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Tag: Tomorrowland

  • Column: Disneyland just promised electric cars at Autopia by 2026

    Column: Disneyland just promised electric cars at Autopia by 2026

    When Walt Disney Co. announced earlier this month that it would at long last ditch the smog-spewing gasoline engines at its beloved Autopia attraction in Anaheim, the company left a few key details to the imagination.

    Would the new ride vehicles be purely electric? Or would they be hybrids that still burned some climate-wrecking, oil-based fuel? And how long would it take for Walt Disney’s creative and engineering heirs to make the long-overdue switch?

    After I wrote a story breaking the news about the company’s plans, a coalition of electric vehicle activists launched a campaign to pressure Disney to commit to electric vehicles — not hybrids — and to phase out gasoline within two years.

    On Thursday, those activists won.

    In a written statement, Disneyland spokesperson Jessica Good confirmed to The Times that electrification “means fully electric — it does not mean hybrid or any other version of a gasoline combustion engine.” She added that the theme park “will no longer be using the current engines within the next 30 months.”

    That means by fall 2026, Disneyland guests will no longer have to worry about breathing lung-damaging exhaust as they wait in line for Autopia — and park employees won’t have spend hours-long shifts inhaling those fumes as they work the ride.

    It’s not yet clear when the newly electrified Autopia will reopen.

    “Reimagining an attraction does take time, so we don’t have a reopening date at this time,” Good said.

    Zan Dubin, the electric vehicle advocate leading the pressure campaign, was thrilled when she heard Thursday’s news. She called it a “huge victory” and a powerful reminder that climate activism works.

    “All it takes for bad stuff to keep happening is for good people to do nothing,” she said, paraphrasing Abraham Lincoln. “And we refuse to stand by and do nothing.”

    Dubin had been planning to lead a rally outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank on Sunday, to urge the company to do better on Autopia. She’s told me she’s moving forward with the event, although she said it will now be more of a celebration.

    “We are thrilled,” she said.

    The stories that Disney tells at its theme parks — and on its streaming services, cruise ships and other platforms — are far more than entertainment. They play a powerful role in shaping how we understand our world and ourselves. That’s why the company’s decision to close Disneyland’s Splash Mountain ride — which was based on a racist film — and its increasing embrace of LGBTQ+ characters in its films have become such political flash points. The opponents of progress know that these choices matter.

    If you care about climate progress, you should care about Autopia.

    Disneyland visitors wait to exit the Autopia attraction in March.

    (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

    When the attraction opened in 1955 as a centerpiece of Walt Disney’s Tomorrowland, it helped cement the idea in the American consciousness that gas-guzzling cars — and endless freeways — were the way of the future. Within a year, President Eisenhower had signed the bill that would create the Interstate Highway System as we know it today.

    Nearly 70 years later, cars, trucks and other modes of transportation are the nation’s largest source of heat-trapping emissions — emissions that have fueled record global temperatures for 10 straight months, resulting in deadlier heat waves, fires and storms. Fossil fuel combustion also produces regular old air pollution that researchers say kills millions of people each year.

    Switching from gasoline engines to electric cars alone won’t solve all of our environmental and public health problems.

    Mining to supply lithium for lithium-ion electric car batteries can be environmentally destructive in some places. Freeways have historically been built through low-income communities of color, tearing apart vibrant neighborhoods. The more we can rebuild our cities around public transit, electric bikes and green space — and less around cars — the happier and healthier we’ll be.

    Beyond Autopia, Walt Disney Co. has an opportunity to promote that kind of future in Tomorrowland.

    As I wrote earlier this month, Disneyland fans agree that the once-futuristic land hasn’t been especially forward-thinking for a long time. To my mind, clean energy and sustainability would make the perfect theme for a new and improved Tomorrowland. There’s already a major public transit element in the Monorail. Throw in some gas-free induction stoves at the main restaurant, some solar panels, some environmental films at the currently empty movie theater — it could be pretty awesome.

    But even short of all that, we’re going to need a lot of electric vehicles, fast, to get the climate crisis under control. And for Disney to start telling the story of those EVs at Autopia is a big deal. The company deserves credit for getting it right.

    “I’m glad they’re stepping up and doing the right hitting,” said Joel Levin, executive director of Plug In America, a national electric vehicle advocacy group that’s sponsoring this Sunday’s rally. “It’s a great way for the public to experience electrification, to turn it into a teachable moment, rather than the experience of standing next to a gas lawnmower, which is what it feels like now.”

