GEAR + TECH
Listen to the “Sounds” of Dogecoin With ill-esha’s New Cyberpunk NFT Drop
The world’s most popular meme-based currency, Dogecoin has had an NFT collection made in its honor, backed by sounds derived straight from the cryptocurrency’s charts. Let’s unpack that a bit. It all started when music producer ill-esha considered what it would be like to “hear” the sound of Dogecoin. Though it sounds like an impossible task, she achieved her end goal by effectively transforming the Dogecoin cryptograph into a wavetable that could be processed and interpreted by her virtual synth. ill-esha minted the output of that process into an NFT complete with a cyberpunk-like aesthetic, which is now available on the OpenSea marketplace. She has expanded upon this innovative idea to create a line of similar NFT assets she’s calling “Cryptowave...
Calvin Harris’ Next NFT Drop Will Only Be Available to the Biggest Collectors
Just over a month following their NFT debut, Calvin Harris and longtime creative collaborator Emil Nava are back at it with a unique follow-up. Their new collection “Growth” is said to focus on the themes of evolution, change, and freedom of expression. Harris’ latest NFT drop comes with a twist. Only collectors who currently possess 100 NFTs or more works on the Nifty Gateway platform will be allowed to bid. Considering the average NFT will run an investor hundreds, if not thousands, this minimum will undoubtedly present a high barrier of entry for most. Harris’ offering is an experiment of sorts, as it is the first drop of its kind to implement such a threshold. Calvin Harris and Emil Nava join forces once again on “Growth,” an NFT drop centered ...
UMEK Seeks to Revolutionize the Way Artists are Booked With New NFT Drop
Techno legend UMEK is the mind behind a seminal career that spans well over two decades. From his sensational hit “Lanicor” in 1999 through his most recent release, the thrilling Cryptic Speech EP, UMEK’s storied career is constantly evolving. As artists like Grimes, Steve Aoki, Kygo, and a multitude of others have been pushing things forward in the wild world of NFTs, UMEK has found a way to elevate his entry into cryptocurrency realm. With his new NFTs, UMEK will become the figure behind the world’s first NFT live performance, and is offering even more when the tokens drop on April 29th. In the 24-hour run, UMEK will offer up three one-of-a-kind remixes of “Lanicor,” a livestream performance, and a live gig. In other words, the highest ...
Martin Garrix Joins JBL as Global Brand Ambassador
Martin Garrix has signed on as the newest global brand ambassador for fabled audio equipment brand JBL. The alliance will see Garrix closely collaborate with JBL on a number of events, product launches, and upcoming branded campaigns. According to a press release issued to announce the partnership, JBL has been the EDM superstar’s “audio companion” for years, which Garrix confirmed in a statement. “JBL has been my go-to audio brand for a while, so I’m super excited I can now call myself a global brand ambassador,” he said. “I’m always surrounded by music, so to collaborate with them creatively is an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.” Martin Garrix at Palmesus 2017. Jørund Føreland Pedersen Garrix is the latest to join a high-profile team ...
Immerse Yourself in “Deeper Focus” With Richie Hawtin’s New AI-Powered Mix
Techno music and kaleidoscopic visuals aren’t typically a recipe for success when it comes to dialing into your work for an afternoon. But with their new “Deeper Focus” collaboration, producer Richie Hawtin and technology company Endel are here to change the game. Out this month, “Deeper Focus” is an audiovisual soundscape housed on Endel’s neuroscience-backed iOS application. Engineered to boost productivity and focus, it features minimalistic noir-inspired visuals against a brooding soundtrack of hypnotic techno music. “Deeper Focus” is powered by AI technology, which generates the music in real-time from a library of sounds produced by Hawtin’s Plastikman alias. This unique trait allows users’ listening experie...
Technics Announces New SL-1200MK7-S Turntable Model
In 2019, esteemed turntable brand Technics released its SL-1200MK7 model direct drive turntable. It quickly became the most sought after turntable for DJs and turntablists the world over, solidifying Technics’ status as the industry standard choice for top quality gear. And now, the SL-1200MK7 comes in silver. Technics unveiled the SL-1200MK7-S this week, boasting a sleek silver finish on the already beautiful direct drive turntable. Technics’ new SL-1200MK7-S model. Technics The reveal came after inquiries from professional DJs and industry figures seeking to add even more flair to their equipment. With the SL-1200MK7-S, Technic builds on the decades old legacy of the SL-1200 series dating back to the original model in 1972, and even further cements it...
