The Vaccines & Teen Jesus and The Jean Teasers in Zurich
On Saturday, January 27, The Vaccines played a sold-out gig at Mascotte Club in Zurich. We brought home some impressions.
Founded in 2010, the London-based band The Vaccines are children of the indie rock hightimes. However, more than a decade later, they still managed to sell out venues: In this case, it was the revered club Mascotte in Zurich.
Opening for The Vaccines were Teen Jesus and The Jean Teasers, an all-female rock quartet from Canberra, Australia.
Warmed up by their power, the crowd took it to the next level with The Vaccines, who released their latest studio album, Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations, this year. Encouraged by the natural entertainer skills of singer Justin Young, the Mascotte celebrated indie rock as if it is still in its genre prime.
Edition #102
Today, we recommend the new songs by Holy Esque, Nola Kin, vega vi, Tanlines, and Millie Turner.
Whispers, screams, pleads, summons. Today's selection stylistically stretches wide from apocalyptic post-punk to innovative indie-folk. But also blends proven artists and promising newcomers.
You can listen to today's curation on selected streaming services:
Spotify • Apple Music • YouTube Music • Bandcamp
Holy Esque – Ask Me Twice
Sometime around 2016, Holy Esque appeared on my radar with the otherworldly debut album At Hope's Ravine. Then, the Glasgow-based band kind of faded away. The sophomore album, Television / Sweet, could not gain the same traction.
After the 2020 EP CPH and a Covid-related release with acoustic versions, they emerged back into my attention with a new single: Ask Me Twice. Holy Esque seamlessly continue creating their signature sound, which is then lifted by Pat Hynes' raspy, vibrato-heavy vocal performance to new heights.
Ask Me Twice juxtaposes an escalating, loud sound with Hynes, who first almost whispers but then screams in frustration. Even now, with a steady stream of post-punk revival bands, Holy Esque still sound unique.
Nola Kin – The Table
Nola Kin made her first entry to Weekly5 with the astonishing song Not What You Think in 2022, where the Swiss artist and former Klain Karoo singer demonstrated impressively that she has not lost an ounce of emotional impact.
After touring through Germany with Black Sea Dahu, Nola Kin will release her second EP, Mayhem, in May. The Table is not only the second teaser to the EP but also a song that digs deep into intimate conversations, advocating honesty, open-mindedness, and vulnerability.
However, the brilliance of The Table is its composition. In the beginning, it almost fools the listener with its straight-forward indie-folk, almost country-like sound, only to then turn the knob of experimentalism with a weirdly distorted guitar solo, creating a fresh take on a rather traditionalist genre.
vega vi – Afloat
Darkness creeps through a meandering, electronic ambient landscape. A deep, dangerous, yet seductive voice reverbs in your head. Afloat is likewise a profoundly physical and ethereal experience.
The artist vega vi, based in the Techno capital Berlin, also operates with synthesizers. But instead of stomping beats, Afloat is dominated by pulsating and floating waves, evoking an almost disorienting, enchanting composition.
Her vocals first spotlighted, slowly sink into the soundscape like stones in water. The song, a teaser for vega vi's upcoming namesake EP, is a promising release, provoking anticipation for the next journey into this sombre sonic underwater world of hers.
Tanlines – Vanishing Point
Brooklyn's duo Tanlines are a product of another time. In 2008, Jesse Cohen and Eric Emm founded the band, providing their debut album, Mixed Emotions, 2012, which was applauded for an intriguing mix of indie-rock and electronica.
Last year, Tanlines released The Big Mess, their third album, after an eight-year break. With their new single, Vanishing Point, they state their intention not to go silent again, and simultaneously provide a track that is both refreshing and nostalgia-filled.
Vanishing Point blends indie-rock elements and synth-pop vibes, and somehow sounds sometimes like a sonic twin to The Police's Every Breath You Take. And despite the rather melancholic sound, Vanishing Point creates also euphoria with its anticipating piano play.
Millie Turner – Venus
U.K. singer Millie Turner was only 17 when she appeared with the song Underwater in the spotlight in 2017. Today, she already has two albums under her belt—and makes no sign of stopping.
While her biggest hits, like January or Night Running, present contemporary, electro-heavy pop compositions, it seems that Turner has grown again significantly since the sophomore album, Eye of the Storm.
Venus plays it less save in the pop realm. Turner experiments with her exceptional voice, and through the composition, a freezing Nordic wind blows over atmospheric strings.
