Pete Doherty has teamed up with Pregoblin on their latest single ‘These Hands AKA Danny The Knife’. Check out the track below.
The single is the latest track to be released from Pregoblins – the new band of former Fat White Family collaborator Alex Sebley – and sees the band team up with indie legend and Libertines frontman Pete Doherty.
According to the press release, Doherty took time out of his busy schedule of touring and recording with the Libertines and touring with French songwriter/producer Frederic Lo, to contribute vocals to ‘These Hands AKA Danny The Knife’, and the lyrical content behind the single focuses on themes of loneliness and a lack of fulfilment.
“‘These Hands’ is about a young person’s dream of being in a band and getting famous and the unhappiness, loneliness and unfulfillment that comes with fame when you get there,” said Selbey of the new release.
It was recorded in Brixton and produced by Dante Traynor – check out the accompanying music video below, which centres around the cobbled streets of La Rochelle on the French coast.
Discussing the collaboration between the band – comprising Sebley and Jessica Winter – and Doherty, Sebley explained why he felt the contribution worked.
“I see Peter’s overall work in line with the romantic poets of the past. Hardly a revelation, but the difference being, Pete can actually do it and invoke those themes, whereas so often others fail,” he said.
“I was also surprised how down-to-earth and funny he was on the first meeting… Peter said to me that ‘These Hands’ was the perfect song for him, ‘I’d written about his life,’ which made me smile.”
Pregoblin formed in 2019, after Sebley decided to pursue a solo career after his time in The Saudis and latterly the Fat White Family.
In other Pete Doherty news, earlier this year, the singer-songwriter announced his first solo acoustic tour of the UK and Ireland in a decade.
Having kicked off in April and running until May, ‘The Battered Songbook Tour’ saw him incorporating songs from The Libertines, Babyshambles and his own solo projects, and end with a performance in London’s Royal Albert Hall.
The first weekend of Tomorrowland 2023 is in the books, but we’re just getting started.
As the People of Tomorrow prepare for another weekend of unbridled EDM festival bliss, Tomorrowland has revealed the most-played songs from Weekend 1, which concluded on July 23rd. Over 600 artists played thousands of tracks across 16 stages this year.
Topping the list is the propulsive “Metro,” a melodic techno anthem released on Afterlife by Kevin de Vries and Mau P just a week prior to Tomorrowland’s start. The latter also took the second spot thanks to the rising Dutch superstar’s breakthrough single, “Drugs From Amsterdam,” which nabbed him two Electronic Dance Music Awards last year.
Rounding out the top five are Skrillex and Boys Noize’s “Fine Day Anthem,” Peggy Gou’s “(It Goes Like) Nanana” and David Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue).” Check out the full list below.
1) Kevin de Vries & Mau P – Metro
2) Mau P – Drugs From Amsterdam
3) Skrillex & Boys Noize – Fine Day Anthem
4) Peggy Gou – (It Goes Like) Nanana
5) David Guetta & Bebe Rexha – I’m Good (Blue)
6) Calvin Harris – Miracle (with Ellie Goulding)
7) John Summit & Hayla – Where You Are
8) Fred again.. & Swedish House Mafia – Turn On The Lights again.. (feat. Future)
9) Creeds – Push Up
10) Alice Deejay – Better Off Alone (Various Remixes)
Tomorrowland continues this weekend from July 28-30. You can find out how to livestream the festival here.
MONSTA X new sub-unit Shownu x Hyungwon have released their music video for ‘Love Me A Little’.
On July 25 at 6pm KST, the MONSTA X duo made their official debut as a sub-unit with the release of their mini-album ‘The Unseen’ and a visual for its lead single ‘Love Me A Little’.
The new video features Shownu and Hyungwon performing the track’s sultry choreography atop a stage covered in water. “Your scent blows into my love for you / Love me a little, love me a little bit / Du du du du du du du / La-la-la love me,” they sing on the chorus.
‘Love Me A Little’ was notably co-written and co-produced by Hyungwon, along with the B-side ‘Roll With Me’. Other tracks on ‘The Unseen’ include ‘Love Therapy’, ‘Play Me’ and ‘Slow Dance’.
The duo are the first sub-unit from MONSTA X since the boyband’s debut in 2015. Several of the group’s members, namely rappers I.M and Joohoney and vocalist Kihyun have also released music as soloists.
