Though unable to tour or play any live, in-person shows for the better part of last year, Excision still managed to make 2020 bow down to him. Alongside the unveiling of his own label, Subsidia Records, the headbanging honcho revealed a mix as well as three new compilation albums. Since unveiling Subsidia in late September of 2020, Excision and friends have released the first and second volumes for all three compilation albums, Dusk, Dawn, and Night. Dawn is the latest of the three to get a follow-up, with Dawn Vol. 2 formally opening Subsidia’s 2021 release catalog.
Although DawnVol. 2 boasts established names including Excision’s own new single “The Last Time” with WHALES and RIELL, as well as ARIUS, yetep, and Computa, many of the other featured artists are relatively up-and-coming, like Shyloom, OMAS, and Jorge Toscano. Subsidia Records is oriented around artistic diversity and inclusion, and Dawn Vol. 2 evidently extends this trend into the new year.
Featured image: Jake West
Tags: arius, computa, dawn vol. 2, excision, subsidia records, yetep
Sony Music UK is offering musicians the chance to train as music therapists with independent music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins.
The charity runs the Master of Music Therapy programme, which lasts for two years and gives graduates the eligibility to apply to the Health and Care Professions Council for registration as a music therapist.
Sony will give four applicants bursaries to study in Newcastle or Manchester in 2021, which will cover the £10,000 tuition fees for the programme. The new initiative aims to remove the barriers to the programme for those who would not otherwise have the opportunity or resources to access it.
Applications for the 2021 Nordoff Robbins Master of Music Therapy programme for Manchester and Newcastle close on Monday 18 January. More information and application details can be found on our website. https://t.co/Tt87CRWgXupic.twitter.com/d42tSZgPmc
— Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy (@NordoffRobbins1) January 6, 2021
In a press release, Frances Thomson, a student on the Master of Music Therapy programme, said: “As a bassoon player and a singer, music has always been an important part of my life. I still can’t believe how lucky I am to have found a vocation where I get to use music in such a meaningful way and meet so many inspirational people.
“Working on a neuro rehab unit of a hospital last year, I didn’t expect to be blown away by the incredible scat-singing of a man whose brain injury meant that he was usually very disorientated and unmotivated.”
She continued: “At my current placement in a care home, I didn’t expect to feel so invigorated after making music with elderly people with dementia, with whom it might be difficult or impossible to maintain a spoken conversation. It’s been amazing to see people thrive in music, and a privilege to make contact with the healthy, beautiful part of people that responds to it.”
In 2015, a study showed that music therapy could prevent epileptic seizures. A paper presented at the American Psychological Association’s 123rd Annual Convention showed that the brains of those with epilepsy react differently to music.
Hardwell and Blasterjaxx have officially teamed up for their massive side project years in the making, Jaxxwell — and their much anticipated debut single to go with it, “Bootshaus ID.”
The production boasts big festival energy primed for a mass audience. With its bouncy atmosphere and playful lead, “Bootshaus ID” is an instant fan favorite, blending the seasoned styles of Hardwell and Blasterjaxx into one cohesive banger — now all they need is a main stage to let it go off.
“Bootshaus ID,” which originally surfaced in 2017, is the first official Jaxxwell collaboration (though another Jaxxwell account appears on Spotify, it doesn’t seem to be the same duo). This is also the first release from Hardwell since 2019.
Whether or not the longtime collaborators will keep releasing under this project is unknown, but judging by the hype there’s no reason to stop now.
Madlib and Four Tet‘s joint project, Sound Ancestors might be one of the most anticipated records of the year. The union of one of rap’s most venerated, enigmatic forces matched with one of dance music’s most intriguing experimentalists and esteemed beatsmiths should prove to be one of the most enticing crossover works of the year. Now, the first cut from Sound Ancestors, titled “Hopprock,” is giving fans a glimpse into what to expect from the rest of the album.
With Madlib at the helm and Four Tet managing the musical arrangements and sample work, the album promises to deliver the best of both worlds from both producers. So far with the pair’s first two singles, the joint album already proves to be delivering. A walking guitar lick drives the “Hopprock” beat, chopped up by stirring sample cuts across the track’s duration. Similar to its predecessor, “The Road of the Lonely Ones,” the appeal of “Hopprock” relies on the track’s effortlessly immersive simplicity, signaling to some incredible instrumental work on the way.
