GEAR + TECH
Sam Feldt on the Launch of Fangage 2.0, Collaborating With Kesha, and More
Known for his signature uplifting sound, dance music beatsmith and music entrepreneur Sam Feldt has developed a remarkable global fan base. Feldt, who registered his first company with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce at the tender age of 13, developed early passions for entrepreneurship and music and eventually launched extremely successful career as a touring artist. Prior to the pandemic, he would sometimes even perform with a live band at the nation’s largest music festivals, such as Coachella, Ultra Music Festival, and Life is Beautiful. All the while, Feldt never lost his sight of his passion for entrepreneurship. In 2016, when his career truly began taking off following his successful remake of Robin S’ iconic dance anthem “Show Me Love,” he founded F...
Someone Bought Lindsay Lohan’s Electronic Music NFT for $85,000
The auction for Lindsay Lohan’s new NFT has concluded with a winning bid of 85,484.09. No, this is not an April Fools’ joke. Lohan’s NFT (non-fungible token) sale comprised a motion graphic featuring animated butterflies that flap their wings in unison with a digitized Lohan’s blinking eyes. The artwork is soundtracked by a new song called “Lullaby” in which she sings over an electronic beat produced by Manuel Riva. Lohan’s item was sold on FansForever, a marketplace that touts itself as a hub to invest in exclusive celebrity NFTs, and purchased using the Tron (TRX) cryptocurrency. Prior to the end of the auction, the former Disney actress had shared a preview and referred to the sale as “history in the making,” later claiming in a sinc...
Pro Audio Forum Gearslutz Will Rebrand as Gearspace Following Name Controversy
After 18 years as one of the world’s foremost pro audio forums, Gearslutz has decided to begin a new chapter as Gearspace. The move comes after a Change.org petition calling for a name change, wihch garnered nearly 5,000 signatures. The petition was started by user Cam Ran, who detailed the initiative’s purpose in the description section of its Change.org microsite. “Not every woman is offended by this name, but enough people are that it’s a frequent and recurring topic,” she wrote. “Most of the engineers I know feel uncomfortable with the name.” Gearspace founder Jules Standen went on to respond to the petition shortly after it began. “The name was, and still is, not intended to send a derogatory message to women or to discourage th...
Calvin Harris Believes NFTs Could Revolutionize the Music Industry
International dance music superstar Calvin Harris is just the latest in a revolving door of musicians and performers to board the NFT (non-fungible token) train. And he believes the space has the potential to revolutionize the music industry, according to comments made during his recent appearance on the Clubhouse-hosted Good Time Show. Harris appeared on Good Time Show last week to promote his new NFT collection “Technofish,” a collaborative series with music video director Emil Nava. Harris and Nava’s NFT collection has since sold, with the final piece going for a whopping $108,888.00. A teaser image of Calvin Harris and Emil Nava’s “Technofish” NFT,” which sold for over $108,000. Calvin Harris/Emil Nava Harris recognized...
Oil and Water: How ArtGrails.com is Changing the NFT Space Through Unusual Collaborations
In the business world they say “you can mine either mine for gold or you can sell pickaxes.” In brothers Avery Andon and Alec Monopoly‘s case, they’ve got both bases covered and then some. Andon, a veteran art consultant and founder of ArtLife Gallery, and Alec, a prolific visual artist and pop culture phenomenon, are the latest to join the NFT arena, and they’re tackling the space thoughtfully, from all angles. The duo recently launched ArtGrails.com, an NFT platform bringing a uniquely collaborative vision to the flourishing blockchain-powered digital art space. The launch also saw the minting of several new pieces from Alec Monopoly himself, a renowned street artist who is taking the opportunity to explore new artistic avenues. ArtGrails.com launched with a...
Never Say Die Becomes First Record Label to Offer Free NFTs
Never Say Die officially joined the NFT rat race this month with the debut of their “Rebirth” collection, which was made available on Nifty Gateway. Now, just a few short weeks later, they are making history in an industry first for electronic music labels by dropping a free NFT to their fans. The free release comes in partnership with Sweet to commemorate the legacy of the now-defunct Never Say Die: Black Label imprint, which recently shuttered indefinitely. The one-time-only NFT drop will have a limited run of 2,000 copies and is officially available as of today, March 31st at 3PM ET (12PM PT). Never Say Die understands the desire to own a rare piece of its history and wants to make it more accessible to a wider audience. Following this first free drop, they will b...
