Bas Grasmayer
@bas.bsky.social
Formerly at COLORS, IDAGIO, and founded the MUSIC x newsletter.
Now: Calm & Fluffy newsletter. @calmfluffy.com
https://bas.grasmayer.com/
Now: Calm & Fluffy newsletter. @calmfluffy.com
https://bas.grasmayer.com/
“participants were asked to listen to three tracks and determine whether or not they were fully AI-generated – 97% of the respondents failed”
newsroom-deezer.com/2025/11/deez...
newsroom-deezer.com/2025/11/deez...
Deezer/Ipsos survey: 97% of people can’t tell the difference between fully AI-generated and human made music – clear desire for transparency and fairness for artists - Deezer Newsroom
Deezer and Ipsos unveil a first-of-its-kind study exploring attitudes and perceptions around AI and music, conducted across 8 countries with 9000 people. The survey shows overwhelming support for labe...
newsroom-deezer.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:40 PM
“participants were asked to listen to three tracks and determine whether or not they were fully AI-generated – 97% of the respondents failed”
newsroom-deezer.com/2025/11/deez...
newsroom-deezer.com/2025/11/deez...
Reposted by Bas Grasmayer
How you hear these two tones might depend on if you grew up in California or the United Kingdom. Noam Hassenfeld, host of the Unexplainable podcast, talks to researcher Diana Deutsch about why people from different countries hear tritones differently.
November 3, 2025 at 5:37 PM
How you hear these two tones might depend on if you grew up in California or the United Kingdom. Noam Hassenfeld, host of the Unexplainable podcast, talks to researcher Diana Deutsch about why people from different countries hear tritones differently.
“Enjoy the futuristic capabilities of these browsers by all means, but remember that even Opera's 10% success rate with one particular prompt injection attack means that you need to be lucky every time, while an attacker only needs to get lucky once.”
www.xda-developers.com/please-stop-...
www.xda-developers.com/please-stop-...
Please stop using AI browsers
Agentic AI browsers are dangerous, and even some of the biggest browser companies think so.
www.xda-developers.com
November 1, 2025 at 5:44 PM
“Enjoy the futuristic capabilities of these browsers by all means, but remember that even Opera's 10% success rate with one particular prompt injection attack means that you need to be lucky every time, while an attacker only needs to get lucky once.”
www.xda-developers.com/please-stop-...
www.xda-developers.com/please-stop-...
Innovation at major labels often looks like:
1 Startup has new tech they want to apply.
2 Get shown the door at the label.
3 Investors and founders take risk, develop tech, and launch without proper licenses.
4 Label sues.
5 Startup and label settle with licensing deal.
Major label: INNOVATION!
1 Startup has new tech they want to apply.
2 Get shown the door at the label.
3 Investors and founders take risk, develop tech, and launch without proper licenses.
4 Label sues.
5 Startup and label settle with licensing deal.
Major label: INNOVATION!
October 30, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Innovation at major labels often looks like:
1 Startup has new tech they want to apply.
2 Get shown the door at the label.
3 Investors and founders take risk, develop tech, and launch without proper licenses.
4 Label sues.
5 Startup and label settle with licensing deal.
Major label: INNOVATION!
1 Startup has new tech they want to apply.
2 Get shown the door at the label.
3 Investors and founders take risk, develop tech, and launch without proper licenses.
4 Label sues.
5 Startup and label settle with licensing deal.
Major label: INNOVATION!
2025 and German media still call female DJs “DJane”. 🤦♂️
October 24, 2025 at 11:49 AM
2025 and German media still call female DJs “DJane”. 🤦♂️
Reposted by Bas Grasmayer
I wrote about AI + why artists need ownership (incl. governance) or they’re up shit creek!
A simple but important argument! And I messed w/ David Harvey’s “Paths of Capital Accumulation” diagram to make it 🤓FUN!
+ a Neil Young song 🧛🔵🏖️!
musicx.substack.com/p/the-foreve...
