tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12871946492666185042024-03-07T19:38:07.146-08:00New Best Music NewsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15087729261690774140noreply@blogger.comBlogger5248125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-35717035488755061072017-12-22T04:42:00.001-08:002017-12-22T04:42:22.634-08:00AM BRIEF: Music Modernization Act Introduced • UMG Facebook Deal • Shazam To Spotlite New Artists • More<div xmlns="http://ift.tt/lH0Osb">
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 11pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://ift.tt/2By5Sw2" onclick="window.open( this.href, '_blank', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0' ); return false" style="float: left;"><img alt="CONGRESS" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451b36c69e201b7c93f1bbc970b img-responsive" height="80" src="http://ift.tt/2zg62lQ" style="width: 107px; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px;" title="CONGRESS" /></a>FRIDAY 12.22.17</span></span></span></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 11pt;"><strong>Music Business News</strong> <strong>From Around The WeB</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: 11pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Updated continuously under our <a href="http://ift.tt/1g6N0gs">More News</a><br /></span></strong></span></p>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-59831703984227131862017-12-22T04:10:00.001-08:002017-12-22T04:10:36.458-08:00Sam Smith and Brandon Flynn romance official with Instagram postBrandon Flynn shared a picture of the rumoured couple wearing novelty unicorn hoods.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-15005878591990825342017-12-22T03:55:00.003-08:002017-12-22T03:55:27.169-08:00Sam Smith and Brandon Flynn make romance Instagram officialBrandon Flynn shared a picture of the rumoured couple wearing novelty unicorn hoods.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-32333712436509602172017-12-22T03:55:00.001-08:002017-12-22T03:55:26.495-08:00Kendrick Lamar's Damn is music critics' favourite album of 2017Second place went to SZA's critically acclaimed R&B album, CTRL.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-65549642540262027332017-12-22T03:24:00.001-08:002017-12-22T03:24:17.551-08:00Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conductor Charles Dutoit accused of sexual assault<p>Grammy-winning 81-year-old leaves his post ‘for the immediate future’ after accusations that he forcibly kissed and groped musicians over a period of 15 years</p>
<p>Charles Dutoit, the 81-year-old conductor and artistic director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, has been accused of sexual assault by four female musicians.</p>
<p>The orchestra has released a statement saying that it, along with Dutoit, “have jointly agreed to release him from his forthcoming concert obligations with the orchestra for the immediate future,” adding that it is “committed to the highest standards of ethical behaviour”.</p>
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from Music | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2CWWHlh<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-38094302026974617352017-12-22T03:09:00.001-08:002017-12-22T03:09:17.747-08:00Steve Bicknell: ‘The ideal festival track? Laurent Garnier’s Acid Eiffel'<p>The Cosmic Records minimal techno man and LOST veteran empties his psychic record bag</p>
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from Music | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2ze13lw<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-32047155133818899042017-12-22T00:55:00.001-08:002017-12-22T00:55:12.910-08:00Leslie Odom Jr.: 'There are highs and lows working over the holidays'Leslie Odom Jr. is going to kick back with a good book this Christmas.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-61499333724690956882017-12-22T00:34:00.009-08:002017-12-22T00:34:23.486-08:00How I fell in love with country music | Martin Farrer<p>My life didn’t change when I saw the duelling banjos scene in Deliverance, but it was the first time I realised there was more to country music than the Benny Hill theme tune</p>
<p>My name is Martin and I love country music. There you go, I’ve said it. It’s not always an easy thing to do. When the subject comes up, I get a funny sort of look. Once you spring the c-word on people, you can see they’re thinking: “Shit, this bloke’s weird. Does he dress up like a cowboy at home and do those funny dances?”</p>
