Posts made in April 2022

Getty’s MESOPOTAMIA

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Getty’s online digital experience, MESOPOTAMIA, is now viewable in Arabic, French, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, and English. MESOPOTAMIA offers an intimate look at ancient objects from a recent exhibition at the Getty Villa, some dating up to 5,000 years old.

MESOPOTAMIA reimagines how art collections and archives can be experienced online, taking users on a journey that presents objects in lifelike detail. Visitors can simply scroll to tour the online experience at their own pace, accompanied by a narrative that details the symbolic, religious, and sometimes practical meanings and purposes of these ancient works of art.

Featured objects in MESOPOTAMIA were captured using photogrammetry and in some cases, additional LIDAR and structured light scanning to replicate every detail. This allows users to see nearly every wedge-shaped impression on a 4,000-year-old cuneiform tablet, or the hairline cracks on other ancient tablets. In one instance, users can see the bubbles in the glaze of a lion relief that once lined Babylon’s Ishtar Gate.

To give objects a sense of size, scale, and context, the feature situates the objects within their gallery setting, and strings the experience together using a Steadicam video capture. This creates the sense of floating through the space, from one highlight to another.

“As technology continues to advance and audiences anticipate more dynamic visual experiences, Getty is committed to experimenting with innovative ways of visual storytelling,” says Serena Parr, immersive lead at Getty. “MESOPOTAMIA is an example of Getty’s goal to bridge the gap between ancient art history and online learning, and we hope global audiences will enjoy diving into this fascinating time period.”

Other recent Getty digital experiences include Return to Palmyra, 12 Sunsets, and Bauhaus: Building the New Artist.

Rag’n’Bone Man – Life By Misadventure

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Rag’n’Bone Man, also known as Rory Graham, has announced his upcoming fall North American tour. The tour reigns in support of his latest album and first in three years, Life By Misadventure, following a sell-out run in the UK and Ireland. His headlining show is coming to The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles on October 10. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 8 at 10am PT via AXS.com.

For more information on the tour and show ticketing and times, please visit HERE.

The groundbreaking success of his debut album Human in 2017 cemented Graham with international success; earning him various accolades including 3 BRIT Awards as well as sold out shows around the globe. This was followed up with ‘Giant,‘ a collaboration with Calvin Harris, in 2019. Following the release of his second album Life By Misadventure, put out through Columbia Records in May 2021, Rag’n’Bone Man now returns to North America to play live shows for the first time since summer of 2018.

The album was recorded in Nashville with producer Mike Elizondo and musicians including Wendy Melvoin (Prince and the Revolution) and Daru Jones (Jack White) and the three leading singles ‘All You Ever Wanted,’ ‘Anywhere Away From Here‘ (P!nk) and ‘Alone‘ have been mainstays on BBC Radio 1 & Radio 2, Graham has also turned in all-star TV performances on the BRIT Awards 2021 (remotely with P!nk) as well as special performances for US TV shows Ellen de Generes and The Late Late Show with James Corden.

IMAGINE DRAGONS – BONES

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GRAMMY®-winning, multi-Platinum band Imagine Dragons unleash an epic video for their latest single, the defiantly upbeat “Bones.” In the clip, directed by visual pioneer Jason Koenig, a zombie apocalypse plagues Wall Street, turning the trading floor into a ghoulish nightclub complete with scattered limbs, ’80s fashion, and dancing undead. The video for “Bones” made its broadcast premiere on MTV Live, MTVU and on the Paramount Times Square billboards. Watch the video for “Bones” HERE. The song is available HERE via KIDinaKORNER/Interscope.

Frontman Dan Reynolds is almost unrecognizable in the video as he takes care of business as a day trader. Things take a hard left, however, when brain-eating, dancing zombies appear. In many ways, it’s a love letter to Michael Jackson’s seminal 1983 “Thriller” video — which just happens to be a favorite of Reynolds’ children.

“It definitely served as the inspiration for the ‘Bones’ video,” Reynolds says. “I’ve always loved that ‘Thriller’ was both scary and playful. I didn’t know as a kid if I wanted to watch it again or not for fear of the ensuing nightmares, but I always came back for more with my eyes half-closed.” For his interpretation, the hitmaker came up with a sardonic twist: “The idea of punishing Wall Street with a zombie infection felt like an enjoyable time. And it was.”