ILLENIUM Announces Debut NFT Drop to Celebate 5-Year Anniversary of “Ashes”
To celebrate the five-year anniversary of his debut album, ILLENIUM is pushing his chips into the NFT craze. The electronic music wunderkind took to Twitter today to announce his first-ever NFT collection, a celebratory drop that will commemorate 2016’s Ashes LP. For those in need of a definition, NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, refer to unique digital collectibles that are sold and traded using blockchain technology. Fans can purchase the items using various forms of cryptocurrency. Check out ILLENIUM’s announcement below. When Ashes dropped back in February 2016, it effectively propelled ILLENIUM on the path to superstardom that he glides through today. The 12-track album featured a number of songs that longtime fans consider to be classics, like the Echos-assisted &#...
Aphex Twin Hid a Secret Clue In His NFT Sale
It seems that Aphex Twin has hidden a secret clue in his recent NFT that went up for sale earlier this month. The legendary electronic music producer dropped his first NFT in early March 2021 alongside longtime collaborator and world-class visual artist Weirdcore, selling it within 24 hours for a whopping $127,000. The winning bidder obtained Twin’s debut NFT, titled afx\/weirdcore\blockscanner, which features the iconic smile depicted on much of his album covers and has become a classic visual during his live performances. Much like the vast majority of his musical releases, the audio accompanying the digital artwork was no less haunting and eerie. Just two weeks later, digital artist and “creative mercenary” Freeka Tet, who also contributed “additional technical input to t...
Ja Rule’s Fyre Festival NFT Fetches $122,000 Bid
In a bizarre reversal of fortune, Ja Rule has monetized his involvement in the infamous Fyre Festival in a way no one could have predicted. The rapper is the latest celebrity to join the NFT craze, and has successfully auctioned off a piece of Fyre Festival history. This particular NFT is of a 48″ x 60″ poster that once hung in the company’s office, and in addition to the digital file of the asset, the winner will also receive the physical version. Like so many other NFTs as of late, this festival poster fetched a jaw-dropping winning bid. An anonymous buyer took home the work for $122,000. The original painting was created by Tripp Derick Barnes, an artist Ja Rule found on Instagram, who was paid around $2,000 for the job. The poster most recently wa...
Calvin Harris Shares Preview of NFT Debut With Never-Before-Heard Music
As the NFT hysteria continues to grip the arts sector, dance music luminary Calvin Harris is the latest to enter the fray. Harris’ debut NFT drop is a joint effort with longtime collaborator and creative partner Emil Nava, who has worked with the Grammy Award-winning artist on a bevy of videos, graphics, and live show visuals. The nature-inspired digital art collection, dubbed “TECHNOFISH,” features five kaleidoscopic videos alongside exclusive, never-before-heard music. Check out a preview of “TECHNOFISH” below. Considering the immense carbon footprint of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, Harris has opted to direct a portion of the funds from sales to organizations working to reduce carbon emissions. “Working with decarbonization advisor Aerial a ...
20 best hiking apps to download in 2021
We take a look at the best hiking apps currently available and which ones best meet your needs be they trip planning, navigation or first aid. Hiking apps never used to feature in my outdoor adventures, but times have changed. Now, every Ordnance Survey map comes with a digital version available to download onto my smartphone or tablet. When planning an adventure in the wild, my preparations still begin with spreading out my paper maps across the floor and marking out possible trailheads, routes and campsites. However, now that I have more consistent access to reliable phone reception and wifi, along with a host of battery packs and solar chargers, I also make use of an array of hiking apps. Best hiking apps Below, I take a look at some of the best apps for hiking available for outdoo...
Elon Musk Isn’t Selling His Techno Song NFT After All
After announcing he’d be selling a new techno song as an NFT, Elon Musk has had a change of heart. Just one week ago, the eccentric billionaire Tesla founder and occasional electronic music producer took to Twitter to announce the NFT drop. The trippy animated digital art was soundtracked by a thumping techno tune, which was thought to be produced by Musk, who famously released a house track called “Don’t Doubt Ur Vibe” back in January 2020. However, Musk went on to reply to his own tweet and pull the plug on the sale. “Actually, doesn’t feel quite right selling this,” Musk wrote, refraining from offering a concrete reason. “Will pass.” Believe it or not, one of the world’s richest individuals has a deep connection to electro...