<p>Sometimes people like to crack a joke about country and I’ve heard most of them. There’s the one that goes: “Do you like country? Or just western?” And then there’s: “Yeeeeehaaaaa!” People think that one’s pretty hilarious. But there is one joke which is quite funny and also very telling. It goes like this. Two blokes go into a pub, somewhere in northern England. One of them, who is hard of hearing, goes to the bar to get some drinks. The barmaid says there’s a band on, a country and western band. The bloke goes back to his mate and sits down with the drinks. “There’s a band on tonight,” he says. The other bloke says “What type of band?” The other one replies: “I don’t know. Some cunt from Preston.”</p>
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from Music | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2DqGMwg<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-77092044824360626472017-12-22T00:34:00.007-08:002017-12-22T00:34:22.884-08:00The Prodigy review – teeth rattled in dystopian breakbeat pantomime<p><strong>Glasgow Academy</strong><br />
Twenty years on from their multimillion-selling album The Fat of the Land, the Prodigy refuse to get nostalgic, nor reduce the energy levels below total pandemonium</p>
<p>In an era when memories can be monetised, most bands – active or otherwise – might hungrily eye the 20th anniversary of their most successful album as an opportunity to mount a special tour to shore up their legacy and top up their Isas. Not so the Prodigy, Liam Howlett’s tetchy but tireless road warriors.</p>
<p>As Britpop shrivelled, their third album, 1997’s The Fat of the Land, took Howlett’s uncouth youthquake of evil techno and hot-wired breakbeats to the world; an astonishingly successful incursion into the US arguably laid the groundwork for the recent EDM explosion. Two decades on, you could forgive these Essex boys a backward-looking victory lap to fatten the brand.</p>
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from Music | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2yWJXsr<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-67544117144278918402017-12-22T00:34:00.005-08:002017-12-22T00:34:22.339-08:00Myra Davies: Sirens review – witty spoken-word skewering of violence, patriarchy and modern music<p><strong>(Moabit)</strong></p>
<p>Backed by smart techno-pop production by <a href="http://ift.tt/2kWFmS6">Beate Bartel</a> and <a href="http://ift.tt/RdKjPZ">Gudrun Gut</a>, Canadian spoken-word artist Myra Davies delivers a supremely droll series of observations. Some are close portraits with the vibrancy of a Manet or Degas – on Golddress, she frets about a girl on the cusp of womanhood (“I’m aching to take her picture / it’s nothing compared with what the world will do”), while Inshallah is a funny meet-cute at Istanbul airport. Elsewhere there is a brilliantly pithy three-part retelling of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung (“Girl and a guy on a dopamine high …”) and a cool evisceration of John Cage and his acolytes, highlighting their snobbery while lampooning their methods (“If something is boring for two minutes, try it for four / if still boring, then eight”). As she looks at our sexist, violent culture from her panopticon, Davies is omnipotent, and drily jaded. But crucially – as on Noutiné, a stark lament about a father walking free from the killing of his daughter – not aloof.</p>
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from Music | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2kT4Lfi<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-58097472786897924392017-12-22T00:34:00.003-08:002017-12-22T00:34:21.748-08:00Paul Jacobs: Pictures, Movies and Apartments review – wild, essential garage punk<p><strong>(Stolen Body Records)</strong></p>
<p>Pictures, Movies and Apartments offers the single most exciting opening to any album this year. <a href="http://ift.tt/2zeGdT5">The Image (Pictures)</a> begins with kick drum, a single-note bassline and squalls of feedback, before going into a monstrously in-the-red five-chord riff, over which Jacobs howls who-knows-what. It’s the very essence of garage punk: something so primal you suspect <a href="http://ift.tt/2BAt5xu">the Sonics</a> might have rejected it for being a little unsophisticated. <a href="http://ift.tt/1F0LvCA">Jacobs</a>, from Canada, has – in common with so many modern garage rock artists – a bafflingly lengthy discography, full of the same kind of stuff. He’s not a one-note artist, though: he manages two or three. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsU6mQCnaC4">Born in a Zoo</a> is just as fuzzed-up, but manages a sunshine psychedelia hook; the title track is bouncy lo-fi pop. Throughout, there are hooks and melodies – the album positively drips with them – but it’s combined with a singleminded wildness that’s desperately exciting. Pictures, Movies and Apartments might be the best garage punk record of the year.</p>
