You could win a Moog Source synthesizer signed by Bob Moog himselfThe Bob Moog Foundation has announced a fundraising raffle for an excellent condition vintage Moog Source synthesizer signed by Bob Moog himself.

READ MORE: These gold speaker systems are a level of bougie we’d probably never be able to afford

Open internationally, the raffle is currently ongoing and will end on 26 February at 1159pm ET, or when all 5,000 tickets are sold. Tickets are $20 each, 6 for $100, 14 for $200, or 40 for $500, and can be purchased at the Moog Foundation website. The winner will be announced on Friday, 1 March 2024.
Originally released in 1981, the Source is a unique piece of music history that embodies both tradition and progression in the sonic world. The unit in the raffle was donated by musician, composer, and sound designer Erik Norlander, who co-designed the legendary Alesis Andromeda analogue synthesizer. It has a serial number of 3948 and was built in Cheektowaga, New York. The synth also has an estimated value of $3,500 and makes for a valuable collector’s item, even more so with Bob Moog’s signature on it.
“This Source is signed by Bob himself, and its new owner will have an extremely special piece of synthesizer history in addition to a beautiful sounding musical instrument,” Norlander says.
“It is a solid performer with the epic Moog transistor ladder filter sound that we all know and love. For me the Source brings much of the weight of the Minimoog Model D but also some noticeable midrange punch that gives it its own sonic character. Owners of multiple Moog instruments will find that the Source occupies its own unique space and will be a worthy and treasured addition to any synth collection.”
Image: Bob Moog Foundation
Funds raised from the raffle will be used to expand the Bob Moog Foundation’s hallmark education project, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool. The raffle will also support the Bob Moog Foundation Archives and the Moogseum, an immersive, experiential facility in Asheville, North Carolina, which brings Bob Moog’s pioneering legacy and the science of sound and synthesis alive for people of all ages. The Moogseum opened in May 2019 and has since welcomed over 30,000 visitors worldwide.
Often regarded as the most iconic, archetypal analogue synth of all time, the Moog Source boasts rich sound quality and a technical lineage rooted in the iconic Minimoog. The Source was manufactured from 1981 through 1985 and was the first Moog synthesizer to offer patch memory storage in 16 preset locations.
It also features a cassette tape jack, allowing for transfers of patches to and from an external tape. In addition to its mylar touch control panel, single-knob functionality, and trademark Moog sound, the Source is lauded for its sequencers, sample and hold, arpeggiator, presets, and unique data wheel.

Learn more about the raffle and get your tickets at the Moog Foundation.
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The Saltburn Effect: Princess Superstar and Mason on the conception and rebirth of Perfect (Exceeder)The Saltburn Effect — this is the phenomenon that caused Mason and Princess Superstar to have their careers flipped upside down, all over again.

READ MORE: Chromeo: “We’re still as enthralled by funk and analogue synths as we were before”

When Perfect (Exceeder) landed in 2007, it climbed all the way to number three in the UK Singles chart, and number one in UK Dance, but neither of them have found themselves faced with an unexpected resurgence quite like this one.
Nearly 20 years on from its release, its streaming figures are reaching roughly one million plays per day, according to Mason, and it’s all thanks to the twisted tale of wealth, desperation and lust of Saltburn by British filmmaker Emerald Fennell, with its immense soundtrack of early noughties bangers.
Featuring Arcade Fire, The Cheeky Girls, MGMT, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor (whose track Murder On The Dancefloor has also rocketed back into the charts), Saltburn encapsulates a nostalgia that’s infatuated new listeners and reminded older ones of the magic of 00s electro, indie and pop. It also provides some nice dance break opportunities between a few, er, awkward scenes, let’s say.

