The indomitable Jonna Lee: Building the audiovisual dream of iamamiwhoamiWhen Jonna Lee was young, no one believed she could fulfil her dream of becoming an artist.

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“That was the one thing I didn’t have growing up. Someone to say ‘You can do whatever you want’. It was always ‘You can’t do that. That’s not possible. You can’t work in music. Stop singing,’” Lee says to MusicTech from her home in Sweden. “I was isolated from all kinds of dreams about being an artist.”
That isolation just further inspired Lee to reach her goals, solo. She’s now not just an artist, but her dream has come to fruition in an incomparable fashion as the audiovisual project iamamiwhoami, a project she sees as limitless:
“Everything is possible because I have all the tools to create whatever I want,” Lee says.
Lee standing on a piano stool
Lee describes iamamiwhoami as a “multimedia entity,” and every song ever released through it – including the 38 songs across four studio albums – is linked to a video that lives on YouTube for free.
Together, these videos create one continuous narrative, which has spanned the entire history of the project; starting with its launch in December 2009, running through to her latest album, 2022’s Be Here Soon, and she is currently working on her new album as well.
Over the past 13 years, Lee as the main character in this story has explored numerous lush environments near her native Sweden, built simple but effective set pieces out of materials like cardboard boxes and toilet paper, dreaming up a cast of peculiar characters (such as giant wolves) that represent different aspects of her vision and personality.
To maintain complete control over such an in-depth and layered narrative, Lee takes the lead on everything. That means anything on the artistic side and the logistical side, through her label To Whom It May Concern (TWIMC).
Still of Lee from the ‘Changes’ music video
“I do songwriting, music production, directing, some mixing and mastering, film editing, all design, conceptual and bases of physical editions, merch design. I like being able to do the full thing, but if I’m not good enough at a certain task at a certain moment, I will have someone else do it if it’s financially possible.
“Then there’s the label side where I do things like strategy and lots of admin. Stuff that I wish I didn’t have to but I must do because I run my own company,” Lee says. “Every one of my collaborators has their own careers aside from [iamamiwhoami], so the only person that lives and breathes my work is myself,” Lee says.
At TWIMC Lee has two teams: her creative team and her label team.
On the creative side, Lee works with Claes Björklund to make the music and John Strandh to produce the videos and tour visuals. Occasionally she’ll outsource mixing and mastering, too.
On the label side, Agneta Edgren is on finance, and Daniel Harding handles administration.

