A weekly update on all things music, advertising, and technology coming straight to you from Anthony Vanger at MassiveMusic. #TWIM
ARTIST OF THE WEEK: TEARS FOR FEARS
Like many of us, I was a huge Tears for Fears fan in the 80s. It wasn’t their angst that drew me in, but the classic-out-of-the-box pop anthems and staggering vocals. Songs like “Shout” and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” conquered the US and the whole world followed. They are this week’s artist because they have released their first record in 18 years. And unlike many acts who release an album of filler to justify a tour playing all the old hits, TFF has actually made a very good album. This song, “Break The Man” is my favourite. It is lush, cerebral, and with a bullet-proof chorus that harks back to their finest work. I have chosen their recent live performance from The Colbert Show instead of the official music video to show that the Bards from Bath sound even better live. Maybe it makes sense that this new album sounds current. Half the artists on the radio today are trying to emulate the 80s sound.
Watch the full performance here: https://youtu.be/rVHqaESW8Ug
Spotify – https://found.ee/tearsforfears_btmSp
#tearsforfears #everybodywantstoruletheworld #shout #breaktheman #songsfromthebigchair #thehurting #sowingtheseedsoflove #rolandorzabal #curtsmith #bathmusicscene
AD OF THE WEEK: USPS WE GO EVERYWHERE
It’s easy to forget how good Johnny Cash is (was). I love this song and the makers of the ad are clever by not getting in the way of it. Just let the rockabilly beat kick in with Cash speed-singing, point the camera, and show the postal service workers doing their job and driving to all the major and minor cities across the vast land that is America. The US has been through a rough few years, some of from outside and some of it from within, so it is nice to see the Land of Free I remember as a kid: friendly, dynamic and always moving forward. Good work from MRM/McCann and director Jake Scott, son of Ridley, for RSA films.
ШЩЦ RELEASES 100% UKRAINIAN ARTISTS FUNDRAISER MIX
Ukrainian record label ШЩЦ has released an hour-long fundraiser mix raising awareness and money for Ukrainian soldiers and civilians.
Launching shortly after the invasion, the mix compiles electronic tracks from only Ukrainian artists and producers with a goal to “spread the word about the war”, and show people how they can help.
“The main goal of this mix it’s to spread the word about the war that Russia brought for Ukraine and to show links with true information,” ШЩЦ said.
“Russians kill civil people in Ukraine, bombing houses and spreading propaganda. Together we can stop them. Now we have contacted a few radio stations around the world who will broadcast this mix.”
The label, made up of friends and artists, has now teamed up with NTS, Glasgow’s Clyde Built Radio, Kyiv’s 20ft Radio, Tallinn’s IDA Radio, and more to broadcast the mix.
BANDCAMP ACQUIRED BY FORTNITE MAKER EPIC GAMES
Epic Games, maker of the hit video games Fortnite and Unreal Engine has acquired the online music store and direct-to-fan platform Bandcamp.
In a statement published by Epic, the company says that Bandcamp will play an “important role” in its “vision to build out a creator marketplace ecosystem for content, technology, games, art, music and more”. The news follows the firm’s acquisition in November of Harmonix, creator of the popular Rock Band and Dance Central franchises for an undisclosed sum.
At the time, Epic Games, which is backed by Sony Corp and carries a $28 billion+ valuation – hinted at ambitious plans in music, stating that it would collaborate closely with Harmonix “to develop musical journeys and gameplay for Fortnite” and that Harmonix will continue to support existing titles including Rock Band 4.
PIONEERING JUNGLE AND DRUM & BASS MC SKIBADEE DIES, AGED 47
Skibadee – the pioneering jungle and drum & bass MC who worked with Shy FX, Dillinja and lots more during his career – has died, aged 47.
News of his passing was confirmed on Sunday, 27th February via Skibadee’s social media. No cause of death was given, though an update to the late artist’s Discogs page said he died on 25th February.
Born in South London in 1975, Skibadee, real name Alfonso Bondzie, came to be seen as one of the most recognisable voices within the UK’s jungle, drum & bass and rave scenes, from the mid-’90s through to the next 2 decades.
NEW APP LETS YOU TURN A NINTENDO CONSOLE INTO A SYNTH
An app developer has come up with a whole new way for you to use your old Nintendo console.
Avicr’s new SynthNes app gives people who’ve held on to their Nintendo Entertainment System, discontinued many years ago, the ability to turn it into a functioning synthesizer. The app effectively allows users to control the system’s five audio channels with a MIDI instrument of their choosing.
The Nintendo Entertainment System can do this because the consoles were sold containing specific sound chips. When they were originally developed, CPU and storage technology was still in its very early days, and so music could only be produced in video games by essentially encoding a set of digital directives for the sound chip to play.
If you want to give it a go for yourself, head over to Avicr’s website, where you can pay however much you to access the download link for SynthNes.
Written by Anthony Vanger
Additional research and reporting by Adam “Badger” Woolf