The candle-lit dive bar lured patrons with an intimate, packed dance floor, tunes ranging from Afrobeat to ’80s hip-hop, and Smiths nights. Though rising rent costs and gentrification brought Danny’s Tavern to the verge of closure in 2015, a surge of community funding and support kept the bar alive. This time around, the devastation of the COVID-19 crisis shuttered Danny’s Tavern permanently.

The viability of venues across the U.S. continue to be threatened by restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Although the Save Our Stages Act passed the House with considerable bipartisan support, lawmakers have failed to reach an agreement on a second relief package for individuals and businesses. Last month, the National Independent Venue Association shared an open letter warning of an impending crisis in the absence of government aid.

With very little online presence, Danny’s Tavern has not shared a public statement regarding their closure at the time of writing.

Image credit: Rob Reid

Narrated by Massive Attack’s Robert “3D” Del Naja, the film centers on reducing the carbon footprint of the live music industry. Del Naja stresses the music industry “couldn’t or wouldn’t move fast enough for live music to play its part in rapid decarbonization,” emphasizes the impact touring has on carbon emissions, and urges musicians to work with cities rather than promoters on reducing the live music industry’s carbon footprint.

Liverpool’s director of culture Claire McColgan, green energy industrialist Dale Vince, and Tyndall Centre’s Carly McLachlan also feature in the film.

Origins of the Partnership

Massive Attack’s partnership with the Tyndall Centre was announced in November 2019. Originally, the band pledged to work with the Tyndall Centre to “map thoroughly the carbon footprint of band tour cycles, and to present options that can be implemented quickly” along three core dimensions: audience transportation, band travel and production, and venue emissions. The research was to culminate in a low-carbon-footprint show. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic virtually shutting down live music gatherings ruled out the event.

Massive Attack’s Activism

Massive Attack are no strangers to incorporating environmental activism into their touring plans. They’ve paid to have trees planted, often prohibited the use of single-use plastics, and traveled by train to shows wherever feasible. In an op-ed for The Guardian, Del Naja mentioned that the band even considered giving up touring altogether. The idea was ultimately dropped as they settled upon reformation from the inside rather than outright boycott. “To create systemic change there is no real alternative to collective action,” Del Naja said.

Earlier in the year, Massive attack were among the signatories on “Lift the Siege,” an open letter calling for Israel to end attacks on the Gaza Strip.

While tracklists and further details are still to come, listeners can expect the ambient, low-tempo, melodic soundscapes on which Mills has centered the Every Dog Has Its Day EPs. The series began back in 2000, though it took a hiatus after Vol. 4 in 2003 until Mills resumed with Vol. 5 in January 2020.

Jeff Mills Over The Years

Mills’ musical trajectory began in the ‘80s. He was dubbed “The Wizard” for his DJ tricks and technical mixing on Detroit radio stations WDRQ and WJLB. Most notably, Mills pushed the envelope on second-wave Detroit techno, and co-founded DJ collective Underground Resistance, a group greatly responsible for techno’s legacy as protest music.

In the three decades since, Mills has arguably contributed a great deal to the abstract philosophy around the techno genre. To this day, he uses his platform to take a stance on social issues. Most recently, after Black Lives Matter protests erupted across the world in the wake of George Floyd‘s death in Minneapolis, his social media presence underwent a noticeable shift.

Axis Records has also recently given a home to Ambrosia by Byron The Aquarius.

The immediate assumption would be that the COVID-19 pandemic struck the venue down, but its owners took to Facebook to explain otherwise. “While it would be logical to link this to the challenges presented by these wild times we’re living through, the story is actually much more interesting… and positive. For the past few years, we’ve been considering making some big changes as we reached our 10th anniversary (which fell on the 30th of April this year),” they said.

Rather than an outright demise, The Sound Table is changing hands. Owners stated that the new buyers are “ready to take on the challenge of carrying forward the legacy of 483 Edgewood Ave [The Sound Table’s location], under a new identity but with a faithful reverence to the ethos of ST.”

Preserving the identity of a venue as it changes ownership is tricky, particularly when the space is community-grown. Regular patrons lamenting the demise of The Sound Table, however, can find solace that “as far as the Sound Table as a brand and an idea is concerned, we will continue to create and curate under the Sound Table banner, untethered to any specific physical location, continuing to explore and expand upon the things we love.”

Read the full statement on The Sound Table’s closure below.

Image credit: The Sound Table

“After deciding I would like to mentor people to help bring them in to the industry it became apparent I was unable to do this unless I stood up and tried to fight to make the industry a safer place all round,” Parmar shared in a statement on the catalyst behind the campaign. “How can I mentor women and members of the LGBQT++ community, knowing they will face sexism, harassment and at worst, assault and rape and stay silent on this issue?”

