New Artist Spotlight: Nicholas Gunn Releases an Album to Get Us all in ‘Sound Condition’


It’s definitely a bit of a misnomer to feature Nicholas Gunn in our New Artist Spotlight tag but somehow a great oversight has occurred here at YEDM and we’ve never actually featured this ambient and experimental electronica veteran. The “spotlight” bit is definitely apt, however, as Gunn’s new album, Sound Condition, deserves more than one.

Having created beautiful, new-age tinged music since 1992 and having skirted the divide between ambient electronica and EDM for almost three decades now, it’s wonderful to see an artist like Gunn still creating and, more than that, releasing music with a purpose of healing. We all could certainly need some help with that as we say a hasty goodbye to 2020 and look for the parting clouds in 2021. Gunn says Sound Condition is about exactly that healing journey the whole planet will be on this year.

“If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that being in sound condition (in every respect) matters…When I look back at this past year, we have seen absurdity on a level not experienced in anyone’s lifetime. The ability to manipulate mass audiences, create chaos and divide and infect society can be attributed to a few people in control who lack the very definition of being in sound condition. It’s the antithesis of a life lived with a deep concern for humanity. A reality created only by the self- desire to suit one’s own personal agenda.”

The album title isn’t just a clever pun in Gunn’s mind. The music he makes has always been set to heal and help, and this meditative album does just that. While it’s definitely in the new age/ambient register, Sound Condition is also musically very technically advance. We’re not just talking panflutes and wind noises, here, although Gunn himself plays the flute and employs it liberally in tracks like “The Unfolding” and “My Body Is a Temple”.

The subtle breakbeats and ravey transitions in tracks like “Angels” featuring Alina Renae, the title track and “Language” help ground the listener as the perfectly arranged piano melodies and pitch-perfect ambient sound design lift up and settle the restless soul. Other tracks like are more decidedly ambient and beatless and in fact the album ends with a spine-tingling triad of them: “Just Us” features Alina Renae’s beautiful vocals again and is accompanied by Gunn’s flawless piano, while “Flow” has lashings of  deeper, tribal tones. Finally, “The Promise” is a pop anthem with a purpose, an excellent close to the true healing journey Gunn wants Sound Condition to be.

With almost 30 years to hone his craft, it’s no wonder Sound Condition is such a polished masterpiece. He’s drawn on all the eras of rave, ambient and healing music and put it in one album which examines the past to release it and brings “The Promise” of a better future. It’s a perfect combination of ambient and dance music, healing and release. Gunn’s aim for sound condition through Sound Condition is more than achieved.

Sound Condition is out now and can be streamed on Spotify.



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Pacha Expands to Open New Venue in Mykonos

Ibiza’s fabled Pacha has been a go-to destination for partiers worldwide. Since opening their first location in 1967 in the beach town of Sitges, Pacha Group has gone on to expand its luxury experience with clubs across Europe. However, they’ve kept their hotels strictly in Spain—until now. 





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Rina Sawayama scores major victory in getting rules changed for the BRITs and Mercury Prize


Rina Sawayama has scored a major victory in getting eligibility rules changed for the BRIT Awards and the Mercury Prize.

The singer has campaigned heavily to have the rules changed for British solo artists at awards events and contacted the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

She wasn’t eligible to enter as a British artist under the current rules in last year’s Mercury Prize for her debut ‘SAWAYAMA’. Solo artists must hold either British or Irish nationality and provide official documentation of their citizenship, such as a passport.

Although Sawayama has indefinite leave to remain in the UK, citizenship had been the issue blocking her Mercury Prize nomination – and current rules set by Japan mean that she cannot claim dual citizenship.

Now, she has revealed that the BPI have agreed to change the rules. “I’m over the moon to share the news that following a number of conversations the BPI has decided to change the rules of eligibility for all nominees for the BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize,” Sawayama wrote.

“Starting this year, artists (like me) will be eligible for nomination even without British citizenship. The rules have broadened to include those who have been a resident of the UK for five years.

“I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for sharing the #SAWAYAMAISBRITISH campaign worldwide and igniting this important conversation about Britishness.”

She continued: “Without your collective voice this wouldn’t have happened. In my 26th year of living in the UK I’m so proud that I can make this systemic change for future generations, so that in many years to come we can see a more diverse definition of British musical excellence. So one last time: SAWAYAMA IS British.”

