Electronic
Kraftwerk Kick Off North American “3D Tour” with Mesmerizing Concert in St. Louis: Review
The sheer diversity of the concertgoers who descended upon Kraftwerk’s tour kickoff at The Pageant in St. Louis is a testament to the genre-spanning influence of the German electronic music pioneers. Punks, goths, metalheads, record nerds, businessmen, hipsters young and old: The near-capacity audience was a true smattering of personalities that transcended age and scene. More than a few attendees were even sporting the band’s iconic red-polo-black-tie Man-Machine-era look. And they were all there to witness Kraftwerk’s “3D Tour” — an illustrious audio-visual experience commemorating the group’s 50th anniversary (get tickets here). Upon entering the venue, everyone was handed a pair of white Kraftwerk-branded 3D glasses. On the stage stood the band’s four iconic keyboard pedestals, cutting...
There Would Be No Depeche Mode Without Andy Fletcher
Throughout his time with Depeche Mode, Andy “Fletch” Fletcher became accustomed to one question more than others. “What exactly is it that you do?” It was a fair query. Fletcher — who passed away Thursday (May 26th) at the age of 60 — was an enigma amidst bandmates with clearly-defined roles. Dave Gahan holds forth as lead singer. Martin Gore is the band’s primary instrumentalist and prolific composer. Even former members Vince Clarke and Alan Wilder had delineated responsibilities in the group’s operation. Fletcher, however, was content to be “the guy that stands in the back.” Tall. Unassuming. Genial, even. Onstage he stood behind a keyboard but could appear as if he’d just happened to wander onto the set. He was the only band member with no songwriting credits, and at a certain point hi...
R.I.P. Andy Fletcher, Depeche Mode Founding Member Dead at 60
Depeche Mode founding member and keyboardist Andy Fletcher has died at the age of 60. “We are shocked and filled with overwhelming sadness with the untimely passing of our dear friend, family member, and bandmate Andy ‘Fletch’ Fletcher,” Depeche Mode announced in a statement on Thursday, May 26th. “Fletch had a true heart of gold and was always there when you needed support, a lively conversation, a good laugh, or a cold pint,” the statement continued. Related Video “Our hearts are with his family, and we ask that you keep them in your thoughts and respect their privacy in this difficult time.” No cause of death has been made public at this time. Advertisement The origins of Depeche Mode date back in the late 1970s, when Fletcher and schoolmate Vince Clarke began playing music together. Th...
Noga Erez Drops New Single “Nails”: Stream
After signing to Neon Gold/Atlantic Records, Israeli pop singer Noga Erez is back with a disorienting new song called “Nails.” Listen to the single below. Heavy with boosted bass and clipped, disjointed vocals, “Nails” tackles the complicated consequences of jealousy with an appropriately complex soundtrack. Even more accurately, ASMR heads can look forward to the sound of Erez tapping her own nails on different surfaces, lending the track some extra percussion. “‘Nails’ is a song about jealousy, and how being jealous of people, in this particular case another woman, makes you idealize that person in a very weird and dark way,” Erez said in a statement. In the accompanying music video, the Israeli pop star sits on a bus before captivating her fellow passengers with a performance of the ele...
Mura Masa Announces New Album demon time, Shares “blessing me”: Stream
Mura Masa has announced his third album, demon time, out on September 16th via Polydor Records, while also unleashing the new single “blessing me” featuring Gambian-British breakout Pa Salieu and Jamaican rapper Skillibeng. The stacked guest list also includes Lil Uzi Vert, PinkPantheress, and Shygirl (who all appear on the previous single “bbycakes”), as well as slowthai, Lil Yachty, Channel Tres, Erika de Casier, Leyla, and more. While bringing the artists together, Mura Musa only had one goal in mind: pure, unbridled fun. “It’s devil on the shoulder type fun,” the 25-year-old musician explained in a statement. “Not necessarily the most wholesome, but it’s a really good time.” Advertisement Related Video demon time will be available on vinyl, CD, and cassette. Pre-orders are on...
Sudan Archives Celebrates Black Hair in New Song “Selfish Soul”: Stream
It’s about time Sudan Archives feeds her “Selfish Soul” — or, more accurately, that she embraces her natural beauty. Listen to the singer-songwriter’s new single, an empowering ode to Black hair, below. “Selfish Soul” rumbles with a quiet bass line and Sudan Archives’ signature acrobatic violin. In the song, the artist, born Brittney Denise Parks, puts voice to the fears all Black women face as they navigate our Euro-centric society: “If I cut my hair, hope I grow it long/ Back long, back time like way before/ If I wear it straight will they like me more?/ Like those girls on front covers?” Later, she asks, “Am I good enough?” “I feel like there’s an American standard of what beautiful hair is, and I wanted to show in this video that’s not what all beauty is; to showcase different hairstyl...
