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Find tranquility in this film with Alva Noto, Ryuichi Sakamoto
Meditative sonic architecture meets a great work of modern architecture, as Alva Noto and Ryuchi Sakamoto invade Philip Johnson’s iconic Glass House. There are few locations more emblematic of...
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Visionary Tatsuya Takahashi leaves a huge legacy as he departs KORG
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Tatsuya Takahasi and his team at KORG has changed the face of the modern synth industry. And I can even say that literally. “Tats” has become a household name in...
View ArticleDieter Doepfer made the Nintendo Power Glove work for Kraftwerk
German YouTuber “studentsmusic” has come across the Nintendo Power Glove mod used by none other than Eurorack originator Dieter Doepfer. And he had a hell of a client – Kraftwerk. Now, whether you have...
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Explore a huge, free archive of the history of Japanese animation
We live in a marvelous age, not just because it gives us access to what’s new, but access to what’s old, too. And artists feel free to draw from the past for their visual and musical imagination. Media...
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Father of 808 and founder of Roland Ikutaro Kakehashi has died
Few people loom over electronic music instruments quite like Ikutaro Kakehashi. As founder of Japanese giant Roland, at Roland’s helm through decades of its most historic creations, and as an engineer,...
View ArticleWatch stunning 1000 fps projection mapping on dancers’ faces
At the bleeding edge of advanced projection mapping, new techniques are aligning the virtual world ever closer to the real one. And whereas VR technology is all about putting your head inside a virtual...
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Roland SE-02 is $499 analog synth with sequencer, actually boutique
Roland today has announced a desktop monosynth that’s all-analog at US$/EUR 499. It’s got a bunch of nicely balanced sound features, plus a sequencer. And it represents a new collaboration for Roland,...
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With Japan’s latest Vocaloid characters, another song from the future
It’s a cyber-technological future you can live now: a plug-in using sophisticated samples and rules that can make a plug-in sing like a Japanese pop star. Yamaha has announced this week the newest...
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Roland’s SH-010 looks like a 101 reboot, latest Boutique
It seemed inevitable since Roland first announced its Boutique series: of course Roland would at some point remake the SH-101. Now, it looks as though Roland is set to do just that – and in the process...
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What you need to know about the Roland Boutique 101, 808 reboots
Roland keeps adding to its Boutique series remakes of its classic back catalog. Here’s the scoop on the new SH-01A (SH-101) and TR-08 (TR-808). What you get is shrunken-down, modeled editions of the...
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Roland’s SH-101 – you could also play it while downhill skiing
One important comparison of the Roland boutique SH-01A to the original SH-101 I haven’t yet seen: can it ski? Well, anyway, that was a selling point Roland seemed to want to push when it came to the...
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Korg will bring their Gadget music studio to the Nintendo Switch console
KORG have long embraced their Japanese neighbors at Nintendo by bringing music apps to handheld gaming platforms. Now it’s Nintendo Switch’s turn. With the added power of Switch, spring 2018 promises...
View ArticleThis Ableton Push cover of Ghouls ‘n Ghosts wins Halloween
The Interwebz are awash with various Halloween-themed music covers in the fight for YouTube subscribers. But let’s go to a 1988 Japanese video game classic. How is this one winning? Let’s see: The...
View ArticleVirtual reality set to totally transform DJing, and Japan explains
What would make DJing with vinyl better? Why, DJing with vinyl as a disembodied invisible person in virtual reality with virtual vinyl on virtual decks! At this point, you’ve probably got many...
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Roland’s new SYSTEM-500 modules, and why you might want them
There’s East Coast (Moog), there’s West Coast (Buchla) … and then there’s much further East. Roland’s SYSTEM-500 descends from the Japanese modular tradition. Now we have the details of their latest...
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ROLI funded by Sony, Onkyo; is it time for the Walkman of music making?
ROLI, makers of the Seaboard and Blocks, keep adding to their funding. But new investments by Sony and Onkyo say a lot about betting on a future of music that’s centered on creation, not just...
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From Japan, an ambient musician on solitude and views of the sea
As haunting, oceanic wells of sound sing achingly in the background, Tokyo-based ambient musician Chihei Hatakeyama talks in a new documentary about what inspires him. The creative series toco toco...
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Ecco the Dolphin playthrough with Drexciya music is today’s perfect trip
I don’t know about you, but the next time I need to cool down, trip out, and feel good about the universe, I will turn to this epic playthrough of Ecco the Dolphin with soundtrack by Detroit’s...
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Mystical music for midwinter, with SO of Tokyo’s Labyrinth, more
The Northern Hemisphere’s darkest days make a good scene for music, whatever your spiritual/religious persuasion. So here we have some gorgeous sounds in this holiday week. First, this mix sets the...
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The Technics SL-1200 is back, and this time for DJs again
First it was dead. Then, it came back but … inexplicably cost four thousand bucks and seemed to be for audiophiles, not DJs. Now, at last, the iconic* Technics SL-1200 turntable is back, and in a...
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