#ForTheMusic will share stories of sexual harassment and assault survivors in the dance music industry to “raise awareness and combat a culture of silence which turns a blind eye to the presence of violence and abuse.” In addition to drawing attention to the issues, the campaign will pursue “drastic change in nightclubs, venues and festivals across the globe in hope that these places of work and entertainment adopt a zero tolerance policy to harassment by creating a safe space for all to be enjoyed without the threat of sexual predators.”

Community Effort

To ignite a grassroots movement, Rebekah has asked her social media followers to sign and share a petition on Change.org that demands accountability on sexual assault and rape allegations from the dance music industry. “We all must be accountable and speak up about the abusers, allow people the benefit of the doubt when claiming abuse, as many stay silent for fear of retribution,” Parmer stated.

The petition presses action specifically from clubs and artists. It appeals to holding venue owners accountable for ensuring a safe space for performers, employees, and audiences free from sexual harassment. Artists and performers are called on to end a culture of silence, be allies, and to speak out when they witness sexual harassment happening.

#MeToo Resurgence

Following its 2017 viral breakthrough, the #MeToo movement saw a resurgence this summer in the electronic music community as accusations emerged against high profile artists like Derrick May, Eric Morillo, and Billy Kenny.

As Morillo’s death was met by tributes from major artists like Jamie Jones, Joseph Capriati, Steve Lawler, Sven Väth, and Carl Cox earlier this month, Rebekah was outspoken on the lack of acknowledgment of his alleged misdeeds. It presumably galvanized her to launch the #ForTheMusic campaign.

New Normal

The #ForTheMusic campaign comes at a time where dance music events are at a standstill amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While many wonder what the new normal for live music events will look like, Parmar hopes it will come with positive, industry-wide changes on sexual harassment.

“We have a great opportunity to now assess what kind of industry we want to return to when it opens back up, what kind of people we place in these powerful positions and how we can we make clubs, festivals and after parties a safer place,” Parmar said.

The San Francisco Public Press reported that eight people were displaced. Their belongings were seized and loaded into unmarked trucks around midnight as documented in two Facebook live videos. From stimulus and unemployment checks to sentimental notebooks, musical instruments, and survival gear, affected residents lost both personal and valuable items.

Non Plus Ultra’s sweep came at a trying time as San Francisco’s large homeless population takes on the unprecedented turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic combined with the hazardous air from the California wildfires.

Non Plus Ultra’s Justification

“It was trash, so it was taken to the dump,” stated Peter Glikshtern, a partner of Non Plus Ultra, on the seizure of belongings. Explaining the reason for undertaking the sweep at midnight, Glikshtern said, “it was just the easiest, most convenient time to do it.”

Nor Plus Ultra claims the tents were abandoned and blocking a sidewalk near the building, creating a “serious health, safety, and fire hazard.” Additionally, citing city requirements, they stated they needed to power wash the sidewalks and paint over graffiti.

The role of the police

The San Francisco Police Department confirmed police presence during the sweep, but maintained that officers did not talk to anyone, nor was an incident report filed.  “Officers arrived on scene and did not observe a fight nor did any person flag the officers down for any disturbance or other incident,” said San Francisco Police Department spokesman Robert Rueca. “There was no party that spoke to the police who arrived on scene.”

Jonathan Huerta, who witnessed the sweep, said otherwise. “ [The police officers] are walking with him [Glikshtern], knocking on tents telling everyone they have to leave,” he recounted.

An infringement on civil rights

Tori Larson of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, who is investigating the case, called the sweep “blatantly illegal.” “You have a right to your belongings,” Larson said. “It is complicated by the fact that it was a private party, but it was a crime. You cannot take people’s stuff. There can certainly be charges pressed against the company.”

Under California’s Tom Bane Civil Rights Act, Larson believes affected residents may each be entitled to $25,000 compensation. “It’s so egregious to do this under the cover of night,” she expanded. “The facts could not be more heartbreaking and disturbing. This is vigilante injustice.”

TechCrunch’s Take

With their Disrupt event taking place at the venue at the scene of the sweep, TechCrunch made a strong statement on the matter.

“This was not an action that we asked Non Plus Ultra to perform and is not something that we would ever ask them to do,” TechCrunch said. “This is absolutely unacceptable, and we’re working to take immediate action. First, we will no longer be working with Non Plus Ultra at any of their venues in San Francisco for any TechCrunch event in the future. In addition, Non Plus Ultra has committed to working with local partners Community Housing Partnership and DISH to support the homeless community on 12th Street. They are also committing to set up a system to replace or, where possible, return property to the people who were unfairly targeted by this sweep. TechCrunch will ensure that Non Plus Ultra follows through on these commitments.”

Read TechCrunch’s full statement here.

