In the Studio with Cult of LunaThe Band: Cult of LunaThe Members: Johannes Persson, vocals, guitars; Fredrik Kihlberg, vocals, guitars; Kristian Karlsson, synthesizers, keys; Andreas Johansson, bass; Thomas Hedlund, drums and percussion.Produced by: Cult of LunaCo-produced by: Daniel BerglundMixed by: Magnus LindbergAdditional Engineering by: Magnus Lindberg, Daniel Berglund, Kristian Karlsson, and Johannes PerssonMastered by: Ted JensenThe Origin: Creating cataclysmic windthrows of auditory fury that scour the psyche with a leveling effect, Cult of Luna carve out vast sonic spaces to reveal their more intricate, fine-tuned tones — the ones that deftly crystallize, crash, crush, and cascade all around in panoramic surround sound. This immersive universe, along with a short-to-long-form songwriting style featuring themes that pivot from grand literary frameworks to the internal strife of the psyche, has allowed the Swedish collective to remain prodigious sentinels of the harshly atmospheric worlds of cinematic heavy metal.

While Cult of Luna have built their monumental legacy by forming ambitious conceptual narratives —only to instinctively dismantle their hallowing soundscapes from within — their music consistently blasts past the limits of consciousness and shears the subconscious. Whether the band is drifting alongside the spiritual limbo of Salvation, navigating the industrial dystopia of Vertikal, striding through the heavy psychological isolation of A Dawn to Fear, or ultimately crossing the turbulent internal currents of The Raging River EP, their catalog of cavernous sounds remains unmoored. Every soundscape they inhabit invites listeners, whether isolated in self-induced solitude or swept up in the cathartic chaos of the pit, to become vital co-creators, fully immersing themselves within the music to interpret these colossal sagas.Cult of Luna achieve this through a dialectical methodology. Their music is inherently calculated yet purely innate — a monolith of sonics formed by a series of striking creative dichotomies. They counterbalance devastatingly dark, guttural vocals with melancholic melodic musings. Massive, low-end rhythm guitars chord and combine with otherworldly, reverberating leads. These elements connect through a deep, churning, distorted bass that locks alongside punishingly powerful drums presented with a furiously emotive cadence.Now, after over twenty-five years of carving out this massive legacy, the Swedish post-metal pioneers continue to gather immense momentum as master storytellers of the heavy music underground. Shifting away from the road back to the realities of daily life, and returning at last to the tracking rooms — marking a four-year hiatus since The Long Road North — Cult of Luna have reemerged with their latest album In the Shadow of Your Shadow, where they conjure up haunting new psychological soundscapes that lure listeners to contemplate everything ranging from what could have been to what is yet to be through a lens of dark melancholy.The Production: To evade stagnation, Cult of Luna walked into a snow-blindingly bright void, embracing a creative whiteout. Within this disorienting sensation, they stripped away decades of accumulated creativity to uncover the beauty and brutality of pursuing new artistic endeavors without relying on legacy. Frontman Johannes Persson explains:

“The last two albums and EP I kind of view as a constant creative area where we never stopped writing. But this time I was adamant that we wrote everything from scratch. No recycled riffs, no leftover ideas from the last record, no master plan. We just wrote blindly. As a band, this album, we wanted to start from scratch.”

Choosing to stare out into the glare set behind a vast creative horizon was, in a way, an act of self-sabotage for Cult of Luna. Because everyone in the musical maelstrom is heavily involved in the writing process — from the rhythms to the melodies and lyrics — their archive is always overflowing with a massive accumulation of high-caliber, untouched ideas. The easiest path would have been to simply raid that grand, towering drift of riffs and sonic snippets, but they decided to let their intuition guide them through the blinding uncertainty instead.

“It can be challenging with all of this nothingness,” Persson reflects, “but there's something rewarding about the feeling that you know you're not taking the easier route. We wanted to try something different this time, to try to work from the beginning, and figure it out. Lyrically as well, everything brand new.”