Listen to Previews of deadmau5 and REZZ’s First-Ever Collab via Trippy New NFT Collection
With the tantalizing release of deadmau5 and REZZ‘s first-ever collaborative song looming, fans can get an early taste of “Hypnocurrency” via the duo’s new NFT collection of the same name. The audiovisual NFT drop contains snippets of the track, which is scheduled to release this Friday, April 23rd via mau5trap. The audio clips are paired with four custom digital artworks, each of which were designed by deadmau5. The drop contains three open editions, but the unquestioned crown jewel of the collection is a rare 1-of-1 piece. The current high bid is $5,000, but that number will skyrocket before the bidding period ends at 5PM PT (8PM ET) tomorrow, April 21st. deadmau5 and REZZ unveiled their “Hypnocurrency” NFT drop on the MakersPl...
Soundtracked by Electronic Music, Paris Hilton’s Debut NFT Collection Sold for Over $1.1 Million
If you thought the NFT hype was starting to lose steam, think again. Paris Hilton‘s NFT debut couldn’t have gone smoother after her “Planet Paris” collection hauled in a whopping nine-figure bid on the marquee offering. Collaborating with visual artist Blake Kathryn, Hilton brought three pieces to market, each soundtracked by dreamy, uplifting EDM soundscapes and rooted in a pink utopian dreamland. Hilton explained that the theme of the drop is all about female energy and empowerment, and she praised Blake for immediately understanding her vision for the project. “Blake instantly understood my aesthetic and it was everything that I loved,” Hilton said. “Feminine, ethereal, soft, yet powerful, and beautiful.” Preview of Paris Hilton...
David Guetta Announces “United At Home” NFT Drop for Charity
One year ago, dance music icon David Guetta performed his first United At Home livestream DJ set for charity in Miami. As the COVID-19 pandemic began to run rampant through cities around the globe, Guetta was able to raise $700,000 for relief efforts provided by multiple organizations before continuing the series in cities like Paris and Dubai. Now, Guetta has announced that he is dropping an NFT (or non-fungible token) to commemorate the iconic Miami stream. The official United At Home webpage has been updated with an announcement that Guetta’s forthcoming NFT will directly benefit UNICEF and Feeding America, two charities that the esteemed producer and DJ has been working with for quite some time. David Guetta raised $700,000 for charity during his inaugural “...
You Can Listen to Music in 3D With This First-of-Its-Kind Technology
Rebeleon Entertainment is revolutionizing the way we listen to music by introducing a new 3D audio format that can be experienced using any kind of headphones or earbuds. Rebeleon is run by 18-time Grammy-winning producer Sebastian Krys, who has teamed up with Immersion Networks to power the innovative progression in audio. Immersion is headquartered in Redmond, Washington and was founded in 2014 by Paul Hubert and James Johnston, the inventor of the MP3 and AAC codecs. “Immersion is dedicated to making the world a better sounding place,” said Hubert in a press release. “We are grateful to have found such enthusiastic and talented partners for our debut releases. We are honored to work with Sebastian and the team at Rebeleon on our mission to bring the future of audio to eve...
deadmau5 and Richie Hawtin Launch PIXELYNX to Bridge the Gap Between Gaming, Digital Collectibles and Virtual Worlds
PIXELYNX is the latest creation from legendary electronic music artists deadmau5 and Richie Hawtin. Their aim with the new venture is to bring three of the most profitable and enthusiastic sectors of entertainment today together: digital collectibles, gaming, and virtual worlds. The company has been in the making over the past six months, and deadmau5, Hawtin, Ben Turner, Dean Wilson, and Inder Phull have used their extensive network of music professionals to digitize their brands into a collectible range of items in games and virtual worlds. PIXELYNX’s founders describe its function as the “portal into the metaverse.” Additionally, this is used to decentralize and automate the entertainment industry. “We are on the edge of an exciting transition in entertainment where the lines ...
Subtronics, Boogie T, and Dirt Monkey Announce 4/20 NFT Drop Featuring Nine Unreleased Tracks
Subtronics, Boogie T, and Dirt Monkey will be celebrating a fan-favorite unofficial holiday in a unique way this year. On Tuesday, each artist will be releasing a trio of unreleased tracks in the form of a 4/20 NFT drop on the Bitski marketplace. They will all be joint efforts with each of their longtime visual artist collaborators. Subtronics will be teamed up with Aaron Brooks, Boogie T is partnered with Kooz, and Dirt Monkey will be provided visuals from INCEDIGRIS. On their respective Twitter accounts, each artist shared a pair of images announcing each of their collaborative NFTs. While the tweets do contain pieces of visual art, it’s not yet clear what the final products will look and sound like. Subtronics, Boogie T, and Dirt Monkey’s 4/20 NFT ...
