Think of all the associations we have with vinyl: independent record shops, High Fidelity, rare releases, history and authenticity. Even cassette tapes have their own mythology: the romance of receiving a mixtape, and the songs fading in places where you have rewound and listened to them over and over again. These are objects imbued with…
SPOTIFY: ‘WE’RE THE R&D DEPARTMENT FOR THE ENTIRE MUSIC INDUSTRY.’
Spotify has announced major changes to its ‘free’ mobile tier that will significantly increase the on-demand element of the service. These changes include the ability to play on-demand tracks in 15 key playlists, including Daily Mix, Discover Weekly, Today’s Top Hits and Rap Caviar. In addition, free users will be able to ‘Like’ and ‘Hide’ recommended tracks…
This is the amazing story of Barbara Strozzi – and why you should care
This is the amazing real-life story of the Venetian composer Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677) who became one of the first women to have her music published in her own name. Born in 1619 in Venice, Barbara was the illegitimate daughter of the renowned poet Giulio Strozzi, and spent her life in very liberal circles within 17th-century…
What ever happened to the mashup artist?
A Stroke Of Genie-us” was built out of CD-Rs: 30 seconds of Albert Hammond Jr.’s guitar, stamped on the end with that indelible, coltish riff sliding down Fabrizio Moretti’s drums, under an a cappella take of Christina Aguilera’s “Genie In A Bottle” that producer Roy Kerr was thrilled to exhume on the prehistoric internet. As…
When Music Is Violence
In December, 1989, the Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega was expelled from power by American forces. To escape capture, he took refuge in the Papal Nunciatura in Panama City. When an American general arrived to confer with the papal nuncio, the U.S. Army blared music from loudspeakers to prevent journalists from eavesdropping. Members of a psychological-operations…
WARNER HAS SOLD $400M OF SPOTIFY STOCK – AND SAYS IT WILL SHARE MONEY WITH ARTISTS AND LABEL PARTNERS
Breaking news: Warner Music Group has cashed in $400m of Spotify shareholdings – worth around three-quarters of its total equity in the streaming company. The news comes less than a week after MBW revealed that Sony had liquidated half of its Spotify stock, from which it generated around $750m. In the past few minutes, WMG…
TIDAL ACCUSED OF DELIBERATELY FAKING KANYE WEST AND BEYONCÉ STREAMING NUMBERS
You might recall that, in the deep dark recesses of music streaming history – ie. two years ago – Jay Z-owned TIDAL left many in the music business scratching their heads. In March 2016, the firm claimed that Kanye West’s The Life Of Pablo, a six-week exclusive on its platform, had been streamed 250m times in…
There’s a lot to unpack in Childish Gambino’s dense, disturbing new video
Following a stellar performance as both host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live, Donald Glover capped off the weekend by dropping a surprise Childish Gambino track that pretty much guaranteed he’d be dominating the trending topics on Twitter. The Hiro Murai-directed video for “This Is America” is a symbolism-rich nightmare that juxtaposes joyous dance…
What was a castrato? And what did they sound like?
For a solid portion of musical history, castratos had a prominent role in operas, churches and courts across Europe. But why were young boys forced to undergo the gruesome operation? And how did it affect their voices? A castrato is a male singer who was castrated before puberty. The immediate effect on their voice was…
Sir Paul McCartney honoured at palace
Sir Paul McCartney has been made a companion of honour by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. The 75-year-old Beatle, who was knighted 20 years ago, was given the award for his services to music. A Companion of Honour is awarded for the most outstanding achievements at a national level and there can only ever be…
