Dance
Page: 10
When remembering his late sister SOPHIE, music producer and engineer Benny Long constantly comes back to one idea. “I think her brain was just ahead of the technology,” he tells Billboard, a tender smile crossing his face.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
It’s a recurring theme in conversations about SOPHIE, the visionary pop producer who died Jan. 30, 2021, at age 34, after falling from a balcony in Athens, Greece. During her life, SOPHIE persistently forged her own path, crafting industrial electronic soundscapes on early breakthroughs like 2015’s “BIPP” and “HARD” that laid the foundation for today’s growing hyperpop scene. After her death, artists, fans and industry professionals of all stripes celebrated her impact on both pop and avant-garde music.
“[Some of] the most influential pop stars in the world are using SOPHIE as a muse today,” explains Bibi Bourelly, who worked with her on the producer’s 2019 remix album. “They were asking SOPHIE, ‘What’s the sound? What’s the next thing?’ You can’t be a fire producer in the pop world today and not know all of SOPHIE’s sh-t.”
Trending on Billboard
Benny Long
Renata Raksha
Fans are getting a final glimpse into SOPHIE’s musical world — and producers and artists are receiving one final set of reference points from the pioneering performer — with SOPHIE, the producer’s self-titled final album, released in late September. Comprising 16 expansive new songs that oscillate between techno, pop, R&B, ambient and experimental sounds, the posthumous album aims to encompass all that SOPHIE managed to accomplish throughout her influential career — and continue to push the boundaries of pop music even further forward.
Long and SOPHIE started working on the project shortly after the release of her Grammy Award-winning debut album, 2018’s Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides. Inspired by audience reactions to unreleased tracks from her live shows, SOPHIE wanted to create something that “moved, almost like it was a voyage,” Long explains.
That meant winnowing down dozens of unreleased songs, which each had numerous remixes and rearrangements, making for what Long estimates were “900-plus versions” of tracks to choose from. It took the pair years to determine what the artist’s ideal version of her next project would look like — but after spending the COVID-19 pandemic honing the album, SOPHIE and Long locked in a tracklist at the end of 2020 that spanned the producer’s storied career, including “stuff from 2014 right up to the end of 2020,” he says.
When SOPHIE died, she left her brother with 16 tracks in various stages of completion, some nearly finished, others in need of major reworkings. But SOPHIE had spoken at length with Long about what work remained. “It wasn’t like we’d explicitly discussed in numbers that ‘this one is 73% done,’ ” he says. “But there was rarely a situation where I suggested something and she would say, ‘No, that wouldn’t work,’ or the other way around. We were always pretty aligned, and that gave me confidence to finish this album.”
It helped that both SOPHIE’s label, Future Classic, and her estate were eager for the album to be released. With their sister Emily, a music lawyer, helping creatively and from a business angle, all that stood in the way of the album’s release was Long finishing SOPHIE’s work. “I just had confidence from everyone — family, labels, collaborators, friends — which made the whole process that much easier,” he says.
Chris (left) and Logan of BC Kingdom
Rachel Murray/Getty Images
Los Angeles-based electronic R&B duo BC Kingdom — made up of the mononymous performers Logan and Chris — features on three of SOPHIE’s most prominent tracks: lead single “Reason Why” with Kim Petras and electro-R&B tracks “Live in My Truth” and “Why Lies,” both featuring pop singer LIZ. While they finished both “Reason Why” and “Why Lies” in sessions with SOPHIE in 2018 and 2019, “Live in Your Truth” still had missing lyrics when the producer died. “For a while I had writer’s block because I felt like I didn’t know what she wanted me to convey,” Logan explains. “I started asking myself questions like, ‘When’s the last time I saw her? When was the last time we had fun together?’ Those questions became the second verse.”