More AI-generated Fake Albums On Spotify Discovered
More AI-generated fake albums appear on Spotify. The problem seems to grow in size.
Last week, Negative White reported on an incident where unknown scam artists uploaded an AI-generated album in the name of Swiss rock trio Bell Baronets. Since then, the story has been picked up by Swiss magazine Beobachter.
But also, more fake album uploads have been reported. Another Swiss band, Basement Saints, came forward. Like with Bell Baronets, the album has been removed from their profile but lives on in a namesake artist profile, hurting their search results on Spotify.
Today, an album has been uploaded to the profile of Mama Jefferson, another Swiss rock band. However, the band is currently on a hiatus since the previous singer, Vanja Vukelic, emigrated from Switzerland.
We want to hear from you. Contact us via hello@negativewhite.com.
Bell Baronets’ Silvan Gerhard, who is also a member of Mama Jefferson, confirmed to Negative White last week that the band remains currently on a break.
AI Increases A Known Problem
As the New York Times wrote several days ago: «For $20, artists can buy an annual subscription to a music distributor, a company that can instantly post songs to dozens of streaming platforms.» And further: «Some marketers have been caught trying to juice the profile of legitimate artists, usually with “bot farms” programmed to play songs on repeat. More often, though, scammers simply create white noise tracks or A.I.-generated tunes on their computers.»
The scheme of abusing the lacklustre verification process between aggregators and streaming platforms we described last week is also a long-known problem. Already in 2019, Pitchfork reported on the issue—including the typical empty corporate statements by both aggregator companies like DistroKid and streaming platforms (DSPs) like Spotify.
However, today’s generative AI tools enhance the problem’s severity: Songs and albums are created within minutes. Last year, Spotify reportedly removed «tens of thousands» of songs from the platform.
How You Spot Fake Albums
AI-generated albums and fake artists are still quite easy to detect. Here are some dead giveaways:
- The cover has an AI-generated aesthetic that probably differs significantly from the band’s previous visual language.
- The album appears suddenly without announcement. While surprise album drops can happen, they are the exception. Most artists will tease their albums with singles and social media posts.
- The songs sound either vastly different, even being a different genre, or the production quality and mix are not on the level with previous real recordings.
- AI fakes uploaded to fake artist profiles can be spotted by checking the artist’s profile. The biography is either empty or ChatGPT-produced emptiness. Social media profiles or photos are missing.
Trust Will Fade
Since we are dealing with a loophole that has been publicly known for years, one might wonder why aggregators and DSPs couldn’t put guardrails in place. Technically, it wouldn’t be a significant challenge.
But they don’t seem to care enough, and why would they? Whether it’s a legitimate upload or not, they take a cut of the money anyway. And if the fake uploads primarily affect bands operating under the radar, their reputation won’t take a blow, and legal ramifications are highly unlikely.
AI-generated music will undoubtedly become the music business’ biggest challenge in 2024. Dealing with emerging problems like these fake uploads should be a top priority. Otherwise, musicians must ask themselves why they should invest time and money to build their brands only to be abused by scammers who profit from their efforts.
Keep Dancing Inc. – A Taste of Possibility
French trio Keep Dancing Inc.'s second album, «A Taste of Possibilty», features ten promising songs but fails to create sonic cohesiveness.
What is an album worth in the age of streaming and playlist domination? The Parisian trio Keep Dancing Inc. released their sophomore album—A Taste of Possibility—and it might provide one potential answer to that question.
Louis de Marliave, Joseph Signoret, and Gabrielle Cressaux initially found each other through a shared love for acts like «LCD Soundsystem, Depeche Mode, and Palma Violets,» as de Marliave states in the album’s press release. Adding in a constant fascination for synthesizers, the Beatles’ harmonies, and electronic formations like New Order and Hot Chip, the trio’s sound is easily deciphered.
Entering the public spotlight with their debut album Embrace in 2020, the dance-pop band followed with an array of singles—as it is best practice today—culminating in the EP Can’ttrio’s Get You Out Of My Mind that features four out of the ten tracks on A Taste of Possibility.
Recorded during the pandemic’s height, the process differed from before: «We were working with a more stripped-back sound of just a synth, guitar and drums and found that we were much tighter as a band,» states bassist Joseph Signoret.
