This week Facebook went public with a record $104 billion dollar IPO offering that’s sure to solidify their future success.  A lot of industry experts worry that this might be the second coming of the late 90s tech bubble, but so far Social Media is garnering a substantial payday on Wall Street.  Another interesting article on Facebook this week is from The New York Times about the trend of not flaunting wealth in Silicon Valley, which seems like a perspective that’s shared by the entire tech industry.

via Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times

http://stream.wsj.com/story/facebook-ipo/SS-2-9640/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/18/facebook-ipo-live-updates-fb_n_1526829.html?ref=technology

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/18/technology/a-start-up-is-gold-for-facebooks-new-millionaires.htm

2.  Pinterest Gets Valued at 1.5 Billion

After another recent round of additional $100 million dollar financing, the Visual Social Media platform Pinterest is now valued at over $1.5 billion dollars.  It recently crossed the 20 million user mark and that’s a massive increase from only one million users as of July 2011.  It’s nowhere near the recent record breaking Facebook offering, but it looks likely it could be purchased by one of the tech giants the same way Instagram was recently acquired by Facebook.

via Huffington Post

3.  The Next Big Tech Start-Ups

This is a really interesting piece in The New York Times about the next tech start-ups with the most potential.  Everything from file sharing sites like DropBox, mobile payment apps like Square, and even Uber, an instantaneous private car reservation app are all featured in the article.  These are definitely some of the best tech upstarts and new companies to look out for in the coming year.

via The New York Times

4.  Internet Week Kicks Off in NYC

Internet Week kicked off this week in New York City and immediately became a must-go destination for anyone who wants to see the future of technology and what tech trends that’ll become popular in the coming year.  Everything from conferences and guest speakers to parties, social events, and even the 2012 Webby awards which are presented for the best web has to offer are all part of Internet Week, which ends this weekend on Sunday May 21^st.  Check out Ad Week’s coverage for the best highlights and must see events from Internet Week.

http://www.adweek.com/internet-week-blog

https://www.internetweekny.com/

5.  New Animal Collective Album Announced

This week Animal Collective announced their new album Centipede Hz will be released in September on Domino as the follow-up to their critically acclaimed Merriweather Post Pavaillion, which was at the top of everyone’s best of the year list in 2009.  Centipede Hz seems like a return to AnCo’s more expansive jam band sound as evidenced in two new tracks “Honeycomb” and Gotham” that were also released this week.  Check out this interview on Pitchfork with AnCo member Dave Portner (Avey Tare) on the making of the  new album.

via Fader and Pitchfork

http://www.thefader.com/2012/05/14/new-animal-collective-album-centipede-hz/

http://pitchfork.com/news/46495-animal-collective-announce-new-album/

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/13564-honeycomb/

http://pitchfork.com/news/46517-animal-collective-new-album-back-to-our-roots/

http://pitchfork.com/features/update/8842-animal-collective

6.  New Squarepusher Album Ufabulum

IDM and Drum & Bass forefather Squarepusher makes a return this week with his new album Ufabulum which mixes a lot of modern production touches with his signature jagged drum patterns and carnival gone mad buzzsaw synths.  He’s always been known  for his erratic but oddly controlled sound and his new album definitely doe not disappoint; even fans of EDM and Corey Feldman lookalike Skrillex might enjoy his new tracks, with their glitchy warbles and stadium sized rave-era synth lines.  Check out the interview in FACT Mag with Squarepusher on the making of his new record and his feature in XLR8R about his five favorite classic jungle and drum & bass tunes.

http://www.factmag.com/2012/05/13/squarepusher-on-grappling-with-pop-pomposity-and-leds/

http://www.xlr8r.com/features/2012/05/high-five-squarepusher

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/13530-drax-2/

http://pitchfork.com/news/46108-video-squarepusher-dark-steering/

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16608-ufabulum/

7.  Loiter Squad Gets Renewed for a Second Season

Odd Future has almost become the de facto Internet rap group over the last year or so and they recently translated their mischief and merriment mentality to their amazing Adult Swim late night show Loiter Squad.  Their show just got picked up for a second season which solidifies another round of their signature style of Jackass style pranks, Tim & Eric esque parodies, and all around musically-tinged debauchery.  Even if you’re not quite a fan of their music, this show is really a must see.