In other MONSTA X news, Joohoney became the third member of the boyband to enlist for his compulsory military service earlier this week on July 24. The rapper had announced his enlistment to fans in a handwritten letter earlier this month.
“After I come back, I’ll show you more good things,” he wrote to fans. “Like I said, I think of this time as a comma for us. It’s not a period, but just a temporary comma that is leading to what lies next.”
Waxman (CA) has turned out to be a frequent face on David Hohme’s beautiful ‘Where The Heart Is’ imprint, consistently delivering dreamy tunes that have resonated with fans all over the world.
He recently returned to the label to release a two-track EP, titled ‘Home’, that is yet another incredible work of art from this talented artist. The EP is delicate and dreamy journey, with the title track featuring original vocals by his friend and collaborator Will RP Melville. It’s a blissed out gem while the second track “Remedy” explores the deeper spectrum of house with soothing melodies and a tranquil ambiance.
We had a chance to chat with Waxman about the EP and what’s ahead – check it out below!
You collaborated with Will RP Melville on this track. What quality do you think his vocals contribute to the track compared to using samples from Splice or Loopmaster?
I’ve worked with Will Melville on quite a few songs and projects over the years – he’s an immensely talented multi-instrumentalist as well as a vocalist. I’ve also used royalty-free vocals on a fair few of my tunes. To me, there’s something that just feels more authentic and heartfelt when a vocalist writes original lyrics and vocal lines to a piece of my music. I think it adds heart, soul, and feeling to a song (as well as authenticity). It’s sometimes hard to describe but I definitely end up feeling prouder and more attached to the tunes I make with actual vocalist collaborators as opposed to sampled vocals. I guess I feel like it creates a stronger connection between the vocals and the music, which in turn helps create a stronger connection between the listener and the song.
What emotional message were you trying to convey in this release? What do you want the listeners to take away from the music?
The music I wrote for ‘Home’ came from me trying to capture the oh-so-popular feeling of nostalgia that we all love to latch onto and float in these days (I’m certainly partial anyway). I was so excited when Will sent me his vocals because he obviously felt the same way with the lyrics he wrote. They add to the feeling and let listeners form their own connections – to whatever their own nostalgic ‘home’ might be. With ‘Remedy’ I wanted a similar sort of feeling but kept things positive and a bit more upbeat and energetic. I feel like the tracks balance each other nicely while also pairing in tonality and mood.
Which qualities in a label do you prioritize? What about David Hohme’s Where The Heart Is Records made you know they would be a good home for this release?
This will be my fourth release on Where The Heart Is Records and I have no doubt it will not be my last. Both David and label manager Will Vance really care about each track they release on the label. With this EP even, when I sent over my demos, they let me know they loved them but that there were a few things that needed fine-tuning if I was up for that. Personally I’m a huge fan of getting extra ears and feedback on my tracks, so I jumped on the opportunity to improve these and I couldn’t be happier with the end result – the tracks turned out better than ever! I love working with labels that give feedback and include the artist in the release process, etc. There’s clearly real work going on behind the scenes with Where The Heart Is to make sure every release has the best chance to succeed and get heard by people who will love the music and they work with their artists to figure out how best to facilitate this. Labels that really care of their music are the best to work with because of course, I really care about my music too.
Where did the inspiration behind the leading single of this EP come from? Share a personal story that fans may not know about your personal connection to this release.
That might be more a question for Will in terms of lyrics but I have my own interpretation and meaning that I formed as the track took shape. We finalized the tune in the months leading up to me making a huge life move from Toronto, Canada to Melbourne, Australia so I couldn’t help but associate thoughts of my own leaving home and finding a new place to call home. It definitely still feels that way when I play it out over here in one of the furthest places in the world from my home.
What is next for you and your artist project? Any other cool updates or gigs in the pipeline?
I spent a lot of time working on remixes this past year which was fun but I’ve been moving back to working more primarily on original stuff and kind of slowing down on rushing to release music every month (as much fun as that can be). I’m trying to really push myself and progress my sound and production, which is a never-ending journey – but definitely one that I love. One recent highlight for me was a gig I played last month where I played an hour and a half set that was exclusively my own original music (no remixes even). It was pretty cool to be able to go through my own catalogue and create a bit of a journey in style and energy from it. And the dance floor seemed to be on board, so that was a lot of fun. Probably not an every-set thing, but I definitely plan on playing another all-Waxman selection some time soon!