In the early stages, the team was larger. Lee collaborated with other filmmakers, including Robin Kempe-Bergman and Agustin Moreaux, but overall, smaller was better for Lee. And, though she had always been involved in the visual process, Lee and Strandh took it over for 2014’s BLUE, which led to Lee being in a familiar position.
“We hadn’t directed before so we were really concerned. I was told by people that I was working with at the time that I wasn’t capable. ‘Don’t do that. It’s not your thing. You have to let others do things. It can’t just be you’,” Lee says.
More than taking over directing, on BLUE, Lee’s character travels away from the sylvan atmospheres of the Scandinavian forests of earlier videos and towards pristine coastal landscapes.
So not only was the artist taking on a new challenge, she was applying it to a completely new setting, and all she had was filming equipment she rented by the day and a laptop to do the editing and grain.
“That really made the whole BLUE process so hard because I was so insecure, but we kept on doing it,” Lee says. “After that, it was much easier because we felt confident.”
From that point on the process only became more intimate, collaborative, and technologically simple.
Lee looking into the camera with headphones on
“The tools I use are the same as they were, but I would say I use less, as I do more myself now. We have built a solid foundation and a creative trust,” Lee says.
For example, though TWIMC has a shared studio space, Lee and Björklund would produce music in separate rooms for previous albums, only finalising tracks after they aligned on individual creations.
On Be Here Soon, they worked closer than ever – literally.
“We sat down together in a room and wrote all the songs with an instrument each and a mic plugged in. We wanted to make one of those albums that are written there and then; then we produced those together,” Lee says. “We brought in a band – well, actually, just a drummer. We played the rest of the instruments. That’s band enough for me.”
The entire time Lee and Björklund are working on the music, Strandh is in the periphery as well. So when he and Lee start writing scripts for the videos, he creates his connection to the music.
“When you’re working with someone who works in drama and features like [Strandh], then it’s much more interesting to get a different take on it,” Lee says. “We are all connected to the story we’ve been telling for 13 years. It’s a fun way to work.”
Lee photographed facing a light source
Even for independent artists, the creative aspect is the fun part, but without an infrastructure to share the music, the fun can’t make their money (let alone continue an audiovisual narrative for 13 years).
But Lee wasn’t going to let something like a distribution deal prevent her from fulfilling her dreams. So at the beginning of the narrative, she devised a release strategy that included standard methods like emailing blog writers, but she also used tools that set her apart: real-time sharing and YouTube, which in 2009 looked far different than it does today.
“There was less content [on YouTube] that had high artistic value. There were a lot of home videos, music videos in low resolution. Some live footage, some cats, drunk people. It was fun. YouTube at the time was really cool,” Lee says.
Lee capitalised on the cool factor and launched the project by sharing prelude videos on YouTube that were 90 seconds or less (short for budget constraints, not to serve the algorithm). They followed the same aesthetic Lee has applied throughout the project: wondrous organic backdrops paired with her dreamy electronic music.
Framed shot of Lee in a bedroom with headphones on and hands up
Upon release, something strange happened. The videos went viral – at least, that’s what we call it now.
“There was no such thing as ‘viral’. That was really new. Organic virality as well. Not algorithm made. It was just happening,” Lee says.
The millions of views that were coming to iamamiwhoami were based on genuine interest from a worldwide community, and the fact that the releases were coming in real-time further fueled this interest.
Had a label been running this project, they would have made all the videos in advance and released them on a carefully delineated schedule. However, in another stroke of innovation, Lee decided to instead put out the videos as they were being finished. No timeline or calendar. The viral community had to wait on pins and needles for what was coming next.
This was the case for every iamamiwhoami album including Be Here Soon, even though Lee discovered just as they were beginning the filming process that she was expecting a child.
“Music is my passion but also my living, so I decided to roll with it and let the pregnancy be part of the filming and narrative and the album was released as planned. It was terrifying and it felt important at the same time,” Lee says.

don’t wait for me, the first video for Be Here Soon, was posted on March 31, 2022, and as new videos were posted, Lee’s pregnancy became more apparent, with her performing in bodysuits that accentuated her growing belly.
On May 25, 2022, her son Bauer was born. The next day, the penultimate video, call my name, was posted. Fans had to wait until July 8 for the final video, walking on air, so Lee could spend some time with her baby.
Bauer’s birthday is public knowledge because Lee is embracing another tool in the fulfilment of her dream of being an artist: social media.
She is not an early adopter of platforms like Instagram and Twitter, though, only opening accounts in 2017, and so rather than driving innovation on these channels she finds herself asking the same questions as every artist in 2023, whether they’re independent or not: ‘How much to share? What to share? What is cool?’
Lee standing on threatre seats
“I want to share my creative process with the people that follow in a way that feels good, and you don’t even know what that means until you’re actually doing it. I’m just trying to dare to be myself,” Lee says. “In the long scheme of things, does it matter that I have that Instagram account? Because I think without those accounts I wouldn’t have toured. I wouldn’t have the sense that people want to see this.”
Lee is about to tour with iamamiwhoami in Brazil this coming December. Clearly, more people want to see her perform, and through social media, she is currently “generating” (another way of saying crowdfunding) new music in 2024.
At the time of writing, she’s reached three out of five goals for the funding. The third tier is equal to three new songs and videos, with the fourth being a full album and the fifth being another complete audiovisual entry in the narrative of iamamiwhoami.
Relying on donations from the public may not be the most typical way to produce new music. But, in 2023, myriad people around the world believe in Jonna Lee and are supporting her fulfil her dream of becoming an artist.
Learn more about iamamiwhoami. https://ionnalee.com/
The post The indomitable Jonna Lee: Building the audiovisual dream of iamamiwhoami appeared first on MusicTech.

