“I always feel like everything could be better – I finished this album eight times”: Jamie xx reflects on new solo record, In WavesHow do you know when a track is truly finished? As producers, we’re probably all guilty of not knowing when to call it a day and wrap things up. Maybe that snare needs a little more 4kHz. Could I re-record that bassline and get a better take? It’s a problem which afflicts Jamie xx.

READ MORE: “I used to be very shy but I would observe what everyone was dancing to and what worked”: How The xx’s Romy found her confidence as a DJ

He’s about to release his second studio album In Waves – its official release date is Friday, 20 September – but as he recalls in a new interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music, knowing when to call the album a done deal proved difficult.
“I always feel like everything could be better,” he explains. “That’s why it took so long for me to finish this album because I finished it eight times and then there was always this bit in me that felt like it could be one better.”
He later adds: “This time, I’ve enjoyed finishing this album more than I’ve enjoyed finishing anything. Usually it’s a bit of a slog and this time one of the reasons why it took so long is because I was just having so much fun with the finer details, working out the track list, so it really felt like an album.”
In Waves was recorded over a period of four years, and five singles from its 12-song tracklist have already been released: Baddy on the Floor, Treat Each Other Right, Life, All You Children and Dafodil.

Elsewhere in the interview, Jamie xx touches on whether he strives to make a record that’s specifically dance music, or whether he aims to simply create music and let things flow.
“With this album, it mattered to me more because when I was in lockdown I was starting to get excited about the idea of playing shows again,” he says. “I was excited about this new music I was making and I wanted to be able to play it so it had to fit in the way that I perform, which is DJing.
“Also, my favourite thing to do in the studio is just to dance around on my own. It usually ends up with some danceable element to it.”
Back in January, Jamie xx’s bandmate Romy confirmed that the xx were back in the studio together working on new music.
Also in the new Apple Music interview, Jamie reflects on what it’s been like working once again with his xx bandmates.
“It’s just nice to be back together doing what we do,” he says. “It’s very natural. I’ve worked with a lot of people in the last few years and the chemistry that we have is noticeably so different. It’s hard to explain.”
He goes on: “It’s always difficult to make an album and especially when it’s a compromise between three people. And again, after this time of us all doing separate things, coming back together, I’ve realised just to embrace it and enjoy it and I think I’m enjoying the difficulty of it as well now, which is nice…
“We are all in very different places mentally and in our lives outside of music. It’s more of a challenge, but I think that that was the point of us all going out and donig this and now it’s about bringing it back in. And the challenge is going to make the album what it is and I think going to make it the best one yet, but it’s going to be more effort.
Jamie xx’s new album In Waves arrives Friday, 20 September. You can listen to his full conversation with Zane Lowe from 6pm BST, Wednesday 18 September on Apple Music.
The post “I always feel like everything could be better – I finished this album eight times”: Jamie xx reflects on new solo record, In Waves appeared first on MusicTech.

Labels vs Distribution: The Lines Are Blurring [Jay Gilbert]Learn the difference between labels and distribution and how those lines are blurring as each shifts focus and adds or subtracts services to better compete for talent.
The post Labels vs Distribution: The Lines Are Blurring [Jay Gilbert] appeared first on Hypebot.

Wavea Flite is a FREE Multi-Sampler plugin for Windows and macOS
Wavea releases Flite, a multi-sampler and synth plugin for macOS and Windows. Wavea’s Flite is a new multi-sampler and synth workstation that aims to provide high-end functionality at a lower price, so let’s get straight into the price. Flite has two modes: Play and Creator. You can use Flite in Play mode for free and [...]
View post: Wavea Flite is a FREE Multi-Sampler plugin for Windows and macOS

Lyte Seeks a Buyer as Founder, Former Employees Speak OutTicketing company Lyte shut down suddenly late last week. Now Lyte seeks a buyer as founder Ant Taylor, former employees, and affected promoters and fans are offering a clearer picture of the closer despite $53 million in funding.
The post Lyte Seeks a Buyer as Founder, Former Employees Speak Out appeared first on Hypebot.

