Fabric wins court appeal, VinylHub catalogues the world’s record stores, Michael Jackson’s Thriller breaks record for multi-platinum sales, and why you should think twice before signing a record deal.
Think Twice Before Signing. “A relationship with a label should be accommodating but also give you something to push against, so you can try new things.” The Fader speaks to Berlin-based producer Dylan Richards, who now releases his own music under the alias House Of Black Lanterns after a decade of trying to make a label deal work as King Cannibal. Richards explains why any artist should think twice before signing to a label. Read the full piece here.
Fabric Wins Court Appeal. A court has ruled that the strict licensing conditions voted on by Islington Council in 2014, including sniffer dogs and ID scans of all customers, will not be imposed on the London nightclub Fabric, which has won its appeal against the measures. Find out more here.
House Masters Heller & Farley Compilation. A new 30-track compilation from Defected Records spans the careers of British house production duo Heller & Farley, from remixing some of the biggest bands in the world to producing underground sleeper hits that would prove pivotal in the popularisation and development of house music in the UK. Read more about it here.
Roland’s TR-REC Drum Machine Game. Synchronising to an array of dance music rhythms that get more complex as you progress, and presenting you with a TR drum machine-style interface, Roland‘s TR-REC is a free game for iOS that requires you to make beats based on a visual guide within a time limit. Think of it as Guitar Hero for drum machine programming. Download TR-REC here.
Elektron’s Release Multi-Purpose Utility. Elektron‘s Cable Kit is a multi-purpose solution suitable for a wide range of applications with the company’s hardware, such as connecting dual mono separate voice out jacks, sequencing external analogue gear with dual CV/gate outputs, sampling from consumer electronic devices, and signal splitting. Watch above, and find out more here.
VinylHub Catalogues the World’s Record Stores. Discogs have relaunched their VinylHub service. Aiming to be an exhaustive resource for crate diggers, VinylHub‘s mission is to document every physical record shop and record event on the planet, using a user-generated model. The site currently has over 4,500 shops, and iOS and Android app versions will be available next year. Check it out here.
Michael Jackson’s Thriller Earns 30 x Multi-Platinum Status. The RIAA, the Estate of Michael Jackson, Epic Records and Legacy Recordings have announced that Michael Jackson‘s Thriller has become the first album in 57 years of Gold & Platinum history to earn 30 x multi-platinum status, continuing The King of Pop’s reign as the biggest selling artist of all time, with worldwide sales of over 100 million for Thriller and 1 billion overall. Find out more here.