Eileen BosmanDo you ever find yourself surrounded by music connaisseurs that go on and on about the latest trends, news, and releases, while you lost track of everything when Beyoncé dropped a surprise album called Lemonade and you still don’t know who the hell ‘Becky with the good hair’ is? Worry no more! Rockstone is happy to provide you with a weekly update on important music related news, so you can steal the show at every party with facts, figures and abundant namedropping!
The war against YouTube
A while ago Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney expressed his discontent on YouTube stating he could find 250 videos on the video platform artists don’t get paid for, within 5 minutes. He’s not the only one. More and more famous artists, like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney and Kings of Leon joined the music industry in their battle againast YouTube that supposedly makes money out of stolen music material, while the revenue for the artists keep declining. They’re also backed up by major record labels such as Universal Music, Sony Music and Warner Music. Two weeks ago 3000 Dutch artists asked the European Parliment for the same with their petition. Musicians don’t want to remove the work from the distribution platform, they just want to get a fair price for it. Sounds very reasonable to us! Read more on this matter on Billboard.
Frank Ocean writes heartfelt piece on Orlando shooting
Frank Ocean took to Tumblr to address his feelings on the recent events in Orlando, but also talks hate directed to the gay community. It’s a heartfelt statement that touches upon the matter perfectly. Not by explaining, but by anecdotes and questions.
“I read in the paper that my brothers are being thrown from rooftops blindfolded with their hands tied behind their backs for violating sharia law. I heard the crowds stone these fallen men if they move after they hit the ground. I heard it’s in the name of God. I heard my pastor speak for God too, quoting scripture from his book. Words like abomination popped off my skin like hot grease as he went on to describe a lake of fire that God wanted me in. I heard on the news that the aftermath of a hate crime left piles of bodies on a dance floor this month. I heard the gunman feigned dead among all the people he killed. I heard the news say he was one of us. I was six years old when I heard my dad call our transgender waitress a faggot as he dragged me out a neighborhood diner saying we wouldn’t be served because she was dirty. That was the last afternoon I saw my father and the first time I heard that word, I think, although it wouldn’t shock me if it wasn’t. Many hate us and wish we didn’t exist. Many are annoyed by our wanting to be married like everyone else or use the correct restroom like everyone else. Many don’t see anything wrong with passing down the same old values that send thousands of kids into suicidal depression each year. So we say pride and we express love for who and what we are. Because who else will in earnest? I daydream on the idea that maybe all this barbarism and all these transgressions against ourselves is an equal and opposite reaction to something better happening in this world, some great swelling wave of openness and wakefulness out here. Reality by comparison looks grey, as in neither black nor white but also bleak. We are all God’s children, I heard. I left my siblings out of it and spoke with my maker directly and I think he sounds a lot like myself. If I being myself were more awesome at being detached from my own story in a way I being myself never could be. I wanna know what others hear, I’m scared to know but I wanna know what everyone hears when they talk to God. Do the insane hear the voice distorted? Do the indoctrinated hear another voice entirely?”
New video Aphex Twin directed by 12-year old
It’s been 17 years (!) since Aphex Twin released a new video. Now the 12-year old Ryan Wyer made the clip for Aphex Twin’s latest release CIRKLON3 [ Колхозная mix ]. The young Irish dude vlogs regularly and shows off some of his dance moves in this masterpiece.
Spotify has more than 100 million users
At the end of 2015, Spotify announced having 89 million active users. 30 million of them are paid users. Now, almost 6 months later, the popular streaming service surpassed the 100 million active users! That’s a huge increase in users, confirming once again spotify is the most popular streaming service around.
Four Tet releases free rarities compilation album, Randoms
Four Tet has been making music since mid-90s and is responsible for your favourite chill out tunes. Now he released a free compilation album called Randoms. Of which he says:
Over the years there have been some pieces of music that I have made specially for compilation projects or have ended being released only as part of a compilation album. As time passes I look back at this music and find the context it was originally put in often feels a bit random now. So I have put together this new album called Randoms that brings together this music in a different way. The oldest track here is Field from 1996, the first Four Tet track ever released on Leaf Records Invisible Soundtracks compilation. The most recent is Gillie Amma I Love You which was made for a charity project called BOATS in 2013. All the tracks here have been released before and I am sure some internet searching will give you the full details if you are interested. Thank you to everyone who originally commissioned and released this music. The artwork for this was made by Jason Evans.
Listen to it below or download it for free via Four Tet’s bandcamp.
Unreleased music by Prince at Versace show
At the Milan Fashion Week this past weekend, Donatella Versace played unreleased music by the late Prince during her Versace Men’s SS17 show, Dazed reports. Versace was very close with the legendary musician, who wrote the music for her in 1995. Listen to a short clip below.
“The soundtrack features never-before-heard music by Prince, which was written and recorded as a personal gift to Donatella Versace”, according to press notes. “Donatella would like to use this special occasion as an opportunity to share this incredible music from a dear, and much missed friend.”
After Prince passed away on April 21, Versace shared her thoughts on Instagram: “The young people were so important to Prince. They have to follow the example he set, to believe in their heart, respect their own soul and never trade their own individuality. It is what made Prince outstanding and relevant forever. I will always love him.”
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