Years ago, when they were younger and writing their breakthrough third record, Salvation, a blank canvas was a natural byproduct of youth. Moreover, when they convened to write its landmark follow-up, Somewhere Along the Highway, Cult of Luna had perfected the art of hashing out songs in the studio as one. In their early days, a blank slate was unburdened by the heaviness of holding a massive discography and highly regarded past expectations. However, recapturing that spontaneous, nascent chemistry required navigating a much more fragmented reality today.

“When we wrote like Somewhere Along the Highway, we wrote that in like three months, really fast," Persson reflects. "We put our ideas all together in the studio. And that's the way I wanted it to work this time around as well, really, everything from scratch… but as you have already noticed, we have different lives now, different responsibilities, which means that we need to be very effective... which means that we work a lot on our own different ends."In short, this meant working from different geographic locations much of the time. Tracking their newfound soundscapes asynchronously across various studio spaces and timelines proved to be incredibly grueling. Adulthood introduces a cruel trade-off in the modern era—where the freedom to work from anywhere ultimately splinters a band’s creative spirit, clashing directly with the desire to feel at one within the sonic warmth of a studio.Yet, despite this severance, Cult of Luna's snowblind-stylized ideology began to crystallize. Even while physically isolated from one another, sparks of sonic light began to strike, and outlines of sound emerged from the haze. Persson explains the process:

“The ironic thing is that I don't think there has been an album where the songwriters in the band have worked so close together. But close together in the sense of sending ideas back and forth, which is a very stale way of writing. When you do a real collaboration, you might have two different ideas, A or B, you try out different ideas, and you realize you might end up with idea C. This time, there were very few times when we were more than two people in the studio, which is not ideal, but it worked.”

Another sonic sweet spot throughout the recording process was the tracking of the drums and percussion.

“Drums—that is all Thomas; he is an expert,” Persson emphasizes. “Thomas mapped out everything, and he handled all the drumming, the grooves and percussion. He had that down; he alone knew exactly what he wanted. He, along with Daniel came up with a lot of great ideas together. So, they basically made some kind of collaboration there. I think that's very obvious how that has impacted why this album actually sounds... not terrible. Thanks to them.”

They also found an unexpected beauty in the sonic blind spots that were revealed working with the album’s guest vocalists — Joe Duplantier of Gojira and David Eugene Edwards of Wovenhand and 16 Horsepower. To ensure their unique vocal stylings shone through, Persson realized he had to break his ‘from scratch’ ideology for this round. He explains:

“One thing I hate when I’m asked to do collaborative stuff is when people say, 'Do whatever you want on this.' I think, ‘give me something,’ otherwise you can get trapped in all the possibilities,” Persson notes. “Sitting with David and Joe, we said, 'Maybe you can make a contribution here in this way, but with that said, you do whatever you want. It was a ‘start off here and see where your heart exists.'”

The responses were staggering. Duplantier returned with a caustic roar for “Sadness Will Reign,” while Edwards delivered a sweeping dose of gothic folklore in the epic “One More Day.” Persson recalls his awe at the additions:

“Joe came back with something so fitting, his distinct voice and character stood out while David came back with something he’d written… two pages of lyrics and he pretty much stole the whole song.” Persson continues, “I say that in the most grateful way possible. I was so floored when I heard that the first time. I remember telling the guys, 'Look, I'm not going to say anything, just listen.' David really did a number on that one. Very few voices can give wings to the subject matter of that song, and he just nailed it. I'm very grateful... I think that's one of the proudest moments in my career.”Looking back at the completed record, In the Shadow of Your Shadow, and hearing how all of these vocal additions finally coalesced, Persson arrived at a deeper realization: their wind-drift whiteout illuminated scintillating scotomas — proving that their dark sonic magic is inherent. Despite the mechanical, disconnected reality of building tracks from scratch from afar, intuition triumphed and what emerged was something beautiful, lived."When I write lyrics—and I know this is for Fredrik as well — the grand idea of something is very, very thought out," Persson explains. "But when it comes down to the actual doing, it's a lot of just working from the heart, whatever... just instinctively doing what we feel is good. It's just the instinct, I guess."

