2013 is here!

So the site's been pretty quiet these past few weeks as I've taken some time off from posting to relax and enjoy the holiday break-- music news is generally pretty slow in late December as well, but now that the new year has rolled around, we're back to an exciting time for musicians and listeners across the globe.  NAMM is just about 3 weeks away, and we'll have a wealth of new information on some hopefully insanely cool synths and maybe some great software as well.  If recent trends continue, we'll hopefully be seeing companies take some cool risks with design while they try to push things forward, and that's really what it's all about!

I'll do my best to keep you all posted on everything cool that comes out of NAMM this month, and any other cool news that comes through the grapevine.  The beginning of the year is always the most exciting time for gear, so be sure to check back quite a bit this month!  I'm also looking to line up more interviews for this year from some cool young talent, and maybe some veterans on the scene as well.

Stay tuned, and Happy New Year!

Passion Pit - Carried Away (Les Professionnels Remix)

Our friends Les Professionnels posted a free Passion Pit remix earlier this December. We saw them play a set a bit more funky than this remix recently, but it's great to hear some summery synth music to treat your ears! You can download it free as well - what could be better?

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An Arp Odyssey Christmas

Looking for some synthesized Christmas music?  Stephen Alcorn's got you covered with An Arp Odyssey Christmas.  This album sounds really old, and it is-- recorded way back in 1976.  It is basically Switched on Bach with an odyssey and Christmas tunes.  I actually find it very relaxing to listen to, and it's got a ton of charm for being such an oddity.  Be sure to listen to the demos over on CD Baby, or check out the album on iTunes.  Below is some liner notes from the album, detailing how it came about-- truly makes you appreciate how far home recording studios have come!

"ALBUM NOTES:

"An ARP Odyssey Christmas" is a collection of classic Christmas carols performed on an ARP Odyssey analog synthesizer. Arrangements evoking trumpets, flutes, strings, reeds, spacey sounds, and even an operatic soprano were created by recording each part separately in sync with the others.

It was 1976 – "Switched On Bach" had been out for eight years and won three Grammies, the iconic MiniMoog for six years, and the ARP Odyssey for four. Electronic music was becoming more and more popular, and synthesizers were increasingly heard in many genres of music. As of 1976, however, I knew of no existing album of Christmas carols rendered on a synthesizer.

I was in graduate school In 1976 studying geology, and in the fall of that year thought that it would be fun to make a Christmas album to give to family as Christmas presents. It seemed like a good idea, since I had an ARP Odyssey (which I had played with a Rhodes piano in a band, Amethyst, in Athens, Georgia) that was sitting idle, and I had a yearning for unadorned, classic arrangements of Christmas music.

Shindu - Just Go (Reflex Remix)

Here's a nice track from Reflex, remixing Shindu's "Just Go".  Lots of great synth work from the French duo here.  Very danceable.  Get on your feet!

Kavinsky - Protovision

Kavinsky has released his first track from his next album Outrun, called "Protovision."  The video features the ultra-style you'd expect from him at this point-- the zombie Kavinsky figure on previous albums has come to life and is driving around in a Testarossa, avoiding the police, in a seemingly retro world.  While Kavinsky is probably relying a little bit too much on the Drive fame for this one (similar setting, ideas, and perhaps even the same streets from the movie), it doesn't stop the track from being pretty darn cool.  I'm really looking forward to this next record as a stylish synth odyssey.

Pittsburgh Modular Foundation (PMF) Demo Series I ------ by DesertF!sh

Desertf!sh sent me this nice video of him demonstrating a Pittsburgh Modular Synth.  Very helpful if you're thinking about buying one of these, as it appears to be a bit of a rarity as far as demos go online.  Also shows off the waveforms on the oscilloscope. From the man himself:

"I recently got a Pittsburgh Modular Foundation Synth, a beautiful euro rack mono synth. However, before I bought it i could not see any proper demos for it. Hence, I made a few demos for synth enthusiasts and anyone interested."

Space Love - The Remixes EP

We loved the Silenx remix of She's the Queen, "Talk to Me" - so we had to check out what this mastermind is up to with this new Space Love EP and the remixes.  We're a big fan of the Final DJs remix because it tickles ears and exudes funky vibrations.