Over 25 years ago (Sept.-Oct. 1989) in Pomona Valley, CA was the birth of Total Chaos. Created out of the desperate need to save a dying genre of punk rock- during a time that the market was saturated with a more commercial new style. Along the side of a dedicated few other bands who believed in the dying genre and all that it represented- to them it was not only music- but a forum- to convey important political and social views. Touring a new album "World Of Insanity" and back from a tour in Australia and Indonesia, we had a chance to sit down with Total Chaos and catch up and to find out about their recent tour where they tell us of a horrible event that transpired and to give bands a warning of shady promoters. p. 6
Photo Courtesy of Pina Perez @
Photography
Jamie Paullus
Jamie Paullus continues to WOW our readers with the BEST Spokane has to offer - this month: music greats KillSwitch Engage.
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Sherry Keith
Mystic Photography continues her up close and personal view into the Vegas music scene with Uli Jon Roth...
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SAYING GOOD-BYE TO A MUSIC A LEGEND
R.I.P. PRINCE ROGERS NELSON 1958-2016
2016 has shaped up to be absolutely devastating for the entertainment industry. After barely having a chance to recover from the loss of "The Thin White Duke" David Bowie, we have now been blindsided with the death of "The Purple One" Prince. It makes one hesitant to ask who's next for fear of finding out.
I was introduced to Prince in the 80s when he really hit the stride that propelled him to superstardom. "Superstar" would be a title he would retain his entire career. Maintaining that status is not an easy task as many have reached those heights only to fall just as hard into obscurity. Prince however navigated stardom with grace and ease. With many out there writing about drama and scandals that you could dig up on any celebrity, Prince left a body of work that makes it easier for this writer to focus on just that.
Prince actually began his career in the late 70s. To me, this makes his career that much more interesting. Many in the industry would have given up if that is the industry didn't give up on them first. Prince however kept at it relentlessly as if he knew his day would eventually come. Indeed it did come and in a big way. Throughout the 80s Prince graced our ears with a literal rainbow of
hits including "Raspberry Beret", "Little Red Corvette" and of course "Purple Rain" which also included a hit movie of the same name.
The 90s saw a shift in Prince's career which created such a mystique around him, that it almost seemed to shield him from the curse that seemingly destroyed the careers of most 80s artists. Few survived this curse but Prince seemed completely immune. One possible explanation could be narrowed down to the moment that he changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol. People needing to address him verbally had to refer to him as "The artist formerly known as Prince". To this day many debate whether this was his claim that he was protesting against the record industry and it's claims of ownership to artists masters or, if this was simply a brilliant marketing strategy. No matter what side of that fence you sit on, it's undeniable that most artists have now been able to regain ownership of their music.
protesting against the record industry and it's claims of ownership to artists masters or, if this was simply a brilliant marketing strategy. No matter what side of that fence you sit on, it's undeniable that most artists have now been able to regain ownership of their music.
For me however, the defining Prince moment in my mind came during the 2007 Super Bowl. Although it had never rained during a halftime show, it began to rain heavily. Prince was contacted so he could be informed of the weather situation. There was concern because the stage was slick and Prince was performing live (Not lip syncing) which included the use of several live electric guitars. His response was simply "Can you make it rain harder?" The result was one of the most memorable Super Bowl halftime shows in history. During the song "Purple Rain" All of the lights including that lights surrounding the stage were to change to purple. This created a once in a lifetime chance to watch Prince perform the song whilst being drenched in actual purple rain. This for me summed up the magic of Prince.
There was no one like him and there will never be another. He was loved worldwide by fans and deeply respected by his peers. News of his passing jolted our world. The evening of his passing, major monuments all over the world from The Eiffel Tower in Paris to Niagara Falls were lit in Purple. Just the same as purple ultraviolet light makes neon colors glow brighter, Prince's purple light seemed to make our world brighter.
~Tim Cheney~
<CV> Let's start off with introducing the band and their roles
<Shawn Smash> Rob Chaos - Vocals, Shawn Smash - Guitars, Miguel Conflict - Drums, Talon - Bass
<CV> Give us a little history on the band, when it originally started and how you came up with the name “Total Chaos”
<Rob Chaos> We started in 1989. I came up with the name after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1988, when Eastern Europe was in "Total Chaos"
<CV> The band is from California but I understand Rob lives in Germany? How does that work when it comes time to tour?
<Rob Chaos> We are all old school musicians so it just all works out.