via Pitchfork

http://www.adultswim.com/shows/loiter-squad/index.html

8.  New Azealia Banks track “Jumanji”

Tons of new cutting edge female MCs have been releasing music recently, and Azealia Banks might just have the most talent of all of them.  She’s gone from Harlem to performing in Karl Lagerfeld’s Parisian living room and then back to NYC playing the Met Gala draped in Alexander Wang.  On top of that her musical output is brimming with new releases: her full length album is dropping in the Fall, her 1991 EP drops May 29^th, and her mixtape Fantastic comes out on July 4^th.  Listen to this new Fantastic cut “Jumanji” with steller cross-genre production from Hudson Mohawke; it sounds the best Nicki Minaj mixtape track Nicki never made, and the HudMo beat really takes it to another level.

via Fader and Pitchfork

9.   New El-P Album and Performance on Late Show with David Letterman

El-P is probably one of the most legendary experimental rappers and producers and on May 22^nd he’s gearing up to release his new record Cancer4Cure on Fat Possum, but you can already stream it in it’s entirety over at Rolling Stone.  El-P is known for his stream of consciousness rhymes and Mad Max post-apocalyptic soundscapes and his new album is a perfect example of the evolution of his hard-edged sci-fi sound.  Check out the video of the album cut “Stay Down” he performed on Late Show with David Letterman this week and a great piece from Fader on El-P’s production style in making his new album.

via Fader, Pitchfork, and Rolling Stone

http://pitchfork.com/news/46528-watch-el-p-perform-on-late-show-with-david-letterman-with-nick-diamond-of-islands/

http://www.thefader.com/2012/05/18/stream-el-ps-album-cancer4cure/

http://www.thefader.com/2012/05/14/beat-construction-el-p/

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/album-premiere-el-p-cancer-for-cure-20120518

10.   Wylie Dufresne Premieres New Menu at WD-50

Wylie Dufresne is known in the foodie world as one of the original molecular gastronomy innovators in the States and this month he look his bold and daring recipes one step further and created an entirely new tasting menu overflowing with his out of this world signature dishes.  Molecular gastronomy is known as one of the true avant garde facets of modern cuisine and Dufresne never disappoints with his original takes on classic dishes and wtf combinations that make so much sense on your palette, but sound outlandish in their conception.  The New York Times did a great piece and interview with Dufresne on the new menu and the unorthodox methods behind his madness.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/05/02/dining/20120502-WYLIE.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/02/dining/at-wd-50-wylie-dufresne-is-shaking-up-the-entire-menu.html

11.   Community premieres 8-bit Finale Episode “Digital Estate Planning”

Last night’s amazing finale episode of Community, “Digital Estate Planning”, was probably the first time that an entire primetime show took place inside of a fully rendered video game.  Almost the entire episode was in a classic Nintendo style 8-bit universe where the show’s signature characters controlled avatars of themselves on a quest to win an inheritance from Pierce’s father.  As always on Community, there were so many inside jokes, throwaway gags, and hyper-astute satirical jabs, and this episode was a special gift for video game fans with a non-stop barrage of inside gamer humor.  A.V. Club has a great in-depth review of all the episodes from last night’s three part Community finale.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/see-the-greendale-seven-as-video-game-characters-i,75182

http://www.avclub.com/articles/digital-estate-planning-the-first-chang-dynasty-in,73676/

Like some of you know,  I just returned from an assignment in asia – Singapore to be exact  I helped develop the online presence of several brands in markets all over the continent. My experience there radically altered my business perspective.

First of all, traveling and working in Asia has made me realize how Small the World has become  and how much easier it is for smaller brands to compete in a GLOBAL MARKET.  SMALLER brands—meaning you don’t have to be a FORTUNE 500 company to make your mark overseas.

By now it’s well know that the internet has been a driving force behind globalization,

and  one astounding fact that I was able to experience firsthand is that the Asia-pacific market accounts for 47% of the internet traffic worldwide. So needless to say, because of social media,  It’s never been easier for  brands, from e-commerce sites to new technology companies, to reach a global audience. As a result of my experience, I want to share some of my observations on how smaller brands can now compete in the global market.