Produced by Swedish duo Mattman & Robin, “Bones” is the first taste of Imagine Dragons’ forthcoming double album Mercury — ACTS 1 & 2 which is scheduled for release on July 1. The double album is available for pre-order HERE.

“Enemy,” has racked up more than 1.6 billion combined global streams across two versions (including a collaboration with GRAMMY-nominated, East Atlanta-based rapper J.I.D). “Enemy,” which was tapped for Riot Games’ animated series “Arcane,” is currently No. 5 at Top 40, No. 7 at Hot AC and No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song spent 7 weeks at No. 1 at Alternative radio. “Enemy” and “Bones” are destined to be highlights on Imagine Dragons’ Mercury World Tour where summer tour dates were recently added. The summer tour marks the bands biggest North American shows of their career. The tour kicks off this August in Salt Lake City, UT with special guests Macklemore and Kings Elliot on select dates and making stadium stops in Boston, Toronto, and their hometown of Las Vegas before wrapping up in Los Angeles, CA in September. Check out the full itinerary HERE.

Imagine Dragons ‘Mercury – Acts 1 & 2’ eAlbum Pre-Order

Official “Bones” video HERE.

*Photo credit: Eric Ray Davidson

Zeitz MOCAA × Gucci Gala

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Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) and longstanding partner Gucci are pleased to announce the museum’s first annual fundraiser event to be held on Saturday, November 29, 2022. Inspiration comes from When We See Us, the new exhibition opening on November 20. The gala, themed “Art & Opulence,” will see notable figures from the art, fashion, film and entertainment industries join Zeitz MOCAA to celebrate contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora.

Gucci has long been a supporter of the arts and this partnership speaks to the House’s commitment to promoting culture and preserving heritage. The Zeitz MOCAA x Gucci Gala marks a return for the museum’s continuous fundraising efforts and is set to become an annual highlight on the social calendar of the African continent.

“The Zeitz MOCAA Gala and its theme is a celebration of excellence, triumph and affirmation of the global Black experience, and is true to our relationship with the larger art and culture field,” says Koyo Kouoh, Executive Director and Chief Curator, Zeitz MOCAA. “We are thankful for our long-standing partnership with Gucci. At a time when many institutions across the globe are continuing to feel the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, this event provides Zeitz MOCAA with an opportunity to further its goals and continue to strive towards access for all and the education and celebration of art from Africa and its diaspora.”

A Celebration of Black Excellence

The When We See Us exhibition is a large-scale, global exploration of Black self-representation through figurative painting and portraiture spanning more than a century. In the lead-up to the exhibition opening, the museum will host various programs that speak about the global Black experience, including a series of webinars that began on March 29. These programs, as well as the gala theme, will address the exhibition’s key themes of perpetuation, essence and radicality of Black joy, celebrating the continent of Africa, Africans and African-ess in all its forms across the global African diaspora. Gucci’s partnership allows for the exhibition to travel to major museums across the United States and Europe.

In addition to supporting When We See Us as a traveling exhibition, the funds raised from the Zeitz MOCAA Gala will go towards the institution’s mandate of a civic space that furthers the contemplation of and education about art from Africa and its diaspora as a crucial and unique catalyst for the analysis of our societies.

“In its role as a site for public dialogue, exhibitions, research and collection, and storytelling that contemporary art enables, the institution promotes narratives that are important to the building of communities, and we see this gala as a significant milestone in working towards this vision,” concludes Kouoh.

“Zeitz MOCAA looks forward to welcoming its board of trustees, Global Council members as well as special guests to a night of Art & Opulence.”

About Zeitz MOCAA

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) is a public non-profit institution that collects, preserves, researches and exhibits contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora; conceives and hosts international exhibitions; develops supporting educational, discursive and enrichment programs; encourages intercultural understanding; and strives towards access for all. The museum’s galleries feature rotating temporary exhibitions with a dedicated space for the permanent collection. The institution also includes the Centre for Art Education, the Centre for the Moving Image and The Atelier, a museum residency program for artists living and working in Cape Town.

Zeitz MOCAA is situated at the Silo District, South Arm Road, V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa, and is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 AM to 6 PM.

NCAA Division I Tournament Ratings

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South Carolina‘s wire-to-wire victory in the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship scored 4.85 million viewers Sunday night to become the most-watched women’s title game since 2004, and the fourth-largest audience to watch a women’s championship game since ESPN began exclusively airing the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament in 1996.

