Make no mistake, the Bastl Kalimba is a synthesizer, you just play it like a kalimba. Its tines don’t really make much sound. There is an internal mic that you can blend in for a little acoustic spice, but it’s mostly driven by the synth engine that combines physical modeling and FM. The tines are […]
I’ve got to thank my oldest friend and concert buddy, Tim, for turning me on to this one. Ashnymph is a London band that blends post-punk melodies with Krautrock rhythms and industrial grime. Their debut EP, Childhood, drifts between dreamy vocals buried in layers of reverb and four-on-the-floor dancefloor pounding. It’s a thrilling opening salvo […]
The EP-136 KO Sidekick is Teenage Engineering’s stylish new two-channel mixer, clearly designed to connect two of its KO-II samplers for live performances and DJ sets. Though, it can connect any two audio sources, not just TE gear. The mixer leaked a couple of times, but what those leaks didn’t show was that it’s also […]
Native Instruments’ suite of music production software and gear, including Traktor and Kontakt, will soon live under the inMusic umbrella alongside other music tech brands like Akai Professional and Moog Music. As MusicRadar reports, Native Instruments CEO Nick Williams said the company was looking for a buyer in March, following news it had entered bankruptcy […]
The latest version of Native Instruments’ Komplete music production bundle is here with 62 new additions, including the wonderfully weird Absynth 6. Komplete 26 comes in several flavors, starting with three $99 Select bundles: Beats, Band, and Electronic. Prices jump pretty steeply from there, with Standard costing $549, Ultimate costing $1,249, and the Collector’s Edition […]
The Telepathic Instruments Orchid has been unavailable for a few months now. But a new batch is ready to drop on May 11th for $649, and the company is celebrating with a limited edition clear Orchid: Arctic, which will cost slightly more: $699. The Orchid was designed in part with Kevin Parker of Tame Impala, […]
Spotify is launching a new verification program to combat spam, fakes, and AI. Some artists will now have a “Verified by Spotify” badge and a green checkmark on their profile, indicating that the company has confirmed a real person is behind the music and the profile. At least at launch, Spotify says that AI personas […]
Expressive E is making its Osmose MPE keyboard (comparatively) more affordable by ditching the synthesizer and making it a simple MIDI controller. The new Osmose CE comes in two sizes, 49 and 61 keys, for $999 and $1,199, respectively. Now, $999 is pretty expensive for a MIDI controller, but it’s far less than Osmose’s $1,799 […]
Taylor Swift has been at the center of AI imitation controversies for years, and now, she’s become the latest celebrity who’s escalating attempts to protect herself from AI copycats. As usual, however, the legal system intersects with technology in complicated ways – and Swift’s efforts may be a long shot. In trademark applications filed last […]
Before Coachella, Tomora wasn’t on my radar at all. It’s actually only by chance that I stumbled upon them – I opened the wrong stream because my TV was lagging like a MFer. I paused for a few moments, entranced by the two ethereal Nordic women banging on giant drums to a techno beat. I […]