Musicians Who Are Using Tech to Change the Industry

So we don’t have teleportation hubs, hardwired neocortexes, or instantaneous pizza delivery. Nevertheless, we’re at a point where technology gives creators and artists a chance to explore ideas and strategies that would have been impossible even 15 years ago. Musicians have always used technology to advance their creativity, their connection with fans, and their cash flow, but each time tech evolves, it opens new doors for artists smart enough to embrace it and think outside the box.

Today, artists have the power to change the entire industry, and many are doing just that. We’re not talking about another gimmicky (and unsettling) holographic Tupac; we’re talking about musicians who are changing the industry with their technological savvy. The artists below embrace technology for everything from reframing how we think about sharing music to finding modern-day patrons of the arts to using tech to enhance their overall creative vision. Whether it’s within a boardroom, the studio, or your smartphone, these artists are doing the most with tech to change the industry.

Jay Z: Tidal

Perhaps one of the most newsworthy shake-ups in the industry of late has been Jay Z’s entry into the streaming business with Tidal. Along with a star-studded lineup of celebs, Jay Z launched his much-discussed Tidal music-streaming platform alongside other services like Spotify, Rdio, and Apple’s upcoming relaunch of Beats Music. Jay and the Tidal team have lofty aspirations for what their service can do for the industry, namely putting the artists first, getting all “content creators” (i.e. songwriters, producers, techs, etc.) paid, and reframing music consumption as something that has monetary value for the artists. Most recently, Jay put his money where his mouth is in the video for “Glory,” which was released exclusively on Tidal. Peep it here with a Tidal trial.

Dr. Dre: Beats by Dre

Before Jay Z hopped into the tech world, hip-hop-mogul-turned-headphone-magnate Dr. Dre paved the way with his immensely popular Beats by Dre headphones. These boldly designed headphones can be spotted in their natural habitat on just about any commute in any city in America. The Beats headphones line inspired countless competitors and knock-offs, creating a whole new segment of headphones that didn’t exist before. Not only that, but they also brought product placement (in music videos, for starters) and artist sponsorship (football players, musicians, etc.) to an entirely new level. Beats by Dre also set up another influential musician to make a strong foray into the tech world…

Trent Reznor: Beats Music

So Beats Music started with Dre, but it didn't end there. More recently, Trent Reznor, the mastermind behind Nine Inch Nails, jumped from Beats’ early-stage advisor to chief creative officer for the new Beats Music, now owned by Apple and rumored to be replacing their current music app, or at least iTunes Radio. Reznor is said to be working alongside beloved Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe to curate tunes for the app, further blurring the line between artist, curator, software, and corporation.

FKA twigs: #ThroughGlass Video

Last year saw FKA twigs introducing a radically refreshing set of warped, futuristic sounds into the popular music toolkit. Her M.O. from day one has been to push boundaries and ask tough questions. So it was a surprise last fall when she donned a pair of Google Glass to try her hand at directing a music video cum advertisement-art experiment. Leave it to twigs to somehow successfully integrate tech promo into an eerie commentary on cybernetics, surveillance, and tech-assisted self-improvement.

Aphex Twin: An Album Made by Robots

Technological advances in music-making technology might be even more impressive than the booming development in music streaming software. Take for instance Aphex Twin’s latest EP, Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments pt2, which released this past January. The entire record was created by MIDI-programmed robots, mechanically playing all of this complex, dark electronica as commanded by Aphex Twin’s hardware and computer. In a time where many sci-fi novelists predicted computers would take over, this is may be the closest physical manifestation that we’ve seen in music yet.

Frank Ocean: His Own Magazine, Tumblr

While most artists are diversifying their “brands” and hopping on the hottest new trend, Frank Ocean has a decidedly measured approach. Not only did Ocean ditch Instagram and Twitter to focus solely on Tumblr (pretty wild when you think about what it’d be like if other artists of his stature made the same move), but he recently announced his plan to publish an actual print magazine this summer alongside the release of his upcoming album. The magazine, titled Boys Don’t Cry, was announced where else but on Ocean’s Tumblr page. Gotta love the cheekiness required to announce plans for a pre-Internet publication on the world’s biggest post-print blogging platform.

Lil B: Very Rare Meme and Emoji Apps

Speaking of diversification, what other artist has created three apps in less than a year? None other than the one and only Based God. The Bay Area’s meme-icon Lil B first released his Basedmoji back in September, followed by a somewhat similar customized emoji app for a vegan mayo company (trust, we couldn’t make this up). Most recently, Lil B released a new #THANKYOUBASEDGOD meme creator app. The dude’s already mastered Myspace, Twitter, and YouTube, and it’s only a matter of time until he’s “dabbling in that Javascript.”

Radiohead: PolyFauna App

The Based God isn’t the only artist to branch out into the app world. Last year, Radiohead released their PolyFauna app, an immersive, open-ended adventure app that is part game, part music video, and part future album. It was originally released as a companion to their 2011 album, King of Limbs, but has since been updated to include new music only found within the app and its accompanying visuals. This creative app hints at a possible future for music video exploration, and perhaps even a way for artists to release new music in general.

Dan Deacon: Synth-Infused Live Show

At first listen, Dan Deacon’s ecstatic chiptuned electro-phoria can belie his classical composition background, but if you listen carefully, complex melodic changes and polyrhythms still drive his music. Deacon could, like he did with his last record, build an anechoic chamber for recording pristine orchestral arrangements. Instead, Deacon’s newest record, Gliss Riffer, returned to his DIY-built patchwork synthesis. What really makes him unique, though, is his positively engaging live show, where Deacon invites audience members to gleefully participate in choreographed dances and play his brightly colored hand-decorated synthesizers and controllers. In a world where music technology is often presented in a stark and intimidating manner, Deacon’s inclusiveness and his quirky performances, like this recent "NPR Tiny Desk" gig, have no doubt encouraged many to explore synth-making and playing.