State of the Music industry: Realistic Timeline for the Return of Live Events

By Dominic Wren

The return of large-scale music events has been a major point of discussion within the music industry. Some want to see the return of festivals by the fall of 2020 and others are wanting to hold out as long as possible for the health and safety of music event attendees. Generally, the consensus is of a hopeful return of our favourite Canadian festivals by summer of 2021. Concerts, such as VELD, Shambhala, Escapade, Ile Soniq, and so many more have been postponed or cancelled until 2021.

Data from a New York Times survey of 511 virologist, physicians and scientists that specializes in the study of viruses and infections, showed that 64% of them said that we are not going anywhere for at least a year. With this said, EDM Canada had the chance to have a chat over the phone with Ali Shaffaee, who is a partner at DNA Presents, the company that operates Escapade Music Festival. EMF is set to return in June of 2021 but he mentions that people should not expect that festivals will be operated just like before. There are many things to consider when reopening a large-scale event, such as Escapade. One of the first thing to think about is how to keep people separate and safe in front of stages, in service areas, smoking zones, bathrooms, and how to get people in and out of venues safely. Another important factor to consider is how much people are willing to pay for extra post-covid costs like extra insurance (not only for festival attendees but also for all the workers too) and increased hygiene services. It might not sound like a lot but for organizers having to manage 35 thousand people, the costs will go through the roof and one way to manage that is by increasing the cost of individual tickets.

In an interview with Allan Cross, recognized for his legendary contributions in music journalism in Canada and around the world, he mentions that organizers and promoters must also consider the PTSD that will come out of this crisis. He states: “how willing are fans to go back to these venues next to all these strangers and potentially get sick.” Many political and medical authorities from Canada and around the world have claimed that large gatherings for festivals and other sorts cannot happen before a vaccine has been properly tested but that is at least a year or two away.

Throughout our interview, Mr. Shaffaee suggested that he does not believe that waiting 2 or 3 years for the return of normal life is realistic. He states that we are not a society that can live without contact, sports, and live entertainment for that long because it is such a huge part of people’s lives. In the end, the reality is that no one can be sure when big concerts will return. Not yet at least… We can only plan to reopen for the festival season of 2021 but that is still only a possibility. The only way to accelerate the fight against COVID-19 and actually make this a reality is to help prevent the spread of virus by wearing masks in public, frequently washing your hands, and social distancing. 

Our favourite artists are also stuck at home and having to social distance just like us. This is especially hard for DJs that need crowds to find exposure and grow their brand. The next article will look at what DJs and producers have been up to during their time in confinement. Stay Tuned! 

State of Music Industry: Article Series to understand the Impact of COVID-19 on the Music Industry

By Dominic Wren

The novel coronavirus has hit 2020 like a bus. Most parts of the national and the international economy have taken a beating like never before and it there doesn’t seem to be much end in sight. The music industry is in no way protected from this crisis and some even argue that it is one of the hardest hit sectors of the economy. During these uncertain times, so much of information is circling around of the impacts of the virus and it can become somewhat confusing to wrap your head around. In an attempt to clarify all this at least a little bit, a series of articles have been created for you all to read at your own leisure with the hopes that it will make the current situation slightly clearer. The next few articles will look at some of the main topics of this mess, such as realistic timelines for the return of music events, what artists are up to during quarantine, effects on the supply chains that support the industry, how the music industry has rebounded in the past, and the future of nightclubs. Please keep in mind that the information presented only scratches the surface of the reality facing the music business. Hopefully this upcoming string of articles will be of use to your comprehension of this worldwide crisis.

Starting with General Facts and Numbers 

During these crazy times, to say that the global music industry has been turned upside down is still an understatement. Unfortunately, the music business has taken a hit like never before and unless there is a sudden a major change in the course of this virus; it is only going to get worse. Though this might sound depressing, keep in mind that this crisis will also drastically change the way we consume music and that might not be such a bad thing (on the long run at least…). Before addressing these changes, let’s look at the numbers. In 2019, the global music industry was worth over $50 billion according to the World Economic Forum. Half of that total revenue comes from the live music scene alone. With a lasting ban on large-scale gatherings makes the concert business almost worthless. In the case of EDM specifically, the International Music Summit (IMS) reported that even though the global value of the electronic music industry grew 2% in 2019, the estimated total value of the industry is expected to fall 56% from $7.2 billion to $3.3 billion by the end of 2020. Though some small events, such as car raves and social distancing concerts have popped up across the board, it still only represents a very small fraction of the overall live music industry. The IMS has even stated that the club/festival alternatives are unlikely to see long lasting commercial success. With no large scale live events and limited alternative live music experiences, advertising and sponsorship deals, a core part of what makes music festivals and more a reality, is also seeing their share of troubles. According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, a quarter of advertisers and sponsors have halted completely their advertising efforts while another 46% have reduced spending in the first half of 2020. Adding to this, a 6 month closure of live music has estimated to cost the industry $10 billion in sponsorship deals, the