American rapper Princess Superstar, real name Concetta Kirschner, is pretty exhausted by the madness. But she’s riding the high as she joins us for a video call. She appears on camera, coffee in hand, having been awake since 1:30 am for a previous media engagement. “I mean, I got my career handed back to me on a silver platter, so I’m not complaining,” she says. “It was like a low fee [I was paid for the track’s use in the movie]. So I was like, ‘Okay, sure you can use it’ – little did I know! I don’t think [the film’s production team] knew what was about to hit them either.”
DJ and producer Mason (Iason Chronis), calls in from his home city of Amsterdam: “For half of the people it’s like a revival record — like, ‘hey, we used to dance to this 17 years ago!’ — and for the other half, it’s a younger generation who just discovered it for the first time.
“For them, it’s new music — that’s really cool. And I realise they’re a fan of that actual song, so it’s a bit of an entity on its own. I’m super grateful for whatever one or two per cent clicks onwards and starts following me.”
Mason’s original 2006 instrumental version of Exceeder was one of the first tracks he released. The explosive electro house track starts with a French house-style flip of Let It All Blow by Dazz Band before dropping into a rolling synth bass that tantalises you to the dancefloor.

At the time, Mason DJ’d regularly for Electronation – an electro music event hosted regularly by a collective of European DJs. “Sometimes we were doing two or three a week in different cities, Netherlands, Belgium, England. From the pool of DJs, I was more on the bright or happy side of electro, so this tune kind of represented the feeling of those parties.”
The production process for Exceeder was simpler than you might imagine. At the time, he was between two studios so he didn’t have a proper space to create: “For two months or so, my setup was at home in my kitchen. So it was really nothing. I made it on a Mac and the main lead sound was made with Minimonsta by GForce. And well, that’s it! It was all in the box, and I was really at the start of my production [career], so I don’t think there’s any sidechain compression or anything like that in it.
“It’s super basic and you can hear all the chunky beats. It’s glued together and just stacked on each other — and I think that’s also maybe sometimes a bit of a lesson. We can go super nitty-gritty with plugins and make everything ideal sonically, but sometimes something has character even if it’s not ideally mixed.”
Mason. Credit: Mason
Princess Superstar’s original version of Perfect sat on her fifth album, My Machine, and took more of a classic hip-hop approach. Produced with DJ Mighty Mi, the track was a satirical jab at fame, poking fun at being imperfect.
Though Superstar has dabbled in music production – if you dig around on Soundcloud, you may just find some demos she produced for a certain Lana Del Rey with Ableton Live circa 2008 – she says she decided she “wasn’t very good at it…Which is fine! I think it’s good to know what you’re good at and what other people should do for you. I couldn’t mix for shit,” she confesses.
“My Machine was my favourite album that I did, and it was a really big endeavour for me back then. I wanted to do a concept record. I was brought up on The Who’s Tommy, my parents loved that stuff. Pink Floyd, all that amazing English music.” She adds, “As far as the lyrics go, I borrowed from my favourite hip-hop songs. [The lyrics] ‘Push it, push it’ came from Salt-N-Pepa, and ‘work it’ is Missy Elliot. So it was an homage to other female rappers.”

The remix launched both artists into a new league in their careers, yet neither Mason nor Princess Superstar can remember the exact details of how they actually put together the mash-up of their two tracks. But they do recall bootlegs of it making their rounds online. “It’s so funny, somebody else put them together and we both don’t really know who,” chuckles Princess Superstar. “I really wanna give this guy a cake!”
Both of them admit they’d perhaps have done things a little differently with hindsight. One thing they’re certain of is that staying grounded and being faithful to your craft is vital. “Try to follow too much what other people are doing,” says Mason. “Try not to repeat yourself too much. Maybe I went a little bit too much the other way. Straight away, I released all kinds of obscure records and focused on an album instead of follow-up singles.”
Princess Superstar knows all too well that the words “tough” and “music industry” go hand in hand. The music video for Perfect (Exceeder), pulled together by Ministry Of Sound, did not include her. She says that, contractually, she should’ve had creative control. “As an artist that’s really fucking important,” she stresses. “They made a video with three models in it lip-syncing and even sent those models out on tour as Princess Superstar to some UK club dates.”

