Live Music stocks fell more than overall markets MondayMonday, April 7th, 2025 was a volatile day for the stock market as investors continue to react to concerns surrounding potential tariff escalations. Here's a look at how key live music-related stocks fared vs. the overall market.
The post Live Music stocks fell more than overall markets Monday appeared first on Hypebot.

The human body, its movement, and musicWatching and listening to a pianist’s performance is an immersive and enjoyable experience. The pianist and the instrument, with a blend of skill, training, and presence, create a series of memorable moments for themselves and the audience. But is there a way to improve the performance and our understanding of how the performer and their instrument work together to create this magic, while also minimizing performance-related injuries?Mi-Eun Kim, director of keyboard studies in MIT’s Music and Theater Arts Section, and Praneeth Namburi PhD ’16, a research scientist in MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, are investigating how the body works when pianists play. Their joint project, The Biomechanics of Assimilating a New Piano Skill, aims to develop mechanistic insights that could transform how we understand and teach piano technique, reduce performance-related injuries, and bridge the gap between artistic expression and biomechanical efficiency. Their project is among those recently selected for a SHASS+ Connectivity Fund grant through the MIT Human Insight Collaborative.“The project emerged from a convergence of interests and personal experiences,” Namburi says. “Mi-Eun witnessed widespread injuries among fellow pianists and saw how these injuries could derail careers.”Kim is a renowned pianist who has performed on stages throughout the United States, in Europe, and in Asia. She earned the Liszt-Garrison Competition’s Liszt Award and the Corpus Christi solo prize, among other honors. She teaches piano and chamber music through MIT Music’s Emerson/Harris Program and chamber music through MIT’s Chamber Music Society. She earned advanced degrees from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor of arts degree in history from Columbia University.Namburi’s work focuses on the biomechanics of efficient, expressive, and coordinated movement. He draws inspiration from artists and athletes in specialized movement disciplines, such as dancing and fencing, to investigate skilled movement. He earned a PhD in experimental neuroscience from MIT and a bachelor of engineering degree in electrical and electronic engineering from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. Pursuing the projectKim and Namburi arrived at their project by taking different roads into the arts. While Kim was completing her studies at the University of Michigan, Namburi was taking dance lessons as a hobby in Boston. He learned that both expressive and sustainable movements might share a common denominator. “A key insight was that elastic tissues play a crucial role in coordinated, expressive, and sustainable movements in dance — a principle that could extend beyond dancing,” he notes.“We recognized that studying elastic tissues could shed light on reducing injury risk, as well as understanding musical expression and embodiment in the context of piano playing,” Kim says.Kim and Namburi began collaborating on what would become their project in October 2023, though the groundwork was in place months before. “A visiting student working with me on a research project studying pianists in the MIT.nano Immersion Lab reached out to Mi-Eun in summer 2023,” Namburi recalls. A shared Instagram video showing their setup with motion capture sensors and a pianist playing Chopin on a digital keyboard sparked Kim’s interest. The Immersion Lab is an open-access, shared facility for MIT and beyond dedicated to visualizing, understanding, and interacting with large, multidimensional data.“I couldn't make sense of all the sensors, but immediately noticed they were using a digital keyboard,” she says.Kim wanted to elevate these studies’ quality by pairing the musicians with the proper equipment and instrument. While the digital pianos they’d previously used are portable and provide musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) data, they don’t offer the same experience as a real piano. “Pianists dream of playing on an ideal instrument — a 9-foot concert grand with perfectly regulated 24-inch keys that responds to every musical intention without resistance,” Kim says.The researchers brought a Spirio grand piano to the Immersion Lab and observed that the instrument could both capture pianists’ hammerstrike velocities and reproduce them to play back the performance. Monitoring Kim’s performance on the concert grand piano, for example, both noted marked differences in her playing style.“Despite all the sensors, lighting, and observers, playing felt so natural that I forgot I was in a lab,” she says. “I could focus purely on the music, without worrying about adapting to a smaller keyboard or digital sound.”This setup allowed them to observe pianists’ natural movements, which was exactly what Kim wanted to study.During Independent Activities Period 2025, Kim and Namburi hosted a new course, Biomechanics of Piano Playing, in the Immersion Lab. Students and faculty from MIT, Harvard University, the University of Michigan, the University of Toronto, and the University of Hartford took part. Participants learned how to use motion capture, accelerometers, and ultrasound imaging to visualize signals from the body during piano playing.Observations and outcomesIf the efficiency and perceived fluency of an expert pianist’s movements comes from harnessing the body’s inherent elastic mechanisms, Kim and Namburi believe, it’s possible to redesign how piano playing is taught. Each wants to reduce occurrences of playing-related injuries and improve how musicians learn their craft.“I want us to bridge the gap between artistic expression and biomechanical efficiency,” Namburi says.Through their exploratory sessions at the Immersion Lab, Kim and Namburi found common ground, gathering information about their observations of and experiences in piano and dance through sensor technology, including ultrasound.Beyond these, Kim saw potential for transforming piano pedagogy. “Traditional teaching relies heavily on subjective descriptions and metaphors passed down through generations,” she says. “While valuable, these approaches could be enhanced with objective, scientific understanding of the physical mechanisms behind skilled piano performance — evidence-driven piano pedagogy, if you will.”