IEG reports. The main revenue for music artists in the 21st century has come mainly from touring so with no shows and no advertising; artist revenue has also seen a significant decrease. Analysts at IMS have announced that DJ and artist income could fall 61% from $1.1 billion in 2019 to $0.4 billion in 2020. There is a bright side though. Even if this situation seems dire, some sectors have seen much growth. Live streams have been a sort of savior for music fans around the world. When no live performances are available, fans turn to the web for their fix of live music. Reports from the IMS show that 70% of the most watched music channels on Twitch were EDM focused, totaling at about 6 million viewing hours. The same analysis shows that DJs who performed a live set on Fortnite has increased their Instagram follower growth by ten folds during and after their event. Streaming is undoubtedly a promising medium for the future of the music industry though it is only expected to generate about $0.1 billion in 2020. This year is going to be a very hard year for the music industry but it is to be expected in a situation like this. Coming back from these losses will be a long and hard road but one thing that is for sure is that music will never die.

Most ravers around Canada and the world are for sure wondering when the next concert will happen. The answer to that question is unfortunately more complicated than simply assuming that concerts will return as they were on a future date. In the next article, we will be discussing what a realistic timeline for the return of live music event really looks like.

Tomorrowland's Wildly Successful Virtual Experiment

By Ryan Hayes

Last weekend Tomorrowland gambled big with dance music's first pay to attend virtual festival; Tomorrowland Around The World. While events like Room Service Festival previously featured over 100 artists for free, Tomorrowland showcased 60 high profile artists while attempting to create a truly immersive digital festival experience.

Website interface to get in between stages

In order to capture true to life movements Tomorrowland reportedly built four green screen studios around the world in: Boom Belgium, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo, and Sydney. Each production space featured 38 digital cameras which jointly amassed over 300 terabytes of raw footage. The 60 artists were spread out over 8 themed stages each built from the ground up and housed in the digital wonderland dubbed Pāpiliōnem.

Upon entering the festival grounds it was immediately apparent that Tomorrowland Around The World was in a league of its own. Different stages opened at different times, there were set time conflicts, cheesy drink recipes, motivational interviews, and a slew of the regular nonsense you find at real life festivals designed to fill your musical downtown. Pāpiliōnem itself was beautiful, especially after nightfall when the island burst to life with hundreds of glowing multicoloured lights.

Day 1:

Oliver Heldens held down the festivals opening slot with an hour and a half long Day Break Session. The attention to detail was impressive, and the events theatrics progressed seamlessly mirroring true to life sequencing. Being the first act the digital crowd was dispersed for Heldens; the sun was high in the sky, there were no fireworks, and the visuals were toned way down. Unfortunately, so much work was put in to the main stage itself that the audience looked uncanny and low resolution. To a degree it broke the immersion. Nonetheless as the day progressed and the sun went down the focus shifted to the stage and its light show refocusing the viewer on what mattered. Helden's performance was great, he is one of the few artists who has effectively utilized the pandemic to raise his stature within the EDM community, and he deserves every ounce of light shown on his talent. 

Day one was ruled by the Freedom Stage and house music. David Guetta's Jack Back alias played an early morning set fulling legitimizing the artistic abilities of his side project. The set was easily a highlight of the day and proof that act should appear on more festival lineups. After Jack Back, Fedde Le Grand provided the only break from the Freedom Stage's programming. His set was at the Elixir Club; a secret stage housed within the Main Stage's compound. Fedde Le Grand doesn't play many North American festivals, so any set from the seasoned Dutch maestro is always welcome. 