    Sammy Roth

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  • John Newman Talks New Single “Hold On To My Love”

    John Newman Talks New Single “Hold On To My Love”

    John Newman can do it all: he’s a singer, songwriter, DJ, and producer whose helped create club hits like “Blame” with Calvin Harris and “If You Really Love Me (How Will I Know)” with David Guetta…plus a plethora of his own repeat-worthy tracks like “Love Me Again” and, most recently, “Hold On To My Love.”

    Newman found instant success with his Calvin Harris collaboration, which broke the world record for the most-streamed song in one day and the first track ever to hit 10 million streams on Spotify in less than a week. From that point on, we knew that John Newman could provide hit after hit song that would make us want to get up and dance.

    And while he’s worked on collabs with big names in the dance industry like Guetta, Harris, Kygo, Sigala, and Galantis…his debut album, Tribute, was proof that he could do this all on his own. His live performances are equally enrapturing, where he takes everyone in the audience on a borderline spiritual journey through sound and lights.

    After performing at huge festivals over the world like Coachella and Glastonbury, and a looming Tomorrowland MainStage performance this summer, John Newman is proving why he’s one of the most promising DJ’s in the game.Now, with his new single “Hold On To My Love,” fans can dance and sing along to the talented producer’s track. You can listen here:

    John Newman sat down with Popdust to catch up on everything- from his successful collabs that won him BRIT awards and major accolades. Check it out below!

    PD: You’ve entered a new era for you as a DJ, producer and singer/songwriter…what are you most excited about?

    JN: I’m really excited about my live show, I feel like I’m breaking boundaries within myself. Also being signed to Tomorrowland Music and working with the guys there. I feel like it’s totally different to anything they’ve done before so it’s a good collaboration between the two of us trying to create something that’s completely new and energetic and makes people feel euphoric. It’s taking time butI finally feel like it’s starting to get there now and it’s really exciting.

    PD: How would you describe your sound today? Are there any musical genres you’ve not yet explored that interest you?

    JN: From the age of about six I’ve studied and listened to almost every genre, and I think that was so important to me. I’m not bothered exactly what genre, for me it’s got to have that emotional connection, that thing that moves me. I’ve explored almost every genre, whether I’ve put them into all productivity probably not, but I try not to think in genre brackets. To be honest that’s how I made ‘Love Me Again’ and I think the soul reference came from what other people’s brains accepted but really, I had multiple genres influences whilst creating that song.

    PD: Your single “Hold On To My Love” started as a voice note recording backstage in Ibiza…can you talk a little more about how this turned into your song we hear today? And this inspiration behind it.

    JN: I’m probably the worst person to write in the studio with. I find writing in the studio so difficult. I have to be out and doing things and then I get so many ideas whilst driving in my car, shopping, or out walking, or all the time in the shower. I think they’re always the best ideas and in that situationthat was just one of those ideas that happened there and then. It’s so easy once you have a melodyand a lyrical idea to then start making music to it. I continued the writing of ‘Hold On To My Love’ and worked with some amazing guys along the way, I worked with one of the guys from Major Lazer on it. It was a long one but when I listen to it now and play it live, I think it was definitely worth it. In the end it really moves me and that’s why I do this job.

    PD: You’ve had big collaborations with artists like Calvin Harris for “Blame” and David Guetta for “If You Really Love Me (How Will I Know)”…what’s the ‘behind the scenes’ process of working with these huge artists on such collaborations?

    JN: I think we’re all here for one reason, to feel something emotive and to succeed. Music is easy when you all have that mindset but mainly when you have something that makes you feel that emotive way. With the David Guetta collab, I was playing with a Whitney Houston backing vocal recordingtrying to get something cool out of it. Again, in the shower I came up with the idea of the topliner and melody and put it down as a ballad. Then, I sat in the studio with MistaJam and Ollie Green and we sent it to David Guetta and he was all over it, jumped on it, and produced it up.

    With Calvin it was a lot different, we met, I was standing outside his studio and had bird sh*t all overhis car and he was laughing about that, and he caught me laughing. After my session I then reached out to him after via Twitter DM and said we should work together and that’s kind of how it started. I then wrote the rough idea for ‘Blame’ in the house at Christmas on my laptop, recorded the vocal into my laptop microphone which at that time was really wasn’t very good but it actually stayed on the record for like six months as the vocal recording because it gave it an edge.

