April, 2008 archive

Scott at Bitnotic sent us some info on their new generative ambient music application, chill.
chill 1.0b1 is a generative ambient music program for Apple Macintosh computers that creates infinitely varying songs in a ambient/chill out style.
Songs played by chill can be saved in AIFF, Wave, and MIDI formats. Songs are royalty-free and can be used […]

 

 Bitnotic Chill Demo [8:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The music video for Go Speed Racer Go, performed by Ali Dee and the Deekompressors, featuring footage from the new Speed Racer movie, starring Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox, Susan Sarandon and John Goodman.
I could give you about a dozen reasons why I should hate this, from the music to the crapulous source material […]

Hamster Sammy enjoys improvising on an Opal Sonome:
She gives herself a little wash and clean while holding down a minor 9th chord! The plastic sphere is her means of transport while chasing humans across the kitchen floor, her equivalent to a skateboard or bike.
The Opal Sonome looks substantially similar to the C-Thru Axis that we […]

This Reactable demo from AHNE 2008 highlights a great DIY project.
Do you think this is an instrument, though, or more of a music toy?

Apple today updated iMac line with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors and the most powerful graphics ever available in an iMac.
The iMac now includes faster processors with 6MB L2 cache and a faster 1066 MHz front-side bus across the entire line, and 2GB of memory standard in most models. The 24-inch iMac now […]

Sometimes it seems that there’s no end to the types of MIDI controllers that people come up with.
Want proof? Here’s are some of the strangest MIDI controllers we’ve seen:
Using Pennies As A Drum Controller

That’s just of start of it. Read on for MIDI Hamsters, MIDI Drivers’ Licenses and more!

Netlabel Musica Excentrica has released a new album of free MP3s from Astrowind, Fresh Wind in the Valley of Dreams:

Astrowind might be a slightly ridiculous band name, especially if you consider the fact these two Latvian guys play lush ambient music on Soviet synthesizers. But nevertheless, it’s a good name. An accurate name, at least. […]

 

 Lost and Found on the Moon [7:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

NIN shows it’s got a sense of humor with the YMCA-inspired video for Discipline.
This track calls out for some remixes, doesn’t it?

Arturia’s preview for the Origin synth is a teaser, more than anything else.
Origin is the first Arturia Hardware synthesizer. It is a modular system, featuring modules based on some of the best synthesizers of all time (Moog Modular, ARP 2600, CS-80, Minimoog and Prophet VS).
Features:

500+ presets created by talented musicians and synthesizer specialists
Up to 32 […]

Lux is abstract HD film animated in After Effects. The soundtrack, The Beautiful Blue Sky, is a realtime electronic synthesizer improvisation for Buchla 200e and Haken Continuum.
The film, by Richard Lainhart, is a very cool exploration of abstract video & electronic music.

Mike Ayres & Dick Mills talk about the history of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

Totally Wired is a documentary film about Andreas Schneider’s infamous Schneider’s Buero, the boutique electronic musical instrument Mecca in Berlin.
The firm explores one man’s electric evangelism, and the interface he has built to connect analogue instrument inventors with their end-users.

The film features a selection of inventors and artists, including:

Dieter Doepfer
Junior Boys
Ken MacBeth
Anthony Rother
Jessica Rylan
Daniel Miller
Wowa […]

Inspiration Sounds has introduced Pure Live Breaks Volume 1, 270MB of drumloops recorded at tempos from 95-130 BPM and presented in Acid, Apple Loops, REX, and WAV Formats.
You can preview the library below.
A free sample pack is available for download (.zip)
Specifications:

270MB Content
ACIDized Wave Files
Apple Loops
Rex2 Loops
Loops at 95, 100, 105, […]

 

 Pure Live Breaks: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Planet Nerd’s Dan Walmsley talks to experimental composer David Shea about the history of the Doctor Who music and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

A long demo of a Roland TB-303, with the Borg modifications by Analogue Solutions. Also in the mix is a TR-808, acting as the master, with a little reverb; the 303 is 100% dry.
via Matrix