What are Vinyl Records made of? (The Answer is NOT what you think…)Ever wondered what gives vinyl records their iconic sound and durability? Uncover the materials and processes that make vinyl records a timeless music medium.
The post What are Vinyl Records made of? (The Answer is NOT what you think…) appeared first on Hypebot.

Meet Flite, a new creator tool packed with “detailed samples of wonderfully rare machines”Startup tech brand Wavea has launched its first creator tool, Flite – a multi-sampler and synth plugin with a vast library full of “rare machines”.
The brand has been created by industry veteran Sharooz Raoofi and founder Milan Van Der Meer. The team formerly created the synth Astra, and worked at Audiaire which was acquired by Splice. Raoofi has been collecting electronic instruments for 20 years, and he is also the original founder of Sample Magic and owner of Wavetick.

READ MORE: My Forever Studio: Sharooz wants the synths software can’t recreate

Flite is the result of two years of development, and is an FM, virtual analogue and wavetable synth with multiple OSC modes. It hosts four multi-samplers, with individual sound and group controls, plus two 32-step sequencers with modulation, note, pitch, rate, and gate.
There’s also three LFOs with key trigger, delay and rate, plus three assignable envelopes, and Multi FX including granular reverb by Sinevibes, chorus, delay and more. Users can also experiment with an “extensive” modulation matrix, eight custom macros to create unique instruments from scratch, and five three-band EQs.
Currently, you can access Flite for no cost via a Free Player download. If you wish to dig a little deeper though, Flite Create is available for $99, offering further access to “under the hood parameters”, preset saving, sample import, and much more so you can customise your experience.
“Our goal is to make creativity accessible to everyone, irrespective of experience or budget, bringing easy, versatile, boundless sound design to everyone,” says Raoofi, “Which is why Flite Play is completely free and Flite Create retails at half the price and double the functionality of plugins twice as expensive.”
Check out the introduction video below for more:

To download now or view full specifications, head to Wavea.
The post Meet Flite, a new creator tool packed with “detailed samples of wonderfully rare machines” appeared first on MusicTech.

Neural DSP introduce Nano Cortex The new Nano Cortex uses the same technology found in Neural DSP’s Quad Cortex unit, allowing users to create a digital version of any amp, drive pedal or cabinet, or a combination of all of them!

Apogee unveil Symphony Studio Series Comprising three products that offer a variety of I/O configurations, Apogee's new interface line-up caters to traditional studio setups as well as offering a no-compromise entry point to immersive mixing. 

Tracklist for SOPHIE’s posthumous album revealed in honour of her birthdayThe full tracklist for SOPHIE’s posthumous album has been revealed by her estate in honour of what would have been her 38th birthday.
SOPHIE, also known as Sophie Xeon, became (and remains) a vast inspiration and muse to many from her music career as a producer, songwriter, and DJ. She worked with the likes of Charli XCX, A . G. Cook, and many more. SOPHIE sadly died in 2021 following an accidental fall from a building in Athens, Greece.

READ MORE: A.G. Cook pens tribute to SOPHIE: An artist “whose presence was a constant affirmation of life itself”

In a post on X shared on 17 September, her estate revealed the full track list – which spans 16 songs and features contributions from Kim Petras, Nina Kraviz and more – writing, “On such a special day, we’re excited to celebrate Sophie and reveal her tracklist for the upcoming album SOPHIE.”
It is as follows:

Intro (The Full Horror)
RAWWWWWW (feat. Jozzy)
Plunging Asymptote (feat. Juliana Huxtable)
The Dome’s Protection (feat. Nina Kraviz)
Reason Why (feat. Kim Petras and BC Kingdom)
Live in My Truth (feat. BC Kingdom and LIZ)
Why Lies (feat. BC Kingdom and LIZ)
Do you Wanna Be Alive (feat. BIG SISTER)
Elegance (feat. Popstar)
Berlin Nightmare (feat. Evita Manji)
Gallop (feat. Evita Manji)
One More Time (feat. Popstar)
Exhilarate (feat. Bibi Bourelly)
Always and Forever (feat. Hannah Diamond)
My Forever (feat. Cecile Believe)
Love Me Off Earth (feat. Doss)