1. The English factor

20-25% of the world speaks English, either as a native or second language — that’s roughly 2 billion people who are able and open to hearing your message. You  don’t necessarily need to translate your content like you use to. This is especially true when addressing a younger audience that takes english classes in school, watches american movies, and listens to american pop music.

2. The westernization factor

The American spirit of innovation are still highly admired by people around the world, and as a result American and western brands are just as prized in other countries as they are here at home.

What we’re talking about is soft power, and America’s still got it.

Luxury in these markets is determined by scarcity–the more rare an item, the more prized it is. Victoria’s secret has made such a name for itself globally that women in singapore, where there are no victoria’s secret stores, pay $100 for a $50 bra.  Foreign markets are always keeping tabs of emerging trends in America, so smaller brands shouldn’t be intimidated by foreign markets or a lack of infrastructure.  To the contrary, they are waiting for you, and where there is a will, they will create a way.

3. Shared Platforms

Social networking is being consolidated more and more every year,  so while some regional social networking sites are still popular, Facebook has  over 1 billion users and is growing by 30% every year, and Youtube Draws 800 million unique visitors A DAY from all around the world. Shared platforms mean an increasingly global audience for your brand.

4. Online Communities = The New Countries

I was able to experience firsthand how personal interests bring people together,  how a passion for photography, brought people from Malaysia, Germany, Egypt, and Australia together on the same blog.  The lesson here? Personal interests are quickly replacing national identities. This means that things like blogs and Social Media platforms are places where your target audiences congregate, mix, and are more receptive to brands that match their specific interest no matter what country they come from.

CONCLUSION: 

After seeing how the world is reconfiguring itself through personal interest, how centralized social media is becoming and how the soft power of American culture is still thriving. I realized that NOW small brands can compete with the big players in an emerging model of online branding which is powered by grassroots efforts just as much as multi million dollar campaigns.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

I’m intrigued to see what the fuss is really all about; not only did it get selected for inclusion in this year’s Sundance, but it’s also premiering June 25^th on HBO.  I’m especially curious since it seems the style of the doc is a somewhat scattered collection of his Youtube videos, response videos, and other miscellaneous Croker material.

Overall I feel kind of conflicted about the idea of a Chris Crocker comeback.  On one hand, his interview with V Magazine made it seem like he has some substance and an interesting perspective of what it’s like to be gay and growing up in Tennessee.  But on the other hand, while watching his YouTube videos, he also seems extremely narcissistic – me, me, me and more me.

A lot of his content and persona pertains more to the early Social Media internet famous era, when Facebook was still a new platform and most of our time was spent on either YouTube, Blogs, or MySpace.  But with a fanbase of 100,000 Twitter followers and over 253 million YouTube views, he’s isn’t completely irrelevant and is well respected within the gay community.

So the real question becomes is he a genius or just another Internet fame whore attempting a comeback?  I guess only time will tell.  The only commentary and reflection I have is that it seems like the online world is quickly dividing itself between the content producers and the watchers and how your status quo is only based on how many followers you have.

Which really got me thinking — who was Internet Famous in 2007 and where are they today?  I found a Forbes List of the top 25 Web Celebs of 2007, and it’s definitely a mixed bag compared to the current top stars of the web.  Some are still around and popular like Perez Hilton, but most of their Internet buzz quickly faded away to make room for the next overnight meme.

On Monday night Vogue did a live broadcast of the Met Gala and the entire concept was pure genius.  It was immediately ranked #2 as a WORLDWIDE Twitter trending topic, which is an incredible amount of online buzz for this type of event.  It’s not surprising though; when you combine celebrities and high end couture, its fashion porn at its best.  The online chatter and responses generated by the event alone were incredible.

The combination of the interactive experience of watching the Gala on Vogue while catching commentary on live Twitter feeds was so fun.  It was such a spectacle seeing everyone’s ridiculous fashion choices and the wave of twitter trends that followed, from Marc Jacobs lingerie outfit to Anja Rubik’s naked dress and Beyonce’s barely legal sheer Givenchy number.

Marc Jacobs in Commes Des Garcon and Beyonce in Givenchy via StyleBlazer

I’m also miraculously linked to Ivanka Trump’s Instagram and got to see sneak pics of her getting ready for the event.  It got me thinking about the future of entertainment and how the lines are so blurred; with online culture there’s almost no defining point when an event begins and ends.

