Ubiquitous throughout vastly disparate scenes in the music industry, Skrillex is well-known for an a number of traits. Among the producer’s central characteristics are his status as a globetrotting DJ, his eclectic tastes, and his humility. All three of these aspects factor into Skrillex’s new mini-documentary, The Same Place.

Filmed and edited by Jas Davis and James Winterhalter, the 11-minute video sees the artist travel across the world as he DJs, produces, plays guitar, and engages in various recreational shenanigans. Largely devoid of any dialogue, the footage is primarily set to a melange of songs which show off Skrillex’s diverse tastes. Amid several of his own hits (and one formidable unreleased track), Skrillex weaves in the metal of Testament, the nostalgic rock of Sacri Monti, and a striking “synthapella” of German techno luminary Stephan Bodzin‘s “Zulu.”

The verbal centerpiece of the short film, which includes its titular quote, shows Skrillex deliver a speech to aspiring producers at a Bridges for Music event. Skrillex encourages the hopeful crowd with anecdotal insights from his own experiences as a rising producer. The full excerpt from his keynote speech is transcribed below:

“Maybe there’s no science in what it takes to be called a musician because this wasn’t called music a couple years ago The first time I went to the Grammys, people were still like ‘Why is this guy at the Grammys? He’s not making music.’ Make music for the 16 year old inside yourself, even when you’re 50 years old. Fuck the craft. Everyone can learn how to do this shit. Cultivate your own thing, stick together, and just do that. Have some fun, make some music. If it’s fun – that’s all that matters…I’m having fun. I’m in the same room you’re all sitting in right now. I’m in the same place you guys are.”

posted by David Miller (via dancingastronaut)

We all know Waka Flocka goes “Hard In Da Paint,” but it appears the beloved rapper is giving the term a whole new meaning for 2017. Last night, Waka Flocka fans got a little more than they bargained for during a show in Athens, Georgia. In the middle of his set, the ATL rapper noticed someone in the audience sporting a Donald Trump jersey and took the opportunity to address his distaste for the president-elect in what may be one of the funniest anti-Trump stunts ever. Press play to watch the NSFW footage above.

posted by David Miller (via hypebeast)

Tidal has added a new feature to its mobile app called Track Edit that will allow users to alter the length and tempo of tracks. The feature, which looks to be slowly rolling out to mobile users, will let you edit tracks by clicking the option button while playing any song, and then save the edited track to a new or existing playlist.

Tidal hasn’t said why they added the feature and has yet to respond to a request for comment.
This is the second notable update Tidal has released this month, following up the release of its high-resolution audio feature which it’s calling “Master” quality recordings. Following up a relatively quiet 2016, it looks like Tidal may be ready to make some noise this year.

posted by David Miller (via theverge)

Official reports have come in regarding the deadly nightclub shooting at the Blue Parrot last night during BPM Festival in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Five have died, and fifteen injured and sent to hospitals.

The terror began around midnight PT when shots were heard at the Blue Parrot nightclub and people began running into the street in a frenzy. In the turmoil, many were injured or shot. It is believed that the violence may have been caused by the cartels.

An official statement from BPM Festival posted early this morning reads:

It is with great sadness to share that police have confirmed reports of a lone shooter outside the Blue Parrot nightclub in Playa Del Carmen earlier today, which resulted in four fatalities and twelve injured. The violence began on 12th street in front of the club and three members of the BPM security team were among those whose lives were lost while trying to protect patrons inside the venue.

The BPM Festival has been working closely with the local authorities (Seguridad Publica / Policia Turistica) throughout the festival to ensure public safety and security for all visitors. We are overcome with grief over this senseless act of violence and we are cooperating fully with local law enforcement and government officials as they continue their investigation.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all the victims and their families and all those affected by these tragic events.

The BPM Festival Familia

In a later update, according to Associated Press, the death toll has climbed to five and fifteen people were injured in the event.

posted by David Miller (via mixmag)

Denon finally lifted the curtain on the SC5000 Prime Media Player, while there was much speculation on the web, not everyone had the full details. Our friends over at djworx.com have an in depth coverage here. To summarize:

It’s a single player with dual layer playback and control.
This means one player has two audio outputs, you just keep switching between decks. This is for both media and controller.

7″ Multi Touch display
It’s huge! It works well too for waveform display and zooming and (we presume) track scrolling.

Media Player
It plays from USB and SD card and has network connectivity to link up to four players and play from a single source.

