Beatport in controversial royalty freeze, 808 Day celebrations, and what are the audiophiles hearing?
Beatport caught up in royalty scandal as SFX privatisation plan continues. Online music retailer Beatport has controversially informed label owners that royalty payments will be frozen until Robert Sillerman – CEO of Beatport’s parent company, SFX Entertainment – completes the process of taking the company private. This week it was revealed that Beatport has released royalties owed to major labels for the last quarter, but told indies that that they wont be paid until Sillerman completes his takeover of SFX. UK indie trade body AIM have demanded its members be paid within 24 hours, according to Music Week. Sillerman and his associates are required to deliver the terms and conditions of a merger agreement where stockholders will receive $5.25 for each share of common stock. However, the plan may not run entirely smoothly; Forbes reports that one major investor in SFX has chosen to sell their stake – worth around $5m – at a lower price rather than wait to see whether Sillerman can raise the funds. Forbes describes the move as adding “a new twist to what’s already been a controversial and opaque take private of the Nasdaq-listed company”. Find out more about the SFX privatisation deal here, and about the indie royalties issue here.
Celebrating the Roland TR-808. Musicians, producers and fans from the global community will come together to recognise the legendary and influential drum machine on 808 Day, Saturday August 8th. Festivities can be tracked on social media with the hashtag #808day, and include Low End Theory Festival at LA’s world-renowned nightclub of the same name, Dubspot workshops and performances in New York and LA, and a premier screening of 808 – the feature film documenting the drum machine’s influence – at the British Film Institute in London. Find out more here.
Arturia’s KeyLabs are Back in Black. Arturia have announced that their professional-grade, KeyLab MIDI keyboards are back in black as limited-edition bundles. Included is Arturia’s Analog Lab software, which integrates 6,000 sounds from their V-Collection line of classic virtual synthesisers and drum machines, and 6,000-plus presets by internationally renowned sound designers. The 49 and 61-key editions are available now for $399 and $429 respectively. Watch them in action above and find out more here.
Drum and Bass Puts Patients at Risk. Though previous research has found that music can positively affect surgeons’ abilities and decrease stress levels, a small study by the National Journal of Nurses appeared to show that listening to drum and bass while performing surgery puts patients at risk. The study placed cameras in the operating rooms of UK hospitals where music was played, discovering that drum and bass makes it more difficult to concentrate, causes frustration and impedes communication with nurses. Full story here.
What are the Audiophiles Hearing? Esquire visits the HiFi Wigwam Show – one of the premier annual gatherings for Britain’s audiophiles – to meet dedicated audio enthusiasts as they show off their elaborate and often wildly expensive hi-fi systems. Author Alexis Petridis attempts to answer the obvious question: are audiophiles hearing something we’re not? Read the feature here.
Barbara Tucker and Louie Vega’s Live Jam. The US soul singer with an Ibiza residency, who had six #1 hits on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart in the 1990s and into the 2000s, and several hits on the UK scene, Barbara Tucker performed an impromptu solo vocal alongside one half of Masters At Work – Little Louie Vega, at Defected Presents Glitterbox‘s Space Ibiza residency. Watch a video of the performance here.
Slate Introduces Plugin Subscription Service. “A better way to use audio software” rather than using hacked warez, or regularly having to pay for upgrades of plugins you already own when a developer adds new features, Slate Digital claim that their all new subscription service business model will change the way you think about buying plugins. Watch their promo video above, and find out more here.