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Are Computers Musical Instruments?

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Computers have come a long way in the last three decades, constantly evolving and improving their capabilities to unexpected heights. One of those capabilities is the ability to “play” music. Thanks to computers, nowadays, users can virtually play any instrument or create even the most complex of sounds and harmonies without even physically touching any actual instrument usually used to produce those sounds.

With such capabilities now made available and within reach, there is a growing number of musicians and producers who are taking advantage of the technology. Of course those in the electronic music industry have come to be the most heavy users of computers to create their music, but other artists have also adopted the use of this technology in their music production and live set-ups. Read more

International Music Summit’s Ben Turner: “Electronic Dance Music is Experiencing Retraction”

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Is the electronic dance music bubble about to burst? International Music Summit’s cofounder Ben Turner does not think so. However, he believes that the EDM scene is experiencing what he calls a “moment of retraction.”

In an interview with Music Week, Turner shared his insight on the current situation of the EDM scene: “It’s having a moment of retraction for sure. In America, it’s definitely had its big moment, there’s no question about it, but I still feel that where the dust has settled is at a much higher position than it’s ever experienced before.”

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LOOPTOPIA Draws Over 32,000 Electronic Music Fans for its Debut Festival in Taiwan

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Looptopia debuted in Taiwan last April 12, 2017. It was a jam-packed two-day debut festival that drew a crowd of 32,000 festival-goers and electronic music fans from Taiwan and the entire Asia region.

The multi-million dollar production boasted three stages where more than 50 acts performed for the debut festival. The festival’s success was no doubt a shining reminder of the growing influence within Asia’s dance music market, with Looptopia standing as the very first major EDM festival in the region, introducing fans the genre to the type large scale music experience commonplace in America, Europe and beyond.

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Chicago’s Lollapalooza 2017 Lineup Features Zero House Music, Once Again

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Lollapalooza’s 2017 lineup came out today and, surprise surprise, it contains zero house music acts.

Chicago’s role in the foundation of house music during the 1980s, and its subsequent influences on all other genres and sub-genres of electronic music since, is well known. A first descendent of disco, house music found its beginnings in Chicago, thanks to the iconic parties that featured the music of pioneers such as Frankie Knuckles, Leonard Remix RRoy, Chip E and of course Farley “Jackmaster” Funk. House music became popular in Chicago clubs in 1984, quickly spreading to other American cities such as Detroit, New York City, Baltimore, and Newark – all of which developed their own regional scenes. In the mid-to-late 1980s, house music became popular in Europe as well as major cities in South America, and Australia.

Yet, Chicago’s biggest music festival, Lollapalooza, fails year in and year out to feature any adequate amount of true house music, if any at all. Understandably several facets of rock music are represented en masse, as well as rap, hip-hop and pop and while the lineup does include some great Chicago artists, one of the city’s most recognized genres of music remains grossly underrepresented.

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Can MDMA Really Cure Tinnitus?

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Tinnitus, the condition that is characterized by ringing or uncontrollable noise disturbance in the ears, could possibly be cured with MDMA. The revelation comes from a scientific study being conducted in New Zealand, which has already completed trials showing promise of proving that the common rave/party drug could be used to cure the troubling hearing condition.

As reported by Stuff, the joint study between the University of Auckland and the University of Otago began two years ago as a result of enough reports from those with tinnitus who had taken ecstasy and felt benefits, urging researches to dig into it further.

So far, the last two years of MDMA studies involved a small number of participants in placebo-controlled trials, where they were given a small dose of MDMA or a placebo and monitored over a four-hour time period. It’s important to not that they were not given enough MDMA to feel high”, yet many reported an easing of tinnitus after just three hours. Reportedly, those who experienced the benefits stated that the same effects maintained for a week or even more. The research conducted thus far was divided into two separate trials, where researchers administered doses of 30 mg or 70 mg of MDMA imported under strict controls and dispensed by pharmacists working as part of the research team.

The leading professor behind the research, University of Auckland professor Grant Searchfield, did note that the operation is moving slow due to the high risks associated with MDMA, “Our goal is to try and find a medication for tinnitus. It can have catastrophic effects. Whether MDMA is it or whether it’s a trial for us to identify what is going on in the brain is still an open question.”

In order for the study to continue, as well as to know which exact next steps are needed, Scientists are reviewing all data and brain imaging from the trials thus far conduced, which could take months. Further funding will also need to be raised in order to progress beyond the current stage of the trials.

 

9 Unforgettable Festival Escapes Worth the Flight

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Music festivals have been popping out everywhere and in different parts of the world, all with different concepts, lineups and offering diverse experiences from one another.If you’re one of the many people who has done their local and national festivals many times already, why not plan a trip with your friends or fly solo and find the inner music adventurer within you by attending a new festival abroad?