Featured image: Ellie Pritts
Tags: beat, experiemental, Four Tet, Instrumental, joint album, madlib, Sample
Twitch had always been known for live streaming gaming and live chatting, with a dash of music. Music had a presence, but the “Music” category was usually buried in the website. One Friday night just before the pandemic, I needed some background tunes while getting ready for a night out to see a show, so I decided to check out what Twitch had to offer. Search results showed a handful of thumbnails of darkly lit and low video quality streams to choose from. However, there was one that stood out with its flourishing lighting, high quality video, and sick house tunes. That stream belonged to Vancouver DJ, Jessu. The amazing vibe of the stream had me hooked, and it became my new Friday night watch!
A few months after that, the pandemic began. Clubs shut down, turning DJs and their fans to Twitch for the first time ever. It was a new experience for almost everyone. Viewership on Twitch exploded, including Jessu’s own Twitch channel; going from a few hundred viewers pre-pandemic, to nearly 2,000 at any given moment.
I had the opportunity to chat with Jessu about her love of music and experience DJing on Twitch:
Where did your love for electronic music, specifically house, come from?
“I’ve been listening to dance music since the days of Deadmau5, Kaskade, Daft Punk, all that good stuff. It probably started around middle school. I actually took a dance class, and I remember my teacher would always play Pendulum for us. I’d say that planted the seed for my love of drum and bass now. I don’t actually DJ that (DNB), but it’s something I love working out to and listening to. Hopefully one day I’ll start DJing that!
I saw Pendulum at Shambala in 2017. That was freakin’ incredible! My friends introduced me to Shambala in 2014. That was a long time ago! When they took me there, that’s when my house music genres really expanded. I got to hear all the other genres, and that’s when I fell in love with it.”
Some of your passions are cosplay, gaming and music; a perfect combo for a platform like Twitch! In the end, what passion drove you to Twitch?
“Actually, none of those things (haha)! My friends got me into Twitch because they were streamers (shoutout to mistymaps and CliffDOTsun), and they introduced me to it. They’ve been streaming themselves for so long. I barely understood what this ‘Twitch’ thing was. To me it was just some weird subculture of the internet I hadn’t explored yet. I knew a ton of people were gaming on it, but no one had really tried DJing on it before. I don’t know, I’d say my passion for music has always been there. The only difference is that I turned on a camera one day, and now thousands of people around the world are watching and listening!”
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The Twitch community that follows you also shares a lot of similar passions, making them stand out a little more than your average music fan. Has that made the streams easier to enjoy for you?
“Oh my goodness, yes! It’s so much fun. They literally make me excited to click the “Going Live” button, because it’s like you’re meeting up with a bunch of super awesome friends. As much as I love DJing, even just for myself, it’s always going to be way more fun when you’re vibing with a bunch of other people. Even if it’s virtual, you still get a similar connected feeling from like a crowd of people at a festival. At least I do (haha)!”
Over the months your viewership has skyrocketed! You recently hit the 50,000-follower mark. Congrats! What do you think have been key factors for pulling in viewers?
“Consistency. Good music, of course. Also, finding a niche that works for you.
It’ll make you stand out from the crowd, because Twitch is very much over saturated with so many things right now. You could do a bunch of stupid stuff, like eating ghost peppers, or shaving your head, and whatnot. It’s going to make people watch you, but you have to make sure that what you’re doing is making you happy too. Otherwise, you’re going to get burnt out like super fast! That’s where consistency comes in. It will keep you consistent if you love what you’re doing already. Then the viewers will just come naturally.”
You hosted a special 50k stream for the occasion. Any special streams planned in the near future?
“I do! My two year ‘streamiversary’ is coming up in a few weeks. I went live for the first time two years ago on January 25th. My two years of officially being on Twitch. It will be a pretty hype Monday!”
Your friend Pyka went from making the occasional cameo in early streams, to joining you on every Friday session, to hosting her own Twitch channel! What’s it been like to watch your friend go through that journey?
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“Ugh, frickin’ awesome! I’m so happy for her! Doing it myself at first was fun, but seeing your friend do it is just the best. I don’t want to say it’s like watching your baby grow up, because that sounds really weird (haha), but I love watching her channel develop into its own special thing. When you go into her stream it has its own special vibe, kind of different from my own. When we both come together, it’s like BOOM, this super awesome vibe.
