This Week in Dance Music is a new weekly series by Blisspop aiming to highlight and provide nuanced commentary on the biggest stories in dance music. Make sure to check the meter each week.
Starting off the first edition of this series, it’s hard to delve into some of this week’s top stories and ignore the news of Aretha Franklin’s passing yesterday morning. One of the most important entertainment figures of the 20th century, Franklin’s work crafting the sound of soul in America cannot be overstated, and her influence as a proud icon of intersectionality as a black woman continues to empower many to this day. The outpouring of love has been tremendous around the world, with many DJs showing their respect and admiration for “the Queen of Soul.â€Â The entire Blisspop team is sending thoughts and prayers to Aretha Franklin’s family. Next Saturday there will be an tribute night to this legendary artist at Backbar in Washington, DC featuring sets from Blisspop contributors including Rose Corps, RVSSVL, Car Crash Set, and more. Be on the lookout for the official announcement coming soon!
Mural of Frankie Knuckles Goes Up in Chicago
With the news of Aretha Franklin’s passing, it is fitting news was also announced this week that the city of Chicago will be creating a wall of tribute to Frankie Knuckles. Frankie “The Godfather of Houseâ€Â Knuckles is credited with helping create the genre in the early 1980’s, and was a legendary DJ in his own right. With so much turmoil in America’s inner cities, it is so important for there to be positive imagery and reflection on the great creative potential and artistic past that lies in these communities.
Keri Chandler Shares Free Downloads for Previously Unreleased and Vinyl only Material
Keeping with the positivity, Kerri Chandler dropped a GIFT Thursday morning, releasing over 40 rare cuts to the Internet for free. I feel like most people who grasp how awesome this is already know, but if this somehow missed your feed, you can get on it through the link below. For those of you who don’t know Kerri Chandler, we forgive you, but now is the time to start.
Jackmaster Apologizes for Inappropriate Conduct at Love Saves the Day Festival
On the weirder side of things this week, Jackmaster made a public apology on his Facebook page for his actions while performing at Loves Saves the Day Festival in late May. Claiming he was “intoxicated†and not acting like himself, Jackmaster said he has taken the time since to reflect and improve on his personal character. What he is apologizing for, though, has been subject to wide speculation with the major rumor being that he took a dump in an artist room tea kettle. With today’s announcement, however, Jackmaster received heavy backlash, with some commenters claiming this is actually an apology for sexual assault on event staff. Whatever may have happened, the festival acknowledged and accepted Jackmaster’s apology, so that seems to be the end of it for now. Learn more about the incident below, and read the comments on the post for yourself.
Swedish House Mafia to Reunite, Part Ways With Longtime Manager
This week, we have the shocking revelation that SHM will be getting back together for a new record and tour for 2019. The duo left EDM at the top of their game in 2013 and have since worked on solo projects. While the trio received an amazing reception for their Ultra 2018 performance in Miami, it remains to be seen if they will be able to climb back to the top of the dance music mountain they once claimed. One thing is for sure, they will be doing it without their longtime manager, who has decided to relieve herself of her duties after being largely responsible for SHM’s meteoric rise.
Burial and Kode9 tapped to mix FABRLICLIVE100
On Wednesday, legendary London club Fabric announced who would be at the helm of the final installment of their long-running mix series, FABRICLIVE, and it is none other than the legendary combination of Burial and Kode9. This will be only the second time ever that the pair have teamed up for an official mix. The first took place on the final edition of Mary Anne Hobb’s Experimental BBC radio show in 2010. It seems the duo have a penchant for closing out seasoned programming in the electronic music world. September 28th can’t come soon enough.
So, there you have it. The verdict? A pretty good week for dance music.