<CV> Give us a little background on each member.
<Miguel Conflict> I've been playing drums for over 20 years, and have played in different bands over the years. Some of the more known bands I've played for are The Skeptix, and The Blood.
<CV> What brought you all together and how did you know this was a perfect fit?
<Rob Chaos> It's a very long story, but we just fit together.
<CV> What got each of you into music and at what age did you know this is what you wanted to do?
<Robert Clawson> For me it was my dad.
<Shawn Smash> I was always into music but I wasn't in a band or even played any instrument. I got into guitar playing by chance, some kids in my area stole guitars and stashed them at my house. I started fooling around with them but didn't even know what to do with it. I had a neighbor named Tommy who played guitar, he showed me some chords and that was all I needed to learn. I started getting good fast and within a year or two I was good enough to start my real first band "No Solution" in Houston, Tx with Greg Williams who did a lot of the artwork for Total Chaos.
<CV> Who would you consider your biggest music influences and why?
<Shawn Smash> Old School Punk and Hardcore, for me bands like the Sex Pistols, The Ramones, The Damned, The Exploited, Agnostic Front, Suicidal Tendencies, Discharge, & G.B.H
<CV> Tell us about your very first show together, how did it go and how were you received?
<Rob Chaos> It was in a backyard in Pomona, CA 1990.
<Miguel Conflict> My 1st show with Total Chaos was at a festival in Colombia. We headlined with over 3,000 there to see us perform. I played bass at that show, I 1st joined the band as the bassist for the 1st year.
<CV> You have a new album called “World Of Insanity..." give us some insight on that, how it is being received?
<Rob Chaos> People seem to love it!
<Shawn Smash> World of Insanity, because this World is turning insane and getting worse every year with terrorists or mass murders and shootings in schools. The album has gotten good reviews, it is being compared to our earlier work like Pledge of Defiance.
<CV> You guys just did a tour in Australia and then went to Indonesia. I understand you guys went through an extremely difficult situation. What can you share about that?
<Shawn Smash> The Australian leg of the tour was great and Tom Wolfpack did a great job, was very organized and got us from point A to point B. The first show in Bali was great and they did a good job with everything, it was after that when we headed to Malaysia where things got tricky as the promoter from Gudang Records had not bought our return flights home to the U.S. He had used a maxed out Credit Card and booked a flight for Rob so it appeared he was booking the flights only to find out a few days later the flights were cancelled because of the card.
We ended up missing our show in Jakarta because he refused to take us into Singapore to the airport claiming Malaysian Vans can't get into Singapore, so we missed our flight from Singapore to Jakarta basically screwing over about 1,000 fans who had bought tickets. and had to refund everyone the money. Then he drove us all the way back to Kuala Lumper which was another 4 hour drive to a different Airport and put us on a flight to Jakarta. It was already too late as we arrived in Jakarta the show was already because of local curfews laws.
After that the fans blamed us at first for this, but it
wasn't our fault, this asshole Xainal Aberdeen from Gundang records did this to the band and screwed over the Indonesian fans, also in the process stealing $4,000 from our Malaysian show which was supposed to be used for our flight home....Let's just say he is on the run now and people are looking for this scumbag.
BOYCOTT GUDANG RECORDS!!!
<Rob Chaos> I hate Gudang Records!
<CV> Give us some insight on the song and music writing process; is it a joined effort or does one person do all the writing?
<Rob Chaos> Half the time i come up with the songs myself, the other half i write with Shawn. Thats our way for over 20 years.
<Shawn Smash> For the most part Rob and I put the songs together, there have been other people who have contributed over the years, but it's been mostly him and I. On the new record Miguel had some song ideas which were a good fit.
<CV> Tell us about the recording process, anything you like or dislike?
<Rob Chaos> Boring! But it needs to be done.
<Shawn Smash> Recording is fun, but can also get frustrating when songs don't come together like you want.
<CV> What is the motivation behind the songs your write? Do any of them speak to you on a personal level and if so why?
<Rob Chaos> The World, the Government and people.
<CV> What are your thoughts on the use and necessity of Social Media?
<Shawn Smash> Social Media is a necessary promotional tool, you can reach your fans quicker with tour dates, new album releases than back in the day.
<CV> How do you feel about music download sales, would you prefer a return to CD's and Vinyl?
<Rob Chaos> Vinyl is the way!