Tiesto AKA VER:WEST

After that is was back to the Freedom Stage for a world premier performance from Tiesto's newly minted progressive house alias VER:WEST. The set was moody, atmospheric, and polished—for fans expecting anything resembling his old trance days...it would have been a disappointment. The set was good enough to leave me curious to see where to Tiesto takes VER:WEST from here; and his late addition to the lineup was the kind of massive get an all digital festival like Tomorrowland needs to sell tickets.

It was during VER:WEST's set that the Freedom Stage's visuals truly popped. The dark enclosure downplayed the audience and focused on the laser/light show which was beautifully synced with the music. Tomorrowland's team really outdid itself, I was doubtful, but the visuals really brought the experience home.

Eric Prydz [CELL.]

After VER:WEST Eric Prydz closed out the Freedom Stage with his new [CELL.] concept. It was immaculate. Tomorrowland's visuals may have exceeded my expectations, but the [CELL.] was in a league of its own. Prydz team painstakingly created the kind of genuinely unique journey that his fans have come to expect—it needs to be fully experienced to truly be appreciated. The [CELL.] didn't disappoint and was undoubtedly as good as it gets until we can all return to real life events.    

The only real time the main stage came to life on day one was during Afrojack and Armin van Buuren's sets. As soon as Afrojack hit the stage it became clear that an artists performance was just as important as the tracks they selected for their set. Filming a festival set in an empty studio is no easy task, but Afrojack brought the same energy he would to an Ultra set, and it really set him apart. During all of the sets at the Freedom Stage none of the artists uttered a single word, and while the music spoke for itself, it took the bombastic nature of the main stage and an artist like Afojack to fully complete the illusion of a live festival act.

Armin Van Buuren

Armin previously stated the importance of his Tomorrowland set in an interview leading up to the event. His hour was full of IDs fulfilling my hunch that Tomorrowland Around the World would replace Ultra as 2020's preeminent festival and the industries most importance testing ground. This was Armin's one quarantine live stream, and his chance to temporarily dominate a blog news cycle.

As much as I want to dislike Carnage...who was playing at the same time as Armin...he remains a highlight. It is  impossible not to get swept up in the pure energetic madness that takes over when he graces the stage. It's delirium, it kills brain cells, and if you let it seep in to your bloodstream it provides a full body escape from reality. 

CORE stage

By the end of day one it was clear just how much work was put in to the design of each individual stage. While Freedom provided the best lighting effects. Core brought Shambhala forest party vibes (Anna's set was a highlight), and The Cave conjured a otherworldly shipwrecked fantasy—if Han Solo, Netsky, or NGHTMRE ever really play in a cave with floating boulders alight with the glow of hundreds of luminous sparks...sign me up.

Day 2:

An early day two highlight was EDX on the Elixer Stage. His pacing and energy was the perfect way to warm up and get back in the groove for another day of music. With the original festival time table made for European audiences a few of the sets came out of the gate a little too strong for 9 AM on a Sunday morning; in retrospect Marlo put on a fantastic show, albeit at the wrong time of day for Western hemisphere audiences.

Transitioning from house to trance, the Freedom stage once again pumped out solid sets throughout the day. NWYR was a lighthearted standout. Less bombastic than Armin van Buuren's main stage set—both artists played very different edits of Blah Blah Blah, exemplifying the varied approach trance artists took on each stage. It lent credence to the authenticity of Tomorrowland's thoughtful stage curation.  

The highlight of day two was the absolutely stacked main stage lineup culminating in the one-two-punch of Tiesto, David Guetta, and Martin Garrix. Tiesto put on a middle of the road, well constructed, traditional main stage set; tracks from his latest album play much better live than they do as a casual listen. Guetta took to the stage with his near perfect Future Rave intro edit of Titanium. His selection was a mixture of Future Rave, remixed Guetta classics, a token Jack Back offering, and a handful of IDs. Guetta's set was everything his Ultra closing slot was meant to be. It was the beginning of a new era in his career; he has entirely modernized his main stage persona in a way no other legacy artist has managed to accomplish. It's unique while still being wildly digestible and it will propel him back to the top of his game.

Martin Garrix

Garrix closed out the festival with the most believable performance of the weekend. The energy he put in to creating a realistic performance was unparalleled. Not to mention it has since been confirmed that he played 8 new STMPD RCRD IDs during his set. This was Garrix at his best.