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from Music | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2BLYt9r<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-90141547911673170442017-12-22T00:34:00.001-08:002017-12-22T00:34:20.384-08:00The Spirit of the Beehive: Pleasure Suck review – giddy peripatetic lo-fi pop pleasures<p><strong>(Tiny Engines)</strong></p>
<p>Philadelphia four-piece the Spirit of the Beehive are the sort of woozy, musically meandering outfit who once would have been lazily dismissed as a “stoner band”. Of course these days, when weed is legal in a number of US states and even <a href="http://ift.tt/2ADERT8">Christopher Biggins is blazing up on ITV</a>, that label no longer feels like such an insult. The band’s third album, Pleasure Suck, takes the lo-fi collage approach of the likes of the Elephant 6 collective – in particular the psych folk of <a href="http://ift.tt/2Bx8HgR">the Olivia Tremor Control</a> – and makes it wilder and weirder, smothering it in layers of distortion, vocal samples and synth smears. Melodies tantalisingly wash in and out of focus, ideas are developed and abandoned at the drop of a hat in favour of something more interesting – a sudden stab of noise rock, say, or a limpid freak-folk interlude. In lesser hands such capriciousness might prove annoying, but here there’s always the thrilling possibility of something new just around the corner. And when the band stumble upon something truly brilliant – such as the power-pop climax of standout track Ricky (Caught Me Tryin’) – they grip on to it for dear life.<br /></p>
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from Music | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2Bz1xJ9<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-4342081887033918852017-12-21T21:27:00.001-08:002017-12-21T21:27:19.124-08:00Cardi B – “Bartier Cardi” ft. 21 Savage<a href="http://ift.tt/2wKy77Z">Cardi B</a> has released "Bartier Cardi," her first solo single since the chart-topping breakout hit, "Bodak Yellow." The track features <a href="http://ift.tt/2yeSs5u">21 Savage</a>, whose drowsy menace feels out of place surrounded by Cardi's hurried triplet flows, but I'm sure the SEO is great. Cardi is also featured on reggaeton star <a href="http://ift.tt/2BWGVtr">Ozuna</a>'s new single, "<a href="http://ift.tt/2BKOjIC">La Modelo</a>," and the new…<br />
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from SPIN http://ift.tt/2BO1KF4<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-50078593816971888072017-12-21T21:17:00.001-08:002017-12-21T21:17:09.244-08:00What's going on Friday?<p>LCD Soundsystem, Ceremony, Spectre Folk, Darlene Love, Bebel Gilberto and more Friday show options.</p>
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from BrooklynVegan http://ift.tt/2kXVVNn<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-65679224992408970812017-12-21T20:37:00.001-08:002017-12-21T20:37:07.827-08:00Cassie – “Don’t Play It Safe”The ever-elusive R&B singer <a href="http://ift.tt/2BZ492j">Cassie</a> has released a new single titled "Don't Play It Safe." The <a href="http://ift.tt/2Bggr2z">Kaytranada</a>-produced track is just her second new song in four years, following a <a href="http://ift.tt/2j7MY6k">G-Eazy</a> collaboration dropped in August, "<a href="http://ift.tt/2BjdHle" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Love A Loser</a>." The singer has said she's working on a <a href="http://ift.tt/2BZ4a6n" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">follow-up</a> to her influential self-titled debut from 2006, and she's been <a href="https://twitter.com/thegreatkhalid/status/852946834678964224" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spotted</a> in…<br />
