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Kaskade Returns With Sun Soaked to Original Stomping Grounds

After a seven year hiatus, Kaskade will reignite the excitement with the highly anticipated return of his iconic beachside festival, Sun Soaked 2025, this summer. Mark your calendars for September 6, when Sun Soaked will make its grand comeback to Huntington State Beach, offering an unparalleled one-day experience for fans.
Sun Soaked Over the Years & 2025
Sun Soaked made its dazzling debut in 2017, quickly establishing itself as a premier event in the electronic music scene. The inaugural festival set a vibrant tone with its unique fusion of beach ambiance and pulsating electronic rhythms. The inaugural event mesmerized audiences with its enchanting blend of beach ambiance and pulsating electronic rhythms. In 2018, the festival returned to Long Beach, drawing massive crowds and delivering unforgettable performances. It included a show-stopping set by Laidback Luke. While a 2019 edition was initially planned, the festival was temporarily paused. Now, after a seven-year hiatus, Sun Soaked is making a return to its Southern California roots.

Kaskade, a pioneering force in the industry, has joined forces with Insomniac to curate an unparalleled lineup of dance music talent on the stunning shores of Huntington State Beach. By merging his deep passion for music with his love for the outdoors, Kaskade is poised to create an extraordinary experience that celebrates nature as a key part of the festival’s allure. In 2025, fans can look forward to an exhilarating revitalization of Sun Soaked. It will include immersive stage designs, exclusive beach themed merchandise, and a thoughtfully curated selection of food and beverages. The first phase of this event will feature performances by renowned artists such as Anabel Englund, Malaa, Meduza, MPH, SKILAH, Sidepiece, and Walker & Royce. Kaskade himself is ready to share this remarkable journey with you-
Registration for pre-sale began on May 1, at SunSoakedOfficial.com. Pre-sale begins on Thursday, May 8, 10:00AM PST. General on-sale ticketing begins on Friday, May 9, 10:00AM PST.
Stay tuned to EDMTunes for all your latest festival updates.
The post Kaskade Returns With Sun Soaked to Original Stomping Grounds appeared first on EDMTunes.
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Austin City Limits 2025 Taps John Summit, Zeds Dead, Sammy Virji + More

Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL) has unveiled its 2025 lineup.
Another eclectic roster of more than 150 musical acts will descend upon Zilker Park in Austin, Texas, when the famed multi-genre festival returns over two weekends this fall, October 3-5 and October 10-12.
Headline performances at ACL 2025 will come from pop superstar Sabrina Carpenter, multi-platinum singer-songwriter Hozier, fan-favorite alt-rappers Doja Cat and Doechii, country hero Luke Combs, iconic NYC rockers The Strokes, and house and techno poster boy John Summit.
Other standout electronic acts include bass icons Zeds Dead, surging UKG talent Sammy Virji, renowned indie electronic bands Empire Of The Sun and Passion Pit,  trending Aussie duo Confidence Man, piano house wiz LP Giobbi, and genre-melding spinner Disco Lines.
True to its origins as a city park concert series produced by Austin PBS, a bevy of top instrumental acts, spanning rock, country, alternative, hip-hop, and more, are at the core of Austin City Limits’ programming. Across both weekends, fans can catch Cage The Elephant, Pierce The Veil, Maren Morris, Modest Mouse, Wet Leg, The Backseat Lovers, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Dr. Dog, Japanese Breakfast, MK.gee, MJ Lenderman, and many more. Check out the full lineup below. 
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit aclfestival.com.

Featured image courtesy: Austin City Limits.
The post Austin City Limits 2025 Taps John Summit, Zeds Dead, Sammy Virji + More appeared first on EDM Maniac.
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Austin City Limits 2025 Taps John Summit, Zeds Dead, Sammy Virji + More

Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL) has unveiled its 2025 lineup.
Another eclectic roster of more than 150 musical acts will descend upon Zilker Park in Austin, Texas, when the famed multi-genre festival returns over two weekends this fall, October 3-5 and October 10-12.
Headline performances at ACL 2025 will come from pop superstar Sabrina Carpenter, multi-platinum singer-songwriter Hozier, fan-favorite alt-rappers Doja Cat and Doechii, country hero Luke Combs, iconic NYC rockers The Strokes, and house and techno poster boy John Summit.
Other standout electronic acts include bass icons Zeds Dead, surging UKG talent Sammy Virji, renowned indie electronic bands Empire Of The Sun and Passion Pit,  trending Aussie duo Confidence Man, piano house wiz LP Giobbi, and genre-melding spinner Disco Lines.
True to its origins as a city park concert series produced by Austin PBS, a bevy of top instrumental acts, spanning rock, country, alternative, hip-hop, and more, are at the core of Austin City Limits’ programming. Across both weekends, fans can catch Cage The Elephant, Pierce The Veil, Maren Morris, Modest Mouse, Wet Leg, The Backseat Lovers, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Dr. Dog, Japanese Breakfast, MK.gee, MJ Lenderman, and many more. Check out the full lineup below. 
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit aclfestival.com.

Featured image courtesy: Austin City Limits.
The post Austin City Limits 2025 Taps John Summit, Zeds Dead, Sammy Virji + More appeared first on EDM Maniac.
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Create Music Group Acquires Monstercat

Create Music Group has acquired Monstercat in a deal that will bring together two of electronic music’s top independent labels.
After receiving a $165 million injection from private equity firm Flexpoint Firm and an ensuing $1 billion valuation last year, Create Music Group today announced its purchase of the longstanding Canadian electronic label for an undisclosed fee.
In a press release, Create said it will invest an additional $50 million over the next two years to artist development, advances, and platform support for Monstercat’s roster, “to accelerate both new signings and long-term career growth.” 
The label group, which is known for its rights management, distribution, sync, and content monetization prowess, and claims to generate over 150 billion monthly streams, also plans to expand Monstercat Gold, a subscription-based licensing service for creators.
Since its founding in Vancouver 2011, Monstercat has grown to become one of modern electronic music’s most influential labels across more than 8,000 releases from artists like Kaskade, Marshmello, Adventure Club, NGHTMRE, and Habstrakt, and powerful gaming partnerships with Rocket League, Fortnite, and Roblox.
Monstercat will continue to operate independently under President Daniel Turcotte, with co-founders Mike Darlington and Ari Paunonen remaining on as advisors, according to the announcement. 
“Our mission has alway been to build sustainable, long-term careers for exceptional artists,” Turcotte said in a press release. “Create gives us the reach and support to do that at a large scale, without changing what makes Monstercat special. We’re still artist-first—only now with more tools to serve them.”
In the last calendar year, Create has also purchased deadmau5’s entire catalog and that of his mau5trap label, Berlin-based independent music company !K7, Manchester-based label and publisher Ostereo, a 50% stake in London-based label-publisher Enhanced, and announced a joint catalog venture with New York and New Orleans’ Pack Records, according to Music Business Worldwide.
Featured image courtesy: Monstercat.
The post Create Music Group Acquires Monstercat appeared first on EDM Maniac.
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John Summit, Zeds Dead and More to Perform at Austin City Limits 2025: See the Full Lineup

The organizers of Austin City Limits Music Festival just dropped its 2025 lineup, and it's clear the two-weekend Texas institution isn't surrendering its crown anytime soon. 
ACL returns to its longtime home of Zilker Park over two weekends in 2025: October 3-5 and 10-12. The festival, which has transformed from a humble PBS concert series into a cultural juggernaut, continues its tradition of curating a lineup that's both commercially viable and credibly diverse.
Dance music superstar John Summit has been tapped to headline along with Sabrina Carpenter, Hozier, Doja Cat, Luke Combs, Doechii and The Strokes. Other notable electronic music acts on the bill include Zeds Dead, Sammy Virji, Passion Pit, Polo & Pan, Disco Lines and LP Giobbi.
You can check out the full ACL 2025 lineup below and purchase tickets here. GA tickets start at $360 and GA+ at $750 while VIP passes will run you $1,670. Single-day tickets will be available at a later date.
C3 Presents
Follow Austin City Limits:
X: x.com/aclfestival
Instagram: instagram.com/aclfestival
TikTok: tiktok.com/@austincitylimitstv
Facebook: facebook.com/aclfestival
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ACRAZE: ‘Telephone Ringin’