Though she managed to send a cease and desist to stop the touring, she says she wasn’t in a position to sue the company over the music video. “Many people love that video and I don’t want to take away the joy either… It’s iconic in the sense of capturing a certain era in dance music. Like Eric Prydz’s Call On Me and Benny Benassi’s Satisfaction – that’s a certain look and aesthetic.” MusicTech has contacted Ministry Of Sound for further comment.
Holding grudges gives you wrinkles, she says, and today Superstar feels she’s “getting a second chance.”
“I went through a lot of pain as an artist. People used to say I was ‘so underrated’ and I felt like that was such a weird compliment because you’re like, ‘well, thanks, I guess!’ I had to do a lot of work on that. I feel like that might have cleared the energy for this to happen, for sure.”
Mason DJing. Credit: Mason
While Princess Superstar was labelled as ahead of the curve, Mason strayed away from the curve entirely. As a producer who produces across various genres, he recognises it’s important to put out music that feeds the soul, not the system. “It’s not always been the easy route, it means people can’t pigeonhole you. It’s easier if you know your subgenre and its promoters, gatekeepers, labels and festivals you need to focus on. For me, that’s sometimes a bit more difficult. I’m generally a bit on the side of house music, but that’s about it. I like to keep my freedom there.
“As long as I can live from it and do that, I’m happy. I don’t need the biggest jet-set lifestyle, it’s cool what it is now,” he says. “I also realise track 10 or 11 on my album is not going to [reach] the biggest streaming [figures] ever. But for me, it’s important to release it and I know my fans appreciate it. Luckily there have been records, Exceeder and a few others, that make it all possible.”
A testament to Mason’s curve-straying tactics is his latest album, Chroma Panorama, released last November. He spent around two years on it in total, and it hosts a plethora of collaborations. “I’ve been songwriting much more on this album than previously… I’ve been much more involved myself now in that process. I’ve worked with maybe 12 or 15 instrumentalists on the album as well,” he says. “It’s mixed on a Rupert Neve on 32 channels. I enjoyed mixing it analogue much more, and I do realise people might not hear a difference, but for me it’s about the process.”
Princess Superstar at URB Magazine’s 15-year anniversary party. Image: Jemal Countess/WireImage via Getty Images
Princess Superstar also has a new project in the pipeline. “I was planning a new release and a music video even before Saltburn,” she says. Her upcoming project – titled New Renegades – lands at the end of February and, though she can’t give too much away, she hints that it touches on the blessing and curse of being ahead of your time.
“There’s remixes coming now from all these big names for Excedeer [one is namely David Guetta], so that’s all coming in the next couple of months,” reveals Mason. “Every few weeks, [there will be] a different remix coming, and I’m working on new singles and I’ll be touring a lot more.”
It’s easy to overlook the impact of TikTok or the importance of licensing your track as an artist, but you never know what can lie around the corner. “It came super unexpectedly and maybe that’s a message of hope for people,” he says. “You never know what will happen with your catalogue. Your catalogue is your pension. It has value.”
You can stream or buy Chroma Panorama now. Princess Superstar’s New Renegades will land this February. Saltburn is streaming on Amazon Prime.
The post The Saltburn Effect: Princess Superstar and Mason on the conception and rebirth of Perfect (Exceeder) appeared first on MusicTech.

Erica Synths unveil Hexinverter Mutant Machine Erica Synths' latest release began as a quest to create a rich-sounding snare drum module to complement the Mutant Drums series originally made by Hexinverter Électronique.

WMG has strongest quarter ever, tips 10% layoffs, Uproxx & HipHopDX sale to invest $200M in core music businessWarner Music Group just announced its strongest quarter ever, with revenue rising 17% for the period ending Dec. 31, 2023, to $1.75 billion...
The post WMG has strongest quarter ever, tips 10% layoffs, Uproxx & HipHopDX sale to invest $200M in core music business appeared first on Hypebot.

Epic Games and Disney partner up on a Fortnite ‘entertainment universe’Lego Fortnite is only two months old, but Epic Games is already out with an even bigger collaboration. Epic and Disney announced today that the companies will partner on an “all-new games and entertainment universe” that will bring characters from Disney’s deep catalogue to life through Fortnite. The scope of the project sounds massive, to […]
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Spotify [NYSE: SPOT] stock up 8% in the last two daysSpotify stock closed Tuesday at $231.92, up $8.67, a gain of 3.88%. Earlier in the day NYSE: SPOT was up as much as 8.64% after the streamer delivered a strong Q4 2023 report.
The post Spotify [NYSE: SPOT] stock up 8% in the last two days appeared first on Hypebot.