Bourelly remembers the late-night session at London’s RAK Studios in 2017 that produced her SOPHIE collaboration “Exhilarate,” the new album’s final single. “We were probably in that studio until 8 or 9 a.m.,” she recalls with a laugh. “We would just sit and shoot the sh-t together. We made so many songs that night because we were just trying everything out.”
Kim Petras
Cody Critcheloe
The producer’s sessions were famous for their nonconformity. BC Kingdom’s Chris recalls that it didn’t matter if she was in a proper session or at a house party (as the duo was when it first recorded “Live in Your Truth”); if SOPHIE felt the urge to create a song, she would. “Once she was behind that board, you knew what was about to happen,” he says. “It never felt like work, because she would just tell you, ‘Hop on the mic, have some fun,’ and then she would turn it into a hit.”
That spirit of unbridled fun and rampant experimentation encapsulates SOPHIE’s impact on the music industry at large. Along with influencing the sound of pop music today with her outlandish production and co-writes for artists like Madonna and Charli XCX — who paid tribute to her late collaborator on the brat song “So I” — Long says his sister’s legacy lives on in every pop artist dedicated to making the music fun again. “She never thought that pop and experimental music needed to be different things,” he says. “She thought you could do something wild in pop — to see that happening now is amazing, because that is what SOPHIE was all about.”
This article appears in the Oct. 5 issue of Billboard.
Nestled amid the stark beauty of the Sonoran Desert lies Arcosanti, an experimental urban utopia designed by visionary architect Paolo Soleri.
Located roughy an hour north of Phoenix, Ariz., the remote futuristic eco-city drew roughly 2,500 attendees to the long-awaited return of FORM. First launched in 2014, the three-day music event became immediately beloved for transcending the typical festival experience. As modern festivals continue to compete in a grueling live events industry fighting to stay relevant while competing to be credited for the best-synchronized drone show or which dance stage had more LED screens, FORM rebels against the status quo by cultivating the meaningful connection between musicians and fans. And when it comes time for the music, there are no VIP sections or even artist backstage tents — just musicians walking amongst fans, equally admiring the architectural marvel of the property. And when it’s time to perform, the small stone amphitheater sets the stage for a community of present-minded individuals to sharing a cohesive moment, no frills, just music.
After a five-year hiatus, the festival returned even stronger this past weekend (Oct. 4-6) with a genre-blending lineup of killer acts — including Jamie xx, St. Vincent, Bonobo, Skrillex, Thundercat, James Blake and more.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Walking into Arcosanti is like stepping onto a movie set from a dystopian sci-fi flick. Brutalist concrete structures, bathed and baked in the Arizona sun, create a visually arresting contrast from the typical major music festival experience. But even after tickets for this year’s FORM sold out in less than 24 hours after the announcement of its return, the boutique festival never lost sight of the key elements that made it so beloved in the first place.
Trending on Billboard
Here are the top 10 takeaways from the weekend.
1. Stage Dive Into Sustainability
Arcosanti’s eco-conscious philosophy and commitment to sustainability permeated every aspect of the festival. Locally sourced food trucks like Tamale Shoppe and the Phoenix Culinary Collective offered up delicious and eco-friendly sustenance, while readily available water refill stations and a robust composting system minimized waste. The full event execution demonstrated a step in the right direction for the industry and was a tangible reminder that eco-consciousness and a great time can go hand-in-hand.
FORM Arcosanti 2024
Rocco Avallone
2. The Arcology Awakens
The festival stages weren’t just platforms for musical performances; the permanent structures are architectural marvels seamlessly integrated into the landscape and the festival fabric. The Amphitheater, which was topped by a parachute that allowed peeks of desert stars above, captured the intimate essence of St. Vincent, whose Saturday night set was a last minute addition to the lineup. She strummed away on her guitar, sharing moments of bliss with the mesmerized fans seated only a few feet away. Meanwhile, the grand archways of the Vaults stage pulsated with raw energy that enveloped fans in a vortex of bass-thumping sounds.
