2018 was a good year in music and gear. In this years playlist we’ve summed up what you should have listened to during the past year and what gear you should have acquired. Some artists stood out more than others and we will guide you to the ones you will need to keep an eye […]
Propellerhead has developed a fully patchable virtual modular synthesizer plug-in for its popular DAW, Reason. In a sense it was only a matter of time before the Prop-team would jump on the modular band-wagon. The modular hype has pushed every synthmaker in the industry to consider modular setups in their arsenal. Every band in the […]
Arturia has taken another interesting step when it comes to making music production gear. Well known for their software emulations of classic synthesizers, like the Minimoog, ARP 2600 and Yamaha CS-80, they some years ago started building hardware synthesizers like the Minibrute and Microbrute. Now they are at it again, but in a completely different […]
You may, or may not have heard of FLORA, but if you are in to experimental electronic expressions like 4D performances, this one may be for you. FLORA is the collaborative alliance of Melina Åkerman Kvie (AnnaMelina) and Jonas Rönnberg (Varg), two Swedish artists whose works seemingly divert from one another at the surface. Kvie, […]
Björk is all set to go on tour with a new stage concert called Cornucopia. The new concert production conceived by the Icelandic superstar will be presented at The Shed – a new Manhattan venue that will open in the spring for its inaugural season. Björk states herself: “I am very excited to announce that […]
Impressive to say the least. TONTO or The Original New Timbral Orchestra synthesizer celebrates 50 years. Still seen as the world’s largest synth, even though debatable from a different perspective considering the setup. The mastermind behind this beast was an Afro-English bassist tech guy named Malcolm Cecil who lived above a midtown-Manhattan advertising recording studio. TONTO […]
We happily admit never been to Kazakhstan, but after seeing this video we are so tempted to go there immediately. Deep house staged in this remote place with an awesome dancer. Astana – the city has only been the capital of Kazakhstan since 1997, and during that time has developed into one of the most […]
Puce Mary (Frederikke Hoffmeier) has created a world of her own. Noisy, ambient, sometimes relaxing, sometimes utterly annoying, but that is the beauty of it. She’s created her own music universe and it is not for all. An open mind to intriguing textures, harsh noises, angry synthesizers. Something that is equally present when she’s performing […]
The annual Apple event is over and it is time to look on what came out of it from a music production perspective. On a high level it is clear that music creators and artists are no longer a focus group of Apple. Instead their new line up continues to target bloggers, designers and photographers. […]
Although many artists have been experimenting with vocals since long time back, like Kraftwerk, ABBA and the Beatles, the real breaking point came when Cher delivered Believe in October 19, 1998. The era of autotune was born. Since then the impact of autotune has been monumental in the music industry. More or less every conceivable […]
As we are eagerly waiting for the duo to deliver new material, or even better get out of their studio and go on tour we will have to settle with this little teaser by Thomas Bangalter. Ed Banger Records has teased this new track on their Instagram account. The track, ‘Riga (Take 5)’, is described as […]
So the Moog One has finally been launched, although it comes with a hefty price tag ($5,999/$7,999). The Moog One was announced earlier this month as a successor to the discontinued Memorymoog which the company produced from 1982-1985. Following its tradition Moog has not moved far from its design guidelines. Knobs, UX and materials are much […]
We have done some cherry picking among the latest releases. Material that deserves a little more attention. First one out is an intriguing EP from Sweden. Peder Mannerfeld is at it again with a live recording from Berlin Atonal dubbed Roll the Dice. Live at Berlin Atonal 2017 collects four tracks recorded during their world premiere live […]
The use of lasers in music is not new and artists like Jean-Michel Jarre has been experimenting with it for years. But things are progressing and many artists are now now leaning to more autonomous systems – creating their own code to have the audiovisual performances behave in a certain way. A really astonishing example […]
Few dares to be monotone. Few dares to avoid the rhythms, like Caterina Barbieri in association with ELEH. The elaborate audio waves that drives into infinity is there to make you listen and explore. The subtle notes on the piano re-enforces the electronic harmonics that seem endless. Caterina boldly explores wave forms and adds a […]
We’ve been reporting on AI in music creation before and new steps in this direction are evolving as we speak. The latest iteration in this field comes from robotics engineer and media artist Moritz Simon Geist. Now it’s the time of the robots to enter the techno scene (again). The German producer unveils his debut EP featuring […]
Techno DJ, label owner and audiovisual artist – the labels on Berghaim resident Ben Klock are many. For years Ben has contributed deeply in shaping the techno seen around the world, but always in one leg firmly rooted in Berlin’s underground scene. During 2018 a lot of his focus and attention has been on the […]
Driftmachine, Andreas Gerth and Florian Zimmer, is a duo that have taken modular into the mainstream. Although their music may not be for all they do an amazing job in tweaking their gear to do everything from techno-ish tracks to drone. They are also a highly productive duo who have released several albums over the […]
We came across an interesting website the other day that is still under construction, but its ambitions are sure promising. Vintage Synth Explorer in all its glory, but listening on the sounds on all those great vintage machines contributes of course even more to the overall experience. Although currently still in BETA mode Synthsounds.net has […]
Incorporating elements of video art, dance, and Lena Willikens’ eclectic sonic palette, the duo’s performance is described in a press release as “a socially-conducted, aesthetically-charged experience that whirrs, reels, and metamorphoses as a film playing in the deepest crevice of one’s mind.” Lena Williken has established herself in the forefront of contemporary music and it […]
A persistent and productive character he is. Aphex Twin has, together with WARP, been teasing people for some time now of his upcoming EP called ‘T69 Collapse’. Although not a huge fan of Aphex Twin’s exotic music adventures he do come around as a highly energetic artist with loads of creativity. He has come to […]
Modular systems are attracting a lot of attention these days and the key reason for this is the fact that they are just that: modular. Crafting your own custom rack adds to your creative experience and demands. So for the past couple of years there’s been a fenomenal explosion of both hardware and software modular […]
Soft Cell had a huge impression on the electronic music scene back in the 80’s and several of their records became classics. Especially so their 12″ maxi-versions which elaborately evolved the original tracks with clever solo pieces and extended use of instruments. The band did not stay on together for long and has for many […]
A serious contender to KORG and other players in the ultra-portable format has come through Skulpt. UK synth manufacturer Modal Electronics has announced its latest instrument, a four-voice virtual analog polysynth that will cost under $300. Skulpt launches on Kickstarter on July 13, and is described by Modal as the first of a “new family of highly portable electronic […]