Buyer Beware: Cheap Power Strips Hold Hidden HorrorsWe’ve got a love-hate relationship with discount tool outlet Harbor Freight: we hate that we love it so much. Apparently, [James Clough] is of much the same opinion, at least now that he’s looked into the quality of their outlet strips and found it somewhat wanting.
The outlet strips in question are Harbor Freight’s four-foot-long, twelve-outlet strips, three of which are visible from where this is being written. [James] has a bunch of them too, but when he noticed an intermittent ground connection while using an outlet tester, he channeled his inner [Big Clive] and tore one of the $20 strips to bits. The problem appears to be poor quality of the contacts within each outlet, which don’t have enough spring pre-load to maintain connection with the ground pin on the plug when it’s wiggled around. Actually, the contacts for the hot and neutral don’t look all that trustworthy either, and the wiring between the outlets is pretty sketchy too. The video below shows the horrors within.
What’s to be done about this state of affairs? That’s up to you, of course. We performed the same test on all our outlets and the ground connections all seemed solid. So maybe [James] just got a bad batch, but he’s still in the market for better-quality strips. That’s going to cost him, though, since similar strips with better outlets are about four times the price of the Harbor Freight units. We did find a similar strip at Home Depot for about twice the price of the HF units, but we can’t vouch for the quality. As always, caveat emptor.

Thanks to [cliff claven] for the tip.

CEDAR Audio unveil icons plug-ins Available though their new online store, the icon series aims to bring CEDAR Audio's renowned products to a new generation, and looks set to attract a much wider customer base thanks to significantly reduced pricing.