But it wasn’t just the songwriting process or the live recording that challenged Keep Dancing Inc. The trio embarked on entirely self-producing the record. The band’s collaborative spirit meant that everyone could pitch in: «Everyone brings ideas to the table that we work on together,» explains Signoret further in the press release.
Keep Shifting Inc.
All this information sets the backdrop for listening to A Taste of Possibility. And it seems the album’s title is already engraved as a prophecy for what to expect. Keep Dancing Inc., so the perception, took the possibilities quite literally and explored their sound in all directions.
It starts with 96, an eclectic instrumental track featuring heavy guitar work, fuzzy bass lines, and playful synth melodies, pulling back the curtain of what Keep Dancing Inc.’s sound entails. There’s just enough jam session flavour and drive to create something intriguing.
From there, we arrive at A Taste of Possibility, the album’s namesake song. To say that it sounds different from the opener would be a gross understatement. We are greeted by summer-warm pop, refined with a pinch of funk. It is an almost unbearably happy sound.
And the sound keeps shifting colours from there on out like a hyperactive chameleon: Murders Mourns Again, criticizing Western hypocrisy, is a fast-paced rock sound, housing a bit of surf vibe and post-punk ambience.
Followed by the slowly building synth-pop in Chinese Town, we arrive at the mellow Can’talbum’s Get You Out Of My Mind—a reflection of long-distance relationship and isolation, and the acoustic-guitar-dominated You’reCan’t My Healthiest Addiction.
GPS then throws another wrench with its garage sound—inspired by Let the Beat Hit’You’re Em by Tru Faith. The admittedly funny ballad Pollination Nation Invasion, telling us about the first time experiencing hay fever, is followed by the building pop composition in Tell Me Again, while Radio, the album’s most straightforward rock song, concludes A Taste of Possibility.
Individually Great—But Not Cohesive Enough
There is something exciting about artists willing to branch out, explore different styles, and chart untrampled routes through the sonic jungle. Nobody who truly cares about music wants an album with ten copy-pasted songs.
But with A Taste of Possibility, Keep Dancing Inc. unfortunately went too far with the concept of variability. The album feels disjointed, only held together by an underlying story of creation and first times for the band itself—a story that remains ominous to the uninitiated. It is simply not enough to throw a bunch of singles together and call it an album… even with the premise of that title. There must be an apparent thread and maybe even a sense of direction.
However harsh the criticism might be that Keep Dancing Inc. shot miles past the idea of an album, it is by no means a criticism of their songs individually. Individually, they are great, each in their own regard.
One might enjoy the overwhelming happiness and retro-pop vibe in A Taste of Possibility or Chinese Town. Others may find the instrumental opus 96 or the post-punkish Murderer Mourns Again, easily the album’s best tracks, an incentive to listen.
The album’s overdone variability means that many might find one or two tracks they like—and forget about the rest. And it ultimately remains sad that Keep Dancing Inc.’s second album—after a promising and cohesive picture provided in Embrace—went overboard with their sonic kaleidoscope.
Maybe At The Crossroads
You can now argue that today’s world doesn’t need cohesiveness anymore. Who even cares about albums when playlists are the main driver for music discovery? And I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with you. In such a world, it makes sense to create bolder variety.
But then, there’s no need for an album anymore: You gain more attention by steadily releasing singles throughout the year. However, Keep Dancing Inc. decided to bundle the songs nonetheless.
On the other hand, we can give this a positive spin: Maybe we see A Taste of Possibility in hindsight as an album that was searching for the future—heavily impacted by the departure of a former band member, the pandemic, and an urge to experiment. Keep Dancing Inc. states that the album feels like «a big milestone» in their careers.
Each of the record’s songs provides a potential outlook on where the band might be heading. «We’re already thinking about what’s next now, like maybe developing a more minimalist sound for the dancefloor. But for now, we’re just happy to continue defining what Keep Dancing Inc. is all about.»
With the best of intentions, you could see it as a canvas full of promising ideas. And as a cliffhanger for the band’s further adventures.
Keep Dancing Inc. – A Taste Of Possibility
Release: January 26, 2024
Edition #101
Today, we recommend the new songs by Linn Koch-Emmery, THYMIAN, Brother Bird, Junes, and the einsamkeit.
We are kicking off a new year of Weekly5 today with some truly excellent works—from the otherworldly songwriting by Sweden's Linn Koch-Emmery to the stunning artistic development by THYMIAN.