He continues: “Now that I have stepped back and looked at the finished product, I realize it does have a theme after all. I was in such a heavy, intense headspace when I wrote it that my immediate emotional atmosphere naturally bled into every single track, binding them all together anyway. I know it's going to sound paradoxical, because I put so much thought and so much time into everything I do, but sometimes ideas really occur out of instinct. I don't overthink things in that exact moment. It just happens.”

While instinct ultimately triumphed to create sonics that are dark, beautiful, and lived, the mechanical, screen-to-screen file sharing left a lingering scar. It proved that for Cult of Luna, human presence is sacred. Persson loves the final result, but the grueling journey, not so much.

“Since we've been doing this for so many years, so much has happened—it is another time capsule for us, 100%,” Persson reflects. “One of the coolest things that I do appreciate is the way we started to record and do more... to forget about doing everything perfectly and try to focus on capturing a moment instead. So the way we wrote this, while the result is amazing, the way we recorded this will never happen again. It sucked, really. Next time we hit the studio, we will hang out and get drunk and watch documentaries together and have a good time, as we have done in the past.”

Photo credit: Chad Michael Ward.The post In the Studio with Cult of Luna first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Billboard changes ‘free’ vs. paid streaming formula on charts – and YouTube is bringing its data back.Billboard announced the change on Monday (November 9), and YouTube confirmed its return later the same day.
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New Music Critique of Dream PhasesContact: dreamphases@gmail.comWeb: dreamphases.comSeeking: Film/TVStyle: Psychedelic Rock

Making groovy psych-hued rock with an ethereal flair, Dream Phases is aptly named. The group’s gentle jangle and harmonic focus make for a chill treat on repeat, especially their latest, “Little Blue Magnolia,” written as a tribute to band members Brandon Graham and Jeanna’s Fornier’s young son.

The carefree themes and nostalgic nods recall classic West Coast hippie-pop—think The Beach Boys and Mamas and the Papas—only with a modern alt-pop feel that’s hipster-appropriate as well, as their set at L.A.’s Echo Park Rising festival made clear for happy crowds this past summer.

The post New Music Critique of Dream Phases first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

The 10 Artists Who Were Never Comfortable Staying in One GenreFrom David Bowie to Taylor Swift, these 10 artists refused to stick to one genre, constantly reinventing their sound in ways that surprised fans.

SONA Awards Return to the Skirball Cultural CenterReturning to the Skirball Cultural Center for their sixth annual celebration, the Songwriters of North America (SONA) honored six prominent music advocates at their fundraiser gala, including Annie Lennox (Artist-Songwriter Icon Award), Desmond Child (Songwriter Warrior Award), Tom Morello (Freedom of Expression Award) , Kobalt Music CEO Laurent Hubert (Executive of the Year Award), KPop Demon Hunters (Global Impact Award) and Chris Redding (Emerging Songwriter Award).

We spoke with Lisa Loeb on the red carpet. “I love that songwriters came together to support songwriters and to make a difference, not just in what they want, but actually through legislation,” she said. “That's huge. That's such an evolution from where songwriters were years ago, where they were put off to the side as artsy people. They are artsy and magical people, but they're also smart people who want to look out for their own.”

Hosted by Bonnie McKee and Shane Stevens, the evening included plenty of surprises, including a video compilation from colleagues and team members thanking Kobalt Music CEO Laurent Hubert for his tireless work supporting songwriters and composers, before Hubert took the stage to humbly accept the honor and express his immense gratitude for being able to work in an industry he loves.

Shirley Manson presented Artist Songwriter Icon to Annie Lennox at the Songwriters of North America (SONA) Awards at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, CA, on October 29, 2026.