Amyl and the Sniffers at The Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WAAmyl and The Sniffers (Amy Taylor, Declan Mehrtens, Gus Romer, Bryce Wilson) kicked off their biting, bona fide Aussie-punk set with lead singer ‘Amyl’ bounding onto the stage. After a few fist pumps and pogo-style jumps, she emphasized respect for one another during the show before screaming, “Now, let’s get rowdy!” Her strong ‘Strayan’ voice and visceral energy prompted the packed pit at the Paramount Theatre to thrash at will as the Sniffers careened into the fast-paced, three-chord slammer “Control,” from their self-titled first release (2019). The song’s ‘Be Resilient, Be a Boss, and Believe in Yourself’ themes continued in the rocking banger “Do It Do It,” from their recent release Cartoon Darkness (2024). The pair of tracks made for a ripping opening subset encapsulating the band’s unrestrained, in-your-face punk lyrics and licks, with wallops of way back classics: Wendy O. William’s “It’s My Life” mashed with Dale Bozzio’s (Missing Persons) “Destination Unknown” attitude, crashing with Motörhead-meets-AC/DC’s gritty rock riffs.The band’s skull-crushing performance was chock-full of punk-rock anthems loaded with savage power chords, thunderous basslines, and brash wit. “Security” and “Freaks to the Front,” both from Comfort to Me (2021), were hard-hitting and had the crowd moshing as Amyl moved across the stage—her presence, a force-to-be-reckoned with. The Sniffers’ raw edge and dynamic performance further lured enamored fans into their ferocious lair. The realness made for a refreshing antithesis to the polished, pretty-from-afar acts that tend to dominate today’s touring scenes.While the fourpiece highlighted their love of all things rock on their sleeves, beneath the band’s tongue-in-cheek sneers, Amyl and the Sniffers are observing, seething, and writing about darker societal themes. “Big Dreams,” the band’s first single from Cartoon Darkness moves away from their signature brash punk, slithering into a grim requiem that touches on the concept of the strength of the human spirit in the throes of trying to move beyond the daily grind and challenging times.The band’s talent for confronting unsettling topics also cuts through in “Knifey” (Comfort to Me).  Amyl’s voice carved a hole through its driving rhythm, piercing the veil of the foreboding unknowns—in doing so, capturing a fear felt by many while walking alone, particularly at night, and confronting a rising ‘what if’ panic by pulling out a comforting ‘knifey.’Amyl and the Sniffers retained their bite for the duration of their set, broaching portentous tropes with spiky, cynical tones that describe a sense of urgency while unshackling self-restraints to find purpose in life. The booming ‘know your worth’ single from Cartoon Darkness, “U Should Not Be Doing That,” and the breakaway escapism in “Hertz” (Comfort to Me) were two standouts.Amyl and the Sniffers round-kicked it back to their touchstone high-voltage energy by closing the superb set with “GFY.” The song’s self-reliance punk ethos served as a perfect ending to the night. Concertgoers left the historic hall with reminders from the band, to keep a head up while advocating for oneself, resonating within, ready to resurface when needed.SETLISTControlDo It Do ItDoing In Me HeadSecurityChewing GumSnakesFreaks to the FrontGot YouMutts (Can’t Be Muzzled)Big DreamsIt’s MineGuided by AngelsCapitalKnifeyMe and The GirlsJerkin’Tiny BikiniFactsU Should Not Be Doing ThatHertzENCORE:Balaclava Lover BoogieGFYPhotos by Megan Perry Moore.The post Amyl and the Sniffers at The Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Sarah Gabrielli promoted to Head of A&R at Sony Music Publishing UKGabrielli first joined the company in 2016 as an A&R Assistant
Source

Aphex Twin’s MIDI-modified Yamaha GX-1 is up for sale – for just £100,000With less than 100 ever produced, the three-tiered Yamaha GX-1 is  something of synth legend. First released in 1973, the extremely rare model marks Yamaha’s historical entry into the synth market. And one is currently up for auction for £99,950.
But this isn’t an ordinary GX-1. The synth was once owned by none other than electronic visionary Aphex Twin. While in his possession, he also asked Colin Fraser of Sequentix to restore the synth to its former glory, as well as requesting the addition of MIDI functionality.

READ MORE: “FL Studio’s duty is to get more people to stick with music-making”: CEO Constantin Koehncke on FL Studio 2025 and beyond

While the synth was first owned by British producer Mickie Most, who worked with the likes of Lulu and Hot Chocolate, Aphex Twin acquired it in the late ‘90s. Aphex Twin would go on to use it for his side project, The Tuss, notably on GX1 Solo, which showcases the synth’s hazy beats and futuristic whirring.
According to an interview shared by Sequentix back in 2014, Aphex Twin was enamoured with his GX-1 – and had big dreams for its restoration. “It is the best sequencer ever made ‘til now, in terms of analogue input/output, timing,” he said “It’s got a long way to go, but I can’t endorse it enough!”
“I’ve never been into endorsing anything – I’ve been asked by a lot of people but i hate the idea of it, makes my skin crawl…” he continued. “[But] Colin [Fraser] is totally on it and in it for the right reasons. I hope Colin does really well out of it, he deserves to. The guy’s a genius.”

