Slashathon: Slash Turns To Hackers To Help Him Connect With Fans For His Next Album Release
In what I assume is an unofficial event during SXSW, cause you won't need an armband to participate and application is free, Slashathon will give hackers 12 hours to create something that will help Slash with his new album release. And Slash is scheduled to be one of the judges. It's shaping up to be an impressive event and should give the right team with the right idea who can execute a unique entry point into the music tech world as it intersects with the traditional music industry. And did I mention Slash is one of the judges?
Slashathon takes place March 12 in Austin at Capitol Factory, an incubator and coworking space.
With the stated aim to "create solutions for artists to engage their communities for an album release," the winning hack won't end up being just another witty concept that almost works and gets a brief flash of publicity. The idea is to put this hack to work and, given Slash's high profile status, might well open the door for other outstanding participants.
From all accounts I've read Slash's new album is in progress but a lot of songs were already recorded in December. With his last album, "Apocalyptic Love," Slash released both an album app and cosigned AmpliTube Slash, a virtual recreation of Slash's setup for guitarists.
Slashathon will take a different angle related to fan engagement. Slash is joined in judging by BitTorrent creator Bram Cohen and Ben Parr, former Mashable editor and cofounder of the #DominateFund with Tracks.by cofounders Matt Schlicht and Mazy Kazerooni.
Slashathon will be powered by GeekList who will be hosting the Git repositories and managing the hackathon.
Available APIs will include Aviary, Dolby, LeapMotion, Gimbal, Raspberry Pi, Codio.io, Spotify, Mad Mimi, Yellow API and Lob.
Slashathon Grand Prize:
- Gibson guitar autographed by SLASH
- $1,000 dollars
- the opportunity to have SLASH use the winning hack with the release of his new album, coming out in late 2014.
Community partners include mkThinkTank and Wristband Brothers.
"Mentorship" will be provided by Furthr.la, Geeklist and Wolfram Research.
Slashathon Schedule:
- 8:30 AM: Registration
- 9:00 AM: API presentations
- 10:00 AM: Hacking begins
- 1:30 PM: Lunch
- 7:00 PM: Presentations
- 8:30: Awards
Registration and additional sponsors can be found at the Slashathon site.
This is a real opportunity for developers to break into a space where Tech and Music industry insiders intersect in a productive manner.
On that hopeful note, I'm more than happy to make myself available for a couple of brainstorming sessions with developers who recognize the opportunity and aren't just looking for a fun day of coding with their pals.
As long as you're available for a recap after the event for coverage at Hypebot, even if it's disastrous for you, I'm willing to help identify opportunities that will distinguish you from the incredible range of offerings already on the market.
Hit me up at the email below if that's of interest.
More:
- SXSW Announces 1st Official Music Hackathon Championship
- Announcing Hella Hack Oakland, The East Bay's First Ever Music Hackathon
- Hackeroo: Bonnaroo Throws A Weekend Hackathon
Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (Twitter/Facebook) is currently relaunching All World Dance. To suggest topics about music tech, DIY music biz or music marketing for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.
hey clyde, interesting news! be sure to let us know what comes of it!
I shall do my best. Or a reasonable simulation of such.
Hope things are well in the land of Launch & Release!