GEAR + TECH
There’s No Calming This Creepy, Light-Sensitive Baby Synthesizer
If you’re a music producer looking to give your sound some edge, perhaps the frenetic “wails” of this baby-shaped synth will do just the trick. The crimson Baby Bot Light Theremin: Powland Edition is the brainchild of Moon Armada and Powland. And consistent with its unique appearance, this synthesizer is certain to produce some sounds that will turn heads. As one might expect, there’s certainly no hope of calming this vocal child. “The best way to play it is to just start turning knobs until you find combinations you like,” Moon Armada says of operating the synth. “Generally, having the knobs turned higher will result in more abrasive, noisy sounds, while having them turned down will yield more beep-boop type sounds.” In addition to the Frank...
Audius Hacked for $1 Million Via Malicious Governance Proposal
In the midst of a blistering $2 trillion crypto crash that has roiled the blockchain industry, the world’s leading blockchain-based streaming platform has sustained a seven-figure attack. In a malicious exploit that used the platform’s built-in governance structure as a means to withdraw tokens, Audius reportedly sustained a hack which saw the perpetrator make a speedy exit with over $1 million. According to Cointelegraph, the hacker was able to solely request the transfer of 18 million $AUDIO tokens by establishing themselves as the singular guardian of the contract, known as “Proposal #85.” The 18 million tokens were originally worth $6 million at the time, but due to the hacker’s move to hastily dump the reserves on the open market simultaneously, the resul...
Balenciaga and Bang & Olufsen’s Speaker Handbag Is a Rich Audiophile Fashionista’s Fantasy
Luxury fashion brand Balenciaga and world-renowned audio company Bang & Olufsen have formed a unique partnership to create a new “Haute Couture hi-fi” product called The Speaker Bag. Functioning as a purse, handbag or both, The Speaker Bag is the loudest statement in fashion. It’s a testament to both companies’ unparalleled appetite to cultivate the next fashion-meets-tech innovations. “This bag is a testament to what happens when two very special companies with an unparalleled heritage of craftsmanship join forces,” said Miklu Silvanto, Bang & Olufsen’s Chief Design Officer. “Both design teams are dedicated to excellence, and I think we together created something unique.” Scroll to Continue Recommended Articles The Speaker Bag ...
Olympic Skateboarder Nyjah Huston Launches EDM-Themed VR Experience and NFT Collection
Olympic skateboarder Nyjah Huston and Peeq’s Daniel Benlulu have partnered to launch “Chaotic DJs,” an NFT collection and VR experience inspired by the electronic dance music community. Living on the Ethereum blockchain, the “Chaotic DJs” collection comprises 10,000 tokens depicting a tiger, bunny, wolf or ape. According to a press release, holders can unlock real-life rewards like invites to private parties, music education initiatives and mentorship programs. The NFTs will ultimately function as passes to Chaotic Land, a music festival which Huston and his partners are currently conceptualizing, according to the “Chaotic DJs” roadmap. It’s here where virtual reality comes into play, considering the collection’s website says Chaot...
This Is the Vintage DJ Equipment You Saw In the Finale of “Stranger Things 4”
Spoiler alert: Do not read if you have not watched “Chapter Nine: The Piggyback” of Stranger Things 4, now streaming on Netflix. While we process the pandemonium of the heart-pounding Stranger Things 4 finale, let’s revisit that chilling “Snow Ball” scene and its badass vintage turntables. When this season’s villain—a dark wizard named Vecna who feeds on the trauma of kids—closes in on his telepathic kill of Max, Eleven infiltrates her memories in an attempt to save her. Wandering the depths of her psyche, Eleven finds a young Max skateboarding in a park. Searching for signs of Vecna, Eleven instead spots something from an entirely different memory of Max’s. In the “memory within a memory,” she en...
Design Studio Unveils Concept to Turn the Nintendo Switch Into a Music Production Instrument
From DJ Hero to Beat Saber, console games have played a pivotal role in gamifying music creation and performance. And the Nintendo Switch may just be capable of introducing the next level of utility. Capitalizing on the Nintendo Switch’s modular qualities, Alquemy, a boutique design studio based out of Sydney, has devised a well-considered concept as to how they foresee the console aiding a new generation of music producers. The concept is based on the Akai Pro MPC and it features two snap-on modules with all the bells and whistles of an industry-standard controller. The module incorporates nine pads, control knobs and hotkeys for agile editing and playback. Plus, the team thoughtfully utilized the sides of the modules to outfit the device with speakers, ensuring an enhanced pla...
