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Pete Tong's Essential New Tune
Mwaki
Zerb & Sofiya Nzau
TH3RD BRAIN
out now
Comment
"Mwaki is the latest worldwide viral record from Brazilian DJ and producer Zerb and Kenyan vocalist Sofiya Nzau, whose beautiful vocals are in the Kenyan tribal language of Kikuyu. It's a shame in some ways that this has appeared after the summer season as I could hear this getting hammered in Ibiza. I am sure it will get played in sun spots throughout the winter around the world. It is gaining streams and fans by the hour."
This week's featured Essential New Tune was featured in last week’s Friday show on BBC Radio 1. Listen again and forward to 34.43 here.
Contact
Label: Alec Udell & Michael Gaertner, TH3RD BRAIN RECORDS
Management: Gabriel Tofoli, Salt N Pepper Management 
Radio: James Jackson & James Marsh, Listen Up
Streaming: Matt Rimmington, Listen Up
21 Nov 2023
Business
  • Music tech studio CreateSafe announced a $4.6m seed funding round to launch a new AI platform, following the company’s collaboration with Grimes. (DMN) 
  • Warner Music Group reported its Q4 and full fiscal year earnings with the news that it surpassed $6bn in yearly revenue for the first time. Recorded music revenue jumped this quarter to $1.29bn while publishing revenue increased to $298m. (DMN) 
News and Features
  • Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has rejected plans to build a massive Sphere, similar to the one seen in Las Vegas, in Stratford, east London. (Guardian) He cited an "unacceptable negative impact on local residents".
  • LIVE has unveiled a manifesto with five crucial priorities, aimed at safeguarding grassroots music venues and unlocking the economic potential of the wider live music sector. (RotD)  
    Nighttime economy businesses warn of prolonged struggle ahead says NTIA. (RotD) 
  • David Guetta topped DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs 2023 and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike were the number 1 DJ group. The following DJs are number one's in their respective genre: Angerfist (Hard DJ), Peggy Gou (House), Armin van Buuren (Trance), and Charlotte de Witte (Techno). 
Digital
  • SoundCloud relaunches official charts and introduces Next Pro Chart to spotlight emerging talent. (SoundCloud)
  • BandLab has officially entered the crowded distribution arena as part of an expanded deal with Downtown Music’s FUGA. (DMN)  
  • YouTube unveiled its first music charts, devoted to the daily and weekly tracks being used for YouTube Shorts. (MusicAlly) 
  • Under Spotify’s new royalties model, the platform will financially penalise labels or distributors when it finds that more than 90% of streams on a song are fraudulent, charging €10 per offending track. (Billboard) 
  • TikTok's new feature allows users to save a track they discover on the app to their preferred streaming service with a few clicks. (TechCrunch)
Live
  • Tickets for next year's Glastonbury Festival have sold out in just under an hour. (BBC) 
  • Melt Festival reveals first names for 2024 (RA) 
  • Tomorrowland announces 2024 festival dates and theme, 'LIFE'. (DJMag) 
Comment, Opinion and Analysis
  • Whatever happened to NFTs? (BBC) Trading volume has fallen 89% from the beginning of 2022 to now. 
  • The $100m+ in-game opportunity behind music producers. (Midia - Kriss Thakrar) 
  • Reader feedback 'Why is everyone mad at Spotify?'. (Chris Dalla Riva) 
  • Spotify changed how they pay artists. Many people were up in arms. I think their anger is misguided. (Chris Dalla Riva) 
Tech
  • Ableton announces Live 12 release for early 2024. (DJTechTools) 
Beatport
  • Beatport.io launches new documentary and digital collection with HE.SHE.THEY. (Beatportal)
  • Playlist of the Week: Ciel (Beatportal)
  • Aritst of the Month: Nora En Pure (Beatportal)
  • Get Native Instruments Super 8 FREE with Loopcloud for a limited time only (Loopcloud)
  • Using Beatport Streaming with Serato (Beatportal)
Streams & Podcasts
  • Listen to I. JORDAN, Tash LC and more discussing the future of nightlife (RA) 
  • RA.910 Kasra (RA) 
  • RA.911 Shy One (RA) 
  • ALOK sunrise set from Edge, NYC (DJMag) 
  • Carl Cox from Victoria, Australia (DJMag) 
  • Nora En Pure from Bali (DJMag) 
  • David Guetta house set from an Ibiza villa (DJMag) 
Artist and Music Features
  • Here are the Top 25 tracks played at ADE 2023 (Billboard) 
  • 5 reasons you should support grassroots nightlife venue. (Mixmag) 
  • Why do people care less about music as they get older? (NewRepublic) 
  • Music leaks have become more common — but less harmful. (Billboard) 
  • Artificial intelligence has made it easier than ever to identify samples in music. Is it an existential threat to the art form or just a new snitch to outsmart? (Ringer) 
  • Explore how Tim Engelhardt's LIFEFORMS is redefining artist support in the electronic music industry. Discover the unique blend of originality and cutting-edge technology that empowers artists, fosters creativity, and shapes the future of music. (Magnetic) 
  • Holly Herndon uses machine learning to make strange, playful work. She also advocates for artists’ autonomy in a world shaped by A.I.(NewYorker) 
  • 20 questions with Tiga: ‘I like to think we make dignified bangers’ (Billboard) 
  • How Steve Aoki is building a universe beyond music. (RollingStone) 
  • PinkPantheress is remastering the Y2K aesthetic. (Vulture) 
  • Armin van Buuren talks about his set, the evolution of trance, his side projects, his best sets, and what he’s got in store for us in the coming months. (EDMTunes) 
  • "DJs don't hit their stride until their 40s." Seth Troxler discusses maturing as an artist, having a family and navigating the worlds of contemporary art and cuisine. (RA) 
  • Legendary DJ, producer, label owner and live performer, Carl Cox has kept dancefloors jumping for well over three decades. He’s been at the forefront of acid house, rave and techno, ever-present in the Top 100 DJs poll, and he’s still innovating today. Anna Wall traces his extraordinary career, and learns about what motivates him in 2023 (DJMag) 
  • DESIREE is the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs 2023 Future Star winner (DJMag)
  • DJMag Top 100 DJs 2023: the next 50 
  • DJ Mag Top 100 DJs 2023: Analysis - 1.3 million people vote from 237 territories in the world's biggest music poll 
Artist News
  • Andy C returns to XOYO for one-off party next month. (DJMag) 
  • Sarah Story has shared her latest EP, 'Another', via Hypercolour Records. (Mixmag) 
  • Calvin Harris joins forces with Eliza Rose for 'Body Moving'. (EDM) 
  • James Masters, the influential media director of Manchester's legendary Haçienda club brand, has died at the age of 50. (DJMag) 
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