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from SPIN http://ift.tt/2Bi6RMM<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-24168067910399328412017-12-21T20:27:00.001-08:002017-12-21T20:27:21.076-08:00Stream Gucci Mane’s New Album El Gato: The Human Glacier<a href="http://ift.tt/2mbMKfO" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gucci Mane</a> has released a new album, <em>El Gato: The Human Glacier</em>, produced entirely by 808 Mafia co-founder Southside. The project follows <a href="http://ift.tt/2BuHn2K" target="_blank"><em>The Return of East Atlanta Santa</em></a>, <a href="http://ift.tt/2yjsvSP"><em>Droptopwop</em></a>, and <a href="http://ift.tt/2ykWM2m" target="_blank"><em>Mr. Davis</em></a> in the Atlanta artist's prolific run since being released from prison last May. Gucci also released an <a href="http://ift.tt/2mJ7AhN" target="_blank">autobiography</a> in September and recently signed a <a href="http://ift.tt/2zBs2bK" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$10 million</a> record contract…<br />
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from SPIN http://ift.tt/2DrazVD<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-34017465469909488892017-12-21T20:25:00.001-08:002017-12-21T20:25:08.396-08:00Liam Gallagher's mother rejected house giftThe star also treated himself to a vintage scooter at the start of his career.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-79626461541954365322017-12-21T20:08:00.001-08:002017-12-21T20:08:02.258-08:00Lil Wayne – “Bank Account”After announcing a Dec. 25 release date for the <a href="https://twitter.com/LilTunechi/status/938499567770890240" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sixth installment</a> in his Dedication mixtape series, <a href="http://ift.tt/2eZDFRq">Lil Wayne</a> has released two songs from the tape, "Bank Account" and "Blackin Out." On the former, Weezy jumps on <a href="http://ift.tt/2BN34YW">Metro Boomin</a>'s beat for the <a href="http://ift.tt/2wBnoYV">21 Savage</a> hit of the same name and dishes a clever take on the hook: "I've got one,…<br />
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from SPIN http://ift.tt/2CW8tMn<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-85364087973349360992017-12-21T19:10:00.001-08:002017-12-21T19:10:33.501-08:00Music Review: Elder – ‘Reflections of a Floating World’<p>Heavy metal is a mythical creature. Its tropes and boundaries seem clearly defined. Almost all metal acts share the same fiery guitar tones, aggressive vocals, and powerful drums. Despite that, there is almost as much diversity under the umbrella of heavy metal as there is outside of it.</p>
<p>You have the brutal, punishing djent of Meshuggah, the breakneck thrash of Megadeth, the gloomy, industrial atmospheres of Ministry, and every shade in between. French blackgazers <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwE5FG-pIdk">Alcest</a> don’t even sound like they share a planet with Cannibal Corpse, let alone a genre. And yet both wear the “metal” tag comfortably.</p>
<p>And then there’s Elder. This Massachusetts metal trio isn’t content with just one corner of metal’s kingdom. It masterfully blends elements of doom, post-metal, and psychedelic rock to create an album that is far more than the sum of its parts. <em>Reflections of a Floating World </em>shifts from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEuBxxpDeLw">Isis</a>-esque sludge to headbang-worthy, arena-ready guitar solos reminiscent of Rainbow—often within the same song. Pink Floyd-ish psychedelia rears its head. <i>“</i>Sanctuary” even has a few moments that bring Jimi Hendrix to mind. Its thick sonic palate is augmented with electric pianos and acoustic guitars.</p>
<p>But for all of its chameleonic transmutation, the record never sounds unfocused. None of its disparate elements are at odds with one another. Instead, the record feels like exploring the distinct regions of an alien planet. The desert might look nothing like the forest, but they undeniably exist within the same world.</p>
<p>Despite an hour runtime, the album<em> </em>only has six tracks, one of which is a nine-minute instrumental krautrock jam. Such a patient album is a bold move in a culture that loves the instant gratification of <a href="http://ift.tt/2zSNX2x">two-minute pop tunes</a>, <a href="http://ift.tt/2zcXPPj">SMS marketing</a>, and Amazon Prime. But it pays off big time. <em>Reflections of a Floating World </em>is one of the most rewarding metal albums to come out this year, and perhaps my favorite album of the year, period.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://ift.tt/2BxExKw">Music Review: Elder – ‘Reflections of a Floating World’</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogcritics.org">Blogcritics</a>.</p>
