This Week In Music - 4th February 2022

A weekly update on all things music, advertising, and technology coming straight to you from Anthony Vanger at MassiveMusic. #TWIM

ARTIST OF THE WEEK: SESSION VICTIM

This one came courtesy of one of my colleagues at work. Since then I have not stopped playing their stuff, and this track, Bad Weather Mates, is probably one of my favourites. Session Victim?are a house-music duo formed in 2007 in?Germany by Hauke Freer and Matthias Reiling. Known for their vinyl-only DJ sets and synthesiser-based live shows, they have released four studio albums with the latest one, Needledrop, released in 2020. They always construct the drums on their music from scratch and avoid digital drum libraries which gives their sound a craftsman's-like quality. But it is the grooves and the sweet vibes that really push this music into the sublime. Be sure to put them on your playlist at your next party and watch the enquiries come pouring in.

@sessionvictim

#sessionvictim #thehauntedhouseofhouse #seeyouwhenyougetyhere?#listentoyourheart #haukefreer #matthiasreiling #twotribes #nighttimestories #housemusicduo #housemusic #berlin #lüneburg

AD OF THE WEEK: LAYS

During the long, sullen UK winter, I really appreciate an advertiser who puts in a shift to make us laugh. Lay's is back at the Super Bowl after 17 years (seriously!) with a spot featuring the ageless Paul Rudd and the nearly ageless Seth Rogen. The commercial, titled "Golden Memories," taps into the notion that we?all?have beautiful memories attached to eating Lay's. Whilst that is almost undeniably untrue - or as Boris likes to say, inadvertently untrue - the ad has a nice flashback rhythm to it and the punchline is as snappy as a potato chip. This year's Superbowl will be played in California on NBC, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022 Check the internet for local listings.

#lays #sethrogen #paulrudd #superbowl

IRISH GOVERNMENT TO PAY ARTISTS 'BASIC INCOME'

The Irish government will pay a basic income to about 2,000 artists, musicians, actors and other entertainers for the next three years.

The move is part of the Basic Income for the Arts project, which will provide people working in creative industries with a weekly stipend.

In the consultation, a basic wage of €10.50 (￡8.75) per hour is suggested, but the exact figure is yet to be confirmed.?

The arts and entertainment sectors have suffered from long-term closures due to COVID-19 restrictions in the country - in response to this, a new "Arts and Culture task force" was established by the Irish Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media Catherine Martin.?

The goal of this "task force" is to come up with ideas for how the arts can rebuild from the "unprecedented damage" of the pandemic.

It was then decided that a way forward was to test a basic income programme in the arts, culture, audiovisual, live performance, and events sectors over "a three-year period".

While it is unclear how many persons working in the arts will receive the payout, a figure of 2,000 has been proposed.?

As reported by?BBC, Ms Martin described the Basic Income for the Arts as a "once-in-a-generation policy intervention" in a statement.

SPOTIFY TO DIRECT LISTENERS TO ACCURATE COVID INFORMATION AFTER JOE ROGAN OUTCRY?

Streaming platform publishes rules for creators and announces plan to tackle misinformation, including ‘content advisories

Spotify is adding a message that will direct listeners to correct Covid-19 information as controversy over misinformation shared on Joe Rogan’s podcast continues to grow, with the streamer losing billions in market value and more musicians withdrawing their music.

On Sunday, the CEO of Spotify, Daniel Ek,?released an official statement setting out the streaming platform’s plan to tackle misinformation. New content advisories will direct listeners of any podcast that discusses coronavirus to a dedicated website that “provides easy access to data-driven facts, up-to-date information as shared by scientists, physicians, academics and public health authorities around the world, as well as links to trusted sources”.

Spotify’s rules for its creators have also been made public for the first time, with users told they cannot publish “content that promotes dangerous false or dangerous deceptive medical information that may cause offline harm or poses a direct threat to public health”.

Examples include calling Covid “a hoax or not real” or “encouraging people to purposely get infected with Covid-19 in order to build immunity to it”. Users who break the rule could see their content removed from the platform and repeat offenders could be suspended or banned.

NFT WEBSITE HITPIECE BLASTED FOR LISTING TRACKS WITHOUT ARTISTS PERMISSION

Hundreds of artists have rallied together to out the new music?NFT?website?HitPiece, which is allegedly auctioning off musicians’ tracks and albums without permission.

The website promises to provide “one-of-one NFTs of all your favourite songs,” which can then be used to “build a unique playlist and join artist communities”.

“Members build their Hitlist of their favourite songs, get on leaderboards, and receive in real life value such as access and experiences with artists,” read the website’s description.

While the website flaunted hundreds of NFTs from artists all over the world including bands, producers, DJs, and solo singers, it appears that none were asked for their express permission.

Several musicians spoke up about the unusual scenario on?Twitter. “Please don't buy any NFTs you see of anything related to my music or my labels, on that HitPiece site or wherever. It's all a scam,” said?I Love Acid?founder Posthuman.

DOCTORS CREATE MUSIC-MAKING APP TO HELP REDUCE BRAIN FOG IN CANCER PATIENTS

A music-making app has been developed by doctors to help battle brain fog in cancer patients.

The app named?ARMcan?has been developed by a team of doctors from the University of Cincinnati including neuro-oncologist Dr. Soma Sengupta.

The app allows users to stream their favourite music and create their own music. Therefore it can work on developing their concentration and cognitive abilities as multitasking can become difficult for cancer patients.

Dr. Soma Sengupta said: "I wanted an app that could allow patients to express their musical ability," Sengupta said. "In other words, to have musical turns where you could overlay genres and create your own music track."

The app, Sengupta added, is "helping the rewiring and exercising areas of the brain that normally wouldn't do it."

There is currently no medical treatment for brain fog and so the app is being tested by the university on breast cancer survivors to see how it can ease brain fog.

Patients put into groups that either listen to music or makes music for 15 minutes every day. These activities should be helping to stimulate parts of their brains that would normally not be exercised by traditional treatments.

The people within the study will have multiple MRI scans to track their progress and measure how effective music therapy can be.

Written by?Anthony Vanger

Additional research and reporting by?Adam "Badger" Woolf

Artwork by?Badger

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