Artist-songwriter Sarah Nagourney (Glassbeat Music, She Creates Noise Podcast) says she feels that SONA isthe closest thing to a songwriters’ union that exists. “Songwriters are downtrodden, they're not making any money,” she says. “It's really important to have an organization like this. You can't promote music if you don't have a song. The DSPs [are] taking more money away, digital cell providers…right now, there's a big fight going on. It's outrageous, and SONA has been in there fighting for us to make a living.”

Street artist and social activist Shepard Fairey presented Tom Morello (Rage Against th Machine) with the Freedom of Expression Award, which Morello aceepted with an impassioned speech about his challenging start in music, and his ongoing commitment to always speak his mind and create art that he believes in.

Paul Stanley (KISS) took a surprise spot on the stage alongside Swedish music producer-songwriter Andreas Carlsson in a tribute to celebrate multiple award-winning and Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame co-founder Desmond Child (whose career catapulted after penning “I Was Made For Loving You” for KISS in 1979), sharing how they first met after Stanley saw Desmond Child and Rouge performing in New York, and bonded over their love of Laura Nyro, and other greats of the time.

Shirley Manson (Scottish singer-songwriter, lead vocalist of Garbage) delivered a fervent introduction before honoring artist-activist Annie Lennox with the SONA Artist-Songwriter Icon Award. With Manson referring lovingly to Lennox as her ‘Freya – the Celtic goddess of love and magic,’ Lennox took the stage, and reminded the room that “human beings cannot be replaced.”

Other presenters included Susanna Hoffs, Paul Williams (2015 Honoree), Ross Golan, Justin Tranter, KIDDO, Kay Hanley, Dina LaPolt, Daniel Wall, and Toby Lightman.

Says singer-songwriter (and founder of Austin Texas Musicians) Nakia, “I’m most excited about celebrating Desmond Child and Annie Lennox, two of my songwriting heroes, both of whom have not just written incredible hit songs but have used their platforms for advocacy, speaking out, and living their own truth authentically. To see them celebrated and honored in this way by our organization I think is exactly right for them and young songwriters coming up in a time where everybody's focused on hits, which is great, but you also have to find the soul in the music. Those two know what the soul of the music is, how to be themselves authentically and tell those stories and songs that sometimes aren't really being told like that anymore.”

SONA Advisory Board member and co-chair of SONA’s Education Committee, Jai Yoko says the best part of SONA is seeing the work happen in real time. “Being in some of these meetings, hearing what we want to do, and then seeing these things…I love seeing the action of the advocacy actually happening.”

(L-R) Shepard Fairey and Tom Morello attend the 2026 SONA Awards at Skirball Cultural Center on October 29, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. The Songwriters of North America (SONA) Awards support a unified voice protecting expression, compensation, and the rights of Songwriters and Composers worldwide. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for the Songwriters of North America (SONA))

Attendees were treated to performances by Susanna Hoffs (“Eternal Flame” alongside Rusty Anderson and Rick Nowels for a memorial tribute to songwriters lost this year), Leo Dante (Aerosmith’s “What It Takes” to honor Desmond Child), and an end-of-evening surprise that included Annie Lennox, Susanna Hoffs, and Leo Dante performing together for a rendition of the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” which closed the night with the room on its feet singing along.

Shared Desmond Child, “The most important work that SONA is doing is reminding the world that songwriters' rights are human rights. They're our rights, and we all need to protect them.”

Established in 2015 by founders Michelle Lewis, Kay Hanley and Dina LaPolt, the Songwriters of North America (SONA) is a membership-based advocacy organization leading the charge for songwriter and composer advocacy, including fair pay reform and overall rights for music creators. Providing education, opportunity, and strategy, SONA continues to work tirelessly to represent an inclusive and diverse community of passionate industry professionals with a collective voice defending the Songwriter community at government and industry levels. Concluding SONA’s yearly Awards Week, the annual Awards benefit gala presents an opportunity to pay tribute to the artists and industry professionals who continue to uplift and advocate for songwriters, composers, and their work.