    These collaborations can all happen in different ways. It normally starts with me having an idea andsending it through to whoever. It’s easier to start with the organic idea that then becomes the dance song, but the most important thing is creating something that people want to sing-along to in a crowd.

    PD: What are your three tracks on repeat for summer?

    JN: I’ve got some good ones…First up, ‘Hypnagogic’ by Love Regenerator, Calvin Harris. The next one is‘So Much In Love’ by D.O.D and finally, ‘Drifting’ by Tiësto.

    PD: You’ve performed at major festivals like Coachella and Glastonbury. What’s your next bucket-list festival and/or event? And what makes it so special?

    JN: To set the scene, we’d be completely renovating our house and, in all honesty, I pretty much had a mental breakdown during lockdown. I stopped music completely, I don’t think I opened my laptopfor a year. Then, I felt inspired again and felt better mentally, so I opened my laptop and started thisdance project which I felt super excited about and throughout that whole period of time I was like I’m going to play the Tomorrowland Mainstage with this and now I’m about to do that in a few weeks so that’s number one and that’s crazy exciting. The other ones that I have on there are Ultra Miami and Ultra Europe. Creamfields is another big one I have in my head. Ushuaïa, Ibiza was another one that I’ve ticked off. I think it really does work picturing in your head what you want andfinding a way to achieve that

    PD: What’s your favourite song to perform live right now? and why?

    JN: I’d actually say my current single ‘Hold On To My Love.’ I took part of a song called ‘Origin’ by Arminvan Buuren and made my own version of the drop and then used that together with my new singleall as one and I can’t explain what it’s like. It’s like big explosive progressive house with interstellarand at the same time a ballad song. The emotions are quite overwhelming every time I play it and Ithink it’s such an amazing and special way to end my show. Talking of manifestation, I said that I was going to close my Tomorrowland Mainstage show with this track and that was before the show was even booked and that’s what I intend to do.

    PD: What’s next for you in 2023? Any new music coming out?

    JN: I’ve got a really exciting big collab coming up. I’m constantly working on new music and it’s something I’m working hard to get right. It is a struggle at the moment working out who I am in this climate and what I’m doing. I want to try experimental things; I was actually playing around with theidea of releasing just an instrumental track the other day. So that’s where I’m at, I’m constantlyworking at it because I want a really big year.

    Jai Phillips

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  • The Iconic Hardwell Returns To Music

    The Iconic Hardwell Returns To Music

    What can you say about a 2x World No. 1 DJ, who has been leading the electronic dance world for over a decade since he was only 14, who has officially remixed tracks for huge names in the music industry like Rihanna and Calvin Harris, that hasn’t already been said? That’s the case with the legendary Hardwell, who at 25, is just getting started.

    As both a producer and DJ, Hardwell made his mark early on as a highly sought-after Dutch phenomenon who quickly won World’s No. 1 DJ in 2013, early on in his career. After remixing hit singles and sharing his own smash collabs with artists like Austin Mahone, Jay Sean, and Jason Derulo…you’d be surprised to learn what Hardwell has accomplished, accolades that take most artists multiple decades to be handed. But Hardwell is different.

    He’s collaborated with fellow DJ’s like Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Steve Aoki, Tiesto, and AfroJack. He’s performed at the biggest EDM festivals in the world like Ultra, Tomorrowland, Coachella, and EDC Las Vegas. And while he took a 3 and a half year hiatus from releasing music and hitting the stage, 2022 Ultra proved to be his comeback.

    Since then, fans have anxiously awaited Hardwell’s next move. Which has included his REBELS NEVER DIE era, remixing tracks by David Guetta and Benny Benassi, plus releasing original tracks of his own. You can check out REBELS NEVER DIE here:

    It’s been a crazy year for Hardwell, but it’s safe to say he’s back. Hardwell sat down with Popdust to talk about what we can expect next, and what we’ve missed since we last saw him!

    PD: You took a 3.5-year hiatus from music before returning to the stage for a surprise performance at Ultra last year…has your process of making music changed since then?

    H: Yes, but not so much in a technical approach but more, what’s the right word, holistic. So, the big change has been about time and ensuring I give myself enoughof it focus on being creative. Without the pressure to be at the next airport, meeting,or wherever needed. I know, it sounds so simple but when you’re flying between multiple cities each week it can be difficult to properly get your head into a space that inspires creativity. So, for me, since the time away from touring, my priority now is to maintain the right balance between being on the road and at home in my studio.