Chemical Brothers, M.I.A., Flume, Jamie xx to Play Inaugural Portola Music Festival in San Francisco
The Chemical Brothers, M.I.A., Flume, Jamie xx, James Blake, and Charli XCX are among the many exciting acts slated to play the inaugural Portola Music Festival in San Francisco this September. Produced by Goldenvoice, the two-day event goes down September 24th and 25th at San Fran’s Pier 80. Other notable acts include Kaytranda, Fatboy Slim, Caroline Polachek, The Avalanches, Caribou, Jungle, Toro y Moi, Four Tet + Floating Points, Arca, Yves Tumor, slowthai, Lane 8, DJ Shadow, Yaeji, Channel Tres, Kelly Lee Owens, shygirl, PinkPantheress, Fred again.., The Blessed Madonna, Haai, Dawn Richard, Duke Dumont, and more. Single-day and two-day passes go on sale Friday, May 20th at 10:00 a.m. PDT, and a pre-sale registration is now ongoing. Advertisement Related Video Per a press release, the f...
Toro y Moi on ’70s Psychedelic Soul and Making a Sister Record to 2015’s What For?
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS Toro y Moi catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about Mahal, an album that touches on his Filipino heritage while also commenting on the world at large. Related Video The artist aka Chaz Bundick tells us about the repurposed WWII-era Jeep that he bought and how it ties into the record, landing on a ’70s psychedelic soul and funk sound, and how he sees this as a sister album to 2015’s What For?. Advertisement Bundick also tells us why he wrote a thank you to the postal service, comments on the digital era and how we consume content, having Ruban Nielson from Unknown Mortal Orchestra back as a guest, and his plans to re...
Bonobo Announces North America Tour for Fall 2022
Bonobo is hitting the road. Today, the musician born Simon Green has announced a 20-date full band tour across North America in Fall 2022. The shows will be in support of Fragments, Bonobo’s album from January. Bonobo will kick things off with a DJ set at Montreal’s Piknic Electronique on September 10th before starting the full band shows in Toronto on the 19th. He’ll hit major cities across Canada and the US, including Montreal, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, and Las Vegas, before ending things off on a high note at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Pre-sale begins this Thursday, May 5th at 11:00 a.m. local time (use code FINALE), with general sale beginning the 6th at 11:00 a.m. local time; head over to Ticketmaster for tickets. See Bonobo’s full schedule below. Adv...
The What Podcast Gives EDM at Bonnaroo Its Due
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon Music | Radio Public | RSS EDM and all of its subgrenres have become a big part of Bonnaroo in recent years, and the guys on The What podcast freely admit it’s not their lane. So, Barry and Lord Taco reached out to friend of the show Kyle to learn more and get his thoughts on which acts are not to be missed at this year’s Bonnaroo. Related Video Interested in seeing the show for yourself? You’ll need tickets to Bonnaroo 2022, featuring appearances by Tool, Stevie Nicks, J. Cole, The War on Drugs, and CHVRCHES, as well as EDM acts like Gryffin, Illenium, Porter Robinson, and more. Get yours here. Advertisement Listen to the episode above, then make sure to review, like, and ...
R.I.P. Klaus Schulze, German Electronic Music Pioneer Dead at 74
Electronic music composer Klaus Schulze has died at the age of 74. According to a statement, Schulze passed away on Tuesday, April 26th. He had been suffering from an undisclosed illness, but his death was described as “sudden” by Frank Uhle, the managing director of his record label, SPV. “We were shocked and saddened to hear the news of Klaus Schulze’s sudden death,” Uhle said in a statement. “We lose and will miss a good personal friend – one of the most influential and important composers of electronic music – a man of conviction and an exceptional artist. Our thoughts in this hour are with his wife, sons and family. His always cheerful nature, his innovative spirit and his impressive body of work remain indelibly rooted in our memories.” A pioneer of the krautrock and techno genres, t...
Die Antwoord’s Adopted Son Alleges Years of Abuse and Exploitation
Gabriel “Tokkie” du Preez, the adopted son of Die Antwoord’s Yolandi Visser (aka Anri du Toit) and Ninja (aka Watkin Jones), has accused the couple of physical and sexual abuse and exploitation. The allegations surfaced through a 44-minute interview with the South African group’s former filmmaker Ben Jay Crossman and a subsequent sitdown with News24. du Preez and his younger sister were adopted by Die Antwoord in 2010 — when he was just nine years old — under foster parenting agreements with their biological mother. They would go on to appear in music videos like “I Fink U Freeky” and “Ugly Boy” while being raised with du Toit and Jones’ biological daughter and a boy from another poor family in Johannesburg. “They adopted me to be a slave,” he recalled about the experience. “They made me f...