For more information or to become a member, please visit wearesona.com.

Photo credit: Phillip Faraone, Getty Images for SONAThe post SONA Awards Return to the Skirball Cultural Center first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Live Nation generated $10.1B in Q3, up 19% YoY – as international markets overtook the US in fan attendance this yearThat's according to Live Nation's latest quarterly results, published on Thursday (November 5).
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ASCAP PARTNERS WITH PROJECT HEALTHY MINDSNews broke on Thursday that the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) has announced a "major expansion of its industry-leading Wellness Program, launched in 2019, with a new mental health member benefit in collaboration with Project Healthy Minds, the leading mental health tech nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to mental health services across the United States. The initiative provides ASCAP songwriter, composer and music publisher members with confidential access to a comprehensive ecosystem of mental health services, therapy options and wellness tools to support creators at every stage of their careers."

According to a statement, "Project Healthy Minds developed an intuitive discovery platform that connects individuals with a diverse range of mental health services. Through this new, first-of-its-kind PRO partnership, ASCAP members will have curated access to the platform and can privately connect with mental health service providers."

“You cannot protect the music without protecting music creators. Songwriters and composers pour their souls into their craft, but finding quality, affordable support is often an uphill battle," Nick Lehman, ASCAP EVP, Chief Strategy & Digital Officer, told MC. "Our partnership with Project Healthy Minds closes that gap - delivering direct, trusted, and clinically vetted support to our members on their own terms.”

Services will include, Therapy and psychiatry; Peer-led and expert-moderated support groups; and Self-care apps and digital tools.

"The announcement coincides with the jump.global Summit in Los Angeles, where Grammy-winning artist and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Cheryl 'Salt' James of multi-platinum hip-hop trio Salt-N-Pepa and Billboard #1 Protest Songwriter and Elle UK's woman of hope, MILCK, aka Connie K Lim, will take the stage alongside Lehman on Tuesday, November 10, for The Empathy Bridge: A Creator-to-Executive Conversation. In the session, Lehman and these two ASCAP members will explore ways for the music business to foster deeper empathy, bridge the divide between the creative and commercial sides of music, and prioritize creator well-being," the statement continues.

“Creativity thrives when creators are supported - in mind, body, and spirit,” said Lehman. “Music creators put their everything into the music we love, yet trying to find quality, affordable support shouldn’t feel like everything is stacked against them in an opaque healthcare system. By teaming up with Project Healthy Minds, we are delivering direct access to vetted care - removing friction so our members get meaningful support, whenever and however they need it.”

“Songwriters have helped millions of people feel less alone, and this partnership makes sure they have that same support in return. We are thrilled to give ASCAP’s members a simple way to find care, whether that’s a therapist, a support group or a tool they can use on the road,” said Phillip Schermer, Founder and CEO of Project Healthy Minds.

Visit ascap.com/wellness for more info.

The post ASCAP PARTNERS WITH PROJECT HEALTHY MINDS first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Machines: A History of Electronic Music By Jean-Michel Jarre(hardcover) $65

Alongside Kraftwerk, French artist Jean-Michel Jarre is considered one of the key pioneers of electronic music. There were others of course, but those two had the biggest impact early on. His 1976 album Oxygène is a masterpiece, and he’s well known for creating instruments (laser harps and the like) when the toys he wanted didn’t exist in the stores.

So few people are better placed to pen a history of electronic music. “Jarre charts the creative and technological breakthroughs that transformed modern music—from tape manipulation and analogue synthesis to the digital revolution," a statement reads.

Importantly, he gets into the weeds without getting tangled.

The post Machines: A History of Electronic Music By Jean-Michel Jarre first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Musixmatch and DistroKid renew lyrics distribution partnership under multi-year dealInsight Partners, a longtime DistroKid backer, is set to retain a "significant minority stake" in the company, according to the July announcement.
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Born 67 Years Ago Today, The Rock Star Who Delivered One of the 1980s' Biggest AlbumsBryan Adams had no idea just how big Reckless would become. Go behind the scenes of the 1984 album and discover how some of his biggest hits came to life.

