GEAR + TECH
Highlander Velebit gear list: what’s in my pack
Our Highlander Velebit gear list includes everything you’ll need for five days of hiking across Croatia’s highest mountain range I recently completed the Highlander Velebit, a 104km 5-day trek across the Northern Velebit and Paklenica national parks in Croatia. The Velebit is one of Highlander Adventure’s collection of organised treks and therefore requires a slightly different mix of gear than what I’d pack for an independent trek. To help future trekkers get the balance right, I’ve put together my usual post-trip gear list of everything I packed. Where possible, I’ve included links to the gear I carried for reference. [embedded content] Highlander Velebit gear list As the trek is only five days long with four nights of camping, I encourage trekkers to go as light as possible. I kept...
Spotify Now Allows Users to Search Using Song Lyrics
Finding the song that’s stuck in your head just got a whole lot easier. For their latest feature rollout, Spotify has added the ability to search for songs by their lyrics on the platform. A Spotify engineer revealed the new functionality in a tweet, encouraging users to try the feature. Several users reported back their search was successful even when searching using lyrics from more obscure content. Users should pay attention to the tags in the results when searching content. Search matches that are returned based on lyrics will display a white “Lyrics match” tag under the song and artist name. Spotify’s new feature now matches the search capability of its competitor, Apple Music, which has had the functionality since late 2018. Spotify’s latest ...
New Spotify Patent Aims to Curate Content Based On Nostalgia
Spotify is continuing to tweak its algorithm, this time with the addition of patented “nostalgia metrics.” According to a new US Patent & Trademark Office application, the Stockholm-based streaming giant intends to measure nostalgia through a combination of user and behavioral data. The patent describes a system whereby listeners will be served tracks they find nostalgic based on their assignment into backend demographic groups. Spotify determines the demographic of a user based on a variety of factors, including age, geographic location, and gender, among other criteria. With that data in mind, Spotify simultaneously begins identifying songs the user may find nostalgic based upon the year the song was released and the user’s listening history. The algorit...
RAC Has Created His Own Cryptocurrency
Electronic musician RAC has long believed there is a large divide between art and the actual value it provides. With a sea of intermediaries between music artists and fans, including publishers, record labels, and music outlets, RAC believes that music ownership should remain with the art’s creator. RAC has now launched his very own cryptocurrency (like Bitcoin or Ethereum) via Zora, a cryptocurrency-based marketplace where goods are bought, sold, and traded via “tokens.” RAC’s newly minted token is called $RAC, and the currency is built off of the Ethereum blockchain. RAC is banking on the new venture to inspire a paradigm shift in the way artists are paid, and begin to give the power back to artists and creators rather than third party ow...
This Scorpion Gaming Chair and Workstation Will Make You Feel Like a Supervillain
Cue Aphex Twin‘s “Window Licker” and perk up those robot ears, because Cluvens has revealed its Scorpion—and it’s straight out of the office of JP from Grandma’s Boy. The aptly named Scorpion (or, more formally, the IW-SK zero-gravity esports gaming chair and workstation) literally resembles the body of one of the poisonous little arachnids. Six legs support the 265lb chair, and the “claws” serve as arm rests and a keyboard support. To round out the design, an overhanging tail piece wraps over the user to act as a screen mount and completely enclose the user within its grasp. Cute! Boasting a sleek frame and teeming with LED lights, the Scorpion looks rather intimidating, but also extremely comfortable. With a reclining radius ...
How Electronic Music Producers Can Peacefully Coexist With Super Sentient AI
This is an opinion column. The thoughts and viewpoints expressed are those of the author, VNCCII. VNCCII is a multidisciplinary electronic music producer, rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and visual artist. It’s a strange and brave new world being an artist in the 21st century. On a macro level, you have the exponentially advanced technology such as artificial intelligence. On a micro level, you wonder how this projected superhuman AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) will affect “David vs. Goliath” creators like myself. I picture it like Adam and Eve. The serpent is the promise of advanced artificial intelligence, where the biological merges with the synthetic. Where life seamlessly merges with the IOT (Internet of things) and our lives are made more efficient, convenient, and ...
deadmau5 to Perform Virtually at Inaugural RazerCon Event
Gaming hardware giant Razer has announced the inaugural edition of RazerCon, a product showcase and press conference highlighting the company’s forthcoming innovations as well as their strategic partners. The event will see chip makers NVIDIA and Intel showcasing their product pipeline and the reveal of new content from publishers such as Capcom and Paradox Interactive. The global event is also featuring a virtual performance from deadmau5 himself. The “Pomegranate” producer has long been an endorser of Razer, including its flagship “Blade” computers. The partnership first began back in 2016 when deadmau5 notably created a production tutorial for Razer Music alongside Steve Duda. On October 10th, Razer’s CEO Min-Liang Tan will b...