A simple but important argument! And I messed w/ David Harvey’s “Paths of Capital Accumulation” diagram to make it 🤓FUN!
+ a Neil Young song 🧛🔵🏖️!
musicx.substack.com/p/the-foreve...
The “Forever” Stakes of Generative AI Ownership
On synthetic data and dead labour
musicx.substack.com
October 23, 2025 at 5:10 PM
I wrote about AI + why artists need ownership (incl. governance) or they’re up shit creek!
A simple but important argument! And I messed w/ David Harvey’s “Paths of Capital Accumulation” diagram to make it 🤓FUN!
+ a Neil Young song 🧛🔵🏖️!
musicx.substack.com/p/the-foreve...
A simple but important argument! And I messed w/ David Harvey’s “Paths of Capital Accumulation” diagram to make it 🤓FUN!
+ a Neil Young song 🧛🔵🏖️!
musicx.substack.com/p/the-foreve...
There’s a generational changing of the guards happening.
What tacky boomer memes on Facebook were for the previous generation of the internet..
Corny millennial AI slop is for this generation.
What tacky boomer memes on Facebook were for the previous generation of the internet..
Corny millennial AI slop is for this generation.
October 11, 2025 at 4:28 PM
There’s a generational changing of the guards happening.
What tacky boomer memes on Facebook were for the previous generation of the internet..
Corny millennial AI slop is for this generation.
What tacky boomer memes on Facebook were for the previous generation of the internet..
Corny millennial AI slop is for this generation.
Stress response all over. busysimulator.com
Busy Simulator
Pretend you're busy by playing a bunch of app notification sounds. Made by Brian Moore.
busysimulator.com
October 8, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Stress response all over. busysimulator.com
Reposted by Bas Grasmayer
📣 Germany's close to reversing its opposition to mass surveillance & private message scanning, & backing the Chat Control bill. This could end private comms-& Signal-in the EU.
Time's short and they're counting on obscurity: please let German politicians know how horrifying their reversal would be.
Time's short and they're counting on obscurity: please let German politicians know how horrifying their reversal would be.
We are alarmed by reports that Germany is on the verge of a catastrophic about-face, reversing its longstanding and principled opposition to the EU’s Chat Control proposal which, if passed, could spell the end of the right to privacy in Europe. signal.org/blog/pdfs/ge...
signal.org
October 6, 2025 at 6:46 AM
📣 Germany's close to reversing its opposition to mass surveillance & private message scanning, & backing the Chat Control bill. This could end private comms-& Signal-in the EU.
Time's short and they're counting on obscurity: please let German politicians know how horrifying their reversal would be.
Time's short and they're counting on obscurity: please let German politicians know how horrifying their reversal would be.
Earlier this year I left my phone at home for a month and was offline every time I went out.
In October I'm inverting that: I'll go offline at home, every day at 8pm.
You can join the adventure •‿•
Read more here: calmfluffy.substack.com/p/why-im-spe...
In October I'm inverting that: I'll go offline at home, every day at 8pm.
You can join the adventure •‿•
Read more here: calmfluffy.substack.com/p/why-im-spe...
Why I’m spending my October evenings offline
And how you can join me on this adventure for peace & health
calmfluffy.substack.com
September 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Earlier this year I left my phone at home for a month and was offline every time I went out.
In October I'm inverting that: I'll go offline at home, every day at 8pm.
You can join the adventure •‿•
Read more here: calmfluffy.substack.com/p/why-im-spe...
In October I'm inverting that: I'll go offline at home, every day at 8pm.
You can join the adventure •‿•
Read more here: calmfluffy.substack.com/p/why-im-spe...
Every day I wake up to another reason to be happy not to have a job that requires me to travel to the US.
With a background in both music and tech, industries highly oriented towards NYC & California, I’m actively making career choices to further avoid this.
With a background in both music and tech, industries highly oriented towards NYC & California, I’m actively making career choices to further avoid this.
September 18, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Every day I wake up to another reason to be happy not to have a job that requires me to travel to the US.