There’s such a voyeuristic feel where we can peep into everyone’s lives and create these stories.  From the celebrity tweets before they’ve arrived, to the post-show wrap-ups of the fashion bloggers commenting on everyone’s outfit.  I’m thrilled to see more and more interactive cultural experiences as every minute detail unfolds online.

The reality is:

1)  In advertising big numbers talk: Businesses solely based on ad revenue only works for large media conglomerates with substantial traffic.  With the ever increasing accuracy of digital advertising, marketers require precise metrics on traffic volume, demographics and conversion rates.  If your blog / website traffic is below 1 million unique visitors per month, good luck getting any traction. Let’s face it; to generate this type of traffic it really takes significant investments and years of persistence.

2)  Google Ads don’t pay the bills: Google Ads essentially work by providing advertisers with a huge network of blogs.  They accomplish this by bundling up various independent blogs by category and then providing advertisers different ways to display their content through AdSense.  The model is usually based on CPC (Cost Per Click) meaning that as a blogger you only get a few cents per click; bloggers might make between $50 to $200 a month if they’re lucky, but it’s very rarely a substantial amount.

3)  Banner Ads are slowly dying: The click through rates for banner ads keeps decreasing every year.  Banner ads also require partnerships with media agencies or direct client contacts in order to secure placements.  On top of that, banner ads also require a Cost Per Click model, which isn’t very profitable for the bloggers or websites involved.

via The Man Repeller

4)  Sponsored content: Sponsored content can be a good additional avenue to dabble in. It’s very often a common practice for brands to ask bloggers to review their products.  However, this is usually only extended through a barter or product gifting. Unless you have a fanbase hovering above 10,000 fans, it’ll be hard to get much more. One of the bloggers that I respect is The Man Repeller; she strictly states that as a business she doesn’t promote products based on a barter system and is only interested in partnerships.

Moral of the story – Here are some options you can explore to generate additional revenue:

1)  Create premium content that your community or client wants to pay for.

2)  Create a service based business where you can offer clients consulting in your specific area of expertise.

3)  Create a product:  Whether it’s a book, T-shirts or jewelry, whatever you do, make sure you’re able to turn your skills into a product clients will want to pay for.

I hope these tips have been helpful. There are tons of opportunities out there to get your business / blog going; you just need to study all of the different possibilities before you get your business off the ground.  I’d love to hear your thoughts on other ways to expand business revenue online.

Take the Poll yourself at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pluggedin/242823005763525

Our Panel

Gabriel  http://www.batowlstudios.com/
Steven & Jared  http://snapstagr.am/
TONE  http://liveattheloftshow.com

http://www.youtube.com/user/pluggedintvnyc

1. New App lets you Communicate through Animated Images

A new app for iPhones called MotionPhone was recently released that allows people to communicate through animated images instead of voice or text.  The app allows you to create and design your own abstract animated images which can then be shared with your friend’s images to create new and endless animated combinations.  It’s definitely an innovative way of using mobile techonology to communicate in a very unorthodox fashion.

via Huffington Post

http://itunes.com/apps/motionphonehd

2. Apple releases Specs on the iPhone 5

The Apple rumor mill never stops churning out new stories.  According to the Huffington Post, when the new iPhone 5 is launched it’ll be made of a liquid metal alloy casing instead of glass, it’ll be 4G LTE compatible, and 0.44 millimeters thinner then the iPhone 4S, which definitely makes it seem like an entirely new design, versus the interim changes on previous models.

via Huffington Post

3. YouTube Now Offers Over 100 Channels of Original Programming

In a move to compete with the online offerings of Hulu and Netflix, YouTube recently launched over 100 channels of original programming.  The content ranges in every category you can think of; home improvement, science queries, music / TV / entertainment news, and even something called “American Hipster” which is probably amazing and leaves you befuddled at the same time.  There are probably tons of unusual gems among the content; a good bulk of the programming was culled from the more successful channels that were on YouTube before the original programming launch.

