A weekly update on all things music, advertising and technology coming straight to you from Anthony Vanger at MassiveMusic. #TWIM
ARTIST OF THE WEEK: RUTI
I love an artist who keeps her UK accent. So “shooting stars” is actually pronounced “shooting stars” instead of the americanism of “shooding stars” with the “t” expertly placed on the downbeat of her latest release’s understated rhythm track. According to Wikipedia, Ruti Olajugbagbe, known professionally as Ruti, is an English singer-songwriter. She rose to fame after winning the 2018 series of The Voice UK, where she secured a recording contract with Polydor Records. Here she releases her latest luscious and hypnotic single “Racing Cars”. I played the song about 10 times when I heard it after checking out which artist was charting in the UK according to Shazam. Click on the photo of the artist below to see the video and hear the track.
AD OF THE WEEK: HERE TO HELP: KEEP ‘EM OUT OF TROUBLE
Ok, I admit that I chose this AD because of the music. I am a sucker for The Beatles and the track, “Help” sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday (no pun intended). Google is a bit creepy these days, putting its paws into everything we do, but it is an amazing product, and free! Two little boys get caught when their father finds them covered in paint while sitting the shower. When the father asks which one of them had the idea, they both look at each other knowing that they’re in big trouble. Google says that with Google Assistant, it can help find playgrounds nearby. Agency: Mullen. Creative: 72andSunny.
http://www.ispot.tv/ad/IX9c/google-here-to-help-keep-em-out-of-trouble-song-by-the-beatles
THE MIGHTY BOOSH REUNITE AS RECORD STORE DAY AMBASSADORS FOR 2019
Ahead of the 12th edition of the event this Saturday (April 13), Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding’s cult duo have joined forces once more to champion independent record stores across the UK.
To mark the occasion, the duo are also releasing the complete Mighty Boosh radio series on vinyl for the first time – giving fans the chance to experience the earliest form of their surreal shows on 3 pieces of coloured 180g vinyl. Check the humorous video below:
TWITTER TAKES DOWN DONALD TRUMP CAMPAIGN VIDEO FOR UNLICENSED MUSIC USE.
Twitter has taken down a Donald Trump campaign video that was posted in preparation for the 2020 US presidential election after the Warner Bros movie studio issued a takedown notice. The video used music from Batman film ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, which the studio says was used without a license.
APPLE MUSIC NOW HAS MORE PAYING US SUBSCRIBERS THAN SPOTIFY
Apple has claimed a major victory in its ongoing war with rival Spotify.
Apple Music has reportedly overtaken the Swedish streaming firm in terms of paid US subscriptions by around 2 million subscribers.
According to The Wall Street Journal sources say that Spotify is adding subscribers at a monthly growth rate of about 1.5% to 2%, compared to about 2.6% to 3% for Apple Music, which had 28m subscribers in the US as of February.
SOUNDCLOUD ROLLS OUT DJ SOFTWARE INTEGRATION WITH VIRTUAL DJ
Stream while you DJ
SoundCloud announced a new software integration with Virtual DJ and teased several more launches to come.
The new integration enables DJs to stream and mix SoundCloud’s entire catalog of tracks instantly. The integration means that creators can build mixes in Virtual DJ with just a SoundCloud Go+ premium subscription.
This new service is a way to make SoundCloud’s premium subscription service more attractive to its DJ community. The service works with the baseline SoundCloud Go+ subscription, but SoundCloud is offering a bundled deal for creators. SoundCloud says more launches will follow later this year.
NIKE DROPS LAUNCHES “TECHNO-INSPIRED” AIR MAX 180
Nike has released a new line of Air Max sneakers that are designed to pay tribute to Berlin’s club culture. The Air Max 180 BLN features the words “UNITY” and “FREEDOM” on its transparent outsoles and neon colours on the heel on the tongue are meant to represent the city’s famous club-oriented inclinations.
According to Nike, this Euopean-exclusive design is meant to “unite the past and present, with heritage and futurism.” The original Air Max 180 was released back in 1991 – two years after the fall of the Berlin wall and around the same time when the city started leading a global club culture revolution. Look for them here
TEENAGE ENGINEERING CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF GHOSTLY WITH NEW POCKET OPERATOR
The Swedish consumer electronics company Teenage Engineering has linked with Ghostly International to create the Pocket Operator PO-33 K.O.! – a limited edition micro-sampler designed by the Ghostly artist Steve Hauschildt.
Pocket Operators are small, hand-sized devices for making electronic music that are relatively cheap and have synchronisation capability, a range of filters and other numerous built-in functions.
All the custom sounds and patterns found on the PO-33 K.O.! were created by Hauschildt while he was on tour. The limited edition pocket synth was commissioned to celebrate Ghostly International’s 20-year-anniversary.
Purchase here ($135)
Written by Anthony Vanger
Additional reporting by Adam “Badger” Woolf
Artwork by Gustav Balderdash
To join This Week In Music please send me an email: anthonyvanger@gmail.com