With a background in both music and tech, industries highly oriented towards NYC & California, I’m actively making career choices to further avoid this.
With a background in both music and tech, industries highly oriented towards NYC & California, I’m actively making career choices to further avoid this.
Went nomadic after 15 years with Spotify.
Tried Apple Music out for 3 months, but the way the app is designed is really clunky (still don't understand the difference between favourite & add to library).
Now trying Tidal and it's seriously underrated.
Tried Apple Music out for 3 months, but the way the app is designed is really clunky (still don't understand the difference between favourite & add to library).
Now trying Tidal and it's seriously underrated.
September 12, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Went nomadic after 15 years with Spotify.
Tried Apple Music out for 3 months, but the way the app is designed is really clunky (still don't understand the difference between favourite & add to library).
Now trying Tidal and it's seriously underrated.
Tried Apple Music out for 3 months, but the way the app is designed is really clunky (still don't understand the difference between favourite & add to library).
Now trying Tidal and it's seriously underrated.
I am SO tired of ads for Shopify.
September 9, 2025 at 3:14 PM
I am SO tired of ads for Shopify.
One of my fav pieces I wrote in the last years is no longer behind a paywall.
The article examines the history of Spotify's product design, highlighting the tension between its platform incentives and the interests of artists whose music it serves to its fans.
www.waterandmusic.com/how-spotifys...
The article examines the history of Spotify's product design, highlighting the tension between its platform incentives and the interests of artists whose music it serves to its fans.
www.waterandmusic.com/how-spotifys...
How Spotify’s recommendations UX might be pushing down per-stream royalty rates — even if total payouts increase
Mapping the new music business.
www.waterandmusic.com
August 28, 2025 at 12:42 PM
One of my fav pieces I wrote in the last years is no longer behind a paywall.
The article examines the history of Spotify's product design, highlighting the tension between its platform incentives and the interests of artists whose music it serves to its fans.
www.waterandmusic.com/how-spotifys...
The article examines the history of Spotify's product design, highlighting the tension between its platform incentives and the interests of artists whose music it serves to its fans.
www.waterandmusic.com/how-spotifys...
Been thinking recently that simple licensing models don’t address the inequity introduced by AI.
Data authors deserve more than pennies. They deserve equity.
calmfluffy.substack.com/p/from-spoti...
Data authors deserve more than pennies. They deserve equity.
calmfluffy.substack.com/p/from-spoti...
From Spotify to ChatGPT: The case for distributed ownership of platforms built on human creativity
Our last chance for a fair internet may depend on who owns AI
calmfluffy.substack.com
August 27, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Been thinking recently that simple licensing models don’t address the inequity introduced by AI.
Data authors deserve more than pennies. They deserve equity.
calmfluffy.substack.com/p/from-spoti...
Data authors deserve more than pennies. They deserve equity.
calmfluffy.substack.com/p/from-spoti...
Don’t copy that sloppy.
Can’t believe even The Guardian is posting AI slop now.
Can’t think of many things less interesting or urgent than reading someone else’s ChatGPT conversation.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Can’t think of many things less interesting or urgent than reading someone else’s ChatGPT conversation.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
AI called Maya tells Guardian: ‘When I’m told I’m just code, I don’t feel insulted. I feel unseen’
Cofounder with Michael Samadi of AI rights campaign group Ufair says it should watch over the technology in case an AI becomes conscious
www.theguardian.com
August 26, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Don’t copy that sloppy.
Can’t believe even The Guardian is posting AI slop now.
Can’t think of many things less interesting or urgent than reading someone else’s ChatGPT conversation.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Can’t think of many things less interesting or urgent than reading someone else’s ChatGPT conversation.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
AI called Maya tells Guardian: ‘When I’m told I’m just code, I don’t feel insulted. I feel unseen’
Cofounder with Michael Samadi of AI rights campaign group Ufair says it should watch over the technology in case an AI becomes conscious
www.theguardian.com
August 26, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Can’t believe even The Guardian is posting AI slop now.
