jason hirschhorn's @MusicREDEF: 02/22/2022 - The Streaming Dropout, The Roc-A-Fella Chain, Film Scoring's Ugly Truth, Jamal Edwards, DJ Lag...

I think that we have to use art for what it is which is an alternative form of energy, just like wind or solar, that can mobilize people to think, to grow, to feed them. Open in browser Tuesday February 22, 2022 Reading music: Saul Williams at the TV Radio on the Radio-curated ATP Weekender, Camber, England, May 12, 2013. (Tommy Jackson/Redferns/Getty Images) quote of the day "I think that we have to use art for what it is which is an alternative form of energy, just like wind or solar, that can mobilize people to think, to grow, to feed them." - Saul Williams rantnrave:// The Streaming Dropout It's Tuesday, 22/2/22 or 2/22/22 depending how you write your dates, do what you will with the numerology, and take note that an album called DONDA 2 may or may not come out today, and the only way to hear it, if it does, will be via the 2nd generation of a proprietary digital music player that costs $200 and may or may not have generated sales of $2 million in the past few days. Every bit of information in that sentence, except for the date, is according to KANYE WEST and all of it is both plausibly true and plausibly untrue, which is about as much as you can hope for from a man who's proved himself, many times over, a reliable artist and unreliable narrator. We'll see. Unauditable sales numbers aside, there are plenty of people in the business rooting for Ye's public fight against the streaming economy and plenty of skepticism about whether his Stem Player is suited for the fight. I've yet to try one; here's a roundup of reviews, some positive, some mixed, none totally bad, from those who have. (I will note that, on paper, the player's 8GB of storage—less than every IPOD ever made except the very first one in 2001—seems underwhelming, as does its promise to give users control over only four stems, which seems an aggressively "consumer" rather than "pro" approach. Then again maybe that's what, y'know, consumers want.) There's a good piece of analysis here from Trapital's DAN RUNCIE, who notes that Ye's simultaneous desire to have PONO-like proprietary control over how his music is consumed will inevitably come into conflict with his desire to be the world's biggest artist. "Kanye West's business strategy," Runcie writes, "often has a natural tension between his artistic dreams and business objectives. He is self-confident but still wants external validation." That rings reliably true. Mask Pits As vaccine and masking rules loosen at venues around the world, one particular spot, not surprisingly, remains especially risky at concerts: "The pits at the very, very front of the stage where people are on top of each other singing, physically exerting." That's according to University of Massachusetts Dartmouth infectious disease expert ERIN BROMAGE, one of the specialists the New York Times asked, "Should You Still Wear a Mask?" At most outdoor gigs, you're generally safe without a mask, the professor tells the Times. But if you're moshing, be masking. Yo! Congrats to my old boss JEN DEMME, who's executive producing a revival of YO! MTV RAPS, scheduled to launch this spring on PARAMOUNT+. Jen's late brother TED was co-creator of the original show, one of the best things MTV ever made. Brooklyn rapper CONCEITED and Philadelphia DJ DIAMOND KUTS will host. Rest in Peace Ohio singer JANE "NIGHTBIRDE" MARCZEWSKI, who won the hearts of the judges on "America's Got Talent"—and their Golden Buzzer—when she competed on the show while undergoing treatment for cancer in 2021... Swedish jazz pianist/composer NILS LINDBERG... Filipino rapper OG KAYBEE, murdered Monday in Alabang, Philippines. - Matty Karas (@troubledoll), curator volcanic sunlight Time Magazine How the Roc-A-Fella Chain Became a Symbol of Hip Hop Royalty By Sowmya Krishnamurthy Getting the original chain required approval from at least two out of the three founders of Rock-A-Fella Records. It wasn't something you could (or should) ask for.  Vanity Fair 'The Minions Do the Actual Writing': The Ugly Truth of How Movie Scores Are Made By Mark Rozzo The streaming revolution is changing the way film composers get paid and exposing the flaws of a system where big names farm their scores out to uncredited "ghost composers." Now, the artists actually writing the music are demanding recognition-and a fair share of the profits. The Guardian 'He was a cultural architect, a powerhouse': musicians and peers pay tribute to Jamal Edwards By Chanté Joseph and Laura Snapes Politicians, colleagues and friends share how the SBTV founder had an unforgettable impact on their lives. Trapital Kanye West's Stem Player Strategy By Dan Runcie Going direct-to-consumer can be a beautiful thing for artists, especially in the streaming