As well as many of the artist’s own fans, Elton John expressed his surprise that ‘SAWAYAMA’ missed out last year, writing on Instagram at the time: “Unfortunately, not everyone gets to make that list. So I want to shamelessly plug two artists that were overlooked,” before praising Sawayama’s self-titled record as one of his “favourite albums of 2020.”

‘SAWAYAMA’ featured in NME‘s 20 Best Albums Of 2020 list and received a glowing five-star review upon its release.

“Drawing on every aspect of her identity, Sawayama creates an expansive musical account of her personal history, all bolstered by her impressive experimental song-writing techniques,” wrote Hannah Mylrea. “And on top of that, she’s somehow managed to make nu-metal sound effortlessly cool.”





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Revisit Daft Punk’s Complete Discography, Including Co-Writings, Productions, & Collaborations


Daft Punk’s breakup video on Monday is still being felt and shared days later. Though reactions ranged from shocked to expected, the reality is that any rumors of new Daft Punk music are now, more likely than ever before, firmly solidified as false.

However, there’s still a lot of music for us to look back on, and not just the music they’ve released on their own. Over the years, Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter have co-written or co-produced, together or separately, a huge number of songs with other artists including Kavinsky’s “Nightcall,” N.E.R.D’s “Hypnotize U,” Arcade Fire’s “Electric Blue,” and of course plenty of Kanye West tracks.

The playlist below, compiled by Tommie Sunshine, features an almost- (if not completely) exhaustive list of all Daft Punk music over the years, at least the ones available on Spotify. Of course not every song from every one of their albums is on the list, as it is emphasizing their work outside of “Daft Punk” the project.

 



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Sign the Petition to Declare April 17th “Drum & Bass Day”

Since the early 1990s, drum & bass has been a staple in the world of electronic music. Nearly three decades in, the genre has spread from the United Kingdom throughout the world and continues to innovate and impress with its intricate sound design, crushing low-end energy, heart-wrenching melodies, and danceable grooves. With such a diverse array of sound within itself, it’s safe to say that drum & bass will continue to be a crowd favorite for years to come.





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Introducing The Space Station, an Audius Exclusive playlist – Dancing Astronaut


by: Andrew Spada


Feb 24, 2021

Introducing The Space Station, our exclusive Audius playlist focused on exposing new and exciting music from independent artists.

Since 2009, Dancing Astronaut has been sharing electronic music for the love of it. Like many electronic music fans, we grew up on Soundcloud. We got our start sharing mash-ups, bootlegs, and remixes from then unknown artists who were pioneering a new style of sound on the internet. Unfortunately, those days are far behind Soundcloud, but our crate-digging and music-sharing obsession is still going strong. And, if you’re anything like us, you’re tired of the same artists populating every EDM playlist on Spotify.

So where do you turn? The answer is simple; AUDIUS.

Finally, there is new platform that’s as exciting as Soundcloud felt during those early years.

Every week, we’ll be updating The Space Station. On it you’ll find some familiar faces and plenty you’ve never seen before — and that’s the point. No label plants. No walled gardens. No slotting fees. Just good music, updated every week.

We’re looking for submissions from creators and producers to submit their music to us to be featured on the playlist. No matter the genre, let us hear what you’re making.

If you’re not on Audius yet, now’s the time. Sign up here.

Tags: Audius, The Space Station

Categories: Features, Music, News






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Paul McCartney announces career spanning biography ‘The Lyrics’ through 154 of his songs


Paul McCartney has announced a career-spanning book about his life through 154 songs from his back catalogue.

‘The Lyrics’, which is due for release on November 2, will recount the musician’s life through his earliest boyhood compositions, songs by The Beatles, Wings and from his lengthy solo career.

It will also be presented with previously unseen drafts, letters and pictures from his personal archive.

Arranged alphabetically to provide a kaleidoscopic rather than chronological account, it establishes definitive texts of the songs’ lyrics for the first time and describes the circumstances in which they were written, the people and places that inspired them, and what he thinks of them now.

You can view a trailer below.

“More often than I can count, I’ve been asked if I would write an autobiography, but the time has never been right,” said McCartney.

“The one thing I’ve always managed to do, whether at home or on the road, is to write new songs. I know that some people, when they get to a certain age, like to go to a diary to recall day-to-day events from the past, but I have no such notebooks. What I do have are my songs, hundreds of them, which I’ve learned serve much the same purpose. And these songs span my entire life.