Warner Music Group to cut a further 10% of workforce, 600 jobs to go, in move to ‘free up more funds to invest in music’Robert Kyncl confirms WMG is exiting its owned and operated media businesses, including Uproxx and IMGN
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What is a MIDI keyboard?
Learn all about the basics of MIDI keyboards, and find out how to start making music with one.

Roland marks J Dilla’s 50th birthday with limited apparel rangeRoland, in collaboration with Save The Music Foundation, has released the Roland Lifestyle x J Dilla collection, a limited J Dilla apparel collection.

READ MORE: Robert Glasper says watching “genius” J Dilla “make a beat in 15 minutes was the most extraordinary thing”

The collection marks what would have been the iconic artist’s 50th birthday today on 7 February, with proceeds going directly to the James Dewitt Yancey Foundation and J Dilla Music Technology Grant, which aim to inspire high school students in electronic music creation.
The collection features Detroit-inspired designs, paying homage to Dilla’s legacy and his acclaimed album Donuts. The partnership between Roland and Save The Music will continue, with plans for an expanded collection later in the year.
Credit: Roland
In a press statement, J Dilla’s mother Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey, expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership, highlighting the musical influence of both her son and Roland.
“Our family comes from a musical house where Roland machines helped us create so much music over the years,” said Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey, J Dilla’s mother. “This partnership feels right to me, as both my son and Roland have inspired and influenced many musicians. It is a great way to continue James’s legacy.”
Nathan Chandra, creative director at Roland Lifestyle, emphasised the impact of J Dilla’s creativity and the charitable aspect of the collaboration.
Credit: Roland
Henry Donahue, Executive Director at Save The Music, praised the partnership for investing in the next generation of creators.
“Growing up, J Dilla changed my approach to creativity, and it is an honour to celebrate his legacy through this partnership,” said Nathan Chandra, creative director at Roland Lifestyle. “With proceeds from the collection’s sales benefiting the J Dilla Music Technology Grant and the Save The Music Foundation, J Dilla continues to impact culture and the future of music from the next world.”
The collection includes a $40 Michigan t-shirt, a $100 Donuts hoodie, and a $40 J Dilla trucker hat.
You can purchase items right now, with proceeds supporting music education initiatives.
Find out more at Roland.
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Why indie record labels are backing Universal Music Group’s action on TikTok.Dr Richard James Burgess MBE on why A2IM and its labels are supporting Universal's stance on the matter
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University of Huddersfield announce Ernest Berk research project Researchers at the University of Huddersfield have begun work on a project that aims to explore the life and work of electronic music pioneer and choreographer Ernest Berk.

The best free DAW? “Cakewalk, easily”, says Benn JordanEditor’s note: MusicTech and BandLab Technologies’ Cakewalk are both owned by the Caldecott Music Group.
Producer, music tech journalist and creator Benn Jordan has had his say on the best free DAW available today. His choice? Cakewalk.

READ MORE: It’s settled: Logic Pro is the best digital audio workstation in the world, at least according to the NAMM TEC Awards

