A month after linking with United Talent Agency in all areas, DJ Khaled continues to re-tool his team by announcing a new management deal with Roc Nation. The signing is for Khaled alone and does not include his We The Best Music Group company or roster, which includes Ace Hood and Mavado, among others.

Khaled becomes the latest high-profile name to sign with Roc Nation’s management division, which also handles Rihanna, Meek Mill, Big Sean, DJ Mustard and Shakira, among a slew of others. It’s also a relatively rare direct deal these days for Jay Z’s company, which has been pursuing partnerships and joint ventures of late: in recent months, Roc Nation has partnered with Phil McIntyre’s Philymack management company (Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, DNCE), Brian Ling and New Community management (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Julian Casablancas from the Strokes) and Emile Sandé to launch her Jupiter Management venture.

Khaled’s latest album, October 2015’s I Changed A Lot, missed out on the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart. But the Miami-based DJ has enjoyed a pop culture renaissance through the use of his consistently entertaining Snapchat account, winning fans with his over-the-top personality and kick-starting a viral meme with his “keys to success.” He’s also scored a couple high-profile premieres through his new Beats 1 radio show on Apple Music, premiering Future’s latest effort Evol and the new mixtape from French Montana, Wave Gods, in recent weeks.

Check out video of Khaled signing with Jay Z below.

Posted by Dan Rys (via Billboard)

Spotify and Google have been eyeing Jay Z’s company Tidal as a potential booster for their current digital streaming services, according to a New York Post report. Both companies are targeting small partnerships with the brand, such as Spotify’s proposed idea of a “Tidal powered by Spotify” banner.

Meanwhile, Samsung has also approached Tidal about a full acquisition, holding on-and-off talks with the company throughout its existence. The Korean tech giant has an indirect history with the service, having shelled out $28 million in funds to sponsor co-owner Rihanna’s newest album and tour. Sources point to “something really big” in the works, which both parties are keeping quiet.

Considering recent issues arising for the venture, Tidal may benefit from an acquisition by one of the three industry leaders. Kanye West lost upwards of $10 million after his album’s premiere on the website catalyzed widespread pirating, while Jay Z himself has reportedly poured his own money into the company to keep it afloat. It sits at a $100 million value, which is less than half the expected valuation by now of $250 million.

Posted by Claire Atkinson (via NY Post)

There are just some things that people shouldn’t do… Bill Gates DJing is one of them.

The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist was on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon last night, along with his wife Melinda, speaking about their “Annual Letter” from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Fallon asks the power couple what they would do to help people get involved and visit GatesLetter.com, and well… he does this.

he cringe-worthy performance is really one-of-a-kind, and we won’t blame you if you have to take a deep breath and just think about life for a second.

This isn’t the first time that NBC has featured DJing as part of a program, either. Saturday Night Live made waves in 2014 when they premiered their digital short for “When Will The Bass Drop.” Relive that (comparatively more) glorious moment below.

Posted by Matthew Meadow (via YourEDM)

In 2001, we were still listening to music on CDs, the electronic genre had not yet taken hold in the US mainstream, and dance, rock, and hip-hop didn’t experience much overlap in bars and clubs. Meanwhile, the recently-launced Napster was forever changing the way music was consumed.

Uneasy Listening, Volume 1 was thus a harbinger of things to come. Z-Trip and DJ P’s 73-minute mix spanned genres and styles, incorporating classics by a nonconventional roster including Pink Floyd, Metallica, Kansas, Del the Funky Homosapien, Madonna, Sting, Pharcyde, Pat Benetar, and Phil Collins, all playfully mixed and layered with breakbeats. The duo assembled the mix entirely with vinyl and four turntables, intending it to showcase the burgeoning art of mixing. They pressed a thousand copies to CD, and didn’t expect much more to come of it.

The mix, however, created a phenomenon, exemplifying that disparate genres could work thrillingly together and sparking the mashup trend that would be adopted by artists like Girl Talk and The Hood Internet. Uneasy Listening ended up on best of the year lists by publications including Rolling Stone and Spin, and remains utterly listenable.

Here, Z-Trip tells the story behind the mix. Continue reading →

The unique device allows you to make music with gestures.