    PD: What have been your favorite songs to remix so far?

    H: I’ve always loved remixes. It’s a part of the dance scene which since the verybeginning I’ve been hooked on so when it comes to being a remixer on some else’smusic, it always excites me to see what new direction I can take the song in. I’vehad the honour to be invited to remix some incredible acts, who I respect, likeColdplay, Moby, The Chainsmokers, Calvin Harris and US. But honestly, the one that really stands out is my remix of ‘Ocarina of Time’s Gerudo Valley’ for The Legend of Zelda. I can still feel the young gamer inside me grinning so hard at that one, like “Yes, we did it!”

    PD: Are there any artists that inspire you or one’s you’d like to collaborate with in the future?

    H: Of course, acts like Dr Dre, The Prodigy, Pharrell Williams, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eminem, and many others would be some others, are on my producer bucket list, but away from established acts, I’m actually really inspired by the artists coming through on my label Revealed Recordings. Seeing new artists like VINNE, Tim Hox developing in the studio, making music, and having that crazy hunger to succeed.Reminds me a lot of when I first got into it and it’s inspiring.

    PD: You’ve teased you have a new single collaboration coming up. Can you share any more details, whose it with and what’s the name of the song?

    H: Yeah, so the track is called ‘ANYBODY OUT THERE’ and it’s a vocal-driven anthem with Azteck and Alex Hepburn. I wanted to create a kind of hybrid song thatconnected with my current harder-edged style, but also leans into the vocal stuff Ilove in music. I needed something big that fits a Hardwell set and needed to find atrack that would have all the right emotions, the right chords, and the perfectbalance in arrangement to fit what I was after. So, this collaboration was focused on doing that and I’m so, so happy with the final outcome. I think the three of us crushed it.

    PD: You recently completed an exciting North American tour with a stop at The Brooklyn Mirage, and have performed at some of the world’s biggest events like Ultra Music Festival, Coachella, EDC, and sold-out Madison Square Garden…what’s your favorite part about performing your music live?

    H: It’s almost an indescribable feeling to be on stage. The connection with the crowd, playing music you love and sharing new/old tracks you’ve poured lots of time into creating to then have the crowd dance or sing them back to you. It’s such a surreal experience and such an amazing buzz to share it with the fans.

    PD: You closed your 2022 REBELS NEVER DIE era with a deluxe edition followed by several new singles in 2023 like remixing David Guetta’s version of Benny Benassi’s “Satisfaction”, and a run of original singles like‘Take Me Away’, ‘Balança’, ‘Twisted’, and ‘Sloopkogel’. What is it like dropping all these projects over varying genres? Do you have a favorite right now?

    H: It’s exciting because its exactly what I wanted, which is to be completely free ofany pressure to make a certain type of sound. I want to just explore whatever stylefits me at the time, whether it’s techno, electro, trance, big room, or whatever. Ican’t say I have an out-and-out favourite, because every song is special in its ownway. But I’m super proud of my recent song ‘ACID’ with Maddix and Luciana, simplybecause I had the idea of making an acid song for so long, but I wanted to make itan acid crossover song. There’s a lot of acid underground songs but I needed an acid song that had the right balance of a techno song and an EDM song to work in a Hardwell show, and I wanted it to have a vocal, so it had more of a crossover appeal

    PD: What’s next for you this year? Any upcoming music or perhaps an album?

    H: There’s no new album planned. I said to myself right after REBELS NEVER DIE was completed, that I wanted to go and have some fun collaborating with otherartists I’d admire. The album was a big solo project, so it felt like a nice change todo a bunch of collaborations and originals. I’ve got a ton of new music coming up,like the next track ‘ANYBODY OUT THERE’ which I mentioned. So it’s definitely goingto be a busy year both in the studio and on the road with a summer full of festivalsplanned..

    Jai Phillips

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  • Martin Jensen On His New Single “What A Night”

    Martin Jensen On His New Single “What A Night”

    Martin Jensen has already had an extremely successful and impressive career. He produced the hit single, “Solo Dance,” which went multi-platinum and garnered over 2 billion streams. He’s worked with some of the biggest names in music like Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran, and played to crowds of 600,000 at prestigious festivals like Tomorrowland and Lollapalooza – but he isn’t even close to being finished.

    One of the newest coaches of The Voice: Denmark has had a chaotic 2023 already, but now he’s releasing new music alongside VAMERO and Gibbs called “What A Night.” It marks the introduction of a jam-packed season for Martin Jensen.

