The duo has become so good at making records that I replay parts of “Random Access Memories” repeatedly while simultaneously thinking it is some of the worst music I’ve ever heard. Daft Punk engages the sound and the surface of music so lovingly that all seventy-five loony minutes of “Random Access Memories” feel fantastic, even when you are hearing music you might never seek out. This record raises a radical question: Does good music need to be good?
Atoms for Peace [Thom + Nigel] at Le Poisson Rouge - Default
Facebook launched the messaging program in the U.S. in January by charging users $100 to message prominent figures including Mark Zuckerberg. The program came after Facebook began charging users $1 to message users they don’t know in December.
Indeed, we need to invent new language and new terminology to describe the kinds of exchanges and values that comprise core elements of social production. This puts tremendous responsibility on people who design social platforms, because it is these design elements that will determine whether the platforms will foster gift exchange, competition, generosity, or new forms of greed.
When we quietly launched Give in January, we didn’t know how long it would take to get artists involved. We invited a small group of fans to use Give with us, with the goal to provide them with the best way to directly support the bands they love.
We quickly learned that artists are ready for the idea and are eager to take part. With this in mind, we’ve been working to develop the tools and support needed to provide a great experience for the artists using the system.
We would like to give you an update on our progress:
There are many more features that we have in mind for the Artist Dashboard but we are excited about this start. Our aim is to make it effortless for artists to use Give to receive support from their fans. We will continue to work toward this goal.
Moving Forward
We continue to grow slowly and steadily. Next, we will focus on ensuring that we can support everyone using Give – both artists and fans – at a larger scale. We will continue to invite new fans and verify artists that have claimed their accounts as we undertake this work.
We couldn’t be more thrilled with the artists that have joined so far, or with the enthusiasm and dedication of the fans that have signed up. Without the involvement of both groups, Give couldn’t exist.
We can’t wait to see how it all turns out.
Sincerely,
I think the radio will change-– and the sooner the better. Because no matter what way you look at it, the most pleasurable experiences you ever have is when something’s played to you you don’t know. Like going round to a friend’s house and they’ll stick a tune on you. Or going into a store when I was a kid and the new Smiths record’s come out and I’m going up to the guy-– and he’s really cool, the indie store in town-– and just talking to him about music for 20 minutes.
By Greg Sandoval, The Verge
The abundance fueled by digital technologies and their ability to democratize, commoditize and empower discovery, creativity and communication is a major disruptive force.
This is a philosophical question: when people program — i.e. decide on which set of possible options they should make available — they express a philosophy about what operations are important in the world. If the philosophy they express is on anything like the level of breathtaking stupidity that the games they play and the internet conversations they have are, then we are completely sunk. We are victims of their limitations. It’s as though we’re using a language that has lots of words like ‘cool’ and ‘surf’ but not one for ‘organism’ or ‘evolve’ or ‘synergy’.
Music begins inside human beings, and so must any instruction. Not at the instrument, not with the first finger, nor with the first position, not with this or that chord. The starting point is one’s own stillness, listening to oneself, the “being ready for music”, listening to one’s own heart-beat and breathing.
“I think people have been obsessed with the wrong question, which is, How do we make people pay for music? What if we started asking, How do we let people pay for music?”
What if there was an online music service that emphasised the emotional connection to records over mere access to the music?
Kindness’ video for the track House has elements of music documentary, children’s special, and a nice dance jam at the end. It’s great.
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