Enjoy beautiful sceneries and get lost in new countries and cities, all the while experiencing some of your favorite DJs in the process, some of which you may never get the chance to see back at home. From all over the globe, we give you nine of the most unforgettable festival escapes worth the flight:

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The Need for Sustainability in Today’s Music Industry

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More and more artists are prioritizing the need for sustainability in today’s music industry. They are slowly transforming music parties into greener more environment-friendly festivals. It all begins with small initiatives such the single-use of plastic bottles and the technology that allows tour trucks to utilize sustainable biodiesel to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In ecology, sustainability (from sustain and ability) is the property of biological systems to remain diverse and productive indefinitely and as part of the ecosystem. It is up to each one of us that inhabit this beautiful planet to do our part to help attain homeostasis without causing further harm to the environment. More importantly in our industry, it’s imperative for each one of us to to act out and promote the need for sustainability.

As a producer, you can help out by producing more environment-friendly festivals and put a stop on wasteful party practices. Here are some of the biggest festivals that have adopted the “leave no trace behind” policy and practices recycling and other means just to cut down C02 emissions: Grassroots, Outside Lands, Sweet Life, Lollapalooza, and Lighting In A Bottle in the States, or DGTL in Amsterdam. There’s plenty more out there, with festivals, big and small, old and new, rising to the occasion to forward as many green initiatives as they can.

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10 Lesser-Known Tools and Platforms to Discover New Music

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Are you tired of your music library and in dire need of finding new tunes? You can search billions if not millions of songs with just click-through streaming services like Spotify and Pandora but it will take too much time to go over each list. So where do you start? You could ask a friend or depend on social media and the various charts out there, but there are also tons of gizmos to help you find great music based on what you already like.

Here are 10 lesser-known tools and platforms you can use to discover new music:

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How Spotify Can Help You As An Artist

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There is a lot of speculation these days about music streaming services and how they can help musicians/producers  make an overall impact in the highly-competitive music business industry.

Right now it seems like you can find almost every fresh and up-and-coming producer on Spotify. Aren’t you wondering why? Read and find out how Spotify can help you as an artist:

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15 Years In The Making: LOOPTOPIA – Taiwan’s First Homegrown EDM Festival

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Taiwan is making a serious debut in the electronic dance music scene this year with the launch of Looptopia, the first ever homegrown multi-day and stage dance music festival. It will be a two-day event and it will feature more than 50 top DJs and entertainers from all over the world.

theLoop, the organizing promoters responsible for this marvelous event, made sure to create a festival haven for all dance music fans. With three eye-catching performance areas, interactive art installations, camping sites with cabins, showers and amenities, LOOPTOPIA is an EDM fantasyland jam-packed with loads of surprises.

The festivity will be held in the lush grasslands of Taoyuan Pushin Ranch from 12:00 noon of April 8th until 10:00 pm the following day. Its venue is surrounded by trees and a nearby lake — perfect for a day and night of relaxation and enjoyment. Enjoy a two-day music getaway from the busy streets of Taiwan courtesy of theLoop.

For accommodations, Looptopia has on-site camping which will be available to all festival goers. Limited cabins will also be available for hire. For attendees who wish to stay in hotels, Looptopia will also be offering packages with partner and nearby hotels. All information regarding accommodations will be announced soon. Frequently check their website or Facebook page for updates.

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Moreover, shuttle busses between the Taoyuan Pushin Ranch and Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall MRT Station will also be available for your convenience. Tickets are $200 TWD and must be purchased separately for journeys in both directions. Kindly refer to the ticketing website for the schedule and rules of purchase.

With regards to music, theLoop has confirmed Looptopia’s Phase I lineup through their official festival Facebook page. It’s a well-chosen list of  some of the industry’s best talents and world-renowned DJs. Here is the partial list of the amazing DJ selection that will be on decks for the debut of Looptopia:

  • Aly & Fila
  • Ben Nicky
  • Brennan Heart
  • Charming Horses
  • Dante Klein
  • Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike
  • Dirtcaps
  • Dyro
  • GTA
  • Kris Kross Amsterdam
  • KSHMR
  • Martin Garrix
  • Mark Sixma
  • Markus Schultz
  • Mattn
  • NGHTMRE
  • Orjan Nilsen
  • Tony Junior
  • Wildstylez
  • Wiwek
  • Yellow Claw

So what are you waiting for? Don’t miss the opportunity to be a part of Taiwan’s EDM history! Camp, have fun, and enjoy outdoor barbecue while listening to your favorite DJs play. Buy your tickets now!

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Connect with Looptopia: Official Website | Instagram | Facebook | 0966-136-000

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