<Shawn Smash> Downloading is lame, most people still prefer a physical product mostly Vinyl, but some also like CD's. Our new album is available on Vinyl and CD.
<CV> You guys tour the world and you play many shows overseas. How is it different playing there than the U.S.? Do you find the Punk scene is bigger there and why?
<Rob Chaos> It's all good in it's own way.
<CV> Tell us about some of the other shows you have played so far, do you have a favorite place to play and why?
<Rob Chaos> Everywhere is my favorite!
<Shawn Smash> A show can be great anywhere, I wouldn't say a favorite place to play per say. Festivals are always a lot of fun because of the people and energy.
<CV> Any funny stories to tell from tour life?
<Shawn Smash> Back in 2003, we were on tour with the Exploited down in Florida. Gearbox who was on drums and had to do a night drive to the other side of Florida,. He drove all night and in the morning he went to stop for coffee or food break. Rob woke up and looked at where we were and we had circled the entire state of Florida and ended up exactly where we had started out, it wasn't funny then, but looking back on it now it's quite laughable. Rob was pissed because we had done nothing but drive in huge circle and barely made it to the show in the evening.
<CV> To Date, is there any one show that is memorable for you and stands out and why?
<Miguel Conflict> The festival we played in China a few years ago was amazing. There was over 60,000 there when we performed. The stage was on the beach right next to the water.
<CV> What do you like to do in your down time? Who do you like to listen to?
<Rob Chaos> Hang out with my wife and son.
<Shawn Smash> I tend to listen to a lot older stuff, that I grew up with. Anything from Old Punk, Hardcore to New Wave, 80's Hard Rock
and Metal and some pop.
<Miguel Conflict> When I'm not on tour with TC I work as a drummer for hire. I also have a recording studio where I record bands and also give music lessons.
<CV> You just recently came out with a new Video “Riot City” What would you like to share about that? I understand it was filmed on your recent tour in Bali, Indonesia is that correct?
<Shawn Smash> Yes we did the "Riot City 2016" music video in Bali. Some of the local punks came down and we made a party out of it and filmed the video. It was fun experience.
<CV> What advice would you give a band just starting out?
<Rob Chaos> Don't give up, keep going.
<Shawn Smash> The music business is run by a lot of con men, liars and thieves. Watch
your back out there, even bands like us who have been touring can still get fooled by some rip off assholes a long the way.
<CV> What is your favorite thing about being on stage? What motivates you to do what you do?
<Shawn Smash> It's a natural release of adrenaline, the music is powerful and you can get that all out on stage.
<CV> What does "Total Chaos” have planned for the rest of 2016? Any tours or projects in the works
<Rob Chaos> Tour the world put out more music.
<CV> I understand some of you are in different bands and or projects. Can you give us some more information on that?
<Rob Chaos> I'm a booking agent, label owner, and organizer of festivals. I'm busy all the time, day and night.
<Shawn Smash> Yes, I sing and play guitar in my other band SMASH 77, It's more rock n' roll punk oriented band like Social Distortion, Generation X, The Ramones. You can check out SMASH 77 "Melrose" Music video on YouTube, which was featured in the motion picture "My trip back to the dark side".
<Miguel Conflict> Some of the bands I've recently played drums for are Corrupted Youth, Fangs On Fur, a Black Sabbath cover band called "Sabbra Cadabra, and a few other projects.
<CV> What would you like to say to your fans and our readers?
<Rob Chaos> Keep Rockin!
<Shawn Smash> You can check out our FB page for upcoming tour dates, news and new releases and also Total Chaos "Police Rat" and "Riot City 2016" YouTube Video.
Cheers and thanks for the support!!!!
DISABLED NAVY VET AND LIFELONG FAN IS A MANUFACTURER OF KISS LICENSED GOODS!
Luis Reyes aka *Las Vegas Gene Simmons* Had This Incredible News To Share..
As the Official Spokesman for KISS4Sale.com I'm very proud to announce...http:// kiss4sale.com/ KISS4Sale.com is now an Official KISS Licensee!
My good friend Michael Patton is the Owner of KISS4Sale.com and here are his words:
"A few months ago, I eluded to some big news but couldn't yet talk about it. Now, I can talk about it. My company, KISS4Sale, is now OFFICIALLY licensed to manufacture KISS products! And we will still be selling previously licensed products & vintage collectables.