3. A Starry-Eyed Symphony
The Sonoran Desert transformed into a celestial canvas at night. With minimal light pollution in the remote area, the Phoenix Astronomical Society hosted evening stargazing sessions on the rooftop overlooking the main Amphitheater. On Saturday night, attendees were able to peek into a cosmic light show through high-resolution telescopes as Angel Olsen played in the background, for an experience that was pure magic. The experience was a poignant reminder of our place in the grand scheme of the universe, a feeling that resonated throughout the weekend, even when the music ended.
Beck
Rocco Avallone
4. Beck’s Back in the Desert
Beck, one of the festival’s late addition headliners, delivered a set dripping with nostalgia, tongue-in-cheek stage banter and sonic experimentation. From classics like “Loser” to cuts from his 2019 album Hyperspace, he masterfully navigated his performance, keeping the crowd energized and engaged. It was altogether a testament to his enduring influence and ability to capture the hearts of fans year after year.
5. Jamie xx’s Curated Chaos
Coming off the release of his latest album In Waves, Jamie xx took to the Vaults stage with a cigarette in one hand and beer in the other, clearly prepared to deliver. (Minutes before he went onstage, the British producer was seen still on his laptop, excitedly working on his set.) When the show started, the Grammy-nominated artist flexed his prowess, delivering a masterclass in weaving opposite genres into tunes that left the crowd pulsating with a sense of euphoria.
Overall, his performance was a testament to the beauty of FORM, in how it creates a sonic sanctuary for artists to comfortably experiment, an ambience that helped make it possible for Jamie to dance and smile onstage as he traversed bold transition, like going from trance mix of Ghetto 25’s “Don’t Stop” to a guitar-laden build-up to Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.”
6. Kim Gordon, Forever a Sonic Siren
Sonic Youth legend Kim Gordon brought a dose of raw energy to the Arcosanti Amphitheater. Backed by a killer band, she revisited iconic hits like Sonic Youth’s 1990 song “Kool Thing” and showcased newer material that pulsed with an undeniable urgency. Her voice, a potent mix of vulnerability and strength, resonated throughout a crowd illuminated with moody lighting, reminding us of her enduring influence.
7. Bonobo Unhinged
Bonobo, largely known for his downtempo electronic and ambient soundscapes, delivered a bass-thumping, chest-pounding Saturday night set that invigorated a perhaps unsuspecting audience. With thumping house and high-energy techno mixes, he turned up the temperature and set the audience ablaze, a difficult task in the desert heat, but one he pulled off with style.
James Blake
Rocco Avallone
8. James Blake, Bathed in Sunlight
The U.K. multi-hyphenate’s recent crusade against the live event and ticketing industry saw him filling up independent music venues and cathedrals across North America over the past months, making FORM an idea setting for his emotional sonic landscapes. His stripped-down Sunday afternoon set, which included “Retrograde,” “Say What You Will” and “Godspeed,” was full of intricate nuances and delicate compositions, creating a sing-along that allowed the whole crowd to let their inhibitions go.
9. Community & Self-Reliance
This year’s event was troubled by a record heatwave that brought temperatures up to 100 degrees for campers. (All FORM attendees stay in adjacent camping and glamping areas.) Rather than cover themselves in Crisco and lay on a desert rock to accept their fates, a sense of community and cooperation washed over attendees. The FORM community rallied by sharing umbrellas with strangers, making space for newfound friends to sit closely side by side in air-conditioned listening room activations and offering patience and understanding for the hospitality staff, who worked tirelessly to pass out cold drinks and water throughout the festival grounds.
10. Beyond the Music
FORM Arcosanti wasn’t just about the music, although of course it was definitely a major highlight. Workshops on sustainable living, art installations scattered throughout the arcology, a poolside dance party, ambient outdoor sound stages and hifi vinyl listening experiences offered loads to do beyond the music stages. It was, once again, a festival that encouraged a sense of exploration and childlike wonder. At its core, roaming directionless and absent of intent was sometimes the best way to discover the true beauty of FORM.