era. But the strategy works best when the artist's mentality and overall goals are in sync. Mixmag Lifechanging encounters: Meetings with the gqom king, DJ Lag By Shiba Melissa Mazaza Shiba Melissa Mazaza speaks to South African pioneer DJ Lag about his debut album 'Meeting With The King' and a series of encounters that shaped his path in music and life. VICE The Untold Story of Some Guy Plowing Into a Wedding Cake in a Guns 'N Roses Music Video By Alex Scordelis "November Rain" is one of the most iconic rock videos of all time. It has been confusing me for 30 years. The New York Times Sasami Wanted to Appropriate White, Male Music. She Landed on Metal By Eric Ducker The 31-year-old Los Angeles musician's first album was filled with electro-inflected indie rock. Its follow-up, "Squeeze," has harder music filtered through her unique lens. Variety Deadmau5 Manager Dean Wilson Talks DAOs, NFTs, Crypto and How to Protect Your IP in Web3 By Jeremy Gilbertson Years before many of us would hear the word NFT, Dean Wilson and Joel Zimmerman (better known as the artist deadmau5) were unknowingly experimenting with a physical version of it. NME Music industry reacts to UK government's decision to scrap COVID self-isolation rules By Andrew Trendell Live music industry figures on the government's decision to scrap self-isolation rules in England for those who test positive for COVID. Deconstruction Introduction: A whole music series about an album that came out in 1994 by a band who never performed or recorded again? By Aaron Gilbreath This is the only in-depth story about the short-lived band Deconstruction, which Jane's Addiction bassist Eric Avery and guitarist Dave Navarro former in late 1992 and which released one album. Somehow it took 27 years for someone to write it. I didn't expect it would be me.Jane's Addiction bassist Eric Avery and guitarist Dave Navarro formed Deconstruction in late-1992 martyrloserking Music Ally Startup Files: Audioshake wants to help artists make more of their stems By Stuart Dredge Jessica Powell, CEO of Audioshake, on the origin story of her startup and its AI-powered tool for separating music recordings. British GQ Is Ye's £200 Stem Player actually any good? By David Taylor Kanye West has announced that his new album "Donda 2" will only be released on his Stem Player. Here's everything you need to know about it. The Guardian 'We're all hip-hop family': the artists fighting to get Afghan breakdancers to safety By Lizzy Davies Nancy Yu, AKA Asia One, is drawing on the hip-hop movement's activist roots to help a group of artists and their families escape the Taliban. The New York Times At Rothko Chapel, a Composer Is Haunted by a Hero By Zachary Woolfe Tyshawn Sorey's "Monochromatic Light (Afterlife)," for the 50th anniversary of the Houston space, closely echoes Morton Feldman's "Rothko Chapel." Tidal Yoko Ono Didn't Break Up the Beatles. But She Did Help Invent Alternative Music By Shaun Brady At 89, the visionary continues to thrive and influence generations of progressive artists, despite unwarranted contempt that just won't fade. Gawker Capturing the Vibe By Nicholas Russell 'Meet Me in the Bathroom' and the feeling of indie New York. Music Tech Solutions Spotify ESG fail: Governance By Chris Castle Spotify has one big governance problem that permeates its governance like a putrid miasma in the abattoir: "Dual-class stock" sometimes referred to as "supervoting" stock. If you've never heard the term, buckle up. Deep Dive: An AllMusicBooks Podcast 'The Steve Keene Art Book' with Daniel Efram By Steven Jurgensmeyer and Daniel Efram Photographer Daniel Efram has put together the definitive book on Steve Keene and his work, and talks to us about Keene's paintings of famous covers, and covers of albums he likes. Billboard Ye Protege KayCyy Is More Than Just 'The Kid With the Melodies' By Brenton Blanchet The Kenyan-born tunesmith was one of the guiding hands behind last year's 'Donda' blockbuster. This year, he prepares to step into the spotlight with his own debut album. Los Angeles Times Iphigenia, the Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding way By Mark Swed The West Coast premiere of ("iphigenia") brings together jazz stars and a legendary architect for a landmark music experience. what we're into Music of the day "All Coltrane Solos at Once" Saul Williams ft. Haleek Maul From "MartyrLoserKing" (2016). Video of the day "The Stone Bench" Saul Williams / La Blogotheque Filmed in the Paris Catacombs, 2011. Music | Media SUBSCRIBE Suggest a link "REDEF is dedicated to my mother, who nurtured and encouraged my interest in everything and slightly regrets the day she taught me to always ask 'why?'" Jason Hirschhorn CEO & Chief Curator HOME | ABOUT | SETS | PRESS Redef Group Inc. LA - NY - Everywhere Copyright ©2021 UNSUBSCRIBE or MANAGE MY SUBSCRIPTION