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from Blogcritics http://ift.tt/2BxExKw<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-6836008289029652212017-12-21T18:10:00.001-08:002017-12-21T18:10:23.824-08:00MIGS 2017 – Interviews with Julien Charlebois and Johannes Saam of Framestore VR<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-5480982 alignright" src="http://ift.tt/2zbzuJA" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="http://ift.tt/2zbzuJA 300w, http://ift.tt/2BuJdk5 768w, http://ift.tt/2zbzvgC 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
<p>One of the more interesting developers at MIGS 2017 was Framstore VR. Framestore is a major name in Hollywood having performed CG work on many films such as <em>Thor: Ragnarok, Blade Runner 2049</em> and <em>Alien: Covenant</em> to name a few. Framestore is active in the film industry and leverages their experience with their VR division creating a variety of experiences. They have worked on partnerships with the Smithsonian American Art Museum to create VR experiences and mainstream projects such as a <em>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them VR experience</em>.</p>
<p>Framestore VR is investing heavily in this industry and has distributed groups in all of their offices with a prominent group in the Montreal location. They create many types of experiences, some are permanent installations at museums or schools, others are promotional experiences as movie tie-ins or games. The studio has been an early innovator in the VR ecosystem starting back in 2013 with the Oculus DK1 unit.</p>
<p>Since then Framestore VR has become a huge name in the Virtual Reality space and is now developing more and more games for the ecosystem. They are generally agnostic to hardware having created large scale projects for Vive and Mobile platforms. At MIGS this year I had a chance to sit down with Julien Charlebois and Johannes Saam from Framestore VR to get some details on their studios history, their personal path in the industry and what they are working on.</p>
<h4><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Julien Charlebois – Head of Production Framestore VR Montreal</span></h4>
<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-5480983 alignleft" src="http://ift.tt/2BuSitj" alt="" width="300" height="199" srcset="http://ift.tt/2BuSitj 300w, http://ift.tt/2zcZ3tK 768w, http://ift.tt/2Bwv6es 310w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
<p>In speaking to Julien I dug into his progression in the industry. He started out as a software engineer and got an internship at EA’s mobile studio in Montreal. While there he was able to work on emerging technologies and practices as smartphones were in their infancy when he started there. He mentioned that he finds it similar to the VR industry, the technology is known and out there but we have not figured out everything we can accomplish with it yet.</p>
<p>During his time at EA Julien realized he wanted to go into a more production focused role so he started a second degree in business as he worked with EA. After a few years he was getting known within the Montreal developer community and was approached by Framestore to join their newly formed VR group in the Montreal office. VR is not new to the company as they have been working in that space since 2013 at their other offices in New York, London, and Los Angeles. The Montreal office is to be games focused and Julien is working on their current projects as Head of Production.</p>
<p>While Julien could not tell me any details about their upcoming project due out in January, he did say it is a known IP and will be pretty amazing. They have other projects in the pipeline as well, one of which is a theme park VR experience. What he appreciates about Framestore is that they work on small and large projects as well as experimental ones. This allows his team to try new ideas and concepts and grow their expertise in the VR space.</p>
<p>Please listen to the full interview below to hear Julien discuss his path to VR, the team makeup of Framestore’s international organization, and many tricks of the trade when working as a VR developer.</p>
<p><iframe width="618" height="400" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="http://ift.tt/2zbzxoK"></iframe></p>
<h4><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Johannes Saam – Senior Creative Developer Framestore VR Montreal</span></h4>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-5480984" src="http://ift.tt/2BytOPR" alt="" width="300" height="196" srcset="http://ift.tt/2BytOPR 300w, http://ift.tt/2zbzzwS 768w, http://ift.tt/2Bw3tSA 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