And Now, Two Bits From Geza XBIT ONE: Dub Russell and his INSANE BEAT MACHINE

Picture the console of a spaceship that jumps between dimensions. That’s 2020, a semi-modular beat machine that ditches the timeline for a single window where you manipulate, randomize, wire and perform beats in real time. Its website describes it as a German DAW, a Swedish hardware groove box and a cable-tangled modular synth torn apart and fused into one. Four probability-driven grid sequencers, a sample slicer, loopers, a dozen samplers, a kick synth and two FM synths feed 14 patchable effects, including granulators, bitcrusher, glitch and repeater, with freely configurable routing. Then comes “Dejavu,” which turns every parameter randomizer into a generative sequencer that recalls its own past values. Millions of patterns, and it still surprises. Map it to MIDI, OSC or keyboard shortcuts, sync it through Ableton Link, and let it run. 

A Beat Machine That Thinks for Itself

Yotaro Shuto, who performs as DUB-Russell, started DJing at 15, inspired by the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, then moved to breakbeats on an MPC. He has no formal training in code. He taught himself Max, then C, then C++, all for the love of sound.

The idea behind 2020 was there from the start, back when Shuto first opened Max (ableton.com/en/live/max-for-live/): a beat machine that could semi-autonomously evolve its own patterns. For years he refined it for his own live shows, then decided to pull all of it together into one standalone application.

The crowd agreed. When 2020 hit Kickstarter, it reached 670 percent of its funding goal. “It was much more successful than I expected,” he says. (This was where I first discovered 2020 and I’ve been a fan ever since.)

The hard part came after. The first version lived in Max, and Shuto kept supplying it to his backers for a long time. But staying in Max would make stability and new features ever harder, so he rewrote the whole thing from scratch in JUCE, a C++ framework. “That was really, really hard. I underestimated how difficult it would be,” he admits, recalling how new problems forced him to start over “again and again.” His verdict: “I never want to go through that again. Haha.”

The payoff is a semi-modular environment with enormous routing freedom. The interface looks complicated, but it is built for live improvisation onstage. Shuto’s DJ experience shaped it, and the design pairs open routing with several ways of “taming randomness and making it musically useful.” The result surprises even its creator. “Even I, as the developer, can sometimes create beats that surprise me.” (Editors note: That is the understatement of the century!)

He keeps it moving on his own. Nearly every feature gets reworked and improved regularly, and he does it all alone. He’s also 2020’s “biggest and most obsessive user,” so he enjoys the work. Sometimes he links multiple computers running the app to one another or uses multiple screens and projectors.

Glitch With a Tribal Pulse

Shuto’s own music is where the machine’s personality shows. He describes his approach as using noise and Japanese glitch techniques “while aiming for something that feels more like tribal music.” On paper that clashes with software that looks IDM-oriented, and he knows it. What he’s chasing is “a much more raw and organic groove.” Add to that the sophisticated and surprising self-evolving elements created inside 2020, and you have a whole new form of magic! 

Intelligent Dance Music (IDM) is an experimental genre of electronic music from the early 1990s characterized by individualistic studio experimentation rather than fixed dancefloor conventions. Key artists include Aphex Twin and Autechre.

Is he more programmer or DJ? “Both. I really enjoy doing both.”

What’s Next

Shuto says he finally has a clear path to the features he originally imagined for 2020. After that comes a Windows version, and he says there is plenty left to explore.

Get 2020: Available now on the Apple Store. More at 2020.dubrussell.com.

BIT TWO, WHY VINYL?  

Files And Artwork

Last time I promised to walk you through the obstacle course of vinyl production. Fasten your seat belt, it’s a trip. Let’s start at the first hurdle, the one that trips up almost everybody: the files you hand the plant.

Your audio is a size problem, not just a mixing problem. 