Antares introduce Vocal Reverb The latest plug-in to join Antares’ range boasts an AI-powered Reverb Assist function that aims to help users dial in their perfect settings.

Damon Albarn on posthumous AI releases: “It’s a good opportunity for everyone…There could be hundreds of my songs released after my death”Considering that the Gorillaz frontman has already got an avatar alter-ego, it’s no shock that Damon Albarn is heavily intrigued by the potential future of AI in music.
While the sonic world is slowly becoming more infused with computer-generated vocals and digitised clones of popstars, the multi-talented Albarn has shared that he feels AI could be an invaluable tool to prolong the musical journey of an artist’s vision after their death – for better or for worse.
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Speaking to French magazine Les Inrockuptibles, Albarn reflected on The Beatles’ use of AI to allow the long-abandoned demo Now And Then to take full form. “Initially, it was John Lennon alone in his flat singing a song – I don’t think it was meant to reach that level of exposure,” he said. “But you know, it’s a good opportunity for everyone.”
The track in question was created from a rough recording of Lennon found on a cassette from 1994. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison brought the demos to a studio in an attempt to complete the tracks, but Lennon’s voice was originally too “hidden” to fully recover – until recent developments in AI. This allowed them to recover the vocals and piano on the demo track.

Albarn went on to ponder the potential of AI re-working his own tracks posthumously. “It’s a question of scale: if enough people are interested, there could be hundreds of my songs released after my death, including songs that I would never have wanted to release,” he reflects.
The Blur frontman’s thoughts shed light on the biggest problem when it comes to AI interfering with the work of deceased musicians – sometimes work is unfinished for a reason. AI’s growing role in music has the potential to control an artists legacy, continuing their creative output beyond the grave instead of allowing an artist to be put to rest
With AI and technology allowing bands like ABBA and KISS to prolong their career through entirely immortalised digital avatars and digital concerts, it seems many artists are eager for their music to be immortalised – but what about those who don’t want to live on forever?
Albarn has also recently admitted to NME that he plans to “wrap up” Blur once again, deeming the venture “too much.” If technology goes too far, it could arguably develop from those tracks an artist “would never have wanted to release” being completed, to then developing full-blown digital tours the artist would have never wanted to take place. It happened with Michael Jackson, and it’s far easier to pull off now.
Despite AI potentially removing agency from an artist’s control of their legacy, Albarn notes: “you know, it’s nice to hear John’s voice.”
The post Damon Albarn on posthumous AI releases: “It’s a good opportunity for everyone…There could be hundreds of my songs released after my death” appeared first on MusicTech.

Spotify is chasing annual profitability. SoundCloud’s already there.Company's revenues projected to be up 9% YoY in 2023
Source

TikTok car confessionals are the new YouTube bedroom vlogsYouTube’s first viral scandal took place in what we believed was a 16-year-old girl’s bedroom. In 2006, homeschooled teenager Bree Avery vlogged about her life under the username Lonelygirl15, chronicling her supposedly boring life. But as the videos got more and more outlandish — her parents turned out to be part of a blood-harvesting cult? […]
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Renowned Engineer Rich Travali Relocates to NashvilleAcclaimed audio engineer and mixer Rich Travali has officially set his sights on Nashville, Tennessee, marking a significant move for the industry veteran with his recent relocation to Music City. Travali, a GRAMMY®-, Emmy®- and TEC Award-nominated mix engineer with over 50 platinum and gold albums and over 140 million in record sales, has now made Music City his home and is ready for the next phase of his professional life.

With an impressive career spanning three decades and a discography that reads like a who's-who of the music industry, Rich Travali is a sought-after talent in the recording industry, recognized for his exceptional work with a wide array of artists. Known for his meticulous attention to detail and a creative flair that transcends genres, Travali has played a key role in the recordings of some of the biggest names in the industry, including Robin Thicke, Gwen Stefani, Jay-Z, Jennifer Hudson, Pharrell and The Neptunes, to name just a few.

