GEAR + TECH
Never Say Die Announces Debut NFT Collection
Never Say Die is set to become the next big electronic label to release its own NFT collection. Announced on Saturday across their social media pages, the “Rebirth” collection will be released later this week on Nifty Gateway. While the specific contents of the collection have not yet been shared, the teaser video features a skull fashioned with gold accessories, which should give fans a good idea of what to expect. Considering the fact that the leading digital artist, Beeple, recently sold a single NFT for $69 million, the hype surrounding the blockchain-powered artwork has never been higher. Those who keep up with the wild world of digital collectibles may remember that longtime Never Say Die favorite Zomboy released his own collection on the online ...
A YouTuber Performed Daft Punk’s Music Live On Melodic Calculators: Watch
In what’s likely the most dexterous performance you’ll see this week, Korean YouTuber 차커 Chaco recreated the music of Daft Punk like we’ve never heard or seen before. That’s because the YouTuber’s instrument of choice is the AR7778 desktop calculator. Believe it or not, this common household device has its own music function, which can be triggered by hitting the Time/Date button twice. From there, the calculator can be played almost like a piano. Two weeks ago, 차커 Chaco upped the ante by dropping a live performance rendition of Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” using an array of three calculators. As impressive as that performance is, he outdid himself yesterday. As The A.V. Club discovered, 차커 Chaco has added a fourth calculator to his arrangement an...
Madeon Announces Debut NFT Drop
Another day, another NFT drop. This time around, the digital art craze finds Grammy Award-nominated electronic music producer Madeon throwing his hat into the ring. The French wunderkind is set to unveil his debut NFT item, which he has dubbed “THE DISCHEAD.” According to a preview shared by marketplace Nifty Gateway, it seems the trippy visual art will be accompanied by music produced by Madeon. The collection will drop on Thursday, March 18th at 3:30PM PT (6:30PM ET). Check out the preview below. Madeon also shared the origins of NFT, which was designed by the artists responsible for the visuals from his “Good Faith Live” tour, Mollie Tarlow, OSEANWORLD, Shin OSM and Mike Kluge. In a candid Twitter thread, he said the new NFT drop “would be a ...
iZotope and Native Instruments Join Forces in Landmark Partnership
Prominent audio technology companies iZotope and Native Instruments have joined forces once again—this time, for good. The past has seen iZotope introduce Native Kontrol Standard into its Ozone 9 mastering plugin. That collaborative effort, among many others, sent Native Instruments CEO Constantin Koehncke and iZotope CEO Mark Ethier down the rabbit hole of ideas for future team-ups. However, the duo quickly realized that something much larger than a one-off collaboration was afoot. It became clear that a permanent partnership was inevitable. Now, iZotope and Native Instruments have banded together to form a super-sized music and audio creation group. So what does that partnership mean? No concrete details have been given out just yet, but iZotope...
Watch This Artist Build a Functional Vinyl DJ Deck Out of LEGO Bricks
From life-size cars to Daft Punk stages, the possibility for ingenuity with LEGO bricks is endless. Nothing hits quite as close to home, however, as the latest invention from Look Mum No Computer, who has built a set of working vinyl DJ turntables made completely out of LEGOs. The creation arrives as an official collaboration with the children’s toy organization in celebration of the recent launch of LEGO Vidyo, the brand’s augmented reality music video-making platform. It’s fascinating to watch as he navigates thousands of blocks to conceptualize a fully-functioning piece of music equipment. To turn the idea into a reality, Look Mum No Computer used both LEGO Mindstorm programmable bricks and various items from the LEGO Technic component pack. The only thi...
Steve Aoki on the Future of Digital Art: “NFTs are a Juggernaut That Cannot Be Stopped”
After selling his debut NFT collection for a cool $4.25 million, famed dance music producer Steve Aoki believes the future of digital art is bright. In collaboration with renowned visual artist Antoni Tudisco, Aoki’s debut “Dream Catcher” collection was sold on Nifty Gateway, one of the NFT industry’s leading marketplaces, to former T-Mobile CEO John Legere. Aoki’s team tells EDM.com that Legere forked over a record-breaking single auction price of $888,888.88 for a piece called “hairy.” “Music has always been what my life is rooted in, but I’ve been a passionate collector of collectibles and various forms of art for as long as I can remember,” Aoki said in a press statement. “NFTs gav...