US-based startup Remidi has launched a Kickstarter campaign for the Remidi T8, a glove it claims is the first wearable instrument that allows you to record, play and perform music.

Taking the form of a glove attached to a MIDI wrist controller, the Remidi T8 looks like Nintendo’s ill-fated Power Glove peripheral from 1989, but contains enough modern technology to let you control effects, synths and drums with your fingertips.

Inside the glove are eight pressure sensors that function like aftertouch on a regular MIDI controller and a sensor that tracks hand movement and speed for controlling parameters like reverb and pitch.

You can also program different samples or notes to each sensor, and according to the company you could record the instrumental for 2Pac’s California Love on just one hand using the T8.

The T8 is compatible with a wide range of software including Ableton, FL Studio and Logic Pro X but it also comes with its own app in for using the T8 on the move.

Rewire’s creation isn’t limited to production and live performance: the T8 is compatible with Traktor if you want to work it into a DJ set, though the look is more that of the EDM phenomenon of gloving than spinning records.

The Remidi T8 has already made $39,000 of its $50,000 target at Kickstarter, where you the controller starts at $199.

Posted by (factmag)

Make sure you check out all the amazing reworks of the classic Australian ARIA #1 tune by Tonite Only, made possible by the legends Reece Low, Odd Mob, Spenda C, Club Killers & Kuga. Hold onto your hats, these updated dancefloor weapons are fierce!

Support the tracks here: BEATPORT

Posted by David Miller

Splice just created their own Beat Maker, and it’s… overwhelming. It’s clearly not meant for professional production, as the feature is limited to only eight instruments, but the level of customization is insane.
Where other beat makers might have 10 instruments with a couple sound options, here’s what Splice Co-Founder Steve Martocci has to say about their product:

“The tool offers eight different instruments that users can pre-load with over 850,000 royalty-free samples from the Splice Sounds library.

A library of over 850,000 Splice Sounds in one simple, easy to use beat maker. Unheard of.
But the company is focusing on something bigger than just music creation. They want to give people the opportunity to explore music, get involved, and spark their own musical aspirations.

“Education is a massive challenge in making music, we’re exploring how samples and loops can onboard people into their musical journey, It’s a big long term goal,” says Martocci.

For more, you can check out Splice‘s website and try it yourself here

Posted by YourEDM

Back in September of 2015, DJs Craze and Four Color Zack brought us into their world via 2¢, a mixtape that took on the nonsense in the DJ scene head on. The turntablists crafted routines that were technically dope, but also spoke more to the issues within the DJ community, something that no one else is even trying to do. Lucky for us, they’re back for part two.

This time around, Craze and FCZ took aim at more than just the weak DJ scene, speaking out on everything from the Bill Cosby sexual assault allegations to Big Brother’s invasive tactics.

Posted by Khal (via Complex)

Jack Ü & Justin Bieber’s “Where Are U Now” was without a doubt one of the biggest songs of 2015. Last night at The 58th GRAMMYs, the trio won both for the song AND the album for the Dance/Electronic categories. They also performed live.

to kick it off Bieber takes the guitar himself for an acoustic rendition of his chart topping “Love Yourself.” He’s then joined by Skrillex on the guitar & Diplo on the drums, accompanied by a group of violinists. So Epic..

Later last night & perhaps one of Lady Gaga‘s largest and most artistic performances yet (ok, maybe only second to the meat dress, or posing nude for album promo)… she gets the privilege to honor the late, great David Bowie who passed this past January. And wow does she do him justice. Welcome back Lady Gaga.

Posted by David Miller

After posting previews of two songs from the now-released The Life of Pablo in January to his SoundCloud (where he’s also posted the Andre 3000-assisted “30 Hours”), then releasing the third season of his Yeezy fashion line in a precedent-setting show at Madison Square Garden last Thursday (Feb. 11), then bringing “High Lights” and “Ultralight Beam” (with assists from Young Thug, Chance the Rapper, The-Dream, Kelly Price and Kirk Franklin) to Saturday Night Live Feb. 13, Kanye West’s seventh studio album finally came out, streaming exclusively on Tidal and as a download on KanyeWest.com.