I am so excited that I can hardly contain myself. I have to give big shout outs to my team that all helped to make this happen; my attorney Richard Trugman, my business mentor, former Casablanca Marketing Executive Chuck Ashman, my graphic arts team Genie Forkner and Duane Falconer, my friend Donna Begnoche Tryon and my K4S family Tere Scott and Luis Reyes without whom NONE of this would be possible. Tere & Luis are the folks behind the curtain. I am just Oz. Finally, my rock n roll hero's - Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. I loved the music from Alive I in 1975 and stage show has always been my fantasy world. A proud member of the KISS Army for 4 decades.
You wanted the best, you got the best.... the hottest band in the WORLD...... KISS"
http://kiss4sale.com/
OFFICIAL
PRESS RELEASE
DISABLED NAVY VET AND LIFELONG FAN IS MANUFACTURER OF KISS LICENSED GOODS
After 40 years as a dedicated fan and 3 years selling licensed KISS products made by others, a San Diego based former sailor turned entrepreneur, has become a small business owner to benefit from a KISS licensed manufacturing opportunity
Epic Rights.
Michael Patton’s company, KISS4sale.com, is the first disabled veteran owned firm to be authorized to make and sell licensed products inspired by the huge following the group has world‐wide with fans of all ages.
“I became a KISS fan, make that an obsessive KISS fan, when I was 11 and stayed loyal during my service in the Navy to present day,” Patton proudly admits. In addition to the music, GeneSimmons’ books “Sex, Money, KISS & Me, Inc.” were my study guides for how to build my business. Paul Stanley’s “Face the Music” provided a lifestyle blueprint for happiness and success.
Patton’s bond with KISS was strengthened when two years ago, Patton and other Disabled Veteran business owners honored Gene Simmons for his service to America’s veterans and active duty military
In addition to his KISS licensed product manufacturing company, Patton is the CEO of Pothos, Inc. a California based event planning and travel firm that includes supporting programs presented by the Veterans Administration, Federal & State
Governments as well as Corporate America. POTHOS is award winning and has been recognized by Inc 500 and the San Diego Business Journal to name a few.
Chuck Ashman, who produced the Disabled Veteran awards event honoring Simmons said, “If hard work, passion and loyalty are the keys to success, Michael Patton will make it to the GuinnessBook of Records with KISS product sales. The Patton story seems to have found its way between two of KISS hit records – WAR MACHINE and SHOUT IT OUT LOUD,” Ashman added.
About KISS:
As America’s #1 Gold Record Award winning group of all time, and that’s in every category, KISS can easily be named one of rock’s most influential bands. The Rock N Roll Hall of Famers have released 44 albums and sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. Honored by their peers, KISS received the illustrious ASCAP Founders Award in 2015. Over 40 years of record‐breaking global tours have brought KISS to their fans. They kicked off their recent world tour with 5 headlining shows in Japan and a #1 single in 2014 “Samurai Son” with pop group, Momoiro Clover Z. Their 40th Anniversary world tour also rocked North America, South America, and Australia. Additionally, once a year, the “KISS Army” becomes the “KISS Navy” as fans from across the globe board the KISS Kruise (this year will be their 5th voyage.) KISS teamed up with Warner Brothers in 2014 to create the well‐received original movie Scooby Doo and KISS: Rock and Roll Mystery. Other high‐profile appearances have included the Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics, Rockin’ The Corps concert, a FOX alliance with KISS appearing in multiple episodes of Family Guy, plus two special guest performances on America Idol finales. KISS has been featured in major advertising and marketing campaigns for John Varvatos, Google Play, and Hello Kitty ‐ even appearing in a Dr. Pepper Super Bowl commercial and advertising campaign in support of their Hottest Show on Earth tour. This year represents the 3rd season of the LA KISS Arena Football League team bringing professional foot-
ball back to Los Angeles. KiSS founding band members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have also entered the culinary world by opening a string of successful restaurants aptly named Rock & Brews. KISS is dedicated to numerous Veterans Organizations including: The Wounded Warriors Project, The USO, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce “Hire a Hero” program, The Legacy Organization in Australia, Help for Heroes United Kingdom and The Dr. Pepper Snapple Groups Wounded Warriors Support Foundations. For more information, visit www.KissOnline.com About Epic Rights: Epic Rights is a full service global branding, licensing and social media marketing company dedicated to building celebrity and entertainment brands via its broad global network of retailers, licensees and agents. Working with a roster of top clients and brands, Epic Rights’ services include licensing/branding, music merchandising, social media management, VIP ticketing and fan clubs. Epic Rights also oversees sponsorships and endorsements, digital archiving of all creative/photo/media assets and manages worldwide e‐commerce for its clients in addition to providing in‐house legal resources for trademark registration and audit management. Epic Rights is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. For more information visit Epic Rights.