You might find joy in the almost scary beauty of Brother Bird's latest single or indulge in the slow-burning composition by Swiss newcomer Junes. And if you're just here for some sad boy beats, you might embrace the underground—a new post-punk revival project.
You can listen to today's curation on selected streaming services:
Spotify • Apple Music • YouTube Music • Bandcamp
Linn Koch-Emmery – Ebay Armour
Swedish artist Linn Koch-Emmery is back after what felt like an empty eternity since her last release, a cover of Lil Peep's Falling Down, in 2022. Since her Grammy-nominated debut album, Being the girl, Koch-Emmery is on a path to infuse more and more vulnerability into her work.
Similar to the utterly brilliant Linn RIP, the new song Ebay Armour sits right in this amalgamated sweet spot of alternative, indie-rock, and pop-like melodies; the composition is dense, even overwhelming, a totality of sound. But the musician's comforting voice guides us through the sonic thicket with a warm glowing melody.
The songwriting, no the whole song, again, is beyond words. It is the result of more than a year of dedicated effort on Linn Koch-Emmery's part and the close collaboration with The Vaccines' Pete Robertson as producer.
THYMIAN – Sentimental feat. Ferran Gorrea
Since his self-titled EP in 2019, THYMIAN has steadily grown his profile with a minimal, 80s-synthpop and post-punk-inspired sound, coined with his memorable singing. Compared to previous songs like Composure or It Is Just Natural, his latest work—Sentimental—shows a significant progression in creativity, quality, and innovation.
In Sentimental, THYMIAN's sound has matured and expanded into more dynamicism—especially with the contribution of Spanish saxophonist Ferran Gorrea. We have heard the combination of post-punk and sax already excel with True Faith's In Vain.
But most of all, the Swiss musician has aligned his voice to the sound: Still full of character, recognizable, yet more natural and closer to his live performances, THYMIAN's delivery approaches Dave Gahan.
Brother Bird – state of mind
In 2013, Caroline Glaser was a participant in the fourth season of The Voice. That is long ago, and in 2021, the Nashville-based singer and songwriter released her debut album, gardens, with her solo project Brother Bird—again proving that those who don't win talent shows are far more interesting artists.
With state of mind, Brother Bird delivers a new display of ethereal excellence. Between the earthy indie-folk waves, you can feel the nostalgia, maybe even a pinch of sadness, penetrating the soul.
Ultimately, it is Brother Bird's reverbing, angelic voice juxtaposed with the planet-bound sphere of us mortals that wraps state of mind in something scary-beautiful. Even the line «We got nothing to lose if we're all gonna die» sounds comforting when it's sung with her voice.
Junes – Happy
Switzerland's newcomer Junes made his initial appearance last year with Easier For You. And it wasn't simply a short splash, as the Zurich-based artist, who used to fall asleep and wake up to Adele's music, follows up with Happy, a song that is far from what the title might suggest.
«It's a song about situations that you don't want to be in anymore but that someone else wants for you,» says Junes about Happy. Composed in the most minimalistic way, with soft touches on the piano and perfectly placed effects, Happy somehow evokes infinity nonetheless.
Happy meanders slowly and shifts shape while Junes gently vocalises his thoughts—almost improvised but too deliberate to classify as a stream of consciousness. Happy is not easy yet a song that unveils its bittersweetness after a while.
the einsamkeit – Sad
You could write a thesis about the reasons why post-punk and dark wave celebrates a resurgence amongst some young people. What is certain is that German acts like Temmis or Edwin Rosen, coining weird genre names like «Neue Deutsche Einsamkeit» or «Neue Neue Deutsche Welle», seem to satisfy a desire for melancholy.
Two artists, an indie-popper and an electronica producer, who would rather remain in the background for now have joined forces in a project called the einsamkeit. Their first single leans hard into this newly carved out niche of electronically dominated sad boy sound.
Sad ticks all the necessary boxes, follows a known recipe, and it should be boring by now. But who cares when the bassline pumps all the blood into the legs, making them ready for dancing, and too little is left in the brain to really think about it? Adrenaline, even with a sombre coating, is still addictive.
The Soft Moon's Luis Vasquez Passed Away
According to the artist's Instagram, Luis Vasquez, the mastermind behind The Soft Moon, has passed away. His body was found alongside two others.
«It is with great sadness that we announce our dear friend, Luis Vasquez, has passed away,» the statement uploaded on January 19 to The Soft Moon's Instagram page reads. As of publications, the details about Vasquez's death are not known.
