GEAR + TECH
Aphex Twin Hid a Secret Clue In His NFT Sale
It seems that Aphex Twin has hidden a secret clue in his recent NFT that went up for sale earlier this month. The legendary electronic music producer dropped his first NFT in early March 2021 alongside longtime collaborator and world-class visual artist Weirdcore, selling it within 24 hours for a whopping $127,000. The winning bidder obtained Twin’s debut NFT, titled afx\/weirdcore\blockscanner, which features the iconic smile depicted on much of his album covers and has become a classic visual during his live performances. Much like the vast majority of his musical releases, the audio accompanying the digital artwork was no less haunting and eerie. Just two weeks later, digital artist and “creative mercenary” Freeka Tet, who also contributed “additional technical input to t...
Ja Rule’s Fyre Festival NFT Fetches $122,000 Bid
In a bizarre reversal of fortune, Ja Rule has monetized his involvement in the infamous Fyre Festival in a way no one could have predicted. The rapper is the latest celebrity to join the NFT craze, and has successfully auctioned off a piece of Fyre Festival history. This particular NFT is of a 48″ x 60″ poster that once hung in the company’s office, and in addition to the digital file of the asset, the winner will also receive the physical version. Like so many other NFTs as of late, this festival poster fetched a jaw-dropping winning bid. An anonymous buyer took home the work for $122,000. The original painting was created by Tripp Derick Barnes, an artist Ja Rule found on Instagram, who was paid around $2,000 for the job. The poster most recently wa...
Calvin Harris Shares Preview of NFT Debut With Never-Before-Heard Music
As the NFT hysteria continues to grip the arts sector, dance music luminary Calvin Harris is the latest to enter the fray. Harris’ debut NFT drop is a joint effort with longtime collaborator and creative partner Emil Nava, who has worked with the Grammy Award-winning artist on a bevy of videos, graphics, and live show visuals. The nature-inspired digital art collection, dubbed “TECHNOFISH,” features five kaleidoscopic videos alongside exclusive, never-before-heard music. Check out a preview of “TECHNOFISH” below. Considering the immense carbon footprint of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, Harris has opted to direct a portion of the funds from sales to organizations working to reduce carbon emissions. “Working with decarbonization advisor Aerial a ...
20 best hiking apps to download in 2021
We take a look at the best hiking apps currently available and which ones best meet your needs be they trip planning, navigation or first aid. Hiking apps never used to feature in my outdoor adventures, but times have changed. Now, every Ordnance Survey map comes with a digital version available to download onto my smartphone or tablet. When planning an adventure in the wild, my preparations still begin with spreading out my paper maps across the floor and marking out possible trailheads, routes and campsites. However, now that I have more consistent access to reliable phone reception and wifi, along with a host of battery packs and solar chargers, I also make use of an array of hiking apps. Best hiking apps Below, I take a look at some of the best apps for hiking available for outdoo...
Elon Musk Isn’t Selling His Techno Song NFT After All
After announcing he’d be selling a new techno song as an NFT, Elon Musk has had a change of heart. Just one week ago, the eccentric billionaire Tesla founder and occasional electronic music producer took to Twitter to announce the NFT drop. The trippy animated digital art was soundtracked by a thumping techno tune, which was thought to be produced by Musk, who famously released a house track called “Don’t Doubt Ur Vibe” back in January 2020. However, Musk went on to reply to his own tweet and pull the plug on the sale. “Actually, doesn’t feel quite right selling this,” Musk wrote, refraining from offering a concrete reason. “Will pass.” Believe it or not, one of the world’s richest individuals has a deep connection to electro...
Calvin Harris, Steve Aoki, More Bid Over $100,000 on Beeple’s Charity NFT
After making headlines for his historic $69 million NFT sale, Beeple is once again drawing immense attention with a new, charitable auction. Seemingly responding to criticism involving the environmental impact of NFTs, eight pieces of art from eight artists, including Beeple, will be sold with 100% of proceeds directed to the Open Earth Foundation. Organizers have also stated that each piece is carbon-negative and promise that carbon offsets will be provided to each artist involved. Naturally, the circumstances surrounding the unique auction have caused many prominent figures in the art and crypto worlds to get involved. Considering the many electronic music crossovers in the NFT realm, two high-profile dance music stars unsurprisingly joined in on the bidding. Both Steve Aoki and Calvin H...
