Since January, MTV has officially stopped broadcasting music. Which is about as shocking as a butcher suddenly going vegan. The channel that once killed the radio star has, over the years, transformed itself into an endless loop of reality TV, cringeworthy moments, and "please change the channel" moments. And now it's finally being consistent: the last 24/7 music channel is off. Mic drop. Only without the music.
MTV was once a temple. A shrine of neon, hairspray, and guitar riffs. In 1985, Mark Knopfler and Sting bellowed "I want my MTV!" to the world as if it were a vow sworn in blood and amplifier blast. Back then, it was perfectly normal for Ozzy Osbourne to casually drop by the studio in 1988, as if he'd just popped out for cigarettes. Four decades later, "I want my MTV" sounds more like a mournful bar cry at 03:17 a.m. when the DJ is playing Ed Sheeran for the third time.
But then something happened that has become rare in this world: an individual simply did it. A developer with the wonderfully unreasonable name FlexasaurusRex refused to accept that MTV was throwing its own legacy into the "content" trash. Instead, in a 48-hour coding session, he cobbled together a browser-based time machine:MTV Rewind"Free. Ad-free. No algorithm that forces you into a 'Chill Vibes For Tax Evasion' playlist after two songs."
This thing streams over 33,000 music videos and shows from six decades. Six. Decades. This isn't nostalgia, it's archaeology at full volume. There are channels sorted by era, from the '70s to today, and of course the holy relics: "Yo! MTV Raps," "120 Minutes," and for anyone who still remembers what neck muscles are for: "Headbangers Ball." Metal fans can continue blasting their way through the classics there or just listen to it like a radio until the neighbors "just happen" to call the police again.
And now comes the best part: just music. The way the television gods intended it, before they misplaced the remote. Zero commercials. Zero interruptions.
FlexasaurusRex calls the project a middle finger to algorithmic manipulation and corporate streaming monopolies. The videos come from YouTube and are cataloged via the Internet Music Video Database. The entire project is financed through voluntary donations, and the site is intended to remain free indefinitely.
And yes, of course it's sad: A corporation with a billion-dollar budget can't manage to preserve its own DNA. For that, it takes a sleep-deprived nerd with principles. That says more about the media landscape than a thousand clever comments that ultimately just amount to self-promotion.
But hey: The music is back.
And this time without warning, without gatekeepers, without "We've updated our terms." Just you, the sound, and a bit of digital defiance. That's exactly how it should be…
"Dravens Tales from the Crypt" has been enchanting for over 15 years with a tasteless mixture of humor, serious journalism - for current events and unbalanced reporting in the press politics - and zombies, garnished with lots of art, entertainment and punk rock. Draven has turned his hobby into a popular brand that cannot be classified.
My blog was never designed to spread news, let alone get political, but with current affairs I just can't help but capture information here that is otherwise censored on all other channels. I am aware that the design page may not seem "serious" to many in this regard, but I will not change this to please the "mainstream". Anyone who is open to non-state-compliant information sees the content and not the packaging. I've tried enough to provide people with information over the last 2 years, but quickly noticed that it never matters how it's "packaged", but what the other person's attitude towards it is. I don't want to put honey on anyone's mouth to meet expectations in any way, so I'll keep this design because hopefully at some point I'll be able to stop making these political statements, because it's not my goal to go on like this forever 
I leave it up to everyone how they deal with it. However, you are welcome to simply copy and distribute the content, my blog has always been under the WTFPL license.
It's hard for me to describe what I'm actually doing here, DravensTales has become a culture blog, music blog, shock blog, tech blog, horror blog, fun blog, a blog about found items on the internet, internet bizarre, trash blog, art blog, water heater, zeitgeist blog over the years , Scrap blog and grab bag blog called. Everything that is right ... - and yet not. The main focus of the blog is contemporary art, in the broadest sense of the word.
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