SAMPLED▌ FRONT AND CENTER
What Are the Last 10 Songs on the Billboard Hot 100 This Week? (October 17, 2026)
Jelly Roll, GENER8ION and Yung Lean, Quavo and Future, and Olivia Rodrigo and Robert Smith appear at Nos. 91–100. Here is who is debuting, returning or holding on.
// also right now
MusicWhat Is Lucki Doing Going Into 2027?
A first top 10 album, a Summer Smash set and a bloody fight outside ComplexCon. Here is where the Chicago rapper stands at the end of 2026, and what to watch for next.
BusinessHow Much Does It Cost to Join ASCAP, BMI or SESAC in 2026?
Membership fees, step-by-step ASCAP sign-up for songwriters, and what businesses pay ASCAP, BMI and SESAC for music licenses in 2026.
// from the dispatch
che's Fully Loaded is rage rap's SoundCloud-first power move
The Atlanta teenager surprise-dropped a five-track EP on SoundCloud — anchored by 'Million Dollar Mansion' — and the deep-voiced, self-produced rollout is his clearest 2026 thesis statement yet.
Hi-C and the Rotting Logic of Survival Horror Rap
By mapping the skeletal remains of early 2010s gaming onto a bit-crushed 'vamp' persona, the Reptilian Club Boyz visionary turns digital decay into high art.
Effects for analog synths: what to buy first
Reverb, delay, and drive in the order that actually improves your patches.
Arpeggiators and sequencers: writing with hardware
Step entry, ratcheting, and gate length as a composition tool rather than a preset toy.
Modulation matrices explained
Fixed routings versus free assignment, and why a matrix changes how you write, not just how you patch.
Sub-bass on analog: getting weight without smear
Sine sub layers, sidechain alternatives, and the mono discipline that keeps clubs happy.
Patch design for house and techno leads
Short envelopes, filter accents, and the mixing space a lead actually needs in a club track.
Analog synths for live performance
Patch recall, tuning under stage lights, and building a rig you can carry in one trip.
Prophet-style polys: the sound of stacked voices
How voice cards, unison, and detune create the width people chase with plugins.