3 Bodies Were Found
According to a report by CBS News, Vasquez was found in a Los Angeles residence alongside two other dead people. The individuals were identified by the LA County coroner as 46-year-old John «Juan» Mendez, techno DJ and recording artist known as Silent Servant and 43-year-old Simone Ling, who was reportedly Mendez's partner.
Heartbroken Reactions
The message of Vasquez's passing at 44 was met with heartfelt and disbelieving statements by both fans and fellow musicians.
«I'm so extremely sad about this !!! […] This is not fair, it's meaningless… really no words…,» Trentemøller commented. The KVB wrote: «Please no, we can't believe this.» And the LA-based industrial band Health said: «Goddamn it. I'm glad we were lucky enough to make some music with you. This is heartbreaking.»
Luis Vasquez, the child of a Cuban immigrant mother and an absent Mexican father, grew up in Los Angeles, California.
He was the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and sole official member of The Soft Moon, the post-punk and dark wave project he founded in 2009.
With each release, the band gained traction and fans, supporting acts like Interpol and Depeche Mode on their tours. The 2015 album Deeper was especially well-received. T. Cole Rachel wrote for Pitchfork: «Few contemporary artists have managed such a clever reimagining of post-punk and spooky new wave in a way that sounds both familiar and somehow fresh.»
In a review of The Soft Moon's concert at the One Of A Million Festival in 2018, Janosch Troehler wrote for Negative White:
The longer this madness continues, the smaller the chances of rescue. The air glows. Beads of sweat shimmer in the strobe lightning. Bodies synchronise under the mercilessly pounding sound. Words do not do justice to this crazy spectacle; they are a mere shadow of this physical experience. They fade with every blow from Luis Vasquez on the empty oil drum.
Luis Vasquez passed away shortly before The Soft Moon was scheduled to embark on their «Feb 2024 Tour», which would have had them play in several European cities as well as at the Grauzone Festival in The Hague, Netherlands.
The festival's account commented on the post:
Rest In Peace Luis, our dear friend. We are crying writing this, as we knew him almost 15 years. He is one of the reasons why we started Grauzone Festival as he was one of the first to put postpunk back on the map.
His lyrics, his music, his art perfectly fitted us, and that's why we became friends, hung out, and organised many of his shows. Such a kind, funny, talented person.
Only 3 months ago we visited him in LA, and everything seemed well, and he was very very looking forward to his show at Grauzone which would be in a few weeks... we are in total shock. Farewell our dear friend.
«Take me far away. To escape myself. Cos I was born to suffer. It kills my mind. It kills me inside. Take me far away to escape myself»
Swiss Band Becomes Victim of AI Scam
Bell Baronets suddenly found that they'd released a new EP. The problem: It's not theirs. What happened?
Bell Baronets are an independent rock band from Switzerland. The trio around guitarist Silvan Gerhard has been releasing music for over a decade—with the EP Mount Yeast Tapes (Side B) being their latest in 2022. They are a small band with currently 574 monthly listeners on Spotify.
However, a new EP suddenly appeared on Spotify and other streaming services. I Will Not Surrender with six new songs. Fans might have been excited, but there's a problem: It's not Bell Baronets.
«My brother wrote me because he had it in his Release Radar on Spotify,» Gerhard tells Negative White over the phone. «At first, I definitely was perplexed and also angry, but the more I think about it, the more I can laugh.» He made the fake EP public on the band's social media profiles.
«I thought the EP got accidentally attributed to us, but then I listened to the songs, and it felt odd. It sounds like us, but not quite. The mix is pretty whack. The voice sounds different in every song,» Gerhard explains. After that, he suspected that it was AI-generated music.
So what happened exactly?
How The Scam Works
A combination of criminal energy and lacklustre controls enabled this fake EP to arrive at Bell Baronets' profiles. The ingredients for the scam are simple: Anyone can sign up for an aggregator like DistroKid. Aggregators act as interfaces to various streaming services like Spotify and ease the digital distribution for artists.
However, you can also attribute your uploaded music to any artist you like on these aggregators. Streaming services and aggregators assume that people naturally want to upload to their profiles.
But how do they get the money?
One would think uploading fake songs to another artist's profile is useless since the money would go to said artists. That's wrong in the case of aggregators since streaming services pay the aggregators, who then pay the people who uploaded the music. And that is, in the case of Bell Baronets, not them.