The 4.85 million viewers tuning in across ESPN networks Sunday was the most-watched cable program of the day, an audience increase of 18% year-over-year and 30% from 2019. The matchup peaked from 10-10:15 p.m. ET with 5.91 million viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, as South Carolina captured its second national title during ESPN’s MegaCast presentation.

“ESPN’s commitment to women’s basketball has never been stronger and this year’s viewership numbers are a clear indication of the growing popularity of the sport and the NCAA Women’s Tournament,” said Nick Dawson, ESPN vice president of programming and acquisitions. “Since ESPN began exclusively televising this event more than two decades ago, we have consistently strived to raise the bar in our presentation, and we are particularly gratified by our expanded coverage and the introduction of new elements like the MegaCast this year. We look forward to working with the NCAA to further enhance our presentation in the years ahead.”

Women’s Final Four Most-Watched Final Four in a Decade

The 2022 NCAA Women’s Final Four is the most-watched Final Four weekend since 2012, averaging 3.46 million viewers. The audience for the trio of games throughout the weekend was up 20% from 2021.

The National Semifinals scored 2.7 million average viewers, up 21% year-over-year and the most-viewed semifinals in a decade. Connecticut and Stanford‘s showdown registered 3.23 million viewers, up 19% from 2021 and 49% from 2019—the most-watched women’s semifinal game since 2012 (Stanford vs. Baylor). The matchup was the second-most-watched cable program of the day and most-watched overall among the coveted P18-49 demo. Louisville vs. South Carolina recorded 2.16 million viewers, up 27% and 43% from 2019, registering the most-watched audience of an early semifinal game since 2016 (Connecticut vs. Oregon State).

2022 NCAA Tournament Viewership Up Double Digits

The full NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament averaged 634,000 viewers per game, up 16% from last year’s coverage. The total hours of consumption were up 6% year-over-year, with viewers devouring 74.6 million hours of content across ESPN platforms, roughly 4.1 million more hours compared to 2021.

The 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament experienced several additional viewership milestones throughout, including:

The most-consumed early rounds on record
The most-watched early round window in more than 10 years
The most-watched Sweet 16 game on cable since 2017
The most-watched Elite Eight round in more than 10 years
The most-watched Elite Eight game in more than 10 years

Same Same But Different

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Same Same But Different, a weekend-long beachside music and arts festival, has announced the dates for its fourth annual return to Lake Perris, California including an upgraded location and elevated experiences. Tickets to the festival, taking place Friday, Sept. 9 through Sunday, Sept. 12, are available now HERE with limited early bird pricing remaining.

Throughout the three-day festival, SSBD will become a waterfront paradise across four stages: the Coconut Club, the Same Stage, the But Stage and the Different Stage. So that attendees never miss a beat, SSBD’s sets will flow into each other, leading guests from one experience to the next. Coconut Club’s bespoke stage will start each day with a festival highlight—lakefront floatopia day parties—where music lovers dance on decorated floats and warm sands. As the sun sets, music will transition to the Same Stage, another stunning waterfront setup, and the Different Stage, a lush renegade experience where planned and unexpected performances take shape.

Amplifying the 2022 festival experience, SSBD has partnered with Chris Racan as co-producer of the event; Be The Beam, producers behind the world’s first NFT-gated festival Afterparty; and renowned San Diego music festival KAABOO. SSBD’s eclectic 2022 lineup will span emerging talents to established jam bands, top-tier electronic selectors and more. The full lineup will be released soon. In addition to music, festival goers can enjoy a wide range of educational workshops, yoga and wellness activities, arts and crafts, and more from experts in their field.

For the first time, SSBD’s fully-immersive experience will take over the entirety of Lake Perris State Park. The palm tree-dotted shores will offer upgraded amenities including lush grass areas, electric car camping, backstage VIP experiences, state park-maintained bathrooms and showers, RV parking and hookups, parking shuttles and more.

While not mandatory, SSBD encourages camping, which is included with every GA and VIP pass. Early bird pricing begins at $225 for general admission, which includes access to the campgrounds from 3 PM Thursday, Sept. 8 until 3 PM Monday, Sept. 12. Early bird VIP festival passes start at $440 and provide camping access, VIP entry, backstage lounges with shade zones, a full bar, premium air-conditioned bathrooms, reserved stage views and more. Limited time remains for festival goers to take advantage of early bird pricing.

