“EDM” can mean different things to different people. But according to one entry on Urban Dictionary, “EDM refers to the 128 BPM “big room” rage stuff from the likes of Tiesto, Hardwell, Nicky Romero, Gareth Emery, etc.” EDM is the initialism for Electric Dance Music, which most academic resources would say describes a compilation of electronic music subgenres and started in the 1970s with Disco. While that may technically be accurate, Urban Dictionary is the most precise – enter the controversy. EDM and the rest of dance music are not all the same. The exact etymology of the term EDM isn’t precisely known, but this article on Cuepoint going in detail on EDM’s origins describes: “What is known is that it was in use as early as 1985, as a corporate term used to envelope the disparate sounds into one easy-to-market department.” In other words, a widespread effort to “rebrand” dance music to make it marketable. But marketable to who? Green Velvet investigates on Twitter:

“Don’t say House & Techno are EDM…”

This kind of tweet seemingly out of the blue from one of the most popular House producers is going to incite knee-jerk reactions. What exactly is Green Velvet asking? ” Don’t say House & Techno are EDM… they were before EDM. Do ur research & discover the first time the term EDM was used.” Indeed, there is a distinction being made even in common vernacular. Ultra Music Festival, which has music festivals across the planet, even goes as far to differentiate it’s House/Techno offerings under the “Resistance” sub-brand. In a follow-up tweet, he seeks to calm the waters with a clarification:

To be fair, 2020 is here and that’s a good 50 years since the 1970s – it isn’t exactly reasonable to expect young listeners to know the originators. But that’s taking the question too literally.

Doing too much?

In the grand scheme of things, this probably seems a silly thing to argue about. But to many, it’s a big subject; it’s even in the namesake of this site. The origins of what dance music is today makes this relevant. Tons of resources explore the subject, including this cool, not overly academic and boring one from VICE. As with everything controversial, it’s always good practice to do as Green Velvet suggested: your own research.

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‘Today the Higher Court in Leeuwarden ruled on appeal that Martin Garrix (Martijn Garritsen) had no legal right to break his agreements prematurely with Spinnin’ Records and MusicAllStars Management.
The ruling confirms that the production- and management agreements with Martin Garrix were established correctly and properly complied with, by Spinnin’ Records and MusicAllStars Management. The accusation by Garrix that agreements were unreasonable has also been rejected: “It can be concluded that Martin Garrix was not falsely led into agreements in 2012 en 2013” the Higher Court said. According to the Higher Court, the agreements expired in mid-2015 and not before.”

In 2015, Garrix announced on Social Media he was splitting from Spinnin’ Records, his label, and MusicAllStars Management, his management company, based on accusations of contractual impropriety and a conflict of interest as both companies were run by Eelko Van Kooten. Despite the 2017 decision that affirmed Van Kooten could have avoided a conflict of interest by introducing a 3rd party arbiter, the appeals Court ruled that Martin Garrix had no legal grounds to nullify their relationship prematurely. Shortly after the decision went public, Van Kooten commented:

“I am delighted with the ruling of the Higher Court that we made valid agreements with Martijn at the time, which should have been respected. This statement confirms that the accusation of deception or fraud was unjustified. Even though I have since sold Spinnin’ Records and MusicAllStars Management, those accusations were also aimed at me personally. I look back with pride on a successful collaboration with Martijn and wish him the best in his further career.”

Details Still Developing

Martin Garrix will have to pay for damages based on lost revenue which has yet to be determined; a previous countersuit from both companies sought €6.4 million in lost revenue from Garrix’s abandonment of contractual obligations.

The post Spinnin’ Records Wins Martin Garrix Lawsuit on Appeal appeared first on EDMTunes.

Since that time, prosecutors have been trying to hold Max Harris (the space’s “Creative Director”) and Derick Almena (the property manager) responsible for these deaths in court. Their efforts heartbreakingly proved unsuccessful when a jury failed to convict either individual last Thursday. This also comes after a judge previously discarded a plea deal.

Prosecutors argued that Harris and Almena turned the warehouse into a death trap with illegal construction, improper electrical work, and other fire hazards like permitting derelict furniture/flammable material strewn about that acted as kindling. The jury acquitted Harris. Only 10 out of 12 jurors agreed that Almena was negligent. Each of the men faced up to 36 years in state prison if found guilty.

“The jury is hopelessly deadlocked. I declare a mistrial as it relates to Mr. Almena.”

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Trina Thompson said in court.

Regulation enforcement can save lives.

This fire was the deadliest since The Station nightclub fire in Warwick, Rhode Island in 2003, which killed 100. The Station fire also prompted increased scrutiny of regulations nationwide. The pair’s defense argued that the city was liable for not enforcing building codes and allowing Ghost Ship to operate in plain sight. Unlike The Station nightclub, however, Ghost Ship was operating illegally as the building was not zoned for residential use. Almena, regardless, was charging occupants rent.

ATF was unable to determine the cause of the fire, likely complicating the case for prosecutors. The defense’s key argument was that the fire was not caused by something electrical, as theorized, but by arsonists. Witnesses testified that they heard glass breaking, likened to Molotov cocktails, and another claimed to see a large group of men in hoodies outside excitedly discussing how they started the fire.