The album was announced back in June this year, and will land on 27 September via Transgressive Records and Future Classic. At the time of the album announcement, SOPHIE’s family shared a statement, in which they wrote, “When we, Sophie’s family, took our first steps towards bringing this project to fruition we contacted the dear friends with whom she envisioned the album.
“We wrote, ‘We have been finding comfort in the music Sophie left us, it is a gift that we truly cherish as we try to find a way forward, with Sophie forever at the centre of our worlds.’ Sophie didn’t often speak publicly of her private life, preferring to put everything she wanted to articulate in her music.”
The statement continues, “It feels only right to share with the world the music she hoped to release, in the belief that we can all connect with her in this, the form she loved most. Sophie gave all of herself to her music. It’s here that she can always be found.”
Find out more over at SOPHIE’s official website, or pre-order the album now.
The post Tracklist for SOPHIE’s posthumous album revealed in honour of her birthday appeared first on MusicTech.

This soundbar optimises sound specifically for where you’re sitting in a roomA new soundbar created by Klipsch is the “first ever” to utilise Dirac Live Room Correction technology, which optimises sound for the room it’s in and where listeners are sitting.
The Flexus Core 300 Dolby Atmos Sound System is due to be officially launched this winter. According to Dirac itself, the technology works by analysing the acoustic properties of your room and evaluating characteristics such as size and shape, and all the objects that might affect sound waves. It then calculates how to optimise the sound before it leaves the speakers.

READ MORE: Arendal Sound’s new flagship 1723 THX speaker series recreates the “true essence” of music and film recordings

Though other brands have integrated similar room adapting tools, this soundbar marks the first with Dirac and appears to be more fleshed out. Dirac is traditionally associated with AV receivers. As for its other features, the Flexus core 300 also hosts eight side-firing, front-firing, and up-firing 2.25-inch speakers, plus four 4-inch subwoofers, as per What Hi-Fi?.
It also offers connectivity via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C, 8K passthrough HDMI, HDMI eARC, and an optical input. An app for iOS and Android, called Connect Plus, will also allow users to switch between inputs and adjust settings such as EQ, as well as receive updates.
Via the Connect Plus app, users can additionally access controls for the soundbar’s suite of streaming options, which includes Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify, and Tidal Connect.
Fredric Tapper, VP of Home Audio at Dirac, comments, “Dirac and Klipsch share a deep and unwavering commitment to audio excellence, which has been brought to bear in the  Klipsch Flexus Core 300 soundbar – a world-first product that sets a new standard in soundbar audio performance.”
The Flexus Core 300 is priced at $999. An official release date is yet to be revealed. For more information, head to Klipsch or Dirac.
The post This soundbar optimises sound specifically for where you’re sitting in a room appeared first on MusicTech.

Dimension Chorus is a FREE Stereo Expander Plugin by Tribe Instruments
Tribe Instruments released Dimension Chorus, a freeware 64-bit plugin for macOS and Windows.  The developer tells us the plugin allows you to “sculpt immersive sonic landscapes with ease.” Now, that sounds really pretty, doesn’t it? But what can it actually do? Well, the Dimension Chorus can expand the stereo image of a source or create [...]
View post: Dimension Chorus is a FREE Stereo Expander Plugin by Tribe Instruments

How Sub Pop Records Develops and Funds ArtistsThis week, Ari is joined by Tony Kiewel, President of Sub Pop Records and co-founder of ORCA, to discuss the inner workings of artist/label relationships.

Beggars and Secretly strike deal with Cargo Records to launch new UK-based indie distribution companyCargo Independent Distribution will be led by Cargo Records UK founder & CEO Phil Hill
Source

Bitcoin’s ‘local market structure’ could push BTC price to new all-time high — AnalystsAnalysts say Bitcoin’s recent price action could be a sign that the path to new all-time highs has begun.

Patreon launches features to automate away creators’ administrative workload and help them make more moneyEvery month, 400,000 free members upgrade to paid memberships, the company says. According to Patreon, Autopilot improved the rate of free-to-paid membership upgrades by an average of 19% in testing.
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