David Guetta to Create Exclusive Performances for VR Platform Sensorium Galaxy
Sensorium Galaxy has taken a giant step toward bringing the experience of electronic music to virtual reality with a new partnership alongside multi-platinum dance music producer, David Guetta. Sensorium Galaxy is a new social VR platform aimed at revolutionizing the performing arts in a whole new way. The project is backed by a number of high-profile names and companies in the events sector, including Yann Pissenem of Ibiza’s mega clubs Ushuaïa and Hï Ibiza, as well as the streaming giant TIDAL. Guetta is the first DJ to embrace Sensorium Galaxy and views the platform as a revolutionary disruptor in the way fans and artists will interact forever. With this partnership, Guetta will be creating a series of performances exclusively for the virtual platform, which will s...
Daft Punk’s Iconic “TRON: Legacy” Soundtrack Receives Deluxe Vinyl Reissue by Mondo
As rumors around Disney’s Tron 3 continue to swirl around the mythos of Daft Punk, the duo’s iconic soundtrack from 2010’s TRON: Legacy has received a special deluxe vinyl reissue from Mondo. Known for its limited edition comics, vinyl pressings, rare VHS releases, and screen printed posters, Mondo is one of the most renowned pop culture lifestyle companies in the nation. Their brand new vinyl reissue of the legendary duo’s TRON: Legacy soundtrack is nothing short of breathtaking. Featuring exquisite custom artwork by British illustrator Matt Taylor, Mondo’s record is housed in a spot-varnished die-cut O-Card and pressed on 2x 180-gram colored vinyl. The vinyl contains Daft Punk’s entire original score in addition ...
Hear the Milky Way Galaxy with NASA’s Data Sonification Project
Deep space digital telescopes have provided the ability for humans to observe imagery of the Milky Way galaxy’s center, but new technology will now allow humans the opportunity to hear the stars. Much like telescopes translate binary code into vibrant images of our galaxy, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory is using the technique of sonification to translate galactic formations into sound based in part on their brightness and shape. NASA is showcasing their results in a variety of sample images that cover a variety of galactic landmarks around a stunning 26,000 light years from Earth. Images from the Hubble Space Telescope depict star clusters, translated sonically as individual notes using twinkling pianos and harp plucks. Each stars’ brightness impacts the amplitude ...
College Student Develops Electronic Music Production Application for the Visually Impaired
A college student in the United Kingdom has developed software that allows the visually impaired to create electronic music with ease. After performing at a music festival in 2017, Ché Leader was in a serious car accident that left him hospitalized with a split tongue, broken nose, and chipped tooth. While he recovered, he also suffered severe eye injuries and is now visually impaired, experiencing chronic pain and psychological problems from the incident. The difficulties he faces each day and his background in sound design inspired him to create something that helps others in a similar situation. While specifics on his application have not yet been revealed, Leader’s software allows users to create electronic music with less reliance on sight than your average digita...
The Neptunes and deadmau5’s “Pomegranate” is Now Available for Immersive Listening Via Dolby Atmos
Fans now have the opportunity to experience one of deadmau5‘s biggest hits in a multi-dimensional sonic setting. His recent collaboration alongside The Neptunes, “Pomegranate,” has received the Dolby Atmos treatment via Amazon Music and TIDAL. The masked music producer has embraced cutting-edge technology as a core pillar of his brand. deadmau5 now joins a limited selection of artists whose music is currently available on the platform. Dolby Atmos prides itself as “the next era of music” that has the ability to make the listener feel immersed in the song they are streaming. The sonic technology accomplishes this feat by adding layers of perceptible depth and clarity to the music, with fans describing it as “surround sound on steroids,” allowin...
