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10 Oct 2009 13:08

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Music: Meet the Eigenharp: The future of music or the future of hype?



It’s not often that we can say that we've seen something truly original. But the Eigenharp certainly fits that bill. It's loaded with technology that takes the best of synthesizers and mixes it with the best of traditional instruments. It's been a good 60 years since we've had a game-changing musical instrument. To paraphrase The Strokes, Is This It?
  • What it is A mix between a MIDI-sample-powered synth and a responsive, tangible instrument, it’s completely portable and (smartly) comes at two price points – a super-expensive one (the Alpha, which looks like a mix between a Chapman Stick and a hookah) for the musical nerds and the pros, and a cheaper one (the Pico) priced within the reach of normal people.
  • Post-guitar? The electric guitar, in the grand scheme, has held its status as the most influential instrument for about 60 years. Others have tried, but electric guitars had just have the right mix of portability and shape that make them make sense in thousands of settings. That’s what intrigues us about the idea of the Eigenharp: It has the same appeal the electric guitar did.
  • A reference pointYears ago, we used to live in Milwaukee. We knew this guy named Jim Bartz, who had an interesting artistic outlet in the form of the Stringstation, a musical instrument with 40 strings meant to convey a huge sonic experience. In a lot of ways, this reminds us a lot of that. It’s got that wild, out-of-nowhere experimental tinge to it that Bartz’ instrument does. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Aug 2009 23:32

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Music: ShortFormBand: For an anonymous collective, Golau Glau rules

A pretty picture in place of Golau Glau

  • Whoa, what is this?

    In our continuing effort to try new things, here’s our latest: Band coverage! This time, Golau Glau finds that perfect middle ground between 8-bit synths and anonymous female harmonies. Want to see your band here? E-mail us or bug us on Twitter!

    Listen to them

    Q1: In 15 words or less, describe your sound: Golau Glau make electronic silverpop.

    Q2: Name three influences that inspire you, with three words each on why they’re awesome:
    Nintendo NES: Summer of ’92
    Aquariums: sharks and bubbles
    Late-night rain: noise, texture, smell

    Q3: What’s a recent song you’ve been digging? Write ten words explaining why:
    Joy Orbison – “Hyph Mngo”: Freshest, hottest, most irresistible tune ’09. With chips (UK meaning).

    Q4: In 140 characters or less, how do you use social networking to get the word out: Sending tunes to people we respect on Soundcloud, making things look smart on all sites, keeping our own blog and ignoring the bullshit.

    Q5: In 15 words or less, what’s next for you? Some tasty slabs of vinyl, we hope, in time for your Christmas list.  source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

28 Feb 2009 16:10

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Tech: Our new best friend on the Metro: A music-making robot

iPhone app Bebot seems like a $1.99 toy until you realize it’s a full-featured synth. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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