Hi, I kind of miss Activas progressive psy music from around 2014 (like his Full on Fluoro compilation vol. 3). I remember he was kind of bored with the generic trance sound back then. Now I wonder why he changed his style again. Was it just for monetary reasons? Do you know more?
Activas change of style
- Thread starter AlexCross
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Jetflag
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- Jul 17, 2020
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it certainly not for monetary reasons as either style doesn't earn squat in the overall world of EDM heh. (Trust, me speaking from experience here)
I can't speak for Rob but as a producer/composer myself, personally I find it hard to stick to the same thing year after year, it gets creatively very tedious. Right now what I see him doing is quite enthusiastically focusing on Borderline and its more classical trance sound, but who knows? it has started churning out more proggy stuff lately so maybe we'll see a return to said style later
You are certainly right. You need to evolve in order not to get bored. But in this case he just returned to his „old“ sound again. That‘s what made me wonder about the reasons.it certainly not for monetary reasons as either style doesn't earn squat in the overall world of EDM heh. (Trust, me speaking from experience here)
I can't speak for Rob but as a producer/composer myself, personally I find it hard to stick to the same thing year after year, it gets creatively very tedious. Right now what I see him doing is quite enthusiastically focusing on Borderline and its more classical trance sound, but who knows? it has started churning out more proggy stuff lately so maybe we'll see a return to said style later
Magdelayna
Elite Member
I liked his clean,driving 'PvD' style he had in his early days...tracks like End Of Summer.
- Jun 27, 2020
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I can't remember if it may be somewhere in there, but you can take a read nonetheless if you already haven't: TF Interview - Activa.
NameLessYet
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- Dec 1, 2024
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I am a little curious about his relationship with Jon O'Bir, as I find that almost every Jon O'Bir track has the co-producer of Rob Stevenson and they also have co-founded a label. Their style are similar that I think I can see From Within and Music Database as two hidden Activa albums.
Sleepy Robot
Senior Member
Not on topic but i just wanted to listen some newer releaeses of Borderline on Spotify and noticed that only the radio edits are there. Older releases do have the extended versions also. Is there reason only the radio edits are on streaming now?
Bandcamp does have the extended versions.
Bandcamp does have the extended versions.
Jetflag
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Yes, they preform well on there. Longer versions/ extended mixes for dj’s don’t.
Julian Del Agranda
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- Jul 3, 2020
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Bandcamp offers great support for the label and artists. Spotify, even though I also use it, is quite evil.
They even have a new rule, besides paying veerrryyyy little. If your song has less than 1.000 streams in a year, you will not get anything at all. And the next year you start from 0 again. So 9.990 streams spread evenly over ten years, means 0% royalties.
Since trance is so small, it’s quite usual to only get between 1.000 and 2.000 streams for your song. Lots of tracks dont reach the 1.000 at all. Unless you are lucky and get on popular playlists. (El Sueño and Mirage were both on a big dance playlist, hence they have a bit more than usual. It’s pure luck.)
And if the track is on ASOT or FSOE the mixed version will deffo get streams. Not sure how royalty works though with those radio shows.
Anyway. Splitting the streams between short and extended would not help with these numbers. So better to only have the short one there. So all streams go to that one track.
They even have a new rule, besides paying veerrryyyy little. If your song has less than 1.000 streams in a year, you will not get anything at all. And the next year you start from 0 again. So 9.990 streams spread evenly over ten years, means 0% royalties.
Since trance is so small, it’s quite usual to only get between 1.000 and 2.000 streams for your song. Lots of tracks dont reach the 1.000 at all. Unless you are lucky and get on popular playlists. (El Sueño and Mirage were both on a big dance playlist, hence they have a bit more than usual. It’s pure luck.)
And if the track is on ASOT or FSOE the mixed version will deffo get streams. Not sure how royalty works though with those radio shows.
Anyway. Splitting the streams between short and extended would not help with these numbers. So better to only have the short one there. So all streams go to that one track.
Sleepy Robot
Senior Member
Aha, thank you for the insight. Indeed just evil from Spotify, how are they allowed to even do that?
BandCamp is great indeed but i don't have the money to buy all the music i like so Spotify comes in handy then.
Magdelayna
Elite Member
Progrez
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- Jun 17, 2022
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Do you get paid for being played on radioshows? I know one of your tracks was played FSOE but not ASOT and I know Armin pays artists who get played on his show he said so on his podcast with Moby.
Magdelayna
Elite Member
As far as i know you dont. But the exposure of being on a radio show is far greater than earning a few pennies.
The comments here on Spotify are why I never am motivated to upload the TF releases there. Apart from the fact that uploading mixed artist EPs is a nightmare, It's just a shit platform for Trance and underground musicians and I hate the dumbing down of the track length to appease the algorithm and ads model. I will likely do a bulk upload of TF releases soon though, as I know we have 'fans' who use it as their primary platform.
Any back on topic... Activa is likely not changing his sound for any other reason than it is was he likes now. I wouldn't say his sound now is a massive departure from what he used to do anyway. Have a listen to his album This World and its not crazy different. If anything I prefer his new sounds. His Tri-State EPs were some of the best stuff he's ever done imo. Would be nice to have some psy influence come back though I agree...
Any back on topic... Activa is likely not changing his sound for any other reason than it is was he likes now. I wouldn't say his sound now is a massive departure from what he used to do anyway. Have a listen to his album This World and its not crazy different. If anything I prefer his new sounds. His Tri-State EPs were some of the best stuff he's ever done imo. Would be nice to have some psy influence come back though I agree...
NameLessYet
Member
- Dec 1, 2024
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I agree, I think Activa's albums is very stable for many years, making me surprise to see he had made some Psy Trance. However, I quite like the his Dream Universe Remix and Z21 with Orkidea in this period.
Enlusion
Senior Member
Magdelayna
Elite Member
How come? You can play a track on your own radio show for example on Afterhours FM,and not have to pay anything?
Enlusion
Senior Member
They have a huge radio syndication established around the world. When Armin played a track from my label (Cosmithex — Wasteland) on ASOT in 2019 it received almost 100K streams, according to the report.