Revealed in a recent video posted to YouTube entitled Lookin’ For A Good FREE DAW, Jordan praises the free-to-use software for its “sleek interface”, customisability, and its Input Step sequencing Function, comparing it to other free DAWs such as BandLab, Soundbridge and Ardour.
“I’m gonna be honest with you: didn’t have a high expectation of Cakewalk.” he says in the video. “I was like, ‘Ugh, I don’t really want to play with Cakewalk but whatever, I will.’ I figured it would be full of pain points and features that don’t really apply to 2024 music making.
“I was wrong. It’s actually badass. Seriously, if you already use Ableton [Live] or FL Studio or something – download Cakewalk. It is free and it is absolutely worth checking out.
“Anytime that I wanted to find a particular functionality, I was able to just find it and I intentionally didn’t use any third party VST plugins expect for the free and open-source Surge.”
The video cuts to a clip of him jamming away using Cakewalk’s built-in instruments. He then says, “I think that was the first time that I felt like a musician using 100 percent free software so far in this journey.”
One of the main features in Cakewalk that Benn Jordan loves is Input Step Sequencing “akin to the old Boss DR-660 drum machine or a JX-65 Roland work machine”, which lets you enter individual notes or steps into a grid to create musical sequences, often used for precise rhythm and melody composition.
“It’s 100 percent free with no strings attached and I’m really glad that a highly customisable professional piece of software with a sleek user interface exists for musicians,” he concludes.

Benn Jordan has become a well-known figure in the music tech community, thanks to his insider knowledge, hot takes and frighteningly accurate predictions about the industry (In July 2023, he correctly foresaw layoffs for Moog, Apple and Spitfire Audio staff).
Jordan also recently hit back at synth brand Behringer after it slammed the lack of gear reviews of its products. He shared a video saying that reviewing Behringer’s “counterfeit synths” would be “boring content”. He also later posted a video announcing he was done making gear videos in general due to the “super toxic” community.
Subscribe to Benn Jordan on YouTube.
The post The best free DAW? “Cakewalk, easily”, says Benn Jordan appeared first on MusicTech.

35% of top TikTok tracks were removed by UMG, but fans find workaroundsSeventeen of Billboard's TikTok Top 50 Chart tracks are no longer available after licensing talks between Universal Music Group and the social video app failed last week...
The post 35% of top TikTok tracks were removed by UMG, but fans find workarounds appeared first on Hypebot.

Best free sample packs for electro-funk and nu-discoAd feature with BandLab Sounds
Chromeo, Justice, Hot Chip, Dam Funk — who are your electro-funk heroes? And how many times have you opened your DAW to try and create similar music, only to get sidetracked for two hours on building that perfect synth patch? We’ve all been there.

READ MORE: Chromeo: “We’re still as enthralled by funk and analogue synths as we were before”

