Tinselman

Teenage Engineering

It won't be out for awhile, but I'm already salivating for the OP-1, a small but surprisingly powerful controller-synth. At 4 x 11 inches, it's mega portable, sounds amazing, and is oh so styling.

Here's what Teenage Engineering, the designers of the synth, have to say about it...

OP-1 stands for Operator 1 and is a pocket size controller for your favorite software sequencer. Connect it to your laptop and it lets you control your sequencers transport with the common play, stop, rec, forward and rewind. Use it to control your software synthesizers with the 4 rotary encoders and 16 dedicated quick keys for fast selections.

There's also a built in motion sensor; you can shake the thing around to change the timbre of the sounds. Or sample beats directly from the built-in FM radio (how cool). You can even "memorize a tune by whistling it into the built-in microphone." All in all, it's pretty amazing what they fit into this thing. 

Interestingly enough... they're not mentioning a price.

• TE-10

• FM Synthesis

Link to OP-1 site

Announcing...

Just a quick note... after a long absence, the Myst and Riven soundtracks will soon be available again. Give it about 4 - 6 weeks and you'll be able to find them at most online stores, such as: Itunes (U.S. and Internationally), Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster, IMVU, Lala, Shockhound, and Amie Street.

I'll let you know when they're out.

Exquisite Tinselhicks!

Melodyne Sci-Fi

I recently emailed a link of the the "Melodyne Direct Note Access" demo to a dear friend; he responded almost immediately with the following reaction:

Melodyne is crazy cool!  Have you actually installed it and tried it out?  I watched the demo, and it's like I'm watching an audio version of one of those eye-rolling effects in a sci-fi, where they snapshot and image and then extrapolate a 3d model out of it, or "enhance" the bit depth of an image =).  If I had seen this in a movie, I would have definitely laughed.

Click here to see the demo.

Final Resplicery

Justin Norman, of Shrieking Tree, has created two "Resplicery" films (as he calls them) set to the Myst/Riven soundtracks: "Escape from Comatose Mansion" and "A Weathered Dream Sequence". All in all, he's put together five of them, but I have to admit, "Escape from Comatose Mansion" is my new favorite (spooky!). You can watch all of them at his Resplicery page (but don't go there expecting to see something that looks like Myst... his work is wholly different).

Russians Say Sky Dog Still Alive

Frank Sinatra sings of the stars (1943). Later, the Soviets show their stuff by sending a small, furry animal into space (1957)...

• Sputnik News Reel – 1957

Cosmic Beats in Outer Space

When I was in high school, it was impossible to turn around and release an album. I could have only dreamt of it. Now, anyone can do it. It's as simple as entering some information on your computer and uploading your recorded music. A couple weeks later it's in Itunes. And Rhapsody. And Napster. And anywhere else "online music is sold."

This is spectacular and wonderful. But also pretty bizarre.

My son is about to release his second album: an E.P. called Cosmic Beats in Outer Space". He asked me to do the cover, and I happily obliged, painting for him the above vintage space-era look-alike.

Kotex for a New Year!

The New Year is almost here, so let's get ready, people. Watching this video, by artist Douglas Coupland, for hours on end is a great way to celebrate! It helps to numb the brain for another year of endless consumption. Simply download it to your computer, set it to loop, and then enlarge it to fill the screen of your computer while listening to your favorite song. Hopefully, you'll put on something very fast. And loud. With a bit of attitude.

Black Swan and The Clock by Thom Yorke both work incredibly well, lyrically and musically.

1000 Years and 1 Day

The Ambo site has been recently upgraded. I am featured prominently there. This makes me happy.

Ambo is, or was, a musical...  um... thing. Music creation? It is a CD by Keith Moore and Robyn Miller.

Let's talk more about me. Are you attracted by my bold expression? My aqua-colored skin? My handsome but hypnotic gaze? It never hurts to listen to the voice of the Amboface.

I will assimilate you.

Note: The Amboface has edited this post.

Ambo CDs are currently buy one, get one for 30% off at CDBaby. Or lo-fi versions of a few songs are available for free at the Ambo site.

When the player appears inside the mouth of the Amboface, simply pull-down the "Save as QuickTime movie" option, and save the song to your hard drive.

Making the Run to Gladewater

Henderson, Texas—where I went to jr. high and high school

Making the Run to Gladewater
by Michele Shocked

Upshur County's drier than an empty bottle
Since the Mormon's come to town
And to run out of beer means a run to Gladewater
Highway 79 thirty miles on down

Now fair is fair but life's a gamble
when it's eleven forty five
And it's a toss of the coin to see who's got fifteen minutes
To make a thirty minute drive

It was Saturday night
You was sitting 'round the square
Small town Texas sons and daughters
But you lost the toss
That means you're taking up the money
That means you're making the run
Making the run
Making the run to Gladewater

Here's what you do
You hustle all your buddies off
the back of your truck
You grab your girl, you say
c'mon lets....

Tuck your jeans in your boots
That's what you do
Slap your gimme cap on
Turn the country music radio station
louder than you oughter

But it's okay, you're on your way
You lost the toss
you're taking up the money
You're making the run to Gladewater

It's 79 to the county line
And the Mini Mart with not one to spare
And your friends back in Gilmer
They're your friends indeed
Why? Well, you got their money
and their six pack of beer

Making the run
Making the run, making the run
Making the run to Gladewater

photo by Exquisitely Bored in Nacogdoches (cc), some rights reserved