Vinyl is a physical format, and a groove can only hold so much. For a 12-inch LP, the commonly recommended maximum is about 22 minutes per side, and 18 to 20 is safer for loud or bass-heavy material. The more minutes you cram onto a side, the quieter and thinner it has to sound. The loudest record I can think of is Daft Punk’s Around The World, which is notorious for skipping on some record players. That’s what hot BASS is all about.

Heavy low end that’s wide in stereo, harsh sibilance and hot, overloaded peaks can all cause trouble when a lathe cuts them into a groove, and that can mean skipping or distortion on the finished record. A mastering engineer who cuts for vinyl knows how to tame them. Mastering for streaming and mastering for vinyl are NOT the same job. Abandon all hope when ye enter here. For the record (pun intended) a dynamic range of 12db is recommended and its best to minimize everything below 30 hz and above 12k.

Then check the plant’s spec sheet, because it is never the same twice. Every plant publishes its own requirements for audio format, track labeling and side breaks. You will want to provide a “cut sheet” listing track titles, the order, the gaps, length of each track and total per side.

Artwork is where deadlines go to die. Your jacket and label art must be built on the plant’s own templates, not a generic one from the internet. Expect requirements on resolution, color mode, bleed and safe zones. Don’t be surprised if the plant sends your art back a number of times if it’s the wrong format, created in the wrong art app, doesn’t fit the template right…I mean it can be daunting to say the least. Using an artist who is familiar with print specs is recommended.

Before you send anything:

• Check each file against the current spec sheet, not an old email. Requirements change frequently.

• Listen to your master on more than one system. Make SURE it isn’t over compressed.

• Have someone else proof spelling, track order and credits. A typo on a printed jacket lasts forever.

• ALWAYS get a test pressing. If you’re short of cash or in a hurry, a “digital test pressing” is ok since it’s made from an actual pressed disc.

Or hand the project to someone who jumps through these hoops for a living. This is exactly why I do what I do. A professional vinyl broker and project manager knows each plant’s quirks, catches problems before they become rejected orders and missed release dates, and gives you one honest, all-in price. You stay focused on the music while someone else keeps the process on track.

Next time, we’ll look at what happens once the files are accepted. That’s when the real fun begins.

Geza X has legendary status as an independent producer and proponent of the DIY recording scene. He can be reached at gezaxrecords.com.

The post And Now, Two Bits From Geza X first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Harry Styles residency boosts MSG Entertainment as revenues rise 37% to $217M in calendar Q3Plus: what MSG Entertainment’s CFO said on the earnings call about bookings, residencies, and demand
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Xikers Opens New Chapter with ROUTE ZERO : The CALLINGSince debuting in 2023, 10-member K-pop group xikers has made its mark with an adventurous sound that moves from EDM and hip-hop to rock and horror-inspired lore. That spirit of experimentation carries onto the stage. At 82WORLD: LA, the group won over the crowd with tightly synchronized, high-energy choreography, even slipping Adéla’s viral dance of "Ain't in LA" into a performance of “Breathe.” The group continues to pursue and challenge their fresh artistic vision with each musical release.

The group’s name blends “x,” a variable representing unknown coordinates, with “hikers,” capturing the members’ journey through infinite time and space. Since signing with KQ Entertainment—the label behind powerhouse group ATEEZ—Minjae, Junmin, Sumin, Jinsik, Hyunwoo, Junghoon, Seeun, Yujun, Hunter, and Yechan have continued to chart their own course. Their eighth mini-album, ROUTE ZERO : The CALLING, opens a new chapter for xikers with several members contributing to its production. Ahead of their 82WORLD performance, xikers spoke with Music Connection about bringing fan favorites to the stage and the making of ROUTE ZERO : The CALLING.

Since we're at 82WORLD: LA today, how would you describe a performance from xikers?

Sumin: it's legit, cool, and hot. And we prepared a lot of songs and also some bangers in there, so look forward to it.

Is there a song you guys like to perform?