Performance Pads
It has 8 multi colour performance pads for bashing cue and loop points.

Pro Build
It is built very well, if it’s good enough for djworx, it’s good enough for us!

Jog wheel display
It has a display in the center of the jog wheel for artwork and can be customized. The jog wheel can be adjusted to be tighter or looser too.

The Prime range will also include the X1800 Mixer and VL12 turntable

Pre Order now for shipping in March / April

posted by David Miller (via westenddj)

A mysterious account on YouTube under the moniker “4162016211411” silently posted a video onto the streaming platform on January 1 that is now once again sparking widespread hope and speculation around the potential of Daft Punk reviving their Alive tour concept for 2017. Titled “Alive 2017,” the brief clip shows a futuristic setting on par with the enigmatic French duo’s live visuals before flashing the their moniker at the end. Its description is a recurring series of seemingly random 8-digit numbers.

Wise commenters familiar with code were able to crack the mystery, unveiling the numbers as corresponding with major global cities. A YouTuber by the name of Justin Stevens broke the list’s entirety which includes Paris, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, and Sydney. Furthermore, the numbers “4162016211411” evidently spell out “Daft Punk.”

While concrete proof has yet to arise, this video is certainly one of the more creative, and even believable rumor bit of the many that have been in circulation as of late regarding the outfit’s anticipated reunion 10 years after their last touring expedition. After all, its general cryptic nature and air of mystery displayed by the video and its description-less account screams Daft Punk. Furthermore, it aligns with other potential pieces of evidence already surfaced, such as the “leaked” Lollapalooza Chile lineup that surfaced in 2016. The video’s creator clearly took a lot of time in making sure to emulate Daft Punk’s reclusive, secretive behavior, and in taking other existing rumors into account to put forth most authentic result possible.

Only time will tell if it turns out to be an actual pointer toward an Alive 2017 tour.

posted by David Miller (via dancingastronaut)

It’s official: streaming has bumped off digital sales to become the number one way that Americans consume music.

A new report released by Nielsen Music finds that this past year, streams made up roughly 38 percent of the “music consumption market” in the U.S., with more than 251 billion songs obtained via this method. That number is up a whopping 76 percent from last year, and it marks the first time that streaming has passed digital sales. As the study put it: “the on-demand audio streaming share [of total music consumption] has now surpassed total digital sales (digital albums + digital track equivalents) for the first time in history.”

The rise is in no small part to fans of hip-hop and r&b, who use streaming services disproportionately. Those genres make up 22 percent of all listening, but 28 percent of streams. And a man who straddles both genres, Drake, is Nielsen’s top artist of the year. Drizzy is responsible for over 5.4 billion streams this year, more than three billion of which were on Spotify. The Weeknd, Kanye West, and Rihanna were some of the other most-streamed artists, according to the report.

Six different songs broke the 500 million stream mark, twice as many as last year. Among the tracks to hit that milestone were Desiigner’s “Panda” and Rihanna’s hit duet with Drake, “Work.”

The study also had information about the ongoing vinyl renaissance. The format had its biggest year since 1991, with sales of 13 million.

posted by David Miller (via complex)

With the resurgence of vinyl ever more evident, turntable manufacturers are chomping at the bit to make products of all quality levels to support the rise and popularity of the once thought extinct media format. Technics in particular, have been able to carry their name through the decades as a staple of the industry standard in clubs and venues for vinyl addicts. After unveiling details of the new SL-1200 GR, which they’ve branded as their “standard model”, is an alternative option for those not will to shell out for the pricey SL-1200 G. Being at almost half the price of the G which is an astounding £2,999, the GR’s price tag of $2,000 USD or £1,500, which is still pretty bloody expensive, is showcasing Technics shift in marketing towards the casual home listener.

posted by David Miller (via gizmodo)

Chris Brown and Soulja Boy aren’t exactly seeing eye-to-eye over Karrueche Tran.

Both Chris Brown and Soulja Boy posted NSFW rants on social media. On Monday night, Soulja Boy claimed Chris Brown angrily called him over liking a photo of Karrueche Tran on Instagram. Chris Brown allegedly threatened to beat up Soulja Boy over the phone. Brown dated Tran up until Mach 2015. (Warning: The language is very strong).

Model Karrueche Tran is at the center of this controversy. Back in November, Brown beefed with Drake after photographers caught the Canadian rapper with Karrueche. Back in 2015, Brown lashed out at Tyson Beckford for posting with a photo with Karrueche.