via The New York Times

http://www.youtube.com/creators/original-channels.html

4. Mobile Lorm Glove Allows the Deaf and Blind to Communicate Through Mobile Technology

The Mobile Lorm is an amazing form of technology that allows deaf and blind people to communicate through mobile devices.  The Glove itself relies on Lorm, which is a tactile signing language that’s then transferred to sensors on the glove which is then translated to a mobile device and converted into speech or a text message.  It even allows the user to send and receive text messages through the glove.  It’s definitely a huge advancement in bringing the world of mobile tech and communication to the disabled.

via UberGizmo

5. Are Pheromone Parties the new Dating Trend?

Science and Singles became an unlikely combination recently with the launch of Pheromone Parties.  It’s a social event where you bring a T-Shirt you’ve worn for three days prior without washing it in a plastic bag and then everyone smells the shirts to determine who they should be matched with.  It sounds kind of odd at first, but maybe it makes more sense then meeting potential suitors based on eHarmony algorithms.

via LA Weekly

Pheromone Parties

6. New Mykki Blanco Single “Wavvy”

“Wavvy” is the first track from Mykki Blanco’s upcoming mixtape Cosmic Angel and if the rest of it sounds anything like this, it’ll be one of the most raw and next level releases out this year.  Blanco is a cross dressing performer that’s part of a new quasi-movement of gay rappers that are making some of the most innovative rap music out right now.  Also check out the interview Pitchfork did with Blanco and other artists about their new perspective on hip hop and how they’re changing the genre.

via Fader

http://soundcloud.com/mykkiblanco

http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/8793-we-invented-swag/

7. New iamamiwhoami video “Idle Talk”

iamamiwhoami created a huge mystique around her identity through her beautiful but cryptic viral videos and atmospheric sounds.  Eventually her identity was revealed as musician Jonna Lee, but it didn’t detract at all from the amazing project and tracks.  She released a new video this week for the song “Idle Talk” and it’s just as mesmerizing as the other vids in her iamamiwhoami catalogue.

via Fader

http://www.youtube.com/user/iamamiwhoami

8. New Cassie “King of Hearts” Richard X Remix

Cassie is one of those artists that has such a huge cult-following that every time she releases a track, even if its years between them, the entire blogosphere turns to shambles.  Her most recent club ready junt “King of Hearts” got the amazing Kanye West remix treatment a few weeks ago, and now Richard X, who’s worked with Annie and M.I.A., has also remixed it into a 4 on the floor club thumper with tons of murky synths stuttering under Cassie’s saccharine vocals.  If Diddy ever gets around to releasing her second album, bloggers will positively implode with excitement.

via Fader

9. Pitchfork Article: Social Media and the Influx of Music Writing

This is an interesting article from Pitchfork’s extremely well written and always astute Resonant Frequency column that discusses how the influx of music writing, mostly due to Social Media and web culture, has changed our opinions and how we think about music.  The author Mark Richardson brings up some really interesting points about the collective music critique culture online and how it changes and informs our own perspectives on music.

Resonant Frequency: Follow People If You Like Their Music | Features | Pitchfork

10. New Interactive Animal Collective Website Recreates Guggenheim Installation

Animal Collective has just launched a new website that seeks to recreate their 2010 Guggenheim Installation accompanied by music from their recent Record Store Day Limted release Transverse Temporal Gyrus.  By combining video and images by artist Danny Perez, and the signature atmospherics and otherworldly sounds Animal Collective is known for, the website is probably the closest thing to seeing one of the world’s most experimental bands take over an entire Frank Lloyd Wright architectural landmark.

via Pitchfork

http://ttg.myanimalhome.net/

11. New Death Grips album The Money Store

Death Grips new album The Money Store was released this week and it’s an unreal almost indefinable sound; its nonstop abrasive noise and industrial elements with earworm synths and guttural rap vocals. The most interesting aspect is it was released by the major label Epic and they were signed by L.A. Reid, who famously also signed Outkast to their first record deal.  They don’t have a lot in common as far as their sound, but they’re both similar in being completely experimental within the rap genre.  Also check out the interview Pitchfork did with Death Grips member Zach Hill, who’s also a member of Hella and Boredoms.  He gives some insight on the philosophy and sound behind the group.

