Here are some artists to support on Bandcamp on its revenue share day – Dancing Astronaut

by: Dancing Astronaut Staff Mar 20, 2020

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The music industry is among those hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made its way around all major continents since its emergence in Wuhan. Virtually all spring festivals have been cancelled, and summer has already begun taking on losses with the postponement of mega events like Glastonbury and Movement Detroit. For many artists, these cancellations mean a huge losss to their annual income—and to some, the majority.

Amid those rising up to help mitigate this loss, Bandcamp has risen as a leader in industry altruism. The company announced on March 17 that for 24 hours on Friday, March 20, they’d cede their revenue share to the artists.

Dancing Astronaut has put together a shortlist of a few of our favorite artists, labels, and albums on the platform to support right now. We encourage the browsing to continue far after this.

Words by: Christina Hernandez, Harry Levin, Josh Stewart

MGMT

Sure, Bandcamp is a great tool for up and coming artists to get their releases out to the world, but it also serves as the perfect platform for developed artists to step away from the major labels and do their own thing. MGMT‘s In The Afternoon, the group’s first-ever independent release, is a chilling exploration of gritty psych-rock that pushes the duo’s sound well beyond the sound of major distribution. -JS

MAD ZOO [Label]

MAD ZOO is one of the few independent dance music label’s with their entire catalog on Bandcamp. Mat Zo started this label to avoid commercialism while promoting diverse, rising talents. So purchasing their music on Bandcamp this Friday and having all the money go to the artists would be playing in to that exact purpose. – HL

Skream (Back Catalog)

Just yesterday the dance music immortal Skream tweeted he found an old swath of unreleased tunes from between 2002 and 2010. Those were Skream’s dubstep years. Put two and two together. – HL

Eris Drew – Fluids Of Emotion

From her T4T LUV NRG project with Octo Octa to her continued perfection in her vinyl sets, Eris Drew has swiftly and rightfully risen as a groundbreaking talent of the modern age. She taps into the “mother beat” with each song she spins, and now does so in the studio as well. Take for instance her first major EP, Fluids Of Emotion, whose pulstating synths and soulful grooves do well in opening the soul. – CH

Partyboi69

Partiboi69 is known for his strictly unprotected sets from his youtube channel, AKA The Stingzone, but the Aussie, who’s one part DJing sensation, one part *** icon deserves more credit for his equally raw productions. Ghettomusick is a single that likely went under the radar upon release, but is one of those ravaging timeless tracks that will bring any party to the next level. – JS

Planetary Assault Systems (Luke Slater)

Luke Slater is a longtime techno pioneer, and we’re particularly drawn to the steely, extraterrestrial sounds emanating from his Planetary Assault Systems moniker. His work under the project makes an ideal soundtrack for “pounding it out,” so to speak—or perhaps an isolated run whislt contemplating the fragility of humanity. – CH

TOKiMONSTA – Oasis Nocturno [TOKiMONSTA Recordings]

This list would be remiss without a shout for TOKiMONSTA‘s latest LP, Oasis Nocturno. The GRAMMY-nominated artist has gone through her fair share of trauma, but continues to survive and thrive as her career goes on. Oasis Nocturno is an incredible cohesive body of work that feels perfectly suited to bring calm amid the craziness of today’s times—but her full catalog is worth a download as well. – CH

Insector

One thing that’s great about Bandcamp is how fearless it is in exploring the nooks and crannies of dance music. Here we take a look at Insector, a psytrance icon whose latest album, Tree of Souls is a blisteringly vibrant take on a genre that long seems forgotten in 2020. – JS

Acemo

Lo-fi Youtube channels are all the rage for background music, but what about lo-fi house? Acemo is a knight of lo-fi house, and his entire discography is on Bandcamp. – HL

Tito Supremo

A whirling dervish of sound design, Tito Supremo seamlessly bridges the gap between electronic and live instrumentals, concocting an audio-montage of melody and emotion in his latest LP, The Silence. Never one for monotony, Tito’s latest work covers a range of styles with an equally diverse palate of brushstrokes, from the driving kinetic rhythms of “Star Drive F”, to the somber astral projections of “My Favorite Alien Noise,” making The Silence his more thorough offering yet. – JS

KAS:ST

French duo KAS:ST are leaders in the deep, hypnotic techno movement; their sound design is crisp and balanced, while their hardware-infused live set is nothing short of impressive. Perhaps their biggest specialty, however, is instilling emotion into otherwise throbbing club cuts—and their Road To Nowhere LP is a perfect encapsulation of this skill. – CH

Photo credit: Eisa Bakos