W
ith people everywhere stuck indoors, the entertainment space is rapidly adapting to find new and improved ways of filling the live music void. Many artists are hopping on the bandwagon of the newly-popular digital live set, giving people all over the world the chance to tune in and at least pretend they’re surrounded by sweaty bodies, sipping on an overpriced vodka redbull.
In Italy, renowned venue The Temple of Lost Future rallied up the electronic music community alongside their own DJs to break the world record for the longest DJ set ever. The aim was to deliver 340 hours of music direct from The Temple itself. That’s about two weeks’ worth of content that only just wrapped up on Friday. The set included conversations about how the virus has impacted the electronic music community, including calls in from iconic European DJs, Lele Sacchi, Nerone and Enrico Sangiuliano.
Australia was quick to follow suit with the iconic House of Mince announcing ‘MINCE TV’ live on Twitch. The 24-hour rave, accompanied with a donation link, aims to raise funds to support those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The marathon launched from Sydney’s Club 77 on 28th March and will be live every Sunday until 26th April.
Artists globally are also streaming live from their living room, providing a weird sense of normalcy in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. One of the first DJs to live stream these remodelled house parties was Veteran Dj, D-Nice. On a random Saturday night, D-Nice dubbed his house parties, “Homeschoolin’ Social Distancing Dance Parties,” pulling in views from the likes of Rihanna, Bernie Sanders and Steph Curry to name a few. The guest list was one you would only see in the VIP section at Coachella, and the night ended with over 100,000 people watching his set.
Celebrity DJs were quick to follow suit, with Diplo streaming five “Corona World Tour” DJ sets from his house every week on Instagram and Twitch, and Travis Scott’s DJ Chase B streaming himself behind the decks every so often. Even Charli XCX has started her own self-isolating livestream shows featuring the likes of Diplo, Kim Petras and Clairo.
And if livestreams aren’t your thing, check out Purple Sneaker’s artist curated “Music To Isolate To” playlist series or the SISTER Collective podcast series, which brings together UK & US dance scenes, bringing forward a new wave of versatile artists, redefining some new era beats.
This concept literally eliminates the concept of FOMO. Anyone with decent internet speed (RIP Australia) and a phone can watch their favourite DJs for free whilst sitting in their trackies eating ice cream. As many are worried about the state of the music industry post COVID-19, one positive to come out of the lockdown laws is the sense of community and interaction that in normal circumstances are geographically restricted.
It’s inspiring to see how powerful the potential is when it comes to blending technology and music, with the ability to reach millions all over the world in a matter of seconds. Here’s to hoping that boundaries will eventually cease to exist in the accessibility to support and interact with our favourite artists around the world.
Check out some of the links below to catch yourself up on any live-stream shenanigans you’ve missed, and keep your eye out for plenty more to come. From Disciple Dubstep Streams to 10-hour House Marathons, there’s literally something for everyone. Here’s hoping it makes your isolation that much more bearable.
Calvin Harris - Love Regenerator