The Beatport Group‘s annual Diversity + Parity Fund, designed to support organizations that focus on underrepresented groups and promote diversity within the music industry, is now accepting applications for its 2023 grant cycle.
This year, Beatport has increased the fund to $150,000 and will award two types of grants: one for smaller organizations ($3,000-$15,000) and one for larger organizations ($15,001-$30,000). This tiered approach encourages participation from a wider pool of organizations, including emerging or grassroots initiatives, and builds on the fund’s debut in 2022. Last year, Beatport awarded $100,000 to three separate organizations, Lady Of The House, Future Female Sounds, and #FORTHEMUSIC.
“We believe in the power of music to unite people from all backgrounds, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the music industry reflects the diversity of the world we live in.” said Sofia Ilyas, Chief Community Officer of The Beatport Group. “Through the Diversity + Parity Fund, we are committed to accelerating change and creating a more inclusive and equitable music industry for everyone. We invite other companies in our community to join us in our mission to increase parity and diversity in music.”
The Diversity + Parity Fund represents Beatport’s ongoing commitment to nurturing a more diverse and equitable ecosystem by amplifying voices and ideas of all types from different segments of the global community. The fund will offer financial support, editorial exposure, and marketing across Beatport’s social media platforms to help organizations increase their impact and reach a wider audience.
Organizations that share a similar dedication to amplifying underrepresented voices in the music industry are encouraged to submit an application through the Diversity + Parity Fund. Applications are open from now through August 22.
Tags: #FORTHEMUSIC, Beatport, Diversity + Parity Fund, Future Female Sounds, Lady Of The House
Following on from the release of her Flume collaboration, ‘Silent Assassin’, Tkay Maidza has announced the release of her highly anticipated sophomore album, ‘Sweet Justice’. To accompany the news, Maidza has also released the single ‘Ring-a-Ling’ and its video.
Maidza says she made ‘Ring-a-Ling’ as an “an empowering song that tells others that my biggest focus are [sic] my goals.” The track was produced by Two Fresh, who Maidza previously worked with on her track ‘Onto Me’. The ‘Ring-a-Ling’ video was directed by Jocelyn Anquetil, who has directed videos for King Krule and Sudan Archives, among others.
— yung gra$$hopper 🦗❤️🔥 (@TKAYMAIDZA) July 25, 2023
‘Sweet Justice’ is said to follow a period in Maidza’s life in which she “severed ties” with old friends and “toxic figures” in her life; and about putting to bed the self-doubt that has followed her thus far. ‘Sweet Justice’ is out Friday, November 3, digitally and on an Australia and New Zealand-exclusive transparent red vinyl release, via Due Process and Universal Music Australia.
Along with her Flume collaboration, Maidza has included other guests on ‘Sweet Justice’, too. ‘Out of Luck’ features the French-born San Francisco-raised singer Lolo Zouaï and New York City-based singer Amber Mark; and on ‘Gone to the West’ Maidza has tapped the rapper Duckwrth, who also lives in her new home of Los Angeles. Maidza was born in Zimbabwe and raised in Tarntanya/Adelaide. In addition to flume, the Canadian producers Stint and Kaytranada contributed to the album’s production, too.
It’s been a long wait for another album-proper from Maidza, whose debut album, ‘Tkay’, dropped in 2016. In between though, Maidza went through something of a reinvention with her critically acclaimed series of ‘Last Year Was Weird’ EPs from 2018 to 2021. She’s also been filling her time with huge support slots for Billie Eillish, Dua Lipa and, most recently, Lizzo.
NME’s Max Pilley gave the third and final of those releases, ‘Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3’, a four-star review, saying: “Each of these eight tracks is its own self-contained pocket of frantic energy, finely crafted and targeted at the stars. It is, in other words, elite pop music, and the sooner the world realises that, the better.”
The third and final of those releases ‘Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3’ won Maidza the 2022 NME Award for Best Solo Act from Australia; and in 2021, the ARIA Award for Best Soul/R&B Release.
On winning her NME Award Maidza said: “When I looked at so many artists that I really love, they would be on the cover of NME, and that was almost a ballpark of, ‘That’s what I want to do’”
From the innovative mind of Melbourne-native Robbie Bergin, Throttle exploded onto the electronic music circuit at just 14-years-old, when he signed his first song. Fast-forward to today, he has racked over 300 million streams on Spotify alone and has dazzled crowds across the world’s biggest stages, from Tomorrowland to EDC Las Vegas.