ODESZA and JapaneseDad’s Debut NFT Drop Contains Five Unreleased Tracks
Earlier in the month, ODESZA and their longtime collaborator responsible for the duo’s iconic visuals, JapaneseDad, announced their debut NFT collection. The marketplace they’re being sold on, Nifty Gateway, only makes the product pages available days before the release of the artwork, so fans did not know what to expect other than what was shown in the teasers. Now, since the artwork has been officially released, anyone can go check out what’s for sale. Once you’ve properly processed JapaneseDad’s stunning visuals included in the collection, you can scroll down to the bottom of the page and learn more about the release. After browsing the collection and reading the descriptions, it became known that five of the NFTs contain unreleased music fro...
Kygo Announces His First NFT Release
Earlier in the week, Kygo shared news that he would be joining the now-gargantuan list of dance music producers who’ve released NFTs. Since he simply announced the NFT and gave only its release date, there’s no word on the contents of the collection and whether or not the drop will contain new or unreleased music. Many artists before him have added an exclusive audio element to their drops, so it’s not unreasonable to speculate that Kygo may do the same. On Twitter, the Norwegian producer shared a short teaser video showing some of the visuals from the collection. For those who may not be familiar, NFTs are digital collectibles similar to an in-game item found in a video game. They can be bought, sold, or gifted to others in exchange for real money. There’s cur...
Spotify Launches “Loud & Clear” Initiative Aimed At Increasing Transparency
A new data-driven initiative from Spotify called Loud & Clear aims to provide increased transparency around the economics of streaming. “Questions and concerns about artist income from streaming have been around for over a decade, and in many ways, we feel we’ve been too quiet on the topic,” the streaming site reads. “Our aim with this site is to provide a valuable foundation for a constructive conversation.” The new initiative tackles both the macro- and micro-economic picture, starting first by broadly informing readers on the impact of streaming to the music industry as a whole, and then breaking down the mechanics and stakeholders within Spotify’s business model. In many ways, Loud & Clear reads like a direct rebuttal to music rights holder organiz...
You Can Buy Custom Pokémon Cards of Albums by Skrillex, Flume, Madeon, More
Pokémon cards aren’t quite the generational phenomenon they once were, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Now, each one is a tiny nostalgia machine. After finding himself in need of a new project while under lockdown due to COVID-19, an ingenious Etsy seller decided to tap into the ethos of the 90s and glue it to EDM by producing a series of custom Pokémon cards. Created using holographic foil and recycled cardboard, the cards feature albums from a number of electronic music icons, along with cleverly crafted attack names and descriptions. They also come with an adorable little easel for showcasing. Check out the custom Pokémon cards below, all of which sell for $13 or less. Skrillex As fans continue to wait for Skrillex‘s mythical solo ...
New Google Arts & Culture Exhibit Explores 126 Years of Electronic Music History
A new exhibit from Google and YouTube titled “Music, Makers & Machines,” takes viewers on a walk through the history of electronic music from genesis to present day. Over 50 industry experts, festivals, labels, and power players from the electronic music world were consulted in order to bring the project to fruition. The multimedia endeavor combines photography, video, 360° tours, and augmented interactive objects to create an immersive user experience. The totality of the exhibition aims to cover 126 years of dance music history, highlighting the genre’s icons, landmarks, and watershed moments that took place since the invention of the world’s first electromechanical musical instrument in 1895. One function of the exhibit utilizes Google Street View, putting fa...
Clubhouse and the Music Industry: Tips and Tricks for Utilizing the App to Elevate Your Career
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn’t uncommon to find music industry executives, artists, and other key players in the business hanging out at bars, music venues, and industry conferences. However, with the unprecedented closure of most live entertainment spaces, the industry has been forced to find a new hangout spot. Launched in April 2020, Clubhouse was there to save the day, providing a safe space for professionals to get together and continue their conversations. What is Clubhouse? Clubhouse is a social networking platform that allows users to host and join real-time, audio-only conversations. The app features the communal interaction of social media apps like Instagram and combines it with the informational aspects of digital seminars often found on Zoom. Users can ju...
