A weekly update on all things music, advertising, and technology coming straight to you from Anthony Vanger at MassiveMusic. #TWIM
ARTIST OF THE WEEK: FLIGHT FACILITIES
The summer parties are coming and when it’s time to pick the perfect song to pack the dance floor this smooth banger is definitely one to impress the guests. Harking back to 90s Detroit house and West Coast hip-hop, Lights Up is one of those dance tracks that sound retro and modern at the same time. The song is a collaboration between the Australian production duo Flight Facilities and West Coast rapper Channel Tres. With a pulsating synth bassline and understated keys supporting the rapper’s smooth vocals, the song becomes a throbbing mantra. There are wonderful vocal details throughout, like the opening phone call sample and the perfectly timed “aaahs” and “mmms” that punctuate the beat like percussion. The video is pitch-perfect, with images of dancers and nightclubs broken down into a pixelated hue. Lights Up is the first track to be released in over a year from these underground DJs, who have been working together for over a decade, creating timeless, genre-defying classics drenched in a sense of nostalgia. The quality of this new track is a good sign for things to come.
#flightfacilities #channeltres @flightfacitlities @channeltres
AD OF THE WEEK: LOOKS LIKE GUINNESS
Having invested more than £30 million pounds ($42 million) into the U.K. pubs and hospitality sector during the lockdowns enforced by the Covid-19 outbreak, Guinness has released a campaign to welcome their reopening.
The #LooksLikeGuinness campaign from AMV BBDO kicks off with a film that captures glimpses of everyday sights that vaguely resemble a pint of the black stuff that might have been witnessed during the past year while pubs were closed. It ends with a group of friends laughing in a pub while drinking pints of Guinness before the public is reminded of the money invested by the Diageo-owned brand in supporting the trade. The soundtrack is a cover by Jack Savoretti of “Always on my Mind,” made famous by Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson, to symbolize the wait drinkers might have experienced. Makes you want to pop down
#alwaysonmymind #willienelson #elvispresley #guinness #jacksavoretti
NEW YORK VENUES PERMITTED TO REOPEN AT FULL-CAPACITY FOR FULLY VACCINATED AUDIENCES
New York venues will be permitted to reopen at full capacity, provided they are hosting a fully vaccinated audience, according to an announcement by New York City Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Large venues including Madison Square Garden have confirmed reopening plans will offer tickets only to those who have received full vaccinations. This currently accounts for 44.6% of all those living in the city. Radio City Music Hall, with a capacity of more than 6,000, intends on doing the same when it reopens on 19th June.
“Having Radio City back at 100%, without masks, with people enjoying New York, and the New York arts, is going to be not only symbolic and metaphoric; but I think it’s going to go a long way toward bringing back this state,” said Cuomo.
The process of entry under these new rules has not been confirmed, but a report on IQ Magazine suggests the free Excelsior Pass could be used to determine vaccination status. The app was launched by New York State, and uses QR codes to verify proof of either vaccination or negative COVID-19 tests with art and entertainment venues. It was trialled at a Brooklyn Nets basketball game on 27th February, and again at a New York Rangers hockey game on 2nd March.
SPOTIFY LAUNCHES TICKETED LIVESTREAM EVENTS
Spotify is launching a new feature that lets artists stream ticketed concerts straight into the Swedish giants’ platform. Fans can buy tickets for the concerts – currently priced at £15 per show – and pick a time to watch the show back. As it stands the shows are not truly live and are just pre-recorded concerts playing back through the app. However, they can only be watched once at a time chosen by the viewer based on four time zones, through the web browser.
Artists that are taking part at launch include The Black Keys, Leon Bridges and Rag ’n’ Bone Man, and the concerts will take place throughout May and June. Viewers will need to have a Spotify account to buy tickets, but you don’t need to have a Premium subscription. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Full info about Spotify’s new Livestreaming events can be found here.
ROCKSTAR GAMES LAUNCHES RECORD LABEL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DANCE MUSIC PROMOTER CIRCOLOCO
Dance music promoters CircoLoco and Rockstar Games, creators of some of the world’s most popular video games such as Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, have joined forces to launch a new record label called CircoLoco Records.
Debuting with a series of EPs featuring tracks from the label’s forthcoming compilation album, Monday Dreamin’, CircoLoco Records will showcase contributions from artists previously hosted by CircoLoco, including new releases from acts such as Carl Craig, Luciano, Seth Troxler, Moodymann, Rampa, Sama’ Abdulhadi, Lost Souls of Saturn & TOKiMONSTA, Red Axes, and many more.
The first EP, Monday Dreamin’ Blue EP, will be released on June 4th and features new tracks from Sama’ Abdulhadi, Kerri Chandler, Rampa, and Seth Troxler, alongside a new Dixon remix of Deichkind’s Autonom.
THERE’S A NEW ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF DEPECHE MODE BY ANTON CORBIJN
Depeche Mode releases a new and more wallet-friendly version of their life with acclaimed photographer and filmmaker Anton Corbijn on May 25th. Depeche Mode is the official illustrated history of the band by Corbijn.
The book – written by Anton and featuring over 500 photographs from Corbijn’s personal archives, many never seen before, as well as stage set designs, sketches, album covers, and tour books – visually amplifies the impact of Depeche Mode’s “fourth member” and has been created with the full collaboration of the band.
If you’re a DM fan, you won’t want to be without this new tome from Taschen since the first collectors’ edition sold out almost immediately!
You can order the book here.
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