He recently took a hiatus, over the past year, as Throttle expanded his influence in the fashion community, while traveling and embracing his love for nature, art, and culture. These adventures have led to a whirlpool of inspiration which he has poured into his latest single, “I Walk This Earth All By Myself,” signed to Monstercat.
A fusion of his musical roots and new-age sound design, this may be Throttle’s most sophisticated work to date. It surpasses already high expectations with its glimmering vocals, and captivating effects, and a riveting bassline that collectively draw on his unrivaled passion and creativity.
“For me this record is bursting with life, with the excitement of the unknown, of new experiences, of sadness and happiness, and I can’t wait for the world to hear it.” – Throttle
Dust off your chain-wallets and chokers because Insomniac and Emo Nite have just reached a wide-ranging agreement to usher in a new collaborative era for pop-punk and electronic music.
The two events powerhouses are joining forces to launch “Grave Rave,” a new series landing in Los Angeles. Featuring surprise appearances by DJs who cut their teeth on early pop-punk, alternative and emo influences, the new club series takes full effect in December. Fans will have a preview of what’s to come on August 26th, when Academy LA hosts a special “Road to Grave Rave” preview party.
First instantiated back in 2014, Emo Nite has since soared in popularity and gone on to host events in 50 major cities, even landing a highly coveted Las Vegas residency at Zouk Nightclub.
View the original article to see embedded media.
But the partnership goes even beyond traditional events. Insomniac and Emo Nite have already revealed plans for their first limited edition apparel drop, which will take place at this year’s HARD Summer in Downtown L.A.
“Emo Nite has been on my radar for many years and I love how it has such a positive community supporting it. I first noticed the synergies between our two scenes during our Rave-a-thon streams when artists from the rave scene played EDM remixes of emo tracks,” Insomniac CEO Pasquale Rosella said. “Viewers online and working Insomniacs were buzzing about it and I knew then it was the perfect fit. When the Emo Nite guys performed at EDC and pulled a massive crowd, it confirmed everything for us Insomniacs. T.J. and Morgan are amazing individuals who embody the same spirit that drives Insomniac.”
Emo Nite also revealed plans to launch a new label, Graveboy Records, which will kick off with new music from We The Kings, Say Anything and Noelle Sucks. Check out the brand’s announcement below.
A class action lawsuit is being readied against The 1975 over the cancellation of Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur by Malaysian artists and festival vendors.
The British band’s frontman Matty Healy criticised the Malaysian government and its anti-LGBTQ laws onstage and then kissed bassist Ross MacDonald during their headlining set at Good Vibes last Friday (July 21), which was afterwards cut short. The next day, the remainder of the three-day festival was ordered cancelled by the authorities and the band banned from performing in the country. As of Tuesday, 18 police reports have been filed over the incident.
The class action lawsuit, which is being readied by Malaysian law firm Thomas Philip, will name all four members of The 1975 and seek compensation over losses suffered as a result of the incident, which the firm’s founder and managing partner Matthew Thomas Philip labelled a “deliberate reckless act done knowing well [sic] of the consequences”.
“My view is that The 1975 must be held responsible and accountable for the losses suffered by the artists and vendors,” he said at a town hall meeting in the Hartamas area in Kuala Lumpur Tuesday (July 25) evening, which was attended by 70 people, mainly comprising artists, vendors and members of the media.
Philip first offered his firm’s services in a class action lawsuit to local artists seeking “to sue the band The 1975 for causing loss” in social media posts over the weekend. As of Tuesday evening five artists and five vendors are on board the class action, he told NME, which seeks general damages as well as exemplary and aggravated damages. It is not yet known how much in damages the lawsuit will seek.
The firm, which is acting pro bono, said that it aims to gather its first batch of plaintiffs for the lawsuit within 7-14 days and to file suit in Malaysia.
Matty Healy performing live with The 1975 in June 2023. Credit: Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images.
Good Vibes Festival organiser Future Sound Asia is not involved in the class action lawsuit by Thomas Philip, a representative told NME, but is “happy to assist them in any way needed”. Philip said that he has reached out to the festival organiser and invited them to “have a dialogue”.
Asked if Future Sound Asia is preparing to take legal action of its own against The 1975 and/or Healy, the representative said the company “is currently exploring legal options”.