A trailblazer in the scene, ACRAZE has cemented himself as one of music’s most in-demand names today. Known for his magnetic stage presence and genre-defying sound that seamlessly blends hip-hop, pop and electronic music, the serial-chart-topper’s meteoric rise has been defined by his penchant for the bold and ardent refusal to follow the status quo.
His latest release ‘Telephone Ringin,’ is a playful, yet turbo-charged spin on the ringback tone of a phone call. Aptly named for its clever sampling of dialtones, the track bursts with unmistakable drive. ‘Telephone Ringing’ instantly dives into a familiar deep bassline and nostalgic ring — building tension as the song takes on a brooding, almost sinister sound. ACRAZE showcases his distinct production chops as the song arrives at its climax, taking listeners to a restless high octane escape. Listen here.
The post ACRAZE: ‘Telephone Ringin’ appeared first on EDMTunes.
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Man Captured In Ibiza Airport With 163,000 Ecstasy Pills

The National Police of Spain intercepted a Dutch Man carrying two large suitcases with 163,000 Ecstasy Pills at the Ibiza Airport. Per the Ibiza Newspaper, the man had smuggled his suitcases from the Netherlands. Spanish authorities then arrested the individual as he landed in Ibiza, lacking measures to conceal that cargo.
The Investigation On The Ecstasy Contraband
The Airport Police, working alongside the Drugs and Organized Crime Unit (UDYCO Police), seized the man as he had flown in from the Netherlands with two large suitcases. Investigators had raised suspicions as the individual, traveling alone, kept 50kg worth of Ecstasy pills in the only luggage he carried with him. As the club season returns to Ibiza, police enforcement is on high alert, which led to the interrogation and detention of the 22-year-old.
Although the investigation is still ongoing, we know that he was carrying 163,000 pink Ecstasy pills. The cargo had three different designs, including a “2CB” inscription. Furthermore, UDYCO reported that the detainee was sent to court on Saturday. Further investigation and report are pending.
The police estimated the value of the contraband between €1.3 million and €3 million, according to RTL News. Moreover, the sentence for this level of trafficking and fake labeling of the Ecstasy pills ranges from 3-9 years.
The post Man Captured In Ibiza Airport With 163,000 Ecstasy Pills appeared first on EDMTunes.
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Spotlight Push or CSR Trap? MDLBEAST on the Truth About Empowering Arab Women in Music

Across the global music industry and within MDLBEAST, the phrase empowering women appears everywhere—from hashtags to headline panels. But often, the promise proves hollow. In the MENA region, where gender disparities remain stark, questions of inclusion are even more complex.
This year, the MDLBEAST Foundation, led by Nada Alhelabi, is confronting that tension head-on. Shedding light through this EDMNOMAD exclusive interview, MDLBEAST Foundation claims it is doing more than symbolically supporting women in music through a partnership with Berklee Abu Dhabi’s PEARL Program and its own Hunna mentorship network. It’s structurally investing in them.
The appointment of Lina Sleibi as the first artist to benefit from this partnership signals more than representation. It is MDLBEAST Foundation’s test case—one that, if successful, will challenge how institutions approach female leadership in the Arab world’s cultural industries.
For Nada Alhelabi, General Manager of the MDLBEAST Foundation and founder of XP Music Futures, the choice was obvious. “Lina’s journey and impact align perfectly with our mission to amplify exceptional regional talent,” she explained. “Especially through Hunna, which supports the next generation of female artists. Lina has performed across Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. She has sung in Arabic, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, and Aramaic. Notably, she was also the only Arab artist to perform at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
Emphasizing their choice, “She brings global experience and an academic background in business and marketing,” Alhelabi noted. “She’s an ideal ambassador for our vision of a globally recognized, inclusive Arab music scene.”
Inspiration to Infrastructure: How MDLBEAST Built Hunna for Women
Since its launch, Hunna by MDLBEAST has grown into a network of 120+ women across the Middle East and beyond. But Nada Alhelabi insists Hunna isn’t just a support group. “Hunna is a movement that creates structural change,” she said. “It offers access to mentorship, career opportunities, and a connected regional network.”
Each artist receives a four-month mentorship with leading women in music. Hunna also hosts masterclasses, listening circles, and collaborates with regional institutions. It has held in-person gatherings in Riyadh, Oman, Jeddah, and Tunisia, plus over ten virtual events across 16 countries. Hunna doesn’t only support artists—it connects producers, managers, and industry professionals, too.
“We’re not just boosting numbers,” Alhelabi emphasized. “We’re building a pipeline for women to lead, influence, and reshape the region’s music industry from within.” To ensure this isn’t viewed as another corporate social responsibility exercise, MDLBEAST tracks long-term metrics. “We measure long-term outcomes that reflect meaningful career development,” said Alhelabi. “Music releases, tours, performance bookings, label deals—those are tangible metrics we track.”
She also points to brand development. The Foundation watches how artists build visibility both online and offline. “We look at how they grow as independent professionals,” she said. “Mentors provide feedback. Artists reflect. This shows whether the experience has real impact.” A personalized approach is key. “We’re co-developing each artist’s path,” she added. “Every journey must align with their vision, not just our programming.”
Education Meets Purpose: How Berklee’s PEARL Program Adds Scale
The Berklee PEARL Program itself runs for 12 weeks. It focuses on branding, signature sound development, business strategy, and project production. It’s for artists to move from talent to toolkit—from inspiration to action.
For Alhelabi, this model represents the future. “Education alone isn’t enough,” she said. “Artists need mentorship that continues past the classroom and into their careers.” Lina’s transition from Berklee’s program into Hunna is a first-of-its-kind blueprint for what MDLBEAST hopes to scale across its platforms that support Arab women artists.
Still, critics raise valid questions. “I understand why people ask if this is just CSR,” Alhelabi clarifies. “But that’s not what this is.” She called the Berklee partnership a longstanding collaboration and emphasizes their shared vision. “We’re not just spotlighting artists—we’re equipping them,” she said. “With tools, networks, and practical development strategies.” This includes navigating industry branding without compromising identity. “We start with authenticity,” she said. “Artists should never mold themselves to fit industry standards. We help them tell their stories effectively, without compromising their identity.”
That includes refining audience strategies, visual language, and brand partnerships—all rooted in the artist’s existing values. “We want them industry-ready,” she said, “but on their own terms.”
Scaling Real Mentorship From One Program to Many
What started with Hunna and PEARL is now spreading. “We’re scaling this mentorship model across every initiative,” Nada Alhelabi shared. That includes XPERFORM for vocalists, Stormshaker for DJs, and Sound Futures, an incubator for creative entrepreneurs. Even niche programs like PWR CHORD (for guitarists) and the Artist Management Bootcamp are built around the same principles. Structured education. Tailored support. Real-world application. “Mentorship isn’t an afterthought anymore,” MDLBEAST Foundation’s General Manager echoed. “It’s our foundation.”
Moreover, this strategy was refined by listening to the community. “We’ve been listening since 2023,” Alhelabi said. Artists at events across the region asked for longer mentorship, regional relevance, and real access to decision-makers. “So we doubled down,” she explained. “We’re now offering deeper virtual programming and building bridges between our artists and global professionals.” That includes outreach to underserved communities and diaspora musicians in the UK, USA, and Italy.
Meanwhile, Lina’s own trajectory continues to evolve. She will be a featured artist at XP Music Futures, the region’s flagship conference for industry innovation. There, she’ll perform live during XP Nite and contribute to the daytime sessions of XP Day. “This isn’t a graduation—it’s a transition into leadership,” said Alhelabi. “Lina will have the platform, the tools, and the community to influence others.”
MDLBEAST, Women, and The Bigger Picture: Regional Identity, Global Momentum
While MDLBEAST Foundation scales its programs for women and artists, Nada Alhelabi remains grounded in one priority: culture. “Regional culture and local context must remain central,” she said. “That’s non-negotiable.” Events like Soundstorm, Balad Beast, 1001 Festival, and XP showcase local talent as headliners, not warm-up acts. “We’re not exporting culture,” she added. “We’re sharing it on our terms.” That includes crafting every initiative in consultation with regional experts, local musicians, and cultural stakeholders.
The Foundation’s General Manager is actively working to rewrite a long-held global assumption. “That the Middle East is just a passive consumer of music trends,” she said. “It’s false—and outdated.” She backed this up with data: MENA is now the fastest-growing music market globally, according to IFPI’s 2025 report. Revenue in 2024 jumped 22.8%, led by Saudi Arabia’s 36.84 million internet users and a 99% internet penetration rate.
Under her leadership and the women of the region, MDLBEAST has evolved from festival organizer to label, radio network, venue operator, and strategic cultural partner. “We’re not here for one headline,” said Alhelabi. “We’re here to build careers, amplify voices, and shift culture long-term.”
If all roads align, the Berklee partnership and the vision behind Hunna won’t be a one-time case study. If it holds, Hunna won’t be a case study—it’ll be the cultural blueprint proving that MDLBEAST builds with women, not around them.
The post Spotlight Push or CSR Trap? MDLBEAST on the Truth About Empowering Arab Women in Music appeared first on EDMNOMAD.
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Reason Studios’ Arpeggio Lab is a pattern-generating “cure for creative block”

