Synth Kit Introduction – littleBits x KORG
MAKE SOMETHING THAT MAKES MUSIC
littleBits and Korg have demystified a traditional analog synthesizer, making it super easy for novices and experts alike to create music.
LEARN MORE:
English: http://littlebits.cc/
Japanese:http://jp.littlebits.com/
New 7-track vinyl from Anne Clark
Out on the 10th of January 2014 but available in pre-order right now (in a limited run of 500 copies) is the 7-track vinyl “Fairytales from the Underground” by Anne Clark + Herr B.. Originally released as a 3-track-maxi-CD, this re-release comes as a picture-vinyl containing the 3 tracks from the CD-version + 4 brand new remixes by MRDTC, Angst Pop/Technomancer, B Infinite and Stadt aus Draht.
Tracks:
- Darkest Hour 5:04
- Eye of a Wolf 6:05
- When you think your time has come 4:36
- Darkest Hour (Remix by MRDTC) 4:00
- Darkest Hour (Angst Pop & Technomancer Remix) 4:34
- Darkest Hour (B Infinite remix) 5:23
- Darkest Hour (Remix by Stadt aus Draht) 11:26
New album featuring vintage Buchla works by composer David First
DAIS Records has an upcoming release that features vintage Buchla works by composer David First. Here’s what they have to say about the album, David First: Electronic Works 1976 – 1977:
During his time at Princeton, First was introduced to the classical electronic music studio there, a lonely outpost of the famed Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center which housed one of the very first Buchla 100 series systems acquired by Vladimir Ussachevsky & Otto Luening.
Due to the introduction of digital technology within the music world, this system was left to languish in the studio unattended and nearly forgotten. First fell in love with this equipment and seized the opportunity to compose using the Buchla 100 synthesizer, at first experimenting only with electronic synthesis but later adding in his signature guitar stylings to make these compositions unique to the academic output typical of university music.
Thankfully, these compositions were recorded by First at Princeton on various reel to reel tapes and stored away for over 35 years. It wasn’t until the summer of 2012, when David First and Ryan Martin (of Dais Records) decided to revisit and transfer these reels to compile an album presented here as a selection of genuine, uninhibited exploration into modular electronic synthesis.
The release is limited to an edition of 500 copies, with liner notes by David First. The release/shipping date is Jan 21, 2014.
Timo Maas – Tantra
Beatport: http://www.beatport.com/release/tantr…
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/tan…
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tantra-EP-Tim…
‘Tantra’ is the new single from Timo Maas. Taken from his latest artist album, ‘Lifer’, the release comes during a vintage year for the acclaimed German DJ and producer. The video for the single presents a fascinating nexus between human ingenuity, electronic music and mechanical design — whereby the ‘audio’ for ‘Tantra’ programmes a purpose built machine and brings it to ‘life’.
The machinery that forms the art installation at the centre of the piece was designed, built, operated and then filmed by a group of Japanese artists and creatives, including Daito Manabe. Motoi Ishibashi, Muryo Homma and Youichi Sakamoto. They spent weeks researching and testing materials before building the final installation from Arduino controlled ball dispensers, motorised rotating steel plates and LED lights for filming.
‘Tantra’ was then deconstructed into MIDI parts (the computer code that runs the synths, drum machines and samplers in the musical composition), the data that specified notation, pitch and velocity, control signals for parameters such as volume, vibrato, audio panning, and cues from were then run through the machine to control its movement.
Daito Manabe explains:
“The first time I listened to ‘Tantra’, I imagined someone producing something endlessly in a base, deep underground. With this image in mind, we started testing different machines, systems and so on, and then we finally figured out the structure and how we’d control the machine — and the motion of the balls — with the music. We felt that this would give it a sense of reality and beauty that is impossible to realise with CGI.
Remixers on ‘Tantra’ include Tom Demac (who’s about to drop a forthcoming collaboration with Will Saul on Aus), James Teej (the My Favourite Robot boss returns the favour for Timo’s reworking of ‘Liking Your Disorder’), Atelier Francesco (a new project and accompanying pseudonym from an already eclectic Italian producer) and Wolfgang Haffner (the ECHO music award-winning German drummer famous for his work with Nightmares On Wax and beyond).
Creative director/ Software engineer: Daito Manabe
Hardware engineer: Motoi Ishibashi
Video director: Muryo Homma
Installation designer: Youichi Sakamoto
https://www.timomaas.com
https://www.facebook.com/timomaasfans
https://www.twitter.com/timomaaslive
https://www.soundcloud/timo-maas
https://www.youtube.com/timomaasofficial
Soon on the app store: Electrify NXT – Teaser
Stated as the next generation groovebox for iPad coming soon, screen shots below:
Arturia MicroBrute Wave Test
In a fairly non-musical environment (straight note on, without a single inch of grace), a simple investigation on waveforms and their treatmens on Arturia MicroBrute. Ultrasaw, Pulse Width, Metal Triangle; plus Subosc and Fifth third harmonic suboscillation. No musical efforts, just waveform (be careful).
Novation Launchpad S first look
Reviewer, EDM producer, and DJ Francis Preve takes a look at Novation’s latest pad/clip controller for Ableton Live and Image-Line FL Studio. Read the full review in our February 2014 issue.
Reviewer, EDM producer, and DJ Francis Preve takes a look at Novation’s latest keys-meet-pads MIDI controllers for Ableton Live and Image-Line FL Studio. Read the full review in our February 2014 issue.
Groovesizer Foxtrot – Ableton Launcher / Midi Controller
Kits and enclosures are available at http://groovesizer.com
An introduction of the Foxtrot firmware for the Groovesizer platform. The Foxtrot firmware is a (mute) MIDI controller, specifically intended as a clip and scene for Ableton Live. The firmware is now available for download at the Groovesizer website.
littleBits gives you “Light-up Party Jacket”
Instructions at http://littlebits.cc/projects/light-u…
Be the life of the party or create your own with this light-up jacket!
littleBits makes an open source library of electronic modules that snap together with magnets for prototyping, learning, and fun. Find out more at littleBits.cc
Being Boiled – Martyn Ware demos Roland System 100 and Korg 700S
Martyn Ware, founding member of the Human League and Heaven 17, as well as the British Electric Foundation and Illustrious, demonstrates the Roland System 100 and the Korg 700S. These are the original instruments that he and Ian Craig Marsh wrote and performed the original version of Being Boiled on.
This was the climax to a 45 minute talk given by Martyn, accompanied by the great Peter Howell of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London, on the night of November 30th 2013. It preceded a performance by the BBC Concert Orchestra in the main hall, as part of their “The Rest is Noise” season. They performed works by Andrew Poppy, Michael Nyman and commissions by Anne Dudley, which saw the orchestra take on reinterpretations, or “remixes” of Art of Noise’s “Into Battle” as well as a new work, Rhythm of a Decade, a mash up of themes from the decade, accompanied by a narration from Paul Morley.
All the other original members of the Art of Noise were present in the audience (Trevor Horn, JJ Jeczalik, Gary Langan), billed by them as a one off 30th anniversary reunion 😉
DATAMASKIN