According to the auction listing on Vemia, the custom-modded GX-1 is in “gorgeous condition” following its restoration. And it does look gorgeous; the brushed chrome and off white aesthetic of the three-tiered polyphonic analogue synth makes it look like something out of a sci-fi film.
“After some painstaking work at the Sequentix studio it is in full working order as envisaged by Yamaha all those years ago,” the listing reads. “It is complete, with the main console, bench, pedals, two massive speakers, two programmers, and all cabling.”
Credit: Vemia Auction Listing
Fraser is also open to adding more custom modding for whoever wins the auction. “[While] one person might want the GX1 as original as possible, another might want bells and whistles,” the listing says. “Colin has designed and prototyped a programmer for the extended sound capabilities he has envisaged. If required, he could extend the MIDI capabilities to the bass pedals.”
Fraser is also currently in the process of “producing a preliminary brochure for his MIDI retrofit” for anyone keen to explore the “the depth of his exploration of the GX1’s architecture”.
Credit: Vemia Auction Listing
Online forums have been trying to work out just how many GX-1s exist for years. A Gearspace thread from 2016 pinning down a list including Keith Emerson, Hans Zimmer, Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, Stevie Wonder, ABBA, and, of course, Aphex Twin.
The Vemia auction starting bid sits at £99,950, and is scheduled to end on April 12.
Credit: Vemia Auction Listing
The post Aphex Twin’s MIDI-modified Yamaha GX-1 is up for sale – for just £100,000 appeared first on MusicTech.

Kendrick Lamar, SZA Top Most Expensive Concerts of 2025 ListA new analysis of concert tours announced so far in 2025 ranked them based on their average ticket price to find the most expensive concerts of 2025.
The post Kendrick Lamar, SZA Top Most Expensive Concerts of 2025 List appeared first on Hypebot.

Tech investment firm Tiny has paid $66 million for a 66% stake in SeratoFollowing on from AlphaTheta’s blocked proposal to buyout Serato last year, a new investor has acquired a majority stake in the company. In a $66 million deal, Canadian tech investment firm Tiny now owns 66% of Serato.
Speaking to DJ Mag, the co-founder of Serato, AJ Wilderland, is optimistic about the new partnership. “We’ve always believed that Serato’s strength lies in our ability to innovate and stay true to our community of artists,” he says. “After 25 years of building and guiding this business with my co-founder, Steve [West], we couldn’t ask for a better partner than Tiny.”

READ MORE: “FL Studio’s duty is to get more people to stick with music-making”: CEO Constantin Koehncke on FL Studio 2025 and beyond

“[Tiny’s] long-term vision and strategic approach align with the future we’ve always envisioned for Serato.” he concludes.
Serato’s CEO Young Ly has also commented on the deal, noting: “Serato’s long history of success is driven by a single-minded focus of serving artists. We are incredibly proud of the strength of our business today, and the loyal users that surround us.”
The DJ software company has been on the hunt for a new investor since 2023. Originally, Pioneer DJ’s parent company AlphaTheta proposed a total buyout of Serato for upwards of $100 million. This would have brought it into AlphaTheta’s pre-existing collection of companies – including competitor Rekordbox.
The deal would have resulted in AlphaTheta owning 90% of market shares in the DJ software business. The New Zealand Commerce Commission eventually blocked the proposal, with the NZCC chairman Dr John Small stating that the merger would “substantially [lessen] competition” in the markets for DJ software and DJ hardware.
“While other DJ software providers would remain in the market, we did not consider these rivals… would be sufficient to replace the level of competition that would be lost with the merger,” Dr Small explained.
“We therefore could not exclude a real chance that the merger would result in a substantial lessening of competition for DJ software, resulting in price rises to consumers and/or a lower quality software offering.”
“The evidence before us also indicated that the merger could give ATC [AlphaTheta Corporation] the means to either eliminate or worsen DJ hardware rivals’ ability to integrate their products with Serato,” he concluded.
InMusic also cited fears of a monopoly situation. The US audio equipment manufacturer even bought out ad-space in a New Zealand newspaper, noting how the deal would “hurt the DJ community”.
In light of the news, AlphaTheta’s CEO Yoshinori Kataoka does not hold any ill will towards Serato. Speaking to DJ Mag, the CEO says: “AlphaTheta are aware. There is no change to the relationship between Serato and AlphaTheta post-acquisition”.
Image: Reddit
The post Tech investment firm Tiny has paid $66 million for a 66% stake in Serato appeared first on MusicTech.

