February, 2004 archive

128-Voice Fantom-X Series Expandable to Nearly 1GB of Sounds
Roland introduced a new line of workstation keyboards, the Fantom-X Series, at the NAMM Winter show in Anaheim, California. Available with a 61-note keyboard (Fantom-X6), 76-note keyboard (Fantom-X7) or 88-note Progressive Hammer-Action Keyboard (Fantom-X8), these 128-note workstations are the first with capacity for nearly 1GB of wave [...]

Roland has been making leading electronic music instruments for thirty years. Their classic include the TB303 and TR909, staples of electronica, the Juno series of synthesizers, and the SH-101, a classic analog synth. Their current lineup includes the wicked Fantom-X keyboards and V-Synths.
Established in 1972, Roland immediately made its mark in the world of music. [...]

At the NAMM Winter show in Anaheim, California, Korg released the Mark II versions of two of its most popular synthesizers, the Electribe A mkII and the Electribe R mkII Rhythm Synthesizer. These groove boxes add many new features, enhanced sound sets, and an updated look. They have kept the low prices and simple interface [...]

Tubular Bells, the best selling instrumental album of all times, gets re-recorded by Mike Oldfield for the 30th anniversary of the original. Oldfield recreates Tubular Bells using a combination of the latest recording technology, software synthesizers, and vintage instruments, including many of the instruments used to record the original. Tubular Bells 2003 sounds great!
Skeptics may [...]

Two of the masters of ambient music released this ambient space music classic in 1991. The CD brings out the best of both of their styles, the ambient soundscapes of Roach, and the electro-acoustic murkiness of Rich. This is a great colloboration that is equal to anything released by either of the two artists.
The CD [...]

Dick Hyman. Tell me this guy did not get beat up in school because of his name! Yet, somehow he managed to survive and become a prolific musician, multi-keyboardist, and film composer. Though he is best known for his talent at capturing the keyboard sounds of the past, some of his earliest work was with [...]

This slice of dance-pop is a confection that is hard to pass up. Kylie says that she is a red-blooded woman on her latest CD, Body Language, and her mix of sex appeal and catchy retro dance beats is enough to make even jaded critics believers.
Body Language follows her global hit, Fever. On Fever, Minogue [...]

Beautiful, wonderfully recorded, and moving, Feels Like Home proves that Norah Jones is not a one hit wonder. Norah Jones is the real thing.
So what’s Norah Jones, acoustic chanteuse, doing on Synthtopia?
Every now and then, even electronica fans need to disconnect from the power grid and listen to some clean, simple, heartfelt music. Norah Jones [...]

I was a little skeptical when I saw this CD. A reggae version of Dark Side of the Moon? What were they smoking?
This is the sort of concept CD that is all to often botched. Fortunately, Dub Side of the Moon is a masterful reworking of the original. Pink Floyd’s recording has been played to [...]

Beatwave: Argentina, a new compilation of electronic dance music from Argentina, features 10 tracks from 10 artists. The CD is an interesting mix of styles and influences, and should appeal to fans of world music and latin electronica.
The CD is a Sonic360 release. They are releasing it exclusively online - it’s available through iTunes and [...]