jason hirschhorn's @MusicREDEF: 12/13/2022 - Music's Fallen of 2022, Suing Ahmet Ertegun, Ab-Soul, 'The Nutcracker,' Greg Tate, Stones Rolling...

There were some strange reactions here in Berlin. Some people wrote, 'There's nothing, there's no excuse for this record.' I had 'missed everything in the actual development of electronic music.' 'I should better listen to Depeche Mode,' they wrote.
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Tuesday December 13, 2022
REDEF
Film music power trio: David Lynch, Julee Cruise and Angelo Badalamenti (from left), New York, Oct. 25, 1989.
(Michel Delsol/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
quote of the day
"There were some strange reactions here in Berlin. Some people wrote, 'There's nothing, there's no excuse for this record.' I had 'missed everything in the actual development of electronic music.' 'I should better listen to Depeche Mode,' they wrote."
- Manuel Göttsching, 1952 – 2022, on the initial response to his early '80s electronic classic "E2-E4"
rantnrave://
Hollywood Forever

Every December, I post a simple alphabetical list of the musicians and music industry figures taken from us during the past year, from pop superstars and behind-the-scenes movers and shakers to the working-class drummers and session string players and backup singers and roadies who devoted their lives to helping to soundtrack ours. The list seems to get longer each year, which I used to take as a sign that things were getting worse or that entire generations were suddenly disappearing, but I've come to realize it's more likely I've simply gotten a little better and more obsessive at documenting the losses in my attempt to give everyone, no matter how long they lived, no matter how consequential their career was, the dignity of a grave marker.

Here's a link to this year's list, just short of 600 names as of this morning, to be updated regularly through year's end. The huge, reverberant losses recorded herein include MIGOS' master of triplets, the queen of all girl group singers (and possibly all rock and roll), a coal miner's daughter, classic rock's songbird, one of Hitsville's greatest hitmakers, the spirit of FOO FIGHTERS and a visionary young jazz trumpeter and composer who seemed like she was just getting started. You'll also find the world's greatest piano tuner, a master of musical glasses, instrument inventors and designers, Broadway and Hollywood musicians, too many murdered rappers and a certain sculptor who specialized in a certain part of rock star anatomies.

If anyone seems missing, please let me know. I want everyone to be remembered. I want everyone to be mourned. But mostly, I want everyone to be celebrated. (As always, another edition of MusicREDEF, in the final week of the year, will feature longer obituaries and remembrances of some of the most notable and devastating losses.)

Rest in Peace

Lost over the last few days: Film composer, songwriter and orchestrator ANGELO BADALAMENTI, whose dreamy and haunting music for David Lynch's "Twin Peaks" and "Blue Velvet" (and many others) left a long-lasting mark on film and TV music as well as on pop. He worked with Nina Simone, David Bowie, Marianne Faithfull and Julee Cruise (who died in June) in addition to his frequent collaborations with Lynch, who said Badalamenti's music had "a deep and powerful beauty"... German musician/composer MANUEL GÖTTSCHING, who led the Krautrock group Ash Ra Tempel in the 1970s and released groundbreaking electronic work in later years. His improvised hourlong composition "E2-E4," recorded in 1981, flopped at home in Germany but found a second life as a staple in Larry Levan's sets at Paradise Garage in New York and a third life in dance-music remixes, most notably by Detroit techno DJ Derrick May... Composer, music educator and synth pioneer HERB DEUTSCH, who developed the original Moog synthesizer with Bob Moog... Rapper TRIGGA of the Scottish drill group Triple01s... Detroit soul singer J.J. BARNES... Singer and actress—and Cher's mother—GEORGIA HOLT... Longtime Kenny Chesney guitar tech ZAK GODWIN II.

Etc Etc Etc

Some "verified" TAYLOR SWIFT fans are apparently back in line for ERAS TOUR tickets, while the Wall Street Journal's ANNE STEELE tries to figure how many are left (paywall) and TICKETMASTER gets in trouble with a different pop superstar's fans and a different country's government... MEGAN THEE STALLION expected to testify today in TORY LANEZ's trial on charges of shooting her... JIN joins the (actual) army... The year of the stadium... Congrats to our friend VAN TOFFLER at GUNPOWDER & SKY for the upcoming soft-rock documentary series SOMETIMES WHEN WE TOUCH, premiering Jan. 3 on PARAMOUNT+.