Seeun: "Do or DIE" is my favorite song to perform in front of Road𝓨 because it’s a really exciting songs and many Road𝓨 like it.Jinsik: "XIKEY," it’s power is insane.

Do you have any rituals or routines before going on stage?

Yujun: My routine before going on stage is to eat a good, hearty meal—I make sure to fill up so that my energy doesn’t drop while I’m performing.Yechan: Heading onto the stage, I usually run through the songs I’m performing that day in my mind. I also make sure to warm up my voice thoroughly, and—since I’m getting older and my physical well-being has become increasingly important—I take care to warm up my body as well, just to avoid any injuries.

Is there a song that's the hardest to perform live?

Junghoon: "XIKEY," the one Jinsik mentioned earlier, might be a bit difficult to pull off because the performance is so intense, it’s been challenging to execute it live.

You guys are always touring, always on the go, and do some intense choreographies as well. How do you make sure your vocals and your bodies are in tip-top shape

Hyunwoo: Whenever I travel to countries with a significant time difference, I tend to have a lot of trouble getting to sleep. So, I make sure to catch some sleep whenever I can—even if it’s just in short bursts—and I always wear a mask when I sleep.Sumin: I drink some ginger tea and also eat lots of carbs and proteins, and workout everyday.

If you could select one song from your whole catalog to recommend to someone, which song would it be?

Junmin: I think "XIKEY" is the most impressive performance of ours, so I’d recommend that one. It’s a track that’s bursting with high energy from start to finish—I think it’s the kind of song that can really recharge the energy of anyone watching, which is why I’d like to recommend it.

As a group, how do you encourage each other during busy schedules or moments when things become challenging?

Seeun: Well, whenever the other members seem to be struggling or not feeling their best, I go over to offer words of encouragement and support, share some praise, and even give them a hug—I think I help boost their morale that way.

Your comeback is on November 2nd. Can you tell me a little bit about ROUTE ZERO: The CALLING?

Minjae: The title song is "DIENAMITE," and is made by ourselves, all of us. We put a lot of effort into some new and fun ideas in the whole album, this is going to be the opening of a new chapter by xikers, so please look forward to our 8th EP.

How is this project different from the first one of the series, ROUTE ZERO : The ORA?

Minjae: As an album, we do not try to make a lot of differences, we try to maintain that vibe and mood of our previous albums. Like I said before, we try to put more of our ideas and our sound just by ourselves. The main title track was made by us, there's no credit with other producers and other engineers.

Were there any challenges since you were working on the song by yourselves?

Hunter: The challenges were definitely the choreography because for this time, it's a choreography that uses kind of like angles that we've never used before, like Michael Jackson angles and stuff like that. And so we had to really watch a lot of Michael's performances and try to capture the essence of his gestures and like his little “ah” vibe that he gives when he dances. So that was quite a challenge for us.

Looking back as a time as a group, what's the coolest thing the group has accomplished so far?

Xikers (in unison): Billboard charts.MC: Anything else?Jinsik: Since the time spent preparing for my debut was quite long, I think the very fact that I finally debuted is, perhaps, my greatest achievement.

Since you mentioned your debut, what's one thing that you've learned?

Jinsik: I’d say that before I debuted—or rather, before I even became a trainee—I mostly did things on my own. But since becoming a trainee, I’ve ended up doing a lot of things together with others, so I think my teamwork skills and my ability to navigate social environments have really improved.

Any fun activities or hobbies that any of you guys have gotten into?

Hyunwoo: To start off, I’m a huge fan of soccer—and sports in general. Whenever I can, I go to watch matches in person, though most of the time I watch them on screen. I also mostly play soccer-themed video games.Seeun: I like baseball, so I like playing baseball with Hyunwoo.Yujun: I collect Pokémon cards.

Xikers' 8th mini-album ROUTE ZERO : The CALLING is available now on all global digital streaming platforms, with its US physical release set for November 6 

The post Xikers Opens New Chapter with ROUTE ZERO : The CALLING first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

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