Ultimately the entire event was a resounding success. A masterclass in digitizing and bottling a festival atmosphere. The stream inevitably would have been more fun with a room full of friends...or a field of like minded festival-goers—but that would negate the very reason the virtual experience exists. Tomorrowland Around the World legitimized a new way of consuming top-tier DJ sets that will only continue to gain prominence well past COVID's current stranglehold on the market. The event may not have made many waves in Western North America, due at least in part to the time difference, but it severed as proof of concept. A million people around the world tuned in, and the next iteration will only bring more eyes.

If you missed the festival the Relive platform is now up and running with every set on demand until August 14th for just over 12 Euros. That comes to roughly $18 for over 60 hours of music. Not bad.

Until next time  Pāpiliōnem.

Tomorrowland Vies For Digital Supremacy (Online Festival Preview - July 25th - 26th)

By Ryan Hayes

This Saturday and Sunday Tomorrowland is set to take over the digital landscape. Dubbed Tomorrowland Around The World—this year's iteration features over sixty artists spread over eight original 3D designed stages. The festival aims to set the new gold standard for online events.

Unlike other quarantine live stream events Tomorrowland will prominently feature hour long sets simultaneously broadcasting across all eight stages. Although it may result in some fans only catching partial segments of an artists sets the packed schedule will help create the illusion of real life festival. Regardless of your personal musical leanings Tomorrowland will offer something for every EDM for the entirety of its six hour daily stream.

View fullsize

Day one begins with an hour and a half daybreak session from Oliver Heldens on the Mainstage before the Freedom stage really steals the day. The big pull for day one is the world premier of Tiesto's new alias, Ver:West: a melodic house project with heavy trance influences. That same day David Guetta's Jack Back alias takes on the Freedom Stage, and Eric Prydz closes the night with a new audio visual experience known as the [CELL.]. Aside from the name details about Prydz's new immersive set are sparse...fans will have to tune in as his visuals never disappoint.

Day two offers a big dose of trance and big room. W&W's trance focused side project NWYR follows fan favourite Dash Berlin on the Freedom stage. Elixir Club holds down heavy house vibes all day, and the Mainstage goes big with Don Diablo early in the day, before Martin Garrix closes out the festival.

Weekend passes are twenty Euros, while single day passes go for 12.50 Euros. Aside from music the festival is set to offer a range of interactive experiences, including; webinars, games and workshops on topics ranging from lifestyle/food, to fashion. Your weekend pass will also provide you with access to all the sets after the live festival stream ends from July 27 until August 2.

Will Tomorrowland Around The World re-define the digital festival landscape? Or will it come and go without notice? Regardless, the idea has peaked our interest...and we believe there are more than a few artists/sets that are worth checking out.

The Evolution of EDM: A Decade Of Skrillex

Source: Rukes

By Ryan Hayes

June marks the tenth anniversary of Sonny Moore's Skrillex project. On June 7th 2010 Sonny released his 'My Name Is Skrillex' EP as a free download on My Space. That same year Sonny signed to Deadmau5's Mau5trap label where he released the game changing 'Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites' EP, and subsequently went on tour with Deadmau5 as a special guest opener. The rest history...

'Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites' namesake track revolutionized, and reinvigorated, the modern dubstep scene in North America, popularizing the genre with an entirely new generation of impressionable minds looking for a fresh sound to connect with. Up to this point dubstep has been a largely underground sound in North America. The bass driven genre had already begun to rise in popularity in the UK in the early 2000's. Evolving out of the garage scene acts like Caspa, Rusko, Skream, & Sub Focus sparked a the genre's popularity within the British club scene. Despite it's rising influence overseas it took Skrillex' reinterpretation of the genre to catapult the sound on to a global stage. Overnight he became the poster boy for electronic music's newest craze; with media outlets placing the weight of the entire scene on his shoulders.

By the time Skrillex' 2011 Mothership Tour had begun his star power was undoubted, and he was attracting diverging fringe groups of music lovers unaccustomed to the world of electronic dance music. Skrillex united legions of fans in a unified state of bass ushering in an entire new wave of DJ focused popularity—playing a pivotal role in the scene's transition to the 'EDM era.' A unprecedented run where DJ's dominated the world's festival/club circuits for the better part of a decade.