Searching for inspiration? Reason Studios might have the perfect solution. The Swedish software company has just released Arpeggio Lab, a creative tool designed to spark ideas.
Promising to be “a cure for creative block”, Arpeggio Lab is not only able to conjure up patterns, but is also able to push each pattern a step further. The tool can generate new ideas from patterns, fill in gaps and pluck out fresh melodies from chords.
READ MORE: Sample like it’s 1994: Iconic sample editing software ReCycle makes a comeback – and it’s completely free Arpeggio Lab is able to split a pattern’s chords into two roles: Anchor and Movement chords. Anchor chords serve as the firm foundation of your pattern, locking the rhythm in place, while Movement chords are more fluid (hence the name). Movement chords will be where the tool takes creative liberties, cooking up new melodies.
Reason Studios has also made a point of making the software diverse and unpredictable – meaning your Movement chords could produce anything from a clean, flowing melody, to a gritty, dense melody full of glitchy inflections.

With a twist of a knob and a click of a button, the entire flavour of your track can change. And there are plenty of knobs to mess with, from Shape, Density, Velocity, Rhythm, Octave and more.
There’s also a ‘Humanise’ option to add a more human feel to Arpeggio Lab’s experimental generation. The option focuses more on capturing the movement patterns of a real musician, so is perhaps more like jamming and riffing ideas off of a musical peer.
According to the company, the tool is “50% playable arpeggiator, 50% idea-generator and 100% guaranteed to cure your creative block”. It’s a tool tailor-made for experimentation, pushing your chords into new realms and throwing you into unknown waters.
“We didn’t set out to make just another arpeggiator,” Niklas Agevik, CEO at Reason Studios, explains. “We wanted to build a creative sidekick. Something that gets you out of your head and into the flow-state of making music.”
“Creative block happens when everything starts sounding the same,” Calle Malmgren, CMO at Reason Studios, adds. “Arpeggio Lab breaks that loop – literally.”
Arpeggio Lab is available for $69 from the Reason Studios Shop. It is also included with a Reason+ subscription.
The post Reason Studios’ Arpeggio Lab is a pattern-generating “cure for creative block” appeared first on MusicTech.
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Create Music Group Acquires Monstercat, Canada’s Flagship Electronic Music Label

A new heavyweight alliance has formed at the heart of the electronic label ecosystem after Create Music Group acquired Canadian independent dance music powerhouse Monstercat.
The deal marks one of the most high-impact mergers the genre has seen in recent memory. The acquisition brings Monstercat’s iconic brand, massive digital reach and artist-first ethos into Create’s expanding platform for rights management, content monetization and label services.
Founded in 2011, Monstercat has since grown into one of the world’s most influential electronic music labels. Its influence at the intersection of EDM and gaming is immense, thanks to partnerships with Rocket League, Beat Saber, Fortnite and Roblox, among others.
Today Monstercat boasts a catalog of over 8,000 recordings from influential artists like Kaskade, Alan Walker, BT and SLANDER among many others. The label also released Marshmello's breakthrough 2016 single "Alone," the masked hitmaker's first record to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.
Monstercat will continue to operate independently under its President, Daniel Turcotte, while co-founders Mike Darlington and Ari Paunonen stay on in advisory capacities.
"Our mission has always been to build sustainable, long-term careers for exceptional artists," Turcotte said in a press release. "Create gives us the reach and support to do that at a larger scale, without changing what makes Monstercat special. We’re still artist-first—only now with more tools to serve them."
As part of the deal, Create has also committed $50 million in investments over the next two years to boost Monstercat’s artist development efforts, platform infrastructure and international expansion. The music giant, which is said to generate over 150 billion monthly streams, also plans to expand Monstercat Gold, the label’s subscription-based sync licensing service for content creators.
"Monstercat is everything an independent label should strive to be—exclusive, globally trusted and capable of breaking artists and songs at the highest levels," added Jonathan Strauss, Co-Founder and CEO of Create Music Group. "Mike, Ari, Daniel, Orri and the entire Monstercat team have built a culture and community at a scale rarely achieved in the music industry. We are excited to support their mission."
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Inside Billy McFarland's Exit Strategy and the Future of Fyre Festival

Billy McFarland knows the power of a brand that breaks the internet. But that same notoriety has become both his greatest asset and most stubborn obstacle.
"Fyre certainly is the most talked-about festival in the US for the past seven or eight years," he tells EDM.com in a candid interview.
McFarland, the founder of the ill-fated Fyre Festival, tried to rewrite the ending this spring. Fyre Festival 2, his bid for redemption, was slated to take place in Playa del Carmen, but the effort collapsed within days of going public.
As media attention swelled, city officials abruptly distanced themselves, some denying involvement altogether. The same viral current that once propelled Fyre into global consciousness had returned and, once again, proved too volatile to contain.
"The Playa del Carmen situation is almost too hard for me to believe what happened," McFarland recalls. "They did a press conference with us. They posted about us. And then, once this all went public, the media wave that Fyre inevitably creates happened. Their only response was like, 'Fyre? We’ve never heard of Fyre,' and they just did a total 180 and decide to lie and distance themselves rather than try to understand how to deal with the wave that is the US media. I think it's going to be really hard to guarantee to our supporters whether it's a ticket-holder, a brand sponsor, a documentary company, that this won't happen again."
In the aftermath, McFarland announced he would step down from leading the controversial brand. But as one door slammed shut, others opened as several alternate Caribbean destinations reached out in hopes of hosting Fyre's next chapter. 
The two likeliest contenders in advanced discussions to host the event, he tells us, are the Honduran island Utila and Turks and Caicos. However, while McFarland remains confident either could fulfill the vision, he’s just as certain he’s not the one to lead it.
"It's going to be much easier to stand up in the face of the media if it’s not just Billy and team," he said. “It’s very easy for someone to say, 'Oh, we’ve never spoken to Billy,' but it’s much harder to say, 'We haven't spoken with established festival company, you know, X, who now is backing Fyre.'"
McFarland’s reasoning is rooted in a paradox he likens to a "weird arbitrage." Fyre attracts attention with ease, but that attention comes loaded with skepticism. The same name that drives headlines also reactivates the very questions, doubts and liabilities that have trailed McFarland since 2018, when he served federal prison time for wire fraud related to the original event on the Bahamian Island of Great Exuma. 
That paradox ultimately pushed him toward the once-unthinkable decision to sell. McFarland is under no illusion about the brand’s baggage, but he insists its gravitational pull remains intact.
"The draw of what will happen at Fyre, whether it's an event or something else, I think that is what will drive people to always attend and knowing it's different," McFarland says.
Fyre has become cultural shorthand for viral ambition gone sideways, spawning documentaries, punchlines and persistent fascination. Even leftover merch, seized by federal authorities and auctioned years later, fetched unexpectedly high prices. McFarland now says the challenge is finding the right buyer, someone who can build around that cultural momentum without being crushed under the weight of Fyre's infamous past.
"Eight days ago we put up the sale form for the Fyre IP. We’ve had 700 offers since then," he says. "A lot of them are noise, but a lot of them are real. A couple of the bigger festival players. Other media companies, like entertainment companies. So it's been a pretty interesting mix."
A number of the conversations now underway center on long-term alignment, he adds. And many of the festival operators with whom he's spoken agree: the hardest part is already done.
"I’d rather a higher chance at Fyre Festival succeeding than trying to maximize profit," he explains. "They know how to install a stage, have security and run a smooth show. But they see the attention aspect as the rare asset. That's what they struggle to create."
One of the most prominent buyers circling Fyre's trademarks isn’t a festival promoter at all. McFarland recently announced that the brand had licensed its name to a new streaming and FAST video platform, Fyre Music, set to launch later this year. The project is being led by filmmaker and media entrepreneur Shawn Rech, cofounder of the true crime streaming platform TruBlu.
McFarland hopes Fyre's future operator won’t lose sight of what he views as the brand’s original spirit. While the first Fyre Festival’s promotional firepower came from influencer hype and viral marketing, he contends that its bedrock was rooted in curated adventure. He points to the years before Fyre made headlines, when he hosted small Caribbean getaways for like-minded travelers, where the hook was who you met and the risks you took to get there.
That ethos, he believes, is more relevant now than ever as the music industry's event organizers shift from grand spectacles towards curated niche experiences.
"It’s not just about staring at a stage anymore," McFarland says. “People are craving something different. They want to feel like they’re part of something, not just lost in a crowd."
While McFarland is stepping away from day-to-day control, he isn’t disappearing entirely. His ideal role is less about logistics and more about shaping the spirit of the experience.
"What we are good at is so different, and what I am bad at—thankfully there are a lot of professionals who can do it in their sleep."
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Hypnotised: A Journey Through American Trance Music (1992 – 2002)