<p>One of the things that struck me about Johannes when chatting with him is his infectious interest in 3d modelling and its technology. He knew at a young age he wanted to learn 3d art and started teaching himself at 14 years old how to work within that environment. His determination never faltered as he continued studying techniques in school and then headed to Australia to learn and work in the industry. Once he had some experience, Johannes headed to Los Angeles to work in the movie industry.</p>
<p>One of the really interesting things Johannes discussed was his technical Academy Award he won with his team at Framestore. I don’t pretend to understand what they developed, but essentially he explained that it is a process called Deep Image Compositing. This allows per pixel color depth which can greatly speed up production time as images can be layered more effectively. This achievement was a crowning moment for Johannes, but he is a very modest guy and he still feels there is much more he can learn and accomplish.</p>
<p>He also gave me some history on Framestore; they have been working on movies and television for many years with some huge movies under their belt. What really surprised me is when he told me that one of their first projects was Aha’s Take on Me video. They have been innovating for years and have their eyes keenly focused on VR with Johannes specifically looking at ways to use procedurally generated worlds to improve what we see and do in VR experiences.</p>
<p><iframe width="618" height="464" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/djV11Xbc914?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p>He is also looking at Fractal engines and mining techniques to help populate these procedurally generated spaces. With Fractal mining you can search for a keyword and generate shapes made of fractals to add to a database. So if you need a bunch of chairs use the Fractal system to generate a database of chairs and when the world is being generated it will add chairs as they are needed. Again the conversation veered to a point that my limited knowledge was stretched but it was fascinating to hear the process he was discussing.</p>
<p>Please listen to the full interview below to hear Johannes describe the procdural systems and his academy award winning technical achievement in greater detail.</p>
<p><iframe width="618" height="400" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="http://ift.tt/2zbzB7Y"></iframe></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://ift.tt/2BuJdAB">MIGS 2017 – Interviews with Julien Charlebois and Johannes Saam of Framestore VR</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogcritics.org">Blogcritics</a>.</p>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-75370794970797077222017-12-21T18:00:00.001-08:002017-12-21T18:00:42.421-08:00Weighing Prison Time for Juvenile Offenders<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-5480992 alignleft" src="http://ift.tt/2kVH06d" alt="" width="300" height="154" srcset="http://ift.tt/2kVH06d 300w, http://ift.tt/2kBipEt 768w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
<p>The debate on whether or not teens should be tried as adults and be locked up in adult prisons rages on on each side of the issue. Some take a more <a href="http://ift.tt/2Akmlm5">compassionate stance</a> that young offenders deserve second chances after making big mistakes, especially if their crimes are nonviolent in nature. On the other hand, there is the view that stiff penalties act as deterrents to offenders to re-offend and serve as a message to society about the consequences of criminal behavior.</p>
<p>Each crime has individual circumstances and each perpetrator a different background, but one thing we do know is that teen brains are not yet fully developed. <a href="http://ift.tt/2kAJ9VC">Children’s Hospital Boston research</a> indicates that teen’s brains operate at 80 percent of their full potential development. The frontal lobe — the part where impulsivity, hindsight, emotional control, and other signals that might help steer them toward more reasonable behavior is simply not fully tuned. Because of their age, teens are, scientifically speaking, not fully rational. That doesn’t mean, however, that every teen is a ticking criminal time bomb, nor does it mean that they can’t learn from their mistakes.</p>
<p><a href="http://ift.tt/2oYWp7h">Centers for Disease Control</a> has found that youth sentenced in the juvenile system are less likely to return to a life of crime compared those that are tried and sentenced as adults. Alternatively, youth that do time in facilities rather than performing community service or other types of restorative justice are much more likely to drop out of school, be unemployed, and perpetuate a cycle of poverty, crime, and violence.</p>