http://soundcloud.com/deathgrips

Death Grips: The Money Store | Album Reviews | Pitchfork

Interviews: Death Grips | Features | Pitchfork

stream: Death Grips – The Money Store | GORILLA VS. BEAR

12. New Purity Ring 4AD single “Obedear”

Purity Ring, along with Sleep ∞ Over, have perfected the art of hazy atmospherics and dream-gaze synths over half-cooed vocals.  Their new single “Obedear” is the perfect evolution of their sound with an electro-backbeat and woozy infectious synth lines.  “Obedear” is the first single off their forthcoming debut album which comes out via 4AD on July 24.

via Pitchfork

http://soundcloud.com/purity-ring

13. New Planet Mu album and Mix by Traxman

Planet Mu has almost become the de facto record label for popularizing juke and footwork music in England and all over Europe.  Traxman is their latest artist that really represents the culture and roots of juke and ghetto house for the seminal label started by idm godfather Mike Paradinas.  Also check out Traxman’s recent FACT mix for a essential primer on juke and footwork, and their earlier incarnations ghetto house and ghetto tech in a masterfully put together set.

http://www.planet.mu/artists/traxman

Traxman: Da Mind of Traxman | Album Reviews | Pitchfork

FACT mix 326: Traxman – FACT magazine: music and art

14. Check It Out! With Dr. Steve Brule “Life and Death” A.V. Club Review

John C. Reilly has inhabited a diverse array of characters over the years but Dr Steve Brule is probably the most engrossing and absolutely bewildering of them all.  Just watching a single episode of Check It Out! could leave you befuddled for days.  A.V. Club writer Brandon Nowalk does a really great review of the second season episode “Life and Death” that really hones in on some of the influences and stylistic elements of the show.

“Life And Death” | Check It Out! With Dr. Steve Brule | TV Club | TV | The A.V. Club

http://video.adultswim.com/check-it-out-with-dr-steve-brule/index.html

15. Grimes plays “Genesis” on Later with Jools Holland

Indie darling Grimes recently played her track “Genesis” on the British late night show Later with Jools Holland and gave an amazing performance that keeps reminding listeners why her 4AD album Visions is one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year.  It’s an enchanted and intimate performance that really brings the track to life.

via Stereogum

http://lunavega.net/2012/04/deconstructing-grimes-will-her-internet-fame-last/

16. Left Eye to Join TLC in Reunion Tour

Weeks after the massive fanfare for Tupac’s digital return to Coachella, TLC announced that Left Eye will join them on their upcoming reunion tour.  The details are still up in the air whether it’ll be similar technology to the Tupac performance, or if they’ll use archival footage, but it’s definitely an interesting concept that’ll defeintely be a big draw for their upcoming tour.

via Huffington Post

17. P’Trique Tells Everyone About Charlotte Free’s New Gig

P’Trique and a gaggle of fashion’s who’s who star in this campy viral vid  as they play telephone spreading the word about model Charlotte Free’s new gig with Maybelline.  Everyone from Betsey Johnson to RHONY’s favorite yenta Jill Zarin makes hilarious cameos.

via Fashionista

The Internet and Social Media have both completely revolutionized not only how culture is shared but also how it’s defined.  There are subcultures and micro-movements online that never would have existed if it wasn’t for instantaneous file sharing and the ease of use of media production software.  All of the creative realms have been affected by web culture, but it seems like this transformation has had the most impact on music; entirely new sub-genres have come into existence that may never have happened if it wasn’t for Internet culture.

One of the main reasons the Internet has spawned so many sub-genres in the last few years is due to the ease of diverse cultural exploration that was so much harder to accomplish before the advent of Social Media.  Previously one of the of the only ways to learn about obscure sub-genres was through magazines or actually having an in and traveling to these places to get a glimpse of the local underground bubbling artists.  The Internet made it possible for anyone to become an expert on any micro-genre; their geographic proximity, affiliations, and demographics became secondary to having a thirst for new and innovative music.  Someone in a small town in the Midwest could realistically know more about what’s happening in Brooklyn music then people actually living in Brooklyn.  This removal of cultural barriers is one of the main catalysts in the expansion of Internet born genres.

