Synthesizers
New Synth “Dedicated to All Abused and Oppressed Women” Draws Backlash
“May our voices unite and bring light, joy and happiness to this world of injustice and inequality. Smash the patriarchy,” said Dreadbox in a statement on the company’s newest analog polysynth, the Nymphes. Despite the boldly supportive statement, however, the company has drawn less than savory reactions from the public upon announcing the release of the synth. While the analog synth maker goes even further to instruct prospective users, those potential buyers aren’t quite happy with the way the company seems to be piggybacking off of a cause without actually supporting it in any way. “Each time you play a note on this synthesizer, imagine that you soothe their pain away and you will become a better human being and synth player,” reads the statement. “Hey...
This Finance Company Turns Your Spending Habits Into Electronic Music
Canadian financial company Interac has teamed up with Zulu Alpha Kilo to create an app that will turn your spending habits into music. “Sound of Spending” invites users to input their expenditures for categories like entertainment, food, consumer goods, and household bills from the past 12 months. The platform’s algorithm then uses the data to generate a an electronic song using synthesizers, marimbas, harps, and other instruments. The higher the spending, the higher the notes and tempo will be. Spending less equates to slower, more languid tunes. Recommended Articles deadmau5 Reveals “Oberhasli” VR Game Curated by deadmau5 himself, Oberhasli is a virtual reality game that will contain an ever-evolving world of music, environments, and other interactive ...
New Skin-Reactive Analog Synthesizer Taps Into Users’ “Inner Energy”
For great musicians, their instruments become extensions of their bodies, acting as a conduit for creative expression. A new analog synthesizer from SOMA Laboratory seeks to do the same, applying this mind-body connection to electronic music. Blending together “inner” and “energy,” the ENNER synthesizer is described as a “body-patching synth” that connects a player’s emotional state to its metal pads through weak electrical currents. Its sounds are deeply sensitive to human touch, dependent on the pressure, speed and angle with which a performer uses the device. “Your hands become the central part of the circuitry,” the synth’s description reads. “Signals (passing) through your body define the mixing, volume, timbre, fe...
This Random Pennsylvania Warehouse Preserves Electronic Gear Used by Kraftwerk, Jimi Hendrix, More
Located about an hour north of Philadelphia, Harleysville, Pennsylvania is not exactly an EDM destination town. However, a warehouse in the town of 9,500 is reportedly the resting place of a treasure trove of rare electronic music artifacts used by legendary artists from the 1930s through the late 80s. The nearly 3,000-piece collection was started 20 years ago by Vince Pupillo, a longtime fan and player of electronic music. Over time, he became known as “the guy who would buy instruments that otherwise might be thrown away,” according to a report by WHYY. “I did whatever I had to do to get those instruments under one roof and preserved,” Pupillo said. “A lot of musicians and folks in the music industry, they want to preserve their legacy, and they see what we’re doi...
Pioneering Electronic Music Producer Releases First Album at 83: Listen
Pioneering British electronic music producer Janet Beat has released her first album at the age of 83. The synthesist and composer began experimenting with music in the 50s after hearing the sound poems of French musician Pierre Henry. However, she faced difficulty advancing her career after being told that women “simply do not do” music technology,” according to MusicRadar. Embracing the stigma, Beat found herself in the academic realm as a music educator and went on to establish recording studios at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She was able to publish recordings and handwritten music scores through the British Music Collection’s archives, but it wasn’t until now that her collection was distributed publicly. Released via Trunk Records, Pioneering Knob ...
Beats for Breakfast: Reese’s Puffs Transforms Cereal Boxes Into Augmented Reality Synths
It wasn’t long ago when kids would use cereal boxes to build imaginary cardboard worlds or play word puzzles. Now, these boxes have the capabilities of a gadget from a Spy Kids film. The General Mills brand has revealed three limited edition Reese’s Puffs cereal boxes that can be used to make music via a new web-based, augmented reality app. The only equipment—or shall we say ingredients—needed to create a tasty beat are the box, the cereal, and the app. Creators are able to utilize a Crunchy Drum Machine, Creamy Lead Synth, and Chocolatey Bass Synth to make beats. “As a kid I was obsessed with reading the back of cereal boxes,” said Josh Fell, partner and chief creative officer of Anomaly LA, in a statement. “Word search? Searched. Maze? Solved...
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