Beginning his professional career at New York City’s legendary Hit Factory Recording Studios, assisting world class engineers and mixers like Roy Halee, Travali honed his skills not only at the Hit Factory but prominent New York studios such as Chung King, Soundtracks, Platinum Island and elsewhere, eventually mixing numerous platinum and gold records, with Billboard number-one hits in the pop, R&B and hip-hop genres.

“I was very fortunate to work at the Hit Factory with a lot of different artists, but the real formative relationship that I made there was with Paul Simon and Roy Halee. Roy, being Paul's long-time co-producer and engineer — he’s absolutely world-class,” stated Travali. “If anybody was a mentor to me, it was Roy. I worked with a lot of other producers and audio engineers, but Roy was really the guy who I spent years with and was my main influence on so many different levels, and I’m very happy about that because he’s truly world-class in every way. Just listen to his body of work – it speaks for itself!”

The best sampling software (VSTs and apps) in 2024
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Taylor Swift is now “bigger than jazz” in 2023, streaming data revealsPop mega-star Taylor Swift would officially be “bigger than jazz” if her music was considered as its own genre, data reveals.
Swift’s popularity has risen exponentially in recent years, which has been captured by her iconic Eras tour. Throughout the global stint, which continues in 2024, Swift plays music from each album era of her successful music career so far.

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According to new data from Luminate, as reported by Billboard, Swift had reached 15.92 million in album consumption units as of 16 November. Her industry market share at this point was 1.66 per cent – with just six weeks left in the year.
If Swift was her own genre, she’d rank at No. 9 based on the data provided to Billboard, which documents market shares of genres such as R&B/hip-hop, rock, pop and more. Her position falls between Christian/gospel’s 1.76 per cent market share and children’s music’s 1.12 percent. “In 2023, Taylor Swift is bigger than jazz,” the outlet says.
In October, it was reported that major labels were seemingly “overhauling contracts” for newly signed artists, with some restricting their musicians from re-recording their music no earlier than 10 years or more after leaving their label.
The new limits appeared to have been implemented following the success of Swift’s re-recorded albums, which she released as Taylor’s Version cuts. The Anti-Hero singer decided to remake her old music to regain full ownership of her catalogue.
Swift’s Midnights album became the first record to sell better on vinyl than on CD in 35 years back in 2022. She was also named as Apple Music’s Artist Of The Year for 2023, with the brand describing her as a “generation-defining artist.”
View all 2024 live dates for the Eras tour via the official Taylor Swift website.
The post Taylor Swift is now “bigger than jazz” in 2023, streaming data reveals appeared first on MusicTech.

Moises’ Music.AI is a “first-of-its-kind” music creation platform for businessesMoises, the brand behind the AI-powered app for music creation, has introduced a new “first-of-its-kind” ecosystem for enterprise-grade AI services called Music.AI.
As the Moises consumer apps grew to over 40 million users, the company had been “quietly” serving enterprise clients. The launch of Music.AI now allows businesses to quickly build and scale AI products and services, rather than sourcing multiple services from varying providers.

READ MORE: Moises’ AI Voice Studio offers a brand new model for creators to license AI vocals

The AI platform can process more than one million minutes of audio daily, according to a press release. It includes a wide range of proprietary AI models as well as “best-in-class” third-party technologies. Customers can combine any of Music.AI’s models without coding so they can save time in implementation and testing to quickly prototype and bring more services to the market.
Music.AI has already been assisting in voice modelling and audio restoration projects. Similar to the technology used on The Beatles’ last single, Now and Then, Music.AI assisted in the production of Elis and Tom, the documentary about Bossa Nova artists Elis Regina and Antônio Carlos Jobim that debuted in the US this September.
Much of the film consisted of behind-the-scenes footage recorded in 1972. These original recordings were restored using Music.AI’s source separation models. The company also worked with Papa Johns to help localise TV commercials and adapt Hispanic translations featuring Shaquille O’Neal.
“Our models are individually capable unto themselves, but we’ve built a one-stop hub with the ability to combine our various modules with those of third parties to create the powerful solutions demanded by top-tier clients,” says co-founder and CEO Geraldo Ramos. “The market for AI-powered music and audio applications is maturing away from point solutions in favour of broader, more capable, scalable solutions like Music.AI.”
Music.AI is currently powering 1700 applications, serving more than 40 Million musicians and producers.The company will announce additional B2B partnerships with enterprise clients in due course.
Find out more at Music.AI and Moises.
The post Moises’ Music.AI is a “first-of-its-kind” music creation platform for businesses appeared first on MusicTech.