Tomorrowland’s New NFT Project Offers Collectors a “Full Madness” Music Festival Experience
The comeback of Tomorrowland lies just on the horizon, and now there’s even more opportunities to become a part of one of EDM’s most beloved festival communities. Ahead of the brand’s last-minute preparations in anticipation of delivering three weekends of music festival magic, Tomorrowland has introduced the “Medallion of Memoria,” a new NFT project that brings the festival’s global community closer to the action. The “Medallion of Memoria” is assembled by accumulating three unique parts: “A Letter From The Universe,” “The Reflection Of Love” and a forthcoming third piece soon to be revealed. Minting each piece of the unique collection carries a subset of the medallion’s overall utility, b...
UMG Partners With Music Wellness App Vera to Help People With Dementia
Universal Music Group has been named the exclusive launch partner for Vera, a mobile application created by music wellness and technology company Music Health. Vera is an AI-driven music app designed specifically for people suffering with dementia. The technology used in the Vera application “allows Vera to curate the perfect song at the right time for every individual listener.” According to UMG, the venture took Music Health three years of rigorous research and development. The research included more than 20,000 hours of observation and analysis to effectively conclude that Vera had a positive impact on the quality of life of people with BPSD, or the Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia. “We’ve built Vera to know and find the music that mea...
deadmau5 and Zytara Partner to Launch Groundbreaking Digital Banking Experience
Canadian electronic music icon deadmau5 has formed a groundbreaking partnership with Zytara, an innovative fintech company, to change virtual banking as we know it. The partnership will offer the first-ever branded digital banking experience, according to a press release shared with EDM.com. Zytara’s technology is said to enable fans to “interact with deadmau5’s brand” through the company’s banking app, where they can discover merchandise, concerts, pop-ups and more. Fans will also be able to receive a deadmau5-branded virtual or physical debit card, which can be used at 45 million merchants worldwide. Zytara’s debit cards with deadmau5 branding. Zytara Scroll to Continue Recommended Articles This shape-shifting partnership is the latest i...
Spotify Acquires Cutting-Edge AI Voice Modeling Company Sonantic
Sonantic is bringing a slew of new voices to the Spotify platform. Co-founded by Zeena Qureshi and John Flynn in 2018, the AI voice company has been acquired by the streaming giant, TechCrunch reports. Sonantic’s technology addresses two key functions. First, the company has the capabilities to produce high quality text-to-speech results fit for a professional studio. And perhaps more intriguingly, Sonantic enables the creation of vocal models based on samples. The company has also worked with professional actors to synthesize their voice into a programmable format. Using this program, actors can complete multiple voiceover projects simultaneously without actually having to be present. Each time their vocal program is utilized commercially, the actors receive a royalty payment. ...
Armin van Buuren Is Streaming an Original Concert Film—But Only for One Night
For one night only, fans have the opportunity to discover a lot more about one of trance music’s most tenured icons with the premiere of This Is Me. The forthcoming film details the life and experiences of Armin van Buuren, but June 30th will be the one and only date to catch the flick. The iconic “This Is What It Feels Like” producer is teaming up with HYMN to make this exclusive event a reality. Combining legendary moments on the silver screen with innovations in Web3, HYMN creates a path for artists and fans to share in a piece of music and cinematic history. Armin van Buuren is streaming his “This Is Me” concern film one time only. HYMN Scroll to Continue Recommended Articles Creating 1,234 Armin van Buuren NFT collectibles, HYMN is curating a collect...
Microsoft Developed Glass for Norway’s “Doomsday Vault” Capable of Storing Music for Thousands of Years
Your favorite songs may well live on for thousands of years to come, thanks to a new innovation in the world of musical storage. First there was the CD. Then the MP3. Now the silica glass capsule, courtesy of Microsoft. In case it seems curious that the next evolution in music storage is transitioning from a digital format back to analog, that’s because these particular songs need to withstand whatever forces known and unknown the universe has at its disposal. Last year, Elire Management Group announced the development of a Global Music Vault, also known as the “doomsday vault” due to its ability to withstand ice and snow at a depth of 1,000 feet. The vault is being developed on the Svalbard archipelago north of Norway and will safeguard timeless works from the Beat...