    The single gives a summertime vibe, reminiscent of rooftops and trips to the beach. It makes people want to dance, which is exactly the kind of music Jensen thrives in creating. With an exclusive interview for Popdust, Martin Jensen talks about his future and brand new single.

    You can listen to “What A Night” here:

    1. Congratulations on “What A Night!” What was the inspiration for it?

    Thanks! I really wanted to jump back into making electronic music that also has a pop element to it. That’s my favorite kind of music to make, having a foot in both worlds. We (VAMERO and Gibbs) had a lot of fun playing around with the direction we wanted to take it in. For us, it was cool to play with a melody that people recognize but add our own spin to it. It was important to keep it wholly original but also fun – the inspiration is as simple as that.

    2. What was creating the track with VAMERO and Gibbs like?

    A lot of fun! We’ve never collaborated before so I really enjoyed us sharing ideas and seeing where that took us. It was refreshing, the guys were super cool!

    3. “What A Night” is another feel-good track that could very well be the song of the summer. What’s been your favorite part about making it?

    Thank you! For me, it was the coming together of ideas, as I said, to really learn how we could work together. I think when we all landed on what we wanted to do with the melody, things really started to come together. And then when we added the vocal, it added this whole new, radio-ready element that was almost pop but still very much appealing to dance fans too. I think the end result was not what we expected but that is the beauty of collaborating – and we are so glad the fans are enjoying it, too!

    4. You have one of the biggest dance songs with your track “Solo Dance,” how do you find inspiration for new and original tracks that somehow make people want to get up and dance?

    It’s just about seeing where the journey takes you. I have said before, I love to work with vocalists and find inspiration a lot of the time in lyrics. The idea of telling a story, to me, never gets old. I think “Solo Dance” really captured that for me and was just the beginning of my story. Take for example my recent track with Jay Sean on “Days Like This” – we really wanted to bring our fans something that was fun and also a little unexpected from both of us. The stand-put on the track is Jay’s vocal really setting alight and telling the story. I loved that and that’s what really drew me to work with him. I’ve been a fan of his work for years.

    5. What was it like performing at some of the biggest festivals like Tomorrowland and Lollapalooza? How excited are you to perform your new music for your fans live?

    So much fun, there is nothing better than performing! This year I’m returning to. Tomorrowland which will be a blast. I haven’t attended or played since before the pandemic –this summer is set to be a huge one!

    6. You’ve previously worked with big names in the music industry on remixes like Katy Perry, Jason Derulo, and Ed Sheeran. How do you work with multiple genres without losing your classic sound?

    It’s important that no matter the genre, you always stay true to your own signature sound. I’m a huge pop music fan anyway, so it was a joy to add my stamp and bring those releases more into the electronic world. I also loved creating something that would make fans of those artists hear my music and think, “Holy shit, this is cool”.

    7. What’s it like to be the first DJ judge on The X Factor Denmark?

    It was an honor and a crazy experience. Of course, everyone understands how fast-paced it is just from watching the show. It’s literally in almost every country around the world and is a real crash course on the industry. I think that can be a blessing and a curse as it’s really sink-or-swim for these artists out there. But to have such a huge role in that, especially in my home of Denmark, was amazing.

    8. What do you have coming up this year? Any new music or tour?

    Yes! Lots of new music – this year has already been a crazy one so I’m really looking forward to getting out on tour and road-testing these tracks and so much more. It feels like things have really come full circle since the pandemic and we can all finally party together. It’s gonna be a good 2023!

    Jai Phillips

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  • Here Is Your Full Tomorrowland 2023 Lineup – EDM.com

    Here Is Your Full Tomorrowland 2023 Lineup – EDM.com

    Tomorrowland has turned the page of its next chapter.

    Tomorrowland, one of the world’s most influential music festivals, today unveiled its massive 2023 lineup via a poster with more fine print than a car insurance policy. And with over 600 artists, it’s one of the biggest in the festival’s history.

    Hardwell, Martin Garrix, Amelie Lens, Above & Beyond, SVDDEN DEATH, Armin van Buuren, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Nina Kraviz and many, many more are set to grace the stages of the Belgian EDM giant in 2023. Other notable DJs set for landmark performances include Dom Dolla, Indira Paganotto, Mariana BO, Anyma, Nora En Pure, NERVO, Robin Schulz and EDM.com Class of 2022 stars ACRAZE and Ray Volpe.

    Jason Heffler

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