A weekly update on all things music, advertising, and technology coming straight to you from Anthony Vanger at MassiveMusic. #TWIM
ARTIST OF THE WEEK: BO BURNHAM
Is the comedian and singer Bo Burnham a living oxymoron? Is it possible for something to be disconcertingly comforting? Burnham’s latest release, “All eyes on me”, represents the emotional climax of the Netflix stay-at-home Covid special ‘Inside’ and offers a peek into the mind of someone who has totally given up. It’s shockingly intimate, including a spoken word section where Bo confesses to his struggles with mental health. His pain is reflected powerfully in the electro-pop song, amplified by a vocal effect that lowers his pitch – almost as if his voice has been distorted by his depression. The catchy pop melody and laugh track combined with the nihilistic tone and sadness in the visuals is disorientating and leaves the listener reeling, but we rubberneck at his claustrophobic world nonetheless. Burnham is full of contradictions and in the process of chewing them out, he is connecting with an ever-widening audience.
album: https://boburnham.lnk.to/INSIDE
@boburnham #boburnham #comedian #netflix #inside #standup #comedian #comedy #depression #mentalhealth #alleyesonme
AD OF THE WEEK: VAX THAT THANG UP
BLK, the largest dating app made for Black singles, has partnered with rap legends Juvenile, Mannie Fresh, and “the mother of southern gangster rap” Mia X, turning the iconic rap classic “Back That Thang Up” into the new vaccine anthem, “Vax That Thang Up.”
Black adults under the age of 40 are the most likely group to avoid the Covid-19 vaccination, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Distrust of doctors and government, less access to vaccination centers, and online misinformation each play a role. Advertisers are hoping the video is both entertaining and actionable.
A DOOMSDAY VAULT IS BEING CREATED TO PRESERVE THE WORLD’S BEST MUSIC
A doomsday vault is being created by a Norwegian company to catalogue the world’s best and most beloved music.
The preservation vault will be placed on Svalbard – an archipelago off the coast of Norway, between the Scandinavian country and the North Pole that is already home the world’s seed vault.
The Global Music Vault will store “master-quality digital copies” according to Norway’s Elire Management Group, the company curating the vault. In collaboration with International Music Council, Elire stated that these “purpose-built capsules” would be buried deep underground.
The vault will explore music from the very beginning of humankind, documenting everything from Australian Indigenous recordings to songs by acclaimed bands and artists.
The vault is said to be buried 1,000 feet under a mountain and will be durable enough to survive nuclear explosions. High-density QR codes will allow for 1,000 years of preservation under the island’s surface.
Jenkinson continued, “we don’t want to just protect a certain genre and certain era. We want the nations and regions of the world to curate what music gets deposited.”
IS BUSKING ON TIK TOK THE FUTURE?
Singer Liv Harland might only have about 30 people watching her busk on the streets of Leeds, but there are tens of thousands seeing her live on TikTok.
The 23-year-old says she can make more than three times as much money from her live streams compared to what she gets on the street.
BBC entertainment correspondent Colin Paterson joined Liv and asked whether this might be the future of busking.
THE MUSIC INDUSTRY REACTS TO CLUBS REOPENING: “DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT CASES ARE STILL GOING UP”
On July 5, Boris Johnson addressed the public and confirmed the reopening of nightlife on July 19, which is now 100% positive to go ahead.
The date was scheduled but not yet confirmed, and after a pushback of the original restriction lifting on June 21, fears that a further postponement could be made was rife in the music industry.
As one of the last sectors to open, those working in the music industry have been in dire financial need after the closure of clubs and venues. Studies by The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) revealed that one in four nightclubs would not survive another month without government support.
After the delay, the NTIA worried that the nightlife industry would ‘go extinct’. CEO of the NTIA, Michael Kill, reacted to last night’s news: “these are all very important steps that we have been campaigning for because they are the restrictions which have decimated the nighttime economy over the last 16 months.”
But despite the positive news, he added, “we were disappointed again, despite the positive noises, that the Prime Minister did not confirm that reopening would be going ahead on July 19.”
Elsewhere in the music industry, DJs and producers were ecstatic about the news following the decimation to their industry for well over a year. SG Lewis tweeted: “Nightclubs & events coming back. LET’S FUCKING GO”
Last night’s news came amidst a surge in COVID cases in the UK. Yesterday, 27,000 people tested positive, the most since December’s mass outbreak.
Despite this, death rates have plateaued and continue to level out, averaging at around 20 deaths per day this past four weeks as opposed to December’s 500 per day average. The positive advancements come after a rise in vaccination rates, which now sees over 50% of the UK population fully vaccinated.
BEHRINGER IS RELEASING EURORACK VERSIONS OF MOOG’S MODULAR SYSTEMS
Three of Moog’s modular systems – Model 15, System 35 and System 55 – are being downsized into Eurorack versions.
Behringer responded to positive customer feedback on their 2020 released Eurorack modules, which were also based on Moog designs, and have now released downsized versions of their iconic products.
“After introducing our MODEL 55 range of Eurorack modules back last year, we’ve been following your comments and recognised your demand for pre-assembled systems,” Behringer stated.
The new systems come pre-assembled, and copy the format of Moog’s 5U format systems which were released in 1973.
Each system comes with a brand new MIDI-to-CV converter, while the System 55 comes with Eurorack Go brackets allowing two systems to be linked together.
The new Eurorack systems are priced at £1,514, £1,660, and £2,599 respectively. Find out more about the releases here.
Written by Anthony Vanger
Additional research and reporting by Adam “Badger” Woolf
Artist of The Week research and review by Rose Farman-Farma
Artwork by Gustav Balderdash
To join This Week In Music please send me an email: anthonyvanger@gmail.com