“I’m kind of in shock. I feel sick to my stomach. There should be a retrial. I know it’s going to be long and exhausting, like this already was. The whole thing just sucks.”

Alberto Vega, brother of Alex Vega, who perished in the fire.

It’s not over yet.

Almena and Harris lied to police officers on the night of the fire about living at the warehouse. They claimed that they were instructed to do so by the building’s owners.

A new hearing is set for Oct. 4, where the determination will be made if a retrial of Almena will be initiated. Should that proceed, Harris could be called as a witness.

Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the 36 individuals who lost their lives in the Ghost Fire. We hope to see justice for this case soon.

The post Ghost Ship Fire Trial Fails To Convict appeared first on EDMTunes.

The most viral, however, is the infamous moment captured of Flume eating his girlfriend’s, Paige Elkinton, ass. (Article linked to keep this post SFW) The video ruffled some feathers as it violated community standards of Burning Man to share such content.

For the most part, everyone else was quite chuffed. Particularly, Flume’s colleagues, and the DJs have flocked to Social Media to respond and share their support:

The post Flume’s Burning Man Video Still Viral; DJs Respond appeared first on EDMTunes.

Both companies are no stranger to scrutiny for engaging in bad practices. Just recently, a Live Nation executive has embroiled the company in a scalping scandal. Ticketmaster would apparently have an entire department dedicated to the practice. As a condition for the approval of the merger, the concert promoter operates under a DOJ Consent Decree that bars Live Nation from withholding concerts and tours from venues that don’t use Ticketmaster, or retaliating against them when they go with a competitor. The consent decree is set to expire in July of 2020. The aforementioned Senators have stated in their letter that the consent decree has been criticized as ineffective and that Live Nation Entertainment has been circumventing its conditions. They will also recommend that the consent decree be extended past 2020, a suggestion that would likely be unpopular at the Beverly Hills headquarters.

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“Think of it like the playlist that never sleeps, updated every day with new music you simply can’t miss. When the most important artists—from across the world and across genres—have something new to drop, this will be the place to find it first.”

An excerpt from the description on the splash page.

Regarded as one of the two major players in the streaming business, Apple Music is strategizing new ways to lure users away from it’s largest competitor, Spotify. This move from Apple is designed to be a more curated approach. Spotify has had algorithmic playlists that function similarly like “Your Daily Drive” which serves up music, news, and podcasts for your commute,. A welcomed change, as Spotify consistently ranks higher than Apple Music in comparisons for music discovery tools.

The post Apple Music’s “Best of The Week Playlist” Rebranded as “New Music Daily” appeared first on EDMTunes.

Clearly the biggest headliner this year is Above & Beyond, who will most likely be playing a one-off show during one of the ports of call stops. Mainstay Markus Schulz returns with KSHMR, Loco Dice, Nora en Pure, Roger Sanchez, Anthony Attalla, Caleb Calloway, Danny Howard, Emma Hewitt, Fatum, Gene Farris, Jvna, Mariana Bo, Offaiah, Qrion, Yaya and more!

The highlight of Groove Cruise is that most of these artists will play 3+ times over the course of the trip, so you’ll get to hear all facets of these DJs.

The wavy lineup on the Celebrity Infinity is sure to make anyone’s voyage to the new destination, Costa Maya, Mexico, a memorable one. So if you haven’t already, make your way to the official site now to book your cabin now.

The post Ahoy! Groove Cruise 2020 Miami Lineup Announced appeared first on EDMTunes.

Fans of house and tech house won’t want to miss this. Mark Knight‘s label that’s given us amazing summer hits like Weiss‘ ‘Feel My Needs’ and Illyus & Barrientos‘ ‘Shout’ will be hitting up several spots in the US this fall. Mark Knight himself will be appearing as well. Toolroom Records will also have a stage takeover at the Groove Island Festival in Catalina Island, CA.

The lineups include the aforementioned plus some other great names like Leftwing : Kody, Wheats, and Alex Sibley. And the venues include The San Francisco Mint, Soundbar in Chicago, Analog in Brooklyn, and The Exchange in LA.

Get tickets to the events you’re interested in their official site here and be sure to check out the video below.

The post UK Label Toolroom Records Expands Their Tour Stateside appeared first on EDMTunes.

Some of those names include Justin Martin, Walker & Royce, Shiba San, J.Phlip, J. Worra, and Christian Martin – it’s going to be a busy season for the flight with the following 11 stops planned:

Chicago, IL – Birdhouse Festival, September 7
Miami, FL – Club Space – September 21
Hampton, GA – Imagine Music Festival – September 22
Modesto, CA – Dirtybird Campout – October 3-5
Portland, OR – 45 East, October 19
Brooklyn, NY – Warehouse of Horrors, October 26
Las Vegas, NV – Caesar’s Entertainment Studio, November 1
Chandler, AZ – Rawhide Event Center – November 2
Boston, MA – The Grand, November 7
Washington, DC – Echo Stage – November 9
Vancouver, BC – Celebrities Nightclub – November 23

See in-depth lineup information for the Dirtybird Players’ shows as well as Claude’s schedule below:

The post Dirtybird Players & Claude VonStroke Fall Tour Coming to Brooklyn, Miami, Vegas & More appeared first on EDMTunes.