GIK Acoustics announce PIB V2 & PIB Pack The latest version of GIK's innovative Portable Isolation Booth (PIB) range provides users with a quick and easy way to cut back on room sound and capture cleaner, more focused recordings.

“I grew up old school where you couldn’t tune it up afterwards – that made you more of a craftsman”: Adrian Smith on digital vs analogue recordingWith the editing capabilities of modern recording and production technology, more musicians than ever can create release-ready tracks, in or out of the studio. But while some hail the new age of music creation – Timbaland insists AI is the future – Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith miss the old days of recording.
In a new interview with the Scars And Guitars podcast, Smith says modern recording tech sometimes compensates for a lack of creativity. “Digital recording and Pro Tools have enabled anyone to make up something,” he says. “[Now] you can present something that sounds respectable, but it’s all done by computers.”

READ MORE: Roger Daltrey says improving technology is making musicians lose the “heartbeat” of music

While modern musicians can edit and tweak each take, analogue recording was quite the opposite. If you lacked musical skill, you couldn’t cover it up – so you had to be good at your craft. “I grew up old school where you had to actually play in the studio; you couldn’t tune it up afterwards,” Smith says. “So that makes you more of a craftsman.”
However, despite preferring the older analogue methods, Iron Maiden are prone to using digital recording. You can hardly blame them – if you’re cranking out albums like Maiden, modern technology can be a huge time saver. “[We use] digital recording because it’s convenient,” he admits. “It saves time and it saves money.”

Smith is also firmly against the use of AI in the studio. “I don’t even wanna think about it…” he says. “It’s like the beginning of the end.”
“The other day… somebody, as a birthday present or as a present to his friends, had a song written by AI, using their voice. And it’s just mind-boggling. I mean, social media’s bad enough. But this is just another level.”
Bandmate Bruce Dickinson has shared similar views on how modern musicians tend to cut corners at the cost of the craft. Speaking to Classic Rock, the frontman recently  decried the use of backing tracks on stage. “The idea that you can turn it into the Disneyland Maiden, by using backing tracks, a few tricks… No!” Dickinson says. “Maiden has to be one hundred per cent real – and fucking fierce!”
“Only recently this guy, a big fan, said to me: ‘it’s so great to see Maiden still doing it,’” he said. “I said: ‘Yeah, and we’re doing it for real!’ There’s no detuning. This guy said: ‘Lots of bands use backing tracks now…’ I said: ‘No! No, no!”
“[If we use backing tracks], that’s the day I quit,” he continued. “Or the day we stop. If it’s not real, it’s not Maiden.”
Adrian Smith’s second record with the Smith/Kotzen project, Black Light/White Noise, was released last week, while Iron Maiden’s Run For Your Lives tour kicks off 27 May in Budapest. Tickets are available now.

The post “I grew up old school where you couldn’t tune it up afterwards – that made you more of a craftsman”: Adrian Smith on digital vs analogue recording appeared first on MusicTech.

“The latest example of unethical AI firms stealing the livelihood of lyricists, songwriters and composers”: The Ivors Academy wants Suno to remove its ReMi lyrics generatorThe Ivors Academy – one of Europe’s largest professional associations for music writers and composers – has issued a strong warning to Suno, the company behind AI-powered music generator Suno AI.
Since launching in late 2023, Suno has been in the firing line of a number of industry figures and bodies. In June last year, the big three record labels – Sony, Universal and Warner – filed lawsuits against the company alleging “unimaginable scales” of copyright infringement. Suno later claimed that using copyrighted material to train its AI model constituted fair use.

