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First Floor #248 – Another One Bites the Dust
Thoughts on XLR8R and its unnoticed closure, plus a round-up of the latest electronic music news and a fresh crop of new track recommendations.
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Shawn Reynaldo
The Music Business Is Broken, and Everybody Knows It
Stuck in a system that only benefits a select few, the music community is struggling to even imagine viable alternatives.
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Shawn Reynaldo
Liz Pelly Wrote a Book About Spotify and the "Systemic Grift" of Streaming
a.k.a. An interview with the New York-based writer and editor, whose highly anticipated new title details the high costs of streaming convenience—and…
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Shawn Reynaldo
A Music Industry That Doesn't Sell Music
a.k.a. It's a lot easier to capitalize on people's dreams of being an artist than it is to actually market whatever music they make.
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Shawn Reynaldo
Not a Great Year for Dance Music
a.k.a. Having spent 2023 doubling down on the ridiculousness of 2022, the genre currently sits in a rather uninspiring place.
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Shawn Reynaldo
The Music Press Has Decided to Pivot
a.k.a. After years of pushing star worship and post-pandemic silliness, Pitchfork and Resident Advisor have spun up a new narrative.
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Shawn Reynaldo
XLR8R Closed Up Shop, and Nobody Really Noticed
a.k.a. Once one of electronic music's most vital media outlets, the publication quietly paused its editorial operations last month.
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Shawn Reynaldo
Music Discourse Has Migrated to Instagram
With social media posts promoting content often attracting more attention than the content itself, what is the "real" work of a modern-day music…
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Shawn Reynaldo
Being a DJ Is Embarrassing
a.k.a. The current version of dance music isn't what many artists originally signed up for.
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Shawn Reynaldo
The Trouble with "Tribal"
The globalization of dance music is bringing all sorts of new sounds and rhythms into the culture, but properly contextualizing that evolution will be…
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Shawn Reynaldo
Music Blogging Is Back. Enjoy It While It Lasts.
a.k.a. A surge of new newsletters and podcasts has given rise to what increasingly feels like a healthy independent music media ecosystem, but its…
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Shawn Reynaldo
The Business of Dance Music Is Booming. The Culture? That's Another Story.
In a genre where seemingly every facet of the ecosystem has been invaded by capital concerns, definitions of success are shifting.
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Shawn Reynaldo
© 2025 Shawn Reynaldo
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