NME has approached The 1975 for comment on the impending class action lawsuit. The band have yet to issue an official statement on the incident and its aftermath, though a source close to the band told NME and other publications on Saturday that “Matty has a long-time record of advocating for the LGBTQ+ community, and the band wanted to stand up for their LGBTQ+ fans and community”.
Healy has since referred to the incident on his Instagram stories, at one point sharing the festival’s statement on the cancellation and writing: “Ok well why don’t you try and not make out with Ross for 20 years. Not as easy as it looks”.
Credit: @trumanblack/Instagram.
Healy’s onstage speech, in which he said “I do not see the point of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with”, was criticised by LGBTQ+ Malaysians as “performative activism” and disruptive of work by local activists.
Malaysia’s communications and digital minister Fahmi Fadzil has since called on Puspal, the government agency responsible for approving filming and performance applications by foreign artists, to “re-examine all the existing processes regarding Puspal, including the artist screening issue”.
International artists booked for Good Vibes were paid in full prior to the event as per the terms of their contracts, which is “a standard practice in the industry”, said Future Sound Asia. However, “payment terms differ for local artists who are usually paid within a certain time frame after the event in order to manage cash flow due to the enormous costs of booking big-name international artists,” the representative added.
“Unfortunately, the unforeseen cancellation of the festival does throw a spanner in the works. It’s a very regrettable situation and we fully acknowledge the impact on our local talent – all of whom have been immensely supportive in these challenging times.”
MyCreativeVentures, an investment arm of Malaysia’s government to support the country’s creative industry, has begun to look into assisting local artists and food vendors, said communications minister Fahmi Fadzil.
In a prior statement, Future Sound Asia had called the cancellation of Good Vibes, which marked its 10th year in 2023, a “catastrophic financial blow”. The company’s founder Ben Law said the festival was “a brand built from the ground up on Malaysian soil, cultivated by unyielding dedication, resilience, and financial risk.
“Now, this decade-long labour of love faces an unprecedented threat due to the actions of a single individual. This is a very challenging time for us.”
The term “ambient” gets batted around quite a bit in electronic music, whether it’s to describe background sound design, a certain style of synth or melody or even the mood of a piece. There is, however, still a pretty strong self-defining ambient genre within electronica, though artists’ adherence to that format seems to be in varying degrees. On one end of the spectrum is meditation music or new age work that’s largely beatless and meant for relaxation. On the other end are acts like Moby, Enigma and Bonobo, who have added EDM bits to their work to create more pop cachet. Somewhere it the middle of that spectrum is where Gianfranco Finds himself.
Rather than releasing a long-play album as he did with his first endeavor in 2014, the indie-electronica fusion album Love Is Rain, Pescetti took a page from the current streaming and playlist culture’s book and decided to release his new string of tracks one by one, starting in January with the synthy, new wave-tinged “Sundog.” With this track and the ensuing works, “Clownspunk,” a cheeky electronica cover of “Fly Me to the Moon” and his latest, “The Wake,” Pescetti seems to have ditched the more indie side of things (as well as his vocals, for now) and become a full-time ambient EDM artist.
There’s still a good glug of vintage synth and tune work in these new tracks, but for now, it looks like Pescetti intendss to explore the depths of ambient music, especially with “The Wake.”
In writing “The Wake,” I sought out to create an instrumental piece that explores the theme of melancholy for a time past, death, and new beginnings. The title has a dual meaning, referring to both the practice of mourning and the path left behind by a boat, a symbol of movement and progress
If a double meaning in an instrumental piece doesn’t point to ambient and experimental, we’re not really sure what does. It’s interesting that while Pescetti has removed some elements from his latest work, it seems he’s actually stretching his wings and giving himself more space for playing with sound in his production at the same time. He uses his bass-playing skills to add to the opening string melody and then folds both into the ensuing beat and synthwork. The result is seamless, dreamy, and very much in line with the likes of some of the most famous ambient artists.
This new, experimental work seems to incorporate all Pescetti’s favorite parts of his previous work whilst moving onwards and upwards. It’s progress, indeed, and it will be interesting to see where Pescetti goes with his next tracks. He seems to have found an excellent new sound in “the wake” of his older work.
“The Wake” and the rest of Gianfranco Pescetti’s discography is available to stream on Spotify and to purchase on Bandcamp.
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