- Matty Karas (@troubledoll), curator
mysteries of love
REDEF
REDEF Music ORIGINAL: And the Songbirds Keep Singing: Music Deaths 2022
By Matty Karas
Migos' master of triplets, the queen mother of all girl group singers, country's coal miner's daughter, classic rock's songbird, one of Hitsville's greatest hitmakers, the spirit of Foo Fighters and a visionary young jazz trumpeter were among the musical voices taken from us in 2022.
Los Angeles Times
Dorothy Carvello is suing Ahmet Ertegun's estate to shake up the music industry
By Jonah Valdez
Dorothy Carvello's lawsuit also alleges that executives Doug Morris and Jason Flom enabled and participated in a culture of sexual assault at Atlantic Records.
Vulture
That Was Ab-Soul, This Is Herbert
By William E. Ketchum III
To make his first album in six years, he had to get back in touch with reality.
The Washington Post
Angelo Badalamenti, composer of unsettling film soundtracks, dies at 85
By Tim Greiving
He collaborated with director David Lynch on movies including 'Blue Velvet' and 'Mulholland Drive' as well as the cult TV series 'Twin Peaks.'
Red Bull Music Academy
RETRO READ: Red Bull Music Academy Lecture: Manuel Göttsching
By Jeff Mao and Manuel Göttsching
The German music icon discusses his feelings about the term "krautrock," Ash Ra Tempel's work with Timothy Leary, the making of his classic "E2-E4" and much more.
NPR
Ukraine is calling for a boycott of 'The Nutcracker.' Ballet companies aren't budging
By Emily Olson
Pausing performances of the quintessential Christmas classic is a big ask — and a late ask — for a country like the U.S., where, the Christmas season (or at least the Christmas shopping season) kicks off before the Advent calendar does.
Middle East Eye
From the Algerian hinterland to Unesco: The incredible saga of rai
By Abed Charef
Rai, an Algerian musical genre newly registered by the UN agency as part of the world's 'intangible cultural heritage', has accompanied the country's social changes for a century.
Billboard
Playlists Don't Hit Like They Used To
By Elias Leight
The rise of personalization and short-form video platforms means that the streaming services' marquee editorial collections don't drive as much listening.
Dada Strain
On Greg Tate and the Critic's Role In Community
By Piotr Orlov
A year after his unexpected passing, the writer/curator/musician/musicker casts an undeniable influence on how to balance critical and creative work. Plus: some great Tate links.
Polyphonic
Why Are Musicians Obsessed with Stones Rolling?
By Mathew Brule
The long and twisting—but not necessarily mossy—history of a phrase.
falling
NPR Music
The 50 Best Albums Of 2022
By Jewly Hight, John Morrison, Tom Huizenga...
We ranked our 50 favorite records of the year, from hip-hop to classical and everything in between.
The Washington Post
A new R. Kelly album hit streaming apps. His lawyer says it's a crime.
By Thomas Floyd
A collection of new songs from R. Kelly that briefly appeared on Spotify and Apple Music on Friday was an "unauthorized" release of stolen music, the incarcerated R&B singer's attorney said.
The Guardian
Pharoah Sanders remembered by Kamasi Washington
By Kamasi Washington
The musician salutes the long career of the fellow saxophonist, the master of spiritual, 'cosmic' jazz who was 'like a third grandfather' to him.
Music Ally
38 key music/tech funding rounds in 2022
By Stuart Dredge
Think of this as a primer on the interesting startups, services and platforms who investors believed had potential and momentum in 2022 – apart from the one that collapsed just months after its nine-digit funding round, which we've included as a cautionary tale.
Pollstar
2022 Year-End Biz Analysis: Record-Setting Year Marked By Bad Bunny, Ed Sheeran & Stadiums
By Andy Gensler
"Drinking from a fire hydrant," the live industry's mantra in 2022, was heard often and invoked constantly for good reason: The tsunami of shows, festivals and live events flooding the market were mostly- but not always-met with voracious demand amidst myriad impediments.
Toronto Star
The music subgenre sadcore finds a new life with a new generation
By Christian Collington
It's been nearly 40 years since Elton John crooned about the importance of sad songs. But for a new generation facing a new suite of traumas, a new musical genre has emerged: sadcore.
The Guardian
Is TikTok killing off the pop music bridge?
By Hannah J. Davies
It's a trend that's been spotted by everyone from Sting to social media users: the bit of a song between the verse and chorus is disappearing. Are short attention times to blame, or is this simply another evolution in songwriting?
Billboard
Five Ways 2022 Pushed Music Royalties Forward
By Glenn Peoples
From rising subscription prices to potential terrestrial radio payouts for artists and labels, the future is looking a little brighter for rights holders.
Los Angeles Times
Janis Gaye was Marvin Gaye's muse — she 'saw my soul,' he said — and so much more
By David Ritz
Author David Ritz reflects on two of his literary subjects: the great soul singer Marvin Gaye and his late wife and inspiration, Janis Gaye.
JazzTimes
A Question of Balance: Racial and Gender Equity in the Jazz Classroom
By Michael J. West
Racial and gender equity issues have become increasingly difficult to ignore in music education--and jazz people increasingly don't want to ignore them.
what we're into
Music of the day
"E2-E4"
Manuel Göttsching
RIP.
Video of the day
"Blue Velvet"
David Lynch
RIP Angelo Badalamenti.
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