FEATURING LEGENDARY PRODUCTIONS FROM LUMINARIES INCLUDING DELERIUM, MARKUS SCHULZ, BT, JES, RABBIT IN THE MOON, SANDRA COLLINS, DEEPSKY, NEIL KOLO & CHRIS FORTIER’S FADE, CONJURE ONE & MANY OTHERS

After previous stop-offs in The Netherlands, Germany, The UK and Belgium, May 2025 finds ‘Hypnotised’ – the country-by-country-hopping history of trance music – reaching American shores. There it explores one of the genre’s lesser told yet equally fascinating tales. The fifth album in the series is again compiled by Arjan Rietveld, author of its encyclopaedic companion book, Hypnotised: A Journey Through Trance Music 1990 – 2005.

On his way to becoming a housemaster, Dennis ‘Aurasphere’ Ferrer’s trippy, near beatless ‘The Greenhouse Effect’ literally came by way of NYC’s EXperimental label. Around that same time, the IST label’s Orb-answering ‘Dark Black Ominous Clouds’ and ‘Carousel’ (from Disintegrator and Koenig Cylinders respectively) sonically carried the comet trail signatures of New York’s early nineties rave sound. Through the works of Rabbit In The Moon, Florida also made a big early impression on the scene. Released through their Tampa-based Hallucination label, ‘O.B.E (Out-Of-Body Experience)’ was a blissfully tripped out, sun-bleached stare-at-the-sky number, which was hammered afterhours by Sasha, in turn bringing R.I.T.M. to international attention.
1997’s ‘Heart Sequences’ by Aquarhythms marked the integration of other key stylistic elements into the American sound. Released on California’s Astralwerks, a label known for favouring ambient and electronica-tinged aspect, it introduced a transitory shift toward more textured productions. Perhaps the most internationally impactful force at the time, however, was the trio of Neil Kolo, Chris Fortier, and the Fade label. Their distinctively harmonic, progressive-trance approach found receptive audiences across Europe. By way of the ethnic chants of Kolo’s ‘Track One’ Steve Porter’s sleek ‘Adaptor’ and Fade’s racing, ‘The Love’, ‘Hypnotised: America’ showcases three of their finest pieces. From Florida’s Fade, the album moves on to Arizona’s Plastik Records, and the debut of Markus Schulz – with the halcyon, breakbeat-struck desert rave classic ‘You Won’t See Me Cry’. It features alongside Vertigo Deluxe’s blissed out ‘In Dark Skies’ and Hyper-X’s significantly more stomping ‘Out There’.

There is some irony that the North American scene rolled deeper than some other countries yet produced (in Delerium’s ‘Silence’) arguably the entire global scene’s single most recognizable moment. As it reaches its third disc, ‘Hypnotised: America’ celebrates Nettwerk America, who alongside ‘Silence’ (featured here in its original 11+ minute Fade form), also fielded BT & Kirsty Hawkshaw‘s ‘Dreaming’ and Conjure One’s haunting collaboration with Sinéad O’Connor, ‘Tears From The Moon’. Resettling back on the West Coast, LA’s Fragrant label gifts the compilation not only the acid bubble of Sandra Collins’s ‘Red’, but also Deepsky’s propellant ‘Stargazer’. The release wraps up with the Dream Music stable, which hit big out of the gate with the revered ‘Time’ (that so memorably opened Paul Oakenfold’s revered ‘Tranceport’ mix-comp). It’s included along with Sylvane’s harmonically journeying ‘Voices’ and Mike Olson’s Guardians of the Earth debut, ‘Starchildren’.
Through one album, nine labels and twenty-seven tracks, ‘Hypnotised: America’ combines buried treasures with some of the genre’s most iconic works. A must for collectors, genre adherents and crate diggers alike, it’s released on May 16 through Black Hole Recordings. [blackhole.lnk.to/Hypnotisedusa]Tracklist: Hypnotised: A Journey Through American Trance Music (1992 – 2002)
CD 01 – EXperimental / Hallucination / IST
01. Aurasphere – The Greenhouse Effect
02. Symphony Of Love – Quantum Leap
03. Bio-Dreams – Dream Sequence 1
04. Rabbit In The Moon – O.B.E (Out-Of-Body Experience)
05. Second Hand Satellites – Orbit 1.3
06. Hazed – Percussion
07. Lenny Dee featuring DJ Micalizzi – I Have No Love
08. Disintegrator – Dark Black Ominous Clouds
09. Koenig Cylinders – Carousel
CD 02 – Astralwerks / Fade / Plastik
01. Lida Husik & Beaumont Hannant – Textured
02. Aquarhythms – Heart Sequences
03. Spacetime Continuum – Freelon
04. Kolo – Track One (Original Transmission Mix)
05. Steve Porter – Adaptor
06. Chris Fortier and Neil Kolo pres. Fade featuring Dauby – The Love (Sanctuary Dub)
07. Hyper-X – Out There
08. Markus Schulz – You Won’t See Me Cry
09. Vertigo Deluxe featuring Margeaux Fernandez – In Dark Skies
CD 03 – Nettwerk America / Fragrant / Dream Music
01. Conjure One featuring Sinéad O’Connor – Tears From The Moon
02. Delerium featuring Sarah McLachlan – Silence (Sanctuary Mix)
03. BT featuring Kirsty Hawkshaw – Dreaming
04. Pure Nova – Pure Elements
05. Sandra Collins – Red
06. Deepsky – Stargazer
07. Sylvane – Voices
08. Dream Traveler – Time
09. Guardians of the Earth – Starchildren

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The post Hypnotised: A Journey Through American Trance Music (1992 – 2002) appeared first on EDMTunes.
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Les Plages Électroniques 2025 Drops Full Lineup With Tiësto, Peggy Gou, Charlotte de Witte, Booba, Eric Prydz & More

Les Plages Électroniques has officially revealed its full lineup for 2025, returning to Cannes from August 8–10 for its 18th edition. The festival, long considered one of Europe’s most scenic summer parties, will once again transform the Palais des Festivals beach into a multi-stage electronic music hub — complete with stages on the sand, in the water, and under the stars.
This year’s headliners include Tiësto, Peggy Gou, Charlotte de Witte, Eric Prydz, Booba, Mochakk, Laylow, and Kungs, leading a dynamic mix of global stars, regional talent, and rising newcomers.
Fresh Additions
Following previous announcements including the TELETECH Stage takeover, Les Plages Électroniques just unveiled a new wave of names: Agoria, Sam Feldt, Anna, Alex Wann, Brina Krauss, Amor, and Deron. These artists join an already stacked roster spanning techno, house, afro, rap-infused electronic, and more.
Local Heat & Rising Talent
Sara Costa returns after lighting up last year’s Mainstage.
Louis Bekk and Claraa bring diverse flair—Bekk known for genre-bending DJ sets, Claraa for emotional, vocal-driven performances.
Marion Di Napoli, creator of the “Musical Techno” concept, adds historic depth to the roster.
Amor, a duo from the French underground, blends afro house, indie dance, and tech grooves.
Deron, a local name to watch, fuses French rap, electro, and club-ready beats.
No2theG, Didi Han, and Ekloz round out a lineup built for cultural crossover — from Korean house to French trap hybrids.
Stages, Collectives, and Afterhours
Three collectives will command the Solarium Stage (powered by RiffX):
Sublife, known for ritualistic sets and sound journeys
Sixtion, spotlighting Afro-descendant roots and rhythmic exploration
Jetlag Gang, blending reggaeton, dembow, and club vibes for nonstop perreo
Afterhours events inside the Palais des Festivals will extend the party well into the early hours — expect four hours of exclusive sets and surprise guests each night. Boat parties on the Mediterranean are also part of the weekend experience.
Festival History & Producers
Organized by Allover, a leading event company based on the Côte d’Azur, Les Plages Électroniques has grown from a €5 beach event into one of France’s biggest beach festivals, drawing over 60,000 attendees. Since 2006, it has overcome major hurdles — from the 2016 Nice attacks to the COVID-19 shutdown — while maintaining its coastal identity and high production values.
Allover also produces Crossover Festival in Nice, the Villa Jamel Comedy Club, and is helping revive MIDEM, the legendary music industry conference.
Visit the official website for tickets!
The post Les Plages Électroniques 2025 Drops Full Lineup With Tiësto, Peggy Gou, Charlotte de Witte, Booba, Eric Prydz & More appeared first on EDMTunes.
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In Conversation With Sounds Of Ukraine