SIN
May 3, 2016 - From the gutters of south Sweden, Liv“Sin”Jagrell emerged as a major force as the vocalist for hard rockers Sister Sin. Throughout their 13 year career, Sister Sin sold thousands of albums and toured the world with high profile tours supporting the likes of Slayer and King Diamond on the Rockstar Mayhem festival tour, as well as being a part of the Revolver Magazine”Hottest Chicks in Metal” tour. Sister Sin toured relentlessly for over a decade across Europe and North America garnering an intensely loyal following of rockers that craved the band’s aggressive and melodic brand of hard rock.
When Sister Sin called it quits at the end of 2015, Liv knew that she had much more to give to her fans. From this, LIV SIN was born. Liv is currently working on a new music that shows the power, sexiness, and attitude that she is known for. Liv says ”for me it has never been an option to stop singing. I live for the stage and for my fans. I still miss Sister Sin, but I am very excited to work on my own project, and I can promise it will not be some soft pop rock. This is going to be metal deluxe, because that’s who I am!" LIV SIN offers a modernized hard rock sound to take Liv into her next phase, a sound that is destined to please both new fans and her longtime fans of Sister Sin.
More details about LIV SIN can be found at http://liv-sin.com/ andwww.facebook.com/ livsinmusic
For press and other business inquiries, please contact Jeff@TheArteryFoundation.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Nominations Now Open for 2017 She Rocks Awards ..Celebrating its fifth anniversary, the annual She Rocks Awards pay tribute to women who display leadership and stand out within the music industry:
Nominate a woman in music here >> Download images here>>
The 2016 She Rocks Awards, from left (top row): Rock Sugah guitarist, Kat Dyson; 2016 She Rocks Awards winner and Karmin singer, Amy Heidemann; guitarist, Malina Moye; 2016 She Rocks Awards winner and guitarist, Jennifer Batten; 2016 She Rocks Awards winner and Seymour Duncan founder/CEO, Cathy Carter Duncan; She Rocks Awards Founder and Co-Host, Laura B. Whitmore; 2016 She Rocks Awards winner and
Director of Brand Communications at Taylor Guitars, Chalise Zolezzi; 2016 She Rocks Awards winner and NAMM Director of Public Affairs/ NAMM Foundation Executive Director, Mary Luehrsen; 2016 She Rocks Awards winner and Director of Music Recording and Scoring at Skywalker Sound, Leslie Ann Jones; 2016 She Rocks Awards winner and Senior Vice President of Pub
lic Relations for Universal Music Enterprises, Sujata Murthy; Rock Sugah singer, Kudisan Kai; 2016 She Rocks Awards Winner and President/Co -Founder of Gator Cases, Crystal Morris; Rock Sugah drummer, Benita Lewis; 2016 She Rocks Awards winner and Fanny's House of Music CoOwner, Leigh Maples; keyboardist, Jenna Paone; Charlotte and Sarah Command of The Command Sisters; (bottom row) Rock Sugah keyboardist, Lynette Williams; 2016 She Rocks Awards winner and Tom Tom Magazine Founder, Mindy Abovitz; Rock Sugah bassist, Divinity Roxx; 2016 She Rocks Awards winner and legendary singer, Chaka Khan; 2016 She Rocks Awards Co-Host and guitarist, Nita Strauss; and 2016 She Rocks Awards winners and Rock N' Roll Camp for Girls Founder, Mona Tavakoli and Becky Gebhardt; attend the She Rocks Awards during NAMM at the Anaheim Hilton on January 22, 2016 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Kevin Graft)
May 3, 2016, Needham, Mass. – The Women’s International Music Network (the WiMN) has announced open nominations for its annual She Rocks Awards ceremony honoring women in music, taking place Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif.
Celebrating its fifth anniversary, the She Rocks Awards have honored music professionals from all walks of the industry, including guitarist, Jennifer Batten; legendary singer-songwriter, Chaka Khan; multi-platinum artist, Colbie Caillat; Amy Heidemann of chart-topping pop duo, Karmin; Vice President of Brand Marketing at Martin Guitar, Amani Duncan; Executive Director of the NAMM Foundation, Mary Luehrsen, Latin GRAMMY awardwinning artist, Gaby Moreno; legendary band The Bangles; iconic percussionist Sheila E.; Leigh Maples and Pamela Cole of Fanny’s House of Music; Experience Hendrix CEO, Janie Hendrix; Executive Vice President and CFO of the Gretsch Company, Dinah Gretsch; and many more.
