Beatport apologises for ‘trapped’ payments, first glimpses of Pioneer’s new DJ software, and Spotify to offer premium-only content.
Nicky Siano’s Disco Film streaming on Vimeo. DJ from The Gallery and Studio 54, Nicky Siano’s film about the hottest club of the pre-disco era: Love Is The Message, is now available to stream or download via Vimeo. It comes with a 30-minute in-depth interview with Frankie Knuckles, an hour with David Mancuso, and features footage filmed live at The Gallery between 1976 and 1977, back when Siano and friends were “just kids dancing in the dark”. Watch the trailer above, rent and buy here. Read our interview with Nicky here and our review of the movie here.
Hacienda Film Tracks Music History. Archive footage of late Hacienda and Factory Records boss Tony Wilson opens Do You Own The Dancefloor?, which is being screened in Manchester on Saturday and will raise money for two charities: Kidneys For Life and Cancer Research. The documentary tracks down the fixtures and fittings of the club, which were sold at auction as it was demolished 15 years ago, and speaks to some of the Hacienda faithful. More in the BBC‘s full report.
First Glimpses of Pioneer’s DJ Software. Pioneer has been quietly working on Rekordbox DJ, their own DJ software. This was revealed by its creator, Damien Sirkis, in a few photographs and a short video clip taken at DJ Expo in Atlantic City of the software in action. Check it out and find out more here.
Exploring Butcha Sound Studios with Phil Moffa. Electronic musician, DJ, engineer, and studio-owner Phil Moffa discusses working in his hardware-based NY studio Butcha Sound Studios, NYC, with Fabric in their studio guide feature. The interview explores his extensive hardware collection, favourite bits of kit, working process, challenges as an audio engineer, his approach to collaborations, and more. Check it out here.
Elektron DAW Integration Software Released. Elektron’s long-awaited Overbridge software, which bridges the gap between your Elektron analogue hardware and your DAW via a single USB connection, has been released for Ableton Live. Versions are still in public beta for compatibility with other popular hosts. “Enjoy, experiment and explore your sound manipulating capabilities with this new crossover technology” by downloading it here, and watch it in action above.
UK Clubs Closing – A Nightlife Revolution Begins? With figures released by the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) showing that the number of UK clubs has halved in the last decade, from 3,144 in 2005 down to 1,733, the Guardian asks if clubbing in the UK is dying out, whether a surge in the popularity of live bands has replaced it, and whether licensing changes have been a contributing factor here.
Beatport Apologises for ‘Trapped’ Payments. Beatport has apologised to indie labels after owed royalties were temporarily ‘trapped’ during a transitional period, stating “we deeply regret any hardships this delay has placed on members of the creative community” and disputing the idea that majors received better treatment, saying “some payments were made before the hold went into effect, and those included payments to major labels and some labels participating in the new Beatport streaming service. This was not preferential treatment in any way, but we understand how the optics may illustrate just the opposite.” Find out more here.
Spotify to Offer Premium-Only Content. According to details shared by Digital Music News’ confidential sources, Spotify will soon be changing towards offering a currently uncertain variation of the premium-only ‘gated access’ service model, meaning that some releases will only be available to paying subscribers, or offered for an extremely limited time to non-paying users. “They want the free users to feel like they’re missing something, not just forced to listen to ads,” sources noted, predicting an early 2016 transition as most likely. More info here.
Orchestral Disturbance No 1 in E flat Major. Comedy writers Jon Link and Mick Bunnage – aka Modern Toss – present a comedy take on a classical music concert on BBC iPlayer here.