The collaboration will “work on unique programming that will help bring live performances back into music venues safely.” Additionally, YouTube will raise awareness and funding for the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund. The aid is intended to provide financial support to America’s most vulnerable live music venues for essential costs like rent, staff salaries, personal protective equipment, taxes, utilities, and expenses from events canceled due to COVID-19.

“YouTube is a place where artists and fans around the world come to connect and build community,” YouTube Chief Business Officer Robert Kyncl stated. “With traditional concerts on hold, never has there been a more important time to support the live music industry through our partnership with NIVA. We’re committed to doing our part in saving independent venues and continuing to bring artists and fans together through music.”

About NIVA

Formed earlier this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, NIVA is a non-profit organization that aims to “preserve and nurture the ecosystem of independent live music venues and promoters throughout the United States.” The organization consists of over 2,000 independent music venues, promoters, and festivals across all 50 states.

Upon finding that 90% of independent venues are at risk of closure, NIVA spearheaded the #SaveOurStages lobbying initiative, which amassed over 1.6 emails sent to legislators. Consequently, Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota (the latter of whom formerly ran as presidential candidate) co-authored the Save Our Stages Act to provide federal funding for independent live music venues.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voiced support for the bill as well. “These places have to survive,” Schumer said. “Saying we can do without these is like saying you can do without your liver or your right arm. We need them very much.”

If passed, the Save Our Stages Act would distribute grants of $12 million or 45% of a venue’s 2019 operating costs, whichever is lower. The bill’s language is intended to “narrowly define independent live venue operators, promoters, and talent representatives to prevent large, international corporations from receiving federal grant funding.”

The need for NIVA awareness

Last month, the U.S. Congress left for recess without a COVID-19 relief bill, leaving the Save Our Stages Act in limbo. NIVA’s partnership with YouTube will fuel awareness for the Save Our Stages Act as Congress finalizes legislation, in hopes that live music venues will receive the financial relief they need.

“With the entire independent venue and promoter industry on the verge of massive collapse, we’ve been fighting urgently for the Save Our Stages Act which will provide meaningful relief to our members and the independent music community,” explained NIVA Co-Founder and Treasurer Stephen Sternschein. “YouTube’s direct involvement helps us generate awareness for the plight of independent live music and raise funds for NIVA’s emergency relief efforts. This could literally be the difference between some venues going under or holding on until Congress comes back from recess to pass much-needed federal relief. The independent concert industry will be reeling for years to come from the devastating revenue loss related to COVID-19, so we’re excited about what YouTube and NIVA can do together to bring the live experience back.”

Stay tuned to NIVA’s official YouTube channel for programming from their partnership.

Image credit: Oscar Keys

Fee increases will impact applications for O and P visa classes, which require U.S. residents or employers to petition on behalf of foreign applicants. one-year O visas for individual foreign artists will shoot up by 53%, from $460 to $705 in fees. three-year P visas—typically used by groups of foreign artists and individual entertainers joining U.S.-based, internationally recognized entertainment groups—will cost $695 in application fees, a 51% rise from its current cost of $460.

The DHS stated that the fee increases are “intended to recover the estimated full cost to USCIS of providing immigration adjudication and naturalization services.”

Costs beyond fee hikes

Apart from visa fee hikes, the $1,440 Premium Processing Service will increase from 15 calendar days to 15 federal working days. In addition, coverage under P class visas will be limited to 25 people. 

“Because USCIS completes a background check for each named beneficiary, petitions with more named beneficiaries require more time and resources to adjudicate than petitions with fewer named beneficiaries,” the DHS explained on the 25-person cap. “This means the cost to adjudicate a petition increases with each additional named beneficiary.”

The upcoming fee hikes follow visa fee increases of 42% by the DHS in December 2016. Since then, American arts organizations have reported a failure to improve service with lengthy, inadequate, and unpredictable visa processing, uneven interpretation of statute and implementation of policies, unwarranted requests for further evidence to support petitions, and even the occasional groundless denial.

Impact on artists, foreign and domestic

In response to the changes by the DHS, a group of American national non-profit arts stakeholders penned a six-page letter opposing the changes on grounds ranging from inefficiencies in artist visa processing to high economic risks for American artists.

A passage of the letter reads:

“DHS is proposing new barriers that harm the ability of U.S. arts organizations to present international artists to local communities. The loss will affect not only the guest artists seeking to perform in the U.S., but it will also affect U.S. artists and communities. Nonprofit arts groups frequently sell tickets in advance, creating a financial obligation to their audiences. Inconsistency of the U.S. visa process for foreign guest artists—as well as broad travel restrictions that hinder cultural exchange—creates harmful results for everyone. The absence of international guest artists costs American artists important employment opportunities. If an international guest artist cannot obtain a visa in time to make a scheduled performance, then the many American artists who were scheduled to work alongside the extraordinary guest artist lose a valuable and much-needed source of income, professional experience, and artistic promotion. In addition to these immediate costs, there can also be long-lasting harmful reciprocal effects on the ability of U.S. artists to tour, perform, and create art abroad.”