The most famous or possibly infamous example is probably chillwave, a genre coined by the Hipster Runoff satire impresario Carles around late 2009 while reviewing some new tracks by Washed Out.  He listed around twenty absurd genre names in trying to frame this new sound and chillwave was definitely the one that stuck.  From there the meta-genre of chillwave spread like wildfire all over the web; Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and even The Wall Street Journal all did chillwave pieces that sought to identify it while at the same time questioning the validity of a genre half-jokingly invented by a blogger.  Chillwave echoed a central quality of most Internet genres by being focused around a distinct sound, style, and aesthetic instead of geography, which is the main way most genres originate.  By not having a central location or scene affiliated with the genre, artists were able to experiment and cultivate the sound at their leisure while collaborating with an eclectic blend of influences from around the globe.

That’s probably one of the most interesting aspects of its conception and of Internet music genres in general; it’s a cultural construct that has concrete origins but is more indebted to experimentation because it doesn’t rely on real world interaction to expand.  As Pitchfork talked about in their chillwave dissection piece, chillwave’s actual origins really go back to the dreamy idyllic sounds of Boards of Canada, an early Warp Records ambient-idm forefather of sorts, and more recently to the 2007 solo album Person Pitch by Panda Bear.  That’s what separates chillwave and a lot of other Internet conceived genres from conventional music evolution; the basis and style of their sound already existed in some form or another, but Carles was able to frame it and meta-brand it for an Internet audience that quickly latched onto the idea, and were able to expand on it’s model in any direction based on their individual culture and surroundings.

Electronic music is probably one of the best examples of a genre that’s extremely fertile for experimentation and Internet mutations.  The majority of electronic genres are usually defined by their drum pattern, tempo, and the synthesizers and drum machines that are utilized, so any unique combination of these original elements can easily give way to a new sound.  There are tons of new electronic artists from the last few years that are taking established electronic sub-genres and combining them into a new mass of indefinable genres.

An artist like Nguzunguzu takes the best aspects of bass music, juke, footwork, bmore, ghetto tech, r&b, and southern rap and completely Cuisinarts them until they sound entirely different then the original genres while still retaining the core elements that make those sounds so intriguing in the first place.  The Internet has completely expanded the palettes of electronic musicians who can easily find everything they need to know about brand new sub-genres through a simple YouTube or Soundcloud search.  Labels like Night Slugs and Planet Mu are taking the last twenty years of electronic music and completely transforming them into amazing new permutations.  Mike Paradinas, aka the legendary idm artist U-ziq, and label-head of Planet Mu, has been one of the largest supporters of footwork and juke music, which are sub-genres born in Chicago that evolved from ghetto house and ghetto tech.

That’s one of the most amazing aspects of Internet genres and how music has evolved through Social Media and web culture; an English musician like Paradinas is almost single-handedly responsible for the promotion of an obscure American sub-genre that might have never become as popular in England and Europe if it wasn’t for his label.  The Internet creates an atmosphere of cross pollination that consistently encourages new forms of cultural experimentation; if this is what music sounds like in the early 2010’s you can only imagine what amazing new genres will exist by the end of the decade.

Resources:

http://altmusic.about.com/od/genres/a/Genre-Profile-Chillwave.htm

http://www.pitchfork.com/features/why-we-fight/8009-why-we-fight-16/

http://www.vulture.com/2011/07/vultures_a_brief_history_of_ch.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chillwave

http://www.hipsterrunoff.com/2009/07/washed-out-next-neon-indianmemory-cassette.html

http://www.hipsterrunoff.com/altreport/2010/03/wall-street-journal-%E2%80%98covers%E2%80%99-chillwave-genre.html

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/03/13/is-chillwave-the-next-big-music-trend/

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/sxsw-glow-fi-draws-the-biggest-crowds/

http://www.mixcloud.com/mikep/mike-paradinas-footworkjuke-mix/

http://blog.bleep.com/2010/08/12/mike-paradinas-introduces-juke-house/

Mobile computing and smart phones have seen some of the largest innovations in the last few years in the different ways they’re utilizing augmented reality technology.  There are so many interactive ways a smart phone or tablet can be used and the app market expands into different areas on almost a daily basis.  We’re going to list a few of the most innovative augmented reality apps on the market and how they’re changing the world of interactive mobile technology.