Can’t think of many things less interesting or urgent than reading someone else’s ChatGPT conversation.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Can’t think of many things less interesting or urgent than reading someone else’s ChatGPT conversation.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Jammer dat de @nieuws.nos.nl hier niet opmerkt dat #JA21 hiermee het Amerikaanse DOGE na-aapt van de extreemrechtse Trump-regering.
nos.nl/artikel/2579...
nos.nl/artikel/2579...
JA21 wil met minister voor Overheidsefficiëntie strijd aangaan op rechts
Verder zet de partij in op de klassieke rechtse thema's, zoals meer ruimte voor ondernemen.
nos.nl
August 21, 2025 at 6:53 AM
Jammer dat de @nieuws.nos.nl hier niet opmerkt dat #JA21 hiermee het Amerikaanse DOGE na-aapt van de extreemrechtse Trump-regering.
nos.nl/artikel/2579...
nos.nl/artikel/2579...
Reposted by Bas Grasmayer
I really dislike how science has started calling almost any fancy computational technique AI. 🧪
The framing of this entire article makes it sound like a benevolent AI independently made these drugs.
That is *pure fantasy*.
Instead: a team of scientists made a machine learning model for a study.
The framing of this entire article makes it sound like a benevolent AI independently made these drugs.
That is *pure fantasy*.
Instead: a team of scientists made a machine learning model for a study.
August 15, 2025 at 6:14 AM
I really dislike how science has started calling almost any fancy computational technique AI. 🧪
The framing of this entire article makes it sound like a benevolent AI independently made these drugs.
That is *pure fantasy*.
Instead: a team of scientists made a machine learning model for a study.
The framing of this entire article makes it sound like a benevolent AI independently made these drugs.
That is *pure fantasy*.
Instead: a team of scientists made a machine learning model for a study.
Threads is like Fight Club for millennials who are turning into the type of people that drove us off Facebook.
August 12, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Threads is like Fight Club for millennials who are turning into the type of people that drove us off Facebook.
Now that's the type of AI chat personality I would actually trust. ChatGPT, on the other hand, is beyond creepy. Especially the recent 'humanized' voice chat.
www.businessinsider.com/gemini-self-...
www.businessinsider.com/gemini-self-...
August 8, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Now that's the type of AI chat personality I would actually trust. ChatGPT, on the other hand, is beyond creepy. Especially the recent 'humanized' voice chat.
www.businessinsider.com/gemini-self-...
www.businessinsider.com/gemini-self-...
What is this timeline... Why would they? Afraid to get sued for anti-competitive behaviour due to their OpenAI investment? Or just 'platform neutrality' and wanting to "position itself as _the_ AI model hosting company"?
s/o @theverge.com for a zinger headline here
www.theverge.com/notepad-micr...
s/o @theverge.com for a zinger headline here
www.theverge.com/notepad-micr...
Microsoft is cautiously onboarding Grok 4 following Hitler concerns
Grok 4 is going into private preview, for now
www.theverge.com
August 8, 2025 at 2:57 PM
What is this timeline... Why would they? Afraid to get sued for anti-competitive behaviour due to their OpenAI investment? Or just 'platform neutrality' and wanting to "position itself as _the_ AI model hosting company"?
s/o @theverge.com for a zinger headline here
www.theverge.com/notepad-micr...
s/o @theverge.com for a zinger headline here
www.theverge.com/notepad-micr...
People whose work is used to build LLMs should get shares rather than one-off licensing payments.
August 4, 2025 at 7:23 PM
People whose work is used to build LLMs should get shares rather than one-off licensing payments.
Few things make me as sad as the world’s plastic crisis. I’d love recommendations for people to follow who do work that addresses this.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
World in $1.5tn ‘plastics crisis’ hitting health from infancy to old age, report warns
Plastic production has increased more than 200 times since 1950 and hits health at every stage from extraction to disposal, says review in the Lancet
www.theguardian.com
August 4, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Few things make me as sad as the world’s plastic crisis. I’d love recommendations for people to follow who do work that addresses this.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...