
I was inspired at the moment because I just assumed that everyone knows what the deal is by now (mask up social distance and get vaccinated). That’s really really what we still need to do… but party right now? We’re just wasting our time. It’s not personal- it’s not political.
Following the reveal of a cryptic new website, it appears 1788-L is ready to reboot.
While the anonymous bass music artist’s identity has remained a mystery since his 2018 debut, he’s made an undeniable impression in a short amount of time. This esteem is shared by his peers, having toured and collaborated with high-profile acts such as REZZ, The Glitch Mob, Kayzo, and ILLENIUM, among others.
At 11AM PT (2PM ET), 1788-L went live on his socials with a link to a new website, which offers a “system update” for fans. Upon entering an email, users are taken to a terminal, where an automated bootloader sequence initiates a 1788-L homepage. Here, they are prompted to enter a command, which presumably unlocks a new page and, hopefully, news on what’s next for the artist.
Screenshot of 1788-L’s new website, which has led fans to believe a return from the mysterious artist is imminent.
Two years after his last release on Monstercat, label veteran Trivecta returns with a nostalgia-drenched progressive house offering, “Ghost in the Machine.” Trivecta’s latest combines pop-inspired vocals with the classic progressive sound of the mid-2010’s for a track that should draw in old school fans and the new generation. Trivecta is known best for melodic dubstep and trance, so the switch to progressive is significant, as he describes:
“This song is a callback to some of the progressive house tunes I put out with Monstercat in my early years. It’s reminiscent of a time that was super energetic and inspiring for me, so it was a blast to make.”
“Ghost in the Machine” is Trivecta‘s second single of 2021 following his recent dubstep cut “Twilight Of The Gods.” It join’s Monstercat’s ever-growing 2021 release list alongside Bleu Clair‘s eclectic house single “The Tempo” and REAPER’s enormous remix of Koven’s “Shut My Mouth.” Additionally, Monstercat recently acquire Silk Music to form the third label under its umbrella, Monstercat Silk.
Years & Years have announced new single ‘Starstruck’, which will be the first release since the band revealed it will now function as a solo project under Olly Alexander.
The song arrives on April 8 and heralds a new era for the act, which confirmed last week that frontman Alexander now will head things up while other bandmates take backseat roles.
The synth-pop trio explained that their upcoming third album has been an “Olly” endeavour, although Emre Turkmen and Mikey Goldsworthy will remain closely connected. Goldsworthy is set to play live with Years & Years and Turkmen will continue as a writer-producer.
Years & Years shared what appears to be the cover art for the forthcoming single on Instagram earlier today (March 23). See that below.
Speaking to OK Magazine recently after the success of his acclaimed appearance in Russell T Davies’ TV Drama It’s A Sin, Alexander said: “[My ultimate goal is] to continue performing.
“It’s been amazing and I really want to do it again, but I’m going to take it as it comes. I’m putting out more music this year, but I am also going to see what happens.”
Years & Years’ last album was 2018’s ‘Palo Santo’.
In a five-star review, NME‘s El Hunt wrote: “Taking intense sadness out for a night on the glitter-soaked tiles, ‘Palo Santo’ links the intense escapism of pop music with the sanctuary the queer community seek in their own special, sacred spaces.
“From start to finish, Years & Years worship at the triple-altars of limb-thrashing hedonism, religious iconography and guilt-tainted desire. Filthy, sexy, thoroughly debauched pop at its finest; ‘Palo Santo’ feels like a magical album.”
It’s been a little over two years since Nero last dropped new music, that being “Lullaby” for the launch of Ninja’s label, NINJAWERKS at the end of 2018. Now, they’ve returned out of nowhere with a beautiful tribute to Daft Punk, remixing their song “Emotion” from the 2005 album, Human After All.
READ MORE: Daft Punk Breaks Up In “Epilogue” Video
“Emotion” is the final song on the album, which also features the titular song “Human After All,” as well as “Robot Rock,” “Television Rules The Nation,” and “Technologic.” It’s a lingering, nearly-seven-minute long song that has a simple looping melody and vocal, but, being Daft Punk, of course they find their own way to make it special.
For the Nero remix, they put a bit more glitz and glam in the rhythm and synth work, giving it some more shimmering synth effects and cutting up the looping rhythm with more kicks and warping the melody a bit. At the base level, it’s very similar to the original but it certainly has its own charm.