SSBD also offers a range of parking and camping add-ons. The Up-Front Gold Parking Pass, priced at $155, provides parking adjacent to the campgrounds. The Campsite + Car-Camping Parking Pass, priced at $185, provides a parking spot directly next to the attendee’s campsite, closer access to showers and restrooms, a personal grill and a picnic table. The Electric Campsite + Car-Camping Parking Pass, available for $355, reserves a campsite closest to the stages, access to a personal 20-amp power circuit, nearby access to showers and restrooms, a personal grill and a picnic table.

Attendees may also opt for remote lot parking with shuttle services to their campsite. Prices begin at $45 for the Remote Lot Parking Pass; $65 for the Bronze Lot Parking Pass, which includes access to a drop-off zone; and $99 for the Silver Lot Parking Pass, which allows closer entry to the campgrounds and a drop-off zone. RV Campers may purchase parking with hookups and a campsite for $395, or a lot without hookups or a campsite for $165.

For each ticket purchase, Same Same But Different plants groups of trees to help restore ecosystems and assist local populations in areas impacted by deforestation as part of the festival’s commitment to sustainability. Last year, the festival planted over 18,000 trees and has a goal of 40,000 in 2022.

More information about Same Same But Different Festival is available HERE, or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About Same Same But Different Festival

Same Same But Different is a multi-genre music and arts festival that takes place annually on the beaches of Lake Perris in Southern California. Catering to those who embrace unique and diverse music, the destination festival highlights established and emerging jam bands, electronic artists, and more on three beach-front stages and a renegade setup. Same Same But Different is a climate-positive festival, planting groups of trees for every ticket purchase, helping restore ecosystems and assist local populations in areas affected by deforestation.

Stromae – Multitude Tour

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Stromae continues to command audiences worldwide, as his North American arena tour sees new dates added and others sell out, including added shows at New York’s legendary Madison Square Garden and Montreal’s Bell Centre. A new show at the Shrine Auditorium has also been announced in Los Angeles.

Artist pre-sale begins Wednesday, April 6 at 10 AM (local) The pre-sale password is MULTITUDE. The general on-sale begins Friday, April 8 at 10 AM local time.

All previously announced tour dates are on-sale now HERE.

Last month, the internationally acclaimed Belgian-born artist, writer, performer, producer, designer and director released his critically acclaimed third-studio album: Multitude. The album has been hailed by The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, NPR and countless other respected publications. The twelve-track masterpiece was composed by Stromae, produced by his creative label Mosaert, and features recent singles “Santé,” “L’enfer” and his most recent offering, “Fils De Joie.”

Multitude is available on digital, CD and vinyl, including special colored version for D2C. Listen HERE.

Ahead of his high anticipated Coachella appearances on Saturday April 16 and 23, Stromae will be performing live on ABC‘s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday, April 11.

Multitude comes after a period of forced hiatus from the stage. With it came furlough and its silver linings: settling down, leading a more relaxed, structured life closer to family, making work exciting again, expanding his sources of inspiration, and, most of all, making what he went through worth it by reinvesting the dividends of this challenging phase into the core of new songs.

Far from any self-centered self-pity, Stromae took advantage of this time to identify more closely with others, putting himself in the others’ shoes. The unstable men in “La Solassitude” and “Mon Amour,” the prostitute’s son in “Fils de Joie,” the depressed and suicidal protagonists of “Mauvaise Journée” and “L’Enfer,” the mismatched couple in “Pas Vraiment,” the invisible people in “Santé,” the suffering women in “Déclaration.” He embraces them all with kindness and altruism, providing each with a touching portrait.

By doing so, he gives the title Multitude a deep resonance, the same one that Walt Whitman conveys in his poem, of which Stromae bases the album off of: “I am large, I contain multitude, I am of every hue and caste, of every rank and religion.””Multitude is a window on the world, on people, and a rare moment of communion and pleasure to be shared. An alchemy of opposites, shaped by the will to testify without judgment or contempt to the human condition in all its diversity, and to the urge to explore the lives of others, sometimes your own (Que du bonheur on fatherhood, Invaincu on healing). Multitude is Stromae’s other way of exploring the world, while staying firmly attached to his roots.

