“Most of the music released nowadays is empty of any soul and emotions”: Folamour on modern dance musicFrench electronic DJ and producer Folamour has lamented the state of modern electronic music and the way it is, in his words, “empty of any soul and emotions”.

READ MORE: This £13k ‘Bauhaus-style’ turntable by Reed doesn’t include tonearms

The Marseille-based artist — who recently performed at the Hideout Festival in Croatia — told Complex that he hopes to see “a comeback of meaningful and messageful music in the electronic/dance scene.”
“Nowadays, I feel that sharing a message, values, even stories, is often overlooked,” he explains, adding that “most of the music released nowadays is empty of any soul and emotions, and I regret that.”
“Making music for people to dance to is great, but music 30 years ago carried a stronger social message, actually telling something to the world. So I’d love to see that come back.”
When asked about the one trend or scene that ‘absolutely needs to die right now’, Folamour doubles down on his previous comments, saying “All the soulless music made for people to get drunk on. Music should be more than that.”
The musician also shares the inspiration behind his latest mix at Hideout, saying “I didn’t think much about what I was going to play before my set, so I followed the flow of the night. It was warm and electric, and I think it pushed me into starting funky and moving to the housier part of my spectrum towards the end. The energy in Croatia is always special.”
Citing his remix of Udo Jürgens’ Peace Now as the one track he just had to include in the set, Folamour says, “Udo is a legendary German artist, and I was humbled to be offered to rework this gem of his. It has found a very special place in my sets these days with its universal love message.”

“I always express something in my sets and each track is selected for a reason, and this one has a clear message about peace that I truly cherish.”
Speaking with MusicTech for the May digital cover feature, Folamour elaborated on his values as an artist and producer, and explains why he is always the number one fan of his music.
“If I’m not dancing, something is wrong,” he said. “When I’m listening to my own music, I try to separate myself from it. I’ve been making music for almost 10 years, and there are some songs that I forget that I’ve made. I listen to music on Spotify, and a track comes on and I’m like, ‘Wow, this track is cool. I don’t remember who it is.’ And I find out it’s myself, in a weird way.
“So even with Manifesto, sometimes I would sit and listen to it like I’m someone else, and try to understand the message. I try to put myself in the case of someone discovering it. And it’s really important for me to still enjoy it, no matter what. Because if I’m not one hundred per cent a fan of something I do, it’s not meant to be out.”
Read more Folamour news. 
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VIRTU online mastering from Slate Digital Slate Digital's new online mastering service promises to give mixes the clarity, space and depth they need to compete with modern chart-topping hits.

This £13k ‘Bauhaus-style’ turntable by Reed doesn’t include tonearmsAttention all vinyl aficionados (with some serious cash to spare): Reed has unveiled the Muse 3A, a ‘Bauhaus style’-inspired turntable boasting a myriad of premium features and an equally premium price tag to boot.

READ MORE: Todd Edwards unpacks the floppy disk containing all 70 samples for Daft Punk’s Face To Face

Like its Muse 3C sibling, the new 3A uses a reverse sliding thrust ball bearing for its main axis. The bearing ball is made from stainless steel and lateral stability is achieved by using a very durable and low-noise sliding bearing.
Key features of this beast of a vinyl player include a Coreless DC motor, a toggleable traction system with both belt drive and friction drive options, as well as its ability to accommodate two tonearms. The unit also comes with a digital control system indicator that displays essential operating information such as the rotating speed of the platter.
Available in three colours — carnelian red, white, and black, the Muse 3A features an angular design and its entire body (including the bottom) is made out of birch plywood, which makes it durable, stable, and non-resonant. Meanwhile, the platter, which is raised slightly above the main body, has hidden feet that create the illusion of it hovering above your hi-fi rack.
This beast of a turntable also tips the scale at 15kg before any tonearms are mounted.
Price wise, the Muse 3A will cost you an eye-watering £13,000. But what’s money in the face of all that unadulterated audiophile deliciousness, right?
Find out more at the Reed website.
The post This £13k ‘Bauhaus-style’ turntable by Reed doesn’t include tonearms appeared first on MusicTech.

The Modern Metal Songwriter Debuts NovaClip (Exclusive Deal)
The Modern Metal Songwriter releases NovaClip, an advanced peak clipper plugin for Windows and macOS. I don’t know who to thank for the sudden deluge of clippers on the plugin market, but it’s been great to see different takes. NovaClip is the most recent clipper released by The Modern Metal Songwriter, and it comes with [...]
View post: The Modern Metal Songwriter Debuts NovaClip (Exclusive Deal)

Orchestral Tools unveil Illuvia percussion library Illuvia contains a range of evolving, playable patches that are said to be the ideal fit for dystopian film, TV and video game scores.