Blippar is a mobile augmented reality app that really takes the idea of QR codes to another level.  Whenever you see a Blippar logo, whether it’s on a TV ad, product, magazine, or billboard, you just simply open the app up and the augmented reality interaction seamlessly emerges.  Depending on the product, there are tons of different varieties and ways for a company to utilize the app, from 3D interactive advertisements, to games, movie trailers, and contests; almost anything you could imagine.  One of the most interesting uses was for a Heinz ketchup bottle that unfurls a 3D recipe book when the Blippar app is initiated.  A lot of the uses for Blippar are similar to the QR codes that have become commonplace, but there’s a new level of interaction available that really sets it apart, and in the future there will be even a wider range of scenarios where Blippar will convert any stale 2D advertisement into a fully interactive experience.  Another use for it could even be demographic specific ads that differ based on who’s using the application, which could create an entirely new range of micro-focused ads.  Blippar is available for both the iOS and Android platforms.

Word Lens is an augmented reality app that translates any printed text from French or Spanish to English and vice versa.  In real time you can point your camera at any text and it’ll give you the translation, while also matching the font, color, and perspective of the text, and then remapping it onto the image.  For anyone traveling or doing business in foreign countries.  Word Lens is a must-have app that would bring an ease of use to even the most difficult tasks, and it even works without being connected to the Internet, which really increases the variety of locations you can use it in.  Imagine going to Spain or France and every street sign or map you encounter is instantly translated into English; it would almost make a tour guide and or even a translator obsolete.  Asking for directions or trying to understand a menu would be a thing of the past.  Right now there are only dictionaries for French and Spanish to English (and vice versa),  but in the future as the company expands their translation and dictionaries into other countries you could literally travel the world or do business anywhere and still feel right at home.  Word Lens is available for the iOS platform.

Google Goggles is an image recognition app that allows you to do searches based on real world photographs you take with your handheld device.  By taking pictures of objects, places, product barcodes, or almost anything you can take a picture of, Google Goggles takes this info and gives you a detailed search about the item.  It takes the best aspects of the Google search engine and translates it into a real world object based experience; it’s basically an entirely way different way of searching without using text or speech recognition.  Google has even collaborated with The Metropolitan Museum of Art so you can use the app on anything in the museum to immediately learn more about it.  Google Goggles is available for both the iOS and Android platforms.

Google eventually wants to turn Google Goggles into its own platform, similar to Google Maps, with an API in the works to allow outside developers to create their own apps based on it.  Amazon has a similar app called Amazon Flow that allows you to take a picture of any item that can be found on Amazon to immediately check its availability or to order it.  Google Goggles definitely has a much wider range of uses then Amazon Flow, but they’re both great examples of the future of real world image recognition apps.  Amazon Flow is available on the iOS platform.

Google Goggles will eventually become another layer to the Google Glasses that are currently in development, which is an augmented reality headset that projects information about people, objects, and locations on a 3D plane as you interact with them in real time.  Google Goggles and Google Glasses, along with Find My Face (which is facial recognition software that you can use in Google + to scan photos, find friends and suggest tags based on their faces), will eventually all be working in tandem to create a seamless fully immersive experience; it’ll be like a 3D Social Network within reality as you actually network.  They’ll completely redefine how we interact with technology as they transform our real world.

Download Links & Resources:

Blippar

http://itunes.apple.com/app/blippar/id410604563?mt=8

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.blippar.ar.android&hl=en

APP OF THE DAY: Blippar review (Android & iOS) – Pocket-lint

Mobile Augmented Reality Advertising | blippar

Blippar: a QR code killer? | Econsultancy

Word Lens

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/word-lens/id383463868?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/12/word-lens-augmented-reality-app-translates-street-signs-instantly/

http://wordlens.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_Lens

Google Goggles

http://www.google.com/mobile/goggles/#text

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-mobile-app/id284815942?mt=8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Goggles

Google Glasses

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_glasses

http://www.pcworld.com/article/253404/google_glasses_all_hype_or_reality.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/technology/google-glasses-will-be-powered-by-android.html?_r=3

Find My Face

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9222550/Google_unveils_Find_My_Face_tool_for_Google

Amazon Flow

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flow-powered-by-amazon/id474664425?mt=8

http://www.geekwire.com/2011/amazons-flow-iphone-app-augmented-reality-products/