Although most of us weren’t able to check out a concert or drunkenly stumble around the city spend quality time with our friends for New Year’s Eve, plenty of artists and organizers hosted virtual events to provide a safe way to celebrate. One notable event came from the festival giant Tomorrowland. Those who might have missed the broadcast are in luck after Dutch superstar Martin Garrix‘s entire set was uploaded to Apple Music.
Running just over an hour, the mix is made up entirely of Garrix’s originals, remixes, collaborations, and tracks from his STMPD RCRDS label. Some may remember that earlier in the month, it was revealed that the mix included 10 IDs. Fortunately, seven of those tracks are included in the Apple Music recording and can be listened to on-demand.
In addition to Garrix, Tomorrowland’s first-ever New Year’s Eve celebration featured performances from Armin van Buuren, MajorLazer, BoysNoize, DavidGuetta, Charlotte de Witte, and more. At the time of this article’s publication, it’s unclear if recordings of all of the other sets will be released to streaming services.
Although you will need an Apple Music subscription to listen to Garrix’s set in full, previews are available for non-members. The entire mix and its tracklist can be found here.
Over the past year, producers in the dance space have paid homage to the musical contributions of Black artists and other artists of color by curating respective ORBIT: AMPLIFY Playlists for Dancing Astronaut. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we have compiled ORBIT: AMPLIFY Playlists from Walshy Fire, Kyle Kinch, Brando, Whethan, and more to celebrate the diversity and cultural ingenuity that powers dance music. The playlists, available below, spotlight productions from Black artists that have influenced the curators’ careers, and on a simpler level, kept them moving and grooving.
Featured image: Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Tags: Brando, Kyle Kinch, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, ORBIT: AMPLIFY, ORBIT: AMPLIFY Playlist, Walshy Fire, Whethan
Vampire Weekend bassist Chris Baio has released two new singles from his forthcoming album just weeks before it is set to arrive.
The two singles, title track ‘Dead Hand Control’ and ‘Take It From Me’, mark the third and fourth songs lifted from Baio’s third LP, due out January 29 through Glassnote.
Baio described ‘Dead Hand Control’ as “a song about anxiety and the limits of control” in a statement, questioning who controls a song once it is put out in the world. ‘Take It From Me’ is the artist’s attempt at creating a children’s song, promoting “being there for the people in your life to the fullest extent you can”.
Listen to the two new singles below:
‘Dead Hand Control’ and ‘Take It From Me’ follow on from Baio’s earlier singles, “Endlessly Me, Endlessly” and “What Do You Say When I’m Not There”, both of which arrived in November.
Speaking to NME late last year, Baio said the goal of this record was to make something more hopeful than his previous full-length release, 2017’s ‘Man of the World’.
“I have found in the last half-decade-or-so that when the urge to create seizes me, I become completely obsessive about it because it is a momentary escape from all the scary things that are happening in the world,” he told NME back in November.
“There are countless injustices, countless things to give you anxiety, countless awful things that are constantly happening in the world. It’s borderline unfathomable but in a weird and twisted way, making songs about it is a better way of coping with it than just thinking about it.”
While most of ‘Dead Hand Control’ was recorded in LA, Baio also held some sessions at Damon Albarn’s Studio 13 in London.
“After I played Radio 1’s Big Weekend last year, I came down to London and met John Foyle, the engineer and sometimes co-producer I work with,” he said.
“He took me to this big room with all this really nice equipment and I realised ‘Oh, shit, I’m getting to spend two days in Damon Albarn’s personal studio and work on music there!”
Bandsintown has introduced a new streaming service focused on exclusive livestreamed performances.
Dubbed Bandsintown Plus, the new program will give subscribers access to over 25 virtual concerts each month. The service costs $9.99 a month and each show will be exclusive to subscribers. In addition to the performances, the platform will host members-only Q&A sessions and interviews with artists.
Considering the fact that performances will be live and exclusive to the platform, there will be a monthly schedule of artists taking the virtual stage. The new program features a wide range of genres, so those with diverse musical palates will be excited to hear something new during each broadcast. For example, in the inaugural month, subscribers will be treated to music from Flying Lotus, Tycho, Chromeo, NicoleMiglis, ChromeSparks, and PhoebeBridgers, among others.
You can learn more about Bandsintown Plus and sign up for a free seven-day trial on the new streaming service’s website.
Joining forces with dance music’s favorite vocalist RUNN, Nitti Gritti has delivered yet another volcanic release,”Where I Belong.” The bass titan teased the track for more than six months after originally premiering it during his Beyond Wonderland livestream in June 2020.