Another way to harness some groovy nu-disco sounds is to incorporate samples, whether that’s from an old record or a sample pack made specifically for the genre. We’ve teamed up with BandLab to curate a selection of the best free sample packs from the BandLab Sounds platform that you can download instantly and get creative with. There are slap bass sounds, funky synth stabs, vocoders, and artist packs from those working in the genre.
You can audition and download each sound independently, or download the whole pack and chop, blend, and mangle the sounds as you like to fit your project. The best part? Every single sound is free to download and use, with royalty-free usage across the board.
Eduard Kort Volume 1
Eduard Kort
Eduard Kort, also known as UK producer Funklord VHS created two original sample packs for BandLab Sounds focusing on fat drum hits and song starter loops.
The song starter loops in Eduard Kort Volume 1 are ideal for instant inspiration, letting you build around a chord progression and inject your own sound. Meanwhile, in both Volume 1 and 2, are a range of guitar licks, synth and keys loops, drum one-shots and loops to add to your track.
Download Eduard Kort Volume 1 at BandLab Sounds
Download Eduard Kort Volume 2 at BandLab Sounds
Vocoded Lover
Vocoded Lover
Who doesn’t love a vocoder? The iconic instrument has made its way onto countless disco and funk hits, and it doesn’t seem to be going out of style anytime soon.
BandLab’s Vocoded Lover pack gives you a retro selection of vocoded vocal lines, which are as 80s as it gets. There’s also a variety of accompanying sounds, such as drum loops, basslines, sound effects and more.
Download Vocoded Lover at BandLab Sounds
Malcolm Joseph Slap Bass
Malcolm Joseph Slap Bass
You might not be Paul Rudd, but you can still slap dat bass — or get the sound of it, anyway. Grace Jones’ bassist, the excellent Malcolm Joseph, has recorded a plethora of slap basslines that just ooze funk.
Some of these could take centre-stage in your disco house track, or sit comfortably below your electro-funk synth arrangement. Split into two tempos, 80bpm and 116bpm, the samples should fit a range of styles.
Download Sessions: Malcolm Joseph – Slap Bass at BandLab Sounds
P-Funk Bass
P-Funk Bass
Inspired by the sounds of legendary funk band Parliament and band member Bootsy Collins, this bass pack comprises 49 loops spanning a range of styles. Put simply by BandLab, this pack exudes “groovy and funky basses” that we advise chopping up and laying across a sampler keyboard to really make them your own.
Download P-Funk Bass at BandLab Sounds
Synth Funk
Synth Funk
This Synth Funk pack has everything you need to get a track going. Chic-style guitar riffs, vocoder lines, big drum one-shots, and a ton of synth stabs.
With 74 loops and 25 one-shots available to download, there are plenty of ways to get creative and make tunes that will perfectly accompany sunset cocktails.
Download Synth Funk at BandLab Sounds
Pop Funk
Pop Funk
If you’re trying to tap into the cheesier side of electro-funk and nu-disco, you’ll want to check out Pop Funk.
The carefully-curated library gives you a bright dose of funk sounds, from rich, layered synths to stomping beats and hip-shaking percussion. You’ll definitely make use of some of these sounds, regardless of what genre you might be creating.
Download Pop Funk at BandLab Sounds
Nu-Disco Nuggets
Nu-Disco Nuggets
Just a touch of disco is being handed out in Nu-Disco Nuggets. A quick synth stab here, some growling bass there, and a palette of drum one-shots that you can use again and again.
Sprinkle in the dazzling sound effects, too, and you’ll be making tracks like Todd Terje in no time.
Download Nu Disco Nuggets at BandLab Sounds
Plucky Funk Guitar
Plucky Funk Guitar
Where would disco and funk be without the humble guitar? Don’t forget to add a touch of six-string to your tracks with sounds from this pack of 101 riffs, licks and chops.
These are all recorded at 120bpm at E Minor, so you’re able to quickly chop and change between samples in a track for serious french house vibes.
Download Plucky Funk Guitar at BandLab Sounds
Artist pack: Youngr
Artist pack: Youngr
British artist Youngr has been making waves for years with his polished blend of nu-disco and acid jazz. He even caught the attention of Jamiroquai’s Jay Kay after posting some seriously impressive Jamiroquai mashup covers online.
So who better to lay down some canned heat than Youngr? Get the sound of his Rhodes piano, synths and more in this exclusive BandLab Sounds pack.
Download Artist pack: Youngr at BandLab Sounds
Samplestars Nu-Disco Loops
The Samplestars Nu-Disco pack is exploding with 107 loops tailor-made to 80s-style funk. Electric guitars, synth bleeps, full drum loops and more are all on offer at 118bpm and in a range of key signatures.
You should have no problem finding a place for these sounds in your next beat.
Download Samplestar: Nu-Disco Loops at BandLab Sounds
The post Best free sample packs for electro-funk and nu-disco appeared first on MusicTech.

Tool's Adam Jones Can't Do Without His Gibson Les PaulTool guitarist Adam Jones told us about his love for his '79 Les Paul.

Adam Jones: It's complex because I'm very picky about what I use. I use multiple amps. I have a couple of different guitars that have different tones. I definitely have my pedals that I use. I guess my guitar is especially a piece of me. I have a '79 Gibson Les Paul Custom Silverburst.

The tone it has throughanalog equipment is incredible. I think fast and easy and convenient is kind of the way everyone goes and I do it myself. I'm a victim of it. But there's so much digital equipment out there and people just plug in any guitar and then, 'Oh, well, you can make it sound good. You don't need to be fussy about other stuff.'

But to me, that doesn't sound good. It's the same sound. It just sounds weak and farty. I could go off about equipment for hours. But yeah, my guitar. I mean, I could pick up any guitar and jam with people. But, you know, when I actually play our Tool songs, I just I love my weighted guitars.

Tool performs on Wednesday, February 14 and Thursday, February 15 at the Crypto.com Arena.

(Photo by Travis Shinn)