Straight from Serato’s Chief Strategy Officer: How Serato Plans to Sustain its Beat After AlphaTheta’s Acquisition
DJTT spoke with Nick Maclaren, Chief Strategy Officer at Serato, about the changes that could happen under new AlphaTheta ownership.
The post Straight from Serato’s Chief Strategy Officer: How Serato Plans to Sustain its Beat After AlphaTheta’s Acquisition appeared first on DJ TechTools.

BMI ‘in discussions with outside parties’ after scrapping sale plans in 2022BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill issued a memo to staff addressing the company's reported sale talks and says, 'no final decisions have been made'.
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Audiobook platform Libro.fm announces its international launchLibro.fm, the audiobook retailer and listening app for local bookshops, launched internationally on Wednesday to give even more bookstores the ability to earn income via audiobook sales.
The platform is now available worldwide in six currencies: USD, CAD, EUR, AUD, GBP and NZD. Libro.fm currently partners with over 2,200 independent bookshops, with 146 of those being international stores.
At a time when independent bookshops face crushing competition from Amazon and other major online retailers, the international launch will hopefully help give smaller stores a chance to grow their businesses.
Libro.fm saw a demand among global readers for an audiobook app that supports smaller bookshops. In 2022, 29% of new Libro.fm users were from outside of the U.S., the company said.
More broadly, the global audiobook market size is predicted to reach $35 billion by 2030, per Grand View Research.
Image Credits: Libro.fm
Every time a customer makes a purchase or pays the membership fee, Libro.fm shares profits with the selected bookshop. So, instead of customers giving money to a large service like  Audible, they are providing necessary revenue to their local bookstores.
“What is significant for the bookshop is that every sale matters because of their business model… every book counts,” Libro.fm co-founder and CEO Mark Pearson told TechCrunch. “Whereas for Amazon, it’s a drop in the bucket if you sell a book.”
It’s completely free for bookshops to sell audiobooks on Libro.fm.
Meanwhile, if booksellers want to sell on Amazon-owned Audible, they either make 40% of the retail sales or a royalty rate of 25%, depending on whether they get exclusive or non-exclusive distribution rights. To sell a physical copy on Amazon, sellers must pay either $39.99 per month for a professional seller account (no per-sale closing fee) or 99 cents per sale if they have an individual seller account.
With Libro.fm, users choose one bookshop of their choice in their local area and then either pay a monthly membership ($14.99 USD), which gives them one audiobook credit per month, or purchase audiobooks à la carte. Members receive a 30% discount when buying individually.
Readers can listen to their audiobooks via the free iOS or Android app. All audiobooks are DRM-free, meaning they can also download and listen on other devices. Libro.fm hosts more than 400,000 digital audiobooks.
Libro.fm co-founder and CEO Mark Pearson
In 2014, Libro.fm was co-founded by Mark Pearson (Libro.fm CEO), Carl Hartung (CTO) and Nick Johnson (Creative Director).
“After starting my own publishing company, Pear Press, I saw growth in my audiobook sales. However, these independent bookshops had no way to participate in that growth,” Pearson told TechCrunch. “And so that’s why we decided to start Libro.fm. I myself, as a publisher, and my friends who had PhDs in computer science teamed up to build this platform. And we did it with no outside investors. We’re 100% employee-owned.”
With only 18 employees, Pearson says that the entire Libro.fm team are “super passionate” about bookstores and plans to keep the company “as small as possible” in order to “maximize the revenue that we share with our bookshop partners,” he added.

Amazon to shutter Book Depository, a UK-based online bookseller it acquired in 2011, on April 26

Soundtrack Loops Trap Tensions Soundtrack Loops presents Trap Tensions. —a versatile pack that goes beyond the realm of music production. While expertly crafted for modern tense Trap music, it also holds cinematic... Read More

Soundtrack Loops Delicious LoFi Boom Bap Soundtrack Loops presents Delicious LoFi Boom Bap. Dive into the cutting-edge sound of the mid-2000s with our classic 2000s inspired Hip Hop loops and samples pack. Channel the infectious... Read More

ERC-20 inventor discusses origins, new blockchains, BRC-20 and moreFabian Vogelsteller has been working full-time to create his new blockchain since 2018, with its mainnet launching just this May.