As the national COVID-19 vaccination rollout continues, many music festivals have announced their joyous returns after a year of unprecedented cancellations. One such event is the three-day Dirtybird CampINN, which has announced a stacked lineup for its grand debut in Orlando from May 14th to 17th.
True to form, Dirtybird has recruited the finest in house music and beyond for the Orlando fest, which will operate at a reduced capacity in the name of public safety. Scheduled to perform are TOKiMONSTA, Mr. Carmack, Walker & Royce, Shiba San, VNSSA, Soul Clap and, of course, beloved Dirtybird co-founders ClaudeVonStrokeand Worthy, among many others.
CampINN’s Bird Bath stage will feature a flock of house music pioneers, including legendary Chicago producers DerrickCarterand GeneFarris. Joining them will be DJ Holographic, Mikey Lion, TreasureFingers, and many more. Meanwhile, the Bass Lodge will show off a more eclectic sound courtesy of TOKiMONSTA, Carmack, Tsuruda, and Miami hip-hop legends 2 Live Crew, among others. CampINN will also boast special performances at after-hours stages, dubbed Flip Side and Lava Lab, until 6AM through Monday morning.
Dirtybird CampINN 2021 will feature TOKiMONSTA, Mr. Carmack, Walker & Royce, Claude VonStroke, and many more major dance music artists.
Dirtybird CampINN will operate under a rigorous set of self-established guidelines to ensure the safety of its staff and patrons. Organizers have hired a “safety team” consisting of “trained individuals that will be encouraging & enforcing the safety guidelines in a fun and positive way.”
They have implemented a rapid testing step into the admission process, teaming up with OnSite Safe, an on-site coronavirus solutions company. Attendees will be required to submit to a test after arriving onsite. Those able to furnish proof of vaccination may bypass this step, but will still have to undergo a temperature screening and will be denied entry with a scan of over 100.4°. The guests who opt to take the onsite rapid test must schedule an appointment and pay via OnSite Safe.
Face coverings are mandatory and required indoors at all times. Festival staff will be providing bandanas to attendees upon entry, but they encourage guests to bring their own. Social distancing at the Avanti Palms Resort grounds is also “encouraged,” but notably not obligatory.
You can purchase tickets to Dirtybird CampINN here and check out the full lineup below.
Dirtybird CampINN 2021 Lineup: 2 Live Crew Ardalan Arnold & Lane Barclay Crenshaw Black V Neck Bruno Furlan Choopsie Claude VonStroke Codes Contribe Corey Hurley DJ E-Clyps DJ Glen DJ Godfather DJ Holographic Danny Goliger Derrick Carter Dipzy E.R.N.E.S.T.O Faren Strnad Freqish Gene Farris Gerry Gonza Gettoblaster Gina Turner Hot Pot Justin Jay Lenny Kiser Lubelski Mikey Lion Mr. Carmack Nala Nasser Baker PZB Live Pillowtalk (DJ Set) Qlank Richie Panic Robot Love Sage Armstrong Shiba San Sister System Soul Clap Subset Taylor Bratches The Whooligan Thee Mike Bee Tiedye Ky TOKiMONSTA Treasure Fingers Tsuruda Two Tails VNSSA Victoria Rawlins Walker & Royce Worthy Wyatt Marshall
In recent months, Cercle and grandeur have become synonymous, and Bob Moses‘ March 22 live set at Los Angeles’ Griffith Observatory only further underscored their relationality. Bathed in the gold tint of the setting Californian sun, the Canadian duo and its indie-inflected sound washed over the observatory’s lawn as the copper domes of the 27,000-square foot structure gleamed.
Across a contemplative one-hour and 34-minute stretch, Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance privileged tracklistings from their fourth long-form, 2020’s Desire. Rife with Moses material, the scenic stint made choice admissions, permitting originals from Durante and Lane 8, among a select number of other creators, to filter into the sonic frame. At stream’s end, Howie and Vallance left their instruments sitting idle to take questions, giving viewers a glimpse at the creative motivations behind their sound before Cercle closed the curtain on yet another picturesque affair. View Bob Moses’ livestream in full here.
Featured image: Lucas MK
Tags: Bob Moses, Cercle, Desire, Griffith Observatory
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