Charli XCX is flipping the calendar from Brat Summer to Brat Fall. The singer whose Brat album became the event of the summer has finally revealed the full list of guest stars slated to appear on her cameo-packed Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat remix album. The collection due out on Friday […]
This week in dance music: Anyma added two more shows to his upcoming run at Sphere in Las Vegas, bringing the total number of shows to eight; Barry Can’t Swim picked up three 2024 AIM Awards nominations; Ultra 2025 released its phase one lineup, which will feature the debut “retro5pective set from dedmau5, a new psytrance stage and much more; we previewed the trailer for a forthcoming documentary about the ’90s rave scene in San Francisco; we recapped the best moments of Portola 2024; an auction of Avicii’s personal items including clothing and instruments raised $750,000 for the Tim Bergling Foundation; Black Coffee, Fisher and Chase & Status were among the winners at the 2024 DJ Awards in Ibiza; Beatport announced that it’s again awarding $150,000 in grants to groups supporting diversity and equality in dance music; and to round out it all out, these are the best new dance projects of the week.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Caribou, Honey
Trending on Billboard
For 13 years, Dan Snaith has masterfully juggled two music aliases: the folksy-electronica live band Caribou, and the club-minded Daphni. While Caribou’s albums post-Andorra have inched closer to the dance floor, his latest, Honey, sounds like an equal meeting of the two projects. Singles like the sparkling “Volume” and bass-wobbling “Honey” deliver the heft demanded of festival main stages, while other tracks like “Do Without You” and “Campfire” are heavy in their pensive moods, lower-to-the-ground production and vocals. “Climbing” is the album’s standout, all disco and sunshine in its squiggling synth crescendos and buoyant melody. It’s a light-hearted tune for closing a set, and somehow, a bittersweet cap on our own summer. The party’s not over just yet, however, as Snaith tours Honey across North America starting next month. — KRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ
2hollis, “gold”
The Los Angeles savant further establishes his hot new thing status with the punchy “gold,” an arrangement of crunchy staccato, skittering percussion and eventual climax of gunfire gabber. These elements are balanced with a woozy, almost sweet melody sung by the producer, who also directed the accompanying music video, which features 2hollis and a group of dancers moshing under a strobe light and rain coming down inside a warehouse, continuing the release’s hard/soft aesthetic. 2hollis just got off tour supporting rapper Ken Carson and is launching his own nine-date North American tour later this month. — KATIE BAIN
yunè pinku, “Reckless Sensation”
UK artist yunè pinku describes her new song “Reckless Sensation” as the “ecstasy of embodying love rather than looking for it.” The serpentine trip-hop track lives somewhere in the haze between haunting and euphoric, with a warmth and sensuality that permeate the spectral space beneath pinku’s soft, siren-like voice. Altogether approaching a transcendence evocative of Massive Attack’s 1998 classic “Teardrop,” the track is from pinku’s new Scarlet Lamb EP, on which she decorates her sonic universe with gothic imagery, citing Jane Eyre, Dracula and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as lyrical touchpoints After that, find pinku onstage starting next month when she joins Caribou on his North American tour. — K.R.
Confidence Man, “Real Move Touch”
Confidence Man are coming out of an eventful summer, which entailed performing to a massive crowd at Glastonbury and adding their fabric Presents compilation to the clubbing institution’s mix series. But they’ve got something even bigger waiting on the horizon: their third studio album, 3AM (LA LA LA), which lands on Oct. 18. The Australian band are dropping another preview in the form of a double-single, “Control/Real Move Touch.” Here, they serve up house music two ways: the A-side is a technicolor track bubbling with acid synths and ravey stabs that feel both infectiously joyous and nostalgic, while “Real Move Touch” calls back to the old-school, too, but with glossy ‘90s house that’s both luxurious and lively, as a mash-up of Crystal Waters-esque diva house and sound-system culture with vocals from reggae legend Sweetie Irie.