<p>And there are indeed instances when youth commit very serious crimes that warrant harsher responses. Twelve year old Christopher Pittman murdered his grandparents with a shotgun. <a href="v">Rachel Shoaf and Sheila Eddy</a>, both 16, lured a classmate out of her home and stabbed her to death. John Katehis, also 16, brutally stabbed a man multiple times. In instances such as this, it’s difficult to imagine going light on sentencing because the perpetrators are youth who lack the ability to fully rationalize their decisions. There’s a definite line between stealing a video game and ending a life.</p>
<p>What the juvenile justice system needs is more balance. Each youth deserves to be judged on their circumstances and the crime. Background, environment, exposure to crime, and the adults and role models in that youth’s life should all be factors taken into consideration when deciding a sentence, and whether to sentence as a juvenile or an adult. For example, was the crime motivated by hate, or a necessity such as hunger, or was it committed in self-defense? Each case should be judged on its individual merits. If a youth commits a heinous crime serious enough to warrant the harshest penalties, it makes sense to remove such an offender from the streets and to incarcerate. But if a youth is teetering on the edge of adulthood and is found guilty of a nonviolent crime, it’s worthwhile to consider consequences that can actually help reform them, rather than a sentence that dooms them for life.</p>
<p><em>Christopher Zoukis is the author of</em> <a href="http://ift.tt/2yaPtv4">Federal Prison Handbook: The Definitive Guide to Surviving the Federal Bureau of Prisons</a>, <em>(Middle Street Publishing, 2017), and</em> College for Convicts: The Case for Higher Education in American Prisons <em>(McFarland & Co., 2014). He regularly contributes to <a href="http://ift.tt/2g2KxgX">The Huffington Post</a>, <a href="http://ift.tt/2ycdFgs">New York Daily News</a>, and <a href="http://ift.tt/2ycdFgs">Prison Legal News</a>. He can be found online at <a href="http://ift.tt/20rYTL5">ChristopherZoukis.com</a>, <a href="http://ift.tt/1VOs8Bc">PrisonEducation.com</a> and <a href="http://ift.tt/2iMJ6DA">Prisonerresource.com.</a></em></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://ift.tt/2kzrQV1">Weighing Prison Time for Juvenile Offenders</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogcritics.org">Blogcritics</a>.</p>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-79603800207674032222017-12-21T17:52:00.003-08:002017-12-21T17:52:26.862-08:00Queen Extravaganza returns to rock the UK with the ‘Queen Greatest Hits Tour’The hugely popular musical theatre show, returns to rock the UK with the ‘Queen Greatest Hits Tour’.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-44953736861395074662017-12-21T17:52:00.001-08:002017-12-21T17:52:25.782-08:00Dionne Warwick at the Royal Albert Hall & UK tourSoul/ Pop Legend, Dionne Warwick will be returning to the UK for her 2018 tour ‘Don’t Make Me Over’ Featuring the classic hits<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-52099025260721118942017-12-21T17:42:00.001-08:002017-12-21T17:42:28.935-08:00Animal Collective Release Pay-What-You-Want Live Album for Charity<a href="http://ift.tt/2zoGJmF" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Animal Collective</a> must be in the holiday spirit — not only did they gift their fans with a surprise new live album, but they’re encouraging them to give back to charity, too. Earlier today, they announced that they’d mixed a recording of their 5/26 show at the New Haven, CT venue College Street Music Hall…<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287194649266618504.post-91630015486174630932017-12-21T17:34:00.001-08:002017-12-21T17:34:15.735-08:00Lorde considering cancelling Israel concert after backlash from fans<p>Singer responds to open letter asking her not to play in Tel Aviv as a protest against Israel’s occupation of Palestine</p>
<p>Pop star Lorde is considering cancelling a planned concert in Israel after facing intense pressure from fans, especially in her home country of New Zealand.</p>
<p>The 21-year-old singer has responded to criticism and an open letter asking her not to play in Tel Aviv as a sign of protest against Israel’s occupation of Palestine.</p>
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