Artur Vilao - You Bring Me Joy (Original Mix)

Here is a small sample of a soulful producer from Germany. He uses a wonderful vocal sample from artist Ann Nesby to transform this darker track into a deep heart filled groove. Some interesting synth sounds compliment the strong and clean production.

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listen to the sampled track HERE

Hior Chronik - Still Foggy (Cosmonaut Grechko Remix) - Free Download

We've been following Cosmonaut for a few years now. It's amazing how the elements of his old stuff creep into his newer music ~ the wonderful arrangement, the bells, the feeling. This remix will take you to a sublime place - please check it out, show it some love, and download it for free!

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Is Korg planning an MS-20 reboot? Is the Analog King Korg real?

Word on Vintage Synth is that a new Korg MS-20 is coming through the pipeline and set to appear at NAMM 2013.  The leak supposedly comes from an Argentinian distributor for Korg.  The MS-20 appears to be the same as the Legacy Controller released some years back, but changes in the patch panel, and the fact that these screenshots don't already exist on the web indicate these are indeed new.  The picture below shows that this new MS-20 is miniature, and much smaller than its original older brother.  The MS-20 isn't listed as analog or digital, so it could go either way.  The mini keys make me think it's an expansion on the old MicroKorg, but the fact that Korg has had so much success with the Monotron and Monotribe makes me think they'd really go for it.

Also included in this leak is the King Korg, listed as an analog polysynth.  No real details can be gathered from this synth-- it's new, but certainly looks like something in the style of Korg.  While it's listed as analog, it could also be a virtual analog-- Korg likes to throw the word "analog" around, especially in the case of the PolySix iPad app.  CFNorENa on VS also points out that the XMT in King Korg's logo could be a hint at digital, as the Radias uses the MMT engine, and XMT could be the next generation of it.

My take on these?  They both seem legitimate.  The story checks out for me-- distributors get promo images and information early on, so a leak doesn't surprise me.  Both moves make sense for the company.  The MS-20 is popular enough to be a success if it's digital or analog, and the King Korg makes sense as a performance synth, which we haven't seen from Korg in a little while (they've mostly been putting out big workstations.)  My personal guess is that they're both digital...

Let's hope, regardless of analog or digital, they all have a great price.

Pictures taken from Vintage Synth

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!