“I remember him coming into our tiny little studio,” Confidence Man’s Janet Planet says of Irie, “and then he’s like, ‘Do you mind if I blaze up in here?’ And we said, ‘Hell yeah!’ And he was like, ‘Great, I was just checking you guys were real rock stars.’” — K.R.
Ben Hemsley Feat. Rose Gray, “Tidal”
An unstable relationship drifts out into the deep seas on Ben Hemsley’s new single “Tidal,” featuring vocalist Rose Gray. After previewing the track in his sets at Creamfields, A State of Trance, and his Ibiza residency, the British producer has released the track in its entire 10-minute glory. A brisk BPM and sighing vocal loops give “Tidal” a sense of urgency that circles Gray’s distressed vocals, while extended, sweeping builds create a looming wall of sound akin to its namesake and subsequent drop, a euphoric crashing of melodies and textures.
“‘Tidal’ allowed me to really explore what trance means to me on a deeper level,” Hemsley says. “The extended length gave me the space to play with melodies and atmospheres, taking inspiration from ’90s records that I love. Trance was my first love and it’s the direction you’ll see me going in moving forwards. — K.R.
East Forest, Music For Mushrooms
Ahead of the Oct. 10 release of his documentary of the same name, producer, multi-instrumentalist and wellness practitioner East Forest releases his album, Music For Mushrooms. The 10-track project is composed of music played by the artist during guided psychedelic ceremonies, hence its name. (The project firmly sits in the world of music made specifically for psychedelic spaces.) You won’t find ravey beats over the album’s 59 sublime minutes, with the project instead made of gentle piano, violin, flute and a host of other instruments that altogether build a glimmering, soul-stirring world unto itself. To that end, tracks are named for each place the ceremony it was recorded at took place, capturing the sounds of Big Sur, Calif., Vancouver, Canada and the literal and figurative great beyond. — K.B.
The MOBO Awards has announced its 2025 ceremony will take place in the new location of Newcastle, England. The ceremony – which celebrates Music of Black Origin – will head to the North East for the first time since its founding in 1996. This year’s ceremony was held at the Sheffield Arena and previous events have been held in London, Leeds and Glasgow.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Next year’s big night will take place on February 18 at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena near the banks of the River Tyne.
The award categories celebrate the best of UK rap, jazz, pop, R&B, soul and, in recent years, have expanded to include alternative and rock acts, alongside electronic performers. The nominees, host and performers for 2025’s ceremony will be announced over the coming months.
“Newcastle is a city steeped in history, culture, and a dynamic sense of community alongside an electric nightlife, making it the perfect host city,” Kanya King CBE, founder/CEO of MOBO Group said in a statement. “We are honoured to bring the MOBO Awards to this iconic destination, eager to deliver a show that will resonate far beyond the North East.”
Trending on Billboard
The MOBOs also announced the return of the MOBO Fringe events, which will take place around the main ceremony which King said will engage with the “local community to create an inspiring and impactful programme that highlights the significant cultural influence of Black music.”
Kim McGuinness, North East Mayor, added: “I’m thrilled to welcome the MOBO Awards to a new home in our region – just the latest major event putting North East England on the international map for culture. I know the Awards and the MOBO Fringe Festival across venues in Newcastle and Gateshead will be a huge inspiration for a new generation of young and emerging musicians working here in the North East.”
2024’s ceremony was hosted by comedian Babatúnde Aléshé and Love Island star Indiyah Polack. Performers included the Sugababes, Soul II Soul, Ghetts and more, with wins on the night for Little Simz, RAYE, Central Cee, Potter Payper and Stormzy.