“I hope that what I’ve written will show people something about my songs and my life which they haven’t seen before. I’ve tried to say something about how the music happens and what it means to me and I hope what it may mean to others too.”

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Paul Muldoon, who put the book together added: “Based on conversations I had with Paul McCartney over a five year period, these commentaries are as close to an autobiography as we may ever come. His insights into his own artistic process confirm a notion at which we had but guessed – that Paul McCartney is a major literary figure who draws upon, and extends, the long tradition of poetry in English.”

Meanwhile, McCartney recently photobombed a TikTok user who failed to clock her close encounter with the rock icon until she returned home.

 

 

 





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ASADI Becomes Comic Book Hero in First-Ever Issue of “The Immortal ASADI”

Global electronic star ASADI has not relented in offering various styles, genres and singles in 2021, but that doesn’t mean he’s finished diversifying his output. Last Friday, he became the first-ever Persian superhero on The Immortal ASADI, his very own comic book series.





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Insomniac caters to future bass and melodic dubstep enthusiasts with launch of Lost In Dreams – Dancing Astronaut Insomniac caters to future bass and melodic dubstep enthusiasts with launch of Lost In Dreams


by: Rachel Narozniak


Feb 24, 2021

In line with its “mission to create a home for every type of dance music fan,” in Pasquale Rotella‘s own words, Insomniac has launched Lost In Dreams, a new festival with a dedicated record label. Speaking on the inception of Lost In Dreams, Rotella said,

“[Lost In Dreams] will open up a new world of future bass, melodic dubstep, and vocal-driven dance music. Lost In Dreams is an entirely new vision for us where the festival team and our Insomniac Music Group crew will work side-by-side to simultaneously execute the development of the festival and record label.”

Though further information about the Lost In Dreams live accompaniment is to come, Insomniac Music Group plans to imminently issue “a string of releases” via the newly conceived label, which will serve as a haven for future bass, melodic dubstep, and pop/electronic productions, according to Insomniac. Further details about the Lost In Dreams-installing releases are awaited.

Tags: future bass, insomniac, Lost In Dreams, melodic dubstep

Categories: News






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“We can’t wait to get back to the fields”


Reading and Leeds Festival has confirmed that it will be going ahead this summer, after the government outlined plans for England to gradually exit lockdown by the end of June.

Posting on social media, festival organisers told fans they “can’t wait to get back in the fields”, alongside a clip which shared footage of classic performances from past years.

“Reading and Leeds 2021. Following the government’s recent announcement, we can’t wait to get back to the fields this summer. LET’S GO,” they wrote in a tweet.

The festival is set to take place in its traditional August Bank Holiday weekend slot, which this year falls between 27 and 29 August. Headline performances will come from the likes of Liam Gallagher, Stormzy, Post Malone, Catfish & The Bottlemen and Queens of The Stone Age.

Reacting to the news, Gallagher wrote on Twitter: ” READING n LEEDS c’mon you fuckers LG x.”

This year’s festival will also see Reading & Leeds featuring six headliners and, for the first time, two main stages.

The newly introduced West Main Stage will take in headline performances from the likes of Catfish & The Bottlemen, Disclosure and Queens Of The Stone Age.

It comes after the government confirmed that they will “aim to remove all legal limits on social contact” by June 21. Before that, outdoor hospitality, such as pubs and outdoor dining, could reopen on April 12, with indoor hospitality following on May 17.

The latter date is also the first point where live events could return, however, limited capacities and social distancing may still be required. After June 21, all other restrictions should be removed – however, the roadmap is contingent on vaccinations going to plan, COVID-19 variants not causing new problems, and the infection rate lowering.

Earlier this year, Reading & Leeds boss Melvin Benn told NME he was “super confident” about the event taking place.

“If everyone over the age of 60, or definitely the age of 50, is vaccinated by the end of May, then Jesus – there should be no stopping us,” Benn told NME. “Imagine what fun it’s going to be. It’s going to be bloody awesome, isn’t it? Rain or shine, being out in that field with thousands of people, wherever it is, watching any band or your favourite band, I just can’t wait. It’s mouth-watering just to think about.”

This comes after he previously stated that “everyone could be tested” at the event if required.

The festival was previously forced to abandon its 2020 edition, featuring headline sets from Stormzy, Liam Gallagher and Rage Against The Machine, after the virus forced the widespread cancellation of live music.





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