We both have the best community that a streamer could ever ask for, and that we both share. I seriously can’t imagine doing this Twitch journey without her. It’s been awesome!”
You’ve also DJed in real life at some clubs in Vancouver! Are you excited to go back?
“Honestly, I don’t miss the club scene. That sounds mean! I miss the people; I don’t miss the scene. I’ve kind of been a homebody my whole life. I’ve always been gaming or doing something at home. It’s what I like doing. Being able to DJ and talk on the mic without all the shouting, like in real life at a club where you literally go deaf from being in the crowd and on stage, and being able to use the bathroom whenever you want, has been the best thing ever (haha)! When you’re done steaming you can be like, ‘Alright. Just pass out in your bed. It’s right there like five feet away from you.’ You can’t do that at the club (haha)! It’s going to be extremely hard transitioning into the real world of DJing.”
Streaming took off in 2020 with all the lockdowns. Lots of DJs started streams for the first time, and lots of music fans watched streams for the first time. Do you see streaming staying current as restrictions ease up?
“I’ve been on Twitch well before the pandemic began, and I’ve been seeing it grow and change during 2020. I’ve talked to other DJs who’ve come to Twitch after the pandemic started. Seeing them grow, and talking to them about how it’s changed their lives and that they’re going to keep doing it after things open up; That gives me hope for the music part of Twitch.
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It’s been really fun connecting with these other DJs virtually around the world, and really getting to know them better. Especially really big DJs that I’ve looked up to my whole life. Really getting to talk to them, connect with them, and raid them on Twitch has just been insane! I never would’ve seen myself being able to do that. You really can’t do that during a live show. You can’t talk to them while they’re performing, but you can do that on Twitch, which is friggin’ cool! It just makes the performance much more intimate. I can’t see that going away. I’m definitely not going to stop streaming when the world opens up.”
I’m sure the streams will still be huge! When I first started tuning in to your stream, it was the background tunes to getting ready for the night. That will be a thing again when things open back up.
“It’s so funny seeing how Twitch chat has evolved from that as well. I remember people were like, ‘Ayyyy we’ve got a bunch of friends! This is the pre-party!’ Then, I would usually end the streams way earlier because I would also be going out myself. Now I’m doing this all the time and can go super late because everyone is still going to be online and hang out with you.”
Photo credit: cliff.sun
Finally, one of your hobbies is gardening. What’s one thing you wish you could grow, but is basically impossible in Canada?
“Ugh frick! Basil. Specifically, Thai basil. It needs so much sunlight, and we’re lucky if we even get an hour of that in Vancouver. It’s constantly so disgusting outside. It’s really difficult to grow stuff here because there’s barely any sunlight.
I specifically say Thai basil because I really love Thai food! So much! I just like making it from scratch, like green curry and stuff. Thai basil is a must! It’s hard to find in Vancouver too.”
I’d like to thank Jess for the interview, and wish the best for her future on Twitch! If you want to be part of the amazing community Jess mentioned, you can join her Discord channel here. You can catch the rest of Jess’s info on her Twitch channel, JessuTV.
Lauryn Hill has spoken about why she never released a follow-up album to her acclaimed debut ‘The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill’.
The musician released the record in 1998, but it remains the only solo album in her catalogue to date.
In a rare interview, Hill said her label had never chased her to make another album. “The wild thing is no one from my label has ever called me and asked how can we help you make another album, EVER…EVER,” she said in email correspondence with Rolling Stone.
“Did I say ever? Ever! … With the ‘Miseducation’, there was no precedent. I was, for the most part, free to explore, experiment and express.”
She continued to say that it was after the record was made that she began to face trials like “scores of tentacled obstructionists, politics, repressing agendas, unrealistic expectations and saboteurs EVERYWHERE”. “People had included me in their own narratives of THEIR successes as it pertained to my album, and if this contradicted my experience, I was considered an enemy,” she explained.”
‘The Miseducation Of…’ featured the singles ‘Doo Wop (That Thing)’, ‘Ex-Factor’ and ‘Everything Is Everything’. It was nominated for 10 awards at the 1999 Grammys and took home five of them – making Hill the first woman to score that many nods and trophies in one night.
The star said that, even though the aftermath of the record was less than perfect, she still felt the “LOVE in the album, the passion, its intention is to me, undeniable”.
“I think my intention was simply to make something that made my foremothers and forefathers in music and social and political struggle know that someone received what they’d sacrificed to give us, and to let my peers know that we could walk in that truth, proudly and confidently,” she said.
