Exiting Planet Dust; Astralwerks celebrates its 20th anniversary
Getting its start in 1993, Astralwerks began as a sub-label of Caroline Records, an independent US distributor whose main focus was rock n roll. Already established in the UK, electronic music needed a home on American soil and thus Astralwerks was born. Forward thinking from its inception, the label's first release was from Amorphous Adrogynous, a spin-off of the wildly popular Future Sound of London. From there the iconic label's roster grew until it became a veritable whose who of dance music. The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta - the list reads like the roster of a dance music all star team.
Understanding high tech soul: why Detroit techno matters for the EDM generation
The word “techno” has certainly taken on its fair share of interpretations in the course of its history. It is undeniably culturally significant not only to devotees of electronic music, but also to understanding the trajectory of the world’s aural history as we know it. As the new generation of dance music lovers, we owe it to ourselves to understand the place from which we came.
Daft Punk open up in exclusive interview with French magazine; ‘We make music for the fans’
As the release of "Random Access Memories" inches closer, the hype machine around Daft Punk's latest album continues to reach meteoric proportions. With the release of "Get Lucky," thousands of shoddy bootlegs have landed in the trash, putting the robotic duo back where they belong - at the top of their game and back in the spotlight. Known for their enigmatic personas, Thomas and Guy usually shy away from doing press but have made an exception for France's Rock & Folk magazine wherein they discuss the origins of the album, their approach to the production and the fact that "no one tries anymore." In this lengthy interview, Daft Punk open up about the state of electronic music expressing their motivations for creating a new album and their concerns with the way the scene is trending - "There is less ambition today." Translated by LGND-R at thedaftclub.com, the transcript is far from perfect but paints an exciting picture of the thought process behind the biggest electronic album of the last 10 years. Read past the break for the article translated in its entirety - or read the original French version here.
The history of Coachella Music Festival: From rocky starts to record-setting sales
If you've ever attended Coachella Arts and Music Festival, you need to thank Eddie Vedder. In 1993, Pearl Jam threw a concert that would inadvertently spark the birth for Coachella Arts and Music Festival. As part of a boycott against Ticketmaster, their management chose a venue in one of America’s hottest and driest locations; one with an undeveloped desert lawn that was several hours driving from any major population centers – Indio’s Empire Polo Club. As Pearl Jam performed in front of 25,000 fans, they proved Indio befitting for a large music festival. Since then the festival has gone through a a variety of growing pains, from struggling during early financial troubles to becoming the highest grossing event of its kind.
The Rebel Agency joins Creative Artists Agency, brings Damian Lazarus, Hot Natured, Art Department and more along for the ride
After establishing a presence in the deeper areas of dance music, The Rebel Agency, has just announced its move to join the Creative Artists Agency (CAA). As the world's leading entertainment and sports agency, CAA already represents David Guetta, Paul van Dyke, Steve Angello, Pretty Lights, Kraftwerk and more. The move sees Jazz Spinder, Matt Kingsley and Inbal Lankry setting up shop in CAA's Los Angeles office.