Since then, Soulja Boy has constantly re-tweeted news stories discussing the feud. Several months ago, Soulja Boy uploaded a video claiming he invented the internet. This time, most fans called out the rapper for only igniting feuds for attention.

posted by David Miller (via digitalmusicnews)

If you ever want to see The Chainsmokers in a nightclub again, you’re going to have to head to Las Vegas.

The Chainsmokers have signed an exclusive three-year deal with Wynn Nightlife which guarantees its properties XS and Encore Beach Club will be the only night and dayclubs where the chart-topping, Grammy-nominated duo will perform live from now through 2019.

“We are so thrilled to have this residency at the Wynn,” the duo’s Alex Pall is quoted in a press release. “They represent the best of what Las Vegas has to offer and we look forward to a great partnership.”

The “Closer” guys are no stranger to Las Vegas. In 2016’s Billboard cover story, the duo revealed its recent move to Los Angeles was partly inspired by a need to be closer to Sin City. So far, 10 dates have been announced with the kick-off at XS Friday, Jan. 6, with dates running until Friday, May 12, 2017.

“We’re excited to welcome The Chainsmokers to XS and Encore Beach Club,” Wynn Nightlife Executive Vice President and Managing Partner Alex Cordova says. “Partnering with such talented and sought-after artists exemplifies Wynn Nightlife’s commitment to bringing world-class entertainment to our luxury venues.”

Posted by Kat Bien (via Billboard)

Mainstream pop culture and dance music seem to blend more and more by the day, and everyone loves to talk about it. But for a movement that continues to grow both socially and economically at astonishing rates, dance music purists love to cling to dance music’s underground roots — and sometimes understandably so. Though, there are few better ways to remind ourselves that dance music hasn’t quite gone totally daytime TV on us yet than watching CNN’s beautifully cringeworthy interview with Skrillex and Marshmello from Miami’s iconic Fountainbleau poolside New Year’s Eve party.

From Lindsay Tuchman’s bumbling over “Bangarang’s” appeal to fitness-oriented Baby Boomers like her dad, to Gary Tuchman trying to carry a conversation about Marshmello’s anonymity through a series of basic “yes” and “no” nods from the helmet-headed superstar, the interview was a hilariously spot on reminder that maybe the “EDM bubble” hasn’t quite landed on Generation X yet, and maybe that’s a good thing. Best question of the night: how does performing on New Years Eve differ from other nights?

From there, Skrillex and Marshmello join Justin Bieber during his performance of “Sorry” as the final moments of 2016 pass by. Bieber’s career was completely reinvigorated in 2016, and Marshmello set out on a dominating campaign that nobody really expected. Skrillex was largely at the helm of both initiatives, and it all came together full circle as 2016 came to a close in Miami.

Watch Bieber’s performance here.

posted by David Miller (via dancingastronaut)

Turkish officials said at least 35 people were killed and dozens more wounded when gunmen disguised in Santa suits opened fire inside an Istanbul nightclub on New Year’s Eve.

CNN Turk reported the attack took place at a nightclub in the Besiktas neighborhood. The European Pressphoto Agency reported the name of the nightclub as Reina, a popular spot for young people. Images from the scene showed a heavy police presence around the perimeter of the club.

The New York Times reported the club was packed with an estimated 600 patrons when shots rang out around 1:15 a.m. local time.

The state-run Anadula news agency quoted Istanbul Gov. Vasip Sahin, saying a gunman shot a police officer providing security and another person to gain entry to the club, where civilians were targeted “by spraying bullets on innocent people who were celebrating the New Year.”

Sahin called the incident a “terror attack.”

The Hurriyet Daily News reported club patrons began jumping into the waters of the Bosporus Strait to escape the shooting. The high-end club is a frequent destination for celebrities visiting Istanbul and sits on the shore of the Bosporus, which separates Europe and Asia. The club lies in the heart of a vibrant food and nightclub district frequented by international tourists.

The Times reported Turkish officials had stepped up security efforts surrounding New Year’s Eve celebrations after warnings from U.S. intelligence officials in the days prior that an attack was possible.

The attackers have not been identified and it was unclear how many people were involved in the plot. Initial reports suggested as many as three shooters. It was also not immediately known if they remain at large or were killed by police responding to the incident.

posted by David Miller (via upi)