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SXSW’s Artist Contracts Threatens To Contact Immigration Should Artists Play Unofficial Shows

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Excerpts of SXSW contracts posted online reveal that the Austin-based festival will “notify the appropriate U.S. Immigration authorities” if they find foreign artists are playing non-SXSW sanctioned events in the city.

The online post came from indie artist Felix Walworth, who posted a screenshot of the contract to his Twitter stating that as a result he decided to cancel Told Slant’s performance at the festival. The screenshot clearly shows the risk that artists performing at non-SXSW events during the festival week will face: they will not only have their credentials revoked, but will have their cases turned over to the US immigration authorities, who may revoke their passport, immediately deport them and/or ban them from US ports of entry.

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The Obamas are Throwing South by South Lawn, a One-Day Festival at the White House in collab with SXSW

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Obama dance

No matter what your political stance is, if any, it is hard to argue that President Barack Obama has been and will probably be the coolest U.S. President for a long time. It’s definitely safe to say that with the end-of-the-year elections looming, the leading prospects to be the next President of the United States don’t stand a chance in taking over that label from the current Commander-in-chief.

Although it was far from necessary to further cement their coolness, the Obamas have announced that they are throwing a one-day music and arts festival this October in collaboration with SXSW.

Appropriately called South by South Lawn, the event is set to feature music, film and interactive components. Although the lineup is unknown still, it’s safe to say that not many artists would turn down the proposal to perform at the White House for this one-of-a-kind event.

President Obama speaks with Evan Smith, CEO and Editor in Chief of the Texas Tribune, as part of the SXSW Interactive Keynote Conversation at The long Center on Friday, March 11, 2016. Erika Rich for American-Statesman

President Obama speaks with Evan Smith, CEO and Editor in Chief of the Texas Tribune, as part of the SXSW Interactive Keynote Conversation at The long Center on Friday, March 11, 2016.
Erika Rich for American-Statesman

President Obama has never been shy about his interest in music, sharing personal day and night summer playlists favorites and famously writing an open letter of condolence with First Lady Michelle Obama to the late Frankie Knuckles and his family when the legendary producer and DJ passed away. In it, they underscored the social role of house and dance music in general when they wrote that “Frankie’s work helped open the minds and bring people together, blending genres to capture our attention and ignite our imaginations”.

Want to attend Obama’s South by South Lawn? You will need to be chosen by the event’s organizers via online nomination. Full information can be found here.

SXSW To Feature Playable Synth Space

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synth spaceSXSW is finaly upon us, and we can barely contain our excitement. In particular, we’re really stoked for the Gear Expo, which takes place on Thursday, March 19 at the Austin Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 5. The main reason we’re looking forward to the Gear Expo is the upcoming addition of a “Synth Space,” a room filled with playable synthesizers for your enjoyment.

Synth Space will draw crowds of all types, as it is a truly unique exhibition in the United States; best of all, it’s open to the public, so you won’t have to shell out the big bucks for a conference badge. This will undoubtedly be an event not to miss – when else are you going to have a chance to use all these classic synthesizers (and newer synths as well) in one place? Synth Space will feature analog, modular, digital, and hybrid synthesizers.

Here are the details, according to the website:

The Music Gear Expo celebrates six years in 2015 with a host of new offerings. In addition to the much loved expo portion, the show will feature a number of special activations including: the Stompbox, Shred Shed and the brand new Synthesizer Space plus the Gear Lounge, Gear Expo Store and Flatstock Stage.

Open to all registrants, showcasing artists and the general public, the Expo has become the key destination for musicians, buyers, gear and tech aficionados at SXSW. It is located adjacent to the popular Flatstock Poster Show on Level 1 of the Austin Convention Center.

The SXSW Music Gear Expo hosts a unique range of companies, from established names in the industry to independently owned up-and-comers. View the 2015 exhibitors.

More info:

SXSW Gear Expo

Synth Space

 

808 The Movie Premiere at SXSW 2015

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808 Movie Poster

This Friday, March 13th, 808 The Movie will make it’s much anticipated world premiere at SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. With a run time of 106 minutes, the 808 documentary will feature accounts from an array of artists such as Afrika Bambaataa, Pharrell, Diplo, Richie Hawtin, the Beastie Boys, and many more.

Roland’s TR-808 has found itself in the spotlight of many musical works throughout it’s lifespan, and 808 The Movie aims to do justice to the most influential drum machine of all time. Take a look at the official trailer below for a quick glimpse at what to expect from the documentary.

808 The Movie (Official Trailer) | Official Website

For more information and a comprehensive interview with the executive producer, Alex Noyer, head on over to Billboard