Released via Proximity, the record departs from his usual bass-heavy hitters. Creating a spark with vocals from RUNN, the one-off immediately grasps onto an intense emotional frequency before catching fire with explosive synths and a captivating drum kick. By steering clear of his usually gritty bass, “Where I Belong” boasts Nitti Gritti’s electronic range.
Working closely with names like Party Favor, Diplo, Wuki, and countless others, Gritti has effortlessly cruised to the top charts of dance music for the past five years. His voyage even landed him a Latin Grammy win in 2019, and most recently, a 2020 Grammy nomination.
Featured image: Timothy Nguyen Photography
Tags: Nitti Gritti, proximity, runn, where i belong
Jon Schaffer, a member of heavy metal band Iced Earth, has been arrested for his participation in the US Capitol riots earlier this month.
As the Wall Street Journal reports, Schaffer has been charged with engaging in violence in a restricted building and disorderly conduct, among other crimes. Indystar reports he faces six charges in total.
The artist was photographed at the riot wearing a hat proclaiming his lifetime membership to the Oath Keepers, a far-right group deemed an extremist organisation by the Southern Poverty Law Centre.
According to an affidavit, reported by WSJ, during a pro-Trump march last year, Schaffer had said, “We’re not going to merge into some globalist, communist system, it will not happen. There will be a lot of bloodshed if it comes down to that, trust me.”
Schaffer was previously wanted for his involvement in the riots, with Metropolitan Police in D.C. including him in a list of people sought after for “unrest-related offences”.
Following that, the remaining members of Iced Earth released a statement via bassist Luke Appleton’s Instagram account denouncing the actions of the rioters.
“Some of you have been concerned by our silence, which we understand. We needed some time to properly process the information and find out some facts before we made a statement,” they wrote.
“We absolutely DO NOT condone nor do we support riots or the acts of violence that the rioters were involved in on January 6th at the US Capitol building. We hope that all those involved that day are brought to justice to be investigated and answer for their actions.”
For close to a decade, Lindsey Stirling has been weaving her masterful violin melodies with electronic beats to create a unique sound that’s propelled her to the forefront of the crossover scene. Wasting no time in 2021, she’s teamed up with Mako to release their collaborative single, “Lose You Now.” In addition to the song’s release, fans were treated to a poignant music video from the duo to help set the scene for the story.
Written in memory of Stirling’s late father and best friend, “Lose You Now” arrives over a month after the release of Mako’s sophomore album, Fable. As attentive fans may have noticed, the song is actually a reimagining of Stirling’s instrumental track “Guardian” from 2019’s Artemis LP. While the original was already uplifting—yet bittersweet—the addition of emotive vocals and piano from Mako doubles down on the melancholia and fashions a narrative that many of us can relate to.
In a press release, Stirling explained that when hearing Mako’s contribution to the original for the first time, she broke down due to its raw emotion. “I am so grateful for Mako for the lyrics he wrote to ‘Lose You Now’ because he perfectly captured the feelings I’d never been able to put into words,” she said. “I actually balled [sic] like a baby the first time I heard his version.”
She would later explain how the new release helped remind her of loved ones who passed and that creating such a personal song brought her closer to those memories. She also details how some of these memories are featured in the music video in the form of subtle easter eggs, and hopes that her and Mako’s story can inspire healing in those who need it during these turbulent times.
Creating this song and the music video has brought me a sense of peace. The video is full of special memories and signs that represent the people I’ve lost. I used to have cereal picnics with my dad. Whenever I see a monarch butterfly, I feel like my friend Gavi is checking in on me. The little fox stuffed animal represents my baby niece, who passed away this summer. These little Easter eggs and many more make this video so special to me. Now, as we release it, I hope to share that hug and healing with the world. We can all use it right now.
You can download or stream “Lose You Now” by Lindsey Stirling and Mako here.
Dash Berlin has teamed up with ANG for a euphoric new single, “Firefly.” The one-off takes takes Berlin back to his bigroom/trance roots, culminating in a release that will appeal to old and new Dash Berlin fans alike.
ANG is an up-and-coming Mexican duo, and “Firefly” marks the trio of artists’ first time collaborating. In honor of their inaugural joint project with Berlin, ANG resurfaced a tweet from 2014 that expressed their excitement to see Berlin perform live in Mexico City. They urge aspiring artists to “dream big” and “never stop working” now that their lives have come full circle, thanks to their new collaboration with Berlin.
