DEADMAU5 JOINS VC FIRM AS STRATEGIC ADVISOR AS METAVERSE GOLD RUSH HEATS UP
deadmau5's next gig will ensure the expansion of immersive metaverse technology and cutting-edge music tech.
The electronic music luminary has accepted a role as a strategic advisor to Outlier Ventures, which, as Market Insider notes, was among the first venture capital firms dedicated to making crypto-related investments. The company, founded in 2014, also brought on hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg alongside deadmau5.
deadmau5 and Snoop will advise and invest through Outlier Ventures' Base Camp Accelerator, an incubator program that has collectively received over 5,000 applications from startup projects and generated $250 million in capital funding. With a monster year for crypto now in the books in 2021, the program is expected to be bigger than ever in 2022, with the potential to accelerate over 100 different companies in the space.
APPLE MUSIC ADDS EDC LAS VEGAS 2021 DJ SETS
Fans can now listen to EDC Las Vegas sets from Zomboy, 3LAU, and many more electronic dance music stars.
A month after EDC wrapped up its dazzling Las Vegas edition to celebrate the brand's 25th anniversary, Apple Music has added a slew of the event's unforgettable DJ sets to its platform.
Fans can now listen to performances from Gammer, Vintage Culture, Moore Kismet, Zomboy, 3LAU, and many more electronic dance music stars. They can even tune into the audacious set from Lil Texas, who stripped down and hopped on the decks to perform naked.
REZZ performs at EDC Las Vegas 2021.
The momentous return of EDC Las Vegas marked arguably the year's biggest music festival. Approximately 450,000 people attended the fest, which also featured an elaborate airshow with a fleet of over 600 drones.
NILE RODGERS WANTS TO RELEASE UNRELASED COLLABS WITH AVICII: "WE COULD WRITE THE ENTIRE TOP TEN"
The famed guitarist and singer-songwriter said he'd like to release never-before-heard music with the blessing of Avicii's family.
Unreleased music written by Avicii is rare, but Nile Rodgers may have access to a treasure trove.
The famed guitarist and singer-songwriter recently appeared on Norwegian-Swedish television talk show Skavlan, where he chatted about music he recorded with the late dance music legend. According to Rodgers, their collaborative vault contains many never-before-heard musical ideas, which he wants to release with the blessing of Avicii's family and estate.
Rodgers co-wrote Avicii's single "Lay Me Down," which appeared on Avicii's 2013 debut album, True. He said that if Avicii's family asked him, he would happily mix the many other tracks they recorded because he "knew what Tim was thinking." Rodgers also added that he's not interested in working on any music he didn't have a part of.
"I love Tim. We wrote a lot," Rodgers said. "I used to say—and I've said this many times—that if you put Tim and I in a room together for one week, we could write the entire top ten. I mean, that's how talented he was. He was a natural melody writer. Even though he didn't read music, he didn't understand it technically, but for some reason, spiritually and artistically, he had a gift."
Check out the interview below.
In a 2018 interview with Variety—conducted in the wake of Avicii's tragic death at the age of 28—Rodgers said there's plenty of music they recorded together that is yet to be released.
"There’s tons! Tons!" Rodgers said at the time. "We would go in in the morning and write 5-6 songs every single time we worked together."
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THIS NEW TURNTABLE LETS YOU DIGITISE VINYL STRAIGHT TO USB STICK
The LS-55 from Lenco comes in at £129
A new turntable from Lenco – the LS-55 – lets users rip vinyl straight to a USB stick. The new turntable also features built-in speakers and Bluetooth connectivity as well as the USB port, which encodes to MP3 format.
The player features a built-in phono pre with RCA outputs, for connecting straight to a mixer or amp. There’s also an aux input for using the built-in 5W speaker. The LS-55 has a retro wooden finish, despite its modern features and also includes a passive radiator for "better BASS effect".
The new turntable is available for £129, which is a pretty good price for the features included – find out more about the LS-55 on Lenco’s website here.
Read our feature on the end of the vinyl revival here.
EIGHT KILLED AND HUNDREDS INJURED IN CROWD CRUSH AT TRAVIS SCOTT’S ASTROWORLD 2021 FESTIVAL
Scott has issued a statement as attendees share accounts of the event
Eight people have been killed and hundreds injured at Travis Scott’s Astroworld 2021 Festival.
Described by officials as a "mass casualty incident," the tragedy occurred as a result of a crowd crush at the 50,000-capacity event in Houston, Texas on Friday, 5th November. Of the 300 people injured, 11 people were hospitalized due to cardiac arrest, and eight died.
Speaking about the incident — which occurred around 9:40 pm local time — Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said: “The crowd began to compress towards the front of the stage, and that caused some panic, and it started causing some injuries. People began to fall out, become unconscious, and it created additional panic."
In a statement, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner revealed that a 14-year-old was among the eight people killed at the event. He also revealed that the music was not halted until 10:10 pm — 30 minutes after the crush reportedly began. “This is a very, very active investigation and we will probably be at it for quite some time to determine what happened,” he added.
Travis Scott issued a statement about the incident on Saturday, 6th November. “I’m absolutely devastated by what took place last night," he wrote. "My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival. Houston PD has my total support as they continue to look into the tragic loss of life.
"I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need. Thank you to Houston PD, Fire Department and NRG Park for their immediate response and support. Love You All.”
According to the Houston Chronicle, Scott reportedly stopped the performance several times during his headline set after "spotting fans in distress", and asked for security to step in.
According to Billboard, three lawsuits — one naming Drake as a co-defendant — have been filed against the rapper relating to the crowd crush. “This kind of behavior has long been encouraged by the festival’s founder and main performer,” said one plaintiff, festival-goer Manuel Souza. “His express encouragement of violence has previously resulted in serious violence at numerous past concerts.”
EDC 2022 TICKETS NOW ON SALE!
For those who had major FOMO after seeing the epic videos and pictures from this past weekend’s EDC Las Vegas festival, do not fear, tickets are on sale now for the May 2022 edition!
Taking place May 20th – 22nd 2022, the 11th version of EDC returned to its usual spring dates in Las Vegas
Three-day general admission passes start at the Early Owl price of $339 (+ taxes & fees), $519 (+ taxes & fees) for GA+ and $779 (+ taxes & fees) for 21+ VIP. Layaway plans are available for all ticket types with a $10 deposit. Tickets can be purchased online here.