During EDM's decade prominence Skrillex storied career has been anything but straightforward. Taking countless twists and turns Sonny has continually defied expectations and kept fans guessing. Now that we are at the ten year mark and eagerly awaiting—still—his next body of work, we thought it was the perfect time to take a look back at Sonny's journey through dance music's varied landscape. 

2010: Humble Beginnings

October 30th 2010 Skrillex, who at this point in time was very far down on the billing, played Meltdown festival in Dallas Texas. Only eight days after dropping 'Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites' his burgeoning dubstep sound was higher tempo, and bouncer—with clear electro/glitch influences.

2011 (January-July): Meteoric Rise

Shambhala 2011 took place August 5-8; it was Skrillex first year on the roster, and he was already holding down on the Pagoda stage. Less than a year after Meltdown Skrillex sound had evolved. Garnering more of a hard edge, his live sets dropped in BPM and cranked up the grinding bass he had become famous for.

2011 (August-December): The Mothership Takeover

By October of 2011 Skrillex had begun his first Mothership Tour. The show featured 'The Cell;' a massive stage that integrated 3D projection mapping and real-time motion capture. Travelling around the country Skrillex sold out massive crowds, and routinely added second nights in the same cities. For many of his more mainstream fans this was their entry point in to the world of electronic music. Torrents of bass swept over audiences opening them up to a whole new world and solidifying Skrillex' place in the pantheon of game changing producers—and all within a year of releasing his first EP.   

2012: Global Prominence

At Ultra 2012 Skrillex went back-to-back with veteran bass/dubstep producer 12th planet. The duo laid down a now iconic hard hitting dubstep set on, arguably, dance music's most important stage. Unrelenting, it was a headbangers paradise; and the set still holds up today playing like a greatest hits album of dubsteps heyday. 

2014: Established Industry Icon

By 2014 Skrillex was an established icon and bass music auteur, with an army of fans who expected nothing but the best from ever release. Although he had previously released  four EP's, March 14th  marked the release of Skrillex debut album 'Recess'. Packed with now classic beats—and brazen potshots at his haters, see All Is Fair in Love and Brostep—Skrillex cemented his legacy and seemed unstoppable. That June his Mothership tour held down two sold out night at Denver's renowned Red Rocks, and it was all captured in glorious HD.

2015: Pushing The Mainstream Boundaries With Diplo

Later that same year Skrillex and Diplo released their debut single as Jack Ü’s Take U There featuring Kiesza was released on September 17th 2014 and went on to become a mainstream radio hit. Throughout the year Skrillex and Diplo tested out their new material at various secret sets, including eight at Burning Man. By February of the next year they were ready. The duo celebrated the release of their debut album with a twenty four hour live stream...unfortunately the stream got shut down by local authorities eighteen hours in, only increasing the hype for duo's future performances.  Jack Ü closed Ultra 2015 with special performances from the likes of Kiesza, P. Diddy K-Pop star CL, and Justin Bieber. It was, and remains, peak Ultra.

2012-Present: The Freedom Of A House Alias

Jumping back in time, Skrillex formed Dog blood with prestigious house music producer Boys Noize in 2012. The alias allowed Skrillex to branch out from his more traditional heavier style and explore new sonic inspirations. Their debut EP featured two tracks Next Order and Middle Finger. In 2019 Skrillex and Boys Noize revived Dog Blood for the release of a new four track EP, and a string of rare live appearances. One such performance took place during last year's Miami Music Week at the Brownies & Lemonade showcase. The night included a string of unique back-to-back sets, but Dog Blood stole the show.

2019: Reclusive Powerhouse Legacy Act

By 2019 the world of EDM was presented with a very different Skrillex. His days of electro/glitch influenced dubstep were far behind him, and his game changing, slow grinding, Nice Sprites era brostep production style was sequestered mainly to the 'classic' segments of his sets. Since the 2016 release of his debut album Skrillex has released a handful of high profile remixes and collaborations; and his sets have evolved to include heavy trap/rap influences—however, much of what modern Skrillex would/could be remains a mystery. Live sets have become a rarity for the artist who once played hundreds of shows a year, and his often rumoured sophomore album is nowhere to be seen. EDC Mexico 2019 is one of the last high resolution sets we have from Skrillex...and who knows when we will get the next.

Here's to hoping the now dual album rumours are true. And the hype that has been building since a new project was first teased in mid 2018 can finally be proven, and was worth the wait.