Struggle for up-and-coming foreign artists

Many foreign musicians, including electronic music DJs and live performers, rely on touring in the U.S. as a means of breaking through to a larger audience. European electronic music DJs in particular grow popular locally before attracting interest from U.S. listeners and talent buyers. Touring in the U.S. serves as an opportunity to expand their fanbase by establishing a footing in the thriving (pre-pandemic) live music industry of the U.S as supporting acts for bigger names, or even undertaking headline tours.

While well-established foreign acts may be able to weather the changes announced by the DHS, they only spell trouble for rising foreign artists looking to break through in the U.S. Once live music events resume post-COVID-19, there’s a tangible fear that U.S. concertgoers will be seeing less up-and-coming foreign acts onstage.

Image credit: Skitterphoto

Dissecting this surge of online transactions, the audio recording database recently released their Discogs Mid-Year Report. It’s chock-full of data on cross-genre physical music consumption and aggregated consumer music tastes during the first half of 2020. 

Vinyl Soars

Physical sales in the Discogs Marketplace grew 29.69% over the prior year, hitting over 4.2 million orders. 

Vinyl sales comprised the biggest proportion, up 33.72% from 2019 with over 5.8 million records bought on the website. CDs rose as well, increasing 31.03% to over 1.5 million CDs, while cassettes grew 30.52% to over 137,000 tapes.

Discogs noted, “music fans are resilient, active, and enthusiastic … Thanks to a thriving vinyl community, the first half of 2020 has been the best six-month period we’ve ever seen … Across the Marketplace and Database, our Community has rallied during this bizarre time in history.”

Discogs recorded an average yearly increase of 30% in music submissions every month since March 2020, marking 18% total growth over 2019, encompassing over 798,000 submissions.

Overall, about 7.6 million pieces of physical music were sold by independent sellers during the first six months of 2020 on Discogs.

Electronic Music Insights

On the electronic music front, Peggy Gou’s Moment EP is the best-selling record of the year so far on Discogs, while James Andrew’s Thinking Backwards EP is the “most wanted.” Remarkably, Capoeira Twins’ 4 x 3 is the most expensive record. It sold for $6,052.

Hopeful Outlook in an Uncertain Time

Launched in 2000 with the goal of becoming the largest online database of electronic music, Discogs has since expanded to cover other genres like rock, hip-hop, jazz, and classical. The website is home to over 10 million releases from over 1 million labels and 5 million artists.

Beyond comprehensive discography, Discogs offers a reputable marketplace for buying and selling physical music and is home to a thriving community of music enthusiasts who discuss, rank, and share music amongst themselves. The platform’s sweeping popularity as both marketplace and database of physical music is what makes its mid-year report significant. The report offers an insightful reflection of where physical music industries like vinyl stand, particularly during a tumultuous six months in which the music industry has bore the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Considering the rise in both music postings and purchases, the report boasts “a thriving market,” positive statistics, and an optimistic outlook for physical music consumption. “From where we’re sitting right now, the future of the record industry looks different, but it certainly looks quite bright,” Discogs observes.

Read the full 36-page Discogs Mid-Year Report here.

Image credit: Elviss Railijs

On the cancelation, Ableton stated, “we cannot guarantee the level of health and safety that our event demands. In addition to the welfare risk, the ongoing global pandemic has continued to cast unmanageable doubt over all aspects of our event planning … future travel and event restrictions has made it impossible to confirm bookings, and to assure the quality of the event and diversity of voices to a degree that’s acceptable for us to move forward.”

The annual three-day conference typically consists of discussions, performances, presentations, studio sessions, installations, and hands-on workshops traversing music, technology, and creativity. Artists, tech enthusiasts, and other music creatives come together to further their craft, share ideas, and network.

Troubling times for live events

Loop’s cancelation may spell trouble for large in-person gatherings in the coming year. While people across the world weather the whirlwind of 2020, enveloped by the lethal spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and an ensuing global economic crisis, many hope 2021 will bring greener pastures. 

The music industry, in particular, desperately needs its lifeblood of live events—from summits like Loop to concerts at local nightclubs—to stay afloat. Ableton pulling out of the event eight months out highlights the uncertainty live events may have to deal with well into 2021.

To adjust amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Ableton plans to organize Loop as an online event, while finding ways for “exchanging ideas and inspiration in localized community settings.”

Read Ableton’s full statement on the cancelation of Loop’s 2021 event here.