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APPLE MUSIC: IT'S ON, BITCHES!

Omigod .... omigod .... the iOS update is almost done!

OK, here goes.

8:11am

In order to use "For You," as with Beats Music, we indicate which genres we like. The "For You" curation page then fills with playlists, including (in this case) "Rise and Shine to Indie Rock" and "Intro to Jimi Hendrix." Seems apt to play Jimi's "Are You Experienced?" to start. It's a new adventure.

The recs are a refinement on the superb Beats Music "For You" page.

I head over to the Beats 1 page, where Eno's ambient Music for Airports drifts about ahead of the first Applecast. The "recently played" links underneath include the stations I created when I first tried iTunes Radio. Suddenly a few bars of the guitar intro to AC/DC's "For Those About to Rock" creeps in and out. Huh. Voices on the console... "testing."

The Beats 1 schedule notes Zane's show starting at 9am PT, then a live from NYC segment from 11a-1pm, L.A. from 2-3pm, Ebro Darden 3-5pm, St. Vincent from 7-9pm and more L.A. from 8-9.

8:25am

Dr. Dre's The Chronic makes its digital debut here, so let's stream it. Oh, fuck, yeah.

Off to the Connect page. Some of these look more like iTunes Store pages than social platforms. We'll have to wait to see how they fill up. The very first comments are starting to show up.

8:35am

This "Rise and Shine to Indie Rock" mix has Sloan, Doves, Weezer, R.E.M., Material Issue, Spoon, Bob Mould, The Replacements' "Alex Chilton" and the Pixies. President Glauber will approve.

8:45

At the top of the "New" page: Taylor Swift's 1989. OK, maybe just a little of "Welcome to New York." Also tiled in New-ville: X Ambassadors, Miguel, Joy Williams and—oh, Thom Yorke. Just saw an article about how his music hasn't been available for streaming. So much for that.

Back to Connect, which is starting to fill with notifications from the artists I'm following (I'm automatically following anyone whose music I've purchased on iTunes). The Decemberists let me know they're on tour this summer. Ne-Yo touts his new single. Waiting for someone to post a picture of their breakfast.

OK, that makes me want to hear the Eric Church record.

No time to make a playlist now (and I have to figure out how to import all my Beats Music playlists), but that's what I'll be staying up all night doing, I reckon.

Zane in 5. As I'm typing that I hear Zane say "Five minutes." Oh, the serendipity.

Michelle S. says this is "sorta like watching the Moon Man land on MTV." Yep, feels historic. Plus: Eno!

9 am

Zane is on the air. "We spent the last three months trying to build this radio station and we can build no more." He explains his choice for first song: "it's about quality and consistency." It's the rocking "Spring King" by the Manchester band City, which Lowe says has always given him a boost.

I can add the song to my library, find in iTunes, email to a friend. You can see why a single spin could really have an impact, no? Beck's "Dreams" up next.

Lowe is a madly energetic DJ, and it's pretty infectious. He calls out to the 100+ countries and "early adopters." The feeling of something historic is kinda hard to shake. He calls out the names of cities around the globe. A worldwide dance party? We're fuckin' ready.

"Gosh" by London producer/remixer Jamie xx, who just performed at Glastonbury.

A preview from Julie Adenuga, promising music that "shaped the sound of London."

9:20am

Lowe promises an Eminem interview and much more (Dr. Dre's Pharmacy this weekend!), but it's all records today. "For Those About to Rock" at last, with a hat-tip to the music being available for streaming. Fire those cannons!

So: Indie rock, underground dance tracks, classic rock... this is free-form radio, reminiscent of AOR or the earliest days of KROQ, which also played Eno back in the day.

... and right into Hudson Mohawke's emo-EDM track "Warriors." "He gives it soul," says Lowe. "You've got to make it sing." Man, kids are going to be inspired by this shit.

"Zane Lowe's World Record": World premiere of Pharrell's "Freedom." A frenetic piano riff and jazzy finger-snapping groove. It's a strangely hypnotic anthem and an instant earworm. Pharrell's performance of the tune at Glastonbury made people go apeshit.

Zane has gone apeshit too: He's playing it again. Nothing is true. Everything is permitted.

Pharrell will co-host his own show, "Other Tone"; Justin Timberlake will be the first guest.

The quirky alt-rock of Courtney Barnett: "Dead Fox."

Wonder if they'll play anything in other languages for the, you know, millions of people who speak no English. Still, you gotta admit that English is the lingua franca of modern music.

Chemical Brothers f/St. Vincent, "Under Neon Lights." St. Vincent's mix tape show is touted. Now Shamir's "On the Regular," a totally infectious EDM jam. Feels like what's next. Right into indie power pop from Bully and modern R&B from newcomer Gallant. Chet Faker's "Bend" brings a welcome touch of hipster cool to the mix.

The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face" is next. It's a smash; we know that because Zane says it's so. Jack Garratt's "Weathered" is the first track this morning to stump Shazam.

10:20

"This album changed my life!" Zane exclaims (he does a lot of exclaiming.) It's "Let Me Ride" from Dr. Dre's The Chronic, of course.

For the first 80 minutes, the energy from Beats 1 has been relentless, like a vintage Top 40 station at morning drive time. This is caffeinated radio, boys and girls.

10:30

Morning becomes increasingly eclectic with Stromae's French-language "Tous Les Memes," followed by some late-'80s recalling synthpop from Canada's Day Wave. And here again, is "Freedom," as promised. You can be sure this exclusive will get hammered on Beats 1 for some time to come. Here's Pharrell performing his official Beats 1 "World Record" at Glastonbury over the weekend:

10:40

Next, Zane drops a tab of A$AP Rocky's "LSD," whereupon the whole world suddenly seems auto-tuned... Wait, that's Elliot Moss' "Slip." We're hearing a bunch of acts for the first time this morning; Zane is definitely backing up his boast that Beats 1 will play a ton of new music.

11:20

Zane wrapped his inaugural shift on Beats1. Taylor Swift’s remix for “Bad Blood” with Kendrick Lamar appears in the flow. About 35 minutes out until the next show, a handoff to London with Julie Adenuga.

11:30

There are two new strange DJs on the air, a woman from New York and another guy who didn't identify himself, as station breaks move into a free form vibe post-Lowe airshift. I'm sorry we haven't been introduce new people, who are you and why are you here?

12:03

"Black Mambo" by Glass Animals into "Can’t Feel My Face" by The Weekend into "Hard Time" by one of the more exciting newcomers in the music world, Seinabo Sey, precedes the opening break from the UK.

“Beats 1 my name is Julie Adenuga. Welcome to London!”

12:15

She brings on a brand new song from Disclosure, "Holding On", into a drum & bass banger from SpectraSoul

"For once the sun came out today in London," Julie says, "and I want you all to hear what the sun sounds like here, so we're giving some drum and bass to you!"

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