READ MORE: 6 music-making lessons from Skrillex’s new album, ‘F*** U SKRILLEX’

Now, the Ivors Academy is requesting that Suno take down its ReMi lyrics generator, following concerns it sometimes regurgitates lyrics of existing and copyrighted songs.
MusicRadar reports that in one instance, entering the prompts ‘1980s Australian pop song’, ‘male vocals’, ‘about paying dues to the native people’ and ‘in the style of Midnight Oil’ generated the “entire lyrics” to Midnight Oil’s Beds Are Burning.
“Suno’s new tool is the latest example of unethical AI firms stealing the work, art and livelihood of lyricists, songwriters and composers,” says Roberto Neri, CEO of the Ivors Academy.
“AI firms must not use the lyrics, compositions or melodies of our members without first getting their permission and paying them fairly for the use of their copyright-protected music”.
He goes on: “If AI companies continue to train their models on our members’ music we will call on the UK government to strengthen copyright law to clarify that creators have ultimate control over how their works are used and monetised.”
Such a threat may prove an uphill battle for Ivors, though; last year it was revealed that the UK government was considering plans to allow tech companies to train AI on copyrighted content.
MP Chris Bryant insisted it would be a “win win” for both creatives and tech firms. “This is about giving greater control in a difficult and complex set of circumstances to creators and rights holders,” Bryant told The Guardian. “We intend it to lead to more licensing of content, which is potentially a new revenue stream for creators.”
MusicTech has reached out to both Suno and the Ivors Academy for comment.
The post “The latest example of unethical AI firms stealing the livelihood of lyricists, songwriters and composers”: The Ivors Academy wants Suno to remove its ReMi lyrics generator appeared first on MusicTech.

6 music-making lessons from Skrillex’s new album, ‘F*** U SKRILLEX’Packing 34 tracks of blistering sonic intensity, F*** U SKRILLEX is a tour de force of the artist’s past, present, and future. The album is also a treasure trove for producers of all stripes – full of practical lessons, inspiring creative approaches, and mind-bending technical finesse.
Here are our key takeaways:
1. Got a ton of unfinished ideas? Make an album anyway.
As creators, we tend to sit on a bunch of tracks we hope will release on an EP or album one day. Skrillex is the latest producer to prove we can forget about waiting for that to happen.
Mixtapes of 30+ tracks aren’t new — J Dilla, Flume, Childish Gambino and many other artists have released masterpiece mixtapes full of 90-second songs. But F*** U SKRILLEX is an abrasive reminder that you needn’t expand all your sonic sketches to five minutes for them to be memorable and impacting. Just look at Things I Promised, which manages to get its angst-y, hyper-pop vocal hook stuck in your head with a bare 57 seconds of playtime.
Try it — bounce out around 10 of your dwindling project files and arrange them in a new project window as one continuous mix. Use effects like reverb and delay to transition one beat to the next, and use risers to build up tension as you blend the tracks. You might find that a lot of your sporadic ideas fit better together than you thought.
2. Sample the sh*t out of your earlier ideas and releases
This tip gets thrown around all the time, but Skrillex does this masterfully in F*** U SKRILLEX. From reprising vocal lines from older songs like Summit to taking his brooding bass track, Tears, and remixing it into a high-energy anthem, Skrillex proves there’s always more gold to be mined from your previous work.
Use an old melody line with a new beat, or chop up an unused vocal take and drop it into a near-complete production. It’s amazing how quickly ‘failed’ musical ideas can take on a new character and energy when put in a different context. Even a finished track can be a rich source for one-shot samples, or, with a bit of pitch and time shifting, could become the basis for an ambient interlude. It’s your work – nothing is off limits.
Image: Nakeesha
3. Don’t stick to one lane, whatever you do
From track to track, or even second to second, the album hurtles through sounds, styles, and genres at a velocity few can match. On Andy we get classic R&B vocal lines and laser-like synths, and less than a minute later Look at You busts in with crystalline pianos, ethereal glitch, and mangled vocals from Sigur Rós’ Jónsi.
This insane kaleidoscope of an album could never have happened if Skrillex hadn’t spent the last 15 years experimenting, listening widely, trying different styles, and learning, learning, learning.
Pushing out of your musical comfort zone can be challenging, but it is essential if you want to grow. Consciously trying to write in an unfamiliar genre can be a great way of upskilling as a producer, but you can also get surprising results by simply opening up a plugin you don’t know how to use or picking up an instrument you don’t know how to play.
Music making is the art of trial and error – so chuck everything you know in a blender and see what new flavours pour out.
4. Details matter — percussion, filters, effects, sound design and more
What holds F*** U SKRILLEX together is the skill and finesse that undergirds every snare hit, filter sweep, and bass drop. Without those details, we probably wouldn’t listen past track 3, let alone track 30.
Achieving ear-candy with real depth is no easy task, but it starts with mastering the fundamentals. If you’re at an early stage, then get busy learning how to get results from time- and frequency-based plugins. If you’re already a pro at processing, mix things up with unusual sound sources. Skrillex himself has been known to use cracking soda cans for snare drum hits, and the new album is littered with audio curios such as the ASMR-style vocal clicks on Redline Dash and the heavily processed birds on Animals Beat.
Try bringing some household objects or outdoor field recordings into your DAW for further processing – the possibilities are endless.

5. Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate
It takes a village to build a career in music. Skillex has always been open about the support he gets from his creative team and his fellow artists. With over 25 collaborators on the record, F*** U SKRILLEX is the purest example of what happens when you bring more creative energy on board. Hell, Korabu has six featured collaborators, and it’s one of the album’s best moments.
The real lesson here, however, is in who Skrillex chooses to work with. The new album has plenty of established artists and newcomers like Naisha, but also platforms up-and-coming creators like Nakeesha, whom many of us might not have heard before.
This is essential for any producer – spot talent early, bring the right people on board, give them a framework, and then get out of the way so they can do what they do best.
6. Nostalgia is one hell of a drug
F*** U SKRILLEX is a career retrospective in the best possible way. Drawing liberally from the genre that he basically created, Skrillex takes us back to the vintage days of dubstep – but he doesn’t stop there. Sure, San Diego VIP gives mega-fans exactly what they’ve been waiting for but Hold On also gives us iconic trap tropes, and Voltage, the album’s euphoric closer, takes us back to a never-quite-released 2012 demo and hints at Sonny Moore’s pre-Skrillex days when he fronted emo band, From First To Last.
Us mere mortals likely don’t have genre-defining back catalogues we can dig into, but we can use nostalgia to our advantage. The music that shaped your youth can still be a rich source of inspiration – you just need to distil those sounds and styles for a modern palette.
Try taking a bygone beat or a classic production style and coupling it with the sounds that define our current moment. Retro doesn’t have to be cheesy, it can be a joyous celebration of a special time and a place – while still moving the musical conversation forward.
The post 6 music-making lessons from Skrillex’s new album, ‘F*** U SKRILLEX’ appeared first on MusicTech.

Tuğrul Akyüz releases TubImgSynth, a FREE dynamic image wavetable synthesizer
What if you could turn your selfies, meme collections, or holiday photos into a playable wavetable instrument? Turkgyl Ayuz has just released his TubImgSynth, which does just that! The plugin boasts a powerful synth engine and four LFOS, as well as four envelopes for deep modulation and automation. TubImgSynth features a dedicated amp and filter [...]
View post: Tuğrul Akyüz releases TubImgSynth, a FREE dynamic image wavetable synthesizer

Meta’s benchmarks for its new AI models are a bit misleadingOne of the new flagship AI models Meta released on Saturday, Maverick, ranks second on LM Arena, a test that has human raters compare the outputs of models and choose which they prefer. But it seems the version of Maverick that Meta deployed to LM Arena differs from the version that’s widely available to developers. […]