There is no check from aggregators or most streaming services if the upload, and by extension, the payout for those, are legitimate. These insufficient checks open the doors for scammers who probably deploy their scheme with thousands of artists to make it profitable.
Gerhard mentions that the EP wasn't uploaded to Apple Music as their upload policy is more strict.
«We Won't Be The Last Ones»
For Silvan Gerhard, it comes as little surprise that Bell Baronets were used for the scam. He reckons that the people behind it specifically target smaller bands because it's less likely to be discovered, and legal ramifications are unlikely. «We definitely won't be the last ones where this happens.»
«The insane thing is that I can't get these songs deleted easily,» he explains. It would require a lot of legal trouble, which Bell Baronets can not afford. Although the fake EP has meanwhile vanished from their artist's page on Spotify and moved to a new artist with the same name, there's still continuous damage. If you search for Bell Baronets, the fake songs are the first results.
Here's an actual song by Bell Baronets.
«The whole AI thing is scary, but our example also shows that it's currently not possible to generate an entire EP with any sort of consistency,» Gerhard states. But he admits that it adds challenge for independent artists. According to his distributor, the AI-powered scams are also top-of-mind with Impala, the European indie association. He hopes there will be a solution soon.
📚 Recommended Reads
- Artificial Intelligence Writes About Music
We used ChatGPT to create short descriptions for songs. The results are simultaneously impressive and sobering. - Are We Ready For The AI Future Of Music?
Artificial Intelligence applications are disrupting the music industry at a staggering pace. It raises many legal, ethical, and philosophical questions—and a potentially bleak future.
While the incident is a nuisance for Silvan Gerhard, who earns his living as a session and live guitarist for several Swiss bands, he took the bull by its horns. He turned it into a good marketing opportunity and simultaneously raised awareness for the issues of AI music scams.
Pitchfork Will Be Integrated With GQ Magazine
Publisher Condé Nast announced drastic changes at music website Pitchfork.
According to a post on Threads by Maxwell Tani, media reporter at Semafor, the publishing house Condé Nast plans to move the music website Pitchfork under GQ.
Tani posted a screenshot, apparently showing the note to Pitchfork's staff by Anna Wintour, Condé Nast's Chief Content Officer:
Today we are evolving our Pitchfork team structure by bringing the team into the GQ organization. This decision was made after a careful evaluation of Pitchfork's performance and what we believe is the best path forward for the brand so that our coverage of music can continue to thrive within the company.
The note further indicates that the current editor, Puja Patel, will also leave the company. She replaced the site's founder, Ryan Schreiber, in 2018. According to the New York Times, Condé Nast declined to comment on how many employees will lose their jobs.
Blog Turned Corporate
The origins of Pitchfork date back to 1996 when Ryan Schreiber created the website. The early music blog grew significantly and became a landmark in online music journalism—even organising their own music festivals starting in 2005.
In October 2015, Condé Nast, the publisher of magazines like Vogue, Wired, and The New Yorker. It is unknown how much Condé Nast paid for the acquisition. However, Fred Santarpia, the publisher's chief digital officer then, said: «Pitchfork is profitable, and it boasts a thriving live events business, with events in Chicago and Paris, and robust video offerings — both vital and growing parts of the publishing business.»
Pitchfork's acquisition was the last stepping stone of a blog that reached the heights of the corporate publishing world. Around the same time, other digital media offsprings like Vice or Buzzfeed saw their glory days.
Continuous Decline
In recent months and years, all these former blog echelons saw a critical decline. Vice filed for bankruptcy last year, Buzzfeed shut down its news division, and now Pitchfork becomes the latest poster child to see what is probably its downfall.
Although Pitchfork's advertising page still boasts that the site reaches a «loyal audience of more than 7 million monthly unique visitors», the accuracy of this number is likely low as the information has not changed since 2016.
Wintour's note unveils apparent problems through the corporate phrase «a careful evaluation of Pitchfork's performance,» which translates to a failing business model.
Unclear Future
What the folding of Pitchfork's staff into GQ means for the brand is yet to be clarified. Will it disappear or remain a standalone website? So far, no information has been provided that answers this question.
However, the news is again a clear indication that music journalism in its current form can not survive in the corporate world with an advertising-based business model. While titles like Rolling Stone Magazine can still feed off the nostalgia factor, online magazines seem to struggle much more.
