Bi-Weekly-ish Newsletter #53 w/ (put me in) Coach, 🍴Pitchfork🍴, 🔊 Sound Affects 🔊 and 🌟Shameless 🌟 Self 🌟 promotion.
Hej då readers,
Thanks for opening this email and joining me here for edition number something-something of the bi-weekly-ish newsletter on culture, music and tech by yours truly: Märcel Alexänder Wiebengä.
This edition features a fantastic commercial that I thoroughly live, laugh, and love and the demise of an iconic online music magazine called Pitchfork, which I don't live, laugh, nor love.
Furthermore, a project called Sound Affects, which showcases how sound in war-torn countries is causing post-traumatic stress disorder and a company that raises awareness for it, and two write-ups that shamelessly self-promote me, myself and I. Perhaps something that I don't live, laugh, love either, but does need to happen sometime.
Enjoy!
1. Coach – Life Has Many Paths (Courage To Be Real)
French Flair in Filmmaking
This week, Marcel, the Parisian agency with the most quintessentially French name imaginable, released a commercial for the American fashion brand Coach. Directed by Henry Scholfield, the commercial presents a striking exploration of the infinite possibilities of parallel lives.
It's incredible to consider how even the insignificant choices we make every day can significantly impact the trajectory of our lives. This is the central concept behind an advertisement that features a video introducing us to several versions of the same characters, all living together in a single city but with subtle differences.
The film's audio spectrum is nothing short of excellent, guiding us through a dizzying array of thoughts and memories, beautifully complemented by the track "Movies" by Weyes Blood.
The music supervision and direction are excellent, making for a film with an in-depth idea that you probably wish you would have made yourself.
2. Pitchfork Absorbes into GQ
Voices and Vital Varying Views Vanishing
Last week, Pitchfork was announced to be absorbed into GQ, another title from parent company Condé Nast (see announcement email). It is unclear what 'absorbed' precisely means, but it is already evident that there have been many layoffs.
At Pitchfork's editorial office and elsewhere in the music industry, there are few illusions about this decision's impact on the platform, which is more likely to diminish rather than increase.
Since 1995, Pitchfork has been an influential, outspoken, and sometimes feared voice in the international music industry. The site's judgment can make or break artists. The occasionally harsh reviews have regularly attracted criticism from labels, management, booking agents, artists and fans alike.
Robust music media is pivotal for all: exposing work to a broader audience, mythologizing, and storytelling in a way that leaves more of a lasting impression on listeners than marketing will ever manage. In other words. Robust music media creates meaning for consumers, artists, and music.
Very!
Sad!
News!
Luckily, we still have this guy:
3. Sound Affects
Altering Anxiety w/ Acoustic Alchemy
In my living room, I have a framed poster of the "Drone Survival Guide" that I picked up at a museum in Berlin. This guide is an instructional tool for recognizing different types of armed drones often used in the Middle East.
Accompanying this poster was a recording titled "A Study into 21st Century Drone Acoustics." The project highlights the acoustic presence of drones, which are often heard rather than seen due to their high-altitude operation. The term "drone" itself, originating from the sound of the male honeybee, resonates with the noise these machines make, creating soundscapes that are a source of fear and anxiety in conflict areas.
Building on this concept, Sixième Son, an excellent French audio branding company, has initiated a project named "Sound Affects." This project aims to transform the traumatic sounds of conflict into a tool for healing and support. Using foley artists and sound engineers to recreate conflict sounds with everyday items, they turn traumatic auditory experiences into a source of therapy. Sounds are repurposed to mimic conflict noises: a sewing machine becomes a passing tank, a water stream an explosion, and popcorn drops mimic gunshots. This innovative approach not only aids in psychological healing for refugees but also helps raise funds for their treatment and support.
Both projects showcase sound's (negative) power but give it a positive turn but let's move towards a world where this is redundant and something of the past.
4. Ringo is Live
Shameless self-promotion part 1!
Ringo is now live, albeit in a private beta phase. Last week marked the soft launch of version 01 of our music licensing platform, designed to streamline the sync licensing process for advertising agencies and brands. It offers a user-friendly solution for on-demand access to all relevant data and track information, making licensing simple, safe and stress-free.
Ringo's primary feature currently allows users to upload a Spotify playlist and specify usage terms (e.g., "Nike commercial, one year, all media, Europe"). In response, the system provides an algorithmically generated pricing range. While this price range is non-binding, it's invaluable for early-stage budgeting and checking the economic feasibility of projects.
The initial feedback has been positive, and the platform functions quite smoothly. We're in the process of onboarding our first 20 early-stage users, who have been instrumental in developing the platform over the past months. We're excited to announce that our first official users include Henan Wensink, a renowned music supervisor from Germany, and Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, represented by their Business Affairs Manager, Michael Graves.
We're debuting and testing the platform with these early adopters this quarter. However, we’ve opened up early access sign-ups tom our public beta, which we plan to launch in Q2 2024. You can sign up here for those interested in getting early access and participating in this exciting journey.
5. Radboud - The Future Needs You
And shameless sell promotion part 2.
Besides working on Ringo, we often engage in cool music supervision and audio consultancy projects. Last week, we saw the launch of a campaign for Radboud University's 100th anniversary, a project we had the privilege of working on.
Humans often inadvertently distance themselves from nature, raising the question: are we jeopardizing our existence? The moment for transformative change is now, and while celebrating its centennial, Radboud University extends an invitation to visionary minds to embark on a mission dedicated to securing a sustainable future for the generations to come.
This vital message was created by the fine minds at Total Design, with music and SFX executive produced by yours truly at Howl in association with Audentity.
Have a look!
That is for this edition. Thanks for reading and what I wonder:
We could be the new wind
Do you know, do you care?
Marcel