Col3trane – Logan Paul

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Rising R&B singer-songwriter Col3trane drops new single “Logan Paul” along with a music video. This latest release follows “Plus Minus” featuring Erick the Architect, continuing the build-up for Col3trane’s upcoming album “Lush Life.” The visuals for this feel-good track were directed by Tom Emmerson who also brought us “Californication.” Deriving inspiration from a night back in 2019 when a young Col3trane ended up at a party at the one and only Logan Paul‘s house, the music video follows a story that people can be inauthentic, plastic, and fake.

Listen to the song HERE. Watch the music video HERE.

“Logan Paul is written about a time in 2019 I went to a party at Logan Paul’s house. Or maybe his brother’s house. I’m still not sure. It talks about the insane things that you see at parties in LA. The plasticity of the environment and the fact that nothing feels real at all,” says Col3trane.

“There was everything that you could have ever wanted at a party. Free food, drinks, dancers, DJs (even though the music was awful). But the environment was so uncomfortable. People walking around their own party with shades on and a camera crew following them, everyone pretending that they’re cooler than everybody else. All for what? To make a video to post online,” Col3trane adds. “It was really strange so I wrote a song about it. Embellishing the actual party of course, but the lyrics really describe what it felt like. I went to Barcelona to shoot the video and tried to recreate what the party really felt like. The boxing aspect of the video and the party. It felt like I was completely lost. Hope the song and video reflect that.”

About Col3trane

Col3trane‘s bubbling career first rose to the surface with the release of his 2017 mixtape, Tsarina. Influenced by the UK-native’s vast musical exposure, the mixtape garnered serious attention for its unique sound; generating 3 million streams on Spotify within the first month. Col3trane’s second project, BOOT (Breathing Out of Time), proved to be just as impactful. In 2019, he capitalized on his massive EP, Heroine, with leading track “Superpowers” featuring Goldlink. In 2020, the young Londoner maintained momentum with love ballads, “Someone To Watch Over Me” and “Good News” into collaborations with Kiana Lede on “Clutch” and best mate and fellow Londoner Mahalia on “Pretty.” In 2021, Col3trane dropped a 3 demo tape, titled 3rd Fountain Demos, and introduced us to his debut album with his first single “Californication (Feels Like I’m Falling In Love)” produced by SG Lewis. In 2022, the 22 year old gears up for the next chapter of the story with his single “Bag” featuring Lucky Daye.

Jubel – So Sick

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Swedish pop-duo Jubël shared their rendition of Ne-Yo‘s “So Sick.” Listen to “So Sick” HERE via Warner Records. On “So Sick,” the duo is staying true to the original’s smooth R&B while adding their trademark sound of organic guitars and breezy summer feel good vibes.

The Swedish duo has been performing “So Sick” live and at radio shows for years, as Ne-Yo’s “So Sick” was a personal favorite of the duo growing up. After being requested by fans, Jubël is finally releasing it as a single along with a behind-the-scenes making of the track. Watch the BTS footage HERE.

The release follows the massive success of Jubël’s breakthrough track “Dancing In The Moonlight” ft NEIMY, which received multi-platinum certifications across Europe and a remix from Tiësto while landing #1 on the UK radio play chart and Top 10 on the UK airplay year-end chart.

“We’re like a live band with electronic elements and influences,” Jubël says. “We have songs with pop-structures, but it’s all very danceable, four-on-the-floor music.” That winning formula has garnered the chart-topping, platinum-selling group millions of cross-platforms streams—all within a couple short years.

About Jubel

Consisting of Sebastian Atas as primary producer and lead vocalist and Victor Sjöström as the key songwriter and player of all instruments, both artists started off in their local EDM scene with Victor DJing and Sebastian producing. With nearly 700 million streams worldwide, Jubël continues to deliver dance-pop hits like “Dancing in the Moonlight,” as well as “Weekend Vibe” and “Dumb” off of their 2021 EP, 6115 Orange Street which received acclaim from FLAUNT, The Music Essentials and more.

Alex Ubago – Cuanto Antes

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Alex Ubago celebrates his 20 year musical career with a re-recording of his greatest hits in the company of great national and international artists.

On this occasion Alex presents us with ‘Cuanto Antes,’ a new preview of his next album, together with one of the most important female voices in Latin America, Lali.

“Lali is one of the great artists that Argentina has produced. I proposed to record ‘Cuanto Antes’ together because I knew it would be great as a duet with a female voice, and specifically with hers. This new version of the song has changed a lot compared to the original from my 2nd album and I love the result,” Alex tells us.