Meanwhile, last year, luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton shared a recording of a livestreamed set of Hill from their Men’s SS21 fashion show in Shanghai. The musician performed for 20 minutes, playing six tracks including recent solo release ‘Guard The Gates’.
Martin Garrix is the newest entrant into the Billion Spotify Streams club, and it’s not for “Animals.”
“In The Name Of Love” with Bebe Rexha has just crossed the one billion threshold, Garrix’s first on the platform, surprisingly. The song came out in 2016 and instantly became one of his biggest pop hits, and has clearly retained that status throughout the last five years as it has accumulated more plays.
Garrix is the first Dutch artist ever to accomplish this with one song. The milestone also marks Rexha’s first billion streams song.
Wilbert Mutsaers (Head of Music, Spotify Benelux) said of the achievement, “It’s truly amazing that Martin Garrix has surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify with one song as the first Dutch artist ever. His ‘In the Name of Love’ (feat Bebe Rexha) turns out to be an all-time classic!”
“In The Name of Love” was officially released on the 29th of July 2016, after Garrix ended his very first Tomorrowland closing set with the track. Teaming up with American singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha, it immediately shot to the top of the charts. The live performance of “In The Name of Love” at the ‘Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ also marked the first performance by a Dutch artist on the show. Garrix had just turned 20 at the time.
Alice Glass has shared the first single, “Suffer and Swallow,” from her forthcoming debut solo album due later this year. The new track arrives with a stop-motion animated video directed by Lucas David and features the former Crystal Castles front-woman as a villainous doll in an array of nightmarish shots.
Glass’ peculiar talents culminate in the self-produced track as her empowering lyrics, distorted vocals, dark atmospheres, and grim pop-electronic production offer a taste of what’s to come for the singer’s anticipated album. “Suffer and Swallow” follows Glass’ brief two-year hiatus break, which concluded with the release of her track “NIGHTMARES,” on Sermon 3 Recordings’s, Sermon 4 Anniversary compilation, as well as her nefarious remix of Pabllo Vittar’s “Rajadão,” released in December 2020.
Featured image: Cara Robbins
Tags: album, Alice Glass, Alternative, dark, eating glass records, music video, POP, Single, stop-motion, suffer and swallow, Trap
Depeche Mode‘s Martin Gore has shared his latest new solo track ‘Howler’ – you can hear the song below.
The new song is taken from Gore’s upcoming five-track instrumental EP ‘The Third Chimpanzee’, which is set for release on January 29. The record follows on from his 2015 instrumental album ‘MG’.
READ MORE: Depeche Mode’s 11 best songs
Speaking about ‘Howler’, Gore – who is a co-founder of Depeche Mode – said in a statement: “‘Howler’ was the first track I recorded for ‘The Third Chimpanzee’ EP. I resynthesized some vocals that almost sounded human, but not quite.
“That’s why I decided to name the track after a monkey. I thought that would be a good theme to carry on with the rest of the tracks.”
You can hear Martin Gore’s ‘Howler’ in the above video.
Written and produced by Gore in 2020, the ‘Third Chimpanzee’ EP was recorded at Electric Ladyboy in Santa Barbara, California. You can see the tracklist for the EP below.
Back in November Depeche Mode were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with actress Charlize Theron speaking in praise of the band to mark the honour.
Speaking about their induction, frontman Dave Gahan said: “Growing up, listening to music on the radio and having music, it really kind of helped us to feel normal, feel part of something.
“That’s what music does for people and I think that’s what Depeche Mode has done for many people. I think music really brings people together, and God knows we need that more today than it seems any other time.”
What’s more lit than secret CIA operations? More dope than clandestine government missions? More sick than protecting national security?
Those questions must have been the criteria for the CIA’s new aesthetic rebrand, which has been lambasted for pandering to Millennials and Gen-Z in its goal to attract recruits. After the Central Intelligence Agency unveiled its chic 2021 re-skin, the Internet does what it does best—roast it.
The organization’s new logo, which has been dragged for its resemblance to a voguish techno party flyer, looks as if it was designed by an anthropomorphized black v-neck. The dystopian rebrand produced some hysterical tweets, most of which liken it to an esoteric Detroit techno party that you wouldn’t be invited to. After all, working in the CIA is dangerous, especially when you’re at the mercy of Twitter.
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