At the board, 1981. Photo courtesy of Gino Soccio. About a month before thousands chanted “Disco sucks!” at Chicago’s Comiskey Park, Gino Soccio was ensconced in his Montreal studio, sipping coffee with cognac and laying down tracks for his second LP. Leaning against a twenty-four-channel mixing desk, Soccio spoke like a disco evangelist during [...]
Music has proven time and again to be an important component of human culture. From its ceremonial origin to modern medical usage for personal motivation, concentration, and shifting mood, music is a powerful balm for the human soul. Though traditional “music therapy” encompasses a specific set of practices, the broader use of music as a [...]
“Running a label is a very tough business and it can take years to generate enough revenue to support even one person” – Chris Smith a.k.a. Shiny Objects Damion Pell July 10, 2019 12:25 pm Chris Smith Chris Smith a.k.a. Shiny Objects is an integral part of San Francisco’s burgeoning electronic music [...]
Nike just announced a limited-edition pair of sneakers inspired by DJ vinyl culture and 90s music. LAST UPDATED 8 JULY, 2019 Looking to step up your sneaker game? Nike just announced a forthcoming vinyl-inspired version of its iconic Air Max sneaker. Known as the Air Max 90, the shoes feature a black vinyl top [...]
Baltimore House Scene BURN THE HOUSE DOWN: BALTIMORE'S HOUSE SCENE IS BUBBLING UP AGAIN Small, gritty and often improvised, Baltimore's house scene has a proud history WORDS: MARCUS BARNES | PHOTOS: MARIA CAMILA TRUJILLO 9 JULY 2019 “Burn the house down! Burn the house down!”, a crowd of 100-plus is chanting with [...]
Lori Lightfoot By 5 Magazine - July 9, 2019 Recognizing how influential the event has become, Chicago’s newly-elected Mayor Lori Lightfoot appeared on-stage at the Chosen Few Picnic and Music Festival last weekend. Lightfoot – the first black woman elected as mayor of Chicago, which with her election became the largest in United States [...]
With the rise of the digital music industry and streaming, there are artists generating reasonable livings (~$50-300K) producing and releasing music from their bedrooms to the public instantly. This phenomenon takes place most significantly in electronic music, although it happens in rap, pop, and other genres too. These artists, many of them teenagers or in [...]
Grandmaster Flash has become the first DJ to win the Polar Music Prize, often dubbed the "Nobel Prize For Music". The prize was founded by Stig Anderson, better known as ABBA's lyricist and manager, in 1989. Previous winners include Led Zeppelin, BB King, Metallica, and Paul McCartney. Flash, real name Joseph Saddler, accepted the prize [...]