‘Monthly Active Users’ tells us something, but not nearly enough…The following MBW analysis comes from Russ Crupnick, Managing Partner of MusicWatch
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Celestion Introduces Low Freq DriverCelestion, one of the world’s leading suppliers of professional loudspeakers and compression drivers for sound reinforcement applications is proud to introduce the FTR12-4080DL (4-ohm) 12-inch, cast aluminium chassis, ferrite magnet low frequency driver which is specifically designed for subwoofer applications. Well-established as an 8-ohm driver, this purpose-built subwoofer is newly available in 4-ohm, making it ideal for applications that are hungry for every watt of amplifier power when delivering uncompromising bass. The Celestion FTR12-4080DL features a 4-inch (100 mm) voice coil, providing 1400W of continuous power handling and 88dB sensitivity with an output frequency range of 20-300Hz. The half-roll elastomer surround offers improved modal distribution for reduced distortion and enables greater stability at extremes of excursion (with an Xmax of 13.6mm) for a solid, deep bass response. The Airflow vented magnet assembly allows for dynamic heat dispersion, minimising power compression and enhancing product longevity. The driver features optimised double suspension for enhanced control and linearity and the glass loaded paper cone features a weather-resistant impregnation for extreme durability..Developed at Celestion’s headquarters in Ipswich, England, this loudspeaker was designed using specialist FEA (Finite Element Analysis) modelling techniques, enabling the Celestion engineering team rapidly to achieve genuine increases in performance, including greater efficiency, and exceptionally low distortion. The new FTR12-4080DL cast aluminium loudspeaker emphasizes Celestion’s continuing commitment to delivering a wide range of high-quality solutions for sound reinforcement and professional audio applications. FTR12-4080DL SpecificationsNominal diameter                 305mm / 12inNominal power rating          700WContinuous power rating    1400WRated impedance                4Ω or 8ΩSensitivity                             88dBFrequency range                  20-300HzChassis type                         Cast aluminiumMagnet type                          FerriteMagnet weight                      3.6kg / 126ozVoice coil diameter               100mm / 4inVoice coil material                 Round copperFormer material                     AluminiumCone material                       Glass loaded paper (weather-resistant)Surround material                 ElastomerSuspension                           DoubleGap height (Hg)                    9.5mm / 0.37inVC winding height (Hvc)      32mm / 1.26inXmax                                   13.6mm / 0.54in

ReverbNation is relaunched by BandLab Technologies with a new visual identityAlmost two years after its acquisition, ReverbNation has been given a visual revamp by its parent company BandLab Technologies. With the rebrand, ReverbNation promises an “unwavering commitment to being the ultimate destination for artists to launch their careers.”
READ MORE: d4vd on creating music using BandLab: “I literally just looked up: ‘How to make music on iPhone’”
ReverbNation’s new visual identity can be seen in its new logo, refreshed website, and all of its web and social media channels. The website will continue to assist musicians in forging a career with features such as fan engagement tools and analytics.
BandLab Technologies’ rebrand of ReverbNation also sheds light on plans to “invest into new features and expand ReverbNation’s suite of artist services.” This includes creating additional roles to enhance the service offerings, and provide “better funnels” for artists to connect with teams that will help them to succeed.
The platform has been used by artists such as Sylvan Esso, Nicki Minaj, Mac Miller, Cage The Elephant, Charlie Puth and many more.
“Driven by an unwavering passion to empower artists, ReverbNation has consistently offered a wealth of tools and opportunities, enabling musicians that choose to stay independent to distribute their music, amplify their voices and grow their fanbase,” says BandLab Technologies CEO & Co-founder Meng Ru Kuok.
“As we empower more creators at unprecedented levels around the world, we see it our responsibility to continue to invest in the flourishing independent artist ecosystem and its future as well. This new look is in keeping with that dedication.
“Additionally, ReverbNation will build further on our current feature set, create additional roles to enrich our artist services offerings as well as further opportunities and develop better funnels for our artists to connect with professional management, labels, and teams to support their musical careers.”
BandLab Technologies’ announcement follows the news of its rebranding of coveted DAW, Cakewalk by BandLab. The revised Cakewalk model will include two new versions of the music-making software: Cakewalk Sonar and Cakewalk Next. The full details of both applications are yet to be announced.
Check out ReverbNation’s rebrand at reverbnation.com.
[Editor’s Note: BandLab Technologies is part of Caldecott Music Group, which owns NME Networks, MusicTech’s parent company.]
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TextToSample Is A Free AI Sample Generator Plugin!
Samplab has just released a free standalone application and VST3 plugin called TextToSample, and it’s available for both Mac and Windows users. The main purpose of TextToSample is to generate short audio samples from a text prompt by employing the current state-of-the-art generative AI models. It’s trained after Meta’s MusicGen model weights, particularly the weights [...]
View post: TextToSample Is A Free AI Sample Generator Plugin!