“It's amazing that we're celebrating our fifth year," said WiMN Founder, Laura B. Whitmore. "It's been wonderful to see support for the She Rocks Awards grow year after year, and we are very excited to put on an event that brings the industry together and honors these deserving women."
Individuals are encouraged to nominate female trailblazing music industry peers, friends, colleagues, or themselves. The deadline to submit nominations is September 2, 2016.
Named one of Billboard magazine's "7 must-see events at NAMM," the She Rocks Awards bring together industry professionals, music icons, artists, fans and media for a one-of-a-kind event that celebrates women in music, and offers featured performances, giveaways, a silent auction, networking opportunities and more.
To submit a nomination and to learn more, visit www.thewimn.com/ nominations/.
ROLI raises $27 million Series B led by Foundry Group to globally expand its Connected Music ecosystem
New York - ROLI, the East London-based music technology company, has raised $27 million to accelerate growth and bring its revolutionary devices - including the celebrated Seaboard RISE - to music-makers around the world.
ROLI has rapidly established itself as the most innovative company in music technology by creating connected instruments that offer unprecedented expression. The Series B fundraising will help ROLI scale to meet growing demand, expand in new markets, and intensively build out its product, engineering, and marketing teams in North America and Europe.
Roland Lamb, Founder and CEO of ROLI, said: "Music is a source of joy, and we want to make music creation more connected and accessible for everyone. The success of the Seaboard has shown that people want musical devices that are elegant, advanced, and open to all-and as easy to use as a smartphone or tablet. We're thrilled to be partnering with some of the world's most experienced investors as we revolutionize how people express themselves through music. And as we continue this journey, we are looking for everyone-from coders and makers to composers and musicians-to join the ROLI team as we change the shape of music."
ROLI's chain of connected hardware, software, platform, and developer products have received worldwide acclaim. The Seaboard RISE, an instrument that launched in September 2015, remodels the piano keyboard as a soft, smooth, touchresponsive surface that lets music-makers shape sound through five dimensions of touch. Artists
have celebrated the Seaboard RISE, while reviewers have hailed it as "one of the most exciting, progressive, and potent MIDI controllers ever made" that "borrows the best of the analog and digital worlds" to "offer the electronic musician a more personal, emotionally engaged playing experience." In December 2015 ROLI launched NOISE, a free iOS app that turns iPhones and iPads into delightfully expressive musical instruments. The app, which the Apple Store features on demonstration units of its iPhones, has set the standard in applying Apple's 3D Touch technology to music creation.
Foundry Group, the Boulder-based venture capital firm, led the round in its first investment outside the US. Ryan McIntyre, partner at Foundry Group, said: "We've had the opportunity to partner with companies at the forefront of Connected Health, Connected Play, and other areas where the intersection of physical and digital technologies is transforming the way we live. We're tremendously excited to be working with Roland and the ROLI team to transform and connect how people make music. The Seaboard is a truly expressive new instrument, and we believe this is just the first step in a breakthrough roadmap for Connected Music."
London-based BGF Ventures and San Franciscobased Founders Fund joined the round alongside all the investors who participated in ROLI's $12.8m Series A: Balderton Capital, FirstMark Capital, Index Ventures, Horizons Ventures, and Universal Music Group.
ROLI welcomes new US-based investors Foundry Group and Founders Fund at a time when the US accounts for a large share of current and prospective sales. It has opened offices in New York and Los Angeles since its acquisition of Blend, the
cloud-based music-sharing platform, in October 2015. While ROLI continues to grow in the US and Europe, it is also expanding internationally. Seaboards are now available in approximately 200 retail outlets in 15 countries. Seaboards purchased on ROLI's online Store ship globally.
ROLI is extending the journey of music creation to everyone not only through its products but also by working with institutions like Children's Music Fund, INSPIRE Music, and Rytmo. Expanding its commitments to society, ROLI announces today that it will pledge 1% of its products, equity, and team's time to find new ways of bringing the joy of making to everyone. It joins technology companies such as Salesforce.org, Techstars, and Glassdoor in the Pledge 1% movement in the US and UK.
