Ben Folds Audio Interview - New Ben Folds Five Record

Hey guys,
Very excited to present the newest interview for The Synthesizer Sympathizer.  Today's guest is Ben Folds, our biggest guest yet.  Instead of doing a standard text interview, I've upped the ante for an audio interview, presented in two forms for maximum exposure-- YouTube and SoundCloud.  Ben and I talked about the new Ben Folds Five record coming this September.  The album is the group's first recording in about 12 years, and promises to be a classic.  I strongly encourage you to preorder the album by going to http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/benfoldsfive.  Some of the proceeds will go to music education charities as well.  If you'd like to hear some of the music first, you can also download a free track and hear another in the pledge video at that link.

You can download the interview here.

I hope to do more of these audio interviews in the future-- it was a ton of fun.  A big thanks to Ben for joining me and chatting about the new record!

Hollywood - RAC ft. Penguin Prison

It's been a few days since I've posted an update, so here's a new track for you from RAC and Penguin Prison. Incredibly laid back little ditty right here.  Summer's just around the corner, and that seems to be when this "hang out" music emerges.  I welcome it.

Monotron Delay with Vocals

Curious about what the Monotron Delay sounds like with voice?  Wonder no more.  Youtube user carianoff shows us some delayed sounds.  Unfortunately, he's got a bit of clipping distortion, but it does give a decent idea of what your vocals could sound like.

OP-X PRO-II vs. Oberheim OB-X

A comparison of the OP-X PRO-II software to a real Oberheim OB-X.  This sounds pretty darn close.

Waldorf Blofeld Love

I don't often post digital synths on here, probably because I'm a bit biased towards the analogs, but that doesn't mean they're all bad.  I recall a couple years ago a friend of mine telling me that the Blofeld was an incredible instrument, and here I am, a couple years later, posting it on this very blog.  The Blofeld is a bit of a legend, and you can find a fair share of diehards who love Waldorf on every synth and production forum on the net, right beside the guys who champion the Access Virus.  However, unlike the Virus, the Blofeld won't destroy your bank account, with the module version coming in at around $600 USD new (and seemingly even cheaper on Amazon with that link).  What I really dig about synth modules over software synths is that even if your computer is garbage, you can still lay down the tracks and get music made.  All that audio processing is done in your module-- probably why I like hardware synths so much.  Of course, this argument is a bit moot if you have an incredible computer, but there's something that's so old-school and tangible about hardware.  The greats of the 80s weren't clicking mice, they were turning knobs.  Hopefully this post isn't a pure gear lust inciter.  Enjoy a track of pure Blofeld courtesy of YouTube below.

Punks Jump Up feat Dave 1 - Mr Overtime (Official Video)

Yeah, I'm aware that literally the post before this is a remix of this track, but I found this official music video of Punks Jump Up featuring Dave 1, and it's too cool not to post.  In fact, the colors are so awesome, if and when I re-do the color scheme for the blog, I might take some of these ideas.  I like them that much.  It's also cool to hear the non-remix version, the track is actually spectacular.  I saw Dave-1 tweeted that it's nearly 2 years old as far as creation goes (he says he recorded his vocals a couple years ago), so it's interesting to see a track that's been sitting around for quite some time.  Well worth the wait, though!

Punks Jump Up - Mr. Overtime featuring Dave-1 (Oliver Remix)

I can't remember the last time I loved a collaboration as much as this.  Oliver remixes Punks Jump Up's track "Mr. Overtime", which features Dave-1 of Chromeo fame on vocals.  This track ROCKS.  Lots of sounds, a great beat, and awesome synths.  Totally a banger for the clubs, and should have the fans jumping.  Also dig the incredibly retro cover art.  Nice work, Oliver/Punks Jump Up/Dave-1!