One of Tokyo’s most recognized FM stations, J-WAVE (81.3mhz), launched the new streaming service called “brand new J” about a week ago.
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It is more or less the same with the conventional online streaming radios such as WBLS or KBLX of the US. But I am not quite sure if this format is in the right direction where online streaming radio business will eventually evolve into. Probably not; virtually no collaboration / community building among listeners (yes, they got a poll though), no consumer generated contents.
Stuff like this is not nearly as engaging as pandora and last.fm, and the illegal torrents are even better!
Ben,
I’d still love to see more human factors (human DJ) in pandra.com. last.fm seems to have more community-building features and hence more human (the problem is that I haven’t get used to last.fm yet).
Radio streaming is in a way very human with human DJ, guests, but no interactivity. And like any other MSM, its content is “filtered” editorial and hence boring. The challenge is make it more “unfiltered” and collaborative.
In defense of specialists and information gatekeepers: As I understand it last.fm is collaborative filtering (“Wisdom of Crowds” or lack thereof) and pandora is “experts” http://blog.pandora.com/pandora/archives/2006/06/the_ears_behind.html#more
Tweaking the experts’ have a shareed vocabulary and classifications, and this has allowed me to create one stream that is characterized by pandora’s musicologists as:
- electronica roots
- highly synthetic sonority
- trippy soundscapes
- house roots
- disco influences
- prevalent use of groove
- tight kick sound
- rhythmic intro
- knack for catchy hooks
- use of call-and-response vocals
- repetitive chorus
- female vocal
- melodic part writing
- tonal harmonies
Damn with brandnew J, its domestice radio.. I cant tune it in europe..