Avid launch Pro Tools 2023.12 The latest version of Pro Tools introduces a built-in Dolby Atmos renderer, overhauls the marker and memory location system, adds I/O colour-coding options and much more. 

Hiring? A list of 600+ ‘smart, talented’ laid-off Spotify staffersSpotify laid off 1500 of its estimated 9000 global workforce earlier this month. That followed a 600-person reduction in January, with 200 more let go in June. Now, a crowd-sourced. Continue reading
The post Hiring? A list of 600+ ‘smart, talented’ laid-off Spotify staffers appeared first on Hypebot.

2024 Music Industry Predictions from Maykel Piron of Armada MusicMaykel Piron, co-founder and CEO of Armada Music, shares reflections on the last year and predictions for 2024. Between now and the end of the year, Hypebot will be publishing a. Continue reading
The post 2024 Music Industry Predictions from Maykel Piron of Armada Music appeared first on Hypebot.

The growth of O.N.E The Duo: A true independent artist success storySymphonic shares the behind-the-scenes success story of helping to guide the growth of independent mother-daughter country music artists, O.N.E The Duo. by Randi Zimmerman of Symphonic Blog Here at Symphonic,. Continue reading
The post The growth of O.N.E The Duo: A true independent artist success story appeared first on Hypebot.

Psycho Circuitry Drops MiniFET+ Comp And FREE MiniFET Version
Psycho Circuitry has just released the MiniFET+ compressor, plus its free little brother – the MiniFET. The + version is available at an introductory price of $19, down from a list price of $29, and both releases are for Windows and MacOS. MiniFET+ is a flexible FET compressor that packs in three action modes to [...]
View post: Psycho Circuitry Drops MiniFET+ Comp And FREE MiniFET Version

Own a unique version of a Disclosure track with Beatport.io and Bronze AIDigital marketplace Beatport.io has collaborated with Bronze AI and electronic music duo, Disclosure, for a “revolutionary” project enabling fans to own a unique version of one of their songs.
As part of Disclosure – Bronze Editions, fans have the opportunity to own a distinct version of the track Simply Won’t Do from Disclosure’s 2023 album, Alchemy. One thousand unique versions of the track have been created, with AI-generated visual artwork accompanying each one.

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Disclosure have had hands-on input in how AI interprets and modifies their musical elements, infusing each track with their own distinctive touch. The personalised songs have been made available as digital collectibles, exclusively available on Beatport.io.
This fusion of auditory and visual elements “transforms each piece into a singular, immersive experience for fans” and breaks away from traditional distribution models, according to a press release from Beatport.io.
Each version will remain as an unrepeatable creation, with every purchase granting exclusive ownership. Beatport.io utilises Polkadot blockchain technology, which facilitates the creation of these personalised songs as NFTs.
The paired artwork has been formed in collaboration with German art collective, Studio Grotesk. Bronze’s audio-visual translation process converts sound into sight, showcasing 3D visual forms by translating music frequencies into RGB colour values.

Guy Lawrence of Disclosure says, “We’re thrilled to embark on this innovative collaboration with Beatport.io, Bronze. The concept of offering 1000 unique variations of Simply Won’t Do is a groundbreaking step in music production.
“It goes beyond providing a product; it’s an invitation for our fans to own a piece of our musical history. The diversity and complexity in this project represent an unprecedented level of creativity and fun, and we’re excited to share this unique experience with our audience.”
Disclosure – Bronze Editions are available for purchase at $20 USD per collectible.
Find out more at Beatport.io.
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