“Firefly” is out now via Revealed Recordings and can be streamed below.
Darlene Love has reflected on working with Phil Spector following the news of his death earlier today.
The music producer, who was serving 19 years to life in prison for the murder of Lana Clarkson, died yesterday (January 16) after reportedly relapsing in his recovery from coronavirus.
Love worked with Spector in the early ‘60s, including on hit singles ‘He’s A Rebel’, ‘(Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry’ and the Christmas classic ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, the star recalled the beginning of her journey with Spector, saying her first impression was that he was “weird”. She continued to discuss his recording techniques, including the “wall of sound” that he became famed for, and how he gave her the name Darlene Love. “I said to myself, ‘If you’re going to keep this name Love, you better go have it legally changed to your name’,” she said.
“That’s what I did. I could just see Phil going years later, ‘That ain’t your name. I own that name.’ I’d say, ‘Yeah, but guess what? It’s legally mine. You can’t have it.’”
Love also spoke of Spector’s “dark side”, saying she first witnessed it when he returned from a trip to London. Describing him as a “completely different guy”, the singer said that was when she saw “the real nasty side of Phil Spector; the controlling part.”
“Around this time is when I started hearing about the guns,” she continued. “I remember going into a session one day and everyone was coming out like they were running from somewhere. I’m going, ‘What’s wrong?’ They said Phil was in there with a gun. I went, ‘What?!’ I said, ‘OK, I’m going back home.’ I never went into the studio.
Phil Spector on trial in 2009 CREDIT: Al Seib-Pool/Getty Images
“I used to tell him all the time, ‘Phil, one of these days you’re going to pull this gun out and something is going to happen.’ I used to tell him that all the time, not really believing that it would. I thought that if people pulled out guns and acted like that, it’s bound to happen sooner or later. I just never thought it was going to happen like it happened.”
Love said she walked out of the studio during their last session together in 1977 and that was the last time she saw him until he invited her to his Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in 1989. In the meantime, he tried to stop her performing ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ on The Late Show with David Letterman, threatening to sue the show if she did. “It’s this whole idea of him trying to possess me and make me do what he wanted me to do,” she said.
“I was never afraid of him,” she added. “I never thought he would do me any harm. I really did believe that. To this day, I always thought he respected who I was and my talents. That’s what he wanted to control: my talent. He lost that. That was the end of me and him.”
She put his anger down to “drugs and alcohol”, as well as the fact that he “hated losing that control” of being the one to make her a star. When Love was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2011, she said Spector “just about went nuts”.
“That’s because he was on the Nominating Committee,” she explained. “Every time my name would come up, he would get upset. ‘She doesn’t deserve to get in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! How dare you?’ When I got inducted, he was a very unhappy person. As I say, the game goes on.”
Despite everything, though, she credited him with her career. “If it wasn’t for Phil Spector, I wouldn’t have a career,” she said. “Here we are over 50 years later, and I’m reaping the benefits of what happened over 50 years ago. I hate the fact that he died the way he did and I hate where he was when he died. Right now, I feel very, very sad.”
Darlene Love in 1990 CREDIT: Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images
Ronnie Spector, another of Spector’s collaborators and his former wife, issued a statement on his death earlier today.
“When I was working with Phil Spector, watching him create in the recording studio, I knew I was working with the very best,” she wrote on Instagram. “He was in complete control, directing everyone. So much to love about those days.
“As I said many times while he was alive, he was a brilliant producer, but a lousy husband. Unfortunately, Phil was not able to live and function outside of the recording studio. Darkness set in, many lives were damaged.”
Tomorrowland is bringing thrills to a Belgium theme park known as Plopsaland.
The Ride To Happiness by Tomorrowland is a brand new attraction coming soon, which Plopsa calls the “most spectacular rollercoaster in Europe.” The experience aims to touch every individual with the same kind of Tomorrowland magic experienced at the famous dance music event.
Described as a “35 meter high spinning coaster,” the ride features “five inversions and two launches” and changes the entire skyline of the park. Not only will the ride embrace an elaborate Tomorrowland theme, but also a soundtrack based on the official theme song by renowned composer Hans Zimmer.
The park beams in a recent report: “The extreme spinning coaster will be built entirely within the magic of Tomorrowland.”
Made by German manufacturer Mack Rides, the total investment has reached 17.5 million euros.
Although Plopsaland De Panne is currently closed, the theme park is expected to open later this year along with the Tomorrowland attraction.
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