Rock and metal at the centre: the culture, the studios and production craft, the gear and instruments, touring economics, streaming's effect on how records get made, and the technology reshaping the industry.
Olivia Rodrigo's single-store CD drop in California highlights how pop marketing has turned physical media into hyper-local retail theatre and speculative fan currency.
23 Aug 2026
Jay Weinberg's disclosure of restrictive contracts in arena rock exposes how major touring acts now use corporate non-competes, trading traditional session freedom for enterprise brand containment.
16 Aug 2026
Madonna's tribute to producer William Orbit following his death at 69 underscores how their landmark work on Ray of Light redefined pop music by turning early digital editing into a tactile, atmospheric instrument.
9 Aug 2026
Massive Attack’s ban from Singapore reveals how software-driven stage design and real-time commentary have turned global arena tours into high-stakes political friction points.
3 Aug 2026
Ariana Grande's lawsuit against anonymous hackers highlights how unreleased pop vaults are no longer leaked for fan clout, but systematically monetised through private digital networks.
28 Jul 2026
Heavy metal touring has abandoned towering amp stacks for silent stages, amp modulators, and automated Ableton Live rigs. We examine the acoustic, financial, and artistic consequences.
24 Jul 2026
Digital profiling promised endless tone options for heavy metal. Instead, software like Neural DSP and Kemper created a frictionless, interchangeable mix template.
23 Jul 2026