And then it was gone.

For one of the most anticipated records of the year, Pablo’s release was as messy as the public persona of its creator. (And The Life of Pablo’s artistic achievement is as certain as its status as a piece of commerce is confusing; opener “Ultralight Beam” is a galaxy away from “Gold Digger” in ambition and scope.) Preceded by rumors of its not even being complete in the week leading up to West’s SNL bow, Kanye ecstatically pointed fans towards Tidal (to stream) and West’s website (to purchase) at the end of his visit to 30 Rockefeller Center.

But the album didn’t arrive until more than an hour later, when Tidal announced its release with a seven-day exclusive stream shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday morning. Those wanting to purchase the album were directed to West’s site, where it could be purchased for $20. Then within a few hours, the download link was taken down, and Twitter users were claiming that their credit cards were either charged multiple times without delivering the album, or that the album just never arrived at all.

Sources close to the situation tell Billboard that shortly after its posting, West decided he wasn’t happy with the mastering of the record, and removed it from his site while it could be re-worked. Almost simultaneously Kanye’s site crashed, leaving some fans stuck with completed purchases never delivered (because ‘Ye removed the album) or with multiple charges on their card due to repeated purchase attempts made while the site was unresponsive. For many, those charges have been cleared up and the album has been delivered; however, nearly 4,000 fans who paid for the record are still without it.

Currently, Pablo is only available for streaming via Tidal and is not available for purchase or download.

Wielding Twitter like a publicity shillelagh in the past few weeks, West then addressed the home of Pablo directly, saying the record would never be for sale and “never on Apple,” but only “on Tidal” in a tweet sent on Monday (Feb. 15).

My album will never never never be on Apple. And it will never be for sale… You can only get it on Tidal.

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016

Apple and Tidal declined to comment on West’s tweet, and a request for comment from Def Jam went unreturned as of press time. Sources are unclear on the plan moving forward, though one says Tidal is still planning on its seven-day exclusive window; afterward, whether it becomes available to other streaming services or for purchase on Tidal or any other retailer is up in the air.

Posted by Dan Rys (via Billboard)

The GRAMMY winners are beginning to be revealed! Today is the big day, the biggest day in music awards that artists fight for each and every year. (Even if you’re not actively searching for a Grammy, you have to be happy to be considered…)

The results are starting to roll in, and we have the first Dance/Electronica result. Beating out Kaskade and RAC for Best Remixed Recording (Non-Classical) is Dave Audé, for his remix of “Uptown Funk,” by Mark Ronson, featuring Bruno Mars. With a distinctly French, Oliver-esque vibe to it, we can definitely see why this won. Check it out above, and be prepared for the rest of the results to roll in!

You can watch the show live here!

Posted by Mat Meadow

2016 will see the third installment of the iHeartRadio Music Awards, and for the first time, “Dance Artist of the Year” will be a category. The new honor will complement iHeartRadio’s existing Dance Song of the Year, further proving that electronic dance music is more than just a fad.

The nominees for the inaugural award are: Zedd, Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Major Lazer, and Skrillex and Diplo as Jack Ü. Seeing as these artists have all been at the forefront of dance music over the years, this list of nominees is no surprise. Sure, Diplo gets two chances to win as both Major Lazer and Jack Ü, but we’ll let that slide.

Additionally, the nominations for Dance Artist of the Year largely reflect those responsible for Dance Song of the Year.

Check out the other iHeartRadio dance categories below.

Dance Song of the Year
David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack — “Hey Mama”
Major Lazer & DJ Snake featuring MØ — “Lean On”
Mr. Probz — “Waves”
Skrillex & Diplo with Justin Bieber — “Where Are Ü Now?”
DJ Snake & AlunaGeorge — “You Know You Like It”

Best Collaboration (Socially Voted Category)

Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar — “Bad Blood”
Meghan Trainor featuring John Legend — “Like I’m Gonna Lose You”
Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth — “See You Again”
Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars — “Uptown Funk”
Skrillex & Diplo with Justin Bieber — “Where Are Ü Now?”

Posted by (youredm)