A weekly update on all things music, advertising, and technology coming straight to you from Anthony Vanger at MassiveMusic. #TWIM
ARTIST OF THE WEEK: THE VELTRON TRANSMISSIONS
Usually, you write about a band or an artist because of the music. But sometimes the music takes a back seat to other considerations, such as culture, politics, aesthetics or in this case, technology. The Veltron Transmissions perform great music, but it is the way they have created it that is so relevant. This music was composed and recorded virtually using an app called Endlesss, which runs on 5G, a super-fast phone technology. When Tim Exile, founder and CEO of Endlesss, put on an event where jammers could take over the live stream on the Endlesss Twitch channel for an hour, a musician called Stevie J contacted three musicians to form the crew that became The Veltron Transmissions. The result is great, but it is the fact that this new technology allows musicians to collaborate with each other virtually in real-time and make music without a glitch that makes it such a ground-breaking release. Expect this technology – as technology has always done, from the Beatles in Abbey Road to hip-hop – to significantly change the way music is made. #theveltrontransmissions
AD OF THE WEEK: VIACOMCBS 8:46
A stark memorial to George Floyd
ViacomCBS Networks went dark on June 1 to air this chilling 8:46 video. A new spot created internally also aired across ViacomCBS’ channels including MTV, CBS Sports, BET, and Nickelodeon. The spot reads “I CAN’T BREATHE” on a black background as audio plays the sound of breathing and includes a call-to-action to support civil rights advocacy nonprofit Color of Change.
//services.brid.tv/player/build/brid.min.js $bp(“Brid_5441247”, {“id”:”21259″,”width”:”640″,”height”:”400″,”video”:”612046″,”autoplay”:0,”shared”:true});MUSIC INDUSTRY RESPONDS TO FLOYD HOMICIDE
#TheShowMustBePaused, an initiative created by record executives
The music industry observed “Black Out Tuesday” on June 2 in a message of solidarity in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The action followed days of nationwide protests after the death of Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. Other areas of the music industry also grabbed headlines, with Warner Music Group and the Family Foundation of its primary owner, Len Blavatnik, announcing a $100 million fund to support charitable causes related to the music industry, social justice and campaigns against violence and racism. Music stars also joined in the condemnation. Beyoncé asked her fans to take action and demand change in the wake of Floyd’s death in Minneapolis last week. “We’re broken and we’re disgusted,” she says in a video posted on Instagram. To get involved:
- Help the family of George Floyd HERE
- Want to help protesters? Donate to one or more community bail funds HERE.
- Visit Movement For Black Lives for additional ways you can help the cause.
- Want to connect with leaders building grassroots campaigns? Click HERE.
- Are you an ally and want to learn more? Here are some anti-racism resources.
BLACKOUT TUESDAY: BLACK SQUARES DOMINATE SOCIAL MEDIA
The protest movement sparked by the death in police custody of George Floyd in Minneapolis spread from the music business to social media on Tuesday as major institutions around the world posted black squares and stopped online activity in solidarity.
The #BlackoutTuesday hashtag dominated social media, as musicians, actors, major museums, social media companies, and ordinary users all took part.
The Spotify blackout came as part of a broader movement in the music industry as a whole. They added 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence to playlists in support of Blackout Tuesday.
The length of time of the Spotify blackout is how long a police officer kneeled on Floyd’s neck – killing him.
BANDCAMP TO DONATE ALL SALES TO NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE FUND ON JUNETEENTH
Bandcamp will be donating 100 percent of its revenue on Juneteenth (June 19th) to the NAACP in solidarity with the recent protests against police racism and brutality. CEO Ethan Diamond made the announcement on Monday, adding that Bandcamp would repeat the practice annually.
In addition to the proceeds from June 19th, Bandcamp will be allocating an additional $30,000 per year “to partner with organizations that fight for racial justice and create opportunities for people of colour,” Diamond added.
TECHNICS RELEASE LIMITED EDITION ALL-BLACK SL-1210GAE TURNTABLE
Technics have announced a special edition of their luxury GAE turntable, with an all-black plate, upgrade insulation, specially-tuned Nagaoka MM cartridge – which was created in collaboration with engineers from both Nagaoka and Technics – and a unique serial number. The new edition is in honour of the company’s 55th anniversary.
The new version is limited to 1,000 pieces worldwide and will cost £3,999. Find out more about the new turntable here. The new version also comes with its own case.
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