Giveaway: Enter to Win a Rare Autographed Pair of Kygo’s A11/800 Headphones
Kygo has teamed up with EDM.com to give away a set of headphones from the producer’s new X by Kygo product line. One lucky fan will be able to get their hands on the A11/800 over-ear model, the flagship product in Kygo’s line. With a sleek, minimalist design, padded headband, and supportive memory foam ear cushions, the headphones are a fashionable fit and prime for comfort. These are not just any pair of cans though—they’ll arrive signed from the hit-making producer himself. You can enter the giveaway below. As far as features go, this model goes the extra mile with its touch control technology and active bluetooth cancellation capabilities. The Kygo Sound app puts the EQ controls directly in the user’s hands, offering a dynamic array of presets and settings. ...
Dillon Francis Mints Psychedelic NFT for Charitable Cause
Dillon Francis is diving deeper into the blockchain game by launching a new NFT, which is available now for charity auction. Developed by 3D artist Nicole Ruggiero, the quirky NFT titled “I think there’s something wrong with my phone” features a trippy visual of a translucent, paper-like cellphone interface. Synced to a beat crafted by Francis himself, the music pairs appropriately with the scene at hand featuring a thumping bassline and a swirling chorus of distorted background vox. The sale of the psychedelic visual will go towards an environmentally friendly cause as the artists have pledged to plant 100 trees in the winner’s name. You can make your bids here. Dillon Francis and Ruggiero first connected just a couple weeks ago, when the former purchas...
ODESZA to Release Debut NFT Collection
As lockdown measures and the absence of live music events continue into a second year, the EDM community has recently experienced an explosion in the popularity of NFTs. The items have emerged as a means for artists to gain financial support during a time when many performers’ livelihoods remain uncertain. For those unfamiliar, an NFT, or non-fungible token, is a digital collectible item. NFTs are stored on a decentralized blockchain and can never be deleted or replicated, meaning that the person who buys or obtains one will be the sole owner. In the electronic music space, NFTs often appear as digital artworks accompanied by exclusive music. Following the likes of Flume, Disclosure, and many more, ODESZA is the latest major dance music act t...
Audius’ $AUDIO Token Reaches All-Time High, But Payouts are Still to Come
Music streaming service Audius has seen a recent surge of popularity since its beta phase in October 2019 and ensuing public launch a year later. The controversial blockchain-powered platform’s cryptocurrency token, $AUDIO, has hit a new all-time high after Audius surpassed 3 million active users, according to Cointelegraph. The report claims that the beginning of March 2021 saw the price of $AUDIO go from a low of $0.38 to a new all-time high of $0.79 on March 4th, and spike from $3 million to a record $55 million trading volume. While that’s certainly good news for the project and its decentralized approach to music streaming, Audius still hasn’t publicly shared information on how or when its users will obtain $AUDIO. According to an&...
Turntable.fm is Back—But With a Twist
Fans of social music platform Turntable.fm despaired when the app was shuttered in 2013. Despite being active for only two-and-a-half years, the app developed a cult-like following, prompting many calls and petitions to bring the platform back in the years since. Today, those calls were answered two-fold, as Turntable.fm is poised to make a comeback and a new platform, Turntable.org, is readying its own launch. The two platforms seem to have the same core format, allowing users to create their own rooms and perform for digital audiences. However, Turntable.org will be introducing a subscription-based pricing model. Considering the founders of the original site cited an inability to monetize the platform at a pace capable of offsetting their costs at the time, perhaps a subscription w...
Dillon Francis and Lane 8 are Beefing About NFTs
It seems the NFT craze is starting to rear its ugly head. Electronic music producer Lane 8 recently took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the current climate of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, writing that sales of the digital collectibles are “pandering to the ultra rich while excluding the normal fans who built [him] up in the first place.” Hours after Lane 8 published the tweet, Dillon Francis took a screenshot of it and went on to mint the image as an NFT on the Zora marketplace, dubbing the item “cool story bro.” “[D]on’t worry Lane 8 when you make an NFT we will all remember this,” he wrote in the description, along with a smiley face. Francis then shared his newly minted NFT on Twitter, announcing that he would be donating the pro...