Beatport, the digital download store catering to the electronic music community, is again awarding grants intended to support organizations that are fostering diversity and gender equity in the electronic music industry. This marks the third year of the program, with Beatport again offering $150,000 in grants. Along with the money, the fund will again provide […]
After a four year hiatus, the DJ Awards returned Wednesday (Oct. 2) in Ibiza, with a flurry of DJs and industry execs being honored in the ceremony at island venue Chinois. Awards were handed out by the hosts of the show, Jaguar of BBC Radio 1 and presenter Katie Knight. The awards were awarded to […]
An auction of items that belonged to the late producer Avicii has raised roughly $750,000 for charity. Taking place in the producer’s native Stockholm on Tuesday (Oct. 1), the auction happened at Auktionsverk in front of a crowded audience. The sale was made up of 267 items, including shoes, instruments, clothing and other personal effects […]
The thing about Portola that’s emerged over the festival’s three years of existence is that if you’re there, you feel like you’re in on the joke. And everyone likes being in on the joke.
Through its stylish and legit funny social channels and wry on-site messaging (“we know that music feeds your soul or whatever, but please remember to eat some actual food” implored signage), the event has developed a trait that can often feel scarce at big festivals: actual personality. Portola is your dryly funny and sort of silly, but also extremely intelligent friend with low-key style and impeccable taste in music.
“This is a festival where it’s not about spectacle, it’s about vibe,” Portola founder Danny Bell told Billboard onsite at the fest.
This appealing amalgamation of traits brought roughly 45,000 attendees a day and a motherlode of artists to third edition of Portola, which took over San Francisco’s Pier 80 this past weekend, Sept 28-29. Primarily presenting the styles of electronic music commonly grouped together as indie or alt or just non-EDM, the lineup gathered some of the scene’s biggest, buzziest and most respected artists for a show that also, like in years past, featured a powdered sugar sprinkling of pop (in the form of Rebecca Black, Natasaha Bedingfield, etc.) and a bit of hip hop.
But the emphasis was dance music, with the stature the Goldenvoice-produced festival has gained over its three years of existence emphasized by the fact that people are now flying in for it from across the U.S., Australia and Europe. Rüfüs du Sol played their only set of the year, debuting new music from their comign album and playing the hits for one of the weekend’s biggest crowds. On the mainstage, Disclosure reminded everyone that they’re simply, consistently the best, playing many of their biggest songs, bringing out a brass section for the feel-good “Tondo,” closing with the classic Flume remix of “You & Me” and giving each other a big old brotherly hug at the end. Two more of the many (many) Brits on the lineup, Chase & Status played a satisfying, tough as nails set that included their new hits (“Disconnect,” “Baddadan”) and classics like their 2008 “Eastern Jam.” (“This is for my original Chase & Status fans,” the pair’s Will Kennard announced before dropping the track.)
While often overlooked on the global circuit, San Francisco has a rich and mighty electronic history, and certainly the many locals in attendance demonstrated that the Bay Area parties hard, and also well: the crowd was loose but from our vantage point never out of control, stylish in mostly non-cliché ways and generally friendly, with none of the too cool (or too self aware) atmosphere that elsewhere can, and does, stifle the dancing.
“It’s a work hard play hard town,” says Bell. “When people here come to play, they’re out just to have a good time; there’s no agenda.”
The weather was also classically San Franciscan, with each day’s morning fog burning off for sunshine daydream afternoons that maintained enough of a chill that many attendees who didn’t bring layers were spotted buying hoodies from the merch stand. The site, an actual working shipping pier, created a built-in industrial aesthetic, with the looming crane and hulking naval ship doing a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of decor. The vessel even blew its horn daily, to wide applause.
These are ten of the best things we saw over the weekend.
Jesse Ware Takes a Victory Lap
Image Credit: Courtesy of Goldenvoice
While it’s never gotten quite the same recognition as the U.S. electronic strongholds of New York, Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles, San Francisco has long been a dance music center of gravity. Think warehouse raves, sunrise parties on the beach, machine-made music colliding with the early internet and the first iterations of Burning Man. Explore […]