On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. A lot of lives have never been the same since, and Sounds of Ukraine want to tell their story. The collective behind TheLena, J.ZeF, Tonika Funkmasters, with support from new joiners and leading producers from Ukraine, is spreading the word through music, events. Recently they released a movie about their experiences. 
With TheLena and J.ZeF in London, Tonika still based in Lviv, new members such as Trinetic in Amsterdam, and others in Europe, they’re organising parties, connecting with labels and giving Ukrainian drum & bass artists the chance to push their music. At the same time, they’re providing a real community for each other, which is amazing to see. “It all started with Tonika talking to London Elektricity,” TheLena says. “We didn’t know where to start when we arrived in London, because the city is so huge. But then we found out that the drum & bass scene here is full of nice, kind, and warm people. It’s like coming home.”
After watching their documentary “Resonance Beyond Borders: Sounds of Ukraine”, we thought it was time for a chat with the collective to talk about where they come from, and where they are heading. 
Let’s take it back to the start, like the very start of Sounds of Ukraine. Why did you start the collective?
TheLena: Because we want to be heard. We want to show and prove ourselves. When we moved to London, we learnt that you can’t do anything just by yourself. There are only a few of us Ukraine artists out here, and we share the same idea. We really want to create and do something more, especially for Ukraine and Ukrainian drum & bass. That’s why we created a collective. It’s not just about people who moved here, it’s also about the people in Ukraine, those who stayed there. They also wanted to support and do something. This is what keeps us together, and the love for drum & bass ofcourse. 
We’re still busy creating a space. It’s not just about finding a spot on the line-up, we also want to support Ukrainian producers. Some of them have tried to knock on the doors of big labels, but it’s very hard to get through and get their music heard. So then those artists contact us and they’re like, you know someone from Soulvent Records, can you tell them to listen to the track? And we can. We will do that. That’s the way we can help artists from Ukraine. Another example is bringing artists like BCee and Hugh Hardie over to play in Ukraine. It’s such a great event for everyone there, it’s a huge celebration of life and community. In short, Sounds of Ukraine is not only raising funds for charity, it is also about forming a platform and providing a network for artists, about organising events for the community and most importantly, creating awareness for Ukraine.
Tonika: I’m proud to be a co-founder and part of the Sounds of Ukraine team. We came together
during one of the most difficult and uncertain times — for ourselves and for our country. Yet from the very beginning, we received genuine and powerful support all over the world and in the UK. This inspires us to keep moving forward, to create new tracks, projects, and bring them to life.
You had to leave Ukraine, and you came to London. How has this changed you as an artist and as a person? 
TheLena: Everything’s changed. It’s a different life, a different city, different vibes. At first, it was really hard, because I knew nobody here, but it’s also a big chance to improve myself, the big opportunities to show my music, to show my soul. Every time I  play, I try to create some history. The hardest thing might be to stay together, sharing the good and the bad times. Although we support each other, this has been going on for two years already. J.ZeF has been my best friend for a long time already, but being together, maybe because of the war, we became a small family. Part of us is here, part of us is there. We need each other.
You recently released a documentary, and at one point we see you, J.ZeF, talking about your late friend Neuromonkey – Roman. It is extremely emotional. Thelena, you talked about how you tell a part of history during your sets. J.ZeF, do you take a part of your friend with you in your sets when you play?
J.ZeF: Yes, because he is one of the biggest reasons I fell in love with drum & bass. My first drum & bass event was with Derrick and Tonika, with live instruments. I had never heard this kind of music before, and it all just came to me. I was home. I started to get more into it, and started researching more parties, because I wanted to start organising some myself. From there, I met Neuromonkey, who is not with us anymore, and we started organising events together. I still play his favourite tunes in my sets, and that’s the way I honour him. 
TheLena: We wanted to make a movie one day, which we now did. The next step is organising a festival. A festival in his honour and his name, Neuromonkey festival. In Ukraine or not in Ukraine, we don’t know yet, but what we do know is that we want to put up an amazing festival for him. We know this very nice place in the Carpathian mountains that we want to show people, so maybe we’ll have a festival there one day. 
We already heard the story of why J.ZeF fell in love with drum & bass. Thelena, how was it for you? 
TheLena: When I was 16, everyone was constantly listening to trance, hip-hop, and rock, but I didn’t like it. I liked drum & bass. There was DJ Tapolsky, who is one of the oldest drum & bass DJs in Ukraine and had been playing for 30 years already. I thought he was amazing. Then, because I started my studies, I moved to Lviv. I started to go to parties by myself, because none of my friends liked the genre. But I still enjoyed it a lot. I remember dancing for the whole night and then walking home as if I had just finished the hugest session in the gym. It was amazing. After a while, I started to make more friends within the drum & bass community, and that’s how I found my spot within the scene. 
With the war still going on in Ukraine, is it possible to visit from time to time?
J.ZeF: I’ve been there twice in the last year and a half. I try to not go too often, because it’s hard. I love my city, I love my country and when I’m traveling there, it’s hard for me to see these people. Not everybody is happy. They’re trying to do normal things, to live a normal life, but people’s mental health is really not good. I do feel the warmth from everyone when I visit, and everyone wants me to play at their events to lift spirits, but it’s hard. 
TheLena: The last time I was there was around Christmas, because my passport was expiring soon. I was in Ukraine trying to arrange all of that, basically. But like J.ZeF says, it’s hard. War makes everything more complicated. People lose their jobs, prices go up, people are dying constantly… It’s so sad, because people will tell you about the violence they see on tv, but we have to see it in real time. I open up my instagram, there is blood, dead people, flowers, kids… It’s sad to say but violence becomes a part of life. I’m still very sensitive to it, but people living in Ukraine, they get used to death. When old people die and it’s time to go, that’s one thing. But 20-30 percent of our raving culture is dead now. Mostly men in their 30’s or 40’s with families… Every time I hear something new, it’s like you get hit with ice in your chest. For a few minutes you can’t accept it, you don’t want to go out anymore, you don’t want your nice life anymore… It’s good to have this life now, and it’s safe, but there are always these negative feelings when I see news from Ukraine. At first, it paralysed me, but now we have arrived at a point, and I know I can speak for the both of us here, where we think, okay, what can we do from here? With Sounds of Ukraine we want to tell the story of all our people, and I think that’s so important. This collective gives us power to do more than we have dreamed about, and do all of this in honour of our friends as well. 
You’re literally the sound of the people there, it’s in your name. You want to tell the story of what’s still going on, right? I think that’s so important. Now, another topic. I’ve seen that Hospital Records is throwing a party in Lviv on June 14 this year…
TheLena: Yes. BCee will be there, and Hugh Hardie, B-Complex, Matt Lally, Joe Goss… Unfortunately, London Elektricity has a show in Ukraine on May 10 already, so he can’t be there a second time. How did this event happen? We asked Chris (Goss) for help a lot of times. The main problem is that not every artist wants to go to Ukraine, and it’s not about money. It’s just a normal human desire to want to be safe. Lviv was attacked by rockets a few times, but we have never had the military come into the city. And Kyiv is well defended now, but they’re still suffering from bombs and drone attacks for example. People don’t want to go to a country in war, and that’s normal… But the idea of this party has been in our heads for over a year now. Some of the artists on this line-up have already visited Ukraine, and they support us. So they are a big motivation for everybody else, and with Chris Goss as our huge support, we’re so glad it worked out. 
It’s a dream come true to bring Hospital Records to Lviv, to Kyiv, and to throw a party together. Everybody will bring good music, good vibrations, producers will meet local producers, and we will set up some workshops for advice about music, making music, about pushing music, because Matt Lally and Joe will be there, Hospital Records label managers. We’re also thinking of organising some open decks for up-and-coming and maybe even established DJs who want to play and prove themselves. We 2,000 people, all craving some good music, and some good vibes. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, but I really want to help people grow. I really feel that when I’m growing, everyone in the collective is growing. When the collective is moving, I’m moving. We really push each other to grow and do more.
We’ve almost come full circle with the reason you started the collective in the first place, which was to support each other. Now you’re supporting people back home. It’s beautiful how it’s all a big story of supporting each other. Let’s look to the future even more. What’s next for you? 
J.ZeF: We want to show our collective, and talk about the situation and Ukraine more. The goal now is to remind people what’s going on, and somehow this might affect someone to act. It might be a little piece of sand in a huge desert, but we have to keep talking about it. These horrible things have to stop.
TheLena: It’s much easier to prove yourself when you’re an individual artist, but for me, it’s much more valuable to do this as a collective. It’s our way to spread our culture all over the world. I find it very important because, one, it’s drum & bass. It’s something that you can’t explain or push people to do. I really like being in a space where people care about each other, where they share this passion for music, and share the same ideas and goals in life.  Then, some plans we have coming up… We already have plans for SOU takeovers at stages in Brighton, Bratislava, hopefully in Croatia for Hospital on the Beach…  All of these things that are happening with the collective are amazing, but the happiest day of my life will be when the war ends. We need to find a way to show our movie more. We’re applying for festivals now, and trying to collect money in every possible way for charities in Ukraine. Not all people want to support Ukraine, which is something I can’t change anything about, so right now we’re meeting with artists, communities, and labels, and finding good people. If it’s possible to remind anyone about this situation, even by putting a flag behind the decks, why not? If I can, I will. 
Thank you for telling your story.
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Your Inner Symphony – Feel The Sound Exhibition at The Barbican

KINDA STUDIOS presents the premiere of Your Inner Symphony, one of four newly commissioned artworks featuring in Feel the Sound at the Barbican Centre this summer (22 May – 31 August 2025). Feel the Sound is a new multi-sensory immersive exhibition that transforms how we think about sound and joins the roster of experiential exhibitions produced by the Barbican before touring the world.
A collaboration between Kinda Studios –  the first women-led neuroaesthetics studio and lab maximising the impact of art, culture, and technology through science – and the award-winning global film and experience design studio, Nexus Studios, Your Inner Symphony fuses neuroscience and design, making our internal vibrations visible to reveal the unseen connection between music, emotion, and the body’s response.
Sound shifts our emotions by vibrating the cells in our bodies, creating unique patterns of rhythmic resonance that shape how we feel. Your Inner Symphony captures this internal response by measuring physiological changes — revealing how our bodies physically register the emotional impact of music.
Your Inner Symphony is a first-of-its-kind collective artwork at the Barbican, featuring three ‘sensing stations’ throughout the exhibition that capture real-time physiological data — such as changes in heart rate and skin conductivity — and transform it into dynamic visual displays. The installations invite visitors to tune into their inner rhythms and chart their internal responses as they move through the exhibition. The aim is to reveal the powerful, often unseen ways that sound affects our bodies and emotions, and highlighting the deep connections between sound, sensation, and wellbeing.
As participants journey through the space, their individual data is translated into visual and sonic forms. At the end of the experience, each person casts their unique biorhythm at The Well, in the Barbican’s main foyer, where their data contributes to an evolving visual and sonic composition — a shared symphony that captures the emotional and physical resonance of sound across all who take part, and a collective expression of feeling made visible through cutting-edge creative technology.
Featuring a total of 11 interactive installations, Feel the Sound is a multi-sensory, immersive exhibition that transforms how we think about sound. Taking place across the Barbican Centre, visitors can explore how sound shapes emotions, memories, and even physical sensations. Feel the Sound challenges us to listen not just with our ears, but with our whole bodies – redefining what we hear, how we feel, and what we think we know about ourselves. Featuring cutting-edge technology and newly commissioned artworks, the unique exhibition experience invites audiences to dance to beats from car sound-systems, join in an ever-expanding digital choir, discover their personal inner symphony, and feel music without any sound.
Taking visitors on a journey across locations in the Barbican, from the entrance on Silk Street, in The Curve, the public foyers, to outdoors on the Centre’s Lakeside, for the first time, the Centre’s underground Car Parks will also be part of the exhibition experience. Following this premiere run, Feel the Sound will embark on an international tour, including to exhibition co-producer, MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives, Tokyo.
Find out more + tickets here

The post Your Inner Symphony – Feel The Sound Exhibition at The Barbican appeared first on Decoded Magazine.
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MIKOLAS Launches Brand-New Musical Era With Single SAMBA

One of the Czech Republic’s most streamed artists, MIKOLAS, launches a brand-new musical era with the release of his single SAMBA, the first track from his highly anticipated second studio album, II. Alongside this release, MIKOLAS announced his return show in Lucerna Great Hall (2500 capacity) which sold out in little over 7 minutes.
“I am both humbled and excited. Its a huge responsibility towards the fans and I know they are up for a great show. I cant wait.”

Following the triple platinum success of his debut album ONE (source: IFPI, released March 22, 2024), which just recently surpassed 120 million Spotify streams, SAMBA offers fans a taste of what’s next: the darker, fiercer alter ego version of MIKOLAS.
To celebrate, MIKOLAS hosted a grand VIP release party on April 24 in Prague – his first fan-centered live event in years. Fans were able to enter the event for free by signing up through his fan portal at www.mikolas.com.
Announced just a week in advance, the night featured a live performance of MIKOLA’s biggest hits, the live premiere of SAMBA, exclusive merchandise, welcome drinks for fans, and a personal meet & greet for the first 100 attendees.
In another surprise move, MIKOLAS unveiled his very own magazine, EMPIRE, during release week. Written in a personal diary style, he invites his fans into the inner circle and opens up directly to them.
“I wanted to create a one-of-a-kind, no-filter connection between me and the people who follow me on this crazy journey. And I love it.”
He shares an in-depth personal journal of the making of the album and the single SAMBA. He also speaks candidly about the struggles on his journey back to Eurovision, revealing that both SAMBA and DELILAH were considered for a return to the Eurovision stage. He breaks down the meaning of SAMBA, answers fan Q&As with advice on confidence, creativity, and the realities of chasing your dream. He lovingly dedicates the first issue to Parketa, MIKOLAS’s late tour manager, and Anna Slováčková, a friend and fellow artist – both of whom passed away recently.

The magazine invites readers into the mind of MIKOLAS, offering a rare and intimate perspective on his life and creative process. It is available through the fan portal on his website.
The single also carries a social message, with MIKOLAS dedicating SAMBA to single parents. After sharing a personal story of single parenthood in his family through EMPIRE, he says:
“It opened my eyes to just how real the struggle of single parents is. It’s not a side story—it’s everywhere. And it deserves attention.”
His sophomore album II is expected to arrive later this year.
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The post MIKOLAS Launches Brand-New Musical Era With Single SAMBA appeared first on Electric Mode.
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The greatest act of self-promotion ever? Why André 3000 turned up to the Met Gala with a grand piano on his back

The Met Gala is famously an event in which the world judges the eccentric fashion choices of entertainment’s elite, and this year didn’t disappoint. While the mainstream fixated on the looks donned by the likes of Zendaya, Gigi Hadid and Rihanna, it was hard for us music fans not to notice André 3000 – who turned up to the event with a grand piano on his back.
To be fair, it was probably hard for anyone – music obsessive or not – to ignore such a getup.
READ MORE: Plugin Boutique is hosting a massive Excite Audio sale – including all 10 Bloom plugins for just £149 It turns out André’s outfit wasn’t totally random, though, as he’s just dropped a short collection of 7 improvised piano jams, dubbed, fittingly, 7 piano sketches.
And per MusicRadar, the record’s origins began nearly a decade ago, when André and his son were staying at a house in Texas containing nothing but beds, TV screens and a piano.
The album itself – if 16 minutes and 21 seconds qualifies as an album – possesses a certain off-kilter sound, and sounds as though it was recorded on a smartphone with minimal subsequent treatment. All tracks consist of piano improvisations, with the exception of the final song, i spend all day waiting for the night, which has lo-fi backing drums.
André 3000 says: “The original title for it was The Best Worst Rap Album In History, and here is an excerpt from the original liner notes: ‘It’s jokingly the worst rap album in history because there are no lyrics on it at all. It’s the best because it’s the free-est emotionally and best I’ve felt personally. It’s the best because it’s like a palette cleanser for me.’”
7 piano sketches follows André 3000’s 2023 album New Blue Sun. Last year, he expressed an interest in returning to his hip-hop roots, saying he’d “love” to make another rap album. “
“I just think it’d be an awesome challenge to do a fire-ass album at 48 years old,” he said. “That’s probably one of the hardest things to do! I would love to do that.”
Listen to 7 piano sketches below:

The post The greatest act of self-promotion ever? Why André 3000 turned up to the Met Gala with a grand piano on his back appeared first on MusicTech.
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Mix of the Month DJ Competition has arrived

After a little bit of a hiatus, we’re bringing back one of our most loved (and yes, hotly debated) features the Decoded Magazine Mix of the Month. But this time, we’re doing it differently. We have enlisted our former Mix of the Month winner, Ben Clifford, to adjudicate and we are opening up more genres to submit.
We’re here for the DJs who dig deep. No EDM. No chart-toppers. No chasing plays. We want substance, not popularity contests. This isn’t about who can rack up the most streams or drop the latest Beatport Top 10. We’re looking for DJs who push boundaries. Those who explore sound, not trends. Those who understand that DJing is a craft, about storytelling, technical precision, selection, and soul.
As our Editor, Damion Pell, puts it:
“There’s a whole universe of talent that doesn’t get the exposure it deserves. We’re here to spotlight DJs who bring something real, who use their decks to say something unique. This isn’t about peak-time bangers; it’s about digging deeper, telling a story, and showing us who you are through your mix.”
Ben Clifford – Mix Competition Manager
“I was thrilled to be selected as a winner of the competition and loved how the Decoded team focused on creativity instead of just popularity, which is pretty rare these days! It’s a privilege to be asked to help judge the new era of competition entries, and I’m looking forward to hearing some fresh musical journeys.”
What We’re Looking For
This is your shot to be featured on Decoded Magazine with a full interview and global exposure — if you follow the rules. We’re not messing around. If you ignore the submission steps, you’re instantly disqualified. No exceptions.
Submission Guidelines
1-Hour Mix Only
Exactly 60 minutes. Not a second more or less.
Title Format
Use this title format:
Decoded Magazine Mix of the Month [Month] Submission – [Your Name]
Example: Decoded Magazine Mix of the Month August Submission – DJ XX
Artwork
Use our Decoded logo as your mix cover. Please don’t edit it, it’s our logo and we kinda like it the way it is
Upload + Share
Upload your mix to Mixcloud or SoundCloud
Include a full tracklist (mandatory)
Tag our Facebook page: Decoded Magazine Facebook
Post your mix in our group: Decoded Magazine
Share it far and wide — the more people listening, the better.
Genres Accepted
Drum & Bass
Breaks
House
Techno
Deep House
Ambient
Chill Out
Trip Hip
Electro
Techno
Dub Techno
Minimal
Progressive House
Melodic Techno
No EDM (Trap, Dubstep, Commercial, Big Room, Trance — none of it)
Important Rules
No live mixes – this must be a studio mix. Only ONE submission per month. Tracklist is essential – no list, no feature. Follow every instruction exactly. Any deviation = automatic disqualification. Respect your audience – no spamming or tagging people without their consent. How We Judge
We don’t care about play counts. Seriously. You could have 50 plays or 50,000, it’s irrelevant to us.
What we do care about:
Technical skill Creativity Track selection Journey and flow Originality Our team will judge entries from a shortlist based on quality, depth, and artistry. We’re not here for hype; we’re here for talent.
Yearly Winner
Each month’s winner will be featured across Decoded Magazine’s platforms, and every 12 months, each Mix finalist will go head-to-head with a public vote to become DJ of the Year, with an extended interview, prizes, merchandise and more to come.
Think you’ve got what it takes? Bring us your best. Show us your sound. But above all,  follow the rules.
Need the Decoded Logo? Grab it here:
The post Mix of the Month DJ Competition has arrived appeared first on Decoded Magazine.
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Plugin Boutique is hosting a massive Excite Audio sale – including all 10 Bloom plugins for just £149

Until 15 May, Plugin Boutique is hosting an exclusive sale on Excite Audio plugins and bundles – and the savings range from 50% right up to a massive 78% off, if you know where to look…
One of the hottest deals comes in the form of the Complete Excite Audio Bundle, which now costs just £239 rather than its usual price of £478. The bundle comes with all 16 of Excite Audio’s extensive library of plugins and instruments, from the Bloom series of vocal and instrumental effects, to visual analysis plugin VISION 4X, to Lifeline Console’s ability to add warmth of analogue audio processing to your mix.
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READ MORE: The best free and paid-for plugins you need to know about this week If you’re not in the market for the full Excite Audio collection, you could opt for the Essentials Bundle. This smaller bundle is priced at just £39, a far cry from the £184 you’d pay if you bought all six plugins separately. The bundle includes three Lite versions of Bloom’s Drum Machine, Bass Impulse and Vocal Edit.

The Essentials Bundle also comes with VISION 4X Lite, as well as full versions of pitch warping plugin Lifeline Mod’s and distortion and fuzz-injector Lifeline Dirt.
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Excite Audio’s Bloom Bundle offers the company’s full range of instrumental and vocal plugins, and it’s currently 50% off. For just £149, you can get 10 Bloom instruments, including Bloom Vocal Choir, Bloom Drum Percussion, Bloom Synth Atmosphere and more. It also features Bloom Bass Groove, the company’s latest Bloom offering debuted at this year’s NAMM.
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There are also plenty of cuts on individual plugins – including a slew of rent-to-buy deals. The full version of VISION 4X is currently £20, or you can rent to own it for the cost of £4.19 for 12 months.
Bloom Drum Breaks and Bloom Synth Atmosphere both cost just £19, with the alternative option of paying £3.29 for 12 months as a rent-to-buy purchase. Motion’s space & time modulation Dimension plugin and filtering and bit crushing Harmonic plugin are also available for the same outright price or rent-to-buy deal.
For more information, check out Plugin Boutique.
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“It took me a long time to be comfortable using synths at all”: Producer Djrum admits he “couldn’t stand the idea of using presets” at first

Djrum’s new album Under Tangled Silence is now out, and it’s a swirling blend of fractured rhythms, ambient washes, and warped acoustic textures. But for all its intricate sound design, the producer’s relationship with the tools of electronic music hasn’t always been so intuitive.
“It took me a long time to be comfortable using synths at all,” Djrum – real name Felix Manuel – admits in a new interview with MusicRadar. “When I first started using them, I wasn’t very good at it and made sounds that were not great.”
READ MORE: Producer Djrum on why having “too much of a goal” in the studio can be “restrictive”: “I’m always starting up sessions and not finishing them, but I don’t see that as unproductive” For a long time, presets were out of the question. “I couldn’t stand the idea of using presets,” he explains, adding that he found it “very frustrating to not know how a sound is made.”
“I would start using a preset, and I would want to change something about it, but then with a preset, you then have to figure out, like, what’s this all doing? Why is it making that sound? I found that so frustrating.”
These days, Djrum keeps his studio setup intentionally simple.
“My general setup is all focused around Ableton,” he says. “I think the built-in effects in Ableton are really good and you can do mostly everything with what’s there. I do use some iZotope and FabFilter stuff. I want a better reverb than the Ableton built in one.”
Hardware is kept to a minimum as well. One of the few pieces in his space is a Novation Peak, but even that gets limited use.
“I’ve got one hardware synth, the Novation Peak, which is really cool,” says the producer. “I got it because I felt like I should give it a go, as I’d never really used hardware before… but I don’t use it much.”
“It’s cool to jam and twiddle knobs but if I’m making a bassline or a melodic thing, I want to have it in the session and be able to tweak it and change it. That doesn’t really lend itself to integrating hardware. So the Novation is actually barely on this latest album.”
Instead, Djrum prefers to go deep with a few carefully chosen tools at a time: “My approach to synths is very much, like, one at a time,” he says. “Get to really know a synth before you get another one. I use very few. I use Massive and I like Arturia Pigments, Serum, that’s kind of it.”

The post “It took me a long time to be comfortable using synths at all”: Producer Djrum admits he “couldn’t stand the idea of using presets” at first appeared first on MusicTech.
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Influential Synthwave Producer Starcadian Dead at 44 After Horrific NYC Bike Crash

George Smaragdis, the influential electronic music producer known to fans around the world as Starcadian, passed away last week following a fatal biking accident in Manhattan.
According to the New York Police Department, Smaragdis, 44, was riding his e-bike on Broome Street around 10am when he slammed into the door of a parked Mercedes van that the driver had opened. The impact sent Smaragdis careening toward the street and into the path of a delivery truck, which ran over and crushed him.
The artist sustained severe head trauma and was ultimately pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital. The drivers of both vehicles remained at the scene and no arrests have been made at the time of this writing, although authorities are investigating the incident and the possibility of criminal charges.
Smaragdis was celebrated globally as Starcadian, a masked figure whose spellbinding, sci-fi-inspired music blurred the lines between fantasy and futurism. In an eerie Instagram post shared in January 2025, he wrote: "Hi I'm alive and working very hard on the best album I've ever made, I can’t wait to play it for you."
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Starcadian's debut album Sunset Blood, released on Halloween in 2013, became a cult classic in the synthwave community and had its music featured in HBO's Vice Principals as well as commercials for ASICS and League Of Legends. The late producer, who often called his tracks "ear movies," released four full-length albums in his career, building a mythos around the Starcadian persona that drew fans not just for the sound, but for the story.
"I am absolutely gutted to learn of Starcadian's passing a few days ago," fellow synthwave artist Robots With Rayguns wrote on X. "He was not only an extremely talented artist but a supportive friend and peer who inspired me and gave me invaluable advice over the years that I’ll never forget. We lost a musical titan and an incredible human being."
We at EDM.com express our sincere condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of George Smaragdis.
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Zach Bryan Stays Under the WMG Umbrella After Re-Inking with Warner Records

Photo Credit: Zach Bryan’s Instagram
Zach Bryan is staying with Warner Records, extending his deal for at least two albums. He first signed with the label in 2021.
Country singer-songwriter Zach Bryan has extended his deal with Warner Records for at least two more albums, with the deal closing over the weekend. He first signed with the label back in 2021, and his enormous success in country music outside of the traditional Nashville ecosystem has been an inspiration for labels across the industry.
Attorney David Jacobs handled legal negotiations for the star during the deal, on which Warner’s Val Blavatnik also played a significant role behind the scenes.
Managed by Stefan Max and Danny Kang, Bryan has had a fantastic year already. His recent headlining set at Stagecoach saw huge success, and he will headline Hyde Park BST in London this summer amid a host of stadium shows.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bryan’s team was also in discussions with Universal Music Group as his reps sought to secure the strongest deal possible for the hitmaker. But Bryan’s strong ties to Warner heads Aaron Bay-Schuck and Tom Corson would make a departure somewhat awkward, though not out of the question.
Bryan also signed a publishing agreement with fellow Warner subsidiary Warner Chappell Music in early 2023. While that doesn’t necessitate his recording deal to be with a Warner company, it opens him up to future possibilities with everything under one roof.
The country star’s catalog has racked up some impressive numbers over the last couple of years. American Heartbreak (2022) has amassed 4.3 million ATD (activity to date), while his self-titled 2023 release is sitting at 3.1 million. Last year’s The Great American Bar Scene clocks in at 1.5 million. His hit, “Something in the Orange,” has amassed 1.25 billion global streams on Spotify, while “I Remember Everything” featuring Kacey Musgraves has over a billion.
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ABC News Announces Daily Live Coverage On Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Trial Starting Friday, May 9

Photo Credit: ABC News
ABC News announces a daily program covering the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, “Burden of Proof: The Case Against Diddy,” beginning this Friday.
The 30-minute-episode deep-dive premieres Friday, May 9, at 5:30 PM EDT on ABC News Live, hosted by “GMA3” co-anchor Eva Pilgrim. Each episode of the series will spotlight and analyze the day’s events from the courtroom with real-time updates.
The first episode will examine the science behind the jury selection and go over the charges against Combs. After that, the daily cadence for the show will begin on the day of opening statements, which are currently slated for May 12. “Burden of Proof: The Case Against Diddy” will air daily on ABC News Live at 5:30 PM, 6:30 PM, and 8:30 PM EDT through the end of the trial.
Joining Pilgrim will be chief investigative correspondent Aaron Katersky and legal contributor and attorney Brian Buckmire, who will be inside the courtroom during the trial. Their firsthand insights and commentary will bring viewers behind the scenes of one of the biggest celebrity trials in recent memory. Pilgrim will feature additional guests and experts throughout the series to provide audiences with the full scope and impact of the trial.
For even more context and analysis on the trial, ABC Audio and “20/20” will be producing twice weekly episodes of the podcast, “Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy,” hosted by Brian Buckmire. These will be available wherever listeners get their podcasts, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
News of the program comes as Diddy’s trial finally gets underway, despite his legal team’s many efforts to have it dismissed. Combs has denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest in September. Once jury selection is completed, the trial is estimated to last from eight to 10 weeks.
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YouTube Premium Tinkering With a Duo Plan for Couples

Photo Credit: Ella Don
YouTube appears to be testing a new two-person premium tier in select regions, suggesting a ‘Spotify Duo’ style subscription tier is on the way. Here’s the latest.
The test appears to be under way in India, France, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, allowing users to subscribe to a new two-person plan. MoneyControl first spotted the new tier and comes as Google is attempting to diversify its income streams beyond advertising. That’s because the U.S. DOJ is seeking to compel Google to divest its ad exchange and publisher ad server operations—core platforms for buying and selling digital ads on sites like YouTube.
A trial is scheduled for September 2025 to determine the specific remedies of Google’s digital advertising monopoly. Those remedies include possible divestitures and requirements for Google to share real-time advertising data with competitors. This new duo premium subscription would diversify its revenue streams by generating more income from direct consumer payments rather than relying so heavily on ad revenue ($77.3B in Q1 2025).
The two-person YouTube Premium subscription tier is being offered in India for Rs 219 ($2.60 USD), while a standard YouTube Premium subscription costs Rs 149 ($1.75 USD). Both members must be at least 13 years of age, have a Google account, and be part of the same Google family group. (The Google family group requirement could put a damper on more casual duo sharing, like between roommates.)
“We’re experimenting with new ways to provide greater flexibility and value to our YouTube Premium subscribers, including offering a two-person Premium plan option, allowing two people to share a subscription at a reduced cost,” a YouTube spokesperson confirmed to MoneyControl when asked about the new tier. Right now it is unclear if this new subscription tier will ever make its way to the United States, but if so, it would rival the Spotify Duo offering.
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Connoisseur Media Announces Alpha Media Acquisition, Aims To ‘Build an Industry-Leading Platform’

Connoisseur Media has announced a ‘definitive agreement’ to acquire Alpha Media. Photo Credit: Connoisseur
Looks like Connoisseur Media’s radio reach is about to get a lot bigger, as the company’s announced the acquisition of Alpha Media.
Westport-headquartered Connoisseur unveiled its “definitive agreement” for Portland-based Alpha Media today. Subject to FCC approval but expected to wrap during 2025’s second half, the deal will bring 218 radio stations, operating in 47 markets, under the same banner, the parties emphasized.
The lion’s share of those stations will come from the self-described “leader in the local advertising space” Alpha; as things stand, Connoisseur says it operates 11 stations. Meanwhile, the companies are also banking on bolstered “digital capabilities” with the integration of Alpha Digital into Connoisseur’s Ferocious Digital.
Shifting to the organizational side, Connoisseur opted against diving into personnel particulars in the announcement, and time will tell whether the purchase brings layoffs.
However, the business did spell out that it intends to operate as Connoisseur post-buyout, with CEO Jeff Warshaw remaining at the helm. Longtime Alpha Media head Bob Proffitt didn’t provide a statement for Connoisseur’s release and hadn’t addressed the transaction on LinkedIn at the time of writing.
But in his own remarks, Warshaw made clear an objective of turning the united operations into “an industry-leading platform of broadcast and digital.”
“This transaction underscores our commitment to the irreplaceable role local broadcasters play in providing news, information and entertainment that truly resonates,” Warshaw said in part. “Together, we will build an industry-leading platform of broadcast and digital. I could not be more excited to get started.”
Also absent from the formal announcement are price-tag details. Nevertheless, Connoisseur did acknowledge that “[f]inancing for the transaction is being provided by Brigade Capital Management.”
This means Brigade’s been involved with at least two high-profile radio deals on the year. Earlier in 2025, the Family Dollar buyer (and would-be Macy’s purchaser) disclosed an investment, referring here to senior notes financing, in a Beasley Broadcast subsidiary. Beasley proper (NASDAQ: BBGI) owns and operates 69 stateside radio stations, according to its LinkedIn profile.
Bigger picture, it’s been about seven months since Audacy, said to be the States’ second-largest radio company, officially emerged from bankruptcy under controlling stakeholder Soros Fund Management. (March 2025 then brought a far-reaching round of layoffs at Audacy.)
Once the Alpha acquisition